Have you ever thought about what meditation really is, where was it born, its origins and its history? I invite you to make an extraordinary summary together and investigate the extraordinary world of meditation, its beginnings and evolution.
What is Meditation? Know its History and its Origin
It is said that the French philosopher Michel de Montaigne once said: "The best thing in the world is to know how to belong to yourself . " What an amazing thought! It is so true in our current society, a society that is going faster every day.
With so many demands on our time and our mind, a conscious effort is needed to stop our life and take a moment, allow us the time we need to explore who we really are .
Even to take our own time, many people are stuck on how to really do this.
The practice of meditation has certainly been recognized as a key method that can help you, that is one of the most important personal moments you can take for your life.
But what is meditation ? The word meditation comes from meditatum, a Latin term that means "to meditate."
Through the practice of meditation, "we can seek a better connection with our body in the everyday moments that we often miss, and create a greater awareness of how our emotions influence our behavior" (West, 2016).
Some dictionaries to the question, what is meditation ?, define the term as "a practice in which the individual trains the mind or induces a mode of consciousness", and ensures that the ultimate goal of this practice is in order to achieve Three basic objectives:
- Get a profit,
- Mentally recognize some content, without feeling identified with this same content,
- As an end in itself.
It should be noted that each of these three objectives are supported by definitions and thoughts of some subject researchers.
Now, meditation itself presents an amazing accumulation of fundamental practices, which are promulgated in order to achieve relaxation, develop compassion (love, forgiveness, generosity, patience, peace), and build and achieve the strength of life or internal energy.
Now, it is clear that according to the religious culture that defines the concept of “what is meditation”, it is different from one another, however, meditation in itself and essence does not represent or constitute a religion.
Very briefly, meditation implies the realization of an internal effort in order to self-regulate the mind. Thus, achieve a total state of peace, achieved through the control of emotions and thoughts.
You may already have a meditation practice that works for you, or that is new to the concept and seeks to develop your knowledge and understanding of how meditation can add value to your daily life.
Either way, the history of meditation is fascinating and worth exploring.
How old is meditation?
The answer to that question is more complex than you think.
Different research, books and schools of meditation refer to the 'millenary tradition', but as for the antiquity of meditation as a practice, it really depends on the definition of the concept according to its culture.
Davanger (2008) reviewed a cross-section of the research on meditation and speculated that the practice could be as old as humanity itself, and even indicates that Neanderthals already had potential meditative abilities.
There are more schools of thought that have placed the origin of meditation within a structured set of practices and techniques based on artifacts and references in the eastern countries.
I want to share with you the two main ones, and how far they go back.
India
In some of the oldest written records from around 1500 BC in India, the practice of Dhy na or Jh na is known as the training of the mind, which It often translates as meditation .
Many of these records come from the Hindu traditions of Vedantism and discuss the various practices of meditation in ancient India.
The writings and texts of Buddhist India that date back a few hundred years before Christ are even earlier recordings of the practice, but many argue that these are somewhat ambiguous in their references directly to meditation .
China
The first forms of what is meditation are dating back to the third and sixth centuries BC and are linked to the Taoists, Laozi, an ancient Chinese philosopher and his writings.
In this work, many of the terms used in later centuries are used to describe the techniques of meditation, which include:
- Shou Zhong roughly translated as cuscussing the medium .
- Bao Yi approximately translated as hugging the one
- Shou Jing roughly translated as guarding tranquility .
- Bao Pu approximately translated as hugging simplicity .
However, some argue that it is difficult to say whether these were already widely used techniques when the text was written, or if they were recently created terms for the text.
Other writings of the first centuries that describe meditative practices include the Zhuangzi of the late Warring States period, approximately 476-221 BC, and the Neiye from the fourth century BC.
The truth is that nobody knows with absolute certainty when the meditation officially began .
There are multiple references in different cultures and religions, including Judaism, Islam and Christianity, to practices similar to meditation, which seem to have contributed and informed extensively to the practice known today.
Where did the meditation originate?
Like determining how long the meditation has existed, pointing out exactly where it originates is equally complicated.
The first written records come from the Hindu traditions, in India, of the bandage of around 1500 BC.
The bandage is a school of philosophy and is one of the first Indian paths known for spiritual enlightenment . Other forms of meditation are cited around the 6th and 5th centuries BC, in Taoist China and Buddhist India.
"Precise origins are much debated, especially around Buddhist meditation" (Wynne, 2007).
Some early written accounts of the different states of meditation in Buddhism in India can be found in the sutras of the Canon Pāli, which dates back to the 1st century BC. The Canon Pāli is a collection of writings of the Theravada Buddhist tradition.
Some evidence has also linked meditative practices with Judaism, which is believed to have inherited from its previous traditions.
The Torah (the first five books of Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible) contains a description of Patriarch Isaac going to "lasuach" in a field. This term is generally understood as some form of meditation (Kaplan, 1985).
Do we know who created / invented meditation?
In short, no, we do not. Because if knowing where and when it is quite difficult and confusing, finding out who it is would be equally ambiguous.
However, some of what we do know indicates that some key people have been instrumental in disseminating the practice of meditation, a reality that complements our research on what is meditation .
Next, I will share with you three of the key people, but there are many others who were equally prominent in sharing and disseminating the practice of meditation .
The Buddha (India)
The Buddha, known by other names such as Siddh rtha Gautama in Sanskrit or Siddhattha Gotama in Pali, was a prince who became a monk, sage, philosopher and religious leader . They are his teachings on which Buddhism was founded.
Because of this, it might be easy to assume that the Buddha created or invented meditation, but this is not true, or at least, not as for the current supports.
The texts of Buddhism refer to many different practices of meditation and Buddha sought out other enlightened teachers to learn the practice and the ways of personal fulfillment.
Although it was instrumental in the dissemination of the value of meditation as a practice, the Buddha himself did not invent it.
Lao-Tze (China)
Lao-Tze, also known as Lao-Tzu and Laozi, was a former Chinese philosopher or whose name is essentially a title of honor that means "Old Master."
He is credited as the author of Tao-te-Ching, a work of text that exemplifies his thoughts and teachings that founded the philosophical system of Taoism, which refers to meditative practices and the idea of wisdom in silence.
There is much speculation about whether Lao-Tze really existed as a single man, or if the name refers to a collection of individuals and philosophers who shared the same ideas.
Dosho (Japan)
Dosho was a Japanese monk who, in the seventh century, traveled to China and studied Buddhism with Hsuan Tsang, a great teacher at that time.
It was during this trip that Dosho learned all about the Zen process, with which he then returned to Japan.
When he returned, he opened his first meditation hall dedicated to the practice of Zazen, a sitting meditation .
He created a community of monks and students with a primary focus on teaching this form of meditation in Japan.
A look at the origin and roots of Meditation
Although meditation as a current practice is quite common and widespread, it is good to understand that its origins and roots go back a long way, which is why, knowing what concrete meditation is, becomes highly difficult from some viewing angles.
Today, meditation has adapted and continues to adapt to our lives, and returning to its roots can help you develop a deep appreciation of how broad the practice is, as well as how it developed in different countries at different times.
Below I have written a brief summary of these origins and roots:
India, Bandage, and Yogis
The oldest documented images of what meditation is are from India and date back to 5000 to 3500 BC.
Wall art paintings represent people in sitting positions, as meditative, with half-closed eyes, presumed to be in deep meditation .
The oldest documented text of meditation also comes from India, from the Hindu traditions of bandage, around 1500 BC.
Although the Vedas created texts describing meditative practices, it is important to know that they had previously been transmitted orally through narrative practices for centuries.
Along with Vedic practice, Hindu traditions also describe the yogi practice of cave meditation.
It is believed that many modern meditation practices come from this lineage, including the modern yoga movement whose techniques are predominantly based on the practice of Hatha Yoga .
Although it is good to understand that the origin of these techniques are based on meditation for spiritual development, not on the common practice of stretching and movements that many Western schools teach today.
Buddhism in India
Meditation is often more closely linked to Buddhism, although the image of Buddha meditating in a lotus did not arrive until much later, long after Buddhism began.
In the classical language of Buddhism, meditation is known as bhāvanā, which means mental development, or dhyāna, which means mental calm.
The various techniques and practices for meditation are many.
Almost at the same time that Buddhism was growing, three other practices were also developing, each with its own way of approaching meditation . Although these are not as popular worldwide as Buddhism, it is worth knowing them:
- Mahavira and Jainism in India :
ATirthankara Mahavira, also known as Vardham na, is credited with the revival of Jainism.
Tirthankara means Ford Maker and the word indicates a founder of tirtha, a passage through the sea of births and deaths.
Mahavira was the twenty-fourth Tirthankara. He exposed the spiritual and ethical teachings of the Tirthankaras of the pre-Vedic era that led to the rebirth of Jainism in India.
As a practice, Jainism places a strong emphasis on self-discipline and contemplation, as well as nonviolence.
Meditation techniques in Jainism focus specifically on mantras, visualizations and breathing.
- Lao Tze and Taoism in China:
Although there is some controversy over whether Lao Tze existed as a single person, or if the title refers to a group of individuals, if it exists, it is believed that this would be around the 6th century BC.
Tao smo emphasizes becoming one with Tao, which means cosmic life or nature.
Traditional Taoist meditation techniques include a focus on mindfulness, contemplation and the use of visualization .
- Confucius and Confucianism in China:
Confucius was a teacher, politician and Chinese philosopher, who existed in the sixth century BC.
His teachings and thoughts were expressed through the philosophy now known as Confucianism and are now quite prominent in China.
Confucianism emphasizes personal growth, morals and social justice.
Meditation in Confucianism is known as Jing Zuo and focuses on self-improvement and contemplation.
Sufism and the practice of meditation.
Sufism is an ancient Islamic tradition that dates back to 1400 years.
It is a practice in which Muslims seek to connect with Allah (God) through self-reflection and contemplation, and through the rejection of material goods.
It is thought that through some Indian influence, Sufism developed its particular practice of meditation that includes a focus on breathing and the use of mantras.
Judaism and Meditation practice
In addition to what is believed to be descriptions of the practice of meditation in the Torah, the Jewish esoteric method and the school of thought of Kabbalah, it also includes some of its own forms of meditation .
These are generally based on deep thoughts on philosophical topics and prayer.
A history of Meditation in the West
Meditation began to be of interest in the West in the 1700s, when some of the Eastern philosophy texts, which contained references to meditation techniques and practices, were translated into different European languages.
This included:
- The Upanishads - A collection of religious and philosophical texts from India, which are supposed to have been written between 800 and 500 years before Christ.
- The Bhagavad Gita : a Sanskrit script made of 700 verses that are part of the Mahabharata: a Hindu epic detailing the narrative between Prince Arjuna Pandava and Krishna.
- The Buddhist Sutras - Scriptures that are assumed to be the oral teachings of the Buddha .
In the eighteenth century, meditation was seen only as a topic of discussion and interest by philosophers and intellectuals, including Voltaire and Schopenhauer (Abelson, 2008).
It was not until the 20th century when meditation became more prominent, especially in the United States, when a prominent yogi, Swami Vivekananda, made a presentation at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago, and explained in more detail what meditation is .
The presentation created a new wave of interest in the Eastern models of spirituality in the West and influenced several other spiritual teachers in India to migrate to the States, including:
- Swami Rama of the Himalayan Institute.
- Paramahansa Yogananda of the Self-Realization Scholarship.
- Maharishi Mahesh Yogi with his practice of Transcendental Meditation.
Together with these teachers, spiritual representatives from different Buddhist schools of thought also began to emigrate to the West, including individuals from the Zen school of thought and the Theravada school of thought.
Each time meditation has been introduced in a new place, it has been shaped by the individual culture in which it is found.
With its introduction in the West, meditation began to move further away from religious connections and teachings from its roots and was taught in more westernized ways.
By the sixties and seventies, meditation was being investigated through scientific studies, further eliminating their spiritual contexts and encouraging practice to be used by anyone, not only by those seeking spiritual fulfillment.
Benson (1967) began some of the first studies in the West to explore the impact of meditation on mental and physiological outcomes. Benson would write his best-selling book, The Relaxation Response, in 1975 and also founded the Mind Body Medical Institute that same year.
In the late 1970s, Jon Kabat-Zinn discovered meditation through his studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and also began investigating the potential health benefits of meditative practice. In 1979, he presented his full awareness based stress reduction program (MBSR) and opened the Stress Reduction Clinic.
Around this time, Transcendental Meditation was also growing in popularity, with many celebrities turning to practice to help them cope with fame, including The Beatles .
Although during this time, many meditation techniques were predominantly related to hippie culture and were not very common. It was not until the 1990s that this began to change.
In 1993, Deepak Chopra published his book Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, and in 1996 he appeared in Oprah, selling more than 137, 000 copies in one day.
As more celebrities approached to praise the practice of meditation in their lives, more books on how and why to meditate began to appear.
In the 1990s, mindfulness was also growing in its applications.
Williams, Teasdale and Seagal (1995) further developed Jon Kabat-Zinn's program to be used positively with people experiencing depression and anxiety.
The approach of cognitive therapy based on full consciousness (MBCT) combined mindfulness with cognitive behavioral therapy with some excellent results.
The Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) approach has been clinically approved by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence in the United Kingdom and is considered a treatment of choice for the depression.
By 2012, there were more than 700 programs based on full attention available worldwide and the original Kabat-Zinn program was the main program used in the research Sobren about meditation .
Today, Full Attention and what is meditation are prolific in Western society with resources and schools, both online and offline. nea, available to help you find a practice that works for you.
Research communities and medical science continue to study the benefits of meditation, with more and more studies demonstrating its positive implications for a variety of mental and physical conditions .
A chronology of the history of Meditation
Below is a brief chronology of some of the key dates related to meditation, some of which have already been mentioned:
| 5, 000 BC - 3, 500 BC | Early development | The oldest documented evidence of the practice of meditation is mural art in India. | India |
| 1500 BC | Hindu meditation | The Vedas, a large body of religious texts, contains the oldest written mention of meditation. | India |
| 6th century - V BC | Early development | Development of other forms of meditation in Taoist China and Buddhist India. | China, India |
| 6th century BC | Buddhist meditation | Siddhartha Gautama intends to achieve Enlightenment, learning meditation in the process. | India |
| 8th century BC | Buddhist meditation | The expansion of meditation practices of Japanese Buddhism extends to Japan. | Japan |
| X century - XIV | Christian meditation | Hesychasm, a tradition of contemplative prayer in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and implies the repetition of Jesus' prayer. | Greece |
| XI-XII centuries | Islamic meditation | The Islamic concept of Dhikr is interpreted by various meditation techniques and becomes one of the essential elements of Sufism. | |
| 18th century | Buddhist meditation | The study of Buddhism in the West is still a topic centered mainly by intellectuals. | Europe America |
| 1936 | Western research | A first scientific research on meditation is published. | America |
| 1950s | Buddhist meditation | The Vipassana movement, or perception meditation, begins in Burma. | Burma |
| 1950s | Transcendental Meditation | Maharishi Mahesh Yogi promotes transcendental meditation. | America |
| 1955 | Western research | The first scientific research on meditation with EEG is published. | |
| 60s | Transcendental Meditation | Swami Rama becomes one of the first yogis to be studied by Western scientists. | America |
| 1970s | Western research | Jon Kabat-Zinn begins to develop a full-service program for adults in clinical settings. He calls it stress reduction based on mindfulness (MBSR). | America |
| 1970s | Western research | Herbert Benson shows the effectiveness of meditation through his research. | America |
| 1977 | Western research | James Funderburk publishes an early collection of scientific studies on meditation. | America |
| 1979 | Medical application | Jon Kabat-Zinn opens the Center for Mindfulness and teaches stress reduction based on mindfulness to treat chronic diseases. | America |
| 1981 | Vipassana meditation | The first Vipassana meditation centers outside India and Myanmar were established in Massachusetts and Australia. | America, Australia |
| nineteen ninety six | Modern meditation | The Chopra Center for Well-being is founded by Deepak Chopra and David Simón. | America |
| 2000 | Medical application | The first major clinical trial of mindfulness with cancer patients is carried out, with results indicating beneficial results for stress reduction programs based on mindfulness. | America |
The beginnings of Mindfulness Meditation
Like meditation, the historical and ancient roots of Full Attention can be traced throughout the world and are very mixed with various religious principles.
Full attention as a form of meditation dates back to Hinduism, around 1500 BC, and is closely related to the practice of yoga .
Yoga in its oldest roots implied very little reference to movement or postures and placed greater emphasis on stillness, focus on breathing and the presence of the body at that time.
Full attention in this context also dates back to Buddhism and Taoism, which include a strong focus on breathing and self-awareness.
Many religions include a form of prayer or meditation technique that sees the individual diverting his thoughts from everyday anxieties in search of a greater awareness of himself and presence by appreciating a broader perspective on life and his religion.
This form of meditation is very closely aligned with the practice and purpose of Full Attention.
About 40 years ago, Full Attention became more frequent in Western cultures.
Jon Kabat-Zinn is often credited with being the founder of the "modern day" mindfulness, and the idea and concept of Full Attention that are commonly carried out in Western cultures.
In the 1970s, Kabat-Zinn founded the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine, and has since helped train and educate more than 18, 000 people on the principles of Reduction No of Stress Based on Plenary Care (MBSR). Program to help people experiencing a variety of conditions, such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, chronic pain and cardiovascular problems.
Williams, Teasdale and Seagal (1995) promoted Kabat-Zinn's work by combining MBSR with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to create the Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) program.
The program is clinically approved in the United Kingdom and is commonly used within clinical psychology to help treat people with a variety of disorders including personality disorders, pain chronic, regulation of emotions and depression.
A look at the history of Meditation research
As meditation has grown in popularity, so has its interest within the research and psychology communities.
The first scientific research on meditation occurred in 1936, and in 1955 the first study with an electroencephalogram (EEG) was produced (Feuerstein, 2014). An EEG records electrical waves of activity in the brain using electrodes placed on the head of an individual.
In the 1960s, some of the first Western research was conducted at the Menninger Clinic in Kansas, United States, with Swami Rama, a senior yogi from the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science.
The studies were led by an American psychologist named Gardner Murphy and focused specifically on investigating Swami Rama's abilities to control different bodily functions that were previously considered completely involuntary, such as heartbeat and blood pressure (Feuerstein, 2018).
Through the studies, Swami Rama also demonstrated the ability to:
- It produces different types of brain waves on demand: alpha, delta, theta and gamma.
- The ability to radically alter your heartbeat, even increase them to 300 beats per minute for 16 seconds and avoid beating for a few seconds.
- The ability to remain aware of the surrounding environment while your brain was in the cycle of deep sleep.
- The ability to control your skin and internal body temperature.
The findings of these studies stimulated greater interest in psychological and medical communities to explore the physiological effects of meditation . Benson, Greenwood y Klemchuk (1975) examinaron la efectividad de la meditación para respaldar las iniciativas de salud positivas.
A través de su investigación, informó que la meditación produce una serie de cambios físicos y bioquímicos dentro del cuerpo, que en conjunto llamó “Respuesta de relajación”.
Esto era revolucionario en el momento en que anteriormente se pensaba que la meditación era una práctica religiosa y, por lo tanto, no era apropiada para fines médicos o de salud.
La investigación de Benson comenzó a cambiar esta opinión y continuó la necesidad de más investigación para comprender completamente las implicaciones de la práctica meditativa para la atención médica .
Más investigadores y psicólogos continuaron realizando estudios sobre los efectos de la meditación en la mente y el cuerpo, con un enfoque particular en la adicción, las enfermedades cardiovasculares y el funcionamiento cognitivo (Funderburk, 1977, Brown, Forte & Dysart, 1984, Hayes, Strosahl & Wilson, 1999, y Carter & Ernst, 2003).
Aunque el cuerpo de investigación ha crecido, en años más recientes ha habido preocupaciones sobre la validez de encubrir algunos de los hallazgos, con revisión por pares, un meta-análisis de la investigación que encuentra que muchos de los resultados de la investigación no son concluyentes.
En el 2000, el Dalai Lama se reunió con psicólogos y neurocientíficos de orígenes occidentales en la India para impulsar el estudio de maestros de la meditación con tecnología avanzada de neuroimagen y explorar el impacto de la meditación en el cerebro.
El Centro Nacional para la Salud Complementaria e Integrativa publicó una de esas revisiones en 2007.
En su informe, los investigadores revisaron 813 estudios diferentes que examinaron cinco categorías diferentes de meditación : meditación mantra, meditación de Atención Plena, T ai, Qigong y yoga .
Se enfocaron en estudios con adultos, y aquellos que analizaron específicamente los efectos de la meditación en condiciones fisiológicas como las enfermedades cardiovasculares, el abuso de sustancias, la adicción y la hipertensión.
A partir de la revisión, los investigadores concluyeron que existe una falta de metodología de calidad en los estudios relacionados con la meditación y que no parece haber una perspectiva teórica común en la investigación científica.
Aunque la calidad de la investigación sin duda ha mejorado desde los años sesenta y setenta cuando comenzó, los investigadores en esta revisión argumentaron que todavía hay trabajo por hacer.
Una breve historia de la Meditación Trascendental
La Meditación Trascendental es una práctica meditativa espec fica, que consiste en la repetici n de un sonido llamado mantra, durante 15 a 20 minutos, al menos dos veces al d a.
La Meditaci n Trascendental busca ayudar al individuo a pasar a un estado de conciencia relajada.
Esta t cnica y movimiento en particular fueron introducidos en la d cada de 1950 por Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, un gur indio. Maharishi es un t tulo que gan a trav s de su trabajo, que significa Gran Vidente .
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi comenz como un seguidor de Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, el l der espiritual de Jyotirmath en el Himalaya indio.
l le da cr dito a Brahmananda Saraswati por inspirar la mayor parte de sus propias ense anzas y el desarrollo de la meditaci n profunda trascendental, que m s tarde pas a llamarse Meditaci n Trascendental .
En 1955, Maharishi Mahesh introdujo la Meditaci n Trascendental en la India yr pidamente desarroll un seguimiento, que luego comenz a extenderse m s hacia el mundo.
Entre 1955 y 1965, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi realiz m ltiples giras globales para difundir sus ense anzas y creencias espirituales junto con la pr ctica de la Meditaci n Trascendental .
Despu s de las giras mundiales, la pr ctica gan mayor popularidad en la d cada de 1970, con celebridades que abogan por el valor de la pr ctica.
Durante este tiempo, Maharishi Mahesh tambi n comenz a capacitar a otros como Maestros de Meditaci n Trascendental y desarroll escuelas dedicadas a la ense anza de la pr ctica (Russell, 1977).
La pr ctica continu ganando popularidad a lo largo de los a os 80 y 90, y para principios de la d cada de 2000, la Meditaci n Trascendental como pr ctica y movimiento hab a crecido para incluir una variedad de servicios asociados que inclu an productos de salud, programas educativos y cursos de capacitaci n para maestros, con millones de personas. involucrado.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi sigui siendo el l der de lo que se convirti en un gran movimiento multinacional hasta su muerte en 2008.
Tony Nader, un investigador, neurocient fico y autor liban s, se convirti en el sucesor de Maharishi Mahesh inmediatamente despu s de su muerte como l der del movimiento.
La Meditaci n Trascendental sigue siendo una de las formas de meditaci n m s practicadas hoy en d ay se mantiene pr cticamente sin cambios desde su primera introducci n en la d cada de 1950. Tambi n es uno de los m s investigados (Benson y Klipper, 2001).
¿Qué es la Meditación Vipassana?
Vipassana es una de las prácticas de meditación budista más antiguas y puede traducirse de forma aproximada como “visión”: una conciencia de lo que está sucediendo, exactamente como sucede. Esta es la distinción principal entre la Meditación Vipassana en comparación con otras técnicas.
Es importante entender esta distinción, para comprender completamente y comprometerse con Vipassana como una técnica de meditación .
Dentro del budismo, hay dos formas centrales de meditación, y en Pali estas se llaman Vipassana y Samatha .
Samatha se traduce aproximadamente como “tranquilidad”: cuando la mente se pone en un estado de reposo y no se le permite vagar de un pensamiento a otro.
La mayoría de las prácticas meditativas se centran en Samatha, en el sentido de que le piden al individuo que se centre en una cosa: un canto, una oración, una vela, una imagen, y que excluya todos los demás pensamientos.
En la Meditación Vipassana, se alienta al individuo a utilizar su concentración para obtener una visión real de la naturaleza de su propia realidad.
El objetivo final es lograr la liberación derribando los muros que nos impiden comprender nuestra verdadera realidad.
Como técnica meditativa, es muy gradual y lograr la liberación puede llevar muchos años.
La técnica en sí es bastante suave pero extremadamente completa para ayudar al individuo a lograr una conciencia plena a través de un conjunto dedicado de ejercicios.
Hay tres etapas principales de la práctica:
- Sila – que significa “moralidad” y se relaciona con el abandono de los pensamientos y deseos mundanos.
- Anapanasati – o la “atención plena de la respiración”, donde el individuo lleva su atención a su respiración sin control ni juicio.
- Vitarka, donde el individuo simplemente nombra el proceso de respiración, tanto físico como mental, sin darle un pensamiento más profundo.
Al comenzar con una inhalación, la técnica lo verá continuar en este camino, eliminando cualquier otro conocimiento de los eventos externos que lo rodean y construyendo desde allí hasta la siguiente exhalación, etc. Muchas personas fallan una y otra vez.
El propósito es volver a entrenar tu mente y crear un estado de “hiperconciencia” para todo lo que está sucediendo dentro de tu realidad inmediata, exactamente como está sucediendo y exactamente cómo sucede.
A través de la Meditación Vipassana, se “busca crear una conciencia perfecta e ininterrumpida con su realidad” (Pandita, 2018).
9 libros recomendados
A medida que la meditación es más ampliamente reconocida y aceptada, puedes encontrar un montón de material de lectura que te ayudará a desarrollar tu propia práctica y conocimiento de sus poderosos beneficios.
A continuación, compartiré contigo algunos títulos de libros para ayudarlo a comenzar, desglosados por temas generales:
Libros sobre la Historia de la Meditaci n
- El origen de la meditaci n budista por Alexander Wynne.
- Budismo zen: una historia, India y China por Heinrich Dumoulin.
- Budismo zen: una historia, Jap n por Heinrich Dumoulin.
Libros sobre la pr ctica de la meditaci n
- Meditaci n: C mo Meditar: una gu a pr ctica para hacer amigos con tu mente, por Pema Ch dr n.
- Meditaci n: Una gu a en profundidad, por Ian Gawler.
- La ciencia de la Meditaci n: c mo cambiar tu cerebro, mente y cuerpo, por Daniel Goleman.
Libros sobre Atenci n Plena
- Atenci n Plena para principiantes: Recuperar el momento presente y tu vida, por Jon Kabat-Zinn.
- La paz es cada paso: el camino de la Atenci n Plena en la vida cotidiana, por Thich Nhat Hanh.
- La neurociencia de la Atenci n Plena: la ciencia asombrosa detr s de c mo los pasatiempos diarios te ayudan a relajarte, por el Dr. Stan Rodski.
Un mensaje para llevar a casa
Espero que después de leer la historia, los orígenes y lo qué es la meditación, sientas un renovado sentido de asombro por la antigua meditación e inherente la práctica humana, ¡ojalá te hayas entusiasmado más!
Si hay algo que me gustaría que retiraras de este artículo, es la idea de que, más allá de cualquier afiliación religiosa, la meditación parece ser una parte fundamental del ser humano .
Se ha practicado y transmitido durante siglos, y no debemos subestimar lo importante que puede ser un compromiso breve y simple en la práctica de la meditación . Especialmente, en nuestras vidas cotidianas agitadas.
Nos encantaría leer tus propios pensamientos sobre la meditación y lo qué es la meditación, o si tiene alguna otra idea para agregar sobre los orígenes y la historia de la meditación, por favor comparte estos ideas en los comentarios o en nuestra sección del Foro.
Finamente, ¿Cómo te pareció este extraordinario Artículo sobre lo qué es la meditación ?, ¡a mí me encantó!, ¿ya ti? We wish you abundant successes and blessings, A Hug of Light!
References
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- West, M. (2016). La psicología de la meditación: investigación y práctica. Obtenido de: https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=MQNOCwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=the+psychology+EnventaAnticitationMots.viv.png_esp_Ut=Cz.jpg % 20meditación & f = falso
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Author : William Hernán Estrada Pérez, Editor and Translator in the Great Family of hermandadblanca.org
