Rob Nairn 1998 Diamond Mind – Psychology of Meditation: Shambhala (and also, Kalk Bay, South Africa: Kairon Press Ltd) .
First Review
Rob Nairn's `Diamond Mind' is a wonderfully refreshing reminder of why we meditate. Using the simplest of terms, he describes the practice eloquently and in a very user-friendly way. The result is a handbook for both novices and those more seriously intentioned experienced meditators. A `how to' book even for (or especially for?) those who already know `how to'. Also, whilst it is not a handbook on Buddhism, Rob's writing provides a humbling model of honest to goodness, down to earth Buddhist practice.
It invites the reader, clearly and simply, to `make friends with the mind' and `try these meditation exercises and see what happens'. You can almost sense the twinkle in Rob's eye as he encourages that meditation be approached playfully, lightly dismissing all preconceived ideas concerning expectations, goals and techniques.
The richly illustrative text is interspersed with a series of exercises designed to progressively train the mind and promote understanding through experience. Rob's explanations have a lovely way of validating and clarifying your meditation experience and you feel that he stays with you (all instruction/direction is in the present tense) as you try out the exercises.
The natural flow of combined information and application lead you
gently inwards. At no time is there a question of right or wrong; you
are encouraged both by the involvement and by the lack of anything
to stop the process; he explains the unfamiliar in basic terms with
lucidly familiar references. Practical exercises suggested in the book
are followed by questions and answers.
Perennial questions are posed in a non academic way, as if emanating from a group discussion. Answers are straightforward and succinct, explanations and examples realistic. There is nothing dramatic, mystical or extraordinary. about the understandable explanations - they demonstrate the simplicity of the practice of meditation. Rob continuously reminds the reader of what is latent and shows how to make it accessible. No smoke and mirrors here, no spiritual mystique, nowhere to go, nothing to strive for, not even technique! Just practical and do-able attention and practice.
The book brings to mind the term `loving kindness' and you sense that this is how Rob approached writing it. Like a benevolent uncle, he takes your hand and accompanies as much as leads you on a journey and explains to you what is happening along the way. As in meditation, he brings your attention back again and again to the salient points.
The first chapters cover the basics – what is meditation, why should we meditate, what motivates us to meditate and the importance of attitude, the methods and the effect of meditation. You discover what is happening in your mind and what barriers to meditation could be in place. Discussions cover expectations, experience and assumptions, goals, selectivity, reactivity. Mindfulness, awareness and wakefulness are defined and clear guidelines provided for practicing meditation and for helpers of meditators.
The author speaks of meditation as a growth process. He states repeatedly in one way or another that the starting point to enlightenment is in the here and now. And that the path to enlightenment is not complicated although it has its obstacles. That it requires ordinary, even mundane attention and dedicated practice – t at it is a gradual path to tranquillity, paving the way for insight to arise naturally – no intellectually challenging instructions or analysis of insightfulness needed!
Rob explains the subtle nature of mindfulness as developing laterally, not only in the forefront of the mind. `It is a deep broadening of the mind that slowly increases sensitivity and perceptiveness. It increases ones self-awareness, the capacity to see and know and understand what's going on in one's own mind and then around oneself.' I followed the text and exercises, observing and learning as I went. My experiences were explained and validated in the text and, like a comforted child, I found myself saying, `yes, that's it', `I see now' `that's what is happening', and was encouraged to go forward.
The practical exercises are suitable for use in groups or by individuals. They are easy to follow and apply and begin with focusing the mind and using a support in meditation. As you practice these progressive exercises (each one over a varying timeframe, some of up to a year) the focus subtly shifts to the observation and workings of the mind. The presentation is relaxed and almost casual.
The book is written in a way which, although comfortably comprehensible is personally challenging and invites you to pause and consider. For example, I spent some time pondering over how, by getting closer to our essence, we don't need to either avoid or deal with underlying issues, but allow them to arise naturally and be dealt with more skillfully, avoiding unnecessary suffering.
In the chapter on reactivity, the analogy used, which we may have heard before, is of a monkey and some nuts in a calabash illustrating the connection between grasping and bondage. The way that Rob describes this is so funny that I end up laughing at myself as I very occasionally got a glimpse of what I have created for myself. And what meaning I have given my lovely creation!
The final chapters are about recognition and choice in dealing with our compulsiveness, obscurations and many forms of grasping. Our need to hang on for dear life; to be `in control', turning the switches on and off, getting a quick fix. They look at our habitual tendencies and show us how important it is to acknowledge and identify these and to practice loving kindness toward ourselves as we accept how long we have been carrying these self made delusions. And how long they could take to unravel !
Shown obstacles which arise from conditioned reflexes, we see that the factual route we have followed is paved with lies. Given another look at obstacles, we see them for the gifts they are, opportunities to work toward liberation.
There is something about this book that reassures and comforts. As I put it down I felt an enormous respect for the author who wrote it with such understanding and compassion. Something in its writing says, `it's okay', `all is well', `no thing is wrong'. And finally, `just do it.'
Second Review
Whether you are new to meditating or have been a practitioner for
some time Rob Nairn's book 'Diamond Mind' will offer you a new
perspective on your meditation.
I do not think there is anyone who can truly say that his or her
meditation practise has always been calm and blissful. We have all
experienced storms, which we have either weathered and walked through
or turned away from, sheltering in some misguided belief that that
particular path should not be crossed. With the help of Nairn's book it
is possible to understand why there are times when a path to meditation
appears blocked. He reveals some of the psychology of the mind during
the meditation process and helps the reader to push through his or her
own blocks to meditation using a series of meditation exercises.
Diamond Mind is written in a way that allows both individuals and
groups to explore some of the basic tools of meditation, with clear
guidance on the pitfalls the mind can fall in to during the meditation
process. The appendix at the back of the book contains some useful
notes that support each of the exercises and it is designed to be used
by the group facilitator. Nairn himself has over four decades
experience as a meditation practitioner and teacher in the Buddhist
tradition, he also has a background in law, criminology and psychology
(Jungian). His approach to this book is one of simplicity, each chapter
is written with clear explanations of some of the Buddhist concepts of
psychology. This simple approach I feel would be a great introduction
to anyone new to Buddhist meditation and psychology and would be a
useful refresher to the more experienced practitioner.
So the big question Nairn answers is 'Why do I find it so difficult to
meditate?' If you are waiting for a very long drawn out explanation,
then forget it. Nairn could not have put it simpler :
'We meditators project all our unresolved psychology in to our
meditation and mix it up with our conditioning. So our goals, hopes,
longings, expectations and assumptions about life snag and flow in to
any unconscious
material that arises during meditation and cause derailment of our practice'.
Having established the problem Nairn uses each chapter to define the
various problems encountered at each stage of meditation. You quickly
get the sense that meditating is rather like peeling an onion. You take
off one layer only to reveal another, then another.
When we come to meditation, Nairn advises that we should throw
technique out of the window because the mind only thinks in terms of
success or failure. We have to train ourselves to be present in the
moment with what is there. He makes it sound so easy but of course the
reality is that the conscious mind is like a spoilt child who wants his
own way and will always bring things in to play to distract the
meditator. Nairn however is quick to point out that with practice and
awareness you will be able to let thoughts come and go and not rise to
their potentially disruptive behaviour. When we meditate we journey in
to ourselves and often discover aspects of ourselves that we do not
like or feel uncomfortable with, which is often where blockages to
meditation start to enter the mind. Nairn writes 'One of the greatest
strangers in the world is this one in the heart. We do not know much
about ourselves'.
Mindfulness, Acceptance , Goals, Expectations and what Nairn terms
'Hidden Reefs' are just some of the subjects discussed in the book.
When it comes to finding 'insight', its appears that Western
Meditator's often have a block on this. Nairn suggests that this is
because of the complex psychology of our technological minds. The
result is that they hit a plateau and then cannot progress any further,
this is because the mind becomes rigid and closed rather than open and
flexible. Meditation can be used by meditator's to suppress the
psychological process, instead of promoting it. The result is that
unresolved psychological states remain buried. Nairn points out that
this is where people give up on their meditation rather then trying to
work
through the psychological processes that are happening.
The first lessons in this book are designed to help the meditator to
learn how to switch focus, then abandon focus all together. This
exercise allows the meditator to sit with the processes the mind is
playing out. In chapter two Nairn looks at the obstacles that often
stand in our way during meditation and defines the mind poisons of
greed, hatred, delusion, pride and jealousy. He makes is clear that in
order to be effective in our
meditation it is important to train the mind to be more accepting and more gentle.
I found chapter three, entitled 'Hidden Reefs' to be one of the most interesting sections of the book. Here it is clear to see where some of the key aspects of the psychology of the mind come in to play, as Nairn takes us through the Goals, Assumptions and Expectations that we can often bring to meditation. He points out how the thinking mind will perceive goals for meditation yet it is not the thinking mind that meditates. Once those goals start to appear then so does the conditioning of our lives. This chapter was a real eye opener to just how little we really observe our mind on a daily basis, and that it is only through being more aware that we can break through some of our old patterns of behaviour and conditioning.
The title interestingly refers to the state of enlightenment. Nairn
writes 'It is already there, like a diamond buried in mud.' If we
remove the obstacles we will find the diamond within ourselves. To
summarise 'Diamond Mind' it a book about letting go, over flowing with
insight, and teachings that will help us all to formulate change not
just for ourselves but for the good of all mankind.
Dawn Sumner
Amitayus Complementary Healthcare
01827 716510
07930 316 233
www.amitayus.co.uk