Sunim,
Who discovered meditation?
How did the practice develop?
How is it practiced in so many different ways in different cultures?
There's no record of provenance of who actually developed meditation first.
Each country,
Each tradition actually has a meditative method that's appropriate to their histories.
However,
I think it is fair to say that the most advanced form of meditation probably occurred or rose out of the Indian subcontinent civilization.
And the whys behind why the meditative methods advanced so far in India's subcontinent,
I think bears more studies.
I think it's up to us to study whether it was climatic conditions,
Geographical or cultural factors that led to more advanced form of meditation in that place.
And even in India,
There are very different types of various types of meditation.
The ultimate goal of meditation is to attain a state of nirvana in which a person can be free without suffering.
So the traditional form of meditation in India is that there is a god named Brahman out there and Atman is the true self.
And if you discover that Brahman and Atman are the same in essential nature,
Then you can use that,
Leverage that knowledge in order to gain that freedom.
And it's also teaching that Atman is something that's unchanging,
It's eternal and it is joy itself.
So what Buddha did is he followed this traditional method and belief system of meditation for India and realized by himself that he cannot free himself and attain that ultimate freedom using this traditional method.
And he realized that there's nothing that's permanent unchanged called Atman within him and there's nothing that's sacred within him either.
And internalizing this deep recognition actually in effect allowed him to free himself,
Allowed him to reach at that state.
However,
I think it's very difficult for people to let go of the fact that there is some kind of essence,
Permanent essence within them.
So even within Buddhism,
They created a kind of a duality in which a false you that's constructed exists.
But underneath all that,
There is a true self that exists that's akin to an unchanging Buddha nature.
So basically while denying the Atman teachings,
It kind of cleaved closer to the Atman teachings.
That's why that led to a reformation of Buddhism from inside out that led to the philosophy of the concept of emptiness that once again strongly denies the existing of Atman.
So while the trappings of meditative methodologies may differ,
The fact that you sit quietly and relax your body and mind is foundational to all methodologies.
Because our bodies and minds are really busy chasing after our desires.
So by letting go of the desires,
You are allowed to pause both your mind and body from racing after your desires.
And that's really the essence of meditation.
And without doing anything,
We are allowed to be relaxed and comfortable.
However,
Once you practice meditation,
You realize that it's very difficult to be comfortable and relaxed even if you're not doing anything.
That's why first and foremost,
You need to be able to be relaxed and comfortable without doing anything.
And in midst of that relaxation,
If there's something that needs to be done,
You make the effort that's required only to do that thing.
And it's not a difficult thing to do.
And if it's too difficult,
Then you can just stop.
Because nothing happens just because you don't do anything.
Because if there's something that needs to be done,
All you have to do is just exert the effort enough to do that thing.
That's why we say that if you need to work at something,
Do it with fun.
But when you rest,
Relax when you rest.
So that you are totally relaxed at rest as well as in motion.
And that is the path towards a free world.
That's why Buddha actually wore something that was thrown away,
Garments,
And ate whatever others gave him,
And slept under a tree,
Which means he had nothing to do.
So when he got up in the morning,
And when he got up in the evening,
He had nothing to do.
And when he got up in the evening,
He had nothing to do.
And when he had to do something,
It was for the betterment of others.
That's why first and foremost,
You have to be able to pause your body,
Pause your mind,
And be with yourself in a relaxed and comfortable state without doing anything.
In midst of this relaxed idleness,
Your breath continues.
And in midst of that,
Just be aware of that breath.
And if you are able to,
You can actually live a life like this while working.
But if you can't achieve that freedom while sitting still and observing your breath,
Then if you start working and becoming motion,
Then you will be even more constrained.
So meditation is just a matter of coming back to our very nature.
So I'm concerned when people try to mystify meditation into some mystical methods.
And if you want to achieve something through meditation,
That's not in alignment with the original objective of meditation.
Because meditation is all about being at peace with yourself while letting go of everything.
And this essential kind of method exists under different names under slightly different cultures throughout the world.
