HealingDeva.com

[Bobin]

What is meditation ? What is the point ?

Some forms of meditation have a goal, some do not. Forms without a goal, Zazen for example, often carry some form of enligntenment as a reward. Forms with a specific goal in mind typically involve direction of thought into the subconcious mind. Thoughts are difficult to direct to the subconscious mind, but if they successfully are, they will manifest, thus accomplishing the goal.

Meditation without thought is a Zen concept called Zazen, or the practice of meditation without thinking, and is enlightenment in itself. Zazen is done without any goal or object of concentration. Nirvana, the ultimate state of awareness and harmony, follows.

Meditation using an symbolic object of concentration is to direct your attention away from the conscious mind and to the subconscious. The object may be a mantra, sigil, image, or any other symbolic representation of a desired goal. Language does not easily transcend from the conscious mind to the subconcious. The symbolic object and the desire it represents will pass to the subconcious without any problem. By the way, the mantra MUST have meaning to actually work; creation of your own mantras is very simple. If someone gives you a mantra, it is usless for the purpose of directing thoughts to the subconcious mind.

Meditation can also be used to relax the mind. The quietness of your environment, and ceasing to think about the cares of the day and directing your thoughts to more relaxing ideas or images is all this takes. This is a simple form of meditation.

Other forms of meditation, such as Kundalini meditaion, have specific goals in mind. Kundalini meditaion is a method directing energy into the spiritual body. Continued practice leads to a form of enligntenment.

Meditation on scriptures, sentences, or verbalized wishes, at least the way most people seem to meditate in this way, is merely a way to overload the concious mind with a particular thought. Meditation is this way is of little value, other than causing memorization of the object of meditation. At times, a deeper meaning may be found, but there are much easier ways to accomplish deeper understanding.

A few things to be aware of ...

The subconcious mind DOES NOT understand a negative thought construct. It only understands the positive. Therefore ... if the goal is to introduce a concept into the subconcious, and it is worded like

"It is my desire to not eat bad foods"

The subconcious will completely ignore the word "not", and the meditative process will introduce the concept

"It is my desire to eat bad foods"

instead.

Hermetic principles also tell us that the subconcious mind also does not understand the past or future, only the present, or the "here and now". This is consistant with the "all time is now" concept of the astral plane. The similarities between the subconcious mind and the astral plane are amazing. The subconcious mind is your link to the spirit world. This should not be suprising, since most spiritual experiences, spiritual goals, religious groups, and so on have some form of meditation associated with it. Interesting to note is that Jesus spent an considerable amount of time in meditation, a practice that is seemingly void in followers of Christianity today.

There are many forms of meditation, all different in technique and with different goals. Thoughts are difficult to direct to the subconcious mind, "empty headed" meditation is not truly void in the sense that nothing is accomplished. In fact, the opposite is true ... great things may be accomplshed through directly controlling what enters your subconcious mind.

Meditation, using an symbolic object such as a mantra, sigil, image, or any other symbolic representation of a desired goal, can direct the goal into the subconcious mind. When it enters the subconcious, it will manifest in the physical world. Truly, what could be easier? Subliminal messages and hypnosis, bu the way, are other methods used to direct thoughts into the subconcious mind.

... It works like this ... a goal is directed from the concious mind to subconcious mind, at which point the energy of the thought is introduced into the astral plane, your link to the spiritual world or spiritual plane. Once entering the spiritual plane, the thought can and will change the course of your existence, and that of others as well. "As above, so below", a phrase that states that whatever happens in the spiritual plane eventually manifests in the physical world, is derrived from this process.

[Terri R.]

[Starreiki]

I know what you mean! LOL

[Paz]

If Zen is without thought, then how does one achieve Nirvana? I thought that Nirvana is the peace that is attained by eliminating suffering. If this is the case, is there not some empirical thought process involved?

[Terri R.]

In my humble opinion, one does not achieve Nirvana through/with active thought. You're correct in saying that Nirvana "is the peace that is attained by eliminating suffering." However, it's not a matter of "eliminating suffering." It's detachment for all desires (which is the source of suffering and delusion)... utter detachment... an absolute state of emptiness.

There are two kinds of Nirvana generally admitted. The first is an incomplete, or 'residual' Nirvana, which is the experience of Nirvana which occurs while a person is still alive. The second is the 'non-residual' Nirvana, also called 'parinirvana' ('perfect nirvana'). This is the Nirvana of one who is awakening fully open death of the physical body. Being freed from the phyiscal/body, the Nirvana is complete.

[Bobin]

Why do we make Zen difficult. Zen is easy !!! If we can think our way to nirvana, that would be too hard. Thinking causes a pain. Eliminate that thought, and the pain is gone. The answer will not come through thinking. Not thinking is very hard. Zen is very hard.