Resin Statues :: Contemplation

All things have a story...

Unlike most Western religions, where saying a few vows and showing up at Church or Temple is enough, Buddhism and Taoism teach that each individual must earn their spiritual salvation through intense focus and effort over a lifetime of study and work. The “work” can be thought of as being done on two fronts. The first is in the everyday world where we are wide awake and interacting with people and living our daily lives. Here we have a chance to put the tenets of Buddhism or Taoism into practice. The second front is much more subtle and usually involves being alone in a quiet place with closed eyes. Westerns refer to it as meditation.

In meditation we melt deeply into ourselves in what the Taoists call the “internal alchemy.” The word “meditation” is actually a bad English translation for what the Chinese call “ching-jing wu-wei,” which literally means “sitting still doing nothing”. Some Westerners may wonder how sitting still and doing nothing can be of benefit to them. Before we answer that question from the viewpoint of Taoism, it must be said that modern science has discovered a host of benefits to meditating, including lowering blood pressure, boosting the immune system, recharging the body and extending lifespan.

In as simple terms as we can state, the Taoists believe that by meditating, one can empty all the extraneous thoughts from mind and allow the pure unsullied spirit to abide in a state of stillness, silence and emptiness. When the mind is not encumbered by regular-day thoughts, the spirit is finally able to fully waken and connect with the Tao. By tuning out the frequencies of our everyday world, we can tune into the tremendous energy of the void or Tao. This allows us a glimpse of worlds and places beyond our own and can lead to the development of supernatural powers, such as ESP – although this is not the point of meditation and distracts individuals from the real work at hand.

Ultimately, meditation helps to peal away the layers of illusion that form our world and our selves. The most advanced adepts of meditation can then unify with the Tao and escape what the Buddhists refer to as the endless cycles of births and deaths. In conclusion, whether one’s goal is to reach enlightenment or just improve health and well-being, meditation is something that can benefit everyone without interfering in their belief in other religions and faiths.