Meditation and meaning - finding the answers to life

It is not easy to imagine what it must be like to have 2 small children and to be diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. I met a woman who had this experience some 20 years previously. She was alive and well and naturally I was curious – what had happened? 

Well she said, “I was so overwhelmed at the time, I sort of freaked out. I refused the treatment that was offered as it promised to make me sick, and no one could give any assurance it would work long term; and I knew I had to be there for my children. My husband could not cope, and to make matters worse, he soon left.

“So I just got on with life. 

I was so focused on my children, there was no room for anything else. 

I did not think about the cancer all that much. 

I did not even have check-ups. 

It was not until quite some years later I had the space and time to wonder and did return to my doctor; and all the cancer had gone.”

Now this lady came to none of our programs. 

To my knowledge she changed very little in her lifestyle; she was just totally focused on being there for her children. 

She told me “I just could not die and leave the children alone”.

Now it would be unkind in the extreme to suggest this woman was mis-diagnosed. That would be intellectually lazy. 

And I must confess I love extreme stories like this. Firstly, how wonderful this mother is still there for her children. Second, how sad many other mothers have done the best they could, and yet still faced leaving their children through death.

But stories such as this one provoke us to think. They are extreme. I am not suggesting what this lady did might work for someone else. But often, extreme stories do point to something very useful; in this case, the power meaning can play in our lives. So this week, we delve into the connection between meditation and meaning, along with providing more details of coming events, but first

   Thought for the day:

     A mind filled with fear can still be penetrated 

     By the quality of loving kindness. 

     Moreover, a mind that is saturated by loving kindness

     Cannot be overcome by fear; 

     Even if fear should arise, 

     It will not overpower such a mind.

               Sharon Salzberg                                      Viktor Frankl with his second wife Eleonore 1995

Many will have read Viktor Frankl’s great book Man’s Search for Meaning - named one of the ten most influential books in the US. Frankl was born in Vienna in 1905. As a medical student, in 1929 and 30 he initiated a program to help allay the high suicide rates in students. In 1931 no students suicided. 
Frankl became a student of Freud, and moved on to Adler – both leading exponents of treating what they regarded as internal neurosis. 

Adler rejected Frankl based on Frankl's assertion that meaning was more important for therapy. Frankl then published scholarly papers on what he developed and termed Logotherapy, which is founded on the premise that the primary motivational force of individuals is to find meaning in life.

Frankl stated ”What man actually needs is not a tensionless state, but rather the striving and struggling for some goal worthy of him”. These were the days before gender issues were better addressed! 

Anyway, Frankl was close to completing a book to elaborate his theories when the war intervened, and being Jewish, he was sent from Vienna to the concentration camps. Surviving and emerging to find his pregnant wife and the rest of his family had been murdered in the camps, he re-wrote the book that came to be titled Man’s Search for Meaning.

From the very early days of our cancer programs, I recommended the book and highlighted 2 of its main points:


1. In the camps, where it was so easy to die, Frankl observed those who had a reason to live, those who had meaning, tended to live longer than those without. 

Also, if people lost their will to live, they commonly died quite quickly.

2. In these heinous places, where all efforts were made to strip people of their dignity and their freedom, Frankl observed there was one freedom that could not be taken away. 

If people were able to recognise it and hold onto it, their ultimate freedom, the freedom no-one could take from them, was their freedom to choose how they responded to their circumstances. 


So if this meant do I go into a gas chamber being dragged kicking and screaming, or do I walk in with my head held high, no one can take that choice away from me.

Back to this, “What man actually needs is not a tensionless state, but rather the striving and struggling for some goal worthy of him”. Meditation’s immediate benefit for many is a “tensionless state”! My sense, however, like for Frankl, is that if we leave it there, life could be pretty bland; could be meaningless. 

This is why we go deeper with meditation – into mindfulness, awareness and stillness. Stillness may seem from the outside as a tensionless, bland state; however, it is filled with energy and with creative potential. I am yet to meet a serious meditator who was not highly engaged with life and their community. And the stillness of deeper meditation is synergistically supported by contemplation and imagery; they all work inter-dependently to support and enhance each other.

So consider this: “Why am I here and what am I good for?” 

Well worth contemplating repeatedly. 

Highly likely to draw out the meaning in your life.

As the basis of his Logotherapy, Frankl spoke of three primary domains that fed meaning and were therapeutic:

1. We learn to overcome obsessions or anxieties by self-distancing and humorous exaggeration.

2. We make the conscious effort to draw our attention away from our symptoms, as hyper-reflection can lead to inaction.

3. We ask ourselves questions (or our therapist does) designed to help us find and pursue self-defined meaning in life. 

So finally, maybe we do some rewording:

“What people actually need is a stable and tensionless state, along with the unattached striving, and effortless yet determined struggling for some goal worthy of them”.

When did you last read the book? Maybe worth a revisit… Enjoy!!!

 

Online Program with Ian: MEDITATION and CONTEMPLATION

This new 8 Week Online Program is now underway with a lovely group of people joining in.

There is a plan to record the sessions and make them available as a self-study program; more on this later…

COMING EVENTS

VENUE: The Yarra Valley Living Centre, 55 Rayner Crt, Yarra Junction, Victoria, Australia

Meditation Teacher Training – MTT-1: Meditation   12 – 16 May 2025

The core training for those new to teaching meditation, or for those seeking to deepen their skills. Five days, fully residential with an extensive manual to guide delivery of an 8 week Mindfulness-based Stillness Meditation program, or adapt to your own needs

Meditation in the Forest   Seven day meditation retreat open to all   2 – 8 June 2025

This year the focus will be on meditation – for inner peace and clarity; along with contemplation – for clear thinking, problem solving, creativity, insight, intuition and exploring the big questions in life. A great retreat; one of my very favourites and filling fast.

Meditation Teacher Training – MTT-3: Imagery   1 – 5 November 2025

Training in how to teach both meditation and imagery. This training explores in depth how the mind works and how we can use it more effectively. Fascinating, personally relevant and highly empowering for your communities. Also five days, fully residential with an extensive manual.

Deep Natural Peace     Long weekend mini retreat    14 – 16 November

Towards the end of the year, an ideal opportunity for some time out, some gentle introspection and reflection, letting go of the busyness and finishing the year on a meditative high.

You register for any of the residential programs through our website

 

 

Motivation and Volition – their differences and importance

Volition. Now there is a word we do not hear so much these days. Unfortunate really, as it speaks to a crucial element in getting things done… how much energy do you put into it? 

So have you ever been puzzled when you found yourself highly motivated to do something and yet fell short? This often seems to happen when we aspire to improve our lifestyle… Eat better. Exercise more. Meditate regularly. We have all tried these things, full of good intentions; and yet months later, maybe even weeks or days later, not only have we not done it, but maybe we do not even remember what the intention was.

This week then, a reminder the new online 8 week program Meditation and Contemplation starts Thursday 13th February – quite soon now – register HERE. And then we will examine what motivation really is, what volition is, how the 2 are essential to get things done – and how to break through and actually do them, but first

             Thought for the day

   The most important thing is to check ourselves, 

   Day and night. 

   I believe that is the best way to serve other people.

   That constant mindfulness helps to improve our behaviour, 

   Our way of speaking, and our manner of thinking. 

   As a result, we ourselves 

   Become examples of a good human being.

   And if we can become a good human being, 

   A warm-hearted sensitive person, a useful person, 

   Then other people may take us more seriously

                             His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Let us aim to keep this simple 

– so it is easy to understand, and gives us confidence to use it…

Like many words, motivation, intention and volition are used differently by different authors and in different contexts. In brief, motivation is often used to describe an aspiration – a state of thinking whereby we hope to accomplish something.

Intention is often used inter-changeably with motivation, however, its accurate definition speaks of commitment, action and getting the aspiration done.

Volition is all about the energy one puts into one’s motivation; the commitment we make to getting something done.

So the important piece here is the difference between aspiration and volition. 

The thought  “I would like to do something”, and the commitment and resolve and energy it takes to get it done.

This is crucial as so often I have met people who were highly motivated to accomplish something. 

Maybe we should say, highly aspirational... 

Eat better. Exercise more. Meditate regularly. 

And yet, here they were, bitterly disappointed with themselves, often blaming external circumstances or other people, almost invariably feeling guilty, and not accomplishing what they set out to achieve.

To understand this in a little more depth, let us look at the words and their definitions…

Wikipedia has this to say “Motivation is an internal state that propels individuals to engage in goal-directed behaviour. It is often understood as a force that explains why people or animals initiate, continue, or terminate a certain behavior at a particular time. It is a complex phenomenon, and its precise definition is disputed.”

Intention is a word with similar meaning, yet it is often used to suggest something different. Wikipedia has this to say about intention “An intention is a mental state in which a person commits themselves to a course of action. Having the plan to visit the zoo tomorrow is an example of an intention. The action plan is the content of the intention while the commitment is the attitude towards this content. Other mental states can have action plans as their content, as when one admires a plan, but differ from intentions since they do not involve a practical commitment to realizing this plan. Successful intentions bring about the intended course of action while unsuccessful intentions fail to do so.”

And volition – from Wikipedia again: 

“Volition, also known as will or conation, is the cognitive process by which an individual decides on and to a particular course of action. 

It is defined as purposive striving and is one of the primary human psychological functions.”

Maybe we also need to consider “aspiration” - Wikipedia: “The act of aspiring or ardently desiring; an ardent wish or desire, chiefly after what is elevated or spiritual.”

Back to simple… 

What we are getting at here is the difference between an aspiration, or motivation as it is commonly called, a hope something will be done; and the volition or maybe intention, the energy required to make it happen.

The difference between aspiration or hope and volition or commitment and action.

So consider this… When you plan something new, can you notice the difference between the basic planning, and the commitment? So often we are motivated to do something – “Wouldn’t it be nice if I Eat better. Exercise more. Meditate regularly”. But then, what of the volition? What of the commitment. Volition speaks of making a firm decision. I will do this. I I will eat better. Exercise more. Meditate more regularly. Whatever it takes. I will do it. No compromises. No holding back. I am totally committed to this plan. I will seek the help I need; I will find a way; I will do this…

With that level of volition, things get done.

I have seen it in great athletes. Top business people. People who have experienced remarkable recoveries from extremely difficult circumstances.

So how to generate that level of volition? That level of commitment? 

Maybe this is too simplistic for some. Maybe you think it too unsophisticated. But in my experience, the solution, the answer, is a simple act of will.

Our minds are incredible. And strong. When we put all else aside and make a strong choice – like I am going to do this – it sets in train a whole series of events. Some mundane, some may prove to be extra-ordinary, some may surprise you, some may draw out strengths you previously only hoped for, or dreamt about. 

With a firm decision, the world opens up and all manner of possibilities do in fact become possible.

Happy decision making…

COMING EVENTS   

1. Online Program with Ian: MEDITATION and CONTEMPLATION

Ian will present an 8 Week Online Program, Meditation and Contemplation program from 13 February to 3 April 2025 each Thursday, 7.30 – 9.00pm AEDT. 

The program has been designed to be suitable for those new to meditation and contemplation, as well as those more experienced who are looking to reconnect and dive deeper into these transformative domains.

What the Program Offers:

·      Personal instruction and guided practices with Ian Gawler, live, online for 1.5 hours each Thursday for 8 weeks.

·      Email reminders each week with the Zoom link, plus key points from the previous session.

·      The opportunity to discuss and learn with other participants through regular interactive sessions.

·      Question and answer sessions with Ian Gawler each week.

·      Access to revisit the recording of each session for 3 months.

You can register via Eventbrite, using this LINK

2. The Residential Programs

The VENUE: The Yarra Valley Living Centre, 55 Rayner Crt, Yarra Junction, Victoria, Australia

The Team: Ian and Ruth with Melissa Borich

Meditation Teacher Training – MTT-1: Meditation   12 – 16 May 2025

The core training for those new to teaching meditation, or for those seeking to deepen their skills. Five days, fully residential with an extensive manual to guide delivery of an 8 week Mindfulness-based Stillness Meditation program, or adapt to your own needs

Meditation in the Forest   Seven day meditation retreat open to all   2 – 8 June 2025

This year the focus will be on meditation – for inner peace and clarity; along with contemplation – for clear thinking, problem solving, creativity, insight, intuition and exploring the big questions in life. A great retreat; one of my very favourites!

Meditation Teacher Training – MTT-3: Imagery   1 – 5 November 2025

Training in how to teach both meditation and imagery. This training explores in depth how the mind works and how we can use it more effectively. Fascinating, personally relevant and highly empowering for your communities. Also five days, fully residential with an extensive manual.

Deep Natural Peace     Long weekend mini retreat    14 – 16 November

Towards the end of the year, an ideal opportunity for some time out, some gentle introspection and reflection, letting go of the busyness and finishing the year on a meditative high.

You register for any of the residential programs through our website

 

 

 

Meditation and Contemplation: Ruth and Ian Gawler’s programs for 2025

The one online program for the year, Meditation and Contemplation is starting quite soon. Eight weeks from Thursday 13th February, 7.30 – 9.00pm AEDT. Do join us… Book here.

Actually, I find it hard to imagine navigating the challenges of life without combining the peace, clarity and spaciousness that comes from meditation practice along with the clear thinking and profound insights of contemplation. 

That is why Ruth and I are so keen to continue to offer meditation and contemplation programs in 2025. First comes the one online program for the year, and then the Retreats and Meditation Teacher Training programs. Residential Program bookings, Click here

At the risk of repeating this so often it starts to sound like a cliché, meditation – and contemplation - really are the best gifts you can give to your self or to another. So in this post, more details on why I value meditation and contemplation so much, but first (with apologies for older times when “men” sounded as if they did not include “women”; Thomas Merton was a monk with some wonderful insights)…

         Thought for the day

Not all men are called to be hermits, 

But all men need enough silence and solitude 

In their lives 

To enable the deep inner voice 

Of their own true self 

To be heard at least occasionally. 

When that inner voice is not heard, 

When man cannot attain to the spiritual peace 

That comes from being perfectly at one with his true self, 

His life is always miserable and exhausting. 

For he cannot go on happily for long 

Unless he is in contact with the springs of spiritual life 

Which are hidden in the depths of his own soul. 

If man is constantly exiled from his own home, 

Locked out of his own spiritual solitude, 

He ceases to be a true person. 

He no longer lives as a man.


                              Thomas Merton

Why meditation? When we learn to meditate, we find a way to maintain a sense of inner calm and stability, despite whatever else maybe going on around us. With meditation, we come to experience mental clarity and a quiet inner confidence, yet perhaps even more importantly, we begin to connect – deeply connect – with our self; our true self; with who we really are. 

While meditation has so many immediate and practical benefits – like good health in body and mind, enhanced creativity, better decision making, more mindfulness, compassion, awareness and so on – for me, the real benefit, the ultimate benefit, is this capacity meditation has to help us connect with our own inner truth – the truth of who we really are.

So we may well begin a practice of meditation for any one of the multiplicity of immediate and practical benefits – that makes perfect sense to me and I support that completely; but then, once we start to feel those benefits building in our lives, the possibility of something more, something deeper.

This is where retreats come in. 

By making the time, by making the effort to go on retreat, we remove ourselves from daily life with all its potential busyness and distractions. 

Then a space is created. 

An external space in a peaceful and beautiful place where you are supported by good food and good company. 

But more, the inner space is created where so much can settle or simply be let go of; and then it becomes possible for us to connect to that deeper, simpler, more profound aspect of self.

And as for contemplation, this series of exquisite practices enable us to think things through, to delve into the really important questions in our lives – both the practical ones and the profound – and come to our own inner clarity. 

And as a consequence, make good decisions; creative decisions we can feel confident about and commit to.

So in 2025, I am presenting an 8 week online Meditation and contemplation program. 

This will make access easy for all, and we will develop the sense of connection through the use of breakout rooms and QandA, along with many guided meditation and contemplation practices. 

This online program starts soon – Thursday 13th February and runs every Thursday for 8 weeks from 7.30 to 9.00pm AEDT.  Book here.

Then Ruth and I will present 2 meditation retreats, one for 7 days; the other for 3 days - along with 2 Meditation Teacher Training programs – one on meditation itself, the other where the focus will be on imagery. 

Bookings are coming in quite quickly now, and our residential programs were fully booked in 2024, so a gentle reminder - particularly if you have a particular accommodation preference - it will be advisable to register soon. 

So, hope we can be with you again in 2025, and it is an easier year for us all, marked by peace, good health, contentment and fulfilment... 

          COMING EVENTS    Bookings are now open 

1. Online Program with Ian: MEDITATION and CONTEMPLATION

Ian will present an 8 Week Online Program, Meditation and Contemplation program from 13 February to 3 April 2025 each Thursday, 7.30 – 9.00pm AEDT. 

The program has been designed to be suitable for those new to meditation and contemplation, as well as those more experienced who are looking to reconnect and dive deeper into these transformative domains.

You can register for the online program via Eventbrite, using this LINK

What the Online Program Offers:

·      Personal instruction and guided practices with Ian Gawler, live, online for 1.5 hours each Thursday for 8 weeks.

·       Email reminders each week with the Zoom link, plus key points from the previous session.

·      The opportunity to discuss and learn with other participants through regular interactive sessions.

·      Question and answer sessions with Ian Gawler each week.

·      Access to revisit the recording of each session for 3 months.

2. Residential Programs with Ian and Ruth Gawler, along with Melissa Borich

You register for any of the residential programs through our website:
 iangawler.com 

THE VENUE for all the following residential programs will be The Yarra Valley Living Centre, 55 Rayner Crt, Yarra Junction, Victoria, Australia:

Meditation Teacher Training – MTT-1: Meditation   12 – 16 May 2025

The core training for those new to teaching meditation, or for those seeking to deepen their skills. Five days, fully residential with an extensive manual to guide delivery of an 8 week Mindfulness-based Stillness Meditation program, or adapt to your own needs

Meditation in the Forest   Seven day meditation retreat open to all   2 – 8 June 2025

This year the focus will be on meditation – for inner peace and clarity; along with contemplation – for clear thinking, problem solving, creativity, insight, intuition and exploring the big questions in life. A great retreat; one of my very favourites!

Meditation Teacher Training – MTT-3: Imagery   1 – 5 November 2025

Training in how to teach both meditation and imagery. This training explores in depth how the mind works and how we can use it more effectively. Fascinating, personally relevant and highly empowering for your communities. Also five days, fully residential with an extensive manual.

Deep Natural Peace     Long weekend mini retreat    14 – 16 November

Towards the end of the year, an ideal opportunity for some time out, some gentle introspection and reflection, letting go of the busyness and finishing the year on a meditative high.

You register for any of the residential programs through our website:
 iangawler.com