Won Buddhism of Manhattan

I am a novice and, in the Buddhist parlance, a householder.  I came to the practice last February looking for a better way to deal with the stresses and strains of householder life—marriage, children, work, etc. Thich Nhat Hanh’s book The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching helped get me started on the path and obtain some initial relief. 

The Tuesday 12:00 noon mediation at the Won Buddhist Temple and having the opportunity to talk with and learn from Reverend Minju has helped me stay on the path and strengthen my practice. Like many busy householders, one of my main challenges to practice is finding time for meditation. 

The Sutta Satipatthana states “[a]nd how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu dwell perceiving again and again the body as just the body? Here (in this teaching), bhikkhus, a bhikkhu having gone to the forest, or to the foot of a tree, or to an empty, solitary place; sits down cross-legged, keeping his body erect, and directs his mindfulness (towards the object of mindfulness).” That advice was all well and good 2,500 years ago before the two-hour commute but nowhere in the Pali canon did I find a sutra on the better way to make a commute. So working with what was available to me—Metro North Rail Road and two solid hours a day sitting on that commuter train from Westport, Connecticut to New York City and back (an hour each direction)—I developed a practice that fits with my householder lifestyle.

I begin my train ride with 15 to 20 minutes of Dharma study. Initially, I read and re-read the Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching and later moved slowly (reading and rereading numerous times) through various versions and commentaries on the Heart Sutra and the Diamond Cutter Sutra. Recently, I have been reading and rereading Directions for Insight, Six Dhamma Talks on centering the mind in non-attachment by Acharn Kor Khao-suan-luang. (http://www.cambodianbuddhist.org/english/website/lib/thai/boowa/tolastbr.html) These Dharma talks I have found especially helpful because Acharn Kor Khao-suan-luang’s approach is to demand diligence and energy from adherents (I not only appreciate the Buddha’s very specific instructions on how to attain enlightenment, I really benefit from strict human direction and advice: “The mind without passion will immediately incline solely towards freedom. Is this what you want, or are you satisfied with lust and insatiable desire? Consider carefully and make your choice.” Making Dhamma Your True Concern, 16th November, B.E. 2506 (1963).

Next, I close my eyes, place my hands in my lap and begin by counting my breath. I count as follows: one in, one out; two in, two out; three in, three out; etc. up to ten and then back down to one. I do this one, two or three times until I have sufficiently calmed my mind to allow for simple noting “in breath, out breath.” When my mind is sufficiently calmed, I repeat the following to myself three-times:

Breathing in I take refuge in the Buddha, Breathing out I take refuge in the Buddha;  Breathing in I take refuge in the Dharma; Breathing out I take refuge in the Dharma. Breathing in I take refuge in the Sanga; Breathing out I take refuge in the Sanga.

Then, I turn to just breathing. As thoughts arise, I do my best to let them arise, note their arising and try and just let them go without discrimination or judgment. To the extent that I follow these thoughts, I return to noting the breath as soon as I realize my mind has wandered. 

Ongoing challenges to this type of practice include sounds and smells that occur on the train. Constant sounds such as the sound of steel wheels rolling down the track do not pose any problem. Fellow commuters conversations, foods and drinks and body odors do, however, can be problematic.  As with distractions that arise in the mind, distractions that arise through the ears or the nose should be met with the same detached noting and then be let go.

At other times, the distractions actually prove themselves to be the Dharma. One day, a fellow commuter was talking very loudly to his friend. After failing to ignore his conversation, I became upset at this person for talking so loudly. Instead of asking him to quiet his voice, however, I listened to what he was saying.  It turned out he was also a husband and father. He spent the full hour going through in minute detail many of the anxieties that householders face—relationship difficulties with his spouse and children, problems with finances, stress at work, etc. By letting go of my desire to have quiet, I was reminded that I am not alone in being anxious about these issues. It was very comforting to me to know that he, and all of us, face similar problems. This reminder helped me understand that my problems are not “me”—they are just problems.

If I am particularly distracted by recurring thoughts or anxieties, I repeat to my self “suffering, impermanence and not self.”  I remind myself of the following:

• suffering comes from greed (attachment), hatred (aversion) and delusion;
• nothing is permanent—neither form, feelings, mental formations, intentions or consciousness; and
• I am not merely my thoughts and feelings—they are not me.

This “reminding” is not in-depth contemplation, it is just simple nudging to myself that I need to be diligent and not get distracted. This often then allows me to return to focusing on my breath.

As my practice progressed, which I characterize as being able to calmly abide in the breath, I slowly began to occasionally contemplate my feelings beyond the simple noting described above. This process involves viewing my feelings in a detached way, which feels to me like my contemplating mind is standing outside of my feelings, which remain in my body. I imaging that this “contemplating “ function is actually physically removed from my body and standing about two feet behind my body looking in at the feelings. This process has allowed me on rare occasions to really understand that these feelings that cause me so much distress are really related to my greed, hatred or delusions, will not last and are not me. What a relief!!

This is the basic template I have followed since last February when I started on the path. At first I was sure I was the worst meditator that ever stopped and sat. Through my practice, Dharma study and talks with more advanced practitioners, I have come to understand that my practice is my practice and therefore right practice. I now actually look forward to my commute and try and be thankful for the opportunity to spend two hours a day with myself, alone on the train studying Dharma and sitting in mediation.

One last piece of advice—The commuter rail car is set-up with two seats on one side of the aisle and three on the other. While I may be right that peace can be found on the train, it is less likely to be found in the middle seat where you will have fellow commuters on either side of you. Hence, my advice is to choose the Middle Way but not the middle seat.

January, 2007