What is Meditation?

I'm still new to meditation. I tried different techniques I found but I soon realize that I wasn't getting anywhere because I didn't have a goal because I didn't know why I was doing these techniques.. what I was suppose to achieve.

This couple of paragraphs from Echhart Tolle - The Power of NOW made meditation very clear to me. I felt like I should share it for anyone that might be a little confused as to what the goal is.

Start listening to the voice in your head as often as you can. Pay particular attention to any repetitive thought patterns, those old gramophone records that have been playing in your head perhaps for many years. This is what I mean by "watching the thinker," which is another way of saying: listen to the voice in your head, be there as the witnessing presence. When you listen to that voice, listen to it impartially. That is to say, do not judge. Do not judge or condemn what you hear, for doing so would mean that the same voice has come in again through the back door. You'll soon realize: there is the voice, and here I am listening to it, watching it. This I am realization, this sense of your own presence, is not a thought. It arises from beyond the mind. So when you listen to a thought, you are aware not only of the thought but also of yourself as the witness of the thought. A new dimension of consciousness has come in. As you listen to the thought, you feel a conscious presence - your deeper self - behind or underneath the thought, as it were. The thought then loses its power over you and quickly subsides, because you are no longer energizing the mind through identification with it. This is the beginning of the end of involuntary and 17 compulsive thinking. When a thought subsides, you experience a discontinuity in the mental stream - a gap of "no-mind." At first, the gaps will be short, a few seconds perhaps, but gradually they will become longer. When these gaps occur, you feel a certain stillness and peace inside you. This is the beginning of your natural state of felt oneness with Being, which is usually obscured by the mind. With practice, the sense of stillness and peace will deepen. In fact, there is no end to its depth. You will also feel a subtle emanation of joy arising from deep within: the joy of Being. It is not a trancelike state. Not at all. There is no loss of consciousness here. The opposite is the case. If the price of peace were a lowering of your consciousness, and the price of stillness a lack of vitality and alertness, then they would not be worth having. In this state of inner connectedness, you are much more alert, more awake than in the mind-identified state. You are fully present. It also raises the vibrational frequency of the energy field that gives life to the physical body. As you go more deeply into this realm of no-mind, as it is sometimes called in the East, you realize the state of pure consciousness. In that state, you feel your own presence with such intensity and such joy that all thinking, all emotions, your physical body, as well as the whole external world become relatively insignificant in comparison to it. And yet this is not a selfish but a selfless state. It takes you beyond what you previously thought of as "your self." That presence is essentially you and at the same time inconceivably greater than you. What I am trying to convey here may sound paradoxical or even contradictory, but there is no other way that I can express it.

This helped to make meditation clear to me. I hope it helps someone else.

Did you just start meditating just for meditations sake? I did that in the 60's after reading about Tuesday Lobsang Rampa, or something like that. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to get out of that, either. Heh, I might be way off on that spelling of the name. It's been a long time since reading that book. But, yes, I do meditate. Actually, I call it praying and listening. I believe it's all the same thing. You just need to find your own way and reason for listening to your inner voice and connecting with the universe I never did achieve astral travel at that time in the 60's. But I have experienced it at a later time, while not even thinking about it or trying to attain it.

i think meditation can be many things, but to start with its mainly a means of relaxing and clearing the mind.

you know when you lie in bed at night and you cant get all the silly little thought out your head? meditation for me to begin with was a means of clearing my head of those thought, to become clear headed and relaxed.

meditation can come in many forms though. it can be done by walking, by fishing, etc. anything that relaxes you and can put your mind at rest.

it gets way more complex than that, but this is what i went by when i started.

G.

Originally posted by kyred
Did you just start meditating just for meditations sake? I did that in the 60's after reading about Tuesday Lobsang Rampa, or something like that. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to get out of that, either. Heh, I might be way off on that spelling of the name. It's been a long time since reading that book. But, yes, I do meditate. Actually, I call it praying and listening. I believe it's all the same thing. You just need to find your own way and reason for listening to your inner voice and connecting with the universe I never did achieve astral travel at that time in the 60's. But I have experienced it at a later time, while not even thinking about it or trying to attain it.

Pretty much, I knew I was suppose to clear my head, but not sure about what was suppose to happen this. This book has helped me to understand somethings that are generally left out and unseen to newcomers.

it takes quite some time... to master dont rush into it
Take it easy try for 15 to 20 minutes every other day or 2 times a week...slowly move up to every other day and everyday...if you cant do it everyday its no worry either...the mornings and evenings are usually the best and the morning particulary puts e in a great energetic mood for the rest of the day
Best when it dark places and I personally perfer music(Andy Mckee is great look him up)
Look up on the internet about charkas...you have 7 main ones in the body
the ore you learn on that the ore you will understand and feel the meditation.
Also crystals can be extermley useful I've had some intense trips I could compare to a mild acid trip(but way shorter)

Dont force it....Meditation is anything you want it to be
It's best to start out by breathing in and out as deep and long as you can...close your eyes and just imagine you are going to a favorite place or doing something you love...think and try to feel every detail

Or you could just let your mind wander....watch your thoughts and when you have one just let it go and notice it coing and going,
Also the power of intention in meditation is soooo extremley useful and underestimated in my opinion. I am serious when I say when I focus and meditate on a particular subject or an event I want ot happen it usually will in soeway or another...Intentions are one of the most important things to learn and master.

Ive read Eckart Toll and it really helped me and gave e a good perspective..but books cannot truley give you a personal expeirence...I myself have never done the list thing or goal thing in any books.I take the information and apply it however need be done.

If you have any questions lemme know I'd be more than happy to help just remeber the meditation is for you...so make it your own

[edit on 8-4-2009 by Akoostikreiki]

i recall many years ago, i used to sit there with my legs crossed...sitting...sitting...VERY BORING!

i didnt understand it then, and i still dont. the passage that you posted says that a certain "depth" of consciousness will be achieved. a "no-mind" state.

i am pretty sure that i dont care how deep it is. even very deep boring is still BORING!

on the other hand. i had a weekly yoga practice for 2 years, and on several occasions i got very blissed out.

.....

just now i have concluded that it is the expectation of result, that kills the experience.

meditation = observing your mind.


best thing to do is just LET GO of everything.. locate where your mind is being active.. and let go of that. .everywhere in your mind. let go let go let go..

until there is nothing.

then just observe THAT.

and notice how things behave while your mind isn't "doing" anything.

and as the above poster stated.. sure it will be boring..
that is.. IF you're looking for some type of "entertainment" in meditation.

best to use it as a form of "defragging" the mind... clear it so that you have a clean slate to begin with afterwards.

and it does wonders in the body.. you'll be surprised that if you let go of everything in your mind.. the stresses and ailments in your body will let go as well..

remember.. your body is filled with a TREE of nerves stemming from the brain.

as above. .so below.. clear your mind.. your body will follow.


once it's let go of the stresses and your body has started to "realign" itself.. notice the subtle energy in your nerves in your body.. visualise energy rising and falling and moving through your limbs.. and spinal cord.

try sensual meditation.. white tantra.. meditating while having intercourse..
get to the point where you're on that plateau of bliss before the orgasm and extend that plateau further and further without falling off the cliff of the orgasm..
use that blissful sexual charge and suck it up through your spine and feel it flow through your body.. without orgasming..

it's challenging.. i dare you to do it for an extended length of time... and notice the changes that take place.


-


[edit on 13-4-2009 by prevenge]

reply to post by SeeingBlue

What is Meditation?

Well, here's what a 'typical' dictionary has to say -

meditation

1.a. The act or process of meditating.
b. A devotional exercise of or leading to contemplation.
2. A contemplative discourse, usually on a religious or philosophical subject.

Source : Free Online Dictionary

Me, personally, I would say 'meditation' is 'contemplating; or 'just thinking' about something. But, what I have to say doesn't matter much - I'm just an amateur.

Here's what a master has to say -

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/51790f1e21ca.jpg[/atsimg]
Source : ATS Media

So, with that in mind, here's the 'breakdown' on 'shamatha' -

Journey to Single-Pointed Concentration

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/125de3b83974.jpg[/atsimg]
Source : Google Books

Shamatha
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/d67b0103221e.jpg[/atsimg]
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/ca5024d73864.jpg[/atsimg]
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/08f049dce10d.jpg[/atsimg]
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/0e02b171a93e.jpg[/atsimg]
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/3edb5ffebacc.jpg[/atsimg]

Source : Google Books

This is the 'Tibetan view' of the matter. Admittedly it's not for everybody. But, it is a presentation which is remarkably rich featured and at the very least is certainly food for thought.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for sharing this with us. I am interested in what the monks have to say. I'll read it when I have more time to focus on it.

Originally posted by grantbeed
i think meditation can be many things, but to start with its mainly a means of relaxing and clearing the mind.

you know when you lie in bed at night and you cant get all the silly little thought out your head? meditation for me to begin with was a means of clearing my head of those thought, to become clear headed and relaxed.

meditation can come in many forms though. it can be done by walking, by fishing, etc. anything that relaxes you and can put your mind at rest.

I agree with your description but I get caught up in the "clearing the mind" part.

Take care when listening to outside sources on how to meditate as hypnosis is a form of meditation and we don't need any more of that.

I studied Thai Chi many years ago and was recently asked why I no longer practice what I was taught. I had a tough time explaining how I view everything in my life as 'Thai Chi', understanding the flow of energy using subtle manipulations rather then attempting to control it. I practice a type of moving meditation (similar to Thai Chi) so I don't aim to clear my mind but rather separate from it to find Understanding and this has opened my eyes.