Meditation’s spiritual roots
Although many ordinary folks are meditating
these days (including, quite possibly, people you
know), the practice wasn’t always so readily
available. For centuries, monks, nuns, mystics,
and wandering ascetics preserved it in secret,
using it to enter higher states of consciousness
and ultimately to achieve the pinnacle of their
particular paths.
Highly motivated laypeople with time on their
hands could always learn a few techniques. But
the rigorous practice of meditation remained a
sacred pursuit limited to an elite few who were
willing to renounce the world and devote their
lives to it. (See Chapter 3 for more on the history
of meditation.)
How times have changed! From Beat Zen in the
�?0s and the influx of Indian yogis and swamis in
the �?0s to the current fascination with
Buddhism, meditation has definitely become
mainstream, and its practical benefits are
applauded in every medium, both actual and virtual.
(Have you ever checked out the Web sites
devoted to meditation?)
Meditation has been studied extensively in psychology
labs and reduced to formulas like the
Relaxation Response (a simple technique for
diminishing stress). Yet it has never entirely lost
its spiritual roots. In fact, the reason meditation
works so effectively is that it connects you with
a spiritual dimension, which different commentators
give different names, but I like to call
simply being. |
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