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.

Source: http://www.inspirationzone.cjb.net