Meditation has been at the centre of my life for many years. I contribute to projects carried out by Unfettered Mind, keep a practice journal called No Centre, No Edge, write life stories for hospice patients, and practice photography as a form of contemplation. Based in Aotearoa/New Zealand, I retired recently from a long research career in ecology and international development.
Meditation has been at the centre of my life for many years. I contribute to projects carried out by Unfettered Mind, keep a practice journal called No Centre, No Edge, write life stories for hospice patients, and practice photography as a form of contemplation. Based in Aotearoa/New Zealand, I retired recently from a long research career in ecology and international development.
Thanks for taking the time to read our article, Lukas and to share your perspective. We're not saying that traditions require the use of mental imagery, only that meditators may be given practices that involve visualisation. This is hardly surprising given that ability to visualise is so widespread. I chose the AvalokiteÅvara example because of affinity with the Tibetan tradition, but could instead have mentioned the kasina meditation of the Theravada tradition. Even in Zen, in the Shingon tradition, meditators may be asked to visualise the Sanskrit letter A.
Thanks for taking the time to read our article, Lukas and to share your perspective. We're not saying that traditions require the use of mental imagery, only that meditators may be given practices that involve visualisation. This is hardly surprising given that ability to visualise is so widespread. I chose the AvalokiteÅvara example because of affinity with the Tibetan tradition, but could instead have mentioned the kasina meditation of the Theravada tradition. Even in Zen, in the Shingon tradition, meditators may be asked to visualise the Sanskrit letter A.