WESAK 2008 - New Age Festival of Spiritual Unity and Blessings
Lectures, Teaching & Meditation On 17th,18th May 2008,9:30 am to 5:30 pm
venue: The auditoriam of the Indian Society of International Law, opposite the supreme Court 9, Bhagwan Dass Road, New Delhi.
Moon Light Meditation
19th May 2008, 6:30pm to 9:30pm Venue:97-A Eastern Avenue, Sainik Farm,New Delhi. For Reg:Poonam Sharma: 919313034752,Snigdha Nanda: 919818291375. More Detail>>
When we pursue happiness, it eludes you. However, when you recognise that happiness is the natural state of the soul, all you need is to eliminate all that comes between your happiness and you.
Meditation is an intensely personal and spiritual experience. The desired
purpose of each meditation technique is to channel normal waking consciousness
into a more positive direction by totally transforming one's state of
mind. To meditate is to turn inwards, to concentrate on the inner self.
The entire process of meditation usually entails the three stages of concentration,
meditation and enlightenment or absorption. The meditator starts off by
concentrating on a certain point. Once attention gets engaged, concentration
turns into meditation. And through continuous meditation, the meditator
merges with the object of concentration, which might either be the present
moment or the Divine Entity.
In some branches of Indian philosopohy, direct perception from the inner
self (mana) together with perception that is filtered through the
five senses (pancha indriya) form a part of their valid epistemology
(pratyaksha jnana). And this self-realization or self-awareness
(as popularized by Paramahansa
Yogananda), is nothing but the knowledge of the "pure being"—the
Self.
Humanity
is increasingly turning towards various meditative techniques in order
to cope with the increasing stress
of modern-day lifestyles. Unable to locate stability in the outside world,
people have directed their gaze inwards in a bid to attain peace of mind.
Modern psychotherapists have begun to discover various therapeutic benefits
of meditation practices. The state of relaxation and the altered state
of consciousness—both induced by meditation—are especially effective
in psychotherapy.
But more than anything else, meditation is being used as a personal
growth device these days—for inculcating a more positive
attitude towards life at large.
Meditation is not necessarily a religious practice, but because of its
spiritual element it forms an integral part of most religions. And even
though the basic objective of most meditation styles remain the same and
are performed in a state of inner and outer stillness, they all vary according
to the specific religious framework within which they are placed. Preparation,
posture, length of period of meditation, particular verbal or visual elements—all
contribute to the various forms of meditation. Some
of the more popular methods are, Transcendental
Meditation, yoga nidra, vipassana
and mindfulness meditation.
