A hush fell over the room as Youngey Mingyur Rinpoche took the
stage to begin his teaching. Rinpoche, the revered Tibetan Buddhist
lama, teacher, and so-called “happiest man in the world” was
commencing an Introduction to Awareness Meditation event, hosted by
the New York Open Center. Nearly every seat in the large auditorium
was occupied.
“How many of you have learned meditation before?” he asked the
crowd, solemnly. Many of the audience members raised their hands.
“Oh, great. Then I don’t have to teach you!” he quipped, tilting
his head back to chuckle. Though Rinpoche’s joking demeanor makes
him a popular teacher, he is serious when it comes to meditation
practices.
Rinpoche’s teaching is informed by contemporary scientific
research. He considers himself to be, as he put it, “a short red
guinea pig”—a test subject for some of the most cutting edge
neurological theories, and a firm supporter of the ongoing dialogue
between science and Buddhism.
Like the Dalai Lama, Mingyur Rinpoche had an early interest in
scientific inquiry, and worked with Richard Davidson’s University
of Wisconsin laboratory to explore the impact of meditation on the
brain. Rinpoche’s interest started at the age of ten, when he met
the scientist Francisco Varella in Nepal. “I was very curious” he
told the The Huffington Post. “First I started with cosmology, and
then learned a lot about neurology.” He came to believe that
contemporary scientific theory and his meditation practices were
aligned. “Science and meditation teachings are exactly parallel” he
explained “but they don’t speak the same language.”
Neuroplasticity
In order to pursue his mission of understanding and transmitting
the values of meditation, Rinpoche submitted himself to a series of
fMRI tests at Wisconsin University. “After that, they told me I was
totally crazy” he joked. What the laboratory tests found, however,
had dramatic implications for the scientific community.
Working with the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Research, Mingyur
underwent brain imaging scans to test the effects of meditation.
The studies found that the brain changed significantly during
meditation. “The result”, said Rinpoche, was that my gamma
synchronicity was very high. They told me they had never seen this
level of synchronicity before.” Gamma synchronicity is the
synchronicity of gamma rhythms that represent different populations
of neurons “working together” in a network, in order to carry out
cognitive functions.
The gamma activity, increased by meditation, remained high even
after meditation had ceased. The studies indicated that meditation
was an example of neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to
change). Simply put, the laboratory concluded that meditation
physically alters the brain. “Thirteen years ago they said it was
impossible to change the brain after a certain point.” Rinpoche
said. “Now, they realize that the brain continues to develop your
whole life. From a meditation point of view, of course, this has
always been true.”
While participating in scientific discoveries played a
significant part in Mingyur’s practice, as he writes, “theoretical
understanding alone is simply not enough to overcome the
psychological and biological habits that create so much heartache
and pain in daily life.”
Making friends with gossipy neurons
By understanding how the mind changes the brain, Rinpoche hopes
to inspire new audiences to try meditation. “Many studies have
shown that meditation is good for the mind. It’s also good for the
body; it is good for the immune system, blood circulation, and
overall sense of happiness” he said. At the Open Center event,
Rinpoche told his audience: “you know, you have gossipy neurons.
One day, one of your neurons might say to another neuron ‘you’re
very fat and ugly.’ Then another neuron might say ‘oh, yes! You’re
very fat and ugly.’ Then the neurons start to gossip, and they
decide it’s true. And if the neurons don’t gossip, you know, they
get a little insecure. They like to make problems. Many of our
problems we create for ourselves this way. Meditation can help stop
the gossipy neurons, and show them how to relax.”
To his students, Rinpoche is a guide, who helps make difficult
meditation practices and theories accessible. He recommends
meditation for both bodily health and mental development. “In the
West, some people try to use meditation to fight thoughts and
emotions” he told The Huffington Post. “What I’ve found is that in
meditation you don’t have to fight your thoughts and feelings.
Instead, you can make friends with panic, depression, pain, or any
other problem. You can use your thoughts and feelings to train your
mind.”
As he concluded his talk, Rinpoche gave his audience two pieces
of advice. “How do you make friends with your panic? Through
meditation. You meditate by being aware, and relaxing. It’s very
simple”.
You can read more about Rinpoche here, and check out his books
here.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/28/this-i…