What is Meditation?
According to the Oxford Dictionary, Meditation is about focusing one's mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or spiritual purposes, or as a method of relaxation. Meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm, and stable state (Oxford Dictionary).
Meditation is one of the oldest techniques for relaxation and self-improvement. It has been known for centuries in many cultures around the world, including Indian, Chinese and Egyptian civilizations.
It is the practice of calming and focusing your mind, often through intentionally echoing specific thoughts and/or emotions. The purpose of meditation can vary from one practitioner to another, but most commonly it is used as a means for relaxation or personal development Meditation is a technique to train and calm your mind like the way we train our physical body at gyms. it is about developing our awareness and our senses not turning you into a new person.
By doing meditation you won't switch off your thoughts or emotions you will practice how to control your thoughts without judging and concentrating on them. Meditation is a skill and it is required practice like building muscles. For doing the meditation correctly, you will need a master or a teacher to guide you.
The history of Meditation
Around 5th to 6th centuries BCE, other forms of meditation developed in Taoist China and Buddhist India . The 4th Century BCE, In early Buddhism , Dhyana also take influence on Vedanta.
In Buddhism in India, Early written records demonstrate the multiple levels and stages of meditation are found in the Sutras of the Pali Canon which dates to 1st Century BCE.
The Pali Canon records shows the basic fourfold formula of salvation via the observance of the rules of mortality, contemplative concentration, knowledge and liberation, thus placing meditation as a step along path of salvation.
By the time Buddhism was spreading in china, the Vimalakirti Sutra which dates to 100 CE included a number of passages on meditation and enlightened wisdom, clearly pointing to Zen.
In the West, by 20 BCE Philo of Alexandria had written some form of spiritual exercises involving attention and concentration and by the third century Plotinus had developed meditative techniques, Which however did not attract a following among Christian meditators. Saint Augustine experimented with the Plotinus's method and failed to achieve ecstasy.
The Buddhism's Silk road transmission introduced meditation to other oriental countries. Bodhidharma is traditionally concentrated the transmitter of the concept of Zen to China. However the first original school in East Asia was founded by his contemporary Zhiyi in the 6th century in central China. Zhiyi managed to systematically organize the different teachings that had been imported from India in a way that their relationship with each other made sense. In the 7th Century Wonhyo and Uisang promoted Korean Buddhism.
There is an evidence that Judaism has inherited meditative practices from its predecessor traditions in Israelite antiquity. For example in Torah, the patriarch Isaac is described as going " lasuach" in the field- a term understood by most commentators as some type of meditative practice.(Genesis 24:63). There are indications throughout the Tanakh (The Hebrew Bible) and ancient rabbinic literature of Jewish meditation practices. (Wikipedia)
The Benefit of doing meditation
Meditation is like a healthy diet. You don’t notice it until you try to go without it. The benefit of doing meditation is that it gives you the ability to feel calm, more peaceful and internally focused. It is a great way to relax, lower stress levels and improve your overall health. A meditation practice can result in benefits that include improved sleep, fewer headaches and improved focus. Meditation has a wide variety of benefits for your well-being. You can experience relief from stress, anxiety and depression. A regular meditation practice will improve your focus and concentration as well as help you relax and become more alert.
references:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditation
- https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/american_english/meditation#:~:text=meditation-,noun,t%20see%20me%20come%20in.
