04/08/2025
Pure Meditation is not a religiously oriented form of meditation. It can, however, be used by individuals who are religious and are seeking tools to enhance their religious devotions. That’s one of the beauties of this form of meditation, it can be universal in its application. Most of my students do not take my course for any other reason than to help them in de-stressing. And, this it can do….without any spiritual or religious beliefs or rituals one may bring to it or add to it.
With that said, it has been my experience that meditation helps to prepare the ground for the cultivation of qualities of mind that are not necessarily spiritual, yet are often associated with spiritual growth and character. These qualities may be patience, kindness, generosity, gentleness, humility, peacefulness, and the like.
I believe that we all have these qualities within and inherent in our mind, always. The task or wish would be to express them more and more while displaying their opposite less and less as we go through life. Meditation doesn’t develop them, it allows them to surface and be unhindered in their expression. How? Possibly by helping to remove our unconscious defenses against them. It may be a willingness type of thing. A surrender type of thing. While in meditation, we do nothing, just sit and disengage from the mind’s default patterns and direction. As we experience what this is like, we discover that the well is deep and plentiful; full of goodness and peace. This attracts us to return and not fear engagement with the source of all the goodness. Gradually, we realize that we’re being nourished in a way that is perfectly safe and natural. Surrender to “what is” just feels right and normal.
If the default of the human mind is fear, defensiveness, anxiety, impatience, etc., and some have genuinely discovered relief from them, then this is what is unnatural and somehow an expression of human behavior that need not be. This is why so many people look to religion, psychology, self-help books and seminars and such; to interrupt the default and find relief from the suffering they are experiencing. I think all these can be tools for that end, though some find better success than others, for some unknown reason. It doesn’t matter what others do and find helpful, or not. What does matter is your own search for relief, for peace and happiness. How’s your search going? Maybe you’re ready to give meditation a try. Call me.
