meditation

Hello,

I hope this finds you well and in good spirits.

On my last day in Madrid I was staying at a friend's flat and was doing some walking meditation. At the end as I stood by the book shelves a title caught my eye 'Voices of Insight'. I took it down and opened it at random to see what I would find. It opened at a paragraph discussing awareness, the core theme of the weekend I had just lead. The writer expressed himself so clearly and was saying what I struggled to express, so I've written it down and am sharing it with you here:

''When you first become aware of something, there is a fleeting instant of pure awareness just before you conceptualise the thing, before you identify it. That is a state of awareness. Ordinarily this state is short lived. It is that flashing split second just as you focus your eyes on the thing, just as you focus your mind on the thing, just before you objectify it, clamp down on it mentally and segregate it from the rest of existence. It takes place just before you start thinking about it - before the mind says ''oh, its a dog''. That flowing, soft-focused moment of pure awareness is mindfulness. In that brief flashing mind-moment you experience a thing as an un-thing. You experience a softly flowing moment of pure experience that is inter-locked with the rest of reality, not separate from it. Mindfulness is very much like what you see with your peripheral vision as opposed to the hard focus of normal or central vision. Yet this moment of soft, unfocused awareness contains a very deep sort of knowing that is lost as soon as you focus your mind and objectify the object into a thing. In the process of ordinary perception, the mindfulness step is so fleeting as to be unobservable. We have developed the habit of squandering our attention on all the remaining steps, focusing on the perception, cognising the perception, labeling it and most of all getting involved in a long string of symbolic thought about it. That original moment of mindfulness is rapidly passed over. It is the purpose of vipassana (insight) meditation to prolong that moment of awareness.

''Mindfulness is non judgemental observation. It is the ability of the mind to observe without criticism. With this ability one sees things without judgement. You can't examine something fully if you are busy rejecting its existence....in order to observe our own fear we must accept that we are afraid [and through observing in this way we can then let go and experience the peace that is behind all thinking]''

Bhante Gunaratana

I then turned to another page, which was a talk on Loving Kindness by my teacher Ajahan Sumedho:

''Kindness is our ability to accept people and situations for what they are, without hating them or getting caught up in what we don't like about them. Its a way of training ourselves to not get entangled in our judgements about ourselves, or our neighbours, our society, or even mosquitoes, spiders and flies! With Metta (Loving Kindness) there is a sense of embracing everything with an attitude of patience , non aversion, and kindness, without singling out one experience as deserving more or less love. This love is unconditional...This is a process of changing our attitude from ''I don't like this in myself, I want to get rid of it'', to, ''Oh, so this is what I'm feeling'', and have patience and a willingness to experience what is in the present moment. Because that which is aware is not worried, is not angry, and is not the condition that is present. We start to develop confidence in this state of Pure Awareness. Awareness is like light: it has no colour, it is not a 'thing' you can objectify. You can't see awareness, but you can be aware. It is awareness that allows you to see, to know the conditions, to know that your experiences are the way they are: that anxiety, fear, worry, are ''like this''. Through that patient attitude the conditioned realm stops being an endless struggle to control or get rid of things.

Then as our practice develops, there is a sense of resting more and more in the silence of the mind, in that pure state of being in the present.''

Ajahan Sumedho

So as you can see, Awareness, mindfulness, loving kindness, being present in the moment, having a non-judgemental attitude to whatever arises in the mind and being ready to let go and experience the silent peace behind all thoughts all work together. Loving ourselves and being at peace is not a process of rejecting any part of our self or of learning better how to control the mind or cut out the things we do not like about ourselves. It is a patient process of learning to be present with what is, without judgement and learning how to rest in that place where there is neither grasping or aversion. As we learn to do this for ourselves and see the pain that we cause ourselves through the inner struggle to be good and right and desperate to avoid suffering it gives rise to compassion for others also caught in the same struggle.

This Monday we shall explore the theme of loving kindness and awareness with special attention to the power of gratitude.

Class details:

Join in a friendly and relaxed evening with other gay men. Start the week in a calm environment, learn skills to help you let go of stress and nagging thoughts, meet great people.

Classes every Monday except Bank Holidays.

Doors open at 7 for a prompt 7.15 start. Finish at 9.15 pm

Class fee: £8 donation. More or less according to what you can afford.

Evening includes a half hour tea break mid evening, so a chance to chat with the other guys in a relaxed and friendly environment.

Mats, cushions and chairs are available. Wear loose trousers for comfort.

No need to book. Suitable for beginners and experienced meditators who want to join a group or try a new approach.

Venue:

Friends Meeting House, 8 Hop Gardens, off St Martins Lane, London. WC2N 4JS
(near Trafalgar Square, between Leicester Square and Charing Cross Tube stations).

The entrance is in the lane that runs off St Martin's Lane between Med Kitchen and the Gymbox. Press bell number 1.


Map: http://maps.google.com/maps/place?cid=17212895388008758385&q=8+Hop+Gardens&hl=en&cd=1&ei=e8KvS77SDIXUjAfL0ciOBQ&sll=51.510639%2C-0.126557&sspn=0.071946%2C0.071946&ie=UTF8&ll=51.545481%2C-0.167885&spn=0%2C0&z=13&iwloc=A

Feedback from people who have attended the class:

"I came to the meditation group not knowing what to expect. I was met with warmth and inspiration. The class was very well run and informative as well as tremendously helpful in dealing with stressful life challenges. It is also a great way of meeting other gay guys in a supportive and friendly environment. Highly recommended!” Paul K

"A safe, inviting space for both beginners and those who have meditated before to come together in quiet reflection. Nick Kientsch has created a very welcome weekly sanctum to balance the noise of everyday life." D. Davies

“I’ve found it a wonderful way to round off the week-end and get ready for the week.” Graeme G


CONTACT DETAILS:

Nick Kientsch
07910 224 560


Time Out: http://www.timeout.com/london/gay-lesbian/event/183255/788455/buddhist-meditation-for-gay-bisexual-men

http://www.meetup.com/Buddhist-Meditation-for-Gay-and-Bisexual-Men/