http://www.care2.com/greenliving/meditation-i-am-ocean.html
Meditation: “I Am Ocean”
Thoughts are like ocean waves. Rising and falling, they see only their own motion. They say, “I am a wave,” but the greater truth, which they don’t see, is, “I am ocean.” There is no separation between the two, whatever the wave might suppose. When the wave settles down, then it instantly recognizes that its source in ocean – infinite, silent, unchanging – was always there.
When the mind is thinking, it is all activity; when it stops thinking, it returns to its source in silence. Only then, when the mind touches pure awareness, will the real storehouse of Veda be located.
The experience of Veda therefore is not ancient or even particularly Indian. It is universal and can be had at any moment by any person. The whole trick is not to move horizontally, which is how the stream of consciousness normally moves, but to sink vertically.
This vertical descent is transcending, meditation, dhyan, “going beyond” – all manifestations of a mind that ceases to identify with waves and begins to identify with ocean.
If this argument is right, then the nature of the mind and the mind-body connection have to be reconsidered. The point that Archimedes was looking for – a place to stand on and move the world – actually exists. It is inside us, covered up by the fascinating but misleading moving-picture show of the waking state.
This may explain why mind-body medicine has proved so inconsistent. We casually assume that a person who survives cancer or can cure himself of a fatal disease operates with the same mental machinery as anyone else, but this is not true: mental processes can be deep or shallow.
To go deep means to contact the hidden blueprint of intelligence and change it - only then can visualization of fighting cancer, for example, be strong enough to defeat the disease. But most people cannot do that; their thought power is too weak to trigger the appropriate mechanisms.
Adapted from Quantum Healing: Exploring the Frontiers of Mind/Body Medicine, by Deepak Chopra (Bantam Books, 1990).
More from Deepak Chopra (508 articles available)
related stories
-
(5 comments)
-
(15 comments)
-
(1 comment)
Robyn
Melissa
Deepak
Eric
Dave
Dr. Brent
Isha
Susan
Delia
Michelle
Wendy
Megan
Hilary
Ann
Judi
Ronnie
Kelly
Lily
Terri
Betsy
Cait
Andrew
Jana
Annie B.
Veronica
7 comments
add your comment »Very true, once a day clear your mind and body, concentrate on breathing and letting the soul discover it does work and it is great. This is from DC books," The book of Secrets".
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Archimedes did not say he needed a place to stand, he said he needed a place for the fulcrum of a lever.
Remember --- DC said the mind-body medicene has been inconsistent.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I have studied and used transcendental meditation, repeating a mantra over and over, letting your thoughts pass by as a witness only, while sitting in a comfortable position. I have experienced the 'ocean' and felt the benefits of meditating on a daily basis, it is truly amazing. All of your senses 'wake up' with abundant clarity. Allow yourself 20 min. a day, to recharge your mind and body, and you will be amazed at how great you can feel. It is life changing! :)
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Oh and to Calvin. As far as I know you are right on the money. I had to work real hard to learn to shut my mind up. But once you can do it, the rest comes easily.
For visual meditation you've got everything right. Just sort of relax, then visualize. If you want I can post a link to the meditation I was taught. I'll try not to sound like English is my third language, LOL!
Meditation is the hardest thing to describe, I think. :)
Best of luck!
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I can certainly tell you this worked for over 11 years for a dear family member who recently passed from cancer. People can at the very least gain time whether by prayer or meditation, sort of the same thing.
It can't work forever of course or we'd never die, that being an experience most humans don't want. :)
But I'll attest to even guided or visual meditation working wonders. But you must believe before you can heal yourself. It is hard to, I know. But Deity does not wish for a single human to suffer. Hence powers that are quite natural and heal the body.
I won't go so far as to say everyone will be 100% successful. For reasons beyond me, there seems to be a time for each of us to pass. Hence very healthy people who just suddenly die.
But we'll all meet again on the other side, so it works for me. Beautiful article as always.
And yes, guys I know visual meditation doesn't seem pure. But I work with parts of my self and perhaps other beings that help reunite the pieces. I never could just sit in stillness, but I guess you know that already. :)
You might want to lock your doors. I don't know how normal it is, but I go deep enough to loose reality. People can open and slam doors and even move my body and I won't awaken unless alerted in the asrtal realm.
Oh and some folks need to eat or ground afterwards. It seems going under longer can be a bit hard on the body. Only reporting from my own experince tho'. :)
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Thank you Deepak, so much. I will practice this exquisitely simple meditation, I'm sure it will prove fruitful and interesting. I must say how delicious this is on the first icky sticky summer night here in Connecticut.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Does this mean the true reason for meditation is to learn how to put your thoughts at rest, and not for relaxation?
Then once your thoughts are at rest, you feel relaxed as a side effect, and you can then focus on your goals more effectively, e.g. visualization to fight cancer.
Or am I totally lost in the forest?
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Facebook account: