Mind Over Matter

Want to read the rest of this paper? Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay and over 50,000 other term papers

was outside my dorm next to a
tree. This proved to be a comfortable place, yet full of distractions. I have
meditated before in my martial arts classes, yet it was difficult calming my
mind. While concentrating on my breathing, I was easily distracted by outside
occurrences such as leaves falling and people walking by. The more I attempted
to shut out the outside world, the more my mind focused on the little things
around me. I gained immediate appreciation of the Buddhist monk's ability to
shirk the outside world and focus on his inner self. When I had meditated before
in my dojo, it was as a group and in silence. This greatly helped the exercise
and I can see why this is the modus operandi at most temples.
The second place I attempted to meditate was in the basement of Reid
Hall. I hoped that the familiar surroundings would calm the mind easier and
allow me to concentrate on clearing my mind. While not an ideal setting, it was
better than outside. As I concentrated on my ...

Get instant access to over 50,000 essays. Write better papers. Get better grades. Already a member? Login

level to the
activity (by this time is was fairly boring) I attempted to decipher the Zen
Buddhist koan "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" This proved utterly
impossible in the half-hour time period I was meditating, yet it gave me a feel
for what a Buddhist monk does and helped focus my errant mind, preventing it
from wandering. By far, the last time I meditated was the most successful. There
were no major advances, everything was a measure of degree. Yet sitting for a
half-hour cross-legged was no longer extremely uncomfortable, focusing the
breathing and mind was easier, and I felt at peace which was nice feeling in a
usually hectic college day. After trying to emulate the ...

Succeed in your coursework without stepping into a library. Get access to a growing library of notes, book reports, and research papers in 2 minutes or less.

CITE THIS PAGE: