Does the real master of meditation lead austere life?

Some religions often recommend or even impose life in celibacy. It has to help in achieving higher level of conciousness. In my opinion all bans of this kind (like a ban on having sex or a ban on drinking alcohol) aren’t necessary. Such bans can only discourage people from meditation.

Meditation has to enrich our life, improve it quality and also make it more pleasant. So this practise is not for sacrifice anything or make our life unhappy. Sex isn’t an exception to this rule.

Everybody (especially if he/she was initiated into the joys of sex) knows that with sex are connected some ‘energies’. There are known philosophers who even claim that a sex drive is the main factor which motivate people to action. This idea is not groundless – e.g. in advertisement the subject of sex is used very often because sex sells well.

It is possible and it is worth to use strong energies connected with sex to better purpose. If somebody wants to penetrate this subject I recommend Tantra Yoga.

Does the meditation influence on a sexual life?

From a perspective of a man – it depends if meditation is before or after a sex.

Meditation cause that sex is not necessary – after such activity a man are relaxed, contented and little stimulated.

Meditation after sex – well, it happen infrequently. :-)

And the last possibility is when a man is practising a meditation while he is having sex – interesting subject for advanced and courageous people. :-)

From a perspective of a woman - … [I am waiting for comments]

People often use word ‘meditation’, but usually they don’t know what is the meaning of it. Meditation is a derivative of Latin word ‘meditatio’, which means: contemplation, reflection, losting in thought. But if we omit the etymology of this word we will see that meditation has not much to do with thinking.

‘Meditate on something’ for a lot of us simply means thinking about something particular, e.g. how to solve a problem. So the question rise: do we think during meditation?

Techniques of meditation help to achieve such state of spirit, mind and body in which man is consciousness but he do not think! Nowadays we think almost all the time – when we speak or write or listen or …. we always have something on the brain.  

Not to think – nothing easier?! 

It seems that ‘not-thinking’ is the most easiest thing in the world. You have to only sit down, relax, … . But when you do that something strange happen – a problem appears. How long do you manage to hold on alone in silence doing nothing? Spending time without speaking, listening, reading, … is like being on holiday, isn’t it? But the answer is: no, it isn’t. If we lock man in isolated and soundproof place he will probably go crazy. Majority of people cannot spend time alone in silence. This is why being kept in confinement is one of the most severe penalty for prisoners.

In my opinion it is worth (just for our own knowledge) to do such experiment: sit down in silent place where nobody disturb you and try to spend two hours doing nothing. If you go to the cinema you spend at least two hours almost without activity, so performing successfully such exercise shouldn’t be any problem for you. But the result of experiment will show something else. For most of people spending time in such way will be very difficult. 

Can somebody tell what happen to a man while he is meditating?

 I don’t know answer for this question, but I will try to describe what happen to me during meditation.

BREATH

The breathing is rhythmic. Sometimes, when I start I breath with difficulty, but it pass after a while. The breath is deep and calm.

HEARING, VISION

Sounds (e.g. neighbour making noise behind a wall) are audible, but they do not prevent. I hear, I see, but I do not analyse – external factors have not got any influence on me. Sometimes I have a feeling that I am next to this all things which are presented by senses. It is not that feeling when I see myself sitting and meditating from a distance of e.g. a metre, but it is feeling, when this all objects, which are perceived by my eyes and ears are not connected with me. This things have not any meaning to me.

MIND

I do not think during meditation, but from time to time a thought appears. I do not concentrate on it and it disappear. I have a feeling that I can focus on a meditation more and more while the time goes by and the thoughts appear not so often like in the past.

OTHER ASPECTS

This part is difficult to describe. Sometimes I find myself in state like in the childhood when I had a high temperature. Sometimes I have strong attacks of fear. Those are very serious subjects.

People, who practise meditation, sacrifice a lot of time for it (half an hour a day, an hour a day). What is the reason for such activity? Why people meditate? Is it worthwhile?

In my opinion there are two ways to approach the meditation. Those ways are differentiated by the scale of people requirements concerning expected results of such practise.

Recreation

People often meditate (or practise Yoga, Tai-Chi, e.g.) because they want to:

• relax both their mind and their body,

• have good health,

• spend time in silence and peace,

• increase a level of IQ,

In my opinion such effects of meditation are only incidental to the main result. We must remember that practise of meditation can serve the much more ambitious purpose.

Way of Life!

In fact all religions broach the subject of the ‘enlightening’. It is the main purpose of man life – return to spiritual form, to the source of existence, … . Accomplishment of such state of mind seems to be very difficult and distant. Some of the philosophers say about renunciation of physical goods and pleasure in the name of becoming enlightened. A lot of people concentrate on acquiring such goods, so ‘enforced’ renunciation of its possession in the name of indefinite ‘enlightening’ is in their opinion uneconomic.

The meditation is a way for people who are not satisfied by possessing of physical goods, privileges, fame, etc. We can understand more, our knowledge of ourselves and the world around us is increasing through meditation. Process of developing this ‘knowledge’ is adjusted to mental and physical capabilities. By the way we learn to use intuition and others talents.

Changes gradually take place. Its are imperceptible especially at the beginning of practise of meditation, but after a some period positive results of meditation can be seen in all aspects of our life. We improve the world around us through improving ourselves!