MEDITATION: 1. A Brief Intro to Meditation As a Search for Enlightenment
In our current society, almost everybody seems to have embraced meditation. Globally, there are about 200–500 million people who meditate. This large number of global meditators is a peculiar fact because, for the longest time, meditation was a reserve of the spiritually enlightened.
Meditation has become more popular due to the internet, which makes it easier for just about anybody to find information on meditation. However, this abundance of information of varying credibility can be a little overwhelming for a beginner.
Thus, this post is specifically for the beginner who wants to get started with meditation for enlightenment. Read this post to know exactly what you are getting yourself into even before you start getting your Zen on.
This article does not go into depth on the types of meditation. It is, however, just a guide for beginners to start understanding meditation by self-reflection. As you will see, meditation involves rigorous and honest self-reflection.
What Is Meditation?
Meditation refers to any technique that enhances your awareness to achieve a specific purpose. There are numerous meditation techniques; however, the common end goal of all these methods is the calming of the mind to achieve a super focus on an intended objective. However, this definition is so general that it does not capture the intention of this article. This article is specifically written for those who want to meditate to achieve serenity.
In the context of achieving peace, meditation refers to using awareness techniques to achieve serenity. Serenity is a state of inner peace and calmness. Meditation, therefore, has a spiritual connotation, and as such, this post assumes the reader is seeking spiritual enlightenment through meditation.
To meditate in such a way, you must have either one or all of the following notions:
- You believe that you have a spirit (inner existence) and must connect more deeply with it for serenity;
- You are suffering or have previously suffered, either through depression or constant unhappiness, and you believe there is a better way to live life;
- You desire a life of spiritual enlightenment for self-improvement;
- You suffer from bad habits and wish to free yourself;
- You suffer from anxiety;
- You suffer from procrastination and attention deficit disorder;
- You seek order in your life;
- You want more meaningful relationships;
- You are tired of living a life of mediocrity and want to actualize your full potential;
- You believe your life has a deeper, more meaningful purpose;
- You want to be truly HAPPY;
- You want to experience SERENITY.
Likewise, you may not be here for any of the above reasons, but the fact that you have made it this far means you are willing to further self-introspect.
How to Meditate
Anyone claiming to hold a fixed formula to meditation is a deceiver. The only truth about meditation is that it requires a lot of practice. You cannot just achieve peace overnight after your first session of meditation, and if you do, it probably won’t last.
Popular culture, in the form of movies and fictional books, has most impressionable people fooled that meditation is either too hard or too easy. Meditation is not as easy as cooking an egg, nor is it rocket science. Meditation is as easy as your philosophy allows it.
The key to meditating is finding a philosophy whose explanation about your existence suits you and innately whispers of peace from a distance. Trying to meditate without a suitable understanding of who you are and why you are on this planet is almost impossible. Unless, of course, your reasons for meditation are superficial and not rooted in spirituality. The first step toward successful meditation is finding a suitable spiritual foundation.
In ‘The myth of Sisyphus,’ Albert Camus explained the importance of an individual’s philosophy when he wrote that a true philosopher must abide by his philosophy. We are all true philosophers, for we abide by a certain philosophy. Before starting your meditation journey, you have to ask yourself, ‘ what is my philosophy, and do I really believe it?’.
If your answer to this fundamental question is no, then you must honestly re-evaluate yourself and find that philosophy that truly resonates with your conscience. There are various ways you can examine and nurture your personal philosophy.
If the answer to your question is a resounding yes, then you can begin your journey to enlightenment with meditation.
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This article is the first of a series of articles dedicated to enlightenment and self-awareness topics.
2. How to Sincerely Nurture Your Personal Philosophy
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Contact the author through email: mwangimuchiriafrika@gmail
