What does spirituality mean to you? For some, it consists of sitting in place and relaxing. For others, it’s making cool yoga poses. I didn’t know at all what meditation was about until I read a book called “The Power of Now”, written by Eckhart Tolle. This book uncovered the truth about the benefits of meditation. It also unveiled the mechanism behind it. Meditation and mindfulness are ways that you can get in touch with yourself. But in the first place, why did I start to meditate and what motivated me?
1. I was curious about Buddha
When I went to Singapore, I visited a few temples. Among those, there was one that had a museum retracing Buddha’s life. I’m not the kind of person that really enjoys spending hours in museums. But this time it was different. The museum was not very big. It was a straightforward path with old pictures and engravings of Buddha’s story. From his birth until his death. I enjoyed how the story was told and how much it mixed myth and reality. What struck my mind is the moment of his departure from his golden cage. He lived a comfortable life and decided to leave all the comfort from his high rank to achieve a greater purpose. When reading about this, I noticed how most of the epic stories I’ve ever read about echoed the Buddha’s quest. Buddha gave up on everything to reach enlightenment.
Whether enlightenment exists or not is not what I want to debate on. Let’s rather focus on his teachings. His teachings are about acknowledging your thoughts, your ego, reinforcing compassion and finding happiness.
2. To gain more control of myself and my emotions
Buddha is at the source of the Buddhist philosophy. He’s the perfect illustration of how real power comes from within and has nothing to do with your money, social status or achievements. If somebody comes at you and insults you, you have the choice to react with anger. Or you can choose not to react. It requires mindfulness and a lot of discipline. Meditation helps to increase your level of mindfulness. This alertness will lead you to observe your thoughts when they arise. Somebody is insulting me: “What do I think about it? How does it make me feel?”
By continually asking yourself questions as to why you feel angry about the other’s reaction, you’ll notice that it’s because your ego is hurt. This leads me to ask: “What is ego? Are you your ego?”
3. To become a better person
Practicing meditation made me calmer and turned me into a less angry person. I would still feel hurt in case of conflict with others, but now I knew why. I stopped reacting with anger. Instead, in those moments, I shifted my attention to what I can do to solve the issue. When you stop to think of yourself as your thoughts, you start to turn into a new person. There’s a big difference between: -“I’m angry with this person. I want to hurt him/her” and -“I feel angry with this person. I have thoughts of anger toward him/her.”
You’re not your thoughts. And you will never be. Adopting this mindful approach will help you avoid situations that are not worth spending negative energy on. Eventually, it’s up to you to choose the attitude to adopt whatever the situation. Meditation will help you to behave properly. thoughts when they arise. Somebody is insulting me: “What do I think about it? How does it make me feel?”
4. To be happy
Meditation is a useful tool to tame our undisciplined mind. Getting into the habit of focusing on positive thoughts like gratitude, compassion and self-love will automatically set you up to care for others (and yourself). Also if you’re the kind of person who is constantly living in regrets or worrying about the near future, meditation will help you to anchor your thoughts in the most important moment in your life: the Now. Happiness depends on us.
The more you meditate, the more you’ll see that the keys to a fulfilling life are in your hands. That doesn’t mean that it’s easy. But 2,500 years ago, Buddha and many others followed this path to become better human beings.
Ludovic Chung-Sao
Ludovic Chung-Sao is the Founder of Zen Soundproof. He uses his experience as a Mechanical Engineer to compile Soundproofing DIY guides. His technical experience and natural curiosity help him break down complex topics to make it clearer for others. He also finds inspiration in sharing mindful habits.
