On Meditation Part 3: Stuff You Absolutely Need for Meditation Practice (NOT)

Here’s a list of the things you really, absolutely MUST buy for your meditation practice:

No, not notebook paper, silly.  The only thing you really, truly need to bring to your meditation is you, and your attention and intent.  There is nothing you need to buy.  When I had my first encounters with a Tibetan center, it was suggested that it would be helpful to create a home altar in front of which to practice my prostrations.  This needed to include a specially filled and blessed Buddha statue, an altar card, butter lamps, bell, dorje… The trouble was that I wasn’t working at the time – I was staying home with two small kids and had little extra money to spend on these things.  I found that the desire to “accessorize” my practice with these things only lent itself to more craving, more dissatisfaction.

I’m not saying that a home altar isn’t nice – it’s great to have a regular place to sit on a daily basis, and physical reminders to practice.  I love Buddha statues, and have a small, simple area with a statue and some incense near where I sit.  I’m just saying that going out (or sitting in front of your computer) on a shopping excursion is not necessary to begin practice.  That being said, there are some things that are helpful, and other things you may want to consider for your practice, so here’s my two cents worth:

Stuff for meditation:

• What you absolutely need: You, and a place to sit with your back straight (or lie down if you absolutely can’t tolerate sitting…but I’ll get to sitting positions in a future post).
• Recommended/good to have:
  • Something to sit on:
    • If you can sit on the floor:  A pillow or household cushion will do, a zafu is nice.  These are the round cushions used for zazen.  They also make moon-shaped ones.  I’d recommend the ones stuffed with kapok or buckwheat hulls as they are firmer and more supportive – some even come with a zipper so you can add or remove the filling to adjust the zafu to your liking.  A long time ago I made my own zafus (even sold a few on ebay) based on the following instructions because the only place I could buy them was at a local new age store and they were very expensive.  Making your own is nice if you have the time and inclination to sew.  Now you can buy Zafus like the Hugger Mugger ones for $30 and up or if you are willing to pay a bit more and want to support a small Buddhist-owned green business you can purchase from places like Carolina Morning.
    • If you can’t sit on a cushion:  A seiza bench ¹.  or seat may help.  This is a small bench with a forward slant to the seat – you kneel on the floor with your behind on the seat and it puts your pelvis into an anterior tilt which helps to keep your back in a proper position.  Sitting like this keeps the pressure off your knees vs. one of the cross-legged positions, and may be better for those who have knee problems.

• • • A  zabuton is basically just a big, flat pillow that sits on the floor that you put your zafu or seiza bench on that cushions your knees. I’d really recommend one.  If you sew, again, no need to buy one, just get some cotton fabric and thick batting and cut some squares and stitch ‘em together.

    • I sit in a chair.  Yes, of course, but I mean I sit zazen in a chair.
      -Susan Moon, This is Getting Old

    • If you can’t sit either of these ways:  A chair is OK to sit in.  I have trouble keeping my back straight when I’m in a chair (old habit, I guess) ².  If you need to use a chair for your practice try find a sturdy chair, not a cushy one, and sit up tall with both feet on the floor, not using the backrest for support.
    • A quiet location:  Cost:  priceless.  But don’t get too caught up in getting angry or irritable about noise that happens during your sitting.  Try to plan your meditation for a quiet time of day, but if noise happens, just sit with it.  Our practice is present moment awareness – and if, like me, this occasionally means sitting while your dog makes licking noises directly outside the door for the entire 30 minutes, just be with it ³.
    • A way to time your practice:  Keep yourself from clockwatching.  You must have some sort of timer around your house.  If not, there are plenty of meditation timers online.  Just Google “Online Meditation Timer.” and you’ll find plenty.  I just use the timer on my oven.

• Nice, but unnecessary
  • Altar stuff:  I love Buddha statues, and have a few.  I know some non-Buddhist “Buddha admirers,” who seem to have a house full of Buddhas ⁴.  But when it comes down to it, we don’t need Buddha statues for our practice.  Practice realizing that “everything is Buddha.”
  • A designated location for meditation:  You can meditate just about anywhere.  Still it’s nice if you can find a regular spot; it’s a good encouragement for regular practice
  • Incense:  Oh, how I love incense.  But still, I can do without.
• Fluff
  • Enso timer
• The Enso timer.  Oh, how I want the Enso timer.  I see this on the back of almost every issue of Tricycle magazine, proving that advertising has an effect on (some) of us who are trying to practice non-craving ⁵.  This is a beautiful clock.  With an enso!  But, I suspect, my oven timer works just as well.