The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He, to whom the emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand wrapped in awe, is as good as dead — his eyes are closed. – Albert Einstein
Meditation Becomes Spontaneous When you live a life of Wonder
Learn the simple art of meditation. It is simpler than you have ever thought it to be. Meditation is an art of awareness; it is an art of living the magic, mystery and wonder in life. Life is full of magic, mystery and wonder, if you have but the eyes to see and the heart to feel. A little music, a little poetry and looking at the freshness of Nature with awe and wonder add a magical quality to our lives.
Meditation is claiming your childhood and youth back again. We are young at heart, and happy, when we have the capacity to see the beauty of life, feel its magical quality and wonder at its mystery. When we lose this ability, we grow old.
Age is actually not in the count of biological years. It is not in the appearance. It is in our mindset. We all have seen people who look, and perhaps, behave like ten or twenty years older than they are, and also, the opposite of this. It is because of their mindset.
Meditation happens by making our attention Sharper and Clearer
The more we can focus our attention on the wonders and mysteries of the universe and the world around us, the more alive and sharper our senses will be, and more meditative we’ll grow.
It is said that when the Buddha became enlightened the whole world appeared, as if, new to him. After that extraordinary night of his final struggle and phenomenal victory over the Mara — the fabled lord of illusion, he awakened to the ultimate Truth.
It was a Truth so forceful and penetrating that it had been cutting through the ignorance, showing light to countless men and women all over the world from that time till today, and it will continue to inspire men and women through the countless future generations.
When the morning Sun appeared on the horizon, the Buddha was enthralled to find everything so extraordinarily bright and clear. The whole landscape before him, his own hands, feet and toes, the smell of the river mud in the air, the sunlight reflected on the green leaves — everything appeared so fresh and new to him. He felt a sense of tremendous awe and wonder just at the reality of being alive.
Meditation is an Art of Awareness
Dulling our senses will not bring us any success in meditation, because meditation is an art of awareness and wonder. During meditation, we take nothing for granted. We begin by being curious about our body, our breath, our mind and then wonder at their subtle mysteries, as they reveal them to us.
Meditation is a voyage to the unknown mysteries of your Self. The more you know about the unknown mysteries of the Universe, the more you realize how little you know.
This knowledge makes you humble, and brings you back to the world of wonders, miracles, and magic. This sense of wonder reminds us just how vast the unknown is, and it enables you to live in a world where everything is possible.
Meditation is Looking with at things with Curiosity and Wonder
Meditation is the process of removing the rust from your mind and the dust from your eyes, so that everything looks fresh and new. In fact, that is the meaning of the great mantra ‘OM’. ‘Om’ is called ‘Pranava’, in Sanskrit, which literally means ever fresh, ever new.
The world is full of magical things. A little knowledge of science has made us think that we have known all the mysteries of this Universe, which is far from the truth. When you meditate and you are mindful, everything looks beautiful and magical. A glass full of water looks as magical as the rainbow after a shower.
The dewdrops on the green leaves, a butterfly dancing on the bush, clouds floating on the blue sky, the rays of the morning Sun reflected on the greens — every so-called ordinary thing looks extraordinary, magical. Apparently, trivial, everyday things like a beautiful Sunset, the sound of a gushing river or the earthly fragrance of the fresh rain fills your mind with bliss.
Life has so much beauty, so much grandeur in it, because every rainbow we paint with our lives carries the touch of the Sunshine of our Soul, split in the colors of myriad hues.
We are beings of light, even though sometimes covered in the cloud. Wake up now, and see how precious life is. If you are taking your life as ‘granted’ instead of living its splendor, it seals out all possibilities of magic, mystery and wonder, and that is the death of the meditative mind; that is the death of the possibility of happening anything beautiful in life.
Unless You become like little Children..
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Unless you become like little children, you can’t enter the kingdom of heaven. Why did he say so?
Think about the time when you were a kid. Didn’t you wonder at every little thing back then? How did trivial things like a piece of shell on the seashore, or a pebble on the sand, or a piece of blue glass peeping from the mud use to amaze you?
The flight of an eagle, a fire-fly in the night, or a caterpillar in the bush— just anything and everything would excite your imagination, back then, and you would be in awe to discover them. Can you bring that mindset of your childhood back — the one that was amazed at everything?
Being able to do so will be a little miracle in your life. That curious, creative mind and the sense of wonder will bring the joy and relaxation back in to your life, and you will re-learn to wonder about everything!
The Beginning of the Journey of Meditation
Be fully present to life that is happening to you. Let the starry night, the deep blue sky, the flow of a stream and the full moon fill your mind with great joy and wonder. It will the beginning of the journey in meditation.
Try, and see the world in new ways! It will give you the capacity to wonder about your breath, wonder about your body, about the mysterious working of your mind, and then, meditation will become easy.
Please Note – This is Copyrighted material; An Excerpt From the following book : Meditation Walking the Path of Peace: A Guidebook for Stress Free Living by Banani Ray