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INTRODUCTION
editation is for everyone. It is the practical, experience-based wisdom that
spiritual
Meditation is the essential art of self-mastery and right living. Wisdom Roads invites the reader to consider exploring the meditation roads in this book.
The book intends to shed some new light on meditation both for the experienced meditator and for those who are taking their first in-depth look at meditation spirituality. It aims to assist persons of faith in their quest to further deepen their spiritual life through meditation. Also, it should prove useful to the nonbeliever-who cannot accept, or subscribe to any organized religious doctrine— but who is curious about meditation. This book of conversations with meditation masters makes clear that each and every truth-seeker must answer the question for oneself: Do I want to make room for meditation in my very busy life? To this end, the book brings together, for the very first time under one cover, outstanding living teachers of meditation practice from quite diverse, yet very accessible, wisdom traditions. The reader will find contemplative prayer, Christian meditation and Christian Sannyasa, among the paths of Christian meditation; Theravada Vipassana and Bon Dzogchen within the broad field of Buddhist meditation; Jain meditation; and the practices of Kriya/Advaita Vedanta and Integral Yoga. It is generally understood that both the Christian and Yoga meditation traditions define the person, soul, or the atman/self within the context of a creator God, or the Absolute. In contrast, the Bon, Jain, and Theravada traditions are usually viewed as nontheistic roads to liberation or enlightenment.
It is in the silence of meditation that a meeting beyond the words and concepts of the religions becomes possible. The eight remarkable meditation masters have come together in this book to offer a plain-speaking, practice-oriented spirituality of meditation to sincere seekers of truth everywhere. Theirs is a very user-friendly approach to meditation. And their practical insights into the ongoing process that is the meditative life illuminate the various and particular forms of meditation practice. These are taught in the great meditation wisdom traditions of the religions.
They would be among the first to agree that when it comes to meditation, no one path or teaching has the answer for all. No one meditation practice can claim to be suitable for everyone. And yet they remind us that keeping faith—
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