The Object of Meditation

Andre, the prophet, spoke in the meeting last night. He talked about “the object of meditation” and here I will elucidate his message.

Typically when we hear the word “meditation” we think of a person with their eyes closed, their hands folded in their lap, and their legs crossed. Let us expand our definition of meditation to include “the act of focusing on some object”. This “object of meditation” can be defined as anything we happen to have our attention focused on. The object can be wholesome or unwholesome. In my active addiction, I was constantly meditating on how to obtain drugs and get high. I converted all of my energy into this singular quest for drugs and as a result, I achieved my goal (most of the time). Similarly, when I focus my mind on recovery, on staying clean, and on helping the still suffering addict, then I also achieve that result.

Two factors of the mind to be aware of: (1) The mind possesses considerable power when focused on any object that it wishes to attain. Like the sun’s rays under a magnifying glass, the mind amplifies its desire until the chosen object has been attained. (2) We begin to take on the characteristics of the object of our meditation. In the words of William Blake, “I become what I behold.” To me, this implies that I should be careful what I behold and what I meditate on. There is a good chance that I am meditating on certain objects that I am not even aware of. Subconscious or unconscious meditation is more like fixation or grasping and typically yields a negative result. There is a good chance that I am not aware of all the “objects” that are “becoming” me.

Much of my life is consumed by petty anxiety. In a sense, I spend most of my days meditating on my fears. I worry a lot about trifles. As a result, my life becomes a trifle. My incessant meditation on trifles depletes the ocean of importance in my soul. Meditating on trifles depletes the God in me. I have always reduced myself and I continue to reduce myself in this way. Nobody has ever had the power to reduce me.

It has been said that “man is the measure of all things”. I’d like to modify that statement by saying “man is the measurement of his meditations”. In many ways, my objects of meditation define me. I set the boundaries for myself by my meditations; I contrive my own measurements by my meditations. Am I meditating on buying things to gratify myself? Then that meditation becomes my self-centered world.

In addition, people can sense what I’m meditating on, even when I don’t open my mouth. They see the object of my meditation in my expression, in the way I carry myself. They can especially see whether I’m meditating on helping myself or whether I’m meditating on helping others.

If I were to change my object of meditation, what would it be? Perhaps I could meditate on something other than myself, for a day. Just for a day, perhaps I could meditate on love and on loving others. Through this meditation, would I be able to discover that there is, in fact, something beyond myself?

At least let me become aware of what I am meditating on today. If I am meditating on what society imposes on my mind, sex, money, or killing, let it be known to me. I wish to reveal the objects that I have been meditating on and that I continue to meditate on. And perhaps, I can alter those objects and replace the unwholesome objects with wholesome ones. Then maybe I can contribute to my own growth . . . through conscious meditation.

8/11/05