On August 3, 2024, I attended the last session (6th class) of the Meditation Class for Beginners at Dharma Drum Singapore (DDS). Six weeks passed by in the blink of an eye, really! I'm glad I was able to follow through with the course without feeling the usual dread and laziness that often come with my habitual tendencies. The meditation course at DDS was an eye-opening experience for me, as it had a well-structured, modular approach, allowing beginners to ground themselves in their practice, even when certain concepts were difficult to grasp at times.
What made the seemingly daunting task of attending the six weekly evening classes on Saturdays a breeze was the people I met—the Venerable, the assisting instructors, the facilitators, and all the volunteers. They were mostly kind, respectful, gentle in their speech and actions, and generous (and passionate) in sharing their knowledge! They created such a peaceful environment, which was helpful for a learning experience that might otherwise seem nerve-wracking to newbies, especially for young people who are still self-conscious and highly critical of their own "performance" at this stage of life.
After the course, I feel much more at ease and no longer experience the fear I felt when I tried meditating on my own using videos or other methods that required focusing on breathing or specific phrases. Back then, I even struggled with intrusive or compulsive thoughts while I was “meditating". Thankfully, I did not encounter such issues during the classes or in my own personal practice between sessions.
The most surprising part of this journey is that I didn't even know I could do it. It helped me reflect on the Dharma teachings of impermanence and emptiness—that this "I" is not permanent and that I can improve myself and incorporate Chan (mindful) practices into my day-to-day life. Even if I become unmindful from time to time, I now have greater awareness, thanks to the foundation of mindfulness built through the weekly practices, reminders, and reinforced learning from the course.
Written by Meow Theng 陈妙婷
Photograph by BK
Event Date 2024.6.29 - 8.3
