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Meditation
Meditation is inner astronomy.
You discover the stars, the moon, and the sun are all inside
you.
What is Meditation
Meditation
as per dictionary means, “thinking deeply and quietly”.
Some scholars feel, “Meditation is quite similar to
self-hypnosis”. Others have mentioned “Meditation
and self-hypnosis are the same”. And I think the true
meaning of meditation extends beyond those opinions. Meditation
is an inner method for working with the mind. It is not religious
practice. Meditation involves applying a series of systematic
steps to produce certain desirable and helpful changes in
one’s state of consciousness, which is called an altered
state of consciousness. Meditation is a method whereby a person
reaches an altered state of consciousness, deeper levels of
mind, alpha state, theta state, subconscious or whatever you
can call it.
Meditation
as described here is distinct from the common meaning of meditation
as process of pondering or ruminating on some topic. “Meditation”
is the English equivalent of the Sanskrit word “Dhyana”
this term is clearly and very specifically defined in the
number of classical yoga texts. The ancient yogis, who achieve
self-development, carefully systemized, Studied and described
the practice of meditation. One of the clearest descriptions
of meditation can be found in the “Yoga Sutras”
of Patanjali, a classical text on yoga practices.
In other words
Most dictionaries define
the Western meaning of the word 'meditation,' but usually
do not describe the Eastern (Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist) concept
of meditation. The most appropriate dictionary definition
I could find reads as follows: "If you meditate, you
give your attention to one thing, and do not think about anything
else, usually as a religious activity or as way of calming
or relaxing your mind." This definition implies that
meditation means thinking about something, be it religious
or mystical in nature, and that a constant thought process
goes on while one meditates. The purest Eastern definition
of the word 'meditation' means not thinking at all, but rather
focusing the consciousness on the cosmic whole, "the
all and the everything" as George Gurdjieff called it,
without thought, judgment, or distraction.
We define the word 'meditation'
here as the art of consciousness becoming aware of itself
on the grand and cosmic scale. Meditation cannot honestly
be called a science because any real science requires objective
testing, which is not currently possible for the practice
of meditation. The real art of meditation is beyond thought,
beyond society, and beyond time.
Why meditate
Meditation brings a sense
of fullness and completion and is the only permanent source
of tranquility available to human beings. All other forms
of serenity are temporary and dissolve into conflict and chaos
over time. The euphoria of drugs quickly lead to misery and
self-destruction. The wholesomeness of love, so beautiful
and ethereal, is a relatively short lived and fleeting experience.
As J. Krishnamurti said, meditation brings order and "That
order is the order of the universe. It is irrevocable and
doesn't depend on anything." Meditation is the eternal
essence of nature taking on conscious form within the mortal
human frame.
Meditation is an adventure
of self-discovery. How can you live without knowing who or
what you are? If someone asks you who you are during the day
you may state your name, as if a temporary label actually
means something important. Ask yourself who you are when you
are in deep sleep, unconscious and without even a dream to
prove that you exist at all. Ask yourself who you were ten
months before you were born and who you will be just one moment
after your body dies. Meditation increases awareness of the
natural phenomena that is actually going on behind your own
eyes. Self-knowledge has intrinsic value, even without the
indescribable bliss nature generously unleashes in those who
practice meditation with sincerity and patience.
Meditation in Depth then follow the Links:
Important
Note:
Opinions expressed on this
page must be viewed as the ideas of an ordinary
student of meditation. While I truly believe
everything I say, you should not believe anything unless you
see it, feel it, and know it for yourself. I make no claims
of infallibility. In fact I absolutely claim fallibility.
-Happy
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Cosmos
of Happiness
