, and Christians might prefer AMEN or ALLELUIA, Muslims ALLAH, HOO, and Jews ADONAI: it really makes no difference, since what is important is simply and solely the sound. Like Zen Buddhists, you could use just the syllable MOOO. Dig

that

, and let your consciousness sink down, down, down into the sound for as long as there is no sense of strain.

Above all, don’t look for a result, for some marvellous change of consciousness or satori: the whole essence of meditation-practice is centering upon what IS – not of what should or might be.

The point is not to make the mind blank or to concentrate fiercely upon, say, a single point of light – although that, too, can be delightful without the fierceness

For how long should this be kept up ? My own, and perhaps unorthodox, feeling is that it can be continued for as long as there is no sensation of forcing it – and this may easily extend to 30 or 40 minutes at one sitting, whereafter you will want to return to the state of normal restlessness and distraction.

In sitting for meditation, it is best to use a substantial cushion on the floor, to keep the spine erect but not stiff, to have the hands on the lap – palms upwards – resting easily upon each other, and to sit cross-legged like a Buddha-figure, either in full or half “lotus” posture, or kneeling and sitting back on the heels. “Lotus” means placing one or both feet sole upwards upon the opposite thight. These postures are slightly uncomfortable, but they have, therefore, the advantage of keeping you awake!

In the course of meditation you may possibly have astonishing visions, amazing ideas, and fascinating fantasies. You may also feel that you are becoming clairvoyant or that you are able to leave your body and travel at will. But all that is distraction. Leave it alone and simply watch what happens NOW. One does not meditate in order to acquire extraordinary powers, for if you managed to become omnipotent and omniscient, what would you do ? There would be no further surprises for you, and your whole life would be like making love to a plastic woman. Beware, then, of all those gurus who promise “marvellous results” and other future benefits from their disciplines. The whole point is to realize that there is no future, and that the real sense of life is an exploration of the eternal now. STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN ! Or shall we say, “Turn on, tune in, and drop in ” ?

A story is told of a man who came to the Buddha with offerings of flowers in both hands. The Buddha said, “Drop it!” So he dropped the flowers in his left hand. The Buddha said again “Drop it!” He dropped the flowers in his right hand. And the Buddha said, “Drop that which you have neither in the right nor in the left, but in the middle!” And the man was instantly enlightened.

It is marvellous to have the sense that all living and moving is dropping, or going along with gravity. After all – the earth is falling aruond the sun, and, in turn, the sun is falling around some other star. For energy is precisely a taking of the line of least resistance. Energy is mass. The power of water is in following its own weight. All comes to him who weights.