Meditation is the method of realizing, or reflectively considering, a religious truth in order to arrive at a personal understanding and love for what it signifies. It is an important part of Buddhism and Hinduism but also appears in Christianity and Islam. Although usually considered a means toward developing the spiritual life of a religious person, meditation is not necessarily a religious practice. Transcendental Meditation (TM), for example, is used by many people to attain peace of mind. TM is a version of yogic practices (see YOGA) that was introduced into the West by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the late 1960s. It does not have a doctrinal content and is practiced by both religious (of any persuasion) and nonreligious people. Among the most important ways to meditate that were developed within Christianity are those of Saint IGNATIUS LOYOLA, the founder of the Jesuits. He encouraged his followers to use their minds and especially their imaginations in order to re-create a scene from the life of Christ; for example, to enter the scene as a participant, to use their senses in order to engage their whole selves in the meditation, and then to complete the period of meditation by a time of prayer brought on by the exercise of the imagination and senses on the biblical text or life under consideration. As a religious practice, meditation is a means to PRAYER. After some time in meditation the individual usually directs his or her spiritual life into a more contemplative and quiet mode. Contemplation, as opposed to meditation, is a nondiscursive form of prayer. Concepts and thoughts are viewed as distractions, and the human spirit is led to a quietness in prayer that is sometimes called the prayer of simplicity. In most schools of spirituality, meditation precedes and leads to contemplation.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Jul 2013 19:53:55 +0000
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