Meditation is an unlearning

When we seek 'things' we are simply filling up the precious space in our lives; the space where true comfort abides.  More roller-skates, more food, better relationships, more talent, and more wisdom  … these 'things' only reduce the possibility of true happiness right here right now.

Meditation is the search for space, peace, freedom.  Lasting happiness can only be found by letting go of 'things'.  Meditation is letting go, unlearning, and a falling into helplessness.

Empty yourself utterly … even let go of the "I-thought".  

become helpless,

bob

practice

Meditation is the practice of leaving the world of "how I think it ought to be" and joining the reality of "how it is" right here right now.  

The important word here is practice … Dropping our pictures of "ought to be" is hard because most of us have spent years building these pictures and trying to cram the present moment into them.

Another way to think about this is meditation is leaving the realm of 'why' and entering the world of 'what' (what is arising in consciousness right now).  Practice, practice, practice.

peace on you,
bob 

problems?

I like what Anthony Robbins says about money:

"Money will not solve any of your problems but it will allow you to arrive at them in style.

So it is with meditation:

"meditation will not solve any of your problems but it will invite you to laugh about them".

peace on you,
bob

sanity #2

Picking up on last weeks post … defining insanity as putting energy into stories that are not true begs the question "What is the truest story?".  

Silent meditation invites us to answer this question.  As we become quieter and quieter stories about "me" and "mine" drop like flies.  Leaving: 

To God belongs the east and the west; wherever you go there will be the presence of God. God is Omnipresent, Omniscient.
(Quran 2:115)

Peace,
bob

sanity

My friend Greg shared this wonderful definition of insanity with me … I think it is spot on.

Insanity is putting energy into stories that are not true.  And as you might guess:

meditation is the practice of dropping  or seeing through stories that are not true. 

An example here might help:  When meditating, the 'story' might arise that I need to "be a better person" and that meditation will help me.  Why is this story false?

There are many levels at which this story is not true; the most obvious is that, while meditating, I am, in fact, just sitting still.  That I am sitting still is a more accurate story.   Can we become a 'better' stiller sitter?  (You should be laughing now!).  Next week I'll dive deeper into why even the story that "I am sitting quietly" is not true. 

Again, meditation is the dropping or seeing through stories that are not true … becoming sane.

peace on you,

bob

surrender

Be helpless, dumbfounded,

Unable to say yes or no.

Then a stretcher will come from grace

    to gather us up.

We are too dull-eyed to see that beauty.

If we say we can, we’re lying.

If we say No, we don’t see it,

That No will behead us

And shut tight our window onto spirit.

So let us rather not be sure of anything,

Beside ourselves, and only that, so

Miraculous beings come running to help.

Crazed, lying in a zero circle, mute,

We shall be saying finally,
With tremendous eloquence, Lead us.

When we have totally surrendered to that beauty,

We shall be a mighty kindness.

 Rumi

When Jesus sensed their disbelief, he said, "Who are my supporters towards God?" The disciples said, "We are God's supporters; we believe in God, and bear witness that we are submitters."

(Quran 3:52)

relax and see

Meditation is relaxing.  When we relax we drop our control pictures, our desire for more, and our need for things to change.

When we meditate in this way,  we come to sense our very being: that state of mind and body without thought.  What a joy it is!

The ultimate purpose of meditation is to realize the Source of our being which is alluded to allegorically in the Quran (24:35)

God is the light of the heavens and the earth. The allegory of His light is that of a concave mirror behind a lamp that is placed inside a glass container. The glass container is like a bright, pearl-like star. The fuel thereof is supplied from a blessed oil-producing tree, that is neither eastern, nor western. Its oil is almost self-radiating; needs no fire to ignite it. Light upon light. God guides to His light whoever wills (to be guided). God thus cites the parables for the people. God is fully aware of all things.

peace on you,
bob