Textbook Part 2: Talks
These essays, written in the style of talks or
lectures, put the subject of meditation and its naturalness into perspective
with respect to a wide variety of concepts. The talks can stand alone, without
other readings in the Course and can be thought of as a separate book
on the subject of naturalness in meditation. They define a class of
meditation, here nicknamed the "Naturals," and show where this concept fits in
the wide world of meditative methods and why we should care about it.
6: The Nature of Meditation 175
What Is Meditation? 176
What Is It Like to Meditate? 182
The Secret Everyone Knows About 185
The Natural Side of Meditation 189
Doing Natural Meditation 197
7: The Inner Power of Intention 201
Intention vs. Intentions 205
Three Inner Postures of Intention 209
Three Major Meditative Intentions 212
8: The Naturals 219
Meditative Function or Relaxation Response? 223
Immediate Effects: Restoration & Healing 227
Accumulative Effects: Conditioning & Health 231
How the "Naturals" Are Built 235
9: The Longer View 239
What Is Enlightenment? 239
A Journey of Enlightenment 243
Recent Landmark Studies 271
Suffering and Wisdom 277
10: Traditions of Meditative Growth 283
Perennial Philosophy 284
Meditation and Mindfulness 286
Self-Actualization & Self-Realization 290
Spirituality 297
Right Action 299
References 303
Windows 307
Inspired by Zen's Oxherding Pictures, a sequence of 10 drawings and
commentary attributed to 12th Century Chinese Zen master, Kakuan Shien, the
Windows drawings show a development in sitting practice that applies to
any meditation designed to inspire transcendence. The pictures speak to
meditations that use an object of meditation, such as a mantra, mandala, koan,
or name of God, and use it, not to get into the object itself, but to
go beyond it, to reveal the essence of awareness. They seek to let go
of the striving self, cut through spiritual materialism, and directly expand
and open the mind.
Canoe Ride Script 313
Use this script to give others a taste of the flowing experience of a
natural-style meditation. No experience is necessary for the reader or
listeners, but ideally, the reader would be experienced in meditation. This is
not instruction in Natural Meditation. It’s just an experience. The experience
takes about 12 minutes.
Index 317
