This is in response to the question asked by one of our members: What is meditation? Is it spiritual advancement? Is it just a calming exercize? Is it a tool to focus your direction? Is is a drug to experience the inner worlds? Is it a tool to escape? A combination of the above? What is the main purpose? Why was it/is it revered? In simple words, meditation is learning to live, how we were destined to live, in this moment. Man is always tends to live in the future or in the past. The focus is never in the present moment, where the real happiness is. He keeps postponing happiness. Tomorrow when I get a new car, I'll happy. When I get a higher pay, I'll get happy. Yes, the happy does come when he reaches his goals. But it is not eternal. Immediately his happiness shifts to another goal. A better car, still higher pay check. And so this continues through out his life. The real happiness never comes. And then he spends the later part of his life reminiscing about how beautiful his past was! How he missed his childhood days. His first car.... Don't you see the irony? In the past, he was in future. And in the future, he is in the past. But he never realizes that it's the present moment, NOW, where the real happiness is. Not in any material things, not in any relationship, not in reaching any goals. But this very moment. Just watch the nature. Except for Man, every creation is in eternal bliss. See the birds, the animals, fishes, the trees. They are all in celebration. They have no goals, no ambitions. Just enjoying their presence. A crow is not trying to be an eagle and an eagle is not trying to be a hawk. Only Man is trying to be something, to reach somewhere. And hence his miseries. Meditation is learning the art of living in the present. But if you do it with any intention, you miss the whole point. Just be where are are, how you are. Just relax and let-go of all worries, tension and anxieties. You are already in the destination. Take a deep breath. Imagine you are filled with air like a balloon. Now exhale very very slowly. Imagine that with every exhalation, you drive out all the air from your body and along with it, all your resistance and your urge - to go anywhere, to reach anywhere. Just relax and enjoy the no-doing/no-going attitude. Do it now and see the peace and happiness it brings to you, out of no where. Once you realize that you can be happy no matter what, you'll slowly start losing happiness in material things. And then the real life starts. As if you are born again. Just like you can appreciate the taste of honey to the maximum only after you have eaten something bitter, to experience the real bliss of meditation, you have to be fed up with your present situation Only then can you get the real taste of meditation. Else, it'll only be a futile exercise.
Vishal, You're a wise man and that was every bit as perceptive as it was poetic. So meditation is an attitude and a focused contentment on the present moment? Well said, Newbie Shield
Hmm something to definitely ponder Vishal. Thank you. I will try it today! I think that where the term meditate began to change is when practitioners began to use meditation as the step into visualizing. That's what I thought meditation was a way to visualize. The world has become extremely noisy with each new advancement comes more noise. So much and so many clamoring for ones attention which in turn causes stress, overeating, and than heart trouble. The one and only time I heard the most quiet (yes I know sounds weird) was when I was on top of a hill and it was so quiet... a quiet I couldn't really describe, I hated to leave there because I never felt such peace and quiet. I would love to be able to go back to that place both in meditation and physically. Wonder if the world has swallowed up that quiet little place, it was called Brown County in Indiana. One must learn the art of meditation . We all have become so busy that I guess we would feel guilty just sitting, doing nothing, and just being because we have to constantly be doing. Terri
Quoting: Newbie ShieldSo meditation is an attitude and a focused contentment on the present moment? Very true! Quoting: luvtravelThe one and only time I heard the most quiet (yes I know sounds weird) was when I was on top of a hill and it was so quiet... a quiet I couldn't really describe, I hated to leave there because I never felt such peace and quiet. I would love to be able to go back to that place both in meditation and physically. Wonder if the world has swallowed up that quiet little place, it was called Brown County in Indiana. Terri, it's absolutely true that you feel at tremendous peace and bliss when you are with nature. It's an absolutely great idea to spend as much time with nature as possible. There is nothing more rejuvenating than it. However, if you are getting addicted to it, then it's not meditation When you learn the real knack, just watching the blue sky with eagles soaring effortlessly can bring similar peace and bliss like being on the top of mountain. Quoting: luvtravelWe all have become so busy that I guess we would feel guilty just sitting, doing nothing, and just being because we have to constantly be doing. There is a big difference between lazing around and doing nothing of meditation. They are poles apart. When you are lazing around, you are not aware and conscious. You are simply dreaming and engrossed in your thoughts. In meditation, you are fully conscious and aware and your mind is free of thoughts and desires. So don't be guilty. It's the way of recharging ourselves. On another note, meditation also does not mean sitting idle doing nothing, in its true sense. It's the way of realizing our true self, our true purpose. Once you achieve that, through a sustained period of doing nothing, you'll start brimming with new found energy and automatically engage in some form of activity, that you are made for. But this time, your approach will be totally different. You will start doing it out of no materialistic expectations and desires. The process of doing itself will bring ecstasy in you. For all those interested in this beautiful experience, I suggest reading books or listening to some great audiobooks by Osho (the sound quality is not excellent though) or subscribing to Osho Times. I absolutely love his down to earth way of conveying the truth.
Meditation based on the Bible is mentally "massaging" passages to extract greater and greater understanding. You read the Word, and medidate on the Word. Christians do not strive to "empty the mind", but rather fill it with the Word. This leads to Divine revelation of deeper spiritual truths and is a gift from God. I can relate it to having a Creamsaver in your mouth and taking your time with it, rolling it around and enjoying all the subtle delights of the flavor. Psalm 34:8 says "O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him." Meditation helps you to do just that. It is in those still quiet moments when we hear the voice of God most clearly and can commune with Him. Meditation is intimacy with God.
Hello, Here is what Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj said about meditation: http://www.srinisargadatta.com/meditation.htm
You all are correct. There are many different out comes in dong meditation and the pathway to get there is all the same. You must come to a quiet mind. The mind is the enemy but yet the most bloved friend. Once we break thru the polarity of thinking then we will get what ever gift the spirit world has to offer you. Whether it be hearing the word of knowledge, astrel projection, healing powers, prophecy, or being able to see in both wolrds, spiritual and material, before long you are no longer ignorant of either world and come to understand what it is you are here to do. Look at life as a dinner plate, its always full, and you keep eating of the same food that has been on your plate all the time. So lets say you take something off your plate that is a worldly desire and put on your plate something that is a spiritual food. Then you continue to do so and before you know it you will become this totally spiritual being. Its only a change of desire and that is no worldly desire. You can obtain certain gifts only through meditation. Its a change of energy. There is but one way and that way is to Do It For Life. That means that it never ends. From this life right over to the next life it continues, and at some point you will realize that the soul that you are obtained with has a home and it doesnt have to return to this place of material. The only way to get it home is thru meditation all the gifts are to reassure you of what the truth is and has been given since the beginning of time. You are right, there is nothing new under the sun. Look at all those that have surpassed it. All of them say the samething, "No longer will I have to return". From Christianty, to Hindu, to Budhist, to The Dalia Lamas, to Egyptians, to Mohammud, to Bahia. They all say it. They are all correct and they all say don,t be Judgemental.
It goes much deeper but yes that is all so ;-)true. We are all scratching the surface we must become one sound mind. There are so many avenues to adventure, and they all take the same effort . You sound like a person who has ventured into meditation and found it useful in life. Tell me more of the information that you have. I am one who does it for one purpose and one purpose only. That is to free my soul of bondage so that it can go home with its creator. All the gifts do is let me know that I am on the right track.
Quoting: the one just isYou sound like a person who has ventured into meditation and found it useful in life. Tell me more of the information that you have. I don't know whom are you referring to, so I'm just taking a guess that it's me You can ask whatever questions you have. I'm still learning and am far from calling myself successful. But the journey has indeed changed my entire outlook and my life.
Vishal P. Rao: Meditation is learning the art of living in the present. I couldn't agree more. And beyond the formal practice of sitting meditation, the "art of living in the present" also involves the cultivation of mindfulness, which sitting meditation helps us to develop by assisting us to develop a calm mind along with the qualities that assist a calm mind to remain mindful. One of those qualities, concentration, assists us in being able to maintain our heedfulness of the present moment without becoming distracted by physical or mental phenomena. Another of those qualities, wisdom or insight, assists us to be able to distinguish between what is real and what is not real through the elimination of ignorance by the cultivation of clearly seeing things as they really are. Thus, a calm mind becomes the foundation for the establishment of wisdom and contentment through the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness is the English word that is commonly used to translate the Pali word sati. It is interesting to examine the etymological derivation of sati as it is related to the verb sarati which means "to remember." In certain schools of thought, a closer examination of this definition reveals that sati is not really defined as memory, but as that which facilitates and enables memory. What this definition points toward is that if sati is present, memory will be able to function well. With this nuance in mind then, it becomes easier to recognize how mindfulness is used to cultivate insight and wisdom in the present moment.
Vishal P. Rao: In simple words, meditation is learning to live, how we were destined to live, in this moment. That statement embodies a profound truth about life that escapes most people. The invisible, spiritual aspect of our nature resides in a timeless zone, an eternal now. It operates at a much higher level of vibration than the denser human body we occupy on this physical plane. Down here, at our level of consciousness, we use memory and the construct of linear time to navigate our way. We rely on expressions such as yesterday, today, tomorrow, past, present, future, then, now and when, to describe and organize our thoughts, experiences and ambitions. While this serves its purpose, it is also very cumbersome and misleading, and causes us to confuse our priorities. The universe is always rejoicing and offering to share its timeless gifts with us, but too often we are engaged with petty distractions and we miss out. We look to external sources for pleasure and happiness. We develop attachments to things, people, places, conditions, status, and we use them as reference points to shape our identity. None of these things is permanent, so when they change or no longer exist, our self image is affected and we immediately set out to replace them. Meditation - living in the present moment - requires no effort, only a tiny shift in conscious awareness, a "tuning in" to what's happening NOW! It's a way to connect with our spiritual nature and experience continuous bliss. Hermas
A8ch: Meditation - living in the present moment - requires no effort, only a tiny shift in conscious awareness, a "tuning in" to what's happening NOW! Very well put Hermas! I stressed something similar is one recent article I wrote. Here it is: Meditation is an Attitude, Not a Technique Majority of the people are under the impression that meditation means some form of concentration or mind stilling exercise. While it's true to a certain extent, meditation is far from being a technique. A person with the right attitude need not even sit for meditation. He may be meditating without even him realizing it. Do you... Get irritated when someone disturbs you while meditating? Get frustrated when sudden change in plans disrupt your weekend outing? Get frustrated when your boss/spouse calls you in the middle of your work? Find it difficult to take a different route to your office or your morning walk? If your answer is yes to any of the above, then you are not meditating. Real meditation/enlightenment means detachment, non-involvement, FREEDOM. Freedom from your mind, your ego. This is the real essence of meditation. Not sitting for hours together, concentrating or chanting. On other hand, your sitting and chanting may in fact be preventing you from experiencing real freedom! You may be attached/bound to the ritual of sitting and chanting! I have seen some people sitting for 4-5 hours a day meditating. However, they never seem to have the kind of peace that they should be experiencing. Even the slightest disturbance causes some resistance in them, when meditation in fact means non-resistance. The very reason one resists something is because he has a desire to experience something else. He is attached to that something else. Recently my grandmother hired a cook for a week due to some function in their house. After the function, my grandmother told us how wonderful the cook was. She used to get up everyday at 4.30 am, do Yoga/Pranayama and then cook for everyone, breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner (over 15 people). She always had a smile on her face. No matter what you tell her to do, she would oblige happily. Once my uncle felt hungry at 11 pm and she apparently heard him saying it. She immediately woke up from her sleep and prepared something for him, without any resistance or hesitation. You know her age? 70 years! And so much energy. Now that is meditation.
Vishal and Hermas, Those are both every bit as admirable as they are accurate and wise entries. I entirely concur. The only thing I would add to that is that I place a very high value on actually sitting for meditation. For me, the benefits are peace and bliss. I thank you both for describing it so eloquently and completely. I know enough to know that there is nothing further to know about the subject. There's no need to dig through dozens of books as I have done over the years. Well done. ~Newbie Shield~
Does meditation and the law of attraction tie into the same field? When I say the law of attraction im reffering to the the great 'secret' of history to achieve the results you want! As it says in 'Think and grow rich' and 'the secret', these are two incredible books by the way for those who have not read it! Ajay
Newbie Shield: The only thing I would add to that is that I place a very high value on actually sitting for meditation. For me, the benefits are peace and bliss. Yes it is of tremendous value. However, one should make a note that your meditation should not be just limited to your sitting sessions. That's where most make the mistake. sahota7: Does meditation and the law of attraction tie into the same field? When I say the law of attraction im reffering to the the great 'secret' of history to achieve the results you want! As it says in 'Think and grow rich' and 'the secret', these are two incredible books by the way for those who have not read it! No they are diametrically opposite. Think and grow rich is shaping your thoughts to acquire what you desire. Meditation is dropping your thoughts. Meditation means realizing that you are complete now. There is nothing to be achieved, nowhere to go. Just being in this moment. Accepting whatever comes. With thinking and growing rich, you are always in conflict with the present moment. Meditation is being your real self, what you actually are. Thinking and growing rich is trying to be what you think you should be.
A8ch: The universe is always rejoicing and offering to share its timeless gifts with us, but too often we are engaged with petty distractions and we miss out. Hermas, while I respect much of what you have to say, when it comes to business and personal development, when it comes to spirituality, I must admit I do not. To the Born Again Christian, the statement above, flies in the face of truth and the nature of God and man. The Universe is not a sentient being. It has no personality whatsoever. It is simply a very big place and it was itself created by a creator. Man was created by this same creator, in the very image of this creator was he created. I use man and he not to refer to gender but to all of humanity. Man is a fallen being, seperated from his creator by his fallen nature. God the creator made it possible for us to be reconciled to him through the death of His Son, The Lord Jesus Christ, on our behalf. We are accountable to God for how we respond to this truth, and that response has eternal consequences. It is our creator who gives good gifts, and it is our relationship with Him that gives us our identity. You said it right: A8ch: too often we are engaged with petty distractions and we miss out. We look to external sources for pleasure and happiness. We develop attachments to things, people, places, conditions, status, and we use them as reference points to shape our identity. Christ in us, the hope of glory is the source of our happiness and our eternal peace and fulfillment. External pleasures are only temporary and are short lived. While our relationships with people can surely bring us joy and pleasure, even they will fade in the light of eternity. A8ch: Down here, at our level of consciousness, we use memory and the construct of linear time to navigate our way. We rely on expressions such as yesterday, today, tomorrow, past, present, future, then, now and when, to describe and organize our thoughts, experiences and ambitions. Excellent insight. While it is true that outside of our limited frame of reference there is no such thing as time, finite man is bound to it by the very fact that we are finite beings. It is a construct of the human mind in order to create a frame of reference and sequence of events. It is a tool, so to speak. God is not bound by time and in fact exists eternally having no beginning or end. This serves to emphasize our dependance apon an eternal God. We are by our very nature limited beings. He is not. He created us, we did not create Him. Therefore we are accountable to and dependent apon Him.
PMHayes, I don't think thread was meant to explore dogma. In fact, I'm confident that it isn't related to dogma at all. Would it be possible for you to comment on your experiences with meditation, balance, peace, living in the present moment, or the like? Thanx, ~Newbie Shield~
A8ch: The universe is always rejoicing and offering to share its timeless gifts with us, but too often we are engaged with petty distractions and we miss out. PMHayes: Hermas, while I respect much of what you have to say, when it comes to business and personal development, when it comes to spirituality, I must admit I do not. One of the greatest gifts the creator bestowed is the freedom of choice - to concur or to dissent. PMHayes: To the Born Again Christian, the statement above, flies in the face of truth and the nature of God and man. The Universe is not a sentient being. It has no personality whatsoever. It is simply a very big place and it was itself created by a creator. I personified the word "universe" in the above context in an effort to keep the discussion open and interesting for a universal readership, and not to offend, exclude or alienate readers of any particular affiliation or belief. How ironic! Had I substituted Creator or Divine Providence instead, I may have conveyed my point more accurately and perhaps left less room for misunderstanding. Hermas
Even with its limitless value I have never appreciated this forum more, you guys are great. Thanks Danny
