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Art of Meditation

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Was ist Meditation?
Die vielleicht wichtigste Änderung, die uns in unserem Leben möglich ist, betrifft die
Frage: Wie bewusst gehe ich durch meinen
Alltag? Bewusstheit in unserem Tun und
Lassen ist etwas, das wir lernen können.
Ein besonders hilfreiches Mittel im Erlernen von Bewusstheit ist Meditation.
Meditation ist eine uralte Praxis. Die ältesten Meditationsfiguren aus dem
Industal sind ungefähr 4000 Jahre alt. Es gibt viele unterscheidbare Methoden des
Meditierens. Meistens verstehen wir unter
Meditation eine Praxis des Stillwerdens, häufig in einer sitzenden oder knienden
Haltung.
Auch heute ist Meditation von großer
Aktualität. Ein Grund hierfür liegt darin, dass wir uns im Alltag sehr oft in Zuständen von geistiger Rastlosigkeit, anhaltender
Unruhe und Zerstreutheit oder auch in angestrengter, geistig verengender Konzentration auf eine Sache befinden. Diese
Formen von geistiger Aktivität gehen immer einher mit einer Bewusstseinseinengung, bei der wir uns selbst verlieren. Im
Unterschied hierzu ist die in der Meditation eingeübte Qualität von Aufmerksamkeit weder angestrengt noch zerstreut. Diese gesammelte und offene Qualität von Bewusstheit und Präsenz wird meist dadurch eingeübt, dass die Aufmerksamkeit leicht und entspannt immer wieder auf einen
Gegenstand, sei es ein Wort, ein Bild, ein
Laut, ein Gefühl oder der Atem, gelenkt wird. Ziel ist es, die ungünstigen Geistesgewohnheiten zu verlassen und einen ruhigen, wachen und klaren geistigen Zustand zu finden. Meditation kann daher auch als Sammlung in Stille oder als die
Kunst des Verweilens in Stille bezeichnet werden. So wie es vielfältige Methoden des Meditierens gibt, so sind auch die Gründe, die einen Menschen zum Meditieren bewegen mögen, unterschiedlich. In den religiösen und spirituellen Traditionen, die alle Formen des Meditierens kennen, wird als
Hauptmotivation für eine solche Praxis des Stillwerdens die Möglichkeit gesehen, durch das Schweigen des Geistes Kontakt zu einer tieferen oder umfassenderen
Wirklichkeit zu finden. Diese Wirklichkeit hat unterschiedliche Namen und wird auch unterschiedlich verstanden. So spricht man vom großen Selbst, vom
Grund allen Seins, von Transzendenz, von
Gott oder von dem Göttlichen. Schon lange sind aber auch die positiven persönlichkeitsbildenden und gesundheitlichen Wirkungen der Meditation bekannt. So fördert
Meditation etwa Kreativität und Gelassenheit und ist eines der wirksamsten Mittel gegen Krankheitssymptome, die mit Stress zusammenhängen. Auf diese Bedeutungen von Meditation werde ich in den folgenden
Abschnitten näher eingehen.
Das Wort Meditieren heißt eigentlich
Nachdenken. Und so wird es auch heute manchmal gebraucht. Meditation in dem hier angesprochenen Sinne ist jedoch nicht ein Nachdenken über etwas, sondern vielmehr ein bewusstes Dasein, in dem nicht bestimmte Gedanken verfolgt wer-Meinrad Rohner, Meditation – wozu und wie? Seite 2 den, sondern das Bewusstsein zwischen, über oder auch hinter die Gedanken tritt.
Der etwas altmodische Begriff des Gewahrseins drückt diese Art der Bewusstheit gut aus. Es ist ein Gewahrsein des eigenen
Körpers, der nach innen und außen gerichteten
Sinne, der Gefühle und Gedanken, ohne an diesen anzuhaften oder sich mit ihnen zu identifizieren. Manchmal wird diese Art der Bewusstheit auch Kontemplation genannt, und auch das Beten kann diese Qualität annehmen. In diesem Falle beschränkt sich das Gebet meist auf wenige
Worte. Es hat dann nicht den Charakter einer Fürbitte, durch die der Betende etwas erhalten möchte, sondern einer Erinnerung des Bewusstseins an die Stille des inneren Raumes.
Eine tragende Qualität des meditativen
Bewusstseins ist seine Gegenwärtigkeit. Es ist eine Bewusstheit des einfachen Soseins und Istseins im gegenwärtigen Augenblick.
Der deutsche Mystiker Meister Eckehart
(1260 - 1329) sprach vom ewigen Jetzt.
Stille und Spiritualität
Die Praxis des Meditierens war bis vor kurzem in östlichen Kulturen sehr viel stärker verbreitet und auch verankert als dies in den westlichen Religionen, insbesondere dem Christentum der Moderne, der Fall war. Seit den 60er Jahren kam es jedoch zu einer breiten Begegnung vieler Menschen aus dem Westen mit meditativen
Traditionen des Ostens. Viele spirituelle
Lehrer aus dem Buddhismus und aus den hinduistischen Traditionen nahmen Schü- ler aus dem Westen an oder verlegten ihren
Wirkungsort nach Europa oder Amerika.
Auf diese Weise hat sich die Praxis des
Meditierens auch in den westlichen Ländern deutlich verbreitet und diese Begegnung hat auch zu einem erneuerten Interesse an den reichen, jedoch in den Hintergrund getretenen, kontemplativen Praktiken in den christlichen, jüdischen und islamischen Traditionen geführt.
Mit dieser west-östlichen Begegnung hat sich auch das Verständnis von Spiritualität und Religion gewandelt. Mit der
Meditation ist die Erfahrungsdimension von Spiritualität im Unterschied zu
Schriftgläubigkeit und Glaubensüberzeugungen stärker in den Vordergrund gerückt.
Doch was meinen wir, wenn wir von
Spiritualität sprechen? Hierzu gibt es mehrere
Antworten. Keine dieser Antworten kann für sich Absolutheit beanspruchen.
Vielmehr enthalten alle Elemente von
Wahrheit. Eine erste Antwort lautet, dass
Spiritualität die Frage nach den letzten
Dingen stellt. Woher kommen wir, was ist der Sinn unseres Daseins, wie können wir diesen Sinn erfüllen? Eine weitere Antwort kreist um Erfahrungen, in denen sich etwas
Umfassenderes, Tieferes, vielleicht auch Geheimnisvolles oder Unsagbares zeigt. Solche Erfahrungen können uns in einem Menschen, aber auch in der Natur begegnen. Sie können an einem kultischen
Ort, aber auch in einem ganz profanen Zusammenhang, im Sport, in der Musik, beim Tanz oder in der Liebe erlebt werden.
Sie werden als von etwas Berührtsein, als
Offenheit oder auch als Grenzenlosigkeit beschrieben. Erfahrungen dieser Art kommen häufiger vor als wir vielleicht denken.
Sie werden nur nicht immer als spirituelle
Erfahrungen bemerkt oder so benannt. Mit spirituell werden oft auch die höchsten
Entwicklungsstufen einer Disziplin bzw. einer menschlichen Entwicklungsmöglichkeit bezeichnet, sei diese künstlerisch, ethisch, denkerisch, geistig-körperlich oder persönlich-emotional. Eine solche menschliche Ausdrucksform erscheint uns dann begnadet oder von etwas Transzendentem durchwirkt. Mit Blick auf diese Erfahrungsdimensionen von Spiritualität wird das Ziel der
Meditation mit Worten beschrieben wie
Nichtgetrenntsein, Verbundensein oder
Einssein. In der biblischen Überlieferung werden Worte wie Verzückung, Glückseligkeit oder Erlösung gebraucht, während
z.B. im Buddhismus von Aufwachen, Erleuchtung oder der großen Befreiung die
Rede ist. Dies sind große Ziele. Und doch ist es ein immer wiederkehrendes Thema in den Weisheitstraditionen, dass wir diese
Qualitäten nicht irgendwo da draußen oder in der Zukunft finden werden, sondern, dass sie immer schon da sind und nur darauf warten, von uns bemerkt zu werden. In diesem radikalen Sinne ist es keine Suche und kein Streben, das uns der tiefsten Erkenntnis näher bringt, sondern ein Lösen, Öffnen und Hingeben.

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