five verses on training the mind
by Vinay Gupta • June 26, 2008 • Personal • 2 Comments
I gave ten years
to sharpening the axe
and weaving the noose
I learned to wait with patience
while the cogs of life
spun to my desired settings
You must treat the mind
as a body to be cultured
before climbing into space
the delicate coordination
of extraordinary
and mundane
is the key
to opening
life as heaven
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I don’t write much about meditation. I should. It’s foundational. For people who think for a living it’s probably the single greatest investment that can be made in career, in productivity, in serenity, and most especially, in effectiveness.
Agreed 100% about meditation. There seem to be hundreds of techniques but they mostly boil down to two different schools: concentrative and expansive techniques.
Concentrative techniques focus the mind (on breathing, on a candle flame, on a mantra, etc.) and block out everything else except the object of meditation.
Expansive techniques say: “Bring it on!” and one is simply trying to become aware of everything happening in both the internal and external environments, in physical sensations, emotions, thoughts, etc. but simply observing as a witness without becoming involved. It is a state of no-mind, a state beyond mind, a state which is characterized by being relaxed, aware, and completely non-judgemental.
Expansive technique allows for meditation practice in any setting, mountaintop or marketplace. Dog barking, it becomes part of the meditation. Car horns honking, it becomes part of the meditation. Simply being aware, expanding consciousness, alert, relaxed, non-judgemental. Simply… being…. Such joy! Such a blessing!
Ahhhh…. THIS!
Tat Tvam Asi
I’ve just been getting into meditation in the last year or so. Do you have any recommendations on good learning methods? I’m taking an Art Of Living class next month.