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

on meditation practice

On meditation practice: stop all the searching; meditation is not a process; just be!

Out beyond the world of ideas of wrong doing and right doing, there is a field.  I will meet you there. 

Rumi

The only way to meet Rumi in that field is to realize that you never left the field.

bob

what is obvious

Meditation is the search for the obvious. Unfortunately, we are taught to search high and low via books, gurus, and practices. Searching teaches only one lesson:  search harder and with more persistence.

Give up the search and see what has always been, is here right now, and will always be … 

(Quran 2:15) To GOD belongs the east and the west; wherever you go there will be the presence of GOD. GOD is Omnipresent, Omniscient.

peace upon you,
bob

wisdom is release.

Is it not too much food that causes all manner of problems?
Is is not too many expectations that ruin relationships? 
Is it not too many ideas of how things ought to be that cause suffering?
is it not too many rules that ruin the fun in a game?
Is it not too many constraints that destroy creativity?

Meditation is the practice of release!

Release, release, release, release, release, and then release releasing.

Peace on you,
bob

meditation is worship

Simply do this; Be still, and lay aside all thoughts of what you are and what God is; all concepts you have learned about the world; all images you hold about yourself.   Empty your mind of everything it thinks is either true or false, or good or bad, of every thought it judges worthy, and all the ideas of which it is ashamed.   Hold onto nothing.   Do not bring with you one thought the past has taught, nor one belief you ever learned before from anything.   Forget this world, forget this course, and come with wholly empty hand unto your God.

Course in Miracles Lesson 189