Opinion

meditationIntroduction by Bui Trong Khang (Traduction Bui Minh Tri)

I was born into a family of Buddhist faith, and like most Buddhists of that time, the practice consisted mostly of going to the pagodas and worshipping the ancestors. Few of us paid attention to the Teaching of the Buddha.

During my adolescence, I enjoyed meditation but without knowing how to do it. As an adult, I tried a few methods from various schools of meditation, such as the practice of the knowledge of the mind, the sensory approach, and mindful breathing. However, I quickly realized that these methods didn’t yield meaningful results for me. I questioned myself and thought that I didn’t have the predispositions, or that the timing wasn’t right, or that I hadn’t found the right spiritual mentor yet. With a certain level of maturity, these unanswered spiritual questions deeply affected me, sometimes bringing me to tears.

Fortunately, one day, I was lucky to attend a meditation class, taught by the Venerable Bhikkhuni Triet Nhu, from the Sunyata School of meditation. Her teaching was clear and simple from beginning to end. This filled me with joy. I immediately put her teaching into practice, but the results were unfortunately not good.

In September 2018, the Venerable returned to Switzerland and I was able to attend her teaching during an entire week. The two important methods studied during that time were “wordless awareness mind” and the technique of “don’t talk”. After applying her teaching based on those two concepts, something changed in the way I saw things and my own behavior as well. More importantly, I was able to experience the state of Samadhi, which made me more confident.

Back home, I kept practicing these two methods as much as possible. After two months, one day, while practicing the technique of “seeing things as they are” on my way to work, I realized that I was in state of silent mind “don’t talk”. I made a mental record of that state. For a whole week, I was able to come back to that state of silence in an even more precise way, a state that remained solidly in my mind. Now that I look and see things as they are, I find the same state of silence identical to that obtained in the practice of “wordless awareness mind”. I realized then that these two techniques are linked and complementary to each other.

I continue to practice through this lens with joy and confidence and knowing that the Venerable is here to tell me if I’m practicing right or wrong, further strengthens the appeal of this practice to me. Meditating in a seated position becomes easier, and so is the understanding of texts on Buddhist meditation, which becomes more accessible and the vocabulary less enigmatic.

I became aware that I had found the right path and I will continue to practice the method taught by Sunyata until the end of my life.

I would like to express my profound gratitude to the Venerable and to my fellow meditative friends.

Khang
Jan. 2019



meditationVérène's letter

Hello,

This is a quick note to express my gratitude and to thank you for your teachings.

In 2005, I discovered Zen meditation. I have taken courses with a meditation teacher of Christian tradition. This completely reconciled me with meditation - Why? I had prejudices about meditation, I thought that meditation and my spiritual beliefs couldn’t fit together, were they incompatible?

Why meditate?

To find who I am, to be at peace with myself and completely accept who I am. Meditate every day, so that it becomes a habit, a necessity, a vital need. That's not always easy in a today's world, where we are bombarded with images, encouraging us to consume. Sometimes I tell myself there I made a big step forward, and sometimes I tell myself that I stalled, treading water.

But who is speaking? - Ah, the ego, always him, how to silence him? All these chatters are just trying to distract me. If I want to be honest with myself, I know that I change every moment, I know the law of impermanence.

The purpose of meditation.

It is to find your true nature, your own essence, your true self. After several years of practice, not always regularly, I'm certainly making progress. I understand that meditation is to sit, to just be there. But we can also find that meditative state of mind in daily life by being attentive. It's not always easy to put all that theory in practice, but I know it is possible. It simply takes will and give our best.

In 2011, I discovered the Sunyata meditation. I attended a retreat in Vaumarcus and I learned a lot about Buddhism and its different meditation methods. I enjoyed it very much and continued on that path, participating in other retreats. I think that meditation is an opportunity offered to those seeking more wisdom and balance in their lives - Openness to all possibilities.

I would like to particularly thank the venerable bikkhuni Triet Nhu for her kindness and the quality of her teachings. I also thank Mai Huong and her husband Mr. Duc, who have set up this entire organization in Switzerland. I also thank all the meditators from the Sunyata association that I have met; it's always a great joy to be in their company, a pleasure, a gift in my life. Thank you all.

Vérne Gaschen