Definition Essay: The Meditation Society Of America

Lucas Hoj

Comparative religions

05/07/15

Meditation

Stemming from the ancient tradition of Tibetan monks and Buddhists, meditation is increasingly becoming a component of modern science and health and well-being practices for millions of Americans country wide. The Meditation Society of America defines meditation as ", a process that leads to a state of consciousness that brings serenity, clarity, and bliss" (What p. 1). One of the main aims of meditation is to raise consciousness in the meditating person, in order to gain connection of body and mind to the ultimate connection of all things in the universe to occur. Ignored by the health professions as an ancient practice with little therapeutic value, modern science is rapidly growing

During this process, one is "supposed to witness your being distracted and return to concentrating on the object of your meditation" (What p. 2). The object of focus can be anything from the concept of "love" to the image of "peace." Once one can focus only on the object of meditation in an uninterrupted and continuous manner, one has arrived at the second step of meditation, the actual meditation. During meditation the "object becomes deeper, effortless, and spontaneous" to the point where "true knowledge about the object presents itself" (What p. 2). As your mind becomes filled only with the concept of "love," in an objective manner, the practitioner will begin to see the universal connection of all things to the object of meditation. At this point, every thought, every feeling, and every sensation becomes connected to everything else in the universe. This is the third step of the meditation process, contemplation. According to the Meditation Society of America, "At this point, the unity of the object in your meditation and your mind occurs. This is the state of contemplation and is the ultimate state of consciousness. We become conscious of the cosmos and know ourselves to be a part of it and realize our unity with all of it" (What p.

When faced with adopting better health habits, many complain that in the modern world there is little time, place, or space for practicing health-improvement habits. However, meditation does not require the same patience and dedication of a Tibetan monk to provide benefits to practitioners. Likewise, there are simple practices and techniques that can be used by any one, any time, any place, and anywhere, even in busy contemporary life. Sara Altshul maintains it is possible to incorporate a mind-calming and heart-strengthening practice of meditation into one's daily routine. Altshul recommends that individuals interested in gaining the daily benefits of practice can adopt the following three steps as part of any busy