Why Do We Meditate?
The Joy of Meditation
Do you remember the last time you smiled so much your face hurt?
That feeling when everything feels so right that it radiates out.
Seeping through your pores and touching every moment.
Every atom vibrating with joy and kept together by love.
This is our natural state.
Completely limitless, without fear, every moment shining with joy and compassion filling our heart. Every thought, word and action being used to benefit others.
This is what meditation shows us.
It doesn't create anything new in us or take something away.
Instead, meditation helps us have the awareness to see things as they are -- and naturally, this is joyful.
And every time you sit down to meditate you get a little taste of this experience.
Bit by bit this becomes your experience of the world.
Then gradually it becomes easier to take this experience off the cushion and into your daily life.
Then your ex calls and your zen is totally blown!
All you have to do is find your cushion, get back to center and let yourself smile again.
Remembering that this joy is your natural state.
Cultivating Your Compassion and Change the World
May all beings be happy!
There are a lot of meditations in the world.
Incredibly powerful Hindu tantric methods that are supposed to give one incredible power over phenomena.
Simple mindfulness techniques.
As well as methods meant to delve into the very depths of the mind.
But what good is sitting on a cloud all by yourself?
What can you do for others if everything you do is for yourself?
This is why cultivating compassion is so important.
Not only does it make sense when we do some simple math and see that there are just one you and countless others.
See also: How to Get the Most from Your Meditation Practice
Compassion Creates Power
In Buddhist Mahayana schools there is an emphasis on the union of compassion and wisdom. That both qualities, fully developed, and working in equal parts creates highest functioning.
Because if one has all the greatest insight in the world, and laser sharp wisdom that always sees things as they are, but lacks compassion -- you become cold and distant.
Always with your nose too high and looking at everything from your perch of wisdom, you quickly become useless.
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On the other hand, those who can't wear white shirts because their heart is bleeding everywhere are equally useless. Crying every time the wind blows doesn't benefit anyone.
By cultivating these two together, compassion is an incredible power. If wisdom points to what needs to be done, compassion gives you the power to do something about it.
You see this with protesters all the time.
One can debate until the end of time how effective the act of protesting is, but you can't deny that it generates energy. It brings attention to a cause and empowers people with compassionate hearts.
This is the power compassion can bring.
The power to bring about change in ourselves and the world.