Clarification

*I had to look “weal” up on www.merriam-webster.com, it means a sound, healthy, or prosperous state.
“weal.” Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2010.
Merriam-Webster Online. 1 August 2010

Mantra

“For mind’s mastery and growth effort must be made.”
“The road is clearly marked.”
“I enter now the Path of Mindfulness.”
“May my energy prevail!”
“May I succeed!”
“May what I win bring weal to me and to all beings” (92).

Preparation

So what does a strawberry have to do with meditation? There are many different forms of meditation, but what most of them have in common is the goal of quieting the mind and focusing it on a single thought. Impatient to start I skimmed through all of the theory and attempted to have my first meditation session. There were a few guidelines I teased out to help me. When emotions arise during meditation disrupting my focus, it is important not to get carried away by them. If and when I get distracted I must not dwell on it and beat myself up. I should acknowledge my feelings, classify them as positive, negative, or neutral, understand their insignificance in the vast scheme of things, and dismiss them (69). More logistical instructions include wearing loose clothing, eating in moderation, and choosing a comfortable posture (90-91). Before beginning the book suggests preparing the mental attitude by reciting a message of purpose. I pieced together my own from various phrases suggested.

Theory

The goals of meditation, according to the first chapter, are to “know,” “shape” and “free” the mind (23). “Mindfulness” is the key to understanding how to achieve these goals and is described in its’ simplest form as “attention” (24). However, the “attention” that is referenced is not as simple to achieve as one might think. The book teaches that in order to truly see an object, it is necessary to suppress our impulses that allow outside influences to shape our understanding (33). Let’s use a strawberry as an example. On first glance, one makes a mental image of what they see. They might observe the short, green leaves on top, the bulbous shape of the red fruit and the indentations, which hold he yellowish seeds. These aspects are registered and processed in order for it to be recognized as a strawberry. After this initial recognition, thoughts come streaming in to convolute the fruit’s true nature. One’s aversion or affinity to strawberries will lead them to attach positive or negative associations. If someone has an allergy they will see the fruit as dangerous. It is human nature to automatically draw upon our previous experiences to form assumptions about our present observations. This can be a very useful trait, but it can also serve to distract us from reality.

Inception

“Mediation” always brought to mind a ghandi-like figure clad in white with legs crossed and eyes closed, the practice never felt within my reach. After reading the memoir “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert, I realized how skewed my perception had been. The protagonist is a white, middle-aged, American female who uses meditation to get over her divorce. This story gave me the courage to attempt to utilize the practice for myself.

According to the all-knowing Wikipedia, meditation transcends every religion from Christianity to the Bahá’i faith, I have never ascribed to any particular religion so this fact appealed to me ("Meditation," Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia). I found various New Age manuals that promised to revolutionize meditation as I surfed the Internet. Hesitant about putting my mind in the hands of people I’ve never heard of, I decided to go with a more traditional text. I found a book entitled “The Heart of Buddhist Meditation,” it is based on writings of the Pāli Canon and was written in the 1st century BC, originating from Buddha and his disciples (“Pāli Canon,” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia). People are still subscribing to Buddha’s methods of meditation 2100 years later, he has to be doing something right.

"Meditation." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 15 July 2010. Web. 15 July 2010.
“Pāli Canon." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 10 July 2010. Web. 15 July 2010.