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History of Meditation
The word meditation comes from the Latin “meditatio"
meaning "contemplation". In Webster dictionary the word
meditate has the meaning
-
to engage in contemplation or reflection.
-
to
engage
in
mental
exercise
(as
concentration
on
one's
breathing
or
repetition
of a
mantra)
for
the
purpose
of
reaching
a
heightened
level
of
spiritual
awareness
-
to
focus
one's
thoughts
on:
reflect
on
or
ponder
over
Meditation in its current sense refers to Yogic
meditation that originated in India. In the late 19th
century, Theosophists adopted the word "meditation" to
refer to various spiritual practices drawn from
Hinduism, Buddhism, and other Eastern religions. Thus
the English word "meditation" does not exclusively
translate any single term or concept, and can be used to
translate words such as the Sanskrit “dhyana” and
“Samadhi”.
Meditation is usually defined as one of the following:
-
A state of
-
Relaxed
concentration
on
the
reality
of
the
present
moment.
-
Mind
dissolves
and
is
free
of
all
thoughts.
-
Concentration
in
which
the
attention
has
been
liberated
from
restlessness.
-
Focusing
the
mind
on a
single
object
(such
as
one's
breath,
or a
mantra)
-
A
mental
"opening
up"
to
the
divine,
invoking
the
guidance
of a
higher
power
-
Reasoned analysis of religious teachings (such as impermanence, for Buddhists). Impermanence (Sanskrit: anitya; Pāli: anicca; Tibetan: mi rtag pa; Chinese: wúcháng; Japanese: mujō) is one of the essential doctrines or three marks of Buddhism. The term expresses the Buddhist notion that everything, without exception, is constantly in flux, even planets, stars and gods. Human life embodies this flux in the aging process, the cycle of birth and rebirth (samsara),
and
in
any
experience
of
loss.
Because
things
are
impermanent,
attachment
to
them
is
futile,
and
leads
to
suffering.
The
only
true
end
of
impermanence
is
nirvana,
the
one
reality
that
knows
no
change,
decay
or
death.
-
From
the
point
of
view
of
psychology,
meditation
can
induce
an
altered
state
of
consciousness.
An
altered
state
of
consciousness
is
any
state
which
is
significantly
different
from
a
normative
waking
beta
wave
state.
The
expression
was
coined
by
Charles
Tart
and
describes
induced
changes
in
one's
mental
state,
almost
always
temporary.
Meditation even before being brought to the West it was used in secular contexts, such as the martial arts. |
