MEDITATION ...

(Have a Sacred Space)

This morning during Meditation, what came up was to speak about "Meditation" as it has been one of the greatest gifts in quieting the "monkey mind" that goes on throughout ones day.  Prior to Meditation, there was nothing but the "monkey mind", one thought chasing another thought, linking to another thought, following another thought.

It seemed that Meditation appeared in stages, first there was a driving Meditation with a cassette tape my mother gave me called "The Infinite Self" by Stewart Wilde, which shared the story of his life, the undertaking of quieting the mind, his Teachers and his discipline, then at the end of the 12th tape there is a recording of the Theta-Metronome.  I would put this in the car on my drive to school and would listen to him share things that were both hard to believe but absolutely believable and so the first taste of Meditation was in the car.  On his recommendation to do something pointless, which was to get up every morning and take a rock (the same rock) and move it from one side of the yard to the other.  I had two young children at the time, and it was tough at first getting up so early (when I could be sleeping in) but I did...I got up and I went to the backyard each day (feeling quite dumb about it actually, but believing in him) would move the rock from one side of the yard (slowly) to the other.  I don't recall how long I did this, however it made an impact.  There was something about doing something, with no benefit, other than the doing, that shifted something in this mind.

The second taste of Meditation was through Unity Church.  My mother was a member and although there was not ever much of a draw to be at church there was something different about this one.  I was 22 at the time and a bit of a rebel and so some Sundays I would go completely hung over, and I knew that people there knew...but they didn't judge me and I could feel that they weren't and this created a willingness to be there...however I was there and so I continued to show up.  Each Sunday  Rev. Al (cannot remember his last name right now) would start with a 5 minute silent Meditation.  In the beginning it was the longest 5 minutes of my life.  Either the thoughts were racing and it was like hell or the time would go so slow like when you would look at the clock on the wall during the last minutes of school.  But eventually it started to become something I looked forward to when going there.  It became the only 5 minutes of Peace I would have each week, though I didn't know that at the time.

The third and lasting introduction into Meditation came through my Teacher.  I had had an unexplainably intense experience, actually beyond all experience during a Meditation that scared and depressed me so much that I had become afraid of Meditation, I could not understand what had been Revealed and went on years of searching for answers, until my Teacher appeared.  It didn't happen overnight, I was very resistant to Meditation for years after our Meeting.  He opened a room every morning through Yahoo Messenger and many would sit with him.  I was not a regular for a long time.  But He and Meditation eventually won and I began getting up every morning sometime between 4:30 and 5am and I would log in and sit with myTeacher and the others who had also come to sit together.  This went on for many, many years.  I will not lie and say it was an easy undertaking.  It is a discipline that at first, at least for this one, was quite challenging.  There would be physical pains in the back and legs, there would be thoughts of fear or of having more important things to do.  But over time and consistency and through the commitment Meditation and being with myTeacher each day, that it continued on.

The commitment in the beginning was to a 1/2 hour every day from 5 to 5:30am.  To not move.  To let the thoughts be there without trying to fix or change them.  To sit through the beautiful thoughts, the ugly thoughts, the good one, the bad ones, the ones that say do this and do that and not move.  I will not tell you that Meditation will give you anything, but it will take things away, things you didn't know you had or were holding onto.  This can be good news or bad news depending on what you want to keep.  For this one, it has been one of the Greatest Gifts life has provided and life is becoming a more conscious Living Meditation every moment that I am in.  I still set aside time for Meditation 3 times a day.  It is always a different experience.  I have not once had a Meditation that was like any other prior.  Then after that 1/2 hour there would be a Speaking, generally by myTeacher and all would remain silent, with their mics off, and then if there was a question they would type it in.  Here is an edited clip of one of those Speakings called "Screen of Self."

So this came up for me today to share, because it has shifted things so dramatically (through no drama) in this life, that I would like to offer it to anyone and everyone that is willing to begin to lay the mind aside, to Realize what the mind is IN. 

If you are willing, find a quiet place, make it your sacred place and set aside a certain amount of time each day and commit to being there, like the mailman, rain or shine, it is your priority.  You may wish to have a picture of your Teacher or of something that calms you, light a candle in front of it before you begin, have a slight stretch and if you like incense, slowly smell it before lighting it and then sit back and let what comes, come and don't move ... it is all to clear you of who you think you are (thoughts), to Reveal to you ... who you Are (before thought).

I am at Meditation every morning at 5 to 5:30am, feel free to join me, you do not have to be in one's physical presence to be there.  If you would like to let me know that you are there, I would love to hear from you.