Meditation for Our Generation

In these difficult times, with so much in the world precariously balanced, we need more than ever to develop a genuine discipline of spiritual enquiry. Much of the social and natural order we have taken for granted in life is beginning to change, and many of us are beginning to question our role on this planet. Chronic illnesses and degenerative conditions are increasing in all populations of the world at alarming rates.

People are finding it more and more difficult to make sense of all that faces them. The single biggest cause of depression and the sense of “dis-ease” that so many in the West are experiencing, is caused because at some deep level they know something is wrong. They know their life has gone off track. But they have no idea what to do about it. Anti-depressant use is at epidemic levels and countless people, who are well provided for, without any apparent troubles in their lives, are seeing therapists and counsellors. Too many people just aren’t coping!

Once we are courageous enough to recognize that most of our problems are internally created and not simply the result of external conditions, we begin to take on the power to do something about it. Having made this brave shift in our perception of things, we will then need to acquire the tools to empower ourselves for a process that then becomes inevitable; the gradual refinement of character.

The first step in this process is developing a harmonious, peaceful and balanced mind. The truth is that there is a higher intelligence in the heart that always knows the truth and knows the answers to all of our deep-rooted challenges, if we could only learn to listen.

In essence, the entire field of meditation in the early stages is geared to learning to hear the silence of the heart. Once we have done that, we can begin to ask questions and start to get answers. All of the answers to our most searching of questions lie already answered within the heart.

The problem that most people face is fear or the inability to sit still long enough to listen. Burgs has taught many people from so many backgrounds and from many cultures, with many different ideas about how to practice. He no longer believes that there is any one single technique that works and the rest don’t. There are many people who profess to be teaching “The Only Genuine” technique of meditation. They can’t all be right.

Whilst he has been taught many techniques, and is fortunate enough to have a level of concentration to see how, why and whether they work in practice, he looks to one thing and one thing only – “What results are the students and yogis of each teacher/practice experiencing?”.

Whilst he does strongly believe there is a very discrete and well defined path that leads to the realisation and liberation through the Eightfold Noble Path as taught by the Buddha, there are so many staging posts along the way, and so many people at such differing stages of progress. His job as a teacher is to guide each student through the stages they currently face.

When he started out he felt it was his duty to teach the Buddha’s meditation techniques, that he himself practiced. Over time he has come to realize that there are many people who are seeking meaningful and workable teachings and techniques to help them navigate the more immediate issues of life’s challenges. This requires teaching the essence of the Buddha’s Dhamma in a context that is directly applicable to the lives we lead in this day and age.

The real goal for all of us is a sense of meaningful value and happiness in our lives. For those of you who have decided bravely to begin to untangle the knots of confusion, and let go of the accumulation of what has become meaningless, he strongly urges you to give sufficient time to meditation, to make your mind a companion and ally, rather than a hindrance and obstacle on the road to happiness.