Meditation for Beginners: A Journey from Distraction to Inner Peace

The Wild Horse That Won't Be Quiet

If you were asked to close your eyes right now, think of nothing, and just sit quietly for one minute, could you do it?

Try it.

Most people will find this to be an impossible task. As soon as the eyes close, thoughts in the mind pop up like popcorn: "What should I eat later?" "Did I reply to that email?" "What did he mean by that sentence yesterday?" "My leg feels a bit itchy." "Is this counting as meditation?"...

Thoughts come and go, go and come, never stopping for a moment. You want it to be quiet, but it won't be; you want to catch it, but it slips away. This is the normal state of our mind—scattered, restless, and uncontrolled.

The ancients compared the mind to a wild horse, running around everywhere, not listening to its master. Practicing meditation is to tame this wild horse, making it quiet down and obey commands.

This is not an easy thing, but it is absolutely possible. The Buddha did it, countless patriarchs and masters throughout history did it, and you can do it too. The key is to have the right method and patience.

Why Practice Meditation?

Before talking about methods, we must first understand: Why practice meditation?

First, meditation can quiet the mind. This benefit is the most direct. When you learn meditation, you have a way to calm yourself down. No matter how noisy the outside world is, no matter how chaotic life is, you can return to the peace within, rest, and recharge. This is a very precious ability for modern people.

Second, meditation is the foundation for developing wisdom. The ultimate goal of Buddhist practice is to develop wisdom, see the truth of things, and thereby be liberated from afflictions. But the development of wisdom requires a stable and focused mind. A scattered mind is like a glass of muddy water, seeing nothing clearly; a settled mind is like a glass of clear water, able to see the bottom of the cup. The function of meditation is to turn the mind from muddy to clear.

Third, meditation can produce various supernatural powers and merits. This is not the purpose of practicing meditation, but it is a byproduct. Deep meditation can cause changes in the body and mind, producing some extraordinary abilities. But note that Buddhism does not encourage the pursuit of supernatural powers, because supernatural powers cannot lead to liberation, and attachment to them will hinder practice.

Fourth, meditation is a supporting condition for rebirth in the Pure Land. If you practice the Pure Land method, the quality of Buddha recitation largely depends on your concentration power. Being able to recite to the point of "one-pointedness of mind" gives more assurance of rebirth. The skill of meditation can help Buddha recitation be more focused and deeper.

In short, no matter what method you practice, meditation is a basic skill. In the Three Trainings of Buddhism—Morality (Sila), Concentration (Samadhi), and Wisdom (Panna)—Concentration is the bridge connecting Morality and Wisdom. Without Concentration, Morality is just external restraint, and Wisdom is just dry intellectual understanding; neither can truly function effectively.

Basic Conditions for Practicing Meditation

To practice meditation, there are some basic conditions that need to be met, which the ancients called "Harmonizing the Five Matters": Harmonizing food, harmonizing sleep, harmonizing the body, harmonizing the breath, and harmonizing the mind.

Harmonizing food means eating moderately. Eating too full causes drowsiness, eating too little causes weakness, neither is good for sitting meditation. It is generally recommended to eat until seventy or eighty percent full. Also, avoid overly greasy and stimulating foods, as they affect the calmness of the mind.

Harmonizing sleep means getting enough sleep but not too much. Lack of sleep leads to drowsiness and nodding off during meditation. Too much sleep makes the mind dull and hard to focus. For beginners, maintaining a normal schedule is enough.

Harmonizing the body means correct sitting posture. The standard meditation posture is the "Seven-Point Sitting Method": legs in full lotus or half lotus (if you can't do it, loose cross-legged or sitting on a chair is fine); spine straight, not hunched or overly arched; hands in the meditation mudra (left hand below, right hand above, thumbs touching) placed in front of the lower abdomen; head upright and neck straight, chin slightly tucked; eyes lightly closed or slightly open, gaze falling in front of the tip of the nose; tip of the tongue lightly touching the upper palate; whole body relaxed but upright.

Harmonizing the breath means regulating the breath to be soft. At the beginning, you can take a few deep breaths to relax the body and mind. Then let the breath be natural, don't control it intentionally. Good breathing is "continuous, long, deep, and fine"—uninterrupted, long, deep, and subtle. If the breathing is rough and rapid, it means the body and mind are not yet relaxed and need further adjustment.

Harmonizing the mind means gathering the mind back from scattering. This is the core part and the content to be detailed below.

Counting the Breath: The Best Method for Beginners

There are many methods of meditation. For beginners, I recommend "Counting the Breath" (Susokukan). This is the simplest and safest entry method, widely taught by the Buddha when he was alive.

The method is simple: After sitting well, place your attention on your breathing. Every time you exhale, silently count a number in your mind. "Exhale—One," "Inhale—," "Exhale—Two," "Inhale—"... Count from one to ten, then go back to one and start again. Just repeat this, counting continuously.

Sounds simple, right? But try it and you will find it is too hard! While counting, the mind runs away, not knowing where it counted to; or counting past ten, to eleven, twelve; or simply forgetting about counting.

This is normal. Don't blame yourself, and don't be discouraged. Every time you find the mind has run away, gently bring it back and start again from one. This process of "finding the mind has run away and bringing it back" is itself the practice.

There are several key points to Counting the Breath:

1. Count the exhalation, not the inhalation. Exhalation is longer and more stable, making it easier to settle the mind.
2. Just gently know the breath, don't control it. Let the breathing happen naturally; you are just an observer.
3. The number is just a tool, don't be attached. The function of the number is to help the mind focus. When the mind can naturally follow the breath, the numbers can be gradually dropped.
4. Patience. For beginners to complete a count from one to ten might take a long time of practice. Don't rush, take it slow.

The Five Hindrances: Obstacles to Meditation

In the process of practicing meditation, you will encounter various obstacles. Buddhism summarizes the main obstacles as the "Five Hindrances": Sensual Desire, Ill-will, Sloth and Torpor, Restlessness and Worry, and Doubt.

Sensual Desire is attachment to lovely things. When meditating, thinking about delicious food, beautiful things, or people you like, being led by these thoughts and unable to focus.

Ill-will is repulsion towards disliked things. When meditating, remembering things that make you angry or people you hate, giving rise to annoyance in the heart and unable to be calm.

Sloth and Torpor is the darkness and heaviness of the mind. When meditating, feeling groggy, confused, or even falling asleep directly.

Restlessness and Worry is the agitation and regret of the mind. Restlessness is the mind flying everywhere, one thought after another, unable to stop. Worry is regretting things done in the past, feeling uneasy inside.

Doubt is skepticism about the practice method or one's own ability. "Is this method useful?" "Am I doing it right?" "Am I not suitable for meditation?" These doubts will prevent you from fully committing.

These Five Hindrances are encountered by every practitioner, so there is no need to feel depressed about them. The general method of remedy is "know it, don't follow it, return to the object of meditation."

When desire arises, know "this is desire," then don't chase it, return to the breath. When ill-will arises, know "this is ill-will," don't feed it, return to the breath. When drowsiness arises, you can open your eyes, straighten your spine, visualize light, or get up and do walking meditation. When restlessness arises, you can relax the body, slow down the breath, and start counting from one again. When doubt arises, you can put it aside first, continue practicing, and ask a teacher later if you have questions.

The Stages of Meditation

Meditation is not achieved in one step; it has a gradual process. Traditionally, meditation is divided into nine levels, called the "Nine Stages of Resting the Mind":

1. Inner Resting: Withdrawing the mind from external objects and resting it on the object (such as the breath).
2. Continuous Resting: Being able to rest continuously without running away immediately.
3. Settled Resting: Being able to detect when the mind runs away and bring it back in time.
4. Close Resting: The mind can rest more finely and is not easily scattered.
5. Taming: Making the mind delight in meditation by contemplating the merits of meditation.
6. Pacifying: Making the mind dislike distraction by contemplating the faults of distraction.
7. Fully Pacifying: Even if afflictions like greed and anger arise, they can be immediately remedied.
8. One-pointedness: Being able to rest on the object uninterruptedly.
9. Equanimity: Being able to rest naturally without effort, entering meditation.

These nine stages are progressive, and each stage takes time to consolidate. Beginners usually hover in the first, second, and third stages, taking a long time to enter the later stages. But don't lose heart; every minute of practice is valuable and lays the foundation for future progress.

When the Nine Stages of Resting the Mind are accomplished, one enters "Access Concentration" (Upacara Samadhi). At this time, the mind is very stable but has not yet truly entered Jhana. Continuing deeper, one will enter the First Jhana, Second Jhana, Third Jhana, and Fourth Jhana, which are "Form Realm Concentrations." Going deeper, there are four "Formless Realm Concentrations."

For most people, reaching the Nine Stages of Resting the Mind is already very good; there is no need to rush to pursue higher states. The purpose of meditation is to develop wisdom, not to pursue the state itself.

Meditation in Daily Life

Speaking of meditation, many people think of sitting cross-legged. But in fact, meditation is not just a matter on the cushion; it can be integrated into every moment of daily life.

When walking, you can practice "Walking Meditation." Put your attention on the soles of your feet, feel the contact between your feet and the ground, and know that you are walking. When eating, you can practice "Eating Meditation." Eat attentively, feel the taste, texture, and temperature of the food, don't look at your phone, don't chat. When washing dishes, you can practice "Dishwashing Meditation." Feel the temperature of the water, the shape of the bowl, the foam of the detergent, and fully invest in this action.

This kind of practice of maintaining awareness in daily life is called "Life Zen" or "Mindfulness Practice." It doesn't require special time or place and can be practiced anytime, anywhere.

Of course, this daily awareness practice cannot completely replace specialized sitting meditation. Sitting meditation is intensive training of the mind's focus in a relatively simple environment. Daily awareness practice applies this focus to complex life. The two complement each other and neither should be neglected.

My suggestion is: Have at least one fixed period of sitting meditation every day, no matter how short, this is basic training. At other times, try to maintain awareness as much as possible, bringing the concentration cultivated during sitting meditation into life.

Some Common Questions

Beginners often encounter some questions, here are simple answers to a few:

Q: I can't sit in the lotus position, what should I do?

A: The lotus position is not mandatory. You can sit in half lotus, loose cross-legged, or on a chair. The important thing is that the body should be upright and relaxed, able to maintain for a long time. Many great masters never sat in the lotus position in their lives and still had high meditation skills.

Q: My legs hurt when meditating, should I endure it?

A: Moderate discomfort can be endured, but if it hurts badly, don't force it. Beginners can start from fifteen or twenty minutes and slowly increase the time. Leg flexibility can be improved through stretching.

Q: When meditating, my head is full of thoughts, what should I do?

A: This is normal, don't be anxious. Actually, there have always been so many thoughts, you just didn't notice them before. Now that you start observing the mind, you realize it is so busy. Don't try to suppress thoughts, just know them, don't follow them, and return to the breath.

Q: I saw light or images when meditating, is it progress?

A: Not necessarily. These may be signs of progress, or they may just be illusions of the mind. No matter what you see, don't be attached, don't chase, don't be afraid. Just continue to focus on your object. If strange states occur frequently, it is best to seek guidance from an experienced teacher.

Q: How long should I meditate every day?

A: Beginners are recommended to start from fifteen to thirty minutes, slowly increasing to forty-five minutes or an hour. The key is to be regular, sit every day, rather than sitting for a long time occasionally. Quality is more important than quantity; sitting focused for fifteen minutes is more valuable than sitting scattered for an hour.

Patience and Perseverance

Finally, I want to emphasize two words: Patience.

Meditation is a skill that requires long-term practice. Don't expect to have any magical experiences after sitting a few times. Those stories of "enlightenment" and "seeing nature" are often backed by decades of daily practice.

Also, don't compare yourself with others. Everyone's capacity is different, and progress is naturally different. Some may enter concentration quickly, while others may struggle with drowsiness and restlessness for a long time. It doesn't matter, what matters is that you are persisting, you are improving, even if the progress is slow.

The Buddha once used tuning a lute to compare practice: if the strings are too tight, they will break; if they are too loose, they won't make a sound; they must be tuned just right. Meditation is the same; don't be too tight (too forceful, too attached), and don't be too loose (too lazy, too casual), find the Middle Way.

If possible, find an experienced teacher for guidance. There are many details in the practice of meditation that are hard to fully master just by reading books. A good teacher can give targeted guidance based on your situation, helping you avoid detours.

May you find inner peace and develop your inherent wisdom on the path of meditation.

This road may be long, but every step is worth it.