Meditation does not require blind faith.
You do not have to believe in the practice systems or Asia to benefit from it. It is a method for training the mind to become concentrated and aware, focused inward at the center of the body. With practice, you will encounter new experiences for yourself and will develop confidence. The Taoist & Buddhist Centering Tradition for the most part share similar aspects approach to meditation. I say don't be close minded use the best of both worlds, everyone can for sure try and be less wrong from previous times in their practice. The more open we are the richer the comparative traditions can develop.
Some give affinity to certain historical teachers ones does not really know for sure. Its ones of these things in Asia that has always existed and always will. Whatever the school of choice, technique leads the practitioner directly along the path to enlightenment and emancipation by combining concentration and insight meditation skills. It is thus, extremely focused and effective. Meditation begins with turning the powers of observation and awareness inward. We are accustomed to perceiving the outside world, but introspection requires special effort. Often times today we are drowning in technology and science; and we have prided ourselves on “objectivity” while remaining largely unaware of inner biases. Traditional scientific objectivity required isolation from the object observed. Since quantum mechanics was introduced, science has recognized that we are part of the world we perceive and what we see depends on how we look at it. Meditation is like polishing a lens to enable us to see more clearly. Skill in meditation develops the ability to perceive experience directly without the distortions implicit in conceptualization.
Many of us turn to meditation because of health reasons or dissatisfaction with life. This is the universally experienced sadness / suffering / tension on which Orthodox Buddhism base the Four Noble Truths.
But, this motivation to ease tensions or cope with anxieties is only a starting point. Many meditation techniques will provide relief on this worldly level, but the beauty of "Centering Meditation Traditions" is that it leads directly upwards from this point to more and more refined, purer and purer levels of awareness. The effectiveness of Centering Meditation approach derives from focusing attention at the center of the body and combining three meditation techniques simultaneously. Some people often debate the efficacy of concentration versus insight.
The Centering Tradition employs elements of both. Higher and higher levels of concentration enable personal insight to progress from a more worldly view to Right Understanding and ultimately to supra-mundane Right Wisdom.
To close this entry I would recommend anyone interested in Meditation to find a teacher or a group that understands the centering tradition and begin to practice with them. There is nothing like hands on experience to where you can interact with a real teacher or group of like minded practitioners. More to continue in thew future.
Gary W Abersold
