The Flame and the Void

Silent reflection and thoughtfulness crops in in different forms in many cultures here and there. Traditional images of meditation come from Eastern Asian cultures. Prayer, (as in the Quaker case) is also a form of meditation. What is the place of such an unstructured empty activity in the structure of a formal religion?

One of my favorite book series is The Wheel of Time. WoT is a fantasy series, and in it, sword masters learn to go into a meditative state while fighting. By allowing the mind to go blank and let go, a state of control is achieved which could not have been before, with idle thoughts and worried skittering back and forth in consciousness. This is symbolized by the flame and the void. The flame consumes everything that enters the mind, burning it away, and is surrounded by pure empty space. This is somewhat of a fantastical description of meditation, but it illustrates some of the high points of what meditation can achieve, in and out of relgious contexts.

I will confirm that meditation is often a way of gaining self control. In Ninjutsu, (the course offered at the rec center actually) we often practice breathing excercises after class to relax after getting somewhat battered. Just a few moments of controlled breathing and an empty mind leave you feeling less tired than minutes before. It is a method to slow your body down and allow yourself to loosen. By the same power, rapid breathing is a method to fire yourself up, and breathing into different locations in the chest can strongly influence moods.

In religion too, meditation is a form of self guidance and control. Prayer allows one to resolve inner conflicts, to be calmer and happier. Again, the traditionally thought of form of meditation is performed by monks.

This simple ability to be able to self steer in many aspects of life is of significant value, and perhaps meditative prayer (not necessarily to any god) should be utilized day to day, even outside of religious contexts.