The foundation of Meditation - a pure body Part IIIn my previous article about the foundation of meditation – the purification of the body, I had given some tips to dissolve the old blockages. In this article I will tell you how to prevent new blockages from arising. Taking the old example suppose the boss has said something to you at work and you are feeling angry. Energy is released through your anger but since you cannot shout back at your boss it does not find an outlet. This energy – left unchecked – will go and reside in the body and will cause blockages. To prevent that from arising – when you are feeling angry – tense your muscles where you will not be observed. If you are sitting at a desk then your legs will be hidden from others. Tense the muscles of your legs as much as possible and hold the tension. Then suddenly – relax the tension completely. This will create an outlet for the energy, which has been generated, to be released. Similarly when you are feeling disturbed you can tense the muscles of your arms and your stomach – as need be wherever there is a blockage. This will result in the release of energy and your muscles will be toned up in the bargain. We are all blessed with an abundance of energy but unfortunately we do not know how to use it creatively. Since this energy cannot find release it gets channeled into destructive avenues. Then the energy we have turns into a curse. The solution lies in directing your energies into some creative outlet – through some hobbies, which will give you pleasure. The story is told of Angulimala – a famous dacoit who had killed 999 people. Yet a single meeting with the Buddha was enough to transform him and he became a monk. In Tibetan folklore we are told about Milarepa who was another famous sorcerer who had killed many people He too became a sage by the practice of meditation. When the Buddha was asked how he had transformed such an evil man into a saint he said that it was not a question of good or bad. It was only a question of transformation of energy. In the modern age we do not find creative expressions in our work. In the days before the Industrial revolution artisan and craftsmen existed who took great pride in their work. A cobbler would fell happy and proud that he had created a beautiful pair of shoes. So also a tailor. But in these days such creative professions are not open to all. The answer lies in taking up some creative hobby. Sing a song, write a song, play a musical instrument, learn some martial art. Take up some hobby, which will satisfy your creative impulse. Do this hobby for the sheer joy of the activity – and not because you have to or are expecting to get something from it. This will give the energy in your body a creative outlet and you will not have blockages in your body. You can also take up a good form of exercise – yoga is very good for this purpose. But this is a topic for another article. Please look for part III of this series also available on this website.
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Meditation Foundation II
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