Dear Member,
By Enquiries
Meditation
A number of newer members, writing in response to these letters, have asked about meditation and particularly about the theosophical view of meditation. So it seems well to pause at this point in our discussions of various theosophical concepts and principles to consider this subject.
All the great religions have advocated the practice of some form of inner discipline. Whether this discipline be found in prayer, in yoga, in meditation, or in some other practice, it is a means by which the individual is drawn closer to the source of their own being to gain light and strength for more meaningful living. In the western world, the emphasis for centuries has been largely on prayer; only in more recent times has meditation become more prominent. Prayer and meditation are not identical, although there is a definite relationship between them and often there are ways in which the two practices do overlap, especially if prayer is something other than an attempt to flatter God or to petition God for special favours.
It may be suggested that the increasing interest in meditation seems to arise from a deep need within individuals to know themselves, to find a psychological and spiritual basis for action that is wise, true, integrated - action which springs from the centre rather than from the periphery of awareness. Many are finding in the practice of meditation a way to inner freedom and serenity, however restricted or troubled the outer circumstances of their lives may be.
The mind is essentially dual in its functioning; it can be turned either outward to the world of sense perception or inward to the world of spiritual realities. Meditation is the art of turning inward at will. The theosophical author, Adelaide Gardner, has said: 'The technique of meditation was devised, and still exists, to assist people individually to uncover within themselves that deeply hidden Centre of the one creative Life that is the divine birthright of every member of the human race.' (Meditation: A Practical Study) Meditation is not a retreat from life. It is not losing oneself in sentimental daydreaming. Rather, meditation is a positive act, a means by which daily life becomes reorientated and one gains mastery over one's destiny.
A number of practical study aids are listed in the attachment to this letter. There are so many methods of meditation that is impossible to discuss them all, even briefly; different people find different methods effective, so it really comes to a point where each one of us must find that way which is unique to ourselves. However, it needs to be recognised that meditation is a definite technique, an ordered discipline, and it is well to follow guidelines which have been given by those who have gone before us along this way. Once we are familiar with the general patterns or guidelines, we can adapt these to our inner needs and responses.
Perhaps you are one of those who have already attained proficiency in meditation. But if not, it is well to know that success is not achieved overnight. Sincerity, patience, and determination are essential. It has been said that constant practice and non-attachment to results are the two major requisites. Perhaps you have practised meditation in previous lives, and so you may find it easier this time to develop the necessary qualities. It has been said, though, that even if one has completely mastered the technique in other ages, one must still train the present personality to respond to the inner will. A common temptation among those who aspire deeply is to try to force results by shortcut methods which may do violence to the personality. We do not remake ourselves by violence! Again to quote Adelaide Gardner, 'In meditation, one begins the long and often tedious task of altering the personal mind so that it becomes no longer automatically responsive to the emotions and the senses, but turns naturally for stimulus and direction to the Divine Self, the Root of All.' And by a strange paradox, one begins to be successful when one no longer expects success.
Meditation is not so much the impetus which sets our inner pendulum in motion as it is the removal of all obstacles which deflect the natural vibration of this pendulum. We can never determine the results in advance, or even the results we should like to achieve. If we can look without fear or prejudice at what comes in those moments of inner silence, inner creative evocation of the Divine Self, we can begin to discover our true nature. We begin to free ourselves of external shackles and to fill our waking hours with the newly-won experience of inner peace. The inner clarity and direction which we achieve becomes not merely our own possession, but something that enriches our whole environment and, indirectly, the world. Meditation is therefore one of the most valuable forms of service in which we can engage. For when we are peaceful within, we bring peace to all whom we meet.
Those who have reached a degree of mastery in the practice of meditation stress the importance of regularity. A few minutes each day, given to turning the attention away from outer concerns and seeking that inner Centre which is the Immortal Self, are more productive than a much longer period at irregular intervals. There are reasons for this, some of them quite obvious. But one thing that is not generally realised is that day-by-day persistence, even if we feel we are getting no results, serves at the mental and emotional levels the same salutary purpose that daily physical exercise serves in maintaining bodily health and well-being. The time comes when we realise that we have developed in ourselves new powers of observation, of concentration, of compassion, of loving understanding, and of vision.
In meditation, we embark upon an adventure of self-recreation. Advice given by the great Neoplatonist, Plotinus, some seventeen hundred years ago is as pertinent today as when it was written, so let me close with his words:
Withdraw into yourself and look. And if you do not find yourself beautiful as yet, do as does the creator of a statue that is to be made beautiful; he cuts away here, he smooths there, he makes this line lighter, this other purer, until he has shown a beautiful face upon the statue.
So do you also; cut away all that is excessive, straighten all that is crooked, bring light to all that is shadowed, labour to make all glow with beauty, and do not cease chiselling your statue until there shall shine out on you the godlike splendour of virtue, until you shall see the final goodness surely established in the stainless shrine.
Some Suggested Reading
There are so many books on the subject of meditation that it is difficult to select just a few, but the following may be particularly helpful to anyone who has not yet taken up the regular practice of meditation.
Approaches to Meditation, ed. Virginia Hanson
Meditation: A Practical Study, Adelaide Gardner
Concentration, Ernest Wood
Meditations on the Occult Life, Geoffrey Hodson
Finding the Quiet Mind, Robert Ellwood
Reflective Meditation, Kay Mouradian
Meditation, Its Practice and Results, Clara Codd
Creative Meditation and Multi-Dimensional Consciousness, Lama Anagarika Govinda
Visual Meditations on the Universe, James S. Perkins
Read More Now
And for a deeper study, The Diagram of Meditation.
