Seemorerocks: Godwin Samaratne

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.