Light a candle
Visit our Halls:
Links
Course
Outline
Beginning Meditation Course
Duration: Each person already has to meet many demands in life. Because of this it is impossible to put an exact time limit on the course. However, the course is designed to be completed, by most persons, in eight weeks or less. One should set a goal of daily practice. Avoiding long gaps in either study or practice is essential.
Individual attention: If you choose you may have an individual mentor to assist you through this course. The role of the mentor is to give you an experienced person with whom you can interact, should you wish, as you progress through the steps. Your interaction will be between you and your mentor through email (these are private within the limitations of email itself). You are, of course, welcome to use the materials without a mentor.
Readings: We recommend studying the three books in the following order. The first book is free online at this site. The other two are inexpensive, usually $6 to $10 each, and widely available.
Irwin, Roger. Five Aspirations: A Buddhist Guide to Spiritual Practice. Karida Buddhist Sangha, 2001. On site for free download or boundcopy may be purchased inour book store.
Aitken, Robert. Taking the Path of Zen. San Francisco: North Point Press, 1982
Suzuki, Shunryu. Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. New York: Weatherhill,1993.
Step 1. Begin by reading the book Five Aspirations: A Buddhist Guide to Spiritual Practice and use whichever of the following two versions for recitation at the beginning of each period of reading or meditation during the remainder of this course. Choose the version that feels most comfortable.
Version
(a):
"May my meditation turn the Wheel of the Dharma
May the Earth
bear witness to my meditation,
May my meditation benefit all beings,
May
my meditation be grounded in fearlessness,
May my meditation be centered in
the heart."
Version
(b):
"May my meditation find the Truth of Cause and Effect,
May the
Earth bear witness to my meditation,
May my meditation benefit all beings,
May
my meditation be grounded in fearlessness,
May my meditation be centered in
the heart."
Step
2: Read through the book by Robert Aitkin Roshi. Seldom has any
teacher ever written more clearly on the details of starting the practice of meditation.
Begin your actual DAILY sitting practice as soon as you have read the initial
instructions for stretching, sitting, breathing, etc. (Do NOT wait until
you finish the book before starting your sitting practice.) Follow his instructions
carefully. At the same time, begin the process of answering the study
questions (3 page PDF file).
As you begin your sitting practice you should also start a private journal. Date your entries and try to write a few notes about your experience with each sitting session. It is not essential that you make an entry for each and every sitting. However, the journal is an important exercise in what Buddhists call "mindfulness." This journal is not shared with anyone. Please feel free to discuss any problems, successes, or questions you may have, with your mentor at any time. This email interaction is not necessary. However, discussion early in your sitting practice may help avoid frustrations. It also gives your mentor an opportunity to encourage you and help you to a good practice.
Step 3: Continue your daily sitting practice and now add reading of the Suzuki Roshi book. Each of the very short chapters has a study question (7 page PDF file) designed to help you think about the material in different ways. In most cases there is not a factual right or wrong answer. However, answering gives you a framework for further understanding while at the same time encouraging your continued sitting practice.
Step 4: At this time you have completed Karida's beginning course in meditation. You have also practiced sitting meditation and kept a journal of mindful practice. Completing the study of three books related to the topic of meditation. You have also been introduced to the Karida practice of the Five Aspirations. At this point your mentor would love to congratulate you and make suggestions for further study/practice, your beginning course is complete.
Email your mentor.