| What is Meditation - Is it sitting around doing | | | | we see that it is not our effort that is allowing us |
| Nothing? | | | | to enter into meditation. It is the Supreme who is |
| During the past couple of decades there has been | | | | meditating in and through us with our conscious |
| increased interest in meditation in the West. | | | | awareness and consent." |
| Meditation was brought into the public eye through | | | | - Sri Chinmoy |
| people such as George Harrison. George Harrison | | | | However that does not mean we need to make |
| for many years practised transcendental | | | | no effort at all. In the beginning we do have to |
| meditation techniques. He was a real seeker who | | | | follow sincerely certain disciplines. Our main job is |
| gained musical inspiration from Eastern spiritual | | | | to "unlearn" certain habits of the mind. Our main |
| traditions and his practise of meditation. Although | | | | task is to stop the mind from interfering. If we |
| meditation has been practised by some Christian | | | | can make our mind calm and still then our inner |
| monks. Meditation is primarily associated with | | | | being will spontaneously begin to meditate. It is in |
| Eastern spiritual traditions and many people in the | | | | this quite and silent mind that we are able to |
| West still wonder what meditation is. | | | | experience the fruits of meditation and discover |
| There is a "new age" joke which runs along the | | | | for ourselves the real essence of meditation. |
| lines of. | | | | To practise meditation it is not necessary to |
| "My son used to sit around doing nothing, but now | | | | follow a particular belief system. Meditation is a |
| he has taken up meditation. | | | | spiritual practise that transcends religious and |
| I think this joke is funny. Well at least its better | | | | philosophy. At the same time there are many |
| than the joke about the meditator who told his | | | | different ways that people can meditate. What is |
| dentist that he didn't want any painkillers because | | | | the right way to meditate for one person is not |
| he wished to "transcend dental medication" (*) | | | | necessarily the right thing for somebody else. |
| Real meditation though is quite different from just | | | | However the different forms of meditation are all |
| sitting quietly for 5-10 minutes. Outwardly nothing | | | | leading in the same direction. In essence |
| seems to happen in meditation. But although it is | | | | meditation involves raising a person's |
| hard to explain, meditation is actually a very | | | | consciousness. When one masters the art of |
| dynamic experience. We feel very awake with a | | | | meditation you can feel a more illumining and |
| heightened sense of our true nature. We see the | | | | fulfilling state of mind. The ultimate aim of |
| world through a new more illumining perspective. | | | | meditation is to experience union with God. This is |
| In meditation we make our mind completely calm | | | | described in different way such as enlightenment, |
| and quiet. With the greatest vigilance we stop any | | | | Nirvana or self realisation. But ultimately it is state |
| distracting thoughts from entering the mind. By | | | | far beyond thoughts and therefore cannot be |
| emptying. The mind of its usual restlessness, | | | | described by a mere word. |
| thoughts and emotions then we can allow the | | | | In the hoary past sincere aspirants would often |
| inner peace and joy of meditation to enter into | | | | cut themselves off from the world and meditate |
| our mind and heart. As Sri Chinmoy says: | | | | in caves, free from the distractions of the world. |
| "When the mind is vacant and tranquil and our | | | | However meditation should not be seen as an |
| inner being can invoke infinite peace, light, and bliss | | | | escape from the world. In meditation we aspire to |
| to enter into the vessel and fill it. This is | | | | reach a state where we are not distracted by |
| meditation" | | | | the world, but this is quite different to cutting |
| Another curious thing about meditation is that | | | | ourselves off from the world. We can travel to |
| when we meditate very powerfully it does not | | | | the most remote cave in the Himalayas. On an |
| feel like we are making any conscious effort. This | | | | outer level there may be absolute silence, but |
| seems counter - intuitive because to achieve | | | | wherever we travel we cannot escape our own |
| anything we are used to striving hard. Meditation | | | | thoughts and mind. Meditation is at heart a |
| however is quite a different exercise. In | | | | practical subject. We should practise meditation |
| meditation we are not using the power of the | | | | where we are and whatever our circumstances. |
| mind at all. We are seeking to bring the fore our | | | | If we wait for outer circumstances to be |
| own inner self or soul. | | | | advantageous we may never make a start in |
| "What happens is that when we go deep within, | | | | meditation. |