I am looking for someone to teach me how to meditate. Know anyone who would be able to teach me in Taipei?
Sit down in a comfortable chair in a quiet place and close your eyes. After a few minutes, repeat any one word sylable in your head. Don’t pronounce it. Keep doing it. If you find your thoughts stray, gently return to your one sylable mantra.
Try “vipassana” meditation. Read a book about it, maybe you need inspiration? Books are good enough, you don’t need a teacher really (at the point where you are novice at least). Check amazon.com or go to the bookstore, is my advice.
I suggest you join the group run by Dharma Drum Mountain. I think they meet on Saturday mornings in New Beitou. Check their website for more details.
Group meditation can be good too. I went to a Tibetan thing when I was in college. The leader had a really cool bell that he would ding when it was time to stop. And there were some cute girls there too.
I don’t want to make light of the OP’s request. I encourage meditation for everyone. The Dharma Drum group sounds like a good place to start.
I agree with the Dharma Drum call. I’ve done two Vipassana’s - lordy the first was brutal! It’s much easier to meditate alone after you’ve done a group sit.
Then again, if you followed RichardM’s excellent advice, then the mystery is solved, you’re already doing it!
HG
[quote=“sjpeerless”]I am looking for someone to teach me how to meditate. Know anyone who would be able to teach me in Taipei?[/quote]It’s good that you’re looking for a teacher. Books alone aren’t enough.
Why do you want to meditate? That’s an important question in your choice of teacher. I have heard excellent things about the Dharma Drum teachings, but be aware that they are within the context of the Buddhist path. If you only want the physical benefits of meditation without the religious aspect, then another organisation might be better.
Ananda Marga (see Juba’s link above) is also a religious organisation, though I don’t know the extent to which that is reflected in the things they teach. From the website: [quote=“http://www.yoga.have.com.tw/main/about.php”]The philosophy of Ananda Marga is one of universalism. It is a synthetic outlook, recognizing God as the one limitless supreme consciousness. This universe, having been created by Him, is existing in Him, and as such all created beings are His children, part of the one universal Cosmic family. Thus we are all brothers and sisters, connected in love by the bonds of Cosmic fraternity. This universe of diversity has evolved out of unity (God), and we must continually strive to see that unity in all diversity.[/quote]
A word of caution: before getting involved with any organisation that teaches meditation, you should ask lots of questions about the organisation, its founders, aims and philosophy. There are a number of organisations that are not really what they first appear to be.
The East West Culture Project has a mediation center near the DaAn MRT with an experienced teacher trained in Chan (Zen), Vajrayana and Daoism.
See eastwestcultureproject.org for more information.
To be successful at meditation, first thing you would need is discipline. Pick a time and place, usually the time with least noise level and place with least disturbance; start with 30 mins in hand as it takes time; take deep and slow breaths. Concentrate on breathing, every single step of it, inhaling, exhaling, as the air fills your body and then slowly replenish your body and mind then used air is exhaled. Right breathing technique is the most important one. Right breathing is like the baby does, with the belly and not with the chest like most adults do. Once you can concentrate on your breathing, next you can move to a mantra or no mantra if you want blank meditation.
In my view, unless you are looking for sainthood or nirvana, you really don’t need a Guru or Group. Any book which explains basics should work. Further with our fast life, commuting for meditation will only increase the stress.
There’s a Goenka group in Taiwan. They have a small retreat center on Yangming Mountain, I think. You can look that up, other wise Dharma Drum might be a good place. You have to be careful not to get mixed up in some weird cult thing. Dharma Drum is safe, as are the Goenka centers.
This link has info about the Goenka retreats in Taiwan:
dhamma.org/en/schedules/schvikasa.shtml