Hello folks,
There is an important message at the end of this segment. But let's get on with the job.
Meditation has been mentioned a few times on this blog. Most people think of it as a quick way to relax during their hectic lifestyle. While it does fulfill this function, that is not real meditation.
If you practiced true meditation, you wouldn’t need to find ways to relax.
Yoga and meditation became widely known to the western world in the 1960s via the Hippy movement. Alternative religions and lifestyles came to be considered. The use of valuable psychotropic substances like LSD left the realm of psychiatry to enter the real world. And it was quickly discovered that they gave intimations of states of mind only fully available through deep meditation.
By that is meant, they opened the doors of perception to the real Self as opposed to the temporary ‘self’ that we think we are. The ‘self’ is something we have just like the physical body. The Self, with upper case S, is eternal and constant.
If you think meditating is sitting down with a whisky and letting uncontrolled thoughts rampage through your non-disciplined mind, you’ve been mislead. Concentration is essential to clear the muddy waters so you can see without the distortion.
The object is to concentrate awareness on a particular theme or subject so that you become part of it. In the process you lose your ‘self’ to the subject. You become mind-less, beyond words and ideas, and experience unrestrained Consciousness.
A Mantra http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantra is a sound that is repeated often to aid concentration. The favored sound for beginners is “Aum” or “Om”. It represents the eternal or ultimate and is also the sound this planet makes. Users of LSD in natural settings like beside forest streams or Rocky Mountain highs know the sound as a huge choir somewhere over the horizon.
This is by no means advocating illegal use of these substances. It is to understand the historical setting and it returns later in this article.
A mantra can be anything from your own name to the Deity you believe in or a concept like ‘love’. Whatever it is, you need to be guided through concentration first. It is useless to think that meditation is just a way to have a pleasant interlude letting the mind drift aimlessly. Go have a nap. It will do just as good.
The Mandala http://www.google.com.au/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-GB%3Aofficial&channel=s&hl=en&q=mandala&meta=&btnG=Google+Search is a visual aid to do the same thing. You can combine them.
“Yoga” means ‘union’. Naturally the greatest desirable union would be with the Supreme Being; whatever you understand as that. So meditation is of use to all and any religion. It is of great help in understanding yourself, your motives, fears, passions, needs and mental or emotional conflicts because it surpasses them. They become insignificant in the light of the greater awareness.
There are so many techniques but all involve stilling the mind of thought so that you become empty. It’s not an easy task. The idea is to become, not think.
When you relax thoughts run through your head. You either don’t bother with some of them or dwell on some that you are concerned with, and let others carry you into interconnecting areas of total irrelevance. This has to stop.
All these thoughts have to be marshaled into a stream and let flow away from you. Sink below the stream where thoughts can’t enter. The mind must remain free of thought. You must get rid of brain and mind, to achieve a state of ‘essence’ of simply “being”.
You must take off your clothes to put on new clothes and so your mind must be empty to be filled with a new understanding.
This freeing of the mind is difficult for some people. They think they won’t have control and may do some psychological harm but it is exactly the opposite. The Christian Bible says to give your burden to Christ. The very act of letting go is healthy. That mental release flows to your physical body too.
You’ll find anguish disappears and some habits like over-eating (caused by a mental problem) taking the same path. As you continue, more changes will occur.
Surface benefits include sound sleep, less stress, greater self confidence, greater self respect, more understanding of, and therefore empathy with other people, a realization of wholeness and unity with life.
You will find that God is not some anthropomorphic bearded gentleman watching each of us from a throne in some mystical paradise. Only the briefest realization of the union of your Self and God/the universe/supreme consciousness/universal force/the eternal ‘IS’ will change you for the better.
You can tell if someone has been there. They are calm. They have a quiet knowing that sees where you are in your development. They also see what you can become. If you see this in a person, you are on the road too.
There are books galore about meditation techniques. You really don’t have to sit in an uncomfortable lotus position. Sit upright with a ‘straight’ spine. Breathe in deeply through the nose, filling the whole lungs, hold, and forcefully blow out through the mouth. Do this three times.
Concentrate on your single word mantra until you merge with it. Stay there in conscious no thought awareness.
It’s that simple and that difficult.
There are many variations in ways to meditate because there are many types of people. Many paths, one heaven.
If you want something thorough, two books by Mouni Sadhu are recommended – “Concentration” and “Meditation”.
There are many free courses around. Here is one you should investigate. http://meditation.org.au/
I’ll have to save that link to LSD ‘till next week.
-----------------------------------------------
If you would like notification of each issue of IQAdult sent to you, just email me at iqadult@gmail.com You only have to put “send iqadult” in the subject line and your edress so I can send it. This will save looking for a new issue and make it only one click away.
Some comments would be appreciated about what you like or not, or suggestions for topics.
There are plans for IQAdult but to implement them I need to get a greater base of readers. To that end I’m offering this 173 page ebook
FREE E-Book: "Making Your First Million - A Practical
Guide to Principle-Centered Prosperity"
"I first discovered this amazing book by George Parry a couple of years ago, and to this day it's still one of the finest guides to success I've ever read. The book contains the distilled experience of $70 million in mail-order and Internet sales over 20 years, and it has my highest recommendation. Now, George has generously agreed to let me share it with you for free. This is a very valuable resource!"
The above is the blurb that goes with the book but I can back it. It has a religious slant at the end so if that isn’t your thing ignore that part. But I would advise reading it. This is a valuable book for any business person.
You can also get his free net marketing course at http://tinyurl.com/2qh8mz
To get the book just send the first name and edress of a friend who would like to get IQAdult. You will get the book when your friend accepts. Naturally you can send the book to your friend when you get it so you both benefit.
-------------------------------------
© Permission to use any articles on this or my other blogs may only be a mail away so ask.
If you have a relevant blog and would like it publicized here, talk to me. iqadult@gmail.com
3 comments:
The unity of interior and exterior comes in other places than meditation. Any experience we lose sense of time in.
The metaphysics, of why this experience is better than others is usually not demonstrated. Is it because it feels better? But then it is feeling that validates meditation (an argument those who value meditation are rarely willing to make - at least consciously).
One of my problems with advocating meditation is that so many who practise it are such tight-arses. They may think they are being empathic I choose to differ. Eg million dollar houses while thousands starve - OK selfishness is not entirely bad - my point is there lack of awareness is incompatible with compassion.
I think meditation is great and has many benefits. But the arguments for it and the people who advocate it often have problems.
I don't think I agree that "feeling validates meditation". You're supposed to leave feeling behind, with thought. You can't carry any feelings into the meditative state.
On the other hand I agreed with the awareness being incompatable with compassion but what is a person to do? There are homeless and hungry in Sydney. Do you shelter of feed any of them? We help where we can and in our own way. And some people are beyond an indiduals' capacity to help.
Hi Jay,
The point I was trying to make is that the value of meditation is assumed rather than demonstrated. This gets into tricky territory. But I think the territory is fun to explore.
Evan.
Post a Comment