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Q-06:   Bhante, I could not meditate well here (at Mangala Vihara) probably due to the noises from the road and traffic. Would it be advisable for me to go to forest meditation centers so that I can do meditation better?

With respect,

William

Q-06:  A quiet and serene place is always better to do meditation. The Buddha advised us to do so.

I’d like to share my experience here.  On one occasion, I had a thought similar to you. So I set forth to a forest.  Well, avoiding the noises was easy but not the mosquitoes.  I could, of course, use a mosquito-net while doing sitting meditation.  However, it would not prevent the tiny mosquito from passing through the net and sucking my blood.  Then, it would became so big and fat that it could not get out of the mosquito-net. Do you know what it was doing?  This mosquito buzzed around my ears, making irritating buzzing sounds. So instead of noise from the cars and the traffic, I got noise from the mosquito. Here, please, compare the noise from the mosquito with the noise from cars. Which is more agitating? Definitely, the noise from the mosquito.

This experience taught me a lesson: “Do your best where you are.”

Sometimes we are not able to do meditation satisfactorily not because of the noise from the surrounding but rather our own mind.

So my suggestion is to try your best here because you are here.  You may, of course go to a forest meditation center and continue doing your best when you’re there as well.

With Metta,

U Cittara

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     Dhamma Questions are answered by Bhante U Cittara, resident monk of Mangala Vihara, and his assistant monks. Questions and comments on given answers are welcome. Send your questions and comments to resident_monk@mangalavihara.org.sg.