Meditation for Thursday 18th April 2024
Meditation is not an end in itself but rather a means to an end.
We meditate so that “the bridge of illusion can be brought down before a real bridge can be constructed over which human beings can pass over to reality.”(1)
With the war in the Middle East, the conflict between Russia and the Ukraine and daily reports of violence in our communities it is our task to resist violence without absorbing the very poison that feeds it; anger, paranoia and the thirst for power. Meditation, whether formal, informal or living contemplatively is our means to that end.
Meditation must promote healing and transformation for a world caught up in a net of ancient wounds and injuries. We meditate not just for ourselves but for the benefit of others. Meditation is a way of re-integrating aspects of life that are often seen in our culture as being on opposite sides of a wide river.
When we are true to our practice, when we persevere, when we live a meditative life we are bringing about an ideal society.
In the words of Thich Nhat Hanh we must “light our own torch, carry our own light, and go.”(2)
Our meditative lifestyle becomes a torch of wisdom, a torch of light bringing about peace and justice.
Meditation
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Ref: (1) Daniel Berrigan sj; (2) Thich Nhat Hanh…”The Raft is Not the Shore”, Orbis 1975, New York.
Go to www.thecarmelitecentremelbourne.org for a listing of programs currently available.