"On Meditation"
January 23, 2013
Have a Sacred Space.
It came up to speak about "Meditation." It has been one of the greatest gifts in quieting the "monkey mind" that goes on throughout ones day.
Prior to Meditation, there was nothing but the "monkey mind", one thought chasing another thought, linking to another thought, following another thought.
It seemed that Meditation appeared in stages, first there was a driving Meditation (in the car) with a cassette tape my mother gave called "The Infinite Self" by Stuart Wilde, which shared the story of his life, the undertaking of quieting the mind, his Teachers and his discipline. At the end of the 12th tape there is a recording of the Theta-Metronome. Would put this in the car on my drive to school and would listen to him share things that were both hard to believe, yet absolutely believable and so the first taste of Meditation was in the car.
In the tapes Stuart recommends doing something pointless (he offered many example), one was to get up every morning and take a rock (the same rock) and move it from one side of the yard to the other. At the time I had two young children, and it was tough at first getting up so early (when I could be sleeping in) but did it ... got up and went to the backyard each day (feeling quite dumb about it actually, wondering what the neighbors thought - but believing in him). Would move the rock from one side of the yard (slowly) to the other. Don't recall how long this was done for, however it was long enough to make a lasting impression and an impact. There was something about doing something, with no benefit, other than the doing, that shifted this mind.
The second taste of Meditation was through Unity Church. My mother was a member and although there was not ever much of a draw to be at church there was something different about this one. Was 22 years old and a bit of a rebel. Some Sundays I would go there completely hung over after partying all night and knew that people there knew ... but they didn't judge and could feel that they weren't judging and this created a willingness to be there ... so continued showing up.
Each Sunday Rev. Al (cannot remember his last name right now) would start with a 5 minute silent Meditation. In the beginning, it was the longest 5 minutes of my life. Either the thoughts were racing and it was like a literal hell or the time would go so slow (like when you would look at the clock on the wall during the last minutes of school). Eventually it started to become something that was looked forward to not so much the service itself but the Meditation time. It became the only 5 minutes of Peace that would be had each week, though I didn't know that at the time.
The third and lasting introduction into Meditation came through myTeacher. Had had an unexplainably intense experience, beyond all experience during a Meditation back in 1999 - that was so mind-blowing that one came out of it frightened and depressed to be back in "this world" after being removed from it completely and any trace of who I was in the world.
From that there had became a fear to Meditate, could not understand what had been Revealed and went on years of searching for answers, until myTeacher appeared, which was in a few short years of that experience.
There was much resistance to Meditation for years after our Meeting myTeacher. He opened a room every morning through Yahoo Messenger and many would sit with him. I was not a regular for a long time. However, He and Meditation eventually won and a pattern set in which began getting this body up every morning sometime between 4:30 and 5am to log into the computer and sit with myTeacher and the others who had also come to sit together. This went on for many, many years. Will not lie and say it was an easy undertaking. It is a discipline that at first, at least for this one, was quite challenging. There would be physical pains in the back and legs, there would be thoughts of fear or of having more important things to do. However, over time and consistency and through the commitment to Meditation and being with myTeacher each day, it continued on.
The commitment in the beginning was a (1) 1/2 hour every day from 5 to 5:30am (2) to not move (3) to let the thoughts be there without trying to fix or change them (4) to sit through the beautiful thoughts, the ugly thoughts, the good one, the bad ones, the ones that say do this and do that and not move.
Meditation will give you anything, it is actually quite the opposite … you give everything to it and it will take things away, things you didn't know you had or were holding onto. This can be good news or bad news depending on what you want to keep. For this one, it has been one of the Greatest Gifts life has provided and life is becoming a more conscious Living Meditation everyday.
So this Gift that has been received is being offered to you if interested … find a quiet place, make it your sacred place and set aside a certain amount of time each day and commit to being there, like the mailman, rain or shine, it is your priority. You may wish to have a picture of your Teacher (if you have one) or of something that calms you, light a candle in front of it before you begin, have a slight stretch and if you like incense, slowly smell it before lighting it and then sit back and let what comes, come and don't move. Eventually you will begin to be cleared out of who you think you are (thoughts), and it is Revealed ... who you Are (before thought).
Currently I sit for Meditation 3 times a day. It is always a different experience. Have not once had a Meditation that was like any other prior. I am at Meditation every morning at 5 to 5:30am PST, feel free to join in, you do not have to be in one's physical presence to be there. If you would like to let me know that you are there, I would love to hear from you.
