Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #4: Buddhist Meditation

Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #4: Buddhist Meditation: "Spend 20 mintues in a silent meditation; a place you won't be disturbed, your own 'fig tree' as was Buddha's inspiration. In those 20 mintue..."

This morning, I meditated for 20 minutes. It was difficult to find my own "fig tree" at first, because there were so many distractions in my apartment. I then decided to walk to the local park, and I began my meditation on a sheltered wooden bench. For the first half of the meditation session, I found it easy to concentrate, because it had started to rain, and I found myself listening to the water beating on the shimmering grass. My mind was completely blank, and it felt as if I were sleeping while still being conscious, without having a dream. The second half of the session however, was almost the exact opposite. I couldn't reattain right thoughts, right mindfulness, and right concentration. My mind drifted off to other things, like how much homework I still had left to finish, the new episode of "The Office" I wanted to watch, and how long 20 minutes really felt like. For the ten minutes I was focused on meditating however, I felt very peaceful and my mind was at ease. Although it was hard for me to concentrate while sitting on the bench, I believe it is possible for one to be in a complete state of meditation, but the time that one is able to stay in that state varies from person to person.