Meditation

If prayer is talking to God, meditation is listening to God. This basic concept provides a starting point for growth. But meditation is just a tool, not a goal in itself.

The Relaxation Response

Meditation does not have to contain "mystical" or "spiritual" elements to be effective. As described by Benson and Klipper, anyone can gain most of the benefits of mediation by following four guidelines. The authors describe the "flight or fight" response to stress in humans and other animals and the resulting health effects. The name of the book comes from the name of a response which produces the opposite effects in humans, named the Relaxation Response.

 In the book, the authors describe the physiological changes measured in practitioners of traditional meditation including zen monks. They then describe experiments performed at the Harvard Medical School involving subjects using Transcendental Meditation. Similar changes in oxygen consumption, respiratory rate, heart rate and alpha waves were found between Transcendental Meditation, Zen and Yoga, Autogenic Training and other methods.

The book also contains a summary of Eastern and Western historical accounts of meditation with the emphasis on the elements of the techniques used.

Other studies are described where the effects of the use of the relaxation response on high blood pressure and drug use were studied. As is well known now, meditation has a beneficial impact on both.

The four essential elements of a practice needed to evoke the relaxation response are:

1. a quiet environment;
2. a mental device such as a word or phrase which should be repeated in a specific fashion over and over again;
3. the adoption of a passive attitude, which is perhaps the most importatn of the elements;
4. a comfortable poistion.

Meditation is recommended twice a day for 10 to 20 minutes at a time.

Eastern Meditation

When thinking of meditation, many will think of the Eastern techniques from the Hindu and Buddhist traditions. These typically involve sitting still or walking calmly and focusing the mind on a particular object.

The Three Pillars of Zen

One of the best introductions to zen available. Philip Kapleau was a translator for a zen master (Yasutani-roshi) in Japan in the 1950's. He translated between the master and his western students as they came in for private sessions. With the permission of master and students, excerpts of these sessions are published here. The transcripts show the students attempting to come to grips with their appointed koans and the master patiently, and at times very directly, trying to help. Some of the students struggle long and hard trying to "get it" while others have an easier time of it. The Roshi again and again points them in the right direction.

In addition to the descriptions of the sessions, the book also contains first-hand accounts of some of the students journeys, the introductory lectures the Roshi presents prior to the private sessions, instructions on sitting posture, and other related material.

Taken together, the material is a virtual "introductory course" on zen. Phillip Kapleau later returned to the US to become the abbot of his own zen center.

Contemplative Meditation

This form of meditation can involve the review of a prayer or other spiritual writing. Concentrate, re-read, try to understand the message or feeling the writer was trying to convey. We can also contemplate nature or our own conception of what God is and what God means to us.

Visualization

Many "guided meditations" or visualizations have been used to help provide a pathway from the normal condition of the mind (turbulent and involved in everyday concerns and activities) to a more peaceful state.

Other Sites:

Wikipedia pages on:
Prayer
Meditation

Spiritual Development

Ken Wilber has developed a very complete overview of spiritual development based on the experience of traditions from around the world.
KenWilber.com
Wikipedia on Wilber