meditation

What is meditation? If we’re all going to sign up for this thing called meditation, what is it and why should I be doing it? Very good questions grasshopper! Below are definitions and inspirational quotes on meditation by several well-known and infinitely wise beings. The last two cents is by yours truly.

“We do not meditate only to relax a little and experience some peace. We meditate to unfold our inner being.”
-Swami Muktananda

"When we raise ourselves through meditation to what unites us with the spirit, we quicken something within us that is eternal and unlimited by birth and death. Once we have experienced this eternal part in us, we can no
longer doubt its existence. Meditation is thus the way to knowing and beholding the eternal, indestructible, essential center of our being."
~Rudolf Steiner

“Meditation is the state of simply being, just pure experiencing, with no interference from the body or mind. It’s a natural state but one which we have forgotten how to access.”
–Osho

“The ultimate goal of meditation is to experience the full unfoldment of our own pure Consciousness, the inner state of luminosity, love, and wisdom that the Indian tradition calls the inner Self or the Heart. (A Buddhist might call it Buddha nature; a Christian might call it Spirit.) In fact, we want to do more than experience that state. We want to realize that we are that--not just a body or a personality, but pure Consciousness, pure Awareness. By that definition, a successful meditation is one in which we enter the Self--even if just for a moment.”
– Sally Kempton

“Meditation is the tongue of the soul and the language of our spirit.”
~Jeremy Taylor

“Meditation is not a matter of trying to achieve ecstasy, spiritual bliss or tranquility, nor is it attempting to become a better person. It is simply the creation of a space in which we are able to expose and undo our neurotic games, our self-deceptions, our hidden fears and hopes.”
– Chogyam Trungpa

“Meditation is in truth higher than thought. The earth seems to rest in
silent meditation; and the waters and the mountains and the sky and
the heavens seem all to be in meditation. Whenever a man attains
greatness on this earth he has his reward according to his meditation.”
~Upanishads

“Meditation is not to escape from society, but to come
back to ourselves and see what is going on. Once there is
seeing, there must be acting. With mindfulness, we know
what to do and what not to do to help.”
~ Thich Nhat Hanh

"Meditation is acceptance. It is the acceptance of life within us, without us and all around us. Acceptance of life is the beginning of human satisfaction. Transformation of life is the culmination of divine satisfaction. "
-Sri Chinmoy

And now my take…

Meditation is the process by which we come to know our True Self. True (s)elf can mean our habits, our thought patterns, the feelings of life and self that we carry and cultivate that eventually manifest as our experiences. This is connected to our ego, to that which makes us individuals.

But True Self also means something deeper, wider, and more expansive. True (S)elf is who we really are. Each person will define this True Self as something different, some say God or God-Self, Higher Wisdom, Universal Consciousness, The Over-Soul. I’ve heard it called so many things, but it’s essence is the energy that sources all of life. When you being to tap into this energy, you will begin to see that you are connected to all of life, there is no separation. We are all one. This, is the real treasure of meditation.