Passage Meditation is a wonderful form of meditation taught by Eknath Easwaren, founder of The Blue Mountain Center For Meditation in Tomales, CA. I prefer it to Mindfulness Meditation for the following reasons:
For me, it is more productive. In Mindfulness Meditation, one sits and follows the breath flowing in and out through the nostrils, and as thoughts arise, the thoughts are released and the mind is brought back to focus on the breath...over and over and over again. This practice, as it becomes easier, results in a sense of calm that can last throughout your day. It takes some weeks and months, even years, to master, and many people give up out of frustration (instead of just noting "frustration" and coming back to the breath). Although this is a very popular form of meditation that serves a great many people well, Passage Meditation offers another option for seated meditation.
To begin, choose an uplifting passage from the world's sacred writings and memorize it. Easwaren recommends "The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi" to begin:
"Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life."
This passage is easy to memorize, as you notice the pattern of the words.
Once you have memorized it, decide on a time and place to meditate. Early morning is best, before you get involved in the busyness of your day. If morning doesn't work for you, find a time that does, and meditate at the same time each day.
A quiet corner of your home, where you will not be disturbed for 30 minutes is ideal. Choose a straight-back chair, with your feet resting on the floor (or on a cushion if you have short legs).
You might like to use a kitchen timer, or a small timer available from The Dollar Store to time your meditation, so you don't have to contiunally peek at a clock. Start with 15 minutes, and gradually increase your sitting time to 30 minutes, no longer. You may choose to practice twice a day if time allows.
Sit with spine erect but not stiff, and not resting against the back of the chair; hands rest comfortably in your lap. Close your eyes. Scan your body for comfort and relaxation, keeping the spine long by imagining a string holding you up from a point on the back of your head, with chin parallel to the floor.
Now, repeat the passage in your mind one time to refresh your memory, then: very, very slowly repeat the passage, one word at a time, over and over for the allotted amount of time. Don't be concerned with the meaning or the message or try to analyze how it has meaning for you. Simply repeat it slowly over and over. Easwaren says "Slowly, like pouring water into oil." If your mind wanders, start at the beginning of the passage and continue on.
The reason I prefer this method over others is that instead of keeping the mind free of attachment to thoughts, I am nourishing my mind with uplifting messages that gradually become a part of my consciousness. The message of the passage begin to be reflected in one's daily life.
You can use a passage for a couple of weeks or longer, and when you choose, find another beautiful passage to memorize and use. I like to keep a little book in which I write the passages I've used. Sometimes I go back to a previous one and use it again.
Here are some of the passages I have used, just to give you some ideas:
Doctrine and Covenants 78:18 & 19 (LDS Scriptures)
2 Nephi 31:20 (Book of Mormon)
1 Peter 1:13-16 (King James Bible)
Alma 38:10-12 (Book of Mormon)
Mosiah 4:9 (Book of Mormon)
2 Timothy 3:14-17 (King James Bible)
Alma 26:35 (Book of Mormon)
2 Nephi 4: 16,20,21 (Book of Mormon)
"The Vision" by Ramdas
"Evening Prayer for the Sabbaath (Jewish Liturgy)
"In The Midst of Darkness" by Mahatma Gandhi
"A Garden Beyond Paradise" by Jalaluddin Rumi
Ether 4:12 (Book of Mormon)
Psalm 100 (King James Bible)
"Do Not Look With Fear" by St. Francis De Sales
You can learn more about Passage Meditation in Easwaren's book, "Passage Meditation" from Nilgiri Press, Tomales, California
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