There have been lots of connotations of the word “meditation” and it has been like that for the past several years. No one really, or shall I say, fully understands this uttered word or even completely define such practice. Though we admit that we usually hear them, most of the religious people, say that they do practice such ritual. No one really knows. Or better yet leave it to their keeping – a sense of respect to those few who deems it that way. But what really is meditation? How did, does and will it affect one’s living? Or will it ever affect man? Questions left unanswered up until now.
Commonly, people would tend to go somewhere isolated where they can be alone and set their minds in the rhythm of nature – to find comfort and inner peace, to focus on the here and now. It would entirely depend on one’s culture and tradition – an arbitrary. But, nonetheless, however or whichever it may be, it all comes down to one thing, a branch of learning that ameliorates us to find an inner haven of tranquility, vigor and astuteness. It is a burning zeal – fervor for unity and sovereignty. It is something that we can always fall back on whenever our paths and focus go astray, our lifeline so to say.
It may or may not affect you but sooner or later you’ll realize its fundamental nature – may it be spiritual, physical, physiological and psychological. Each has its different effects on man scientifically speaking. And it has always been a channel for self-renewal, security and an augmented worth of existence.
We may not know it but it had at least once in our lives passed through our veins running like oxygen to our blood streams. It comes unnoticed. You may be sitting on a couch and suddenly feel a sudden gust of the breeze touching your soft skin and unexpectedly got enchanted by it and you feel each passing wind like it were going to be your last – a moment that you won’t want to ignore, a moment you won’t cease to come into contact with.
With all these, one gets to go through and discover what fate has in stored for us – a submission of one’s self, of one’s being, of one’s soul. Time and again, you’ll foresee that it is not only for some bubble-like religious societies but it is, too, for any living and existing soul there is no matter what, regardless of faith and upbringing.
I wish to emphasize that it is not only for some social-gathering purposes that we do such ritual. It has, basically, turned into some stereotypical, party-like jamboree for the rich and aristocrats – a hoax.
These people seem to have forgotten the core values that accentuate the different facets of such ritual. We tend to lose attention in instituting ourselves in the contemporary and present split second with convergence and unfussiness. We become unaware in cultivating a consciousness that is insubstantial, divested, lucid, and receptive. We fail to understand the power that moves us in our acts, conduct and even our relationships. And eventually end up being so uncompassionate toward others and too focused and bothered on ourselves alone – narcissism and self-centeredness. It is in the here and now, in the real essence of contentment and plainness. All these are the foundations on which we build our love and reverence to our lives.
We should never do extremes that would solely kill its real meaning. We should always have this right attitude toward it. It may be hard though but it’ll surely give you a good sigh of relief after all. One must always have the willingness to learn, an open-mind, patience in everything you do, the motivation to keep you going a life filled with simplicity and dedication. Most importantly, the humility to accept that you too falter, that you are human.
With all these in you, we may be able to find that happiness our hearts have long been longing for. We turn away from making a barrier out of the fantasies we always deem real. We get to accept the world and its imperfections and ignore all our disillusionments, anxieties, infirmity and bewilderments. We unleash our capacities to think harmoniously with the world and everything there is and have that creativity in looking towards life in a very optimistic way. Sooner or later, we begin to see clearly the mode in which we can affect the world, its people and by the manner that we too are affected by it. We begin to see that our wreckness changes into clearness, our entrapments to liberty, dissatisfaction and forlorn to exhilaration, and our anxieties to tranquility. “For he who pursues righteousness and kindness will find life and honor (Proverbs 21:21).”
