The Value of Meditation and a Guide to Practicing

The Value of Meditation: The Story of the Monk and the Priceless Treasure


II. Guide to Practicing Ananda Meditation (Vipassana)

Bhikkhu Sila explained that Ananda Meditation is part of Vipassana (Insight Meditation), the method discovered by Siddhartha Gautama Buddha approximately 2500 years ago. It is the direct path to seeing the true nature of reality and ending all suffering.

Steps for Practicing Ananda Meditation:

Find a Quiet Place: Choose a peaceful location, free from disturbances. Turn off phones and distracting devices.

Sitting Posture: Sit in a full lotus, half lotus, or on a chair with both feet touching the ground. The most important thing is to keep your back straight, with your head and neck aligned with your spine. Gently rest your hands on your lap or folded together.

Close Your Eyes and Relax: Gently close your eyes. Relax all the muscles in your body, especially the shoulders, jaw, and forehead.

Initial Deep Breaths: Inhale deeply and exhale slowly three times to help your body transition into a relaxed state.

Observe the Breath (Anapana Sati): After the initial breaths, bring your attention completely and continuously to the flow of breath entering and leaving through your nostrils.

No Control: You must not attempt to change or control the breath.

Just Observe: Simply consciously note the sensation of the cool air touching your skin as it enters and the warm air as it leaves.

Point of Focus: Concentrate your attention on the small triangular area below the nostrils and above the upper lip. This is the only place where the physical sensation of the breath's contact occurs.

Handle Distractions: When the mind inevitably begins to wander, gently and without judgment, bring your attention back to the breath. The breath is your anchor in the present moment.

III. The Value of Practice

Bhikkhu Sila taught Raju that only through regular and long-term practice of Meditation can profound benefits be achieved:

Mind Control: Meditation helps you master your mind, ending the suffering caused by negative thoughts and emotions.

Inner Peace: Achieve eternal tranquility, independent of external circumstances (like Bhikkhu Sila facing Raju).

Detachment: Experience a sense of separation from the body and mind, realizing they are merely temporary phenomena.

Ending Suffering: Clearly see the impermanent nature of all things (Vipassana), thereby ceasing attachment and suffering.

Meditation is a silent revolution: it does not change the outside world, but it fundamentally changes the way you experience it.

Life Lessons Drawn from the Story

The story of Bhikkhu Sila and Raju provides the following core lessons:

1. The Lesson of Inner Resilience

Bhikkhu Sila demonstrated absolute spiritual strength. He did not need to fight because he had nothing to lose and nothing to fear.

The Truth: When you find the treasure within (Bliss/Ananda), no external threat can shake you. True resilience comes from detachment from material possessions and the fear of loss.

2. The Lesson of Self-Reliance

Bhikkhu Sila's value and peace did not depend on others (praise or threat) or luck. He generated it through his own practice.

Proactive Seeking: Happiness and peace are your own responsibility and achievement. You must sit down yourself, breathe yourself, and observe yourself. No one can meditate for you.

3. The Lesson of Self-Worth and Inner Value

Raju defined value by external things (gold and silver). Bhikkhu Sila defined value by his own state of being (Ananda - bliss).

True Value: Never let possessions, reputation, or the approval of others define who you are. The greatest human value lies in the peace, mastery of mind, and clarity they cultivate themselves. True wealth is freedom from greed and fear.

4. The Lesson of Long-Term Goals

Meditation requires consistent practice; it is not an instant fix.

Perseverance: Just like training a muscle, you must train the mind consistently. Only regular and long-term practice will help you achieve deep, lasting effects, making tranquility a permanent state.
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