How we approach meditation

Meditation, when combined with wisdom, produces

true insight – a glimpse into reality

About Meditation

Meditation brings a state of simple relaxation combined with focussed alertness. It is a sense of clarity and deep seated inner peace. This state of meditation allows you to explore your inner world. It gives conscious access to otherwise hidden levels of mind.

By gathering your attention you are able to gain insight into your inner world. Here we come familiar with the feeling, emotional, conceptual and intuitive elements of our experience.

With this self knowledge we can begin to direct the full energy of our inner world toward ever greater happiness.

In this way we find greater fulfilment, freedom, success and abundance in life.

Meditation enables you to take control of your life while keeping you relaxed. While at ease and at peace with yourself and those around you, meditation provides the means to see through problems and difficulties.

You start to resolve issues within yourself and so improve your relationship with those you love. In the same way, in your meditation you find methods to smooth over issues in career and social spheres.

Anyone, of any age, can meditate and many of us fall into states of meditation at times in our busy lives. Being able to do so at will is a learned skill and the subject of the meditation classes and retreats that we offer.

Meditating entails the development of mindfulness. This will further extend the benefits of meditation into daily experience.

Develop the skills you require at the meditation classes and Buddhist teachings offered here.

About the Journey

Meditating can be the start of a new journey. It provides a platform of increased awareness and gives the emotional stability and sensitivity to build a sound spiritual life.

Your regular meditation puts you back in touch with your best self and your true sense of purpose in life. It frees you from feeling as though a victim of other people and events. You can assimilate life easily and shape it to the highest good. This benefit flows to both yourself and those around you.

A rich spiritual life is one of joy, even to the point of rapture, of peace, courage and strength. It enriches your quiet moments. Further, it improves interactions with family, friends, lovers, partners and business associates.

Meditation helps free us from constraints and burdens. It frees us from confusion and stress, from intemperance and craving.

Within this freedom we discover that deep within each of us is a blissful and peaceful state. It is spontaneous rather than a product of circumstances and just bubbles up all the time. Here we come to live in the bounty of the spirit of enlightenment.

Venerable Toby Gillies

About the Teacher

It is here that we need a teacher. Meditation is best learnt from an experienced teacher. This should be someone familiar with this vast ground beyond ordinary appearances. You need a guide who has travelled the path and can point the way for your own journey of discovery.

Without a teacher we can float around trying to pick up bits and peices of the practice. We try to sort the gold from the dross that we find in our google searches or self help books, but it is all a bit hit or miss. We can learn to meditate from books or audio sessions, but often they present meditation as a psychological tool, a kind of secular therapy.

However, meditation is far more than this. It is a path to enlightenment, an opportunity for complete and lasting happiness. It frees us from suffering forever.

When we encounter a teacher rich in this tradition we receive all the tools we need. There is a transmission of the true teaching that is beyond the mere words. This is a grace, or blessing, which whispers a million words in the spirit of enlightenment.

Learn more about Toby Gillies background.

Geshe Acharya Thubten Loden: Tibetan monk

Elder monk and Preceptor Geshe Thubten Loden

Explore both meditation and wisdom

Combining meditation and wisdom we come alive to an everyday realism. We see the world around us and our position in it with great clarity. This improved discernment guides our compassionate engagement. Compassion is no longer the blind interference of the do-gooder. We become effective in producing a benefit.

Meditation and mindfulness become immensely more effective when combined with wisdom. Wisdom arises from an openness to learn from both life experiences and study. Meditation and wisdom contribute to each other.

About Wisdom

The pursuit of wisdom is the pursuit of what is true and the natural outcome of this is to awaken to reality.

The wiser we are, the more we know of ourselves and the world around us. In this we come to live in the realms of the good, the beautiful and the true.

Wisdom is often seen as the sphere of the philosopher. But, the true insights of wisdom are more akin to the common sense realism of the everyday wise person.

The effect of wisdom on ones psychological makeup is both liberative and uplifting. But, above all it frees us from ignorance, the source of non-virtue.

The wisdom of listening

There are three levels to the development of wisdom. The first is developing a wisdom arising from listening. Here we take in new information and a variety of perspectives. We are open to continue learning. We do not remain locked in a position of dogmatic opinionatedness.

The wisdom of thinking

The second level is a wisdom that arises from thinking. Here we check all that we learn rather than seeking someone else to form our views for us. Where our honest assessment finds value in what we have learned by listening, we can use that and profit from it. Where what we hear does not make sense we discard it.

By developing this way we no longer need ‘experts’ or ‘opinion makers’ to tell us what to think. We can begin to rely on our own wisdom and make sound decisions. We no longer take things on faith. Rather, we engage in our own path of discovery as the Buddha encouraged those listening to him to do.

The wisdom of meditation

The third and most important level is to develop a wisdom arising from meditation. Here we meditate on our new understandings. We refine them further and look more fully into them. Meditation brings a deeper intuitive understanding which leads us to a true insight.

It is meditation which has the capacity to move us beyond a conceptual and logical view. We develop an embracing visionary view. This allows us to see beyond the limits of conceptuality. Meditation employs conceptual, feeling, emotional, intuitive and physical awareness. It brings the full and integrated faculties of being to bear on our journey of discovery.

The Buddha aimed to stimulate and refine wisdom. He encouraged us to develop our own spiritual practice.

Each must discover their unique path to enlightenment. It is not found in the gossip and froth of society. We hear of it from our teacher and then unveil it with our wisdom.

This opportunity for enlightenment is rarely found. You will sense your propensity by whether what you read or hear about it resonates. If it does anything is possible, you will never look back.