Medi tation in its various forms is a way to still the mind so that we can find the spiritual resources and strengths that lie within our selves. It can also be a way to connect with Divine energy and tap into the wisdom within this Divinity.Most formsof meditation involve either focusing our attention on something external such as an object, focusing on breathing or putting the focus on something more internal such as a repeated mantra. But there is another method of meditation that is slightly different and yet still gives a person the ability to tap into greater spiritual insight and wisdom; this method is called passage meditation.
Passage meditation is a more modern type of meditation that was developed by Eknath Easwaran and is rooted in the more classic methods of meditation found in many spiritual traditions, including Hinduism. In passage meditation, the object of attention is not something external that is focused upon to calm the mind, but instead it involves focusing on an inspirational passage that has been memorized ahead of time. The passage can be from any spiritual or religious tradition that one chooses and is meant to be recited in a silent and focused manner. Easwaran's theory was that by meditating on these inspiring phrases, the words would sink into our minds and drop like a jewel into the depths of our consciousness. Over time, it is believed, the meaning and assimilation of the words will bring about positive changes in our lives such as greater compassion and patience, a stronger spiritual foundation, less stress and anger and possibly even recovery from addictions.
Passage meditation is meant to be practiced for a half hour in the morning, before all the distractions of the day take over. One should sit in a comfortable position, breathe gently and deeply, then with eyes closed silently and slowly repeat the memorized passages. Rather than just repeating the words while thinking of something else, one is meant to give full attention to the meaning of the words. In this way, Easwaran believed, the lessons of the words would sink more fully into our spiritual consciousness. Just like any method of meditation, it is common for the mind to wander. When this happens it is important not to get angry or frustrated, but instead to gently redirect the mind back to the meaning of the words in the passage. It's understandable that passage meditation may sound kind of boring to some people but Easwaran felt that this is partly the point since this meditation is a way to train the mind, which can often be very fickle, andhelp us to grow spiritually, as is the point of many other meditation practices. As Easwaran said, the Slow, sustained concentration on these passages drives them deep into our minds. And whatever we drive deep into consciousness, that we become.
Many people like the idea of repeating short phrases but this can become overly repetitious over the course of half an hour. So it may be good to memorize longer passages such as bible psalms, a spiritual poem such as one written by Rumi, Buddhist or Hindu texts, or anything that is spiritually significant to you. Another good thing about passage meditation is that it's a good way to strengthen memorization skills. But you don't have to necessarily memorize something that will take half and hour to recite. You can also memorize a paragraph to silently recite. Then once you're finished with the paragraph just keep reciting it over again until the time period is up. It's a good idea to set some kind of alarm that will signal you that the half hour is up, this way you don't have to keep checking the time and disrupting your focus. Just be sure it's not a loud, jangly alarm that will jolt you out of your feeling of serenity. After practicing passage meditation for a while, you'll begin to get a sense for when the half hour is up and won't need to use an alarm.
Passage meditation does not have to be practiced every day. In fact, it's always best to practice several types of meditation in order to gain greater spiritual depth. But it is a good technique to practice and is definitely worth a try.
