In the context of what’s been going on here, I know I’m a little off topic. But maybe a little change of pace is in order…
A couple years ago, I attended a one-day meditation retreat at the Cambridge Insight Meditation Center. After several hours of meditation, Larry Rosenberg, the center’s founder, and leader of this retreat, initiated a discussion about what we were experiencing.
I raised my hand and said that I was a writer, and was having all these amazing ideas for articles perk around in my brain. I was truly amazed, I told the other attendees.
I guess Larry could sense my pride, because he had only one thing to say to me: “Are you here to come up with writing ideas, or to become enlightened?”
Stopped me right in my tracks.
The weekend before last, I attended another retreat at the same place, only this one was for two days, and with a different leader.
I had the same experience this time—after some hours of meditating, all kinds of ideas were floating around in my mind. But this time, during the discussion, I kept my mouth shut. And, indeed, I tried to label all the article ideas that cropped up in my mind as what they were…passing thoughts, like clouds in the sky.
But after the retreat ended, I found myself wondering…if there could be a television show with people trying to lose weight as competition, why not a competition to see who can meditate the best?
Now, I know, meditation isn’t supposed to be competitive—in fact, it’s the antithesis of competition. But, hey, this is America.
With very little in the way of analysis, I could foresee problems, however. How would you ever pick a winner? And who would want to watch it in the first place? Watching people meditate is even worse than watching paint dry, since you can’t see anything happen.
But, then I realized, that’s not necessarily true. You could attach electrodes to meditators’ skulls to measure their brain activity. People could watch the meters light up and fade to see whose brain activity was changing in which way. Same thing with blood pressure. What could be more exciting than watching blood pressure readings rise and fall?
The big question from a TV producer’s viewpoint would no doubt be about the sponsors, and here I was at a loss. Sure, some advertisers now show people meditating, to poke fun or appeal to the latest fad. But most don’t want to really get serious about it.
No insurance company would want to get involved, since they sell fear, and meditation helps reduce fear. Nor would car companies, since they’re about appealing to ego, and meditation is about reducing the importance of ego. Or beer companies, since they’re about decadence, and meditation discourages decadence. Fast-food chains would be out, since meditation encourages taking care of your body.
I think the producers would probably be asking themselves: “Where’s the fun here? Or the love story? Or the violence?”
Maybe Larry was right, and I should just stick to becoming enlightened.
I would look at your "coming up with writing ideas" as an enlightenment for you. Enlightenment comes in many forms. As a writer, you have the ability (gift) to bring "fun", a "love story" or even "violence". You can enlighten many with your words.
Words can paint a picture that a blind man can see. They can take you on a trip through the Amazon where you can feel the humidity, across that Sahara where the oppressing heat weighs you down, or to the North Pole where the icy winds feel like tiny shards of glass slicing into your cheeks.
OMG not another "reality" show!!Please! Besides how would one meditate with all the lights, cameras and people milling about?
I enjoyed this journal article, as I appreciate and enjoy the rest of the site and your great observations & contributions, (I live in Calif. and needs mah raw milk!).
In Zen, the character "MU" can be translated as "has not", "is without", "without", "lack of", "absence",
and I wish not to experience "lack of" real Moo Juice in my refrigerator and stomach…so thanks again for your wisdom and efforts.
All the best, especially in health, David.
In Friends worship, if one particular inspiration comes out of the silence as a whole, it may be considered inspired by God. If someone speaks about it either during or after the worship, as or after you feel it, and/or it is reflected in things that are said or experiences after the worship; and if you feel a sense of wholeness or peace around the idea, or in contrast a feeling of conviction that you have to take an action no matter how sick it makes you feel, it may be considered as affirmed as divinely inspired by many Friends.
There is a lot of information in our subconscious. It all can’t be conscious at the same time. I believe our brains put together a lot more information than we are aware of, and we can access that information through meditative states. Doing so in a worshipful state, or some traditional form of meditation is desireable because it provides checks and balances to our motivations and use of that information. Using an established method is also useful for people with very visual minds to keep from getting too carried away with what comes out; and to keep them from getting confused, or even mentally ill with the information. Information affirmed by others is safest to act upon.
Gwen
Bob Hayles