Subject: Why Meditate?

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 6 Oct 1994 00:14:47 UTC

People have different reasons for meditating, different goals,different
expectations. I suppose some are interested in experiencing the various
'bells and whistles' that might come with practice- such as out-of-body
experiences, or visiting other planes of existence or learning to see
auras, etc. But I think most people are driven by a simple and basic
desire to know the truth about themselves and the universe.

Here is a metaphor I like: Suppose the universe is an ocean, and individual
people are waves on that ocean. You look out from your vantage point at the
other waves around you, and they appear to be separate from each other,
and from you. This is the basis of suffering. The point of meditation and
instruction from a self-realized teacher is look inward and discover that
there is no separation, that you and everyone else are the same as that
ocean. This is the basis of liberation.

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