What is Meditation? A Response

What is meditation? Something we’ve asked ourselves many times and have seen on the internet answered many more. It’s a question we’ve all asked ourselves.

Interestingly, there was a time when I found myself explaining this very idea to my family during a gathering, without any prior preparation or rehearsal. It was unexpected, but it felt right

Now, let me ask you: Have you ever considered yourself a devil? No? That’s good to hear. Now, imagine this: raise your hand if you think of yourself as a god. No one? Alright, fair enough. Now, let’s dig deeper into some personal experiences.

Have you ever genuinely scared the living daylights out of yourself? Have you ever experienced shame or guilt in your thoughts or actions, in solitute? And honestly, have you never felt a sense of invincibility, as if you have an abundance of power and energy to spare?

You see, these are all inherent aspects of our human nature. In my humble opinion, meditation involves rebelling against the very nature that binds us, but not in the way one might expect.

Take violence, for instance; it exists within all of us. Some may argue that practicing non-violence is the solution, but this approach merely generates internal conflict. It separates the reality of what is from the ideal of what ‘should’ be.

To meditate is to embody attention itself, an intimate connection that paves the way to enlightenment — an existence anchored in embracing what is.

Throughout history, various cultures and languages have pointed towards this very essence, be it through the terms enlightenment, wu wei, flow state, or the opening of the third eye.

It encompasses embracing a life free from desires, ceaseless striving, and attachment. It means residing in a state of pure bliss, liberated from the heavy burden of accumulating knowledge and the relentless pursuit of specific outcomes. In doing so, we can genuinely live in the present moment, a state of being that resonates with each of us through our own unique experiences.

This captures the essence of meditation: a state of heightened attention and self-awareness. Where we observe our thoughts and emotions without attempting to alter or judge them as right or wrong. We simply witness ourselves and the reality as it unfolds. It is through this unwavering focus and an energy that a profound shift takes place.

Not only within ourselves but with the world around us as well.