Meditation is nonsectarian; meditation does not equal religion.
However, because Gautama Buddha (also called Siddhartha or Shakyamuni) attained “enlightenment” through meditation practice, meditation “seems” associated with Buddhism.
Buddhism is not a religion either; Buddhism is science. What could be more scientific and logical than the law of Cause and Effect?
“Buddha” is not a proper noun but a common noun. Anyone who is ‘enlightened’ (which can be regarded as a Karmic Inventory of 0) is called a Buddha. Many Buddhas have already attained Buddhahood, and many will do so.
Gautama Buddha was a “scientist.” He did not found Buddhism; he only taught the Natural Laws of the Universe. Buddhism is the way of natural laws. Einstein, meanwhile, said, “Buddhism is the religion of scientists.” Understood deeply, Buddhism does not actually conflict with Christianity or other religions. Religion should unite people more, not divide them.
The Buddha’s method uses Ethical Conduct – Concentration – Wisdom, with Meditation as the ‘scientific research tool,’ to explore and fully understand this universe, moving from Body to Mind and thereby opening a gateway into ‘another world,’ escaping the ‘Process’ in which we are immersed: Birth – Aging – Illness – Death – Past Lives – Future Lives – Rebirth.
If you are ‘inside’ the process, a ‘screw’ or one of its components, you cannot recognize the process. If, through some method, you can ‘step outside’ and zoom out to see it more comprehensively and systematically, you begin to recognize the process above and understand why ‘Life is an ocean of suffering,’ in every positive sense of that saying. It means we live this life to ‘repay karma’ from the previous one, while creating more karma for the next, which in turn repays this life. Such a vicious circle. Such suffering. Life is an ocean of suffering; crossing it means… passing away. Now we understand that even passing away does not get us beyond that ocean. Then you begin stepping off the path of suffering and onto the Noble Path—the path of enlightenment. You begin to ‘awaken.’ If your practice is incomplete, friends and family start looking at you and thinking you… have a problem (!?)
There must be a way to ‘Break’ that ‘vicious cycle’ of suffering, and that is the Buddha’s invention. The Buddha did not create the universe’s Natural Laws; he discovered them. But his ‘invention’ is this method of escaping suffering. That is Shakyamuni’s contribution to the world.
Perhaps through that “invention,” the Buddha is seen as equal to a “God,” like Creators, and as having “Supernatural Powers.” But we do not discuss that here to prove superiority or inferiority between sects.
Religion and Science will eventually become one. The Buddha was an exceptionally brilliant scientist: he “experimented” through meditation, thoroughly understood universal laws and spoke of many things 25 centuries ago that science today is repeating… exactly. Even if the media's accounts of rapid scientific development, Tesla, powerful AI and so on may seem “overwhelming,” scientific wisdom is still as small as “a leaf” compared with the “forest” of wisdom of the prophets this human race has known.
The world goes through 3 stages. First, religion triumphs over science: anyone who says the sun, rather than the Earth, is the center is executed. Second, science prevails over religion: someone calls religion the “opium” of humanity. Third, science and religion reconcile and become one: the higher scientists rise, the more “convinced” they become and the more reverence they hold for the Creator. They are hardly idiots, are they?
Magic = Science. Hundreds of years ago, seeing each other by Video Call from opposite sides of the Earth = Magic. Television and electromagnetic waves were once mere “legends.” Now they = Science. We hear about things science cannot yet prove, and when it develops sufficiently, it proves what was… already there. Before science demonstrated cosmic Black holes, they appeared in Edgar Poe's novel Maelstrom (the author of “Alice in Wonderland”).
Understanding this thoroughly, we also see why Religion = Science. The Buddha = a super-scientist. Supernatural powers/magic = the Science of prophets and ‘Buddhas.’
The Buddha “awakened” to the ultimate laws through Meditation.
To make it easier to understand, imagine an ant moving across a tabletop. It lives in “2-dimensional space” and is unaware of our existence — humans living in “3-dimensional space.” But if we “intervene” in its world, it is shaken, perhaps even shocked. If ants had language, what would they call us? Giant gods.
Beings living in a 2-dimensional world are unaware of beings in a 3-dimensional world. What about a 4-dimensional world?
Similarly, through Meditation, the Buddha could “open” the gateway to the “4th dimension,” which may be called “Nirvana,” the “Kingdom of Heaven” or “Thành Thiên Đế.” The name does not matter. The Buddha discovered that it is not a specific “place,” but lies within us. Inside every person is a “key” that opens the “door” to that “4th dimension.” That “key” is Meditation, and the Buddha teaches us this. Whether supernormal abilities exist or not is unimportant. Even if the Buddha were sitting right beside you at this very moment and you pleaded with him, he would not grant you a miracle; he would only teach you the “Method” above. Those who practice enough find “liberation” and create their own “miracle.” Otherwise, so be it—remain an ordinary mortal and have “fun.” Take it easy.
That is the difference between original Buddhism and Buddhism today. In the development and decline of Buddhism, many people have come forward to establish this sect or that school, branch A or branch B, becoming increasingly “ignorant.” The madness keeps growing. They begin introducing many customs, rituals and beliefs without direct verification through experience. Then people start going to temples to “bribe the divine” and ask for wishes, completely forgetting practice. It is the same in every era: stray from the root “Way,” open this branch and that branch, insist that it must be “My Own,” and everything goes wrong. I see the same in many business associations: after participating for a little while, people want to “go independent,” form their “own faction” and move away from the “core,” the “sun,” the foundational values, because of the shallow thought, “I want it to be mine.” They are certain to fail, or remain insignificant and unable to rise. That is no way to accomplish Great Things.
Shakyamuni Buddha taught only as far as the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. He stopped there not because that was all he knew, but because the rest “cannot be taught.” It is an extraordinarily Clear and Systematic Method, with Nothing extra and Nothing missing — one might call it Minimalist. It is the Pinnacle, without any flaw to doubt once one truly understands it thoroughly. But then too many schools and sects sprang up, and people began needing to build more temples and monasteries. So they needed money. So they devised more “tricks.” So we now have the “Buddhism business” of every conceivable quality that exists today.
Meditation is similar: at the deepest roots of original Buddhism lies Vipassana, the method the Buddha used to attain “enlightenment” during 49 days beneath the Bodhi tree. Today, however, many meditation methods have sprung up. Some places even teach meditation for making money. Others independently offer Vipassana courses that do not meet standards and lack official recognition, unintentionally creating karma. These things diminish the method's original “purity.”
Basically, there are two kinds of meditation: ‘concentration meditation,’ which settles the mind, and ‘Vipassana meditation,’ which purifies it. Put simply, concentration meditation is like making a rippling lake's surface still so you can see your reflection. But although the surface is calm, rubbish remains piled beneath. Mind-purifying meditation also clears the ‘rubbish’ at the bottom of the lake. The Buddha's meditation is mind-purifying meditation, Vipassana.
Returning to connect with the roots, I feel untroubled when someone says practice A, B or C is lofty and impressive, while this is merely basic. It is not basic; it is the root. Working well with the root can take a whole lifetime.
When meditating, be careful not to fall into the “super-self,” practicing in a way that inflates the ego. This means feeling “proud” and “superior” because you meditate and follow the Buddha. That is another form of craving and bondage.
The writer of this article discusses meditation and the Buddha not to appear elevated. The writer dislikes the word ‘morality’ (what do you consider moral?), so also dislikes ‘putting on a moral appearance’ (though some people do not understand this about me), and refuses ever to call himself ‘kind’ (while fully supporting other individuals and organizations using the word; he simply does not yet feel worthy of it). Frankly, the writer is not a ‘good person’ either, because the ‘good ones’ are dangerous. Truly good people are not conscious of being good, while fools love to show that they are. Even this does not contradict ‘spreading kindness in society.’
So meditating for 49 days is not at fault. Those who criticize it hastily may lack depth of thought. Or if their thinking is deep, it may still be very one-sided. Restore meditation's true meaning and value.
