Ask A Buddhist

[notself]

NIH article contiued: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2944261/

In what follows we summarize the changes in the brain that occur during each of these styles of meditation practice. Such changes include alterations in patterns of brain function assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), changes in the cortical evoked response to visual stimuli that reflect the impact of meditation on attention, and alterations in amplitude and synchrony of high frequency oscillations that probably play an important role in connectivity among widespread circuitry in the brain.

FA Meditation [Focused Attention]

A recent study [4] used fMRI to interrogate the neural correlates of FA meditation in experts and novices. The study compared FA meditation on an external visual point to a rest condition during which participants do not use meditation and are simply instructed to adopt a neutral baseline state. The meditation condition was associated with activation in multiple brain regions implicated in monitoring (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), engaging attention (visual cortex), and attentional orienting (e.g., the superior frontal sulcus, the supplementary motor area, and the intraparietal sulcus).

Although this meditation-related activation pattern was generally stronger for long-term-practitioners compared to novices, activity in many brain areas involved in FA meditation showed in an inverted u-shaped curve for both classes of subjects. Whereas expert meditators with an average of 19,000 hours of practice showed stronger activation in these areas than the novices, expert meditators with an average of 44,000 practice hours showed less activation. This inverted u-shaped function resembles the learning curve associated with skill acquisition in other domains of expertise, such as language acquisition. The findings support the idea that, after extensive FA meditation training, minimal effort is necessary to sustain attentional focus.

Expert meditators also showed less activation than novices in the amygdala during FA meditation in response to emotional sounds. Activation in this affective region correlated negatively with hours of practice in life, as shown in Figure 1(A). This finding may support the idea that, advanced levels of concentration are associated with a significant decrease in emotionally reactive behaviors that are incompatible with stability of concentration.

Collectively these findings support the view that attention is a trainable skill that can be enhanced through the mental practice of FA meditation.

Article continues on the next post.

 

[notself]

NIH article continued: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2944261/

OM Meditation [Open Monitoring]

Another study [5] recently examined the idea that OM meditation decreases elaborative stimulus processing in a longitudinal study using scalp-recorded brain potentials and performance in an attentional blink task. The consequence of decreased elaborative stimulus processing is that the subject is able to better attend moment-to-moment to the stream of stimuli to which they are exposed and less likely to “get stuck” on any one stimulus.

The attentional blink phenomenon illustrates that the information processing capacity of the brain is limited. More specifically, when two targets T1 and T2, embedded in a rapid stream of events, are presented in close temporal proximity, the second target is often not seen. This deficit is believed to result from competition between the two targets for limited attentional resources i.e., when many resources are devoted to T1 processing, too few may be available for subsequent T2 processing.

The study in [5] found that three months of intensive training in Vipassana meditation (a common style of OM meditation) reduced brain-resource allocation to the first target, as reflected in a smaller T1-elicited P3b, a brain-potential index of resource allocation. This is illustrated in Figure 1(B), which shows the reduction in P3B amplitude (a brain-potential index of resource allocation). In this figure, the scalp-recorded brain potentials from electrode Pz, time-locked to T1 onset as a function of T2 accuracy (detected (no-blink) vs. not detected (blink)), time (before or after three months), and group (practitioners vs. novices) are shown. The scalp map shows electrode sites where this three-way interaction was significant between 420 and 440ms.

The reduction in brain-resource allocation to T1 was associated with a smaller attentional blink to T2, as shown in Figure 1(C). As participants were not engaged in formal meditation during task performance, these results provide support for the idea that one long-term effect of OM meditation may be reduction in the propensity to “get stuck” on a target as reflected in (a) less elaborate stimulus processing and (b) the development of efficient mechanisms to engage and then disengage from target stimuli in response to task demands.

 

[AdamP88]

There are some, who when their beliefs are challenged, interpret it as being uncharitable. If I were simply interested in what a Buddhist believes I would go to a Buddhist site or read a book. This is a forum, a Catholic forum at that. One cannot expect to propose a belief system that is contradictory to Christian beliefs without being challenged. Otherwise I suppose the conversation would go something like “Oh, that’s what you believe, how nice.” :yawn:

Even if we are challenging the beliefs of another…we still need to be charitable. You cannot expect someone to believe in the love of Christ if you are representing that love in a way that contradicts the message.

 

[AdamP88]

1. You are arguing that in essence it is only possible to increase natural happiness with practices and things which are centered on God. This is contrary to fact because people have happiness apart from God centered things all the time. For example, non-believers can have great joy in their lives through friendship, family, and all sorts of other things. This is a natural happiness that can be experienced through means that are not based on God.

The concept of such natural happiness isn’t without precedent in Catholic thinking. For example, when theologians talked about the theory of the Limbo of the Infants (a theological opinion, not a dogma of the faith) they said that unbaptized infants go to hell and are separated from God (as all are in Hell) but nonetheless enjoy natural happiness, even in hell. The New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia puts it this way in the article on Limbo:

“…we ought to believe that [the souls in Limbo] enjoy and will eternally enjoy a state of perfect natural happiness…”

A Catholic should strive for an increase of both supernatural happiness (through prayer) and natural happiness (through other means) in this life, correct? All I am arguing is that Buddhist meditation can be used to increase this natural happiness.

1. Correct, I am saying Buddhist meditation isn’t about emptying the mind. Most sects of Buddhism don’t use that term, and of those that do (Zen Buddhism for example), they probably mean something like “Empty your mind of distraction” rather than telling you to just zone out.

You are not correct here.
Catholics are not instructed to find “natural happiness” in the way that you describe, rather we find happiness in the things of this world through the Lord, Jesus. We obviously pleasure in the things of this world, but that is different from happiness.

Happiness only comes when we truly realise the truth of our salvation and the price paid for us by God. It is an amazing fact that each person on this planet is loved by God.

In terms of unborn/unbaptised infants going to hell, this is catholic teaching on that subject:

Catechism of the Catholic Church:

1261 As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus’ tenderness toward children which caused him to say: “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them,” allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism. All the more urgent is the Church’s call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism.

 

[Bakmoon]

You are not correct here.
Catholics are not instructed to find “natural happiness” in the way that you describe, rather we find happiness in the things of this world through the Lord, Jesus. We obviously pleasure in the things of this world, but that is different from happiness.

Happiness only comes when we truly realise the truth of our salvation and the price paid for us by God. It is an amazing fact that each person on this planet is loved by God.

In terms of unborn/unbaptised infants going to hell, this is catholic teaching on that subject:

Catechism of the Catholic Church:

I only brought up the Limbo of the Infants as a way of illustrating that the idea that natural happiness can exist in separation from the direct result of Divine Grace isn’t something that I just cooked up myself, but was speculated for quite some time.

Would you object to the statement that Catholics are permitted to pursue both natural and supernatural happiness in the present life? I don’t really see what is wrong with saying that natural happiness and supernatural happiness can come together in this life.

 

[AdamP88]

I only brought up the Limbo of the Infants as a way of illustrating that the idea that natural happiness can exist in separation from the direct result of Divine Grace isn’t something that I just cooked up myself, but was speculated for quite some time.

Would you object to the statement that Catholics are permitted to pursue both natural and supernatural happiness in the present life? I don’t really see what is wrong with saying that natural happiness and supernatural happiness can come together in this life.

Can you elaborate on what you mean by natural happiness please?

Thanks

 

[Vouthon]

I only brought up the Limbo of the Infants as a way of illustrating that the idea that natural happiness can exist in separation from the direct result of Divine Grace isn’t something that I just cooked up myself, but was speculated for quite some time.

Would you object to the statement that Catholics are permitted to pursue both natural and supernatural happiness in the present life? I don’t really see what is wrong with saying that natural happiness and supernatural happiness can come together in this life.

I think it is akin to the natural state of rest/emptiness that I mentioned earlier on page 47. I get what you are saying completely Bakmoon

I wrote:

The Catholic mystic Ruysbroeck spoke of a natural state of emptiness, distinct from supernatural rest in which one loses the self in God through the grace of God.

He wrote:

“…All creatures are naturally inclined towards rest and therefore both the good and the bad seek rest in many different ways. Now notice that whenever a person is bare and imageless in his senses and devoid of activity in his higher powers, he enters a purely natural state of rest. All persons can find and possess this kind of rest in themselves by merely natural means, apart from God’s grace, provided only that they can become empty of images and all activity…Consider now the way in which a person practices this natural rest. It consists in sitting quietly in a state of idleness, without any interior or exterior exercises, in order to find rest and have it remain undisturbed…The rest which they possess consists in an emptying of their inmost being, something to which they are inclined by both nature and custom. One cannot find God in this state of natural rest, but it does bring a person into that state of emptiness which can be attained by all persons…The rest which one attains in this state of emptiness is both satisying and deep. In itself it is not sinful, for it arises naturally in everyone whenever he empties himself of all activity…”

- Blessed Jan Van Ruysbroeck (1294-1381), Catholic mystic

…

I thought that this was an interesting idea.

A Catholic could perhaps use Buddhist meditations to reach a state of natural rest, which could bring the person into a peaceful, serene state which could make them more receptive and ready to engage in Contemplative practice of the Christian kind centered on God, once the dross of their thoughts and emotions have been purified.

 

[Bakmoon]

Can you elaborate on what you mean by natural happiness please?

Thanks

I would define natural happiness as the happiness that is not the direct result of Divine Grace, but is a happiness that is the result of other things. Living a virtuous life, closeness with other people, and other such things can lead a non-believer (for example) to have a type of happiness which is distinct from supernatural happiness one receives in the form of mystical ecstasy as the result of prayer, the joy that is the gift of the Holy Spirit, and ultimately the Beatific Vision itself.

This supernatural happiness is directly from God and so only means which are centered on God lead to supernatural happiness, because it is dependent on grace. Natural happiness in contrast, can come directly from things other than God (although you could say that they ultimately come indirectly from God) such as things I mentioned before like friendship, kindness, etc… I think that a Catholic could hold natural happiness to be possible to increase by means of meditation.

I hold that there is no contradiction between the two. In other words, a Catholic can seek out both natural happiness through ordinary living and supernatural happiness through prayer and the Sacraments of the Church. I am only proposing that a Catholic might also use some types of Buddhist meditation to increase their natural happiness, just as a Catholic can seek natural happiness in their life through other ways without abandoning the supernatural happiness of God.

 

[AdamP88]

I would define natural happiness as the happiness that is not the direct result of Divine Grace, but is a happiness that is the result of other things. Living a virtuous life, closeness with other people, and other such things can lead a non-believer (for example) to have a type of happiness which is distinct from supernatural happiness one receives in the form of mystical ecstasy as the result of prayer, the joy that is the gift of the Holy Spirit, and ultimately the Beatific Vision itself.

This supernatural happiness is directly from God and so only means which are centered on God lead to supernatural happiness, because it is dependent on grace. Natural happiness in contrast, can come directly from things other than God (although you could say that they ultimately come indirectly from God) such as things I mentioned before like friendship, kindness, etc… I think that a Catholic could hold natural happiness to be possible to increase by means of meditation.

I hold that there is no contradiction between the two. In other words, a Catholic can seek out both natural happiness through ordinary living and supernatural happiness through prayer and the Sacraments of the Church. I am only proposing that a Catholic might also use some types of Buddhist meditation to increase their natural happiness, just as a Catholic can seek natural happiness in their life through other ways without abandoning the supernatural happiness of God.

Catholics do meditate. We meditate upon the word of God in the scripture and the Gospel and in our prayer and chanting. I don’t see how adopting Buddhist methods of meditation would help bring Catholics closer to God.

There is a huge tradition of meditative prayer in the catholic faith. I just don’t see the need to adopt the practices of another faith when the tradition of our own faith is so rich and diverse.

 

[notself]

Catholics do meditate. We meditate upon the word of God in the scripture and the Gospel and in our prayer and chanting. I don’t see how adopting Buddhist methods of meditation would help bring Catholics closer to God.

There is a huge tradition of meditative prayer in the catholic faith. I just don’t see the need to adopt the practices of another faith when the tradition of our own faith is so rich and diverse.

Certain techniques such as focused meditation (FM) mentioned in the article I posted from the National Institute of Health, would assist anyone in developing stronger focus and concentration that could be used in all sorts of ways including meditating on the word of God. This is what Bakmoon is suggesting - the usefulness of some Buddhist techniques.

 

[TheAtheist]

Catholics do meditate. We meditate upon the word of God in the scripture and the Gospel and in our prayer and chanting. I don’t see how adopting Buddhist methods of meditation would help bring Catholics closer to God.

There is a huge tradition of meditative prayer in the catholic faith. I just don’t see the need to adopt the practices of another faith when the tradition of our own faith is so rich and diverse.

And this is where technical terminology is very important.

Unfortunately i’m unaware of who decided to translate the practices engaged in by Buddhists (or Daoists, or Hindus, or Sikhs, et al.) as “meditation,” but in truth its a mistranslation.

What they engage in is much closer to the term utilized in your tradition as “Contemplation.”

Now this is where it gets sticky - because even your own Orthodox brethren wag their fingers at the Christian West (ie: Catholics, Protestants, Evangelicals) saying that…

hmm… how to put this… you collectively have a paucity of Contemplative practices.

Whether that accusation or not is true is something that I do not have the capacity to judge on, nor do I have any intention of wading into what is essentially an inter-denominational debate.

But the point i’m trying to make is that Meditation and Contemplative practices are in fact two different things - at least from the Scientific standpoint simply because it sets off different portions of your brain!

 

[PrincepsAuguste]

I’m sorry if this has been answered before, but as the concept of birth/rebirth is obviously essential to Buddhism, why is the world’s population constantly increasing? Where do the new soul’s come from? Is there a waiting room of sorts where souls wait to re-enter this life?

 

[Bakmoon]

Catholics do meditate. We meditate upon the word of God in the scripture and the Gospel and in our prayer and chanting. I don’t see how adopting Buddhist methods of meditation would help bring Catholics closer to God.

There is a huge tradition of meditative prayer in the catholic faith. I just don’t see the need to adopt the practices of another faith when the tradition of our own faith is so rich and diverse.

I never said it would be used to get closer to God, but to increase natural happiness. According to my understanding, these two types of happiness are not mutually exclusive and as long as one’s pursuit of natural happiness doesn’t detract from God, then it is okay.

 

[Bakmoon]

I’m sorry if this has been answered before, but as the concept of birth/rebirth is obviously essential to Buddhism, why is the world’s population constantly increasing? Where do the new soul’s come from? Is there a waiting room of sorts where souls wait to re-enter this life?

Buddhism speaks of several different world systems (I think that corresponds to the concept of parallel universes) each which has many different planes of reality in it. The rebirths could be coming from other planes within one’s own universe, or from other world systems.

 

[AdamP88]

I never said it would be used to get closer to God, but to increase natural happiness. According to my understanding, these two types of happiness are not mutually exclusive and as long as one’s pursuit of natural happiness doesn’t detract from God, then it is okay.

For a catholic the principal purpose of one’s existence is to give glory to God through everything we accomplish in this life.

 

[AdamP88]

And this is where technical terminology is very important.

Unfortunately i’m unaware of who decided to translate the practices engaged in by Buddhists (or Daoists, or Hindus, or Sikhs, et al.) as “meditation,” but in truth its a mistranslation.

What they engage in is much closer to the term utilized in your tradition as “Contemplation.”

Now this is where it gets sticky - because even your own Orthodox brethren wag their fingers at the Christian West (ie: Catholics, Protestants, Evangelicals) saying that…

hmm… how to put this… you collectively have a paucity of Contemplative practices.

Whether that accusation or not is true is something that I do not have the capacity to judge on, nor do I have any intention of wading into what is essentially an inter-denominational debate.

But the point i’m trying to make is that Meditation and Contemplative practices are in fact two different things - at least from the Scientific standpoint simply because it sets off different portions of your brain!

Does that mean that they cannot be used together…?

 

[notself]

For a catholic the principal purpose of one’s existence is to give glory to God through everything we accomplish in this life.

Learning to focus one’s mind more easily would be an accomplishment and through this action one can give glory to God. What’s the problem?

 

[Shiranui117]

I’m sorry if this has been answered before, but as the concept of birth/rebirth is obviously essential to Buddhism, why is the world’s population constantly increasing? Where do the new soul’s come from? Is there a waiting room of sorts where souls wait to re-enter this life?

To add to what Bakmoon has said, plants and animals can be reborn as humans as well. Add in the inhabitants of the heavenly realms and the hell realms, and you have plenty of beings which can be reborn as humans.

 

[AdamP88]

Learning to focus one’s mind more easily would be an accomplishment and through this action one can give glory to God. What’s the problem?

Well, if you’re not Catholic there is no problem. If you are a Catholic there really are a lot of difficulties with Buddhist spirituality.

Firstly, Buddhists teach that life itself has no purpose or ultimate end but that eventually you reach Nirvana through a series of births and rebirths.

For Catholics, the ultimate end is to be totally united with the God in heaven for all eternity.

The Late Pope John Paul II commented on Buddhism in Crossing the Threshold of Hope. In his comments, our late pontiff really didn’t pull any punches, calling Buddhism “in large measure an ‘atheistic’ system’.” He pulled the carpet out from under comparisons to Catholicism by pointing out that the ultimate end of man for Christians is union with God, while for Buddhists it is Nirvana (complete detachment, or a state of nothingness).

 

[Shiranui117]

Well, if you’re not Catholic there is no problem. If you are a Catholic there really are a lot of difficulties with Buddhist spirituality.

Firstly, Buddhists teach that life itself has no purpose or ultimate end but that eventually you reach Nirvana through a series of births and rebirths.

For Catholics, the ultimate end is to be totally united with the God in heaven for all eternity.

What do meditation techniques employed by Buddhists have to do with Buddhist beliefs?