Why Meditate? Tricycle, The Buddhist Review magazine (Fall 2010), interviewed the French Monk,Matthieu Ricard, about his new book, Why Meditate?
As I continued to read this fascinating interview, I realized how much meditation has to do with our journeys — into our minds and out again into the real world…and, the correlation between meditation and keeping our visions alive.
Creating plans from our visions
Meditating seems mysterious to many people, yet for me, meditation often means simply removing myself from all activity, finding a quiet place and closing my eyes to all the distractions surrounding me. Often, I consciously say to myself that I am going to meditate now, Vipassana style. Meditation is actually not meant to create anything, it is a space to be for spiritual introspection. I believe that going within allows us to journey into a vast soul space that provides a quietness that transcends our mind chatter. From that place, when we return to conscious action, we can see more clearly where our path lies, what steps to take as we create our present that will take us into the future.
Matthieu Ricard states, “…Why Meditate?…We have the potential to be more kind, to practice mindfulness, and to experience well-being but we only use a small fraction of the potential we have…so that’s what meditation is about: to cultivate the qualities that we have the potential for but that remain dormant, latent, unused, and to develop them to the best of our own potential.”
Embracing Ricard’s philosophy, I would like to create a bridge into the world of manifesting your vision, your dreams and goals. What if you were to write your vision on a big piece of paper and put it on the floor in front of you, and then meditate (in your own way) for at least 30 minutes. When your mind drifts away from the meditation, pick up your marker and draw, scribble, write whatever comes up for you. It doesn’t have to have anything to do with the original vision you already placed on the paper. This is just an exercise to expand your mind’s journey as you continue your plan of action.
Practical Spirituality — from vision to strategies and abundance of life (Smiling to myself…I wanted to .com “practical spirituality” because that is how I think in terms of Vision Mapping Strategies, practical steps for the visions and goals we hold dear. Alas and alack, the term has already been taken by some brilliant person!) However, meditation and your vision maps, your life blueprints, go hand in hand — a door opening inside your mind with meditation, to taking whatever action is deemed necessary by you. And aside for all of the above, please remember to reach out and ask for support. You do not need to do this journey alone. Abundance is a state of mind, and there are many paths to contentment. Spiritual insight + vision + passionate action = well being
Follow Me!