T H E   M E D I T A T I O N   O F   T H E   T R E E

PART 1   |   PART 2

PART 1
There are lots of types and methods of meditation, some of them complex or requiring a longer period of time to be practiced. However, there are also some very simple meditations which are just as efficient, like "The Meditation of the Tree".

For this meditation you need to educate and develop your visualization power. Visualization is the ability to create precise and clear mental images, these should be as precise as physical reality. It is an invaluable creative process.

An architect first creates a mental image of the building he wants to build. He "imagines" the building, transposes this image into a plan and proceeds from there. The completed building depends entirely on this initial image.

Firstly you need to re-educate the faculty that you used during your childhood, that is, to be able to represent situations and objects in your inner visual field. This meditation technique can be really helpful.

Some classical meditation methods require as preparation the evocation of a sequence of images, most of them archetypes, in a strict order. The goal is to lead the aspirant, step by step, into more and more profound levels of consciousness.

THE TECHNIQUE
Assume a meditation position and keep your back straight; keep your body still and as relaxed as possible. Breathe slowly and regularly. Now imagine that it is a sunny, September day and you are next to a forest.

Imagine you are walking on a path that takes you under an oak. You notice acorns spread on the ground. Pick one of them up. Then visualize yourself in Padmasana (the lotus pose) in the forest.

Now create in your inner visual field a clear image of the acorn. You see its long shape with its two tips, a sharp one and one covered by a pod. Visualize yourself keeping the acorn in one hand and studying it.

When the image is very clear, imagine yourself digging a hole in the ground and you burying the acorn there. Then remain still and silent, watching the forest. Watch the fall of the oak leaves that cover the ground creating a carpet like effect.

Dark clouds begin to gather and the rain starts to fall on the trees. You could also imagine a bird on the bare branches, a rabbit going into its hole near the oak, a squirrel jumping from one tree into another.

You can imagine a sunset and a sunrise. Although fascinated by this inner show, the mind must be also focused on the image of the acorn planted into the ground which is now soaking with water.

Visualize the first frozen branch and the glassy blue sky above the forest. Winter is coming. Snow flakes fall down covering the leaf made carpet.

The acorn is still in the frozen ground, closed in its shell. Imagine the winter scenery with the sun shining on the snow and the tracks of the birds and small animals. Finally spring is coming.

The sun rises high into the sky and the snow melts. The water flows under the snow that slowly disappears. The sun dries the decaying leaves left on the ground. The birds sing and rejoice at the return of spring. The ground becomes loose and a mysterious transformation takes place inside the acorn.

The germ develops and finds its way into the light while the frail roots anchor into the ground. The sun heats the acorn and a small shoot is coming out to the surface. Then the buds of the trees open and the little offshoot proudly shows little green leaves.

It is not important that this succession should be similar to true botanical reality. What is important is the clarity and intensity of the image.

PART 1   |   PART 2