Читать книгу 20 MINUTES TO MASTER … MEDITATION - Christina Feldman, Christina Feldman - Страница 29

Within every spiritual tradition the use of sound plays a central role in cultivating both concentration and devotion, whether we chant the name of God or use the repetition of classical phrases or prayers to collect our attention. Again a vast variety of sounds can serve as an object of concentration upon which to focus our attention. Mantras, prayers, phrases, chants and the repetition of symbolic religious words are all sounds that are adopted as a basis for collecting our attention. Some styles of meditation will encourage the verbal repetition of the sounds, others will promote a silent rendering of the sound. There are schools of meditation that encourage the continued repetition of the sound throughout all of our daily life activities and others that encourage its cultivation only in times of formal meditation.

The objective is the same in both schools of emphasis – the attention is turned inward and focused wholeheartedly upon the sound. The intention is to cultivate a direct connection and eventually an absorption into the sound. Once more the repetition and resultant concentration serve as a foundation for further devotional or contemplative practices where there is equally an absorption into the spiritual qualities represented by the sound, phrase or prayer.

In choosing a sound to serve as a central anchor for your concentration the principles of simplicity and familiarity again hold some significance. Whether we choose the sound of OM or a simple prayer or inspirational quote, the practice begins with the slow and consistent repetition of it. Some people choose simple statements such as ‘May I be filled with compassion’ or ‘May all beings live in peace’ as a focus that is both evocative and symbolic. A single word such as ‘peace’ or ‘calm’ will serve. Through our sustained focus it becomes more prominent to us than any of the other mental or physical events that are occurring. It is important that the repetition doesn’t become mechanical or habitual but through giving each utterance of the sound our wholehearted attentiveness, it is an expression of sensitivity and meaning. Through repeating the sound we become increasingly attuned and close to it. Again many times our attention will depart to become entangled elsewhere, the cultivation of concentration occurs through the same gentle returning of attention to our primary object of focus. As we continue with the practice, our attunement with the sound deepens and it becomes an integral part of our consciousness, easily accessible to us. In the deepening of the practice the level of attunement with the sound becomes so profound that it saturates our being and we are absorbed in it. The characteristics of absorption are always joy and oneness. Even on more surface levels of connection with our chosen sound it offers us a refuge of calm and focus that we are then able to bring to the variety of circumstances in our lives where there is turmoil or confusion. The chosen sound, mantra or phrase provides a tangible place to anchor our attention in times of stress or even in the midst of activities that require little attention.