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Cognitive
Behavior Therapy Institute
and
CyberClinic
Training in Meditation
"The universe (or God) is always willing to respond to an harmonious
note emitted by those in tune with the infinite Word of creation. To
find that note within the self has ever been the most important action
of the mystery seeker. Initiation leads towards just this point; study
and self-observation, discipline and obedience, self-abdication: all
acts of the adept are aimed first at realizing the divine harmonic
within himself and then in tuning this to include the whole of the
creation in which he stands."
(Caitlin and John Matthews, The Western Way: A practical Guide to the Western Mystery Tradition, p. 33)
"Your
duty is to Be, and not to be this or that . . .
'I Am That I Am' sums up the whole truth; the method is summarized in
'Be
Still.'"
(Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi)
Before one can learn to focus away from unhelpful thoughts in the midst
of home, social and work
demands, it is helpful to learn how to slow
down the mind while sitting still.
Think about it. If you can't slow down your mind and feel at peace when
you're
sitting quietly doing nothing with no distractions, how could you
possibly feel
centered when surrounded by the fast pace and chaos that defines many
of the
environments that we are in contact with each day?
Beginning meditation training involves (1) finding a sitting position
that is
physically comfortable, either cross-legged or kneeling on the floor,
kneeling
with the support of a stool, or sitting in a chair; (2) learning how
to breath from the diaphragm rather than from the chest (which is a
hallmark of
anxious breathing), but most of all just breathing comfortably; (3)
becoming skillful at maintaining the focus of attention
on the breath, returning to this focus each time that you notice that
you have
drifted off into one or another stream of thought; and (4) developing a
daily
meditation practice that accommodates the demands of home and work.
Some clients are initially wary of engaging in meditation practice
because they think of it as uniquely a
Buddhist religious activity. In fact, as
Herbert Benson makes clear in his book "The Relaxation Response,"
meditation has also been practiced by and written about over the
centuries by
historical figures of the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths (see
below for
some examples). Today, meditation instruction is a component of many
nonsectarian stress-reduction programs in hospitals and
complementary medicine clinics.
"The
basic kind of Zen practice is called zazen (sitting
Zen), and in zazen we attain samadhi. In this state
the activity of consciousness is stopped and we cease to be aware of
time, space, and causation. The mode of existence which thus makes its
appearance may at first sight seem to be nothing more than mere being,
or existence. However, if you really attain this state you will find it
to be a
remarkable thing . . . But it is not a vacuum or mere nothingness
. . . There is a definite wakefulness in it. It is a
condition of existence that recalls the impressive silence and
stillness that we experience in the heart of the mountains."
(Katsuki Sekida, 1985, Zen Training: Methods and Philosophy,
pp. 29-30)
"Man,
being a microcosm of the universe, has within him all five sheaths --
matter,
life, mind, intellect and bliss. He alone, of all forms of creation,
has the
ability to unfold all of these sheaths and free his soul to become one
with God.
Yoga, as described in the Bhagavad Gita, and elucidated in these
present
stanzas, is the method through which this liberation can be attained.
By the
correct practice of meditation, the accomplished yogi, through pranayama,
or life-force control, "unfolds" the life-energy sheath (pranayama
kosha). He finds that this life energy is the link between
matter and
Spirit. With mastery of the life force, he realizes the true nature of
matter
(the annamaya kosha) as a delusive objectification
of Spirit. And as the
inwardly flowing limited sense-mind (manomaya kosha),
that sheath unfolds
so that the discriminative qualities of the intellect sheath or buddhi
(jnanamaya
kosha) can predominate in his life and in his meditation. The
cultivation of
discriminative qualities by right spiritual action and yoga meditation
gives him
ultimately the ability to roll back the intellect sheath to reveal the
fine
bliss sheath (anandamaya kosha), which is the
causal-body covering of his
soul with its faculty of pure all-knowing intuition and wisdom.
Unfolding the
bliss sheath in deepest meditation, the yogi merges his soul in
blissful oneness
with God."
(Paramahansa Yogananda, 2005, God Talks with Arjuna, The
Bhagavad Gita, Royal
Science of God-Realization, pp. 64-65)
"The Rambam writes (Mishneh Torah, Hil. Tefillah 4:15-16): 'What is to
be understood by concentration of the mind? He should free his mind
from all extraneous thoughts and should realize that he is standing
before the Divine Presence. Therefore, he should sit a while before
beginning his prayers, so as to concentrate his mind, and then pray in
gentle tones, beseechingly, and not regard the service as a
burden which he is carrying and which he will cast off before
proceeding on his way. He should, accordingly, sit awhile after
concluding
the prayers, and then leave. The early Chasidim were wont to pause one
hour before the service, one hour after the service, and take one
hour to recite it.'"
(Siddur Nechamas Yisrael, Mishnah Study, Berachos
5:1)
"If the heart wanders or is distracted, bring it back to the point
quite
gently and replace it tenderly in its Master's presence. And even if
you did
nothing during the whole of your hour but bring your heart back and
place it
again in Our Lord's presence, though it went away every time you
brought it
back, your hour would be very well employed."
(St. Francois de Sales, quoted in Aldous Huxley, The
Perennial Philosophy,
/1944/2004, p. 285)
"In 'meditation' (muraqabat) we recognise a form of
self-concentration similar to the Buddhistic dyana
and samadhi.
This is what the Prophet meant when he said 'Worship God as though thou
sawest
Him, for if thou seest Him not, yet He sees thee.' Anyone who feels
sure that
God is always watching over him will devote himself to meditating on
God . . .
Nuri used to meditate so intently that not a hair on his body stirred.
He
declared that he had learned this habit from a cat which was observing
a
mouse-hole, and that she was far more quiet than he."
(Reynold A. Nicholson, 1914/1989, The Mystics of Islam, pp. 48-49)
"The Dude abides" (The Big Lebowski)
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