Meditation for Thursday 24th August 2023
Many meditation traditions see the purpose of meditation in terms of liberating the mind from suffering yet others see meditation as a means of devotion. They are not necessarily mutually exclusive.
Christian mysticism and the Hindi Bhaki Yoga promote meditation as devotion by focussing the heart and mind on the Divine while developing strong religious feeling and surrender, making it a powerful way to explore the spiritual side of one’s practice.
In Christian mysticism meditation keeps the mind focussed on God by repeating a mantra, looking at a sacred icon, chanting or just sitting in stillness. Buddhist meditation varies markedly from tradition to tradition but all place great store in meditation and contemplative practices. The Hindu approach is similar but usually is almost always accompanied by chanting often in Sanskrit. The Sikh tradition also includes chanting. Japanese Zen is usually in silence.
In almost every major religious culture there are traditions of meditation though there are some that place a much greater emphasis on meditation than others.
Religious or not these age-old practices have a great deal to teach us about connecting with something deep inside us. We are meditating for the awakening of our heart
We start our practice by having the right attitude which is one of openness. When our attitude is correct we are non-judgmental, suspending all judgment for the duration of our meditation and hopefully beyond into our day-to-day living. We leave our intellect behind and allow the heart to be in control.
Connecting with the Divine is not everyone’s goal yet all meditators are looking to connect with something deep within.
We don’t have to name it.
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Meditation
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