Chapter 1: What is the difference between discursive and passive meditation?
Hello there. Today we're going to look at one of the great divisions that exist within meditation schools. Some forms of meditation are what we call discursive or analytic, and others are passive or contemplative. All of the great meditation traditions will have this division within them.
Chapter 2: What is the significance of the hand-scanning practice in meditation?
By discursive meditation, I mean meditation where the conscious mind, the imagination, the will, and the intellect are active. This is the form of meditation we have when we think about something deeply. In our Christian tradition, we would use this to meditate upon perhaps a passage of scripture or a particular mystery of the faith.
Chapter 3: How can stillness and quietude enhance meditation practice?
We often use it with reference to practices like the rosary where we meditate upon the mysteries. In other words, picture or think about the events that we're talking about within the prayer. Passive meditation is simply the meditation of stillness, quietude, resting in the divine presence.
Chapter 4: How do sensations in the body contribute to mindfulness?
This is the form of meditation that we've been working with so far.
Chapter 5: What role does passive awareness play in meditation?
And later on, we will bring elements of discursive meditation in. But all of the great contemplative traditions see this division, while also seeing a wonderful reciprocity between these two kinds of meditating. Indeed, it is between the two that the transformation takes place.
Within the Christian tradition, we've already spoken about this transformation, a transformation into becoming an icon of divine presence. For this to happen, both mind and heart must be engaged, the mind particularly through discursive meditation, the heart particularly through passive meditation. So today, we're going to use a form that combines elements of both of these forms.
So for a moment, just make yourself comfortable. Begin with your ritual gesture once again. Take a moment to make an intention to bring the awareness of this meditation into the rest of your life and allow the sound of the bell to formally begin our practice together. As we've done so many times,
We consciously now move into relaxed awareness, allowing the body and the breath to anchor us in the present moment. To do this, we can begin with the sensation of touch, remembering that our whole body is an organ of touch, not just our hands or our fingers. Begin by checking in with the sensations you can feel in your feet. Can you feel the pressure of the ground against your feet?
Can you feel your shoes or socks? Or perhaps your feet are bare, in which case can you feel the air moving over them? And now slowly moving up the body, just name for yourself inwardly any experience of touch. It might be the touch of your clothing or the pressure of the chair against your body. It might be the air moving over your bare skin. Whatever it is, just notice.
It's also possible that there might be blank areas, areas where you can't sense anything, and that's okay too. Just notice them, even name them internally. Begin to draw your awareness particularly now to your hands. As mentioned before, most of us have one hand that's slightly more sensitive than the other. This is to do with whether we're right-handed or left-handed.
But see, can you check in with your hands? Check in to see, are there any differences in sensation? And imagining that your awareness is like a clear light, a torch, or a fine laser beam, really bring your awareness to bear on any sensations within your hands. Let's begin with the left hand particularly. What sensations are there around your wrist?
Can you feel a difference between the inner part of the wrist and the outer part? Slowly draw your awareness to the ball of your thumb. Can you feel the pulse that exists there? Can you feel the flow of blood or the coolness of the air or the texture of your clothes, whatever it's touching against? Notice any difference in sensation between your palm and the back of your hand.
And then slowly begin to move around the fingers. Is there a difference between the front and the back of your fingers? Or a difference between the individual fingers themselves? Can you feel the tiny web of skin that exists between your fingers? Drawing our awareness to tiny sensations like this gives strength to the faculties we will later use for discernment meditation.
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