The Joy of Sitting

This image of the sitting Buddha illustrates that is possible to simply sit, do nothing and enjoy the bliss of being. As with all depictions of the Buddha, the hand gestures are significant. The hand gestures here are referred to as the Bhumisparsa Mudra : Subduing Mara, Calling the Earth to Witness. The following is quoted from http://www.buddha-images.com/hand-gestures.asp.

The left hand lies in the lap, palm upward. The right hand bends over the right knee, with fingers slightly touching the ground. During meditation, Siddhartha is subjected to many temptations many posed by the evil Mara, who bombards him with his demons, monsters, violent storms and his three seductive daughters. The Buddha remains steadfast. Then to testify to Mara of his meritorious past, he points to the earth with his hand and calls the Earth Goddess. Thorani, the Earth Goddess rises from the ground and wrings the water from her long black hair, by this action raising a torrential flood that drowns Mara and his army of demons. This gesture symbolizes enlightenment, as well as steadfastness (imperturbability). It is easily the most common Buddha gesture in Thai wats.

Well, the evil Mara certainly assails my meditation but not quite so dramatically. He pulls me via random thoughts into the past and future, distracting me from the stillness within. At least I've started to meditate again and the practice provides the opportunity for detachment from the incessant mental activity that dominates my daily life. Meditation sessions need not be lengthy. I've started to cultivate what I call micro-meditation in which I close my eyes and sink into what is not so much an inner stillness as a mental-emotional slurry but at least the coarser material is settling to the bottom. I can do this practically anytime, anywhere. Of course, longer sessions at home are useful for deeper meditation.

Activity in the outer world provides the opportunity for detachment from the emotions that arise in frustrating situations. Sitting behind the wheel of an automobile that's negotiating Jakarta traffic provides such an opportunity but one's equanimity is constantly under challenge. At such times, my ego is quick to defend me against any challenges even though the driver whose actions have offended me is not targeting me personally. Every minute of every day provides an opportunity to practise detachment from the mind or emotions and the more successful I am the more contentment I find.