Homepage

Back

Archives

On March 23, Bhante Yogavacara Rahula gave a lecture called “The Practice of Mindfulness: Buddhist Spirituality” at St. Augustine Center. The lecture was the final installment of the ongoing spirituality lecture series, organized through the efforts of Dr. Barbara Wall, special assistant to the President for Mission Effectiveness and assistant professor of philosophy. Rahula is a practicing Buddhist in the Bhavana Society, a monastic retreat center in West Virginia. The presentation was attended by University students and professors, as well as many local residents who practice some elements of Buddhism.

Rahula, clad in the traditional orange robes, focused his presentation on the theme of mindfulness, one of the main themes of Buddhism. They key to mindfulness is developing the mind to live in a state of balance and happiness and to avoid patterns that breed suffering. This, Rahula continued, will lead to a dimension called unity or one-ness, in which the conscience is purified. Meditation is the way to understand that dimension, and once that dimension has been achieved, the Buddhist can live a life of spiritual realization. Buddhists believe that no words exist to adequately capture the essence of that state.

The barrier to such fulfillment, according to Rahula’s interpretation, is that the ordinary mind is caught in a dualism between the self (also referred to as the ego or the identity) and everything else. This division is the root of all suffering, because it causes all perceived threats to the ego to become enemies. The ego, however, lives only to satisfy its desires and reject unhappiness. On the basest level, the ego seeks pleasure and avoids pain.

Rahula also explained the Four Truths that form the basis for Buddhist beliefs. First, Buddhists accept that there is suffering in the world. Second, they assert that the cause of suffering is ignorance. Next, they hold faith that suffering can end, with the development of wisdom. Lastly, Buddhists lay out the path to wisdom, called the Noble Eightfold Plan.

The lecture then progressed to other principal tenets of Buddhism. Among the ideas discussed were right understanding, right thinking, and right action; the world as an interconnected web in which all creatures are equal; and the law of impermanence. The law of impermanence states that humans cannot stop the flow of death and should accept that aging is natural. Rahula discussed the implications of these laws and added that Buddha wanted people to live in accordance with such natural laws.

To conclude his presentation, Rahula led the audience in a mindfulness exercise. The attendees were directed to stand, close their eyes, and block out negative thoughts while concentrating on the simple feeling of the body pressing against the floor. After the exercise, the audience expressed feelings of increased calmness. Though many people said it was difficult to control their thoughts in such a manner, they conveyed an interest in learning more and in becoming more skilled in the process of mindfulness.