Meditation
I believe there is a certain kind of chauvinism within Buddhism and Asian religions about the practice of meditation. There is an exclusivism in the way Buddhism sees practice. One must devote the time and effort to meditation as an emptying of the mind. The feeling I always get when talking about meditation is the Buddhist understanding and action concerning meditation is superior to that of anyone else. This is a difficult concept as a Religious Scientist. We have a belief that is more in alignment with Chögyam Trungpa, a meditation master from Tibet and founder of the Shambala tradition in Boulder, CO. He held the wisdom of the world within his being and yet he was human with all the frailties. He always talked about meditating without any contents. In order to experience this state of being, he said, “It is necessary to practice what is known as mindfulness.” His definition of mindfulness means paying attention to the details of every thought and action. He believed this with his very being and it did not leave room for any other path. While I understand he was not attempting to be an exclusivist, he knew this worked. What it does, is present a problem for someone who wants to work with a different concept. On one hand, a person recognizes the divine nature of Chögyam Trungpa, on the other hand, that same person might hear God in a different way. The practice becomes convoluted if the there is no freedom and one might feel oppressed if one cannot practice as they are being called. What I have learned is to try many different ways of meditation, not holding any one to tightly to allow our Divine nature to shine forth more strongly in each moment. There is no correct way to meditate except what works for each of us. It’s up to each one of us to explore the possibilities and let God have its way with us.
God is all there is. The Divine surrounds and enfolds us in all that is good all the time. I know that as we listen to that still voice within, each of our paths is illumined. We walk these paths humbly with our heads held high as we are called to deepen our relationship with Spirit. With each meditation we enter into, the world becomes a place of love, peace, and harmony through us. I am so grateful for each of us as spiritual questors, that my heart swells to overflowing. I say thank you God and so it is!
