Sunday Meditation Realizations

Yesterday I was meditating and realized something about karma (at least for me). I learned growing up in an extreme Christian environment that I was a "sinner" and must practice self-flagellation to be humble before God so that I might be forgiven and granted entrance into "Heaven." Now these were the lessons from my "teachers" growing up in that church and not from my parents. My parents taught a softer, more realistic ideal to the true nature of this religion.

Anyway, I have long rejected such concepts but the self-punishment tendancy has remained and thus I have struggled with the idea of karma since I have interpreted it before as being a "punishment." And from my up-bringing I shrink from any kind of concept that hints at being punished for being human.

So during meditation my mind was opened to where I came to realize and understand that karma is a blessing. It is a blessing for several reasons that I am not pointing out here but it is indeed a blessing mainly because it gives us another chance to learn things that we could not grasp in the life that we just left. Allowing us another opportunity to advance forward instead of being condemned to a "Hell" for eternity! Or condemned to an existence in spiritual limbo.

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The next thing that I meditated about was the meditation bell. I sometimes see meditation as having a beginning, a middle and an end. I sometimes then sit and just push through it waiting for the bell to end my "meditation." Not a very productive meditation wouldn't you say? Well, during my meditation yesterday I understood that the bell was not a way to "end" my meditation but rather a blink of an eye that sounds as an invitation to the next period of my day.

One moment softly, silently blended into the next and the next and so forth.

I hope to remind myself of this during future meditation sessions so that I might relax more often instead of sometimes pushing through my meditation just to say that I was a good boy and meditated!

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The third thing that I meditated upon was the deep and undiscriminating, infinite nature of love. I sat and started with seeing love in my family, in my friends, in my religion and all things positive. Then I realized though that love is in not just beautiful things. Love is in and through out everything that exists and does not exist. Love can be found in the homeless, in the worst criminal and in prisons if you're willing to look for it. Love is indeed in everything and everywhere and at any time.

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Well, that is the end of my ramblings. I hope I made some coherent sense in this post. If not then just ignore it and move on. :) These are the musings of an aspirant trying to walk the path and understand the true nature of the Dharma teachings like everyone else. No better or worse then anyone or anything esle.

PHOTO CREDIT

Namaste.

-Peace to all beings-