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Meditation
Divinity. Meditation with form can also involve creative imagery
and visualization. Meditation without form concerns going
beyond thought into emptiness––transcending the ego-self. But
no matter which type of meditation you choose to practice, medi-
tation is more than simply entering into a dream-like or alpha
state. In the practice of meditation you will inevitably progress
through a series of developmental stages as you become more
adept at journeying deeper within yourself.
2. Using the Chime to End Your Meditation
The first and most basic use of the Zen Alarm Clock in your med-
itation practice is as a signal of the end of your allotted meditation
time. If you want to meditate for 20 minutes, simply set the alarm
20 minutes into the future and begin your meditation. When the
first chime strikes you can choose to end there or continue your
meditation for about three and a half minutes until the next
chime, or even longer. Many meditators find that a "three and a
half minute warning" is a perfect interval in which to gradually
conclude their longer meditations. The first chime signals the
final phase of the meditation and the second chime its conclusion.
The beauty of the chime is that it compliments rather than dis-
turbs the meditative state while acting as an effective timer. No
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matter how you use it, the sonic clarity of the chime provides an
appropriate conclusion to your stillness.
3. Meditating on the Chime
The Zen Alarm Clock can also be more actively incorporated into
your meditation practice as a form of "mantra" or "yantra."
Mantra is a sanskrit word which means "mental protection." In
Eastern meditation traditions, a mantra takes the form of a word
or sound which is chanted to occupy the mind and keep disturb-
ing thoughts from distracting the meditator. A yantra is used in
Eastern meditation traditions as an image upon which the medita-
tor concentrates until it "disappears." The chime can be used as a
sort of external mantra or sonic yantra. The chime functions as a
mantra as its sound repeats, bringing the meditator back to the
focal point of concentration. The chime functions as a yantra as
the meditator listens to the resonant sine wave gradually dissi-
pate.
Bells and chimes are used in both Eastern and Western medita-
tion traditions. In the Christian monastic tradition, the ringing of
the bell during meditation reminds the practitioners to return to
the object of worship. Zen monks have used the gong to begin
Meditation
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