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Mostly we are taught, shown or made to practice
one or other form of meditation. There are dozens of kinds
and dozens more variations of each kind. It is better to
first inquire into the purpose and effects of meditation.
It is, roughly divided into concentration or one pointedness,
contemplation or just looking and meditation to practice
on a specific target. Indian yoga goes strongly for visualisation
here. One might imagine a matchbox, peel it apart, put it
together, turn it around until one can 'see' it in 3D mode.
Actually our body's mind 'Thinks' and maps its world, inner
and outer in 3D format so our body and awareness is always
placed at stage centre of the mapping.
Control is also a strong feature of yogic
meditation, turning things on and off, making them happen
or not. Personally I am much against only control. It is
better to be flexible in one's ways. Control is as important
as giving over, allowing things to happen as they do. One
cannot study or observe things unless one observes them
without interfering. Should one interfere it needs the lightest
possible touch that will have effects. Most people start
with too much or too heavy. This leads to stifling action
and what is known as quietism. Nothing happens and nothing
can happen. Standstill is not a feature of this universe.
One should be able to empty or blank the mind, but that
is something wholly else. If done properly "It fills, it
empties". One 'should' be able to do this with detachment
or non-interference. Then we can learn what and how it happens.
We cannot change things unless we first know how it works.
That, more or less, explains the purpose
or intent of meditation. One goes inside in search of what
happens, how it happens, what it is up to and doing in there.
It is, a way to gain control or mastery and awareness of
one's mind, psyche, soul, being, life style and life path.
One can name it in many ways. Mastery does not consist of
playing boss. It consists of knowing how things happen and
to what end and being able to tune in with the ways of the
universe, which are the same as the ways of mind and body.
Our self or ego gives us the impression that we are in
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charge of body, mind and spirit. It so
happens that the body is in the mind but the mind is not
in the body. As to spirit, it is what moves everything and
quite intangible, untouchable but quite usable. We have,
so to speak, the use of spirit but nobody can own or master
it. Spirit in-spires mind and makes it alive.
All this comes in levels, or like a ladder
or range of frequencies, name it as you like. We begin at
a lowest level and learn how that works. Then we put our
house in order at that level, at which the next one shows
up. As put by alchemy, keep on repeating until you get there.
For most all of this it takes many lives, but some of us
are slow and others fast learners. The only thing here that
is of any use to us is what we can learn in our own right.
This is called wisdom. What you learn at one step of the
ladder comes in useful on the next. Along the way we learn
that the rules or laws of the universe are everywhere the
same, and that includes body, mind and spirit. At that stage
things turn easier. Rather than focus on the bits and pieces,
the content we go for how the content is held together and
kept there.
That is the structure, or how it all connects
together. Structure is made up by the rules of how it works.
The way yoga teaches this it all takes
years upon years. One can shorten the way by one's understanding
how rules or laws govern structure which controls the uses
and products of content. For example, the senses, automatically,
pre-process incoming data. As we interpret, judge and label
this we define how it will be used. A sausage machine works
the same way. Someone designs it, someone manufactures it,
someone uses it. Our design or ego, or character, combines
genetic, social and past life events we take in and use:
body, mind and spirit. Mind is for understanding, Spirit
to have things happen. Each of these, so to speak, have
their own mind or regulator or computer. Our task, should
we undertake it, is to integrate all three and make them
work properly.
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Perceptions
Awakened Perceptions
