Question
Hello. I am currently a 20 year old male. I have found that my spiritual self has been increasing the past few months. However, i have been intrigued with the thought of meditation. I once heard (I forget who said it) that... "praying is talking to God, and meditation is listening." I just wanted to know if meditation can be self-taught, and if so, what are the steps I can take to learn to meditate. Thank you.
-Steve
Answer
Hi Steve... I believe that meditation can be self-taught, and this probably is the best way. Why? Because if you sign up with some teacher or guru there's a risk, in my humble opinion, of becoming unduly influenced by their particular view on life. I feel it's best to almost be a "scientist" when approaching the spiritual life. Try out different approaches. Try whatever you feel drawn toward. But do so with care and some degree of caution. Again, from my own experience, the spiritual life is full of great rewards but it would be misleading to say that there weren't possible dangers involved. Some people go too fast and lose balance.
I don't know if you know the myth of Icarus. He's a Greek figure whose father told him not to fly too high because his waxen wings would melt from the sun. He was also warned not to fly too low because the water from the sea would dampen his wings? feathers, making it impossible to fly at all. So Icarus was instructed by his father to fly at medium altitude. But unfortunately he got too excited and overconfident, flew too high, and paid the ultimate price.
http://www.pantheon.org/articles/i/icarus.html
This is a good analogy relating to the spiritual life, especially, I think as it applies to people just beginning to realize that there's more to life than that picked up by the conventional senses.
My very humble suggestion is to seek out paths that work for you. Maybe integrate several different approaches. Some people pray or meditate while taking a walk in their neighborhood. They don?t feel the need to sit still and peer between their eyebrows! Others contemplate all the information in their life while watching TV! Seriously. I really believe in the 21st century that we have to approach this thing in a modern way and not get too hung up on a given path, unless, of course, that happens to be our particular calling (which is also possible). They key, I think, is to remain open minded but analytical. Don?t throw your thinking mind away. Rather, use it to analyze what?s going on.
I hope this helps. Feel free to follow up, now or down the road?
