singing and dancing or even consumption of narcotic substances might be
used to induce the right frame of mind.
The stated purpose of meditation varies almost as much as the practice
itself. It is seen as a means of gaining experiential, that is, practical insight
into the nature of reality, both in the case of religious and spiritually inclined
persons as well as thosewho profess to follow no religion at all. It is perceived
as an effective way of drawing closer or even becoming one with the Ultimate
Reality, irrespective of what one might think it to be. Meditation thus
requires and, therefore, develops the power of concentration, awareness,
self-discipline and calmness of mind.
Let us touch briefly on some particular meditative practices and explain
their basic mechanism. In the
samadhi
or
shamatha
,
or concentrative
techniques of meditation, the mind is kept closely focused on a particular
word, image, sound, person or idea. This form of meditation is found in
Buddhist and Hindu traditions including Yoga, as well as in medieval
Christianity, the Jewish
KabaIa
and some practices of the Sufis. Related to
this method is a silent repetition of a memorized passage from the scripture
or a particular word.
Dhikr,
or remembrance of God, would fall into this
category. So would
simran
and
nam japna
of Sikhism.
In the
vipasana
(insight, or seeing things as they are) type of meditation,
the mind is trained to notice each perception or thought that passes through
it, but without “stopping” on any one.This is a characteristic formof meditation
in Buddhism, especiallyTheravada and Zen, but does not seem to play much
of a role in Islam.
In
annapuna
meditation, attention is focused on breathing. The Sufis use
this practice as well, and it is often alleged that they adopted it under the
influence of Indian, both Hindu and Buddhist traditions.
