Meditation, The Eternal Path

ABSTRACT

MEDITATION The Eternal Path

This booklet is a compilation of writings, some secular and some non-secular, on the subjects of prayer and meditation. In this booklet the reader will find a collection of writings on the essential importance of prayer and meditation.

The writings in this booklet that are derived from the holy scriptures of the world’s great religions are organized in relationship to their manifestation before the ears, eyes, minds, and spirits of humanity, or in other words chronologically.

Dr. Gregory T. Lawton

MEDITATION The Eternal Path

Meditation, the Eternal Path, Copyright 2016 Dr. Gregory T. Lawton All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission from Dr. Gregory T. Lawton.

American Health Source, Inc. 2040 Raybrook SE, Suite 104 Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546 888-375-7245 1|Page

Dedication I am dedicating this book to my loving wife Ginny because true love is the most powerful “meditation� in existence.

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Preface This booklet is a compilation of writings, some secular and some non-secular, on the subjects of prayer and meditation, but primarily meditation. In this booklet the reader will find a collection of writings on the essential importance of prayer and meditation. The writings in this booklet that are derived from the holy scriptures of the world’s great religions are organized in relationship to their manifestation before the ears, eyes, minds, and spirits of humanity, or in other words chronologically.

The concept that all religions are one, come from the same divine source, and follow each other in a continual pattern of revelation is called, by members of the Bahá'í Faith, progressive revelation. Progressive revelation is the systematic introduction of the holy writings to humanity over eons of time and in concert with the evolving physical, mental, and spiritual growth of humanity.

I have written about the subject of meditation before and in previous books and articles including my small philosophical book entitled Scent of a Forgotten Flower and my instructional books on the martial arts which include; Tai Chi Chuan, A Students Lessons, A Students Journey through the Martial Arts, Pakua Chang, the Path of the Eight Diagram Change, and The Song of the Flowing River Hsing Yi Chuan, as well as, in several of my books of poetry such as Words Written in the Dust and Heartbeats from the Soul.

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Silent Self – Therein The door is open so come on in, come and find your silent self abiding there within.

Silence is not a lack of anything, not voice, or music, nor the wind, it’s silence that lets your life begin.

So come through the door and enter here, and leave behind the din, it is here that true heart can join, your silent self – therein.

Dr. Gregory Lawton - 2005

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Introduction About Prayer and Meditation: Many are those who have not come to realize the vital importance of both prayer and meditation, that the two, prayer and meditation, are essential to each other and that they are in fact the two wings of the bird of the human spirit which enable the souls to soar to untold of heights whereupon they sit high upon the branches of the tree of eternity. If both of these wings, prayer and meditation, are not equally developed in men and women the bird of the human spirit cannot fly upon its true course.

The word meditation in the English language is derived from the Latin word meditatio and from the Latin verb meditari which means to think, contemplate, devise, or ponder. Each of the world’s great cultures and religious traditions have a word for meditation. In the Hindu tradition meditation is called dhyana, in the Old Testament and in Hebrew it is called hāgâ. When the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek, hāgâ became the Greek melete. The Latin Bible then translated melete into meditatio. The Tibetan word for meditation "Gom" means "to become familiar with" and suggests that meditation is a process for training the mind to become familiar with mental and spiritual states that are beneficial to our personal growth and development.

Prayer, meditation, and fasting have been an essential component of religious practice since the beginning of recorded history and the history of meditation has been historically defined by the religious context within which it was practiced. Some authors have even suggested the hypothesis that the emergence of the capacity for focused mental attention, an element of many methods of meditation, may have contributed to the progressive development of human consciousness. Some of the earliest references to meditation are found in the Hindu Vedas. One translation of the famous Vedic mantra 'Gayatri' is “We meditate on that desirable light of the divine Savitri, who influences our pious rites.”

In the ancient wisdom of the Hindu holy book, the Bhagavad Gita, we find these words of wisdom, “When meditation is mastered, the mind is unwavering like the flame of a lamp in a windless place. In the still mind, in the depths of meditation, the eternal Self reveals itself.

While meditation is defined as “listening” prayer is commonly described as “speaking”. The word prayer is derived from the Latin word precari "to ask earnestly, beg, or to entreat" Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to create communion with the object of worship through deliberate communication. While all of the major faith traditions practice prayer there are differences in how people pray in terms of form, language and body posture. For example, in the Christian Holy Bible we find this statement, "When you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again." (Matthew 6:7) and in Ecclesiastes 5:2 it states, “Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.” In some faiths, when praying, people may sit, kneel, stand, or lie prostrate on the ground.

In the Bahá'í Faith, and in the writings of Abdu’l- Bahá, we find this statement, “The wisdom of prayer is this: That it causeth a connection between the servant and the True One, because in that state, man with all heart and soul turneth his face towards His Highness the Almighty, seeking His association and desiring His love and compassion.”

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Prayer and meditation are a powerful medicine that can heal the wounded self and sick body.

Researchers have been studying the many physical, mental, and emotional benefits of both prayer and meditation. The beneficial effects of prayer and meditation have been shown to influence the bodies biochemical functions and activities of the human brain.

A study published in 2012 in the journal, Psychosomatic Medicine, reported on a randomized group of 90 cancer patients who were taught meditation. After seven weeks, those who had meditated reported that they were significantly less depressed, anxious, angry and confused than the control group, which hadn't practiced meditation. The meditators also had more energy and fewer heart and gastrointestinal problems than did the control group.

The following pages of this compilation contain writings and verses from the major world religions on prayer and meditation.

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Hinduism

Hinduism has been called the "oldest religion" in the world, and some practitioners and scholars refer to it as “the eternal law" or the “eternal way” and consider its origin to be beyond human creation, and therefore divine.

Quotes on Meditation: “We meditate on that desirable light of the divine Savitri, who influences our pious rites.”

Vedic Mantra 'Gayatri' “When meditation is mastered, the mind is unwavering like the flame of a lamp in a windless place. In the still mind, in the depths of meditation, the eternal Self reveals itself.

Beholding the self by means of the Self, an aspirant knows the joy and peace of complete fulfillment. Having attained that abiding joy beyond the senses, revealed in the stilled mind, he never swerves from the central truth. He desires nothing else, and cannot be shaken by the heaviest burden of sorrow. The practice of meditation frees one from all affliction. This is the path of yoga...”

“Wherever the mind wanders, restless and diffuse in its search for satisfaction without, lead it within; train it to rest in the Self. Abiding joy comes to those who still the mind. Freeing themselves from the taint of self-will, with their consciousness unified, they become one with God.” Bhagavad Gita “If...he places his mind in meditation upon the Supreme Spirit, he comes to the regions of light of the sun. There he becomes free from all evil, even as a snake sheds its old skin, and... goes to the heaven of Brahma wherefrom he can behold the Spirit that dwells in the city of the human body and which is above the highest life.”

The Prasna Upanishad

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Judaism

Judaism is an ancient monotheistic religion, with the Torah as its foundational text. Judaism is considered by Jews to be the expression of the covenantal relationship that God established with the Children of Israel. The Prophet Abraham is hailed as the first Hebrew and the father of the Jewish people There is evidence that Judaism has had meditative practices that go back thousands of years.

For instance, in the Torah in the Book of Genesis the Patriarch Isaac is described as performing meditation.

Quotes on Prayer and Meditation: “I send up a cry to the Lord with my voice, and he gives me an answer from his holy hill. Selah.”

Psalms 3:4 “My voice will come to you in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I send my prayer to you, and keep watching. Selah” Psalms 5:3 “The Holy One, praised be He, longs for the prayers of the righteous. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon Him in truth...”

Psalm 145:18 “And it shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”

Isaiah 65:24

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Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism is one of the smallest, and one of the world's oldest, religions. It was founded by the Prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathustra) in ancient Iran approximately 3500 years ago.

Zoroastrians ascribed to the teachings of the prophet Zoroaster and its Supreme Being is called Ahura Mazda. The Prophet Zoroaster is said to have derived his holy inspiration after thirty years of meditation on the secluded and inaccessible mountain-top of "Ushidarena."

Quotes on Meditation: “A reflective, contented mind is the best possession.”

Avesta “One need not scale the heights of the heavens or travel along the highways of the world to find Ahura Mazda, with purity of mind and holiness of heart one can find Him in one’s own heart.”

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Buddhism

Buddhism is a major world religion that encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and spiritual practices largely based on teachings attributed to Gautama Buddha, commonly known as the Buddha or the "the awakened one". According to Buddhist tradition, the Buddha lived and taught in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE. Fundamental Buddhist meditation techniques have been preserved in ancient Buddhist texts and have proliferated and diversified through teacher-student transmissions. Buddhists pursue meditation as part of the path toward enlightenment and nirvana.

Quotes on Mediation: “To meditate means to realize the imperturbability of one’s original nature... The original nature is by itself pure and calm... Freeing the mind from all wrong is the discipline of our original nature. Freeing the mind from all disturbances is the calmness of our original nature.

And freeing the mind from all delusions is the wisdom of our original nature...”

The Platform Sutra “While in the same way that rain cannot break into a well roofed house, desire cannot break into a mind that has been practicing meditation well.”

“From meditation springs wisdom. From lack of meditation, loss of wisdom. Recognizing these alternative roads of progress and decline, one should so direct oneself so that one's wisdom will increase.”

The Dhammapada

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Christianity

Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ as presented in the New Testament. Throughout its history, Christianity has experienced schisms and theological disputes that have resulted in many distinct churches and denominations.

Christian meditation for many Christians is a structured attempt to get in touch with and to deliberately reflect upon the Word of God. Christian meditation is commonly the process of deliberately focusing on central Christian concepts or personages and reflecting on their meaning and significance.

Quotes on Prayer and Meditation: “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And in prayer do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Matthew 6.5-8 “If anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”

James 5.13-18

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“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”

Corinthians 3:16 “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

Colossians 3:2

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Islam

Islam is a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion articulated by the Qur'an, a religious text considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God (Allāh), and, for the vast majority of adherents, by the teachings and example of the Prophet Muhammad.

The remembrance of God in Islam, which is known by the concept Dhikr, is interpreted in different meditative techniques in Islam.

Quotes on Prayer and Meditation: “Surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are signs for men of understanding.”

Holy Qur’an Verse 3:190 “Those who remember Allah while standing, sitting or (reclining) on their backs, and reflect in the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): ‘Our Lord! You have not created this in vain.

Glory to You! Save us, then, from the chastisement of the Fire.”

Holy Qur’an Verse 3:191 “God guideth unto Himself all who turn unto Him, they who believe and whose hearts seek rest in the remembrance of God. Verily, in the remembrance of God do hearts find rest! For those who believe and do good, joy is for them and bliss their journey’s end.”

Holy Qur’an Verse 13:27–29 “O you who believe! Remember God perpetually, and glorify Him morning and evening. He it is Who blesses you, as do His angels, that He may bring you forth from darkness into light, for His mercy flows to they who believe. Their greeting on the Day when they shall meet Him shall be “Peace!”, and for them is prepared a most gracious reward.”

Holy Qur’an Verse 33:41–44

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The Bahá'í Faith

The Bahá'í Faith, founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, is the youngest of the world’s major religions and it is a monotheistic religion which emphasizes the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are three core principles which establish a basis for Bahá'í teachings and doctrine: the unity of God, that there is only one God who is the source of all creation; the unity of religion, that all major religions have the same spiritual source and come from the same God; and the unity of humanity, that all humans have been created equal, coupled with the unity in diversity, that diversity of race and culture are seen as worthy of appreciation and acceptance.

According to the Bahá'í Faith's teachings, the human purpose is to learn to know and to love God through such methods as prayer, reflection and being of service to humanity.

Quotes on Prayer and Mediation: “A servant is drawn unto Me through prayers until I answer him; and when I have answered his prayers, I become the ear wherewith he heareth.”

Baha'u'llah: Seven Valleys, Page 22 “It is incumbent on all who have ears and clear insight to meditate and ponder carefully upon these supreme words, in each of which oceans of meanings and distinct explanations are hidden, that the revelation of the Possessor of all religions may cause all His creatures to attain the desire and that supreme station which is the dawning of the horizon of this Declaration.”

Bahá’u’lláh, Bahá’í Scriptures, Page 122-123 “Meditate profoundly, that the secret of things unseen may be revealed unto you, that you may inhale the sweetness of a spiritual and imperishable fragrance, and that you may acknowledge the truth…so that light may be distinguished from darkness, truth from falsehood, right from wrong, guidance from error, happiness from misery, and roses from thorns.”

Bahá’u’lláh, Kitáb-i-Iqan, Page 8 14 | P a g e

“The reason why privacy hath been enjoined in moments of devotion is this, that thou mayest give thy best attention to the remembrance of God, that thy heart may at all times be animated with His Spirit, and not be shut out as by a veil from the Best Beloved. Let not thy tongue pay lip service in praise of God while thy heart be not attuned to the exalted Summit of Glory, and Focal Point of communion.”

Selections from the writings of The Báb, Page 93 “Bahá’u’lláh says there is a sign (from God) in every phenomenon: the sign of the intellect is contemplation and the sign of contemplation is silence, because it is impossible for a man to do two things at one time—he cannot both speak and meditate.”

'Abdu'l-Bahá Paris Talks, Page 174 “If one friend feels love for another, he will wish to say so. Though he knows that the friend is aware that he loves him, he will still wish to say so.... God knows the wishes of all hearts. But the impulse to prayer is a natural one, springing from man's love to God.” “Prayer need not be in words, but rather in thought and attitude. But if this love and this desire are lacking, it is useless to try to force them. Words without love mean nothing. If a person talks to you as an unpleasant duty, with no love or pleasure in his meeting with you, do you wish to converse with him?”

'Abdu'l-Bahá, quoted in J. E. Esslemont, "Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era", Page 94 “The wisdom of prayer is this: That it causeth a connection between the servant and the True One, because in that state, man with all heart and soul turneth his face towards His Highness the Almighty, seeking His association and desiring His love and compassion. The greatest happiness for a lover is to converse with his beloved, and the greatest gift for a seeker is to become familiar with the object of his longing; that is why with every soul who is attracted to the Kingdom of God, his greatest hope is to find an opportunity to entreat and supplicate before his Beloved, appeal for His mercy and grace and be immersed in the ocean of His utterance, goodness and generosity.”

“Beside all this, prayer and fasting is the cause of awakening and mindfulness and conducive to protection and preservation from tests. The obligatory prayer is revealed from the Supreme Pen...”

Tablets of Abdu’l-Baha, Pages 683-684

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Quotes of Wisdom

“Everything in the universe is within you. Ask all from yourself.”

Rumi “Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.”

Thích Nhất Hạnh “The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.”

Marcus Aurelius “And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise on your lips.”

Kahlil Gibran “To understand the immeasurable, the mind must be extraordinarily quiet, still.”

Jiddu Krishnamurti “Keep your heart clear And transparent, And you will Never be bound.

A single disturbed thought Creates ten thousand distractions.”

Ryokan

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About the Author and Compiler of this Compilation: Dr. Gregory T. Lawton is an author of many books, most of them in the area of health science, but also in the genre of Asian martial arts, philosophy, poetry, and prose. Dr. Lawton is a passionate award winning artist and photographer who finds his artistic and creative inspiration in nature, and who frequently attributes the source of his images and writing to the 19th century Persian Prophet, Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Baha’i Faith, and the 13th century Persian poet and Sufi Mystic Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī. Dr. Lawton has been a member of the Baha’i Faith since 1970 and embraces the Faith’s principles related to the promotion of world peace and unity Dr. Gregory T. Lawton has studied and trained in Asian religion, philosophy and martial arts such as Aikido, Jujitsu, Kenpo, and Tai Chi Chuan.

Dr. Lawton’s main and most noted Asian martial art instructor was Professor Huo Chi-Kwang.

Professor Huo was a renowned Chinese scholar, artist, and calligrapher who served as Taiwan's ambassador to France and he was a personal friend of Pablo Picasso.

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Other related books by this author:

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Dr. Gregory T. Lawton teaches Tai Chi Chuan and Martial Arts, Herbal and Natural Medicine, Massage Therapy and Acupuncture at the Blue Heron Academy in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Find Dr. Lawton’s free book downloads at http://issuu.com/muyblue Photography and art website: http://www.lawtonsloft.com/ Creative Writing Blog: http://thehollowreed.com/

MEDITATION The Eternal Path

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Dr. Gregory T. Lawton The Blue Heron Academy of Healing Arts and Sciences 2040 Raybrook SE, Suite 104 Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546 616-285-9999