Tibetan Cultural Center provides meditation courses

Meditation has been seen in movies and on television shows as a way to work out problems. It has also become increasingly popular in today's fast-paced world as a way to calm the mind and re-energize -- if something is particularly perplexing, meditate on it and the solution will come more easily.\nMeditation is not that simple -- it takes extreme concentration that can only come from hours of practice and dedication. This fall, the Tibetan Cultural Center is offering Calm Abiding and Meditative Insight sessions led by Chamtseling Abott Geshe Lobtin, the brother of the Dalai Lama. \nMeditation is not a practice confined solely to Buddhism. It spans many religions, and its origins go farther back than anyone can trace. Siddhartha, the Buddha, searched many different forms, experimented with different techniques and eventually came up with his own techniques that now comprise Buddhist meditation, according to www.sibv.org. The discovery of these techniques allowed Siddhartha to become known as Buddha -- "the enlightened one" -- and the founder of one of the world's major religions. They have been passed down from teacher to student ever since and are a major part of Tibetan Buddhism today.\nThere are two forms to Buddhist meditation: samatha and vipassana. Samatha meditation is meant to help the meditator achieve a "higher concentration of the mind" by focusing on only one thing, which in turn blocks out all other things plaguing the mind. As a result, the mind becomes more tranquil. However, a person practicing samatha meditation cannot truly achieve enlightenment because samatha meditation does not allow a person to be free from suffering, which is the ultimate goal of meditation. Thus, vipassana meditation is also used. The purpose of vipassana meditation is to "attain liberation through realization of the mind/body processes and their true nature," according to www.sibv.org.\nBoth samatha and vipassana meditation are difficult to master. For someone new to meditation, it is recommended to practice samatha first and then switch to the more demanding vipassana. It is easier to recognize what is happening in one's body and mind once one is in a deep state of concentration, according to www.chanmyay.org.\nThe class at the cultural center helps beginner students learn to meditate. Sandy Belth, a volunteer at the Tibetan Cultural Center since 1999, has done all manner of work for the center. Currently, she maintains the center's Web site and is in charge of sending out e-mails. Belth spoke about why the center offers its classes.\n"We wanted to offer a meditation class and decided to add it in with the fall classes," she said.\nThe center offers dharma teachings from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sundays with a half-hour break in the middle. The last ten minutes of the teachings are used for meditation. Classes on Thursdays help the meditation on Sundays.\nBelth said not only are the classes calming and relaxing, but they are also beneficial to one's overall health.\n"The classes offer mind training. They teach the students to be introspective and aware of their actions, of what they say and think," Belth said. "Mastering this type of meditation allows one to be calm in stressful situations, more compassionate to others and more understanding."\nThe classes are held 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday evenings at the Tibetan Cultural Center. They are free and open to the public. For more information, call the Tibetan Cultural Center at 331-0013 or visit www.tibetancc.com.