Darkness is not black
Silence is not silent
Stillness is not still
Emptiness is not empty
Meditation is not meditate-ing
Somewhat less than 30 years ago in my undergrad intro to public speaking class I wrote a speech about meditation and called on the class to try it for some of its, then sparsely, published benefits. I remember the teacher rebuking me for making a speech with religious orientation. I was a rebel, so every speech from then on was somehow related to meditation. Needless to say I squeaked out with barely passing grades.
So, nearly thirty years later, I share my own detour from my own speech to others and my coming home with this:
Meditation is not sitting, with eyes closed, and silent with nothing on the mind in an empty room. I would challenge any religion that claims to own meditation. On the contrary, meditation is not even a verb- its a state that happens when, perhaps, all the senses connect to the whole and all happens just as it should. Everything happens as before- the mind chatters, the desires rise and fall, anticipation happens, memories replay, some foods create a lot of gas, some people piss you off, aches and pains come and go like the seasons, etc. But, something gradually changes or maybe it goes back to its own way.
The doors are everywhere; the key is in the heart; open it, and walk right in.
Silence is not silent
Stillness is not still
Emptiness is not empty
Meditation is not meditate-ing
Somewhat less than 30 years ago in my undergrad intro to public speaking class I wrote a speech about meditation and called on the class to try it for some of its, then sparsely, published benefits. I remember the teacher rebuking me for making a speech with religious orientation. I was a rebel, so every speech from then on was somehow related to meditation. Needless to say I squeaked out with barely passing grades.
So, nearly thirty years later, I share my own detour from my own speech to others and my coming home with this:
Meditation is not sitting, with eyes closed, and silent with nothing on the mind in an empty room. I would challenge any religion that claims to own meditation. On the contrary, meditation is not even a verb- its a state that happens when, perhaps, all the senses connect to the whole and all happens just as it should. Everything happens as before- the mind chatters, the desires rise and fall, anticipation happens, memories replay, some foods create a lot of gas, some people piss you off, aches and pains come and go like the seasons, etc. But, something gradually changes or maybe it goes back to its own way.
The doors are everywhere; the key is in the heart; open it, and walk right in.
Posts
