I meditate in a monastry once a week

“Hmm, three classes in the morning, two hours to eat and finish the reading for classes in the afternoon, then class, class, exercise, eat, homework, reading!” Planning on my schedule, I briefly wrote down all the things needed to be done.

“You really have a full schedule, don’t you?” My roommate said after hearing me talking to myself.

“Yeah, so bad. I did not expect these two classes would have so many readings! But the classes were good and I don’t want to drop them! What should I do?” I complained.

“Have you ever thought that there might be something wrong with your balance and attitude?” She asked.

“What? That’s not possible!” I was a little angry. I worked so hard and nearly put all my time on studying. How dare someone question my attitude?

“How about attending a meditation with me? Maybe you can find something interesting.” She smiled.

Then that night we came to the Dharma Jewel Monastery and greeted Jian Tong Shifu. Shifu was an honor title for a nun in China. Every Shifu had a unique and meaningful name. “Jian” means insight, just as Buddha can easily see everything’s inner essence.

“Tong” means pure redness, a symbol of the highest level of purity. Before entering the main lobby of meditation, we were asked to take off our shoes and not to take photos because in the main lobby sat the figure of Buddha whose sanctity should be respected. Even though there were a lot of people going in and out the lobby, putting on and taking off their shoes, the whole monastery was very quiet and organized. In an instant, I was affected by this harmonious environment.

After a Shifu led us to our seats, she taught us to sit cross-legged like a lotus, gently put each of our hands on each side, sit upright, inhale, exhale and finally relax our whole body. She also taught us that in a normal person’s unconsciousness, there were all kinds of thoughts entwining every moment.

Our consciousness was just like a fishhook, trying to get thoughts from the thought pool. Differently, meditation was more like a process to precipitate all our thought dirt to the bottom of the pool and leave the clear water floating above. Deeply impressed by this metaphor, I began my first meditation.

There were clicks of the wooden fish(a tool monks use to chant) echoing in the lobby, clear, distant and monotonous, very helpful for meditation. I wasn’t able to remove all my thoughts. I tried to leave behind the temporary present. Like a fish swimming in my turbid thoughts pool, I avoided thoughts and hoped that they might fall down to the bottom of the pool.

When the wooden fish clicked two times quickly, the meditation ended. When I opened my eyes, though I did not completely clear my mind, I could not remember what I was thinking. So maybe, this can be deemed as a small success for my first meditation.

After the meditation in the Dharma Jewel Monastery, I went to several meditations organized by Emory Buddist Club on campus. In the small basement of Canon Chapel, I sat with schoolmates or alumni, feeling that everyone was connecting and supporting each other. I could sometimes felt that my convoluted thoughts swirling around the small basement, along with Shifu’s chanting and aroma of the burning candles, flying, finding, hitting the walls and gradually settled down. Whenever I opened my eyes, I always felt refreshed.

At first, I thought that meditation was a waste of time because it could not really change my life and improve my study. But later, I find that actually meditation is not restricted by place or time. It can happen any where at any time as long as my heart and mind are clear, calm and peaceful.

Even though many impending things can make my life busy, life is not necessarily full of anxiety and rashness. Just like that meditation can happen everywhere, our inner peace can also be protected from outside busyness.