simplifying meditation practice

Complicating meditation practice with all manner of striving is natural - striving toward certain ‘spiritual’ experiences like: a quiet mind, feelings of bliss, and special insights.  Unfortunately striving only leads to more striving - striving never arrives at real peace.

How can we lose this habit of striving during our practice?  

The Quran declares that the only purpose of this life is to worship God.  This declaration can certainly point the way.

I have not created the jinn and the humans except to worship Me. [Quran 51:56]

The key word here is worship. In Arabic the word translated as worship is ibada (ee-bah-da).

‘Ibadah’ is derived from the root word ‘abd, which means a servant, to be a slave/obedient, to exhibit humble submission.

In pure surrender (worship) there is no striving - just patiently sitting in Silence without any expectation whatsoever.

So … try sitting without expectation.  You will be amazed at how quickly you find what you were always looking for.

peace on you,
bob

The Wisdom that bring lasting peace

The small man builds cages for everyone he knows. while the sage, who has to duck his head when the moon is low, keeps dropping keys all night long for the beautiful rowdy prisoners. [Hafiz]

Many meditation techniques attempt to imprison or cage the mind in order to quieten it. Such cages include: focusing on the breath, reciting mantras, and disregarding thoughts. While these techniques may temporarily quieten the mind they will not lead to lasting Peace.  

Lasting Peace comes with Wisdom.  The Wisdom that comes only by sitting in Silence expecting nothing. What is the nature of such Wisdom?  What are the ‘keys’ to which Hafiz is referring? 

To God belongs everything,
God is in control of all things,
Everything in this world is temporary. 

To God belongs everything in the heavens and everything on earth, and all matters are controlled by God. [Quran 3:109]

Ahhhhhhh the Wisdom that brings lasting Peace.

peace on you,
bob

True Seeing

Meditation is the practice of “true seeing” - seeing things as they ARE not as I think they OUGHT to be. When in the state of “true seeing”, it becomes clear that nothing that appears is yours - NOTHING! No one can make even one atom let alone a spec of dirt, a rock, or a leaf. 

So … when sitting in silence just let go of all thoughts about to how things OUGHT to be.  Let go of everything you have ever learned, or experienced. Let go, let go, then let go of letting go.  You will come to “true seeing”. What a wonderful (filled with wonder) place it is. Everything there points directly to the Divine.


God created every living creature from water. Some of them move on their bellies, some of them walk on two legs and some of them walk on four. God creates whatever He wills. God is capable of all things.
[Quran 24:45]

O people, an example has been cited so listen to it: those you call on beside God will never create a fly, even if they all got together to do so. In addition, if the fly should strip them of anything, they would not be able to recover that from it; weak is the seeker and that which is sought.
[Quran 22:73]

Peace be on you,
bob

try something different

I’d like to suggest a meditation technique that has worked well for me.  Give it a try if you wish.

Perhaps we don’t get what we want from our meditation practice because we are not doing anything differently from what we do day-to-day.  You know that saying: “same actions - same result”.

I was taught from an early age, that to be successful, I need to strive - strive in my work, in my relationships, and even in my play.  It is natural for me to bring this stance into my meditation practice.  In my experience, striving during meditation only leads to more striving and more seeking.  

It would be a nice change to hear someone say that they have found their way spiritually.  What I most often hear is: “I am a spiritual seeker”.  Who does not know someone who has been meditating for twenty years introduce themselves as a “spiritual seeker”?  

Meditation is the practice of not striving and not seeking. If we are not striving and not seeking, what then are we doing?  I claim, without seeking, we fall naturally into worship.

When, during my practice period, all striving and all seeking ceases, I find myself in a state of deepest peace that can best be described by the word worship - a state of willing surrender to the Creator and a feeling of gratitude for everything that is - just as it is!

The Quran states that worshipping God is the purpose of life - the sole reason we were created and placed here on earth. Why not align meditation practice with this purpose?

"I did not create the Jinn, nor mankind, except to worship Me."
[Quran 51:56]

So, during practice, try this: stop all striving, cease all effort, and simply ask God for help - help that you might be a “finder” right here right now. Then just sit.

And if those who worship Me ask you about Me, I am near; I answer the caller's call if he calls on Me. Therefore, they shall respond to Me and believe in Me in order to be guided.  [Quran 2:186]

peace on you,
bob

PAYING ATTENTION

A friend of mine summarized meditation practice as : “the practice of paying attention and not making up stuff.”

Ahhh … the things we make up about spiritual practice could fill a sizable library when in fact, while meditating, we are just sitting there doing nothing.

With enough practice you too will be able to shed all your fantasies  and come to see the shocking reality that:

1. Nothing is yours

2. God is in control of all matters, and

3. Everything is temporary.  

To sit in this knowledge is enlightenment.

peace on you,

bob

meditation is the practice of release.

We are very good at accumulating physical objects - many of which we never use.  Some of us even rent storage vaults to keep the stuff we “will need someday”. 

We are also quite skilled at accumulating useless beliefs and beliefs that make us miserable. Unfortunately it is not possible (yet) to rent space in someone else’s brain to offload our useless beliefs. 

Decluttering ‘things’ is pretty straightforward  (if you don’t value them) - you just make a trip to Goodwill or the trash.  Letting go of beliefs is a little more challenging.  Meditation to the rescue!

Meditation is the practice of release - the practice of letting go - letting go of that which arises in the mind. It has been said, and I believe it to be true, that all human suffering is caused by the making real of that which arises in the mind.  

Meditation is the conscious act of noticing that everything that arises in the mind during the practice session is unreal.  After all we are just sitting there!!!

A powerful form of practice is:  when thoughts arise in the mind, just note that they are not relevant (real) in the present moment as you are just sitting still - then become aware of your body sitting (feel your posture, feel the chair, feel your hands and so forth). Just sit.

Until we discover a way to rent a “storage locker” for thoughts this will have to do.

Peace on you,

bob

peaceful mind

Is not the goal of meditation to have “peace of mind”?  

For most of us the mind is anything but peaceful.  Some even call it a ‘bad-neighborhood’ - full of  negative self judgement, unattained goals, and all manner of nasty ideas about others.  It need not be that way!

Meditation is like decluttering - simply discarding that which interferes with a clean room.  Decluttering is easy if we don’t attach significance to the objects in the room.   So it is with meditation.

What are the “objects in the room” during meditation.  Clearly they are, thoughts, feelings, and body sensations.  When we discard these, we end up with a empty ‘room’ - an empty and peaceful mind.

So easy … simply never take anything that arises in the mind as significant or valuable and you will see that the mind was always undisturbed - peaceful - like an empty room - just full of peace.

peace on you,
bob