Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Adam713
But I believe we are doing a disservice to pass along the message that this is what meditation is about.
|
Hi Adam,
I think this is little bit like the famous story about the blind men and an elephant. Where they all touched a different part of the elephant - ear, trunk, leg, tail - and each said: "See, this is what an elephant is like".
"Meditation" can mean so many different things to different people. Like when you look around even in this forum, in "meditation" section - there's so many different practices and understandings people talk about ... well, if that's their practice then that's their practice. I also believe in practicing meditation as witnessing ... and just being present with whatever is ... not as talking to angels for example ... but then when I talk about meditation and want to be clear then I have to say that that's the kind of practice I mean when I say "mediation". And, well, even in Buddhism there is for example metta bhavana meditation ... which is not witnessing but consciously cultivating love and kindness.
And, well, of course people have romantic ideas, and very simplified ideas ... but that's just how it is. And especially in the field of spirituality where everything is quite fuzzy and hard-to-define. I personally have become quite allergic to the word "love" in spiritual circles, because in my opinion the more someone talks about love the more likely they are inauthentic people who try to ignore everything unpleasant in life ... believing that by ignoring the "shadow" side of life it will just disappear. In business you cannot ignore what you don't like or what's uncomfortable - you'll just go bankrupt quickly. In spirituality one can ignore anything, or believe anything ... and that's what people do.
But, well, in things spiritual people will always have very different ideas and different understanding ... so the best thing I can do is perhaps just to be clear about my own practice ... and practice patiently
Just some thoughts that came as a response to your post.