Meditation and Masculinity
“It is easier to conquer the world, than to know and conquer one’s own mind.”
Meditation, the key to unlock authentic masculinity.Meditation is to masculinity, what germination is to growth.
In the UK today there are far more women engaging in meditation than men. Meditation is not considered as a male pursuit, and seen as alien to masculinity in the Western world, unlike Eastern cultures, where meditation has been an essential component of masculinity.
Masculinity can be defined as a set of qualities, characteristics or roles appropriate to a man. Modern day western idea of Masculinity is the product of Greco-Roman culture in that of a “great souled” man, a warrior, a conqueror, where pride, superiority and power are its fundamental components.
Masculinity, like femininity, can be cultivated in two directions, negative and unhealthy or positive and healthy.Negative masculinity, is dominant today, where the mind has been conditioned towards aggression, violence, and destruction. Something that is all too obvious in the modern western world, and their constant engagement in war, destruction of environment and health.Masculinity isabout physical strength, cultivated as muscularity and expressed through aggression, pride and power over others.
While girls may know, they have reached womanhood post puberty, boys have no “initiation” into manhood in modern western world, and are left to discover and create a distorted sense of self. Becoming muscular, engaging in sexual promiscuous behaviour, getting drunk or fighting are all considered as “hallmarks” of becoming a “man”.
In sharp contrast, Eastern wisdom traditions place great emphasis on self-realisation, self-discipline and self-mastery as the hallmarks of masculinity. It is easier to conquer the world, than to know and conquer one’s own mind. Positive or healthy masculinity is based on self-actualization, inner strength, self-mastery and expressed as joyfulness, creativity and interconnectedness, which results in the development of healthier and harmonious relationships with self, others and nature.
Meditation is the key that unlocks authentic and positive masculinity. The value of meditation is all too obvious when one considers the exceptional skills and lifestyles for those who have meditation central to their lives. The Samurais of Japan, the Nihangs of India, Shaolin monks, the Sadhus and mystics warriors of the east have all demonstrated the indispensable and crucial value of meditation to martial arts, yoga, chi kung, tai chi and a host of other self-development, health and wellbeing modalities.
Without meditation, masculinity will remain undeveloped, distorted and fail to provide the individual a real opportunity to know and live life to its fullest, instead, life is invested in accumulating money, power, sexual conquests, and aggression.
Notes to editors:
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