Mind Over Matter Essay -- essays research papers

genius over Matter     Out of the myriad of religions that encompass the earth, one of the to the lowest degree understood is Buddhism. In the pursuit of a higher plane of existence, aBuddhist monk will renounce his worldly secular life, preferably embracing a lifeof surmisal and study. While attempting to achieve enlightenment, and therefore nirvana, a Buddhist must first come to eradicate his sense of self,effectively destroying his ego. By doing this, "durkha," (pain and suffering),end and one can be at peace and harmony with the world and all who reside in it.A utilization that helps monks achieve this enlightened state is meditation. Byclearing the theme of mundane clutter and distractions, a monk can become in tunewith his inner being and body, which results in a greater apprehensiveness of thebarriers that need to collapse before nirvana can be achieved. This practice ofmeditation was the Buddhist practice that I participated in, with the int ent ona greater understanding of what being a Buddhist means. This exercise taught methe indwelling ambitiousy in calming the school principal, along with the negative effectsoutside influences like other people have on the practice.     The first manoeuvre I attempted to deliberate was outside my dorm next to atree. This proved to be a comfortable place, yet full of distractions. I havemeditated before in my martial arts classes, yet it was difficult calming my estimate. While concentrating on my breathing, I was easily distracted by outsideoccurrences such as leaves falling and people walking by. The more(prenominal) I attemptedto shut out the outside world, the more my mind focused on the little thingsaround me. I gained immediate wonder of the Buddhist monks ability toshirk the outside world and focus on his inner self. When I had meditated beforein my dojo, it was as a separate and in silence. This greatly helped the exerciseand I can see why this is the modus operandi at most temples.     The second place I attempted to meditate was in the basement of ReidHall. I hoped that the familiar surroundings would calm the mind easier andallow me to concentrate on clearing my mind. While not an apotheosis setting, it wasbetter than outside. As I concentrated on my breathing and mat up myself unwind, Iwas able to tune into the sound... ...lp guide and direct the learningof the monks. They gallop subtle forms of encouragement, often disguised inhardship, that aid the monks in their beat toward understanding. This is aboon, allowing enlightenment to occur quicker than in the solitary meditation Iexperienced.     A Buddhist way of life is a flock harder than one may suspect, for whilethey are released from the worries of everyday life, the mental businesss deputeto them are far greater than worrying about what to cook for dinner party tonight orpaying ones electricity bill. Furthermore, a Bud dhist life-style is not veryconducive to an American lifestyle. I give a lot of credit to the founders ofthe Zen Mountain Center in San Francisco, creating a microcosm which can supportthe solitude necessary for personal growth is a daunting task. From my limitedventure into the life of a Buddhist, I learned that controlling ones mind andthen harnessing this power to delve out truths and desires from oneself is afeat almost inconceivable by the normal mind. Those who accomplish this task aretruly Buddhas, masters of the world and therefore outside the grasp of time, lighten at last.