Goodbye Meditation; Hello Spontaneity

.

I have had quite a revelation.

Those of you who, like me, have tried to introduce some spiritual discipline into their lives, such as meditation, prayer, contemplation of spiritual matters, and ‘right action’ will probably know that there is a lot of confusion around the whole concept of meditation. Far from there just being the main two types of meditation, ‘concentrative’ and‘mindful’, such as the likes of Wikipedia maintain, there are all sorts of other practices going under the broad heading of meditation.

For example, there are ‘guided meditations’ which use visualisation, (this is used a lot in Kabbalah and also in transpersonal psychotherapies.) I have also seen ‘kenosis’ – self-forgetting – referred to as meditation, which always struck me as being the opposite, at least in day to day practice, of ‘mindfulness’, though it does sometimes involve intense concentration.

As you might know, I set up a daily routine of prayer,meditation etc. when I left work last July, - I outlined it in my blog post ‘Daily Practice’. I used an online tool for meditation which made it about as easy as it could be. This is not the first time I have tried to meditate regularly and even before Christmas I was finding myself dreading this daily 20 minute meditation (again), and finding all sorts of reasons for not doing it (again).

The problem has been that, even when I have managed to meditate regularly, for over a year, I have never found the process beneficial, either in the doing, or the outcomes. I had been trying to resign myself to the fact that, tedious as meditation was, it was just something that had to be done.

 At the same time I was discovering that singing in a choir, which I started to do in November, was resulting in a ‘kenosis’ that was immediately giving me all the benefits that meditation is supposed to;- nourishment of the soul, positive emotions, and physical relaxation which I hadn’t experienced since an hour’s silversmithing as a teenager.

When I mentioned to one of my Kabbalah teachers that I intensely disliked meditation he said “So do something else” but that was just before term ended, and hasn’t resumed yet, and I haven’t had a chance to ask him if self-forgetting would be a good ‘something else’.

So today I put the question out on the London Integral Circle’s list and got the following enlightening and uplifting reply from HelenTitchen-Beeth, to whom I am profoundly grateful. I reproduce it here, and hope that others find it as liberating:

“Sufi teacher Llewelyn Vaughn-Lee distinguishes between masculine and feminine spiritual practices, and classifies meditation among the masculine, ascending approaches. He suggests that the masculine needs disciplining, whereas the feminine needs to be allowed to love what it loves and go with her appetites and inclinations of the moment. This could be one reason why meditation doesn't work for you and immersion in embodied practices - like silversmithing or singing - does.

I must admit that I have moved away from any specific spiritual paths, and towards the practice of direct, unintermediated immersion in the kosmos - which is tantamount to saying that I do what I feel like, when I feel like doing it, and I no longer bother to 'should' on myself about things - either spiritual or mundane. Whatever relieves your anxiety and brings you joy brings you closer to your natural state of being - as you were born to be in order to fill your unique function in creation. It also increases the likelihood of your inspiring joy and elation in others. And what else is spiritual practice for, ultimately, if not for our individual and collective flourishing?”

Many thanks to Helen Titchen-Beeth for this insight.

I would be interested in the views of others on this topic.

Daily practice

There are those who can see some sense in what I’ve written in my first five posts, but who do not have time to read the books I’ve recommended in yesterday’s post, and who are more interested in what this means for them on a day to day basis, i.e. what action can be taken in their everyday lives.

Each tradition has very definite guidelines and ‘rules’ for this – the Ten Commandments, the Eightfold Path, and so on, but if it’s of any help, I have set out here the daily practice that I have evolved for myself, honed from many traditions. I would love to know what others are doing – please let me know.

First thing in the morning, - very first thing,-  I repeat the positive affirmation “I am loved, I am worthy, I am safe, I am free” several times, and then again whenever I remember to do so throughout the day.

Having affirmed this, first thing, the Christian’s Lord’s Prayer is a good set up for the day:

“Our heavenly parent (your ‘spiritual’ parents or, if you like, you at your most perfect level. The main thing about this entity to which you are praying, whether it be male or female, both or neither, is that it is wholly wise, understanding and compassionate, and has nothing but bottomless unconditional love for you. Don’t let any interlopers worm their way in here.)

Hallowed be Thy name (you intend to worship only that which is the begetter of the universe, with what that means, rather than any other person, thing, idea or ambition. I’ve kept the archaic language and capitalisation here because it lifts the prayer out of the ordinary mundane world.)

Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven (you are asking to be a channel for what God would like to be happening on Earth.)

Give us this day our daily bread (self- explanatory, plus you’re asking for what you need, rather than what you want, as we are often blind to the fact that if our wants were satisfied it would not always be in our own best interests.)

And forgive us for what we’ve done wrong, as we forgive those who’ve done us wrong (what goes around comes around. Anyway, holding on to a grudge weighs you down, psychologically and spiritually. This doesn’t mean that you mustn’t take loving compassionate action to try to ensure the wrong does not occur again – both those committed by you and by others against you.)

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (This is acknowledging that we can’t keep out of trouble without Divine/spiritual help, and that we’re also trusting that God knows what’s beyond us, and won’t push us beyond what we can cope with.)

For Thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory (as it should be, lesser entities just mess these things up when they try to pretend this isn’t the way things are.)

Forever and ever. So be it”

It’s important that you concentrate hard on what you’re saying as you recite this prayer.

I then usually round off my morning ritual running through the list of divine qualities I want to be channelling that day e.g. wisdom, compassion, understanding, patience, generosity, peace; and specifically requesting Divine help with that.

I then put a mark on the back of my hand or choose a specific piece of jewellery that will regularly catch my eye throughout the day. When it does I do a quick review of how I have been ‘manifesting’ the qualities I chose that morning, and if there’s anything I need to do as a result of that review.

At some point during the day I meditate for 20 minutes. I happen to use the ‘GetSomeHeadspace’ application, but that does cost money. Plus there are loads of places on the net, and thousands of books that’ll tell you how to do it. Very many people claim that this is the most necessary activity on a spiritual quest. In my opinion, it does help to peel your ego away from your more authentic self, which it is often smothering. This enables your more authentic self (the one more in touch with your Divine origins) to get a handle on the caprices of your ego, and id, and superego come to that. Always remembering of course that all three of them (ego, id and superego) are only trying, within their limited means, to do their best for you. They make great servants but terrible masters.

Now I’m unemployed, I also devote some time to extra prayers and spiritual exercises and contemplations during the day. The ones I currently use are from ‘Open Mind, Open Heart’ and ‘What We May Be’ (see my last posting) and also from Tau Malachi’s books ‘Living Gnosis’ and ‘Gnosis of the Cosmic Christ’. These exercises in these last two books can also be found on the Sophian tradition website I mentioned in my last post.

I’ve found it very important to end the day with prayer as well. It’s a good idea to list all the things you’ve been grateful for that day (e.g. the roof over your head, the food you’ve eaten, the old friend who got back in touch), then to pray for others (both of these are actually for your own spiritual and psychological good) and, finally, to identify the issues and problems you are having trouble with, or are experiencing anxiety about (this is more for your own clarity, the Divine of course has no need to be told) and then, consciously turn them over to this Higher Power. It can see all sorts of angles and wrinkles and possible solutions that you can’t, will be thinking more in the longer term, and what would be good for others as well. I cannot tell you what a help this last prayer has been to me over the years.

If at any point during these rituals you begin to feel gratitude and awe – not an unusual occurrence – direct these feelings ‘upwards’ (spiritually) to whatever you’re envisioning as God, in order to share them. In religious parlance this is known as devotion, and can open all sorts of interesting doors.

As said earlier, I would love to know what others do.