Meditation for Thursday 21st July 2022
There are enough books to fill a medium sized library written about the goals or fruits of meditation and mindfulness. When I consider my own thoughts about this matter I realize that my list increases as the years pass. The goals, fruits and benefits are a virtual cornucopia but they can best be summed-up under the heading of insight or wisdom.
In the Book of Wisdom King Solomon describes wisdom….
“Within her is a spirit intelligent, holy, unique, manifold, subtle, active, incisive, unsullied, lucid, invulnerable, benevolent, sharp, irresistible, beneficent, loving to people, steadfast, dependable, unperturbed, almighty, all surveying, penetrating all intelligent, pure and most subtle spirits; for Wisdom is quicker to move than any motion; she is so pure, she pervades and permeates all things.”
Book of Wisdom Ch.7, Vs. 22 – 24.
Regular practice of meditation assists us to gain the wisdom and insight that arises when we look at our self-illusion and recognize it for what it is. In other words when we discover our true self, the self that is stable and reliable, the self of the present moment. The self of the past may not be stable and reliable. Of course we can never really take hold of the self; it is always moving in the same way that we put our hand into a moving creek trying to grab the water. The water moves on with the current, if it didn’t it would no longer be a moving body of water, but a stagnant pool. We seek the present moment in our practice knowing the contradiction. It is fleeting but unending.
When we direct our mind in concentration towards the still-point we do so by trying to rid ourselves of the notion that we are trying to get something out of our practice. If our mind is free and calm it will direct itself towards that point where absolutely nothing is happening. This form of meditative practice will reap us the reward of wisdom.
“Wisdom is knowing what is true; it is knowing what is real. To be wise is to be aware. All mindfulness exercises are training in the cultivation of attentive awareness. When we do something as simple as chewing a grape with mindfulness, we are training in wisdom. We are training to see things clearly without distortion or illusion.” ‘Letting Go of the Person You Used to Be” Surya Das, Bantam 2003.
So as we meditate this evening let us be mindful that this is a practice that assists us to gain a greater measure of wisdom in our lives.
MEDITATION
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For a listing of the offerings from the Carmelite Centre go to www.thecarmelitecentremelbourne.org