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I
have been going back through old notes and found diary entries from
when I was at Nilambe meditation centre near Kandy, Sri Lanka in
1987.
The
head of the centre, Godwin Samaratne was one of the most important
teachers that I ever had in my life – partially because he was so
serene and humble so that hardly anyone has heard of him.
I
would be hard-pressed to think of a single “teacher” alive today
whose teachings are so relevant to the predicament that we find ourselves in.
A
gentle Buddhist teaching
The
following are notes that I made at the time about his teaching -
Development of focusing - he does not like the word concentration (samadhi)– implies too much effort. It should happen in a natural way.
Listening
to sounds develops focusing, awareness in a natural way and in a
relaxed manner. Godwin emphasises awareness of the sights and sounds
of nature – listening to birds, rain, watching hills, sunsets etc).
Through this one can come in a very relaxed way to anapanasati
(the observation of the breath).
The
right attitude to thoughts, to daydreams and to the wandering mind is
that it is LL natural and OK. One should not judge oneself for this,
feel guilty, or have preconceptions that are brought into meditation
– Just come back to the breath, note thoughts, sensations etc..
"Choiceless
awareness" (a Krishnamurti term) or bare attention,
is true vipassana (insight
meditation).
Often when one says "let
thoughts come freely" they don't come.
Effort
produces resistance – when one says "I must not think
thoughts" they come thick and fast!
Meditation
should be fun, "playing with the mind", Learning how the
mind works is the essence of meditation.
Godwin
talks of problems of meditators who take themselves too seriously,
are unable to laugh at themselves, or whoare trying too hard, which
produces tension, and often become aloof from other people,
"superior", and cold, without compassion.
Meditation
should be balanced with social action and interaction with people.
Here is a selection of talks:
4:
Psychological Wounds
Psychological wounds that have arisen in childhood and in relationships (56 minutes, 26MB)
Psychological wounds that have arisen in childhood and in relationships (56 minutes, 26MB)
Godwin
Samararatne - Handling Emotion
Godwin
Samararatne - dhamma talks
And
here finally, is something that someone shot from their visit to Nilambe. Lazy
buggers! - I walked up!
Nilambe
Buddhist Meditation Center
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