MEDITATION IS AN ACQUIRED ART

Articles In This Section:

· MEDITATION WITH YOGA

· DOUBTLESS IN YOURSELF

· PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS OF MEDITATION

· CORRECT BREATHING IS ESSENTIAL IN MEDITATION

· MEDITATION IS AN ACQUIRED ART

· PITFALLS IN MEDITATION

· PURPOSE OF MEDITATION

Since Meditation is very much an acquired art and takes much practice, you will find that at first it will be easiest to select subjects that are not too elusive. In fact, you might try something decidely concrete, but with a possible spiritual or symbolic side as well. Take, for instance, the human heart. Close your eyes and as you breathe turn your attention inward and try to become physically aware of your pulse-beat, which is also your heart-beat. Next visualize the heart itself: Think of it as simply a vital muscle pumping blood through the body; think of its four chambers, the valves which make the blood flow always in the same direction, of the relationship to it of the veins and arteries; of its rhythm when you are at peace and its quickened pace when excitement, physical exertion or deep emotion stimulate it; then consider the meaning of a warm heart, a generous heart, a loving heart. Gradually you will find yourself engrossed in Meditation that encompasses much broader vistas and touches upon more lofty considerations than anything which concerns one individual alone. You will feel a sense of peace taking possession of your entire being, and you will be the better for it.

Other subjects which might take you in similar manner from concrete to spiritual contemplation are: Light, beginning with a lighted candle and continuing to sunlight and enlightenment and the flow of the spirit; a book, which becomes the symbol of learning; a flower; a cloud. Later on you might choose some historical personage whom you especially admire and with whom you feel a deep sense of identity. Consider his lif e history, the events which led up to his greatness and what it was that made him particularly admirable; then notice how, for the moment, you are trying to view the world through the prism of his personality. This will give you an insight and an awareness of Self keener than you ordinarily experience, for in a sense it will be a shared experience. At the same time you will be able to look at yourself as if from another viewpoint. The added insight will help you disentangle your Self from identity with your mind. Such insight is one of the main objects of Meditation, since most of us have never learned to make a distinction between Self and the mind, nor do we stop to realize that they are not one and the same, Self being constant in its inherent nature, while the mind, by its very nature, is subject to endless modification.

From here on you may feel free to choose your own subjects for your daily Meditation—always making sure that you think along positive, constructive lines rather than negatively, along lines that are gloomy or self-destructive. Gradually you will discover that you are re-educating all your thought processes to work for you. And as the days go by and you become more adept at looking inward, you will more and more clearly learn to recognize the workings of your own mind, until you are able to dwell on whatever you wish to build up and to shut out whatever you feel needs discarding. Not only will you learn not to torture yourself with fruitless fears and worries but you will find it possible to direct your course through life, bypassing failures and choosing what is right and good for you.