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deLord, In my opinion the human mind is incapable of actually understanding the dynamics of meditation, nor in my opinion can the human mind appreciate meditation. Now our heart is another thing. The joy of meditation comes from the core of our being and that is what we often call “our heart.”
There are lots of people who start a meditation practice and then they quite doing meditation because they feel they are not getting anything from it. Many years ago when I was deciding to learn how to meditate, a friend told me “do not have any expectations. If you are taught how to meditate, just do it.” I took that advice and I am glad I did. Sometimes analysis and expectations can get in the way of savoring a deep meditative experience.
The meditation experience will never be what we imaged or think it should be. The experience transcends mental activity, nonetheless, your mind will want to get involved in your meditation practice. The practice of meditation is a practice of self mastery. Primarily you learn how to master your thinking processes. You control your thoughts instead of letting your thoughts control you. A meditation practice requires steadfast trust in the practice process even if you do not know what that process is. It has nothing to do with reasoning or logic.
I have been doing meditation for more than 40-years, and my motivation for meditating has changed over the years. Today I say I meditate to remain centered and sane but that is not how it began. Meditation allows me to see clearer, and I feel guided through life by something deeper that is within me. It takes practice, mainly learning how to let go on deeper and deeper levels. Stillness allows us to go deeper within our own being. There is a Bible verse that says “Be still and know that I am God.” I think they are referring to being still inside.
The thing that really motivates me is what Socrates famously said, “Know Thyself." This is now the cornerstone of my life. To know myself on every level. Meditation helps me to do that. There is nothing wrong with living and ordinary life and not doing meditation. Meditation is thousands of years old; but it is not for everyone. It used to be only for the clergy of various religions but now it is available to the general public.
Monks may take a vow of silence for a period of time; that is a form of meditation. Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, Islamic, and Hindu ministers, priests, and other clergy practice meditation. Monks may take a vow of silence for a period of time; that is a form of meditation. Meditation is not new to humanity but it is rather new to the general public, although the general public in India and parts of Asia have long been familiar with meditation. There are lots of “holy” books from different religions that say, “the Kingdom of Heaven is within you.”
Aother phrase for inner silence is inner peace.
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