Meditation Sessions Catch on With People of Various Faiths and Backgrounds in Maine

By JOHN RICHARDSON Staff Writer

Paul Nakroshis taps three times on a bowl-shaped chime called a "rin gong," filling the small room with a pure ringing tone.

Then, except for the sound of traffic passing by outside, the room falls silent as Nakroshis sits, straight and still as a statue, and opens his mind.

An empty room in the middle of the University of Southern Maine campus, at lunch hour, may seem a difficult place to practice Buddhist meditation. But, as a growing number of Mainers are discovering, temples and remote monasteries are not necessary.

"Every part of our life is practice," said Nakroshis.

Nakroshis organizes a small zazenkai, a zen Buddhist retreat, that gathers twice a week in a room provided by the Interfaith Chaplain's Office. A handful of faculty and staff, and sometimes students, sit and meditate together.

There are similar informal sitting groups around the state. While meditation is silent and individual, the gatherings are a way to give each other support and discipline. And, after sitting, the groups also typically read and discuss parts of the Dharma, the Buddhist teachings.

The ancient Eastern religion of Buddhism, and especially the practice of meditation, is catching on with Mainers, said Karen Batignani, author of "Exploring the Spirit of Maine: A Seeker's Guide."

"Five or 10 years ago, if you mentioned Buddhism, people would sit with their legs crossed and go 'ummmm,' where now it seems very mainstream," Batignani said.

That is partly because teachers and authors such as Pema Chodron and Thich Nhat Hanh have made it especially accessible to Westerners, she said. Maine also has a number of teachers and formal retreat centers.

Also,some mainstream Christian churches have embraced the core practices of Buddhism - meditation and mindfulness - without exchanging one faith for the other.

"The meditation part of it piggybacks really well with any religion," Batignani said.

Or, as Nakroshis puts it, "Meditation, I think, is really the same as prayer."

Buddhist teachings do not include a God or gods. A core principle is that suffering is the result of desire, and understanding desires and thoughts is the way to avoid suffering. Meditation and mindfulness bring that understanding and lead to a life of peace, morality and wisdom, according to Buddhists.

The principles may have growing appeal as lifestyles, and thoughts, seem to be going into hyper drive.

Susan Gately, a software salesperson and practicing Buddhist in Kittery, organizes a sitting group of about a dozen people inside the Kittery Art Association gallery. Participants range from their 20s to their 80s, and come from varying faith backgrounds, she said. "There is an increase of interest," she said.

The gallery has ample open space, which turns out to be more essential than quiet.

"That (quiet) is nice to have, but part of sitting meditation is you're learning your mind, with whatever happens. If there is a jackhammer outside, you still recognize what your mind does and how it reacts to that jackhammer," she said. "It's learning yourself, learning your mind and realizing that they're just thoughts. It's freedom."

While a banging jackhammer might stir angry thoughts, for example, a mindful person will see those thoughts and let them go, rather than be controlled by them. The same practice of mindfulness can help you at work and at home, she said. "There's no magic here. It takes work, and that's why they call it a practice."

Sitting sessions are each a little different. They generally start with stretching before a 30- or 45-minute meditation session. Individuals typically sit silently, their legs crossed, back straight and hands clasped.

In Nakroshis' sitting group, the participants sit facing the wall. Some sitting groups sit facing the front.

Nakroshis keeps his eyes open and breathes calmly and quietly, but he never moves. He doesn't "zone out," he said, but remains super sensitive to his surroundings because he does not get lost in thoughts.

"You just pay attention to your posture and breathing. You notice the thoughts coming up and you try not to attach to those thoughts."

You can't block the thoughts, he said. You just try to let them pass. Eventually, he said, your mind kind of gives up.

"Sometimes, it takes four days until that happens," he said.

Yes, four days. While daily meditation is important, occasional prolonged sessions are also part of the discipline. Nakroshis may take part in one of those longer sessions once a year at a more formal Zendo, or retreat center. The longer sessions include sitting meditation and walking meditation, broken up by meals and sleep.

Nakroshis, who has 2-year-old and 5-year-old daughters at home, said he'll still fall into old habits and react to emotional thoughts. "You don't lose your personality," he said. "Over the years, slowly I get a little less affected by things and I don't take things as seriously as I used to."

Practicing as much as possible helps, he said. "We don't run out of material. You're always getting to know yourself better."