give Silence a turn.

What is this meditation business about really?

We entertain so many positions, mantras, teachers, and techniques. Their purpose is to show you that they cannot work! When we drop all of our techniques and all of our efforting, Silence can begin its work.

Silence is open, forgiving, nonjudgmental, and pure. Why not let it have a turn? Just stop!

peace on you,

bob

prayers are always answered

Prayers are always answered. If we don't 'hear' the answer, the problem could be that our past conditioning, or our expectations, or our thinking that 'we know best', blinds us to the guidance that is always given.

"If My servants ask you about Me, I am near. I answer the call of the caller when he calls on Me. They should therefore respond to Me and believe in Me so that they will be guided aright. "(Quran 2:186)

regular prayer

Prayer, like meditation, is a time when we turn away from things and turn towards the Divine, The Graceful, The Compassionate, The Loving, the Unseen, the Creator, The Light, … (the attributes are many).

At the root, prayer is remembering God. There are so very many ways to remember (re-member) God. I have found prayers of gratitude and thanks to be most effective in bringing about a sense of Peace and Wholeness.

Again as with meditation, regularity is the key. The Quran suggests praying three times per day: before sunrise, between noon and sunset, and between sunset and the cover of night. I have been amazed at the sense of comfort that comes from this practice … give it a try.

peace on you,

bob

meditation and prayer

For the next few weeks I will be sharing some thoughts on prayer. Prayer and meditation, in my view, are best practiced together.

Meditation is, at the root, the practice of emptying oneself utterly. From the perspective of total emptiness the necessity of gratitude (thankfulness) comes to light.

Ultimately prayer is a timeless song of thanks and love shared by the Creator and His creation. Of course, in the beginning, it takes on less lofty forms. One of my favorite prayers is:

"Our Lord, shower us with Your mercy, and bless our affairs with Your guidance." (Quran 18:10)

If you don't have a regular prayer practice consider it … meditation is the forerunner to prayer.

Bob

why worry?

When we sit in silence we come to realize the wisdom of letting go. Clinging, fretting, and worry are signs of not facing reality. It is not that we should release. It is that we will with absolute certainty release everything anyway. Why wait for release to come as rude shock at the end?

"Everyone on earth perishes; all that remains is the Face of your Lord, full of majesty, bestowing honor." (Quran 55:26)

bob

To meditate is to empty

To meditate is to empty; Let go and be guided:

"God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche, and within it a lamp; the Lamp enclosed in Glass; the glass a brilliant star, lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive neither of the East nor of the West whose Oil is well-nigh luminous though fire scarce touched it. Light upon Light! God doth guide whom He will to His Light." (Quran Chapter 24, Verse 35)

bob

beginners mind

When we first begin meditation practice we have no thought that we have attained something. It is a challenge to keep this mind-set.

When we have a sense of attainment we lose our innocence. When we lose our innocence we start playing God; when we start to play God we lose our gratitude … what a horrible loss.

stay fresh in your practice!

bob