A short YouTube mini-chapter by Brian Johnson that reframes meditation as disciplined mental strength training (Bhavana), using weightlifting metaphors to describe building attention and the ability to choose conscious responses. The piece also highlights the Buddhist term samadhi (one-pointedness) as the skill of focused attention and mentions the Dalai Lama’s meditation practice length (one to two hours).
Hi, this is Brian with another mini chapter from A Philosopher's notes. This one's called strength training for your brain. Did you know that in Pali, the old school language of Buddha's day, they don't even have a word for meditation? Nope. The closest thing they have is Bhavana, which literally means something like consciousness training and refers to the disciplined, rigorous training required to shape our minds in order to become better, more conscious, health, healthy, awesome human beings. I like to think of meditation or Bhavana as hitting the gym for our brains. When I find my mind wandering during.
Meditation, as it often likes to do.
As I bring my focus back to my breath, I imagine doing another bicep curl or bench press for my mind. I'm getting a little stronger, a little stronger and a little more likely to have the strength to step into the gap between stimulus and response during my day to day life. Then I can more consistently choose an empowered response to any given situation and be the type of person I aspire to be.
Which ultimately is what it's all about.
Little P.S. i love to imagine His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama's consciousness looking like Arnold.
Schwarzenegger's body, all yoked out and ripped in money.
PPS did you know that if His Holiness, the Dalai Lama had a really busy day scheduled, he'll meditate for two hours instead of one?
That's hot.
PPPS Technically, meditation is more like samadhi.
Training for our minds than strength training for our minds.
Samadhi is an awesome word. It means one pointedness. As we develop our samadhi muscles, we cultivate control of our minds such that we can put our attention where we want, when we want. Fact is, without a great deal of samadhi, it's impossible to live consciously.
So in an Arnold voice, here's the bumping Samadhi iron yo. That's a terrible Arnold voice, isn't it?
But it gets the job done. Go out there, strengthen your mind, do some strength training for your brain.
It's called meditation or Bhavana. Have fun with that and have an awesome day. Share more with you soon.
See you.
