Meditation I

Introduction

This information is for ordinary people with families, jobs, and responsibilities who wish to bring a little quiet into their lives.

The "secret" is that when followed faithfully and regularly these methods not only make you and your family happier and more serene, but they start you on a voyage of self-discovery.

The Meditation Posts are in a series. 

It's good to start at the beginning. 

What is Meditation ?

Anyone can meditate, you may be doing it right now.

Whenever you are completely absorbed in an activity such as reading, playing a musical instrument, cooking, practising yoga, listening to music, various drills, combat etc. then you are in a single, focused thought stream and this we can call Meditation. 

The key point is :  Focus on a Single Thought Stream.

The task has to "capture" your mind entirely; if you are rock-climbing, you cannot help but focus, as even a small error can result in disaster; but it need not be such a dramatic activity, it really depends on the person.  A gripping adventure film can entirely occupy the mind of one person, while another has their mind on several other things.

This reveals something very important.  The person who was entirely transported by the film, and who allowed their mind (stream) to be drawn irresistably forwards; that person will emerge from the cinema feeling mentally rested and perhaps a little elated, the other will not.  One was meditating, the other was not.

In reality, ANY activity may become a meditation - it depends on the mind of the person at that time.  Whether the task is enormously complex (open heart surgery) or mundane ( making tea*), yet when it is undertaken with concentration, the mind will assume a special attitude, and here begins the journey.

What is the Purpose of Meditation ?

We spend most of our waking hours chasing thought streams which may leave us tired and dispirited.  Thoughts may play out once, or repeat incessantly for minutes, hours, days ... years.  Each time a thought is released, it has some subtle effect on ourselves, and it goes on to affect those around us and the entire universe.  In addition, every thought is like a trickle of water; and repetition and intensity mark the soul proportionately.

Therefore, the first very practical purpose of Meditation is to prevent negative thought streams from taking over the mental landscape and making us unhappy.

* The Japanese Tea Ceremony is a beautiful example of a meditation for those sensitive and skilled in this spiritual art form.