Meditation - Silent Illumination

Over the years I have attempted to define meditation to ultimately find that words are limiting to its essential meaning. I will, however, point to some things that I hope will stir your curiosity and desire to explore meditation for your own direct experience. 

At its root meditation seems to be a matter of practice. It is a willingness to sit down, hold the body gently still and observe what is actually happening. 

Observing the mind in meditation reveals an ongoing tension between the pure sensory experience of this magnificent universe and thoughts, opinions, beliefs and ideas. The natural quality of mind is spacious and open. Tension arises from a misunderstanding of the nature of things that come and go in the open space of mind. We believe our thoughts. 

By way of drawing attention into the pure light of Awareness, meditation breaks the boundaries of representation, definition, interpretation, and desire for more or less by revealing our attachment to a very narrow framework that has been programmed into our psyche. This narrow framework is a prison of conditioning. This prison has two imaginary bars that we imbue with the idea of security and happiness. This freezes awareness into solid beliefs and ideas that separate us from living wholeheartedly. 

Meditation removes the bars so that we may realize the space within which things arise. This allows for freedom to move about and breathe with buoyancy and strength.  It is here that the heart may soften. The self protective mechanisms of interpretation begin to reveal themselves and fall away. Then, slowly slowly, we begin to be with life as it is arising. Not as a thought or belief, but very simply being with each moment whether it is harmonious or inharmonious.

It is within this space of curiosity and sensitivity that truth is revealed. Meditation is a Way of Truth.