From its ancient beginnings, the art of meditation has developed into a structured practice over thousands of years and is used today by millions of people worldwide. It is truly universal, and is incorporated into the doctrines and practices of differing nationalities and religious beliefs. The best-known spiritual paths include:
Hinduism (India) Indian scriptures dating back 5000 years describe meditation techniques. Hinduism traditionally has six schools of yoga incorporating meditation as a core practice.
Buddhism (India/China/Japan/Tibet) Meditation is central to all forms of Buddhism.
Christianity The use of prayer, the rosary and the Adoration are all forms of meditation.
Judaism Jewish meditation dates back thousands of years. There are two Old Testament words for meditation – h
gâ (to meditate) and sîhâ (to muse/rehearse in one’s mind).
Islam Mohammed spent long periods in meditation and this practice is fundamental to the mystical side of Islam (Sufism).
Many other faiths record or depict the practice of meditation. To give an example, in Ancient Egypt the spiritual practice of the temple priests involved many hours of meditation. Pharaoh is traditionally shown seated in the ‘Throne posture’ – a position often used for deep meditation.
Taoism, Krishnamurti and Osho, are further examples of faiths which have espoused the benefits and wisdom of meditation, often with a very different concept.
Taoism (Daoism) uses ‘meditation in motion’ in the form of Tai Chi.
Krishnamurti believed that we should remove choice and the need to strive; meditation to him was about choiceless awareness in the present moment.
Osho (formerly Rajneesh) created ‘Active/Dynamic Meditation’, where the person is in a state of movement followed by silence.