Meditation in Thailand

There are reasons why people have to meditate. The act can lower oxygen consumption, influence mood and behavior, and increase synchronicity in life, among others. Neuroscientists themselves have found that meditation can shift a brain’s activity to different areas of the cortex (e.g. brain waves in the right frontal cortex could move to the left frontal cortex), lessening activities in the amygdala, where the brain processes fear.

Then there are reasons why people have to meditate in Thailand. Nowhere else in the world practices this devotional exercise closely, being a praxis of Buddhism, being the religion of nearly 95% of Thailand’s population. It does not exclude Muslims, Jewish or Christians, however; mental development—the best word to define the concept of meditation in English—is a personal experience.

There are just ‘rules’ observed by monasteries here and every respectable meditation center in the world. These are basically principles prescribing a particular course of action or conduct in meditation centers.

Eight Precepts

Panatipata veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami implies cleanliness. Meditators bringing food in their rooms run the risk of attracting insects, fungi and bacteria. Smoking is not prohibited, but is advised against. Visitors could not enter the rooms of meditators. Gossiping is looked down upon.

Adinnadana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami, on the other hand, warns against comparing each other’s personal experiences. Every meditator is responsible for every loss or damage.

Abrahmacariya veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami advises ‘proper’ clothing to meditators. Any physical contact is disallowed, and authorities in the temple can expel a student or refuse visitors.

There shouldn’t be listening to music or receiving telephone calls during a session to ensure the fifth precept, Musavada veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami.

Refrain from intoxicating drinks (Suramerayamajja pamadatthana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami), or eating after noon (Vikalabhojana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyamiNacca-gita- vadita-visukkadassana mala-gandha-vilepana-dharana-mandana-vibhusanathana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami).

Last but not the least, Uccasayana-mahasayana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami discourages lying on a high or luxurious sleeping place. If meditators got tired during the day, they may lay down in their rooms.

As medication

Meditation is medication. The American Society of Hypertension Inc. has noted ‘a difference in stress levels’ when people perform this relaxation technique. Up to 6 millimeters could be reduced in one’s diastolic pressure, and 3 millimeters in one’s systolic reading. Meditation could alleviate symptoms of asthma, depression, anxiety, cancer, diabetes and arthritis, as well.

But just like there are different kinds of medication for one illness, there are also different techniques on meditation. Transcendental Meditation, introduced in India in the 1950s by the late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, requires one to repeat a word, sound or phrase (a mantra) in mind.

Acem Meditation could develop personality. Non-religious, this scientific approach to meditation was started in Norway in 1966 “without cultic elements and guru affiliations." An individual just have to repeat a distinct sound for 30 to 45 minutes a day a while after eating.

The Art of Living—otherwise termed Sudarshan Kriya—focuses on breathing the right way. It has three components: Ujayi Pranayam (characterized with long and deep breathing), Bhastrika Pranayam (involves 2-3 minutes forced inhalation and exhalation), and cyclical breathing (includes rhythmic breathing). It does not dictate any specific lifestyle, but it does advocate vegetarianism. It suggests helping oneself and thereby helping others.

Of these three means to meditate, Vipassana is the most ancient dating back to more than 2,000 years ago. It heightens ‘a sense of calm and compassion’ by focusing on breathing and vibrations within the body and mind.