Chapter 3
ESSENTIALS TO MEDITATION
AND
INSPIRATION
By
The Man Who Saw God Face To Face
Raphael Okechukwu Nweze
The Essentials To Inspiration
Essentials for effective meditation include knowledge of the senses, silence, solitude, watchfulness, readiness, set purpose, set time, knowledge of the one within, obedience, peace of mind, quietness etc.
The Senses
Science teaches us that a man has five senses: the sense of sight, taste, hearing, smell and touch. These senses are possible through the eyes, mouth, ear, nose and body. That is the much the physical world knows, and it is incomplete. God gave man seven senses (natures). See How God Created Man.
From the spiritual side of life, we know that man has spirit, soul and mind. The mind is for knowing and remembrance. It is the spirit that sees through the eyes, tastes through the mouth, hears through the ear, smells through the nose and touches through the body. These organs can only function when there is an external stimulus, an object, a sense object. They need physical objects before they can render a good service to the human being.
On the other hand, the spirit, heart, soul and mind can as well function without the physical objects. That means we live in a two-dimensional worlds at the same time: the physical world and the spiritual world. It is like having a world within another world, and the two worlds merge as if they are just one world. Between the two worlds, the spiritual is everlasting and dominant. To some people, the physical world seen to be the only world possible and real. To them, the physical world seems to dominate the spiritual world, whereas it is the spiritual world that dominates and determines (animates) the physical world.
The senses are good, but you must learn to control them. Otherwise, they mislead you into the broad and easy way that leads to hell fire. And that is exactly what is currently happening to the majority of humanity, who are not spiritually inclined.
The Major Activity Of A Man
To the majority of the people, the main activities of man are: reading, writing, speaking and listening. Many often overlook the most important activity, which is always present in the four activities. That most important one is thinking. When we deliberately spend time to think about God and life, we are actively meditating.
Silence
Majority of the mankind do not know the importance of silence. This is why most of the time people talk, chat, joke and mock indiscriminately. The more people talk unnecessarily, the more they lose the spiritual power in them, and the more they render ineffective the spiritual connection between them and God. Speech is silver; silence is golden. The former is good; the latter is the best. No wonder spirits speak in silence, by thought. In spirit, you see, hear and understand thought.
Creative people prefer to work alone in silence wherein they are able to receive inspiration, being not disturbed. Silence is the element in which great things fashion themselves, before they eventually manifest. The world should do everything possible to reduce the level of noise in our environments. Noise is detrimental to our health and spiritual life.
A silent mind, freed from the onslaught of thoughts and thought patterns, is both a goal and an important step in spiritual development. Such "inner silence" is not about the absence of sound; instead, it is understood to bring one in contact with the divine, the ultimate reality, or one's own true self, one's divine Nature. Many religious traditions imply the importance of being quiet and still in mind and spirit for transformative and integral spiritual growth to occur. In Christianity, there is the silence of contemplative prayer such as centering prayer and Christian meditation; in Islam, there are the wisdom writings of the Sufis who insist on the importance of finding silence within. In Buddhism, the descriptions of silence and allowing the mind to become silent are implied as a feature of spiritual enlightenment. In Hinduism, including the teachings of Advaita Vedanta and the many paths of yoga, teachers insist on the importance of silence, Mauna, for inner growth. Perkey Avot, the Jewish Sages guide for living, states that "Tradition is a safety fence to Torah, tithing a safety fence to wealth, vows a safety fence for abstinence; a safety fence for wisdom..... is silence." In some traditions of Quakerism, silence is an actual part of worship services and a time to allow the divine to speak in the heart and mind.
From Wikipedia
The easiest way to get in touch with this universal power is through silent Prayer. ... Perfect prayer does not consist in many words. Silent remembering and pure intention raises the heart to that supreme Power. Shut your eyes, shut your mouth, and open your heart. This is the golden rule of prayer. Prayer should be soundless words coming forth from the centre of your heart filled with love. .... Silence is the language of Om (spirit). We need silence to be able to reach our Self. Both internal and external silence is very important to feel the Presence of that Supreme Love.
Amit Ray, Om Chanting and Meditation
Quoted by Wikipedia
Solitude
It is in solitude that a creative mind is free from the noise and distractions of everyday life. Then, the mind is receptive and fruitful, able to think out and develope ideas. Creative individuals do not usually allow people into their presence when they are at a thoughtful work. Those who wish to become successful in life should practice in privacy (in secluded place). The presence of others who are not concerned with the practice introduces distractions.
Staying alone removes the cares and distractions of everyday life. It provides the mind the peace and rest it needs to be creative. Equally, it gives rest to our body systems, enabling them to function very well.
Jesus
Meditating in silence and solitude
was His custom (habit).
Watchfulness And Readiness
Watchfulness refers to the state of being conscious of inspiration or prompting whenever it comes in the form of idea or solution. Readiness is the ability to act on the inspiration, without delay. One quality that distinguishes the successful is their readiness to act on ideas which may appear insignificant. Majority of the mankind do receive the promptings of inspiration, and when they do, they usually do not follow it up to fruition.
Set Purpose
Set purpose directs the relevant inspiration to our heart. Also, it makes the mind watchful and ready to accept useful ideas when such occurs to the mind. Set purpose helps to reduce distractions.
Set Time
Set time is very essential to effective meditation. Set time channels events in such a way that we have time for silence and meditation, even in the public, while we are in the office waiting, in the bus traveling, etc.
Knowledge Of The One Within
God indwells every soul. However, it is the duty of the individual soul to realise this fact and make good use of it. That is why the Bible says:
the Christ in you, the hope of glory. And Jesus said of Himself that the Father in Him does His works through Him (Jesus). The realization that God is within you is an enabling factor. God is always ready and willing to co-work with you.
The Lord Cares
Scientist testifies that they do receive flashes of inspiration in their work and research, and that when they act on the inspirations, they succeed in one thing or the other. Furthermore, inspiration abounds in the life of the ordinary man. From time to time, it occurs to one to do something. And where the person fails to comply with the prompting, you often hear such person say, It occurred to me to
God confirms it,
for I called, but you did not answer; I spoke, but you did not listen. Isaiah 65:12.
How busy Jesus is;
always working with his people.
I am always with you.