Meditation



Why Should I Meditate?

If we look at our current situation we will see that we are constantly being affected by everything that is happening around us. We are constantly hoping for things that bring us satisfaction and happiness and fearing situations that bring us discomfort or pain. We are continuously clinging to things as being constant and real although if we look closely there is nothing there we can find that exists independently from anything else. In this way, through countless lifetimes we have created very strong habits, which govern the way we behave and react to our every experience.

The first result that meditation brings is that it allows us to create enough breathing space so that we are not constantly overwhelmed by what is going on around us and can therefore react to things in a positive and constructive way. When we get to this point then the practice makes it possible for us to notice that all others are just like us and from this understanding arises compassion. The more we move our focus away from our own limited experience and towards others then the more we realize that all beings, just as we do, have the ability and capacity to directly experience their own true nature.

All meditations we use are specifically designed to take us through all these different stages of development and understanding and remove all habitual tendencies that keep us from directly experiencing the nature of our minds.

Meditation practice is what makes it possible for us to reach our goal. Without it, it would be like trying to satisfy our hunger by reading a menu.

What is a Mantra?

Mantra is a very effective method for activating perfect qualities in our mind through sound and allows us to engage our meditation not only with our mind, through visualization, but also with our speech. When we say and repeat the mantra of a particular Buddha aspect all the qualities that this aspect embodies get activated in our own mind and our surroundings. In this way we can develop compassion, power, inspiration, wisdom etc. for ourselves and others as well as enable protective fields of energy around us. They allow things to happen in a way from which we can learn and develop without obstacles.

What Results Can I Expect to Get Out of Meditation?

The first thing that meditation practice does for us is that it forces us to grow up. To become more mature and responsible for what we do, say and think. This is accompanied by a state of increasing joy and the development of compassion and insight.

We can almost immediately see that we become happier and content and we realize that the world around us is full of limitless possibilities. We become free because we see that we always have a choice. That we are always free to decide how we react to and view our world.

Of course the ultimate result is that we achieve a state of full enlightenment, which is completely free of suffering. Where all veils hindering our understanding of the way things are have been totally removed and we are in a constant state of highest joy, which cannot be lost.

Meditation Retreats with Lama Ole

During meditation retreats, we practice various types of meditations from all levels of Buddhist teachings (Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana). Between sessions, he teaches on the theoretical basis, general philosophy, way, and ultimate goal behind these different paths and answers any questions that arise during the practices.

Check Lama Ole's Travel Plan for upcoming Meditation retreats.

Click here to learn about Other Retreats that Lama Ole gives around the world.