Meditation: A Fundamental Need
As human beings, we exist with multidimensional avenues of desire. Inspired by what appears to be the mind, body, & personality’s unceasing aspiration to become greater than their current state, every craving arises along with the yearning to expand. This continuous flow of desire is inherent not only within humanity, but to the universe itself: the unending system of pure intelligence which creates & contains everything. The primary influence of any piece is the atmosphere which pervades it. As you may perceive yourself now, as an individual, you are a piece in relation to the larger environment which surrounds you. Like the soil automatically transforms a planted seed into its eventual maturity, the universe is a natural incubator for our evolution, & every other life form within it. We are children of the cosmos; intertwined with its’ character. Therefore, we are inevitably demanded & affected by its whims to grow. Any futile attempts to resist, or become ignorant of this primordial drive will result in the ubiquitous sensation of suffering: a discomforting tension impossible to neglect. This is not to be confused with the unavoidable fact of pain whose touch is outside of our control. Suffering is created through our own ignorance of how the natural system, the omnipresent opening, functions.
This unawareness, caused by social conditioning coupled with an impeded sense of inner curiosity, has impacted the lives of innumerable human beings across all times & space of Earth. Attempts to expand limitlessly through limited means of the body fall short. Sex, drugs, alcohol, excessive eating, overstimulation: all unconscious methods to achieve liberation last momentarily until one is forced off their flimsy tower towards the ground to climb again. Growing to infinity through the mind has its limit. Education, social networks, imagination (the basis of thought), entertainment, resource acquisition: they thrill one’s psyche for a short duration until their stimulus subsides and their ephemeral nature is revealed to ignite the continual need for more. Morally, there is no right or wrong label for these acts. They are just existentially ineffective for one’s inescapable evolution: the perception from illusory separation to permanent realization of oneness. This is the true destination of all human beings whether one is conscious of it or not.
At all times, across all colors & creeds, we desire absolute fulfillment which can come only from merging with infinity. Meditation is the vehicle to reach this ultimate desire. Through using attention, as opposed to thought, you can see beyond any boundary only if you point it within. Spiritual vision is obstructed by the eyesight which brings us the appearance of division to support the survival process. We need to discern physical boundaries to drive the body through the world, & to know what’s truth from falsehood in the mind to live wisely. However, this process of perceiving yourself as an individual, creating the desire for self preservation, fuels an enormous tension. There is something larger within yourself, something infinite which desires to express itself, but has been binded by you due to fear of vulnerability. To be free, you must expose yourself, not through the mind or body, but through your fundamental nature of silence.
There is an indestructible serenity within that cannot be moved by any outside force. It is the source & power of your experience therefore it cannot be destroyed. It can only be ignored. Meditation is simply the way to look directly at this source so deeply, that you could not possibly ignore its truth, its tranquility, & its vibrance. Once you experience this timeless foundation, the sense of tension as a miniscule individual will be replaced with an awareness of the continually expanding life process. Just as you may invest in the stock market with promising options & receive a return, you will receive treasure from life itself if you invest your attention into it. Not into your psychological or survival process, but into the very engine which powers both. Once this practice is rooted firmly in your life, the compulsion to cling to the world's events will fade, & you will begin to see everything as a play of energy dancing upon stillness. You can live with a healthy sense of abandon because inner peace has become your default state, not something which appears & disappears by chance.
Everyone of us have unique abilities, strengths, & weaknesses in the world that will guide our outer paths; but we all have the capacity to realize this foundational equanimity as its inherent to all life with no exception. It is my dream that all those who are willing to touch this profound peace will do so. That meditation will not be perceived as an esoteric, optional activity for one’s well being, but a necessary practice for wholeness. Just as our culture prescribes we brush our teeth, exercise regularly, eat healthy, etc., I desire to normalize meditation by demystifying it through communicating its natural position in human life.
Many imbalances manifesting in ecological & humanitarian travesties have appeared in the world due to ignorance of equanimity. We may discern that those who cause disorder are filled with fear or hatred for another. If we look closer we can see that all evil is a result of the ignorance of truth which gives one the distortion to act influenced by falsehood. Any vision of separation creates disease, & vision of oneness creates health.
When I observe our world today, I understand the primary issue is essentially a lack of clarity which forms toxicity in a multitude of ways. Fortunately, these patterns of behavior & oversight are fundamentally energy which can be transformed by our will. I do not wish to dissolve desire, I simply want it redirected to its proper coordinates to bring balance back not only to myself, but to my community, & the larger world. We have the intelligence to live as one race & resolve the yearning for lasting fulfillment.
Meditation is the way.
