Damp in an Ocean of Bliss

Summary

A group of people engage in a silent, collective meditation session, seeking inner bliss and fulfillment amidst the distractions of their surroundings and thoughts.

Abstract

At dawn, a room full of individuals sits in silence, engaging in a meditation practice that aims to calm the mind and achieve a state of bliss. Despite the serene environment and the collective focus on a Sanskrit mantra, the minds of the participants wander, some reaching moments of profound stillness and joy, while others are distracted by their surroundings or personal desires. The meditation session is a personal journey for each participant, with moments of transcendence and internal discovery, yet it remains a shared experience, bound by the unspoken rule of silence and the collective pursuit of enlightenment.

Opinions

The author suggests that the meditation session is a deeply personal experience, with each individual having a unique mental journey.
There is an acknowledgment of the human tendency to be distracted, even in a setting dedicated to mental stillness.
The meditation practice is portrayed as a delicate balance between achieving a state of thoughtless bliss and the inevitable intrusion of thoughts and sensory experiences.
The author hints at the unspoken social dynamics at play, such as the reaction to bodily functions or personal attractions, which are noticed but not acknowledged, maintaining the decorum of the meditation hall.
The writer implies a sense of humor and self-awareness about the meditation experience, recognizing the irony in the struggle to maintain a quiet mind in a room full of people all trying to do the same.
The anticipation of another meditation session at dusk suggests a routine and a personal commitment to the practice, despite its challenges.

Meditating to fulfillment

Dawn, and a hall full of people is silent and still as the first rays add a golden glow to the dim lighting.

A hundred people sit on chairs, or cross-legged on cushions. Our eyes are closed, our breathing regular, our minds motionless.

Yet, nobody is sleeping. We are all awake and aware of every tiny sound in the room and out to the edge of hearing.

If, God forbid, someone broke wind from the vegetarian diet, every ear in the room would pick it up, but nobody would giggle, nobody would gasp, nobody would say a word, ever.

Our minds are supposed to be quiet, and inside, every one of us is reciting a Sanskrit mantra, a kind of internal hum that calms the thoughts and lets the consciousness float.

Our awareness sails away on the serene waters of an ocean as tranquil and pacific as a sheet of glass. We are drops in the ocean, each distinct, each a part of the greater whole.

Most of us sitting still in the warm gloom achieve a certain bliss for a few moments. The mind falls truly, deeply still, and a joyous light arrives. It is enjoyed but as soon as it is recognised, that very thought sends it away.

The aim is to calm the mind, to enjoy the bliss, to think of nothing at all until the bell rings at the half hour’s end. Some have thirty minutes of bliss.

And some have thirty minutes of daydreaming about the hunky guy two seats over with the spicy aftershave. Who can tell where the mind is wandering? Who is there to see the nipples hardening and the hands folded demurely in the lap busy with something beneath the surface?

Perhaps there is a soft sigh, a gasp and a shudder as nirvana is found. Who knows, who will tell?

Not this embodiment of the universal consciousness. My lips are sealed.

There will be another meditation at dusk, as the sun goes down. I look forward to it.

Britni