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Meditation Definition, History & Origin

Definition:

Meditation is the mental discipline or a precise technique to get beyond the reflexive thinking methods and attain the state of consciousness or awareness. It often involves fathoming all of our levels into a single point of reference. Meditation doesn’t belong to any specific religion as it is in practice since antiquity. In this state, our mind is totally clear and inwardly focused. Whenever we meditate, our mind is fully awake, but is not focused on the physical world or our surroundings. The mind needs to be relaxed and silent for deep meditation.

Origin:

Meditation originated from the desire of the humans to answer all the fundamental questions.

• Unanswered Questions:

Since the dawn of man, there have been several basic questions that have been begging to be answered about the origin and purpose of life. To find these answers, early humans discovered two distinct approaches. One of them delved into the surrounding world to examine the events of nature to find about life and how it was created; it was Science. The other one set to look out for the questions about the purpose of universe and the existence of man from the internal perspective. The curiosity of the out-of-this-world questions turned humans into thinkers, who used to focus by clearing their minds and learning to understand the complexities of their selves.

• Tools:

As time went by, the tools crafted for different purposes became standardized and everyone started using them for hunting. With the construction of those tools, people were allowed more time to think about their very existence.

Development started and the instruments for early music and art were produced. This led to the discovery of different cultures and with cultures, came more art. With art, came more qualitative perception processes and with more thought processes, eventually came the mediation. The first form of mediation was formed; mindfulness.

• Expansion:

After the tools were developed, people set out to discover new areas to inhabit as they were concerned with the new worlds and environments. They decided to build boats and the humanity began to spread along with the diverse cultures. The new environments started causing differences in the early traditions accordingly to the inhabitants and the cultural differences created another form of meditation, which is nowadays called Mantra. The development of vocal sounds and different means of communication actually founded the Mantra Technique.

• Deaths:

With the development of human lifestyle, the first use of meditation was contemplated. It was for the deaths of others. The mantras and different practices were found to elaborate the burial sides and cemeteries sprang up.

It was not long after that time, when the meditation became the integral part of the religion and considered as the natural stress reliever. The people turned towards the religious meditations and the standardized form and practice (of meditation) was born.

• Wars:

The tribal conflicts started due to differences and people used the meditative techniques to decide whether it was a good time and side of starting the war or not. Mediation became a strong source of coping the loss and the mental preparation of the coming wars. People meditated to relax themselves after conflicts or free their minds from the fears of battlefield. As a result, mediation became the source of survival for people with continuously expanding ideas.

Thus, the main reason of meditation discipline was to take control on the complete personality and gain maximum benefits from what the Universe had to offer.

History:

Meditation is in practice since primitive times, before the recorded history. The researchers speculate that the hunter-gatherer societies, shamans, were the first ones to practice mediation and the altered state of mind while sitting around the fire. They used to stare at the flames and enter in trance by chanting and dancing.

Then the mediation evolved into a structured practice and the first recorded Indian scriptures date back 5000 years. The recorded teachings of Vedas in India give evidence of the presence of mediation practices in 1500BCE. Then between 600-500 BCE, it developed in China via Taoism and in India via Buddhism. The founder of Buddhism, Buddha, was one of the history’s major proponents of mediation. After that in 400-100BCE, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali were compiled, outlining the 8 limbs of Yoga.

Then the famous mediation poem of Bhagavad Geeta was written. Then in 653 CE the very first meditation hall was opened in Japan and in 18th century, majority of the world began focusing on the meditative practices. It stayed in Asia for thousands of years as the western history of mediation begins from 1960s and since then, mediation has continued progress and has now been used by millions of people around the world.