On Meditation

The present moment is all we have.

Breath awareness is easy the moment effort becomes effortless.

"What is the use of meditation if it can't be applied to real life?"

I was parking in the loading area at Costco. A white American couple didn't want to take the crosswalk next to where I was parking. The woman started swearing at me. I observed my breath and didn't react. Afterward, I wrote the following poem.

— Tuan Tran

See Poem #73 from my archive regarding this incident.

Letter to a Friend: The Danger of Seeking Bliss

Sorry it took me a while to respond to your email. I'm not familiar with Turiya state so I can't comment on it. However, since the class reached that state through guided meditation then I would suspect it is achieved through the power of suggestion.

I'm skeptical of any meditation that is not observing the reality of the present as is, whether one is experiencing a pleasant or an unpleasant mental state, with full acceptance. True happiness and compassion arise from experiencing suffering and letting it go since everything is impermanent; thus in essence there is no self as it is also impermanent and subject to change.

Suffering is caused by the attachment to anything at all. Since all things are impermanent, therefore attachment to anything at all will lead to suffering. For example, a rose is beautiful and fragrant while in full bloom, yet it will not last and the attachment to that state in its development will lead to suffering. The greater the attachment, the greater the suffering.

Trying to reach a Turiya state for its blissful effect will hinder one's progress in meditation. The goal of meditation is to move beyond suffering, which is not the same as trying to experience bliss. One can take drugs to feel good but it doesn't lead to greater wisdom and compassion, only more suffering.

My Spiritual Journey: From Saigon to Myanmar

I have been drawn to meditation since I was a boy. At twelve years old I tried to meditate by myself, without instruction, without a teacher.

At twenty-six I attended my first Goenka course and reached bhanga during that retreat. It transformed my life. I traveled to India seeking deeper guidance, but did not find what I was looking for.

In 2007, at forty-seven, I lived as a monk at a Theravada forest monastery in Myanmar. I woke each morning to the sound of the temple bell. I wanted to stay for the rest of my life. But my family needed me, so I returned.

I now meditate daily on the breath. I carry that awareness through the day.

The Webu Sayadaw Method: Direct Path

I believe Webu Sayadaw's method—mindfulness of breathing—is the most direct path. It is a complete method to achieve both concentration and wisdom:

"Simply observe the natural breath at the nostrils where the breath touches, without controlling it, and with continuous awareness."