more thoughts on meditation
I think it is very important for me to attempt to express that I definitely believe that mindfulness meditation is incredibly beneficial regardless if practiced within a religious or secular context. Physiologically I believe this topic is still undergoing research but personally I have noticed the benefits of such a practice. This is a very delicate notion to express but since it has helped me so much I feel like it is necessary that I share this information.
The primary definition of the word meditate within the English language is the act of mental contemplation. This is the first point of confusion that I'd like to point out. Within mindfulness meditation one is being mindful of mental contemplation, but just in a very specific manner. In referencing a Buddhist style of meditation, there is a certain Pali term: Sati. This term translates to: remembering. This is considered the correct style of contemplation to engage in while meditating, while mindfulness is: being consciously aware of what it is that you're remembering.
While I am seeking to explain this as clearly as I can, since the phrase mindfulness meditation has deep religious roots, I want to try to also express this in a modern secular manner. Think of potentially focusing ones mind on recalling or remembering the words of a particular song. During this process, one is being mindful about what it is that they are trying to recall, and also they are in mental contemplation of searching their memory for the retrieval of information that is related to the song. In this way it is also very similar to the Buddhist example I provided of practicing mindfulness meditation. The key difference to be noted here is that in the religious example, there is great potency ingrained within the content one is recollecting from memory. While within the secular example, there is not any spiritual potency infused within the recollection of the song. The primary difference here is the concept of spirituality. Both are activities of the mind engaging in memory-based recollection.
The primary reason I wanted to share about mindfulness meditation is that the style of using ones memory recollection seems to be a very important neurological task from a physiological standpoint. This is where I feel that talking about the way one conducts their mental activity is directly correlated with their physical well-being makes for a very delicate topic. I am attempting to do my best at potentially sharing this proces regardless of any particular style of belief. I just think that the act of fixating or ruminating upon thoughts, emotions, or memories that are of a destructive climate should not be allowed to dominate ones mental atmosphere.
To reference one last concept that I have personally found to be a major concept is that of emptiness. Another concept that I had to investigate while learning how to engage in mindfulness meditation was that of nothingness or emptiness. The idea of meditating to me for a long time seemed to be the esoteric practice of emptying ones mind, or of having a blank mind. As it turns out, that is very far from everything that I have learned recently in regards to practicing meditation. I have observed that the mind is incredibly powerful and is at times able to hold multiple thoughts simultaneously. I learned this while observing mental thoughts during mindfulness meditation. When I use the term emptiness, it is simply referencing the space in which a thought has yet to occur within. Relative to thoughts, their contrary is nothingness.
Within the climates of sadness, grief, boredom, and anxiety, all things that are negative emotional states, nothingness seems to be a key part of their fundamental structure. I always thought that fundamental things served as the foundation of whatever things are built after the fundamental starting pieces. Considering that, I once identified emptiness to be the fundamental starting-point for terrible negative states of sadness, boredom, meaningless and grief. A very important correction is needed in this style of thinking. Emptiness is simply the space that exists in which an abstract thought, experience, or thing has yet to inhabit. Before that, it is merely a neutral empty state.
I believe mindfulness meditation is a very valuable process that either religious or secular people should engage in. I think that the idea of recalling the words of a popular song that provokes positive energy is a very healthy act of recollecting. I also think that recalling powerfully spiritual passages that are read, and potentially memorized by many people that can be infused with positive energy. Generally the meanings of a popular song, or a spiritual passage are wielded to be such to instigate positive emotions. This is another place in which the topic becomes incredibly delicate, in that, at times the popular support of a particular piece of music does not exclusively reside in the objective direction of goodness.
The appreciation of emptiness as being a calm neutral fundamental state of the mind is also a powerful and meaningful thing to discover. Learning that there is a state that can serve as a mental resting place is tremendously valuable and powerful indeed. I think the act of mindfulness meditation can lead to revealing the path to discovering such a wonderful neutral state. I do believe that another essential and important activity that must be practiced and done consistently to ensure this neutral point is not engulfed by many terrible points of mind is physical fitness. Recreational drugs are almost always that which deter physical fitness, so although this is intended to be for everyone regardless of religion, drugs are almost always very physical destructive.
Ultimately, I think this post is primarily about the topic of focusing upon healthy mental exercise for ones brain (and spirit if you think such a thing exists). The neutral task of mindfulness meditation is about reaching a point of well-being. I am going to reference a fantastic book that really helped guide me down this path of learning the practice of meditation: Passage Meditation by Eknath Easwaren.
Cheers!
周培森