Meditation for Thursday 18th August 2022
Spirituality was the original purpose of meditation and remains so for many people. The spiritual benefits sometimes take longer to notice than the well-being and health, but this is perhaps because they meet a deeper need. But as I mention a few weeks ago the spiritual and wellness benefits are not mutually exclusive.
Purification is a much-used term in Buddhism, but it is also found in Christianity and other traditions. Purification of one’s heart and mind, often referred to as the purification of the soul makes us face our worst fears and therefore helps us to be truly the person we are meant to be.
Wisdom and insight where we ponder the deeper truths of life by cutting through illusions provides a deeper insight into the ‘self’ and gives us enhanced wisdom about life.
For some people meditation is a time to connect with a higher power or reality, whatever that means to you. There are those that augment their meditation with practices such as chanting, yoga, prayer other contemplative practices and importantly service to others.
The longer we practice meditation we begin to notice that we are peaceful, content and have a general feeling that everything is OK, that all is well. It’s this contentment, this peace that is the foundation for existential happiness. It’s a spiritual benefit.
Meditation can give us a sense of purpose and meaning. This may well come about by feeling a connection to God, enlightenment or an expansion of our human potential.
This is a spiritual benefit.
Meditation helps us give the thinking mind a break by tuning – in to something more powerful. Meditation helps develop intuition by pausing our analytical mind.
This is a spiritual benefit.
Whatever our reason for practicing meditation we know that there are obvious spiritual benefits, some which will appeal to ones existing religious culture and tradition; others which will be interpreted in the context of a secular society.
And now let’s sit up with our back perfectly straight, our hands relaxed and our eyes either closed or in a soft gaze.
Ref: Practical Meditation, Giovanni Dienstmann, Peguin Random House 2018
MEDITATION
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