MEDITATION - INTRODUCTION
Much has been, and will be, said and written about
meditation. Due to its subjective nature, its vast methods to practice it, its
numerous applications or purposes, and the myriad of benefits that it brings,
it is not an easy subject to embark on, and worse, to try to encapsulate in a
simple article or articles. The fact is that there are many ways to present
meditation and many forms of practicing it. Every time that meditation is
presented, we (the ones that teach meditation) tend to present it differently.
This is how vast this subject is. In this article and others to follow in the
future, I will try to give you a glimpse.
Definition
Let’s start by trying to define meditation, a task which in
itself is difficult due to the myriad of types that fall under the “meditation”
umbrella, including mindfulness, contemplation, concentration, communion,
chanting, trance, etc. We could try to define meditation as: “the act of
engaging in a mental exercise (such as concentrating on an object, observing
one's breathing or repeating a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a
heightened level of spiritual awareness,” but even this definition is a very
vague definition.
Other definitions are:
In Yoga, it is said that meditation
does not exist. “Simply because we are not able to be in contact with
ourselves, our true nature, we need a method to accomplish that.” –Sadhguru. If
you were able to stand, sit, recline or lay down and be with you, truly with you,
with who you really are, that is meditation. Because we are not able to do this,
then we need a tool to help us accomplish this. In
other words, meditation is a tool to teach us how to meditate so we do not have
to meditate. It is important to notice that in Sanskrit, there is a word or
words for each type of meditation. Due to the fact that there are no
translations, in English and other languages, the word meditation is used to
describe all of them.
In Tibetan Buddhism, it is said: “Meditation
is not, getting used to is,” which means that meditation is nothing other than
getting used to the practice of meditation. As it is said: “Meditation is not
striving, but naturally becoming assimilated into it.” "As you continue to
practice the method, then meditation slowly arises. Meditation is not something
that you can 'do'; it is something that has to happen spontaneously, only when
you have perfected the practice." –Sogyal Rinpoche.
"Meditation is a journey from sound
to silence, from movement to stillness, from limited space to unlimited space." -Sri
Ravi Shankar.
"Finally, “You are meditation.”
–R.J. Spina. Meditation is our original and natural state! We just lost it long
time ago with the way we were educated, the way we live and our own ignorance.
Brief History
History in the East: The oldest documented evidence of the
practice of meditation are wall arts in the Indian subcontinent from
approximately 5,000 to 3,500 BCE, showing people seated in meditative postures
with half-closed eyes. Written evidence of any form of meditation was
first seen in the Vedas around 1,500 BCE. In the 600 to 400
BCE, the Chinese Taoist and Indian Buddhist traditions began to develop their
own versions of meditation practice. Between 400-100 BCE, the yoga sutras
of Patanjali were compiled, outlining the 8 limbs of yoga.
History in the West: Meditation first began to be of
interest in the West in the 1700’s, when some of the Eastern philosophy texts,
containing references to meditation techniques and practices, were translated
into different European languages. This included: (1) The Upanishads – A
collection of religious and philosophical texts from India, assumed to have
been written between 800 and 500 BCE. (2) The Bhagavad Gita – A Sanskrit
scripture made of 700 verses that form part of the Mahabharata: a Hindu epic
detailing the narrative between Pandava Prince Arjuna, and Krishna. And (3) The
Buddhist Sutras – Scriptures that are assumed to be the oral teachings of
the Buddha.
By the late 18th century, meditation was seen only as a topic for
discussion and interest by philosophers and intellectuals, including Voltaire
and Schopenhauer (Abelson, 2008). It wasn’t until the 20th century that
meditation became more prominent, especially in the United States, when a
prominent yogi, Swami Vivekananda, delivered a presentation at the Parliament
of Religions in Chicago.
The presentation created a new surge of interest in Eastern
models of spirituality in the West, and influenced a number of other spiritual
teachers from India to migrate to the States including: Swami Rama from the
Himalayan Institute, Paramahansa Yogananda from the Self-Realization
Fellowship, and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi with his Transcendental Meditation
practice.
In addition to spiritual forms of meditation, secular forms
of meditation have taken root. These were introduced in India in the 1950s as a
modern form of Hindu meditative techniques, arrived in Australia in the late
1950s and the United States and Europe in the 1960s. Rather than focusing
on spiritual growth, secular meditation emphasizes stress reduction, relaxation
and self-improvement. (Source: Wikipedia, Chopra, and Positive Psychology)
Philosophy
From the philosophical standpoint, the universe phenomena
are explained by the ancient Taoist theory of the Yin - Yang, as described in
the Tao Te Ching or I Ching (The Book of the Mutations or Changes) by Lao Tzu.
In this text, the eight Trigrams (Laws, Commands) symbolize the phenomenon of
Man and the Universe (The Octagram of Emperor Fu Shi); the eternal duality of
everything that exists; and the interdependence of two opposing and complementary
forces: heat and cold, up and down, man and woman, light and darkness, etc. Two
forces, which are part of the great whole, the Unity.
"My
thoughts, feelings and actions, in accordance with Heaven, allow me to master
the phenomena of Heaven and Earth, and become a Holy Emperor, a Wizard
King." (Source: Joong Do Ryu
Taekwondo and Hapkido book by G.M. Young S. Kim and writings from G.M. Roberto
Hernandez)
In meditation, the superior plane corresponds to the head,
the gateway to the Heavens (crown chakra); the lower to the legs, posture, the
gateway to the Earth (root chakra); and the middle to the chest, feelings,
including an infinite heart (heart chakra) and the posture of the arms. The
vertical line is the line that joins all three planes and corresponds to the
breath. It is through breathing that a man becomes the bridge between Earth and
Heaven, and it is through meditation that a man can reach his full potential as
human being because it is the only tool that allows transcending physicality to
other dimensions not available to the physical world. In short, Meditation is
a window to infinity, a gateway to our true nature…divinity, and a pathway to
our full potential!
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Author: Maurice Correa
Website: pathtoone.com
Blog: p2oblog.blogspot.com
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