Meditation, The Best Way for Peace of Mind!
What is Meditation:
People often practice Meditation in their lives, consciously or unconsciously. It has been observed that Meditation carries different meaning for different people. Meditation as a mind power tends to concentrate on one thing to accomplish certain goals.
In this Article, we will talk about:
- Definitions of Meditation.
- Origin of Meditation
- Historical Perspectives of Meditation.
1. Definitions of Meditation:
There are various definitions and explanations of Meditation. People use different techniques to achieve different goals through Meditation. History remains unable to locate the person, who first started Meditation to attain self integrity and peace of mind.
Word’s History:
- The word “Meditation” roots back to a Latin word “Meditation”. The word “Meditation”
- means to think, to think about something or to consider something.
- Later, people started using this word with reference to spiritual practices followed by Eastern world.
- Buddhists use word “dhyana” which is equivalent to meditation.
- Meditation is basically the word, which is used in modern English.
- Previously, it was used with different names.
- Now, it has been confirmed that meditation is equivalent to the Christian term “Contemplation” in its meaning and perspectives.
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Various Definitions of Meditation:
There is not any single definition of meditation. Several personalities have elaborated the meanings of meditation with their own perspectives.
We will look at some widely used definitions of meditation:
Some scholars define meditation as steady thought and consideration:
This is the most basic and quite open definition of meditation. This definition presents only one thing that one has to think about something, but this definition does not tell on which object one should concentrate?
Usually teachers ask students to concentrate on their studies. Is it really meditation?
- According to second type of definition, meditation is a pious religious or spiritual thought:
This definition also limits the meaning of meditation by connecting it to only religious thoughts. Other thoughts and ideas are discarded in this way.
- Meditation is a process of continuously thinking upon a specific idea, verse or object:
This concentration is equivalent to the process in which cattle chews cud endlessly.
- Some definitions consider day dreaming as meditation, but there is much controversy exists in taking it as meditation.
Day dreaming cannot be called as meditation, because it is usually a conscious process. Moreover, it does not give the same spiritual and healing effects which are attached with meditation.
Overall, meditation is an internal practice of a person which takes several forms. It mainly changes the mind of an individual, which brings peace to the mind and gives relief from mental stresses.
2. Origin of Meditation:
Finding the origin of meditation may be quite difficult:
Meditation is deep rooted in Asia, and countries like China, India and Japan are practicing it for thousands of years. Tribes in South India had developed Tantric Meditation about 15 thousand years back. Tantric meditation was in common use those days.
So, we can put forward that concept of meditation emerged from Asia and took various forms in all over the world. Other views about the origin of meditation claims that it originated from the human being’s curiosity for the purpose of men, purpose of the universe and to find God by looking inside the self to realize the nature and its existence. understanding meditation understanding meditation understanding meditation
3. Historical Perspectives of Meditation:
All historians have consensus over the points that:
meditation has evolved during unknown ancient times and that; it was not practiced in such a way in which it is practiced today. Taoists started practicing meditation during 500 to 600 BC.
Buddhists also started using meditation in the same era:
In history, Buddha is one of the greatest promoters of meditation. He was the one to teach meditation in Asia during 500 BC. Buddha has introduced the basic forms of meditation, and all the world adapted and transformed these meditation techniques according to their needs and purposes.
Important point to note here is that, Eastern countries were the origin of meditation and getting relief through various meditation techniques. West had adapted this culture from East. During 20th century, Western researchers conducted researches on meditation and came to know about its physical and psychological benefits.
Since then, they are using meditation as a wide spread practice in their culture. Western population widely practiced meditation for peace of mind and to get relief from daily life stresses. Nowadays, a downfall has been observed in practices of meditation, and reason is lack of time.
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Disclaimer: “Nothing in this article makes any claim to offer cures or treatment of any disease or illness. If you are sick please consult with your doctor.”
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