Download Secrets of Meditation eBook

240 Pages·2012·1.79 MB·English

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A Practical Guide to Inner Peace
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d a v i d j i
HAY HOUSE, INC.
Carlsbad, California • New York City
London • Sydney • Johannesburg
Vancouver • Hong Kong • New Delhi
Copyright © 2012 by davidji sweetspot productions
Published and distributed in the United States by: Hay House, Inc.: www.hayhouse
.com® • Published and distributed in Australia by: Hay House Australia Pty. Ltd.:
www.hayhouse.com.au • Published and distributed in the United Kingdom by: Hay
House UK, Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.uk • Published and distributed in the Republic
of South Africa by: Hay House SA (Pty), Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.za • Distributed
in Canada by: Raincoast Books: www.raincoast.com • Published in India by: Hay
House Publishers India: www.hayhouse.co.in
Cover design: Shelley Noble • Interior design: Nick C. Welch
Interior illustrations: Courtesy of the author
The author donates all proceeds from this book to charity.
The author gratefully acknowledges and credits the following for the right to
reprint material in this book:
“Sandayu the Separate,” by Patti Smith, from Babel; used in gratitude with per-
mission from Patti Smith.
“There Is a Wonderful Game,” from I Heard God Laughing: Renderings of Hafiz;
used with sweet permission from Daniel Ladinsky. Thank you for being so gracious
about my interpretation of your interpretation of Hafiz’s interpretation of God.
Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh on the Fool, written by Osho from Dang Dang Doko
Dang; used in gratitude with permission from the Osho International Foundation.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical,
photographic, or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor
may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise be copied for public
or private use—other than for “fair use” as brief quotations embodied in articles and
reviews—without prior written permission of the publisher.
The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use
of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical prob-
lems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of
the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest
for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information
in this book for yourself, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for
your actions.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
davidji.
Secrets of meditation : a practical guide to inner peace and personal transformation
/ davidji. -- 1st ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-4019-4030-0 (tradepaper : alk. paper) 1. Meditation. I. Title.
BL627.D385 2012
158.1’2--dc23
2012011857
Tradepaper ISBN: 978-1-4019-4030-0
Digital ISBN: 978-1-4019-4031-7
16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7
1st edition, September 2012
Printed in the United States of America
Interior_r6.indd 4 6/10/14 5:16 PM
“It all has to come from inside, though, I guess.”
— Jimi Hendrix
dedIcATIon
This book is dedicated to my dear friend, loving brother, and
relentless teacher, David Simon, an amazing being who has touched
my life and my heart in more ways than one could ever imagine.
He flows through me in each breath I take. He is in my heart with
each day’s meditation, each sunset I drink in, each herb I pick, and
each tender moment I witness. Among the countless number of
lifelong lessons he has shared with me, he taught me that in each
moment and in each interaction we have with people, animals,
and our beloved mother earth, we have a choice to leave behind
either toxic residue (known in Sanskrit as ama) or nourishing vital
nectar (known as ojas). This is a lesson I am still learning each day,
and it has helped me evolve my emotional intelligence and awaken
my emotional digestive fire so that I could move beyond much of
my constricted conditioning, make more nourishing choices, and
share more selflessly with the world.
I have always trusted his heart, and that has taught me to trust
mine.
When the sky is dark and the stars are out, it brings me back
to the innocence and sweet atmospheric vibration of our morning
hikes and late night strolls. I think about how deeply we shared
in hundreds of quiet conversations as we toured the world from
Dublin to Vancouver, Miami to Alaska, London to Whistler, Oxford
to Los Angeles, and everywhere in between—with the universe as
our witness, we shared our hearts, our dreams, our truest essence.
The stars tell the whole story every night . . . and they will forever.
David introduced me to Daniel Ladinsky’s interpretations of
the great Sufi poet Hafiz. The poem “There Is a Wonderful Game”
speaks so sweetly of our undying connection. Please accept it in
deepest reverence.
There is a game we should play,
And it goes like this:
We hold hands and look into each other’s eyes
And scan each other’s face.
Then I say,
“Now tell me the difference you see between us.”
And you might respond,
“Hafiz, your nose is ten times bigger than mine!”
Then I would say,
“Yes, my dear, almost ten times!”
But let’s keep playing.
Let’s go deeper,
Go deeper.
For if we do,
Our spirits will embrace
And interweave.
Our union will be so glorious
That even God
Will not be able to tell us apart.
There is a wonderful game
We should play with everyone
And it goes like this . . .
To you, my timeless Sufi master, may you laugh and love with
Hafiz every day.
conT enT s
Foreword by David Simon, M.D. ..................................................................xi
Preface ......................................................................................................xiii
PART I: AWAKENING TO NEW POSSIBILITIES .......................................1
Chapter 1: Searching for the Guru ...........................................................5
Chapter 2: What Is Meditation, and Why Should I Care? .....................21
Chapter 3: The Benefits of Meditation ...................................................37
PART II: MANY PATHS TO ONE-NESS ...................................................57
Chapter 4: Secrets of Bodymind Meditation ..........................................61
• Biofeedback
Chapter 5: Secrets of Visual Meditation .................................................67
• Drishti Meditation • Sri Yantra Meditation
Chapter 6: Secrets of Sound Meditation .................................................77
• Guided Meditation • Tibetan Bowls • Audio Sound-Wave Meditation
Chapter 7: Secrets of Energy Meditation ................................................93
• Chakra Meditation • Sutra Meditation
Chapter 8: Secrets of Sensory Meditation ............................................111
• Aroma Meditation • Tasting Meditation • Massage • Yoga • Tantra
Chapter 9: Secrets of Buddhist Meditation ..........................................129
• Metta Bhavanas • Samatha Bhavanas • Vipassana Bhavanas
Chapter 10: Secrets of Mantra Meditation ...........................................135
• Bija Sounds • Primordial Sound Meditation • Sutra Meditation
(including David Simon’s Universal Mantra)
Chapter 11: Secrets of Chanting Meditation .......................................163
• Japa • Bhajan • Kirtan • Namavali
PART III: FURTHER ALONG THE PATH...............................................169
Chapter 12: Experiences in Meditation ...............................................171
Chapter 13: The Five Myths of Meditation ..........................................183
Chapter 14: Cultivating a Daily Meditation Practice ...........................191
Chapter 15: Frequently Asked Questions ............................................205
Afterword ................................................................................................211
My Intentions ..........................................................................................212
Recommended Reading .............................................................................214
In Gratitude .............................................................................................215
About the Author .....................................................................................221