What does meditation and spirituality mean to you?

[Jitendra Hy-do-u-no-us?]

Brock u have made many different points here. Each one could easily take us in a very different direction then the topics heading. I would like to ask you two questions.

1. Do you still meditate?

2. What does the word 'Spiritual' mean to you which is at the top of the forum?

[ding dong]

The word spiritual has almost little or no meaning to me. I don't like the term.

[ding dong]

I don't follow any meditation schedule.

[ding dong]

Meditation is good for all, with scientifically proven benefits. Atheists and Agnostics can meditate...so called "spiritual" people don't have that market corned on that. Atheists may do better at meditation because they might be less prone to fantasize. I don't know, just a hunch.

[ding dong]

It's not totally clear what meditation is, though. Most people refer to a technique as "meditation" but in reality that isn't the case as you all know.

[ding dong]

Some like Osho said that meditation should go on for 24 hours a day. Ramana said that sitting practice was "for the merest of spiritual novices". So, there seems some question. I'm not advocating anyone give up their normal practices, of course. In fact, I'm not advocating anything. Just saying.

[ding dong]

In the western world, the main practice the seem to recommend is Vippasana or Mindfulness. It comes from the buddhist tradition and is probably the most secular of all the practices. It's easy to extract the buddhism from it and hand it over to doctors to use in a clinical setting. Some people object to this, of course.   

[ding dong]

Meditation is not the only good thing. Ritual can be powerful too. It all depends on the the temprament. I think we have an innate need for ritual, which is one reason why religion is not going away any time soon.

[ding dong]

We look for a separate god outside of ourselves because we don't believe god is our own being.

[Jitendra Hy-do-u-no-us?]

We look for a separate god outside of ourselves because we don't believe god is our own being.

Brock; This topic is part of the original topic you started about the Pope before I split the topics. See link below;

http://musicmeditate.smfforfree.com/index.php/topic,4523.msg24518.html#msg24518

[Jitendra Hy-do-u-no-us?]

It's not totally clear what meditation is, though. Most people refer to a technique as "meditation" but in reality that isn't the case as you all know.

Brock in your replies above I see mostly opinions by others and not yourself. I would say that it is very difficult to know what meditation is and what spirituality is without a schedule and regular routine to assess it. It is somewhat analogous to an outsider explaining the best that they can what happens while two people talk about the intimite part of their relationship without being in such a relationship or to talk about the intimite details of software you never have used nor do you know how to operate.

Today I just have finished a very wonderful meditation. To devote time to it requires a faith in it. Belief or trust in someone or something like meditation is cumulative. It is somewhat like having faith in a person. It takes time and experience. Some of us have this latent faith available to us just like others have latent talent available to them. This is not a fiction but is very evident in great musicians, dancers and yes Spiritual Masters. However without proper cultivation this ability to meditate lies latent and undeveloped making it very difficult to comment on or asses properly.

I don't follow any meditation schedule.

The word spiritual has almost little or no meaning to me. I don't like the term.