In this post I talk about what I consider the deepest goal of meditation.
In the early 90's I met the Meditating Association in Porto Alegre, then led by Enio Burgos and Tamas Virag. In this space I was able to deepen the meditative practices I already knew and learn new techniques, in retreats and weekly meetings. At that time, meditation practices were practically restricted to groups seeking spiritual growth, but from that time until today a lot has changed. With the dissemination of a method developed at the University of Massachusetts, USA, called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), the term "mindfulness" can now be seen in different contexts, such as the areas of health, education, companies and even even in the political and military field. With this, a large field of scientific research was opened, aimed at proving the benefits of meditation programs based on this method. Although the term "mindfulness" is associated with the aforementioned method, it should be noted that its essence is much older, being inspired by the word "sati" from the Pali dialect, from the time of Buddha, which means something like mind intention, mindfulness, alertness, lucidity of mind, awareness and self-awareness. Sati is therefore much more than a method or a technique, it is a state of mind that can be achieved through different techniques, including meditation. According to Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh this state can be continuous, touching life deeply in every moment of our daily activities. For him, being aware is being truly alive, present and in union with those around us and with what we are doing. Well, at this point the question posed in the photo comes in: why meditate? Widely publicized scientific research points to several benefits of meditation, such as reduced stress, increased focus, better emotional control, cognitive improvements and even increased productivity. In other words, we can become more emotionally and cognitively intelligent, as well as physically better. But what about the development of another important intelligence, the spiritual? How much is this sought through meditation? Spiritual intelligence is a higher dimension of intelligence that activates the qualities and capabilities of the authentic self in the form of wisdom, compassion, integrity, ethics, joy, love, creativity, and peace. Spiritual intelligence, then, gives a positive meaning to cognitive and emotional intelligence. In this way, I invite everyone who is already meditating or intending to start meditating, to be open to the awakening of spiritual intelligence.
" Mindfulness is a continuous state, touching life deeply in every moment of our daily activities. Being aware is being truly alive, present and in union with those around us and with what we are doing". Thich Nhat Hanh
That they use meditative techniques to develop ethics and compassion, generating prosperity in the world, in every way, and not just with a vision of individual gain. When I conduct meditation practices, workshops or retreats, in different contexts, I seek to create an enabling environment for spiritual intelligence to also develop, seeking the fuller realization that meditation practices can bring. If you agree or not with this position, please send me a message so we can talk about it.
Hugs.
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