How easy is it to forget who created everything on the earth and in the heavens.  The goal of meditation is to remember the Creator.

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

remember?
bob

what I teach

Meditation is that gentle practice of letting go of "how we thing things ought to be" for how thing are right here right now.

When we perform this practice regularly, we begin to lose sight of what is 'me' and 'mine' and Reality shines through.  

Then peace abounds.

ok?

bob

not personal

Meditation is the pathway to the realization that "things are not personal" - that there are deeper purposes in creation than 'our personal aspirations'.

Perhaps life, as it appears, is, in fact, not personal and not even broken.  Could it be that events are unfolding in precisely the way they should be?  Regular meditation practice leads us to the undeniable fact that we are not in control of a single thing including the next thought that might arise in 'your' mind during 'your' meditation practice.

"All that is hidden in the heavens and earth belong to God, and all authority goes back to Him. So worship Him, and put your trust in Him.  Your Sustainer and Protector is never unaware of what you are doing" (Quran 11:123)

May you find peace in 'your' heart,
bob

Position during meditation

What is the best position to take during meditation?  Sit as far away from thinking about yourself as possible.   Is it not self concern that causes suffering? At night we completely forget about ourselves and upon awakening we feel refreshed - there is a big clue here. 

Looking at this business about position another way: thinking too much about ourselves is foolishness as everything clearly belongs to God. From the Quran 4:132-134 we have: 

To God belongs everything in the heavens and the earth, and God is the only Protector.

If He wills, He can annihilate you, O people, and substitute others in your place. God is certainly able to do this.

Anyone who seeks the materials of this world should know that God possesses both the materials of this world and the Hereafter. God is Hearer, Seer.  

Peace on you. 
bob

Give it up

Meditation is that act of yielding your creations to that which the Divine has created and graciously offered to you as a gift.

The hallmark of a successful meditation practice is appreciation.


(Quran 45:15) We enjoined the human being to honor his parents. His mother bore him arduously, gave birth to him arduously, and took intimate care of him for thirty months. When he reaches maturity, and reaches the age of forty, he should say, "My Lord, direct me to appreciate the blessings You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and to do the righteous works that please You. Let my children be righteous as well. I have repented to You; I am a submitter."


peace on you,
bob

Silence

Silence is the best teacher.

Silence is always there; Silence never misleads; and Silence is Golden.

Peace on you,
bob

lâ ilâha illâ allâh

What is the purpose of spiritual practice?

I know I skate on thin ice these days to say that the purpose of spiritual practice is to become spiritual - to liberate ourselves from our worldly persuits and troubles - not to reconcile with the world, nor to fix ourselves in some way - but to get closer to Spirit or God.

Given this purpose, the practice of meditation and prayer should therefore be directed away from the world and towards God.  So … in meditation we simply let go of all thoughts, opinions, and beliefs about how we think the world ought to be.  Stated another way: during meditation, we release our tight grip on the world and remember God.

There are many verses from the Quran that guide meditation.  Two of my favorites are:


51:56-58: I created jinn and mankind only to worship Me: I want no provision from them, nor do I want them to feed Me - God is the Provider, the Lord of Power, the Ever Mighty.  


13:28 those who have faith and whose hearts find peace in the remembrance of God - truly it is in the remembrance of God that hearts find peace - 

peace upon you,
bob