(The following excerpt is taken courtesy the New York Times)
“Approach making your coffee the same way you approach meditating. Be
completely here and now in the present moment, centering your attention
exclusively on what you are doing and feeling. Being mindful of how you
make your coffee shows you how to be mindful in every part of your
life.” — Gloria Chadwick, the author of “Zen Coffee: A Guide to Mindful
Meditation.”
Smell the aroma from the coffee grounds as you put them into the coffee filter. Breathe in their deep, rich, intense fragrance.
As you pour the water into your coffee maker, notice the
clearness of the water, hear the gurgling sound. Listen to the first
drops of water as they sizzle into the carafe; notice the color of the
coffee.
Watch the steam that rises, swirling in the carafe; be mindful of the ethereal nature of your inner self.
Smell the first delicious whiff of your coffee as it begins to brew.
Listen to the sounds the coffee maker makes as it brews your coffee.
When the coffee is done brewing, let it sit for a moment or two to attain its full flavor.
Let yourself sit for a moment or two, to obtain the full flavor of meditating.
Meditation In Hiduism
Meditation in all its varied contemplation is a much- practiced Hindu tradition from ancient to the present times.
Hindu meditation is both secular and spiritual in its practice.
Seeking enlightenment is one reverent aspect of meditation which has
its Vedic roots in Hindu spiritual traditions. However, the most favored
and helpful feature of meditation in our day to day lives is to
procreate a tranquil temperament amidst ceaseless chaos of personal
anxieties and worldly troubles.
Meditation basically is an exercise of steering the mind toward a
focus during the entire meditative period. And the focus can be any
chosen or guru-given mantra, thought, some auditory sensation like
breath, a sacred sound like Om, or even an object. Theoretically, it is a
simple discipline, and its practice leads to serenity.
Meditation is an experience in relaxed contemplation which is cultivated thru concentrative state of mind.
In this contemplative mode, tranquility can be realized which
releases a kind of energy to energize both our physical and cognitive
faculties while the meditator braces in calm and cool sentiments.
One goal of meditation is to have complete relaxation of mind which
involves no act of worldly or temporal thinking while traffic of
thoughts moves on.
This posture is called thoughtless awareness. In this disposition,
the meditator’s only repetitive and cognitive activity is to
effortlessly dwell in focused mind. That is where the “power of now” can
be realized, and that comes with practice.
“Power of now” basically is an act of contemplation on the present
moment, and its very realization energizes the action. Once the act of
staying in the moment of “now” is achieved then that very experience
qualifies to be meditative as well.
Excerpts from “Hinduism beyond rituals, customs, and traditions”. Kindle Edition
Hinduism Beyond Rituals, Customs and Traditions. Paper Edition
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