Meditation
By making his body the
under-wood, and the syllable Om the
upper-wood, man, after repeating the drill of meditation, will perceive the
bright god, like the spark hidden in the wood.
(Upanishads vol. 2,
Svetasvatara-Upanishad)
The sages, devoted to meditation
and concentration, have seen the power belonging to God himself, hidden in its
own qualities (guna).
(Upanishads vol. 2,
Svetasvatara-Upanishad)
That happiness which belongs to a
mind which by deep meditation has been washed clean from all impurity and has
entered within the Self, cannot be described here by words; it can be felt by
the inward power only.
(Upanishads vol. 2,
Maitrayana-Brahmaya-Upanishad)
'Meditation is directed to the
highest Being (Brahman) within, and (before) to the objects (body, Om , mind); thence the indistinct understanding becomes
distinct.
(Upanishads vol. 2,
Maitrayana-Brahmaya-Upanishad)
'The wise who, by means of
meditation on his Self, recognises the Ancient, who is difficult to be seen,
who has entered into the dark, who is hidden in the cave, who dwells in the
abyss, as God, he indeed leaves joy and sorrow far behind.'
(Upanishads vol. 2,
Katha-Upanishad)
To speak no ill,
To do no harm,
To observe the Rules,
To be moderate in eating,
To live in a secluded abode,
To devote oneself to meditation;
This is the Message of the
Buddhas.
(Buddhist, Dhammapada
- Sayings of the Buddha 3 (tr. J. Richards))
There is no meditation without
wisdom, and there is no wisdom without meditation. When a man has both meditation
and wisdom, he is indeed close to nirvana.
(Buddhist, Dhammapada
- Sayings of the Buddha 1 (tr. J. Richards))
Without the Guru, there is no
spiritual wisdom; without Dharma, there is no meditation.
(Shri Guru Granth
Sahib, Section 43 - Shaloks In Addition To The Vaars)
You are as tiny and insignificant
as an ant, but you shall become great, by the Wealth of the Lord's Meditation.
Nanak bows in humble worship,
countless times, over and over again.
(Shri Guru Granth
Sahib, Section 36 - Shalok Sehskritee, First Mehl, Fifth Mehl)
But he that giveth his mind to
the law of the most High, and is occupied in the meditation thereof, will seek
out the wisdom of all the ancient, and be occupied in prophecies.
(Deuterocanonical
Apocrypha, Sirach)
Bahá'u'lláh says there is a sign
(from God) in every phenomenon: the sign of the intellect is contemplation and
the sign of contemplation is silence, because it is impossible for a man to do
two things at one time – he cannot both speak and meditate.
It is an axiomatic fact that
while you meditate you are speaking with your own spirit. In that state of mind
you put certain questions to your spirit and the spirit answers: the light
breaks forth and the reality is revealed.
You cannot apply the name ‘man’
to any being void of this faculty of meditation; without it he would be a mere
animal, lower than the beasts.
Through the faculty of meditation
man attains to eternal life; through it he receives the breath of the Holy
Spirit – the bestowal of the Spirit is given in reflection and meditation.
The spirit of man is itself
informed and strengthened during meditation; through it affairs of which man
knew nothing are unfolded before his view. Through it he receives Divine
inspiration, through it he receives heavenly food.
Meditation is the key for opening
the doors of mysteries. In that state man abstracts himself: in that state man
withdraws himself from all outside objects; in that subjective mood he is
immersed in the ocean of spiritual life and can unfold the secrets of
things-in-themselves. To illustrate this, think of man as endowed with two
kinds of sight; when the power of insight is being used the outward power of
vision does not see.
This faculty of meditation frees
man from the animal nature, discerns the reality of things, puts man in touch
with God.
This faculty brings forth from
the invisible plane the sciences and arts. Through the meditative faculty
inventions are made possible, colossal undertakings are carried out; through it
governments can run smoothly. Through this faculty man enters into the very Kingdom of God
(Abdu'l-Baha, Paris
Talks, p. 174)
Nevertheless some thoughts are
useless to man; they are like waves moving in the sea without result. But if
the faculty of meditation is bathed in the inner light and characterized with
divine attributes, the results will be confirmed.
The meditative faculty is akin to
the mirror; if you put it before earthly objects it will reflect them.
Therefore if the spirit of man is contemplating earthly subjects he will be
informed of these.
But if you turn the mirror of
your spirits heavenwards, the heavenly constellations and the rays of the Sun
of Reality will be reflected in your hearts, and the virtues of the Kingdom
will be obtained.
Therefore let us keep this
faculty rightly directed – turning it to the heavenly Sun and not to earthly
objects -- so that we may discover the secrets of the Kingdom, and comprehend
the allegories of the Bible and the mysteries of the spirit.
May we indeed become mirrors
reflecting the heavenly realities, and may we become so pure as to reflect the
stars of heaven.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Paris
Talks, p. 175)
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