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Meditation
The English word meditation comes from the Latin meditatio, which
originally indicated every type of physical or intellectual exercise, then
later evolved into the more specific meaning "contemplation."
Theosophists adopted the word "meditation" to refer to various spiritual
practices drawn from Hinduism, Buddhism, and other Eastern religions. Thus
the English word "meditation" does not exclusively translate any single
term or concept, and can be used to translate words such as the Sanskrit
dhyana, samadhi, or pranayama.
Meditation is usually defined as one of the following:
a state that is experienced when the mind dissolves and is free of all
thoughts
focusing the mind on a single object (such as a religious statue, or one's
breath, or a mantra) a mental "opening up" to the divine, invoking the
guidance of a higher power
reasoned analysis of religious teachings (such as impermanence, for
Buddhists).
Its ritual and contemplative qualities are similar to prayer in Western
religions, but prayer emphasizes communication with a higher being,
whereas meditation focuses on developing oneself.
Meditation may be for a religious purpose. Beginning with the
Theosophists, though, meditation has been employed by a number of
religious and spiritual movements, such as Yoga and the New Age movement,
as well as limited use in Christianity. It has been suggested that the
recent popularity of "meditation" as a religious practice in the West
signals some discomfort with more traditional Christian and Jewish
practices such as prayer. Others see meditation and prayer as harmonious:
Edgar Cayce taught that
"Through prayer we speak to God. In meditation, God speaks to us."
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