''Passage Meditation'' is a book by
Eknath Easwaran
Eknath Easwaran (December 17, 1910 October 26, 1999) was an Indian-born spiritual teacher, author and translator and interpreter of Indian religious texts such as the ''Bhagavad Gita'' and the Upanishads.
Easwaran was a professor of English lit ...
, originally published in 1978 with the title ''Meditation''. The book describes a
meditation
Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally cal ...
program, also now commonly referred to as Passage Meditation. Easwaran developed this method of meditation in the 1960s, and first taught it systematically at the
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
.
[Tim Flinders & Carol Flinders (1989). '' The making of a teacher: Conversations with Eknath Easwaran'' (see article). Petaluma, CA: Nilgiri Press. (p. 148: "On the evening of Monday, January 3, 1968, 2000 LSB had standing room only for the several hundred Berkeley students who had registered for The Theory and Practice of Meditation (Religious Studies 138X, four units' credit; instructor, Eknath Easwaran). To anyone's knowledge, it was the first accredited course on meditation offered by any university in the United States - or, for that matter, in the world. ... For ten Monday nights, Easwaran sat atop the black veneer of the demonstration table and lectured on the ancient mystical teachings of the Indian spiritual tradition. Required texts included Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and Sidney Spencer's Mysticism in World Religion.]
(quote viewable online)
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The program is an eight-point program intended for the "spiritual growth" of the practitioner. The first step in the program involves meditating on a text passage, and since the 1990s the method as a whole has come to be known as "Passage Meditation" (not Easwaran's term). The book has been frequently reprinted and translated into 14 languages. It is reported that more than 200,000 copies were sold in the period of 1978 to 2001.
The first edition of the book had the full title ''Meditation; commonsense directions for an uncommon life'' (1978). A second edition in 1991 was subtitled ''a simple eight-point program for translating spiritual ideals into daily life'', and a third, revised edition of the book was published posthumously as ''Passage Meditation; Bringing the Deep Wisdom of the Heart Into Daily Life'' (2008).
A fourth, revised edition was published as ''Passage Meditation – A Complete Spiritual Practice: Train Your Mind and Find a Life that Fulfills'' (2016). The fourth edition included a new part, not contained in earlier editions, with approximately 80 pages of "Questions and Answers" to numerous questions about meditation (pp. 182–264).
Topics covered
All editions of ''Passage Meditation'' contain a chapter dedicated to each of the eight practices or "points" of Easwaran's method of meditation. Each edition also contains a preface by the author in which he explains how he discovered the passage meditation method.
Method
Meditating on a passage is the first point in Easwaran's eight point program of Passage Meditation, and he recommends practicing it for 30 minutes each day on first rising. The other seven points are to be woven in at various times throughout the day or week. Each of the book's eight main chapters are dedicated to explaining one of the eight points:
# Meditation on a passage
# Repetition of a mantram (mantra, or prayer word)
# Slowing down
# One-pointed attention
# Training the senses
# Putting others first
# Spiritual fellowship
# Spiritual reading
Meditation on a passage involves silent, focused repetition during meditation of memorized selections from scriptures of the world and writings of great mystics. According to Easwaran, the practice of meditating on a specific passage of text (Easwaran suggests the Prayer of Saint Francis
The anonymous text that is usually called the Prayer of Saint Francis (or Peace Prayer, or Simple Prayer for Peace, or Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace) is a widely known Christian prayer for peace. Often associated with the Italian Saint Fr ...
or Psalm 23
Psalm 23 is the 23rd psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "The Lord is my shepherd". In Latin, it is known by the incipit, "". The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a boo ...
as examples) has the effect of eventually transforming "character, conduct, and consciousness." The term passage is chosen to describe a spiritually-inspired text that one meditates on, during an extended period of time set aside for meditation, as compared to a mantram (or mantra). Easwaran collected an anthology of selections from the world's spiritual texts, God Makes the Rivers to Flow, for use in meditation.
Repetition of a mantram. Easwaran describes a mantram as a short, powerful spiritual formula which can be repeated, at any time during the day or night, to call up the best and deepest in ourselves, and help to slow down, to become more one-pointed, and to put others first.
Slowing Down is an important spiritual discipline. Living faster and faster gives no time for inner reflection or sensitivity to others, making our lives tense, insecure, inefficient, and superficial. Slowing down helps achieve freedom of action, good relations with others, health and vitality, calmness of mind, and the ability to grow.
One-pointed attention helps to unify consciousness and deepen concentration. Training the mind to give full attention to one thing at a time, whether it is in science or the arts or sports or a profession, is a basic requirement for achieving a goal.
Training the senses means freeing the mind from the tyranny of likes and dislikes so as to "live in freedom", "live intentionally"
Putting others first. Dwelling on ourselves builds a wall between ourselves and others. Those who keep thinking about their needs, their wants, their plans, their ideas, cannot help becoming lonely and insecure. As human beings, it is our nature to be part of a whole, to live in a context where personal relationships are supportive and close.
Spiritual Fellowship with people whose companionship is elevating, and working together for a selfless goal without expecting any reward or recognition, augment and enhance the individual's capacities.
Easwaran says that the eight points, though they may at first seem unrelated, are closely linked. "Quieting your mind in morning meditation, for instance, will help your efforts to slow down at work, and slowing down at work will, in turn, improve your meditation ... Unless you practice all of them, you cannot progress safely and far".
Passage Meditation does not require adherence to any particular religion or belief.
Questions and Answers
The fourth edition (published in 2016) also contains about 80 pages dedicated to answering numerous questions about how to practice the program.
Influence, research, use
Workers in professional fields, as well as writers of popular books, have cited or been influenced by the passage meditation program. Sometimes, the passage meditation program has been included among resources for complementary and alternative medicine.[David Rakel & Nancy Faass (2006). ]
Complementary medicine in clinical practice: Integrative practice in American healthcare
'. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.
Several empirical research studies have examined the effects on health professionals and college undergraduates from receiving training in the Passage Meditation (PM) program. Peer-reviewed research, published in professional psychology and health journals, has shown that following the passage meditation program reduces stress[Doug Oman, John Hedberg, and ]Carl E. Thoresen
Carl E. Thoresen ( – ) was a psychologist on the faculty of Stanford University. From 2005, he was also a senior fellow at Santa Clara University.
Education and academic career
Many events and achievements in Thoresen's career as a psychol ...
(2006)
"Passage meditation reduces perceived stress in health professionals: A randomized, controlled trial"
''Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
The ''Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology'' is a monthly academic journal published by the American Psychological Association. Its focus is on treatment and prevention in all areas of clinical and clinical-health psychology and especiall ...
'' ashington,_DC:_American_Psychological_Association.html" ;"title="American_Psychological_Association.html" ;"title="ashington, DC: American Psychological Association">ashington, DC: American Psychological Association">American_Psychological_Association.html" ;"title="ashington, DC: American Psychological Association">ashington, DC: American Psychological Associationv74 n4 pp 714–719 Aug 2006) and increases confidence in tasks such as caregiving[Doug Oman, T. Anne Richards, John Hedberg, and ]Carl E. Thoresen
Carl E. Thoresen ( – ) was a psychologist on the faculty of Stanford University. From 2005, he was also a senior fellow at Santa Clara University.
Education and academic career
Many events and achievements in Thoresen's career as a psychol ...
(2008)
"Passage Meditation Improves Caregiving Self-efficacy among Health Professionals"
''Journal of Health Psychology'' v14 n8 pp 1119–1135 Nov 2008.
These studies mostly used randomized controlled trial, randomized methods. Like much recent research on Health applications and clinical studies of meditation, meditation (e.g., on Mindfulness (psychology), mindfulness meditation), research studies on Passage Meditation have neither postulated nor claimed to infer the operation of supernatural or other non-natural, non-psychological processes.[ Research on Passage Meditation through early 2007 was reviewed in chapter 6 of ''Spirit, science and health: How the spiritual mind fuels physical wellness''.][Tim Flinders, Doug Oman, and Carol Flinders (2007). The eight-point program of passage meditation: Health effects of a comprehensive program. In ]Thomas G. Plante Thomas G. Plante (born in Rhode Island, United States) is the Augustin Cardinal Bea, S.J. University Professor of psychology on the faculty of Santa Clara University and adjunct clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford ...
, & Carl E. Thoresen
Carl E. Thoresen ( – ) was a psychologist on the faculty of Stanford University. From 2005, he was also a senior fellow at Santa Clara University.
Education and academic career
Many events and achievements in Thoresen's career as a psychol ...
(Eds.), ''Spirit, science and health: How the spiritual mind fuels physical wellness'' (pp. 72–93)
table of contents
, Westport, CT: Praeger. .
In ''Neurology Now'', published by the American Academy of Neurology
The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) is a professional society representing over 38,000 neurologists and neuroscientists. As a medical specialty society it was established in 1948 by A.B. Baker of the University of Minnesota to advance the ar ...
, the article "Meditation as Medicine" states that various well-designed studies show that meditation can increase attention span, sharpen focus, improve memory, and dull the perception of pain, and lists Passage Meditation as a common meditation method.
Passage Meditation has sometimes been integrated into college curricula.[Richard M. Lerner (2008)]
"Spirituality, Positive Purpose, Wisdom, and Positive Development in Adolescence: Comments on Oman, Flinders, and Thoresen's Ideas About 'Integrating Spiritual Modeling Into Education'"
''The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion
The ''International Journal for the Psychology of Religion'' is a Peer review, peer-reviewed academic journal devoted to research on the psychology of religion. Its scope includes the social psychology of religion, religious development, conversion ...
'' v18 n2 pp 108–118 Apr 2008.
Editions
In 2001, ''Publishers Weekly
''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...
'' reported that the book ''Meditation'' (later republished in as ''Passage Meditation'') had "sold more than 200,000 copies since its 1978 debut."[Michael Kress (2001). "Meditation is the message." ''Publishers Weekly'', v248 n13, pS11.] English editions have been published in the US, the UK, and India.
Non-English translations of the book have been published in Bulgarian,[ Екнатх Еасваран (2003)]
Медитация (Meditation)
(Данчо Господинов ordan Gospodinov trans.). Sofia, Bulgaria: Iztok Zapad Publishing House. (208 pages) Chinese,[ Ai si hua lun aswaran/nowiki> (2010)]
沉思课 / Chen si ke (Meditation class)
(高天羽 ao tian yu trans.). hang chun/nowiki> China: 吉林出版集团有限责任公司 ilin Publishing Group , (230 pages) Czech,Eknath Easwaran
Eknath Easwaran (December 17, 1910 October 26, 1999) was an Indian-born spiritual teacher, author and translator and interpreter of Indian religious texts such as the ''Bhagavad Gita'' and the Upanishads.
Easwaran was a professor of English lit ...
(2004)
Meditace: jednoduchý osmibodový program pro uplatnění duchovních ideálů v každodenním životě (Meditation: a simple eight-point program for the application of spiritual ideals in everyday life)
(Marie Bednářová, trans.). Praha Prague], Czech Republic: Dobro. , (230 pages)Eknath Easwaran
Eknath Easwaran (December 17, 1910 October 26, 1999) was an Indian-born spiritual teacher, author and translator and interpreter of Indian religious texts such as the ''Bhagavad Gita'' and the Upanishads.
Easwaran was a professor of English lit ...
(1993). p de goede weg: meditatie in acht stappen (On track: meditation in eight steps)(Peter Slob, trans.). Deventer, Netherlands: Ankh-Hermes. , (185 pages)Eknath Easwaran
Eknath Easwaran (December 17, 1910 October 26, 1999) was an Indian-born spiritual teacher, author and translator and interpreter of Indian religious texts such as the ''Bhagavad Gita'' and the Upanishads.
Easwaran was a professor of English lit ...
(1996)
Méditation: un programme en huit points pour donner un sens à sa vie (Meditation: an eight-point program to give meaning to his life)
(Marie-Annick Thabaud, trans.). Saint-Laurent, Québec, Canada: Bellarmin. , (236 pages)Eknath Easwaran
Eknath Easwaran (December 17, 1910 October 26, 1999) was an Indian-born spiritual teacher, author and translator and interpreter of Indian religious texts such as the ''Bhagavad Gita'' and the Upanishads.
Easwaran was a professor of English lit ...
(1991)
So öffnet sich das Leben. Acht Schritte der Meditation (Will open your life. Eight Steps of Meditation)
(Susan Johnson, trans.). Freiburg, Germany: Herder
A herder is a pastoral worker responsible for the care and management of a herd or flock of domestic animals, usually on open pasture. It is particularly associated with nomadic or transhumant management of stock, or with common land grazing. ...
. , (217 pages)Eknath Easwaran
Eknath Easwaran (December 17, 1910 October 26, 1999) was an Indian-born spiritual teacher, author and translator and interpreter of Indian religious texts such as the ''Bhagavad Gita'' and the Upanishads.
Easwaran was a professor of English lit ...
(1998)
Meditieren als Lebenskunst.: Acht Schritte zu innerer Harmonie und zur Entfaltung des eigenen Potentials (Meditation as the art of living. Eight Steps to inner harmony and to develop your own potential)
(Susan Johnson, trans.). Freiburg, Germany: Herder
A herder is a pastoral worker responsible for the care and management of a herd or flock of domestic animals, usually on open pasture. It is particularly associated with nomadic or transhumant management of stock, or with common land grazing. ...
. , (217 pages)Eknath Easwaran
Eknath Easwaran (December 17, 1910 October 26, 1999) was an Indian-born spiritual teacher, author and translator and interpreter of Indian religious texts such as the ''Bhagavad Gita'' and the Upanishads.
Easwaran was a professor of English lit ...
(2009)
Meditation: Das einfache 8-punkte-programm für Spiritualität im Alltag (Meditation: A simple eight-point program for spirituality in everyday life)
(Peter Kobbe, trans.). Munchen unich Germany: Goldmann. , (295 pages)Eknath Easwaran
Eknath Easwaran (December 17, 1910 October 26, 1999) was an Indian-born spiritual teacher, author and translator and interpreter of Indian religious texts such as the ''Bhagavad Gita'' and the Upanishads.
Easwaran was a professor of English lit ...
(1999)
Meditáció: gyakorlati útmutató a Mindennapokra (Meditation: A practical guide for everyday)
(Simone Avarosy Eve, trans.). Budapest, Hungary: Édesvíz (Freshwater). , (269 pages)Eknath Easwaran
Eknath Easwaran (December 17, 1910 October 26, 1999) was an Indian-born spiritual teacher, author and translator and interpreter of Indian religious texts such as the ''Bhagavad Gita'' and the Upanishads.
Easwaran was a professor of English lit ...
(2003)
명상 의 기술 (Meditation)
(Kim Sŏng-gyun, trans.). 강, Sŏul-si, Korea: Kang, 2003. , (270 pages)Eknath Easwaran
Eknath Easwaran (December 17, 1910 October 26, 1999) was an Indian-born spiritual teacher, author and translator and interpreter of Indian religious texts such as the ''Bhagavad Gita'' and the Upanishads.
Easwaran was a professor of English lit ...
(1999)
Meditacija (Meditation)
(Arvydas Pliučas, trans.). Vilnius, Lithuania: Alma littera. (236 pages)Eknath Easwaran
Eknath Easwaran (December 17, 1910 October 26, 1999) was an Indian-born spiritual teacher, author and translator and interpreter of Indian religious texts such as the ''Bhagavad Gita'' and the Upanishads.
Easwaran was a professor of English lit ...
(2019)
Meditação – Um programa de oito pontos para transformar a vida (Meditation - An eight-point life-changing program)
(Isabel Haber, trans.). Lisboa, Portugal: Centro Lusitano de Unificação Cultural. (310 pages)Eknath Easwaran
Eknath Easwaran (December 17, 1910 October 26, 1999) was an Indian-born spiritual teacher, author and translator and interpreter of Indian religious texts such as the ''Bhagavad Gita'' and the Upanishads.
Easwaran was a professor of English lit ...
(2008)
Opt paşi spre infinit (Eight Steps to Infinity)
Antoaneta Goţea, trans.). Braşov, Romania: Editura Kamala. (185 pages)Eknath Easwaran
Eknath Easwaran (December 17, 1910 October 26, 1999) was an Indian-born spiritual teacher, author and translator and interpreter of Indian religious texts such as the ''Bhagavad Gita'' and the Upanishads.
Easwaran was a professor of English lit ...
(1991). едитация (Meditation) Moskva oscow Russia: ZAO Skorpion.Eknath Easwaran
Eknath Easwaran (December 17, 1910 October 26, 1999) was an Indian-born spiritual teacher, author and translator and interpreter of Indian religious texts such as the ''Bhagavad Gita'' and the Upanishads.
Easwaran was a professor of English lit ...
(1999)
Meditacija in še 7 stvari, ki vam lahko spremenijo življenje (Meditation and 7 things that can change your life)
(Jasna Kamin, trans.). Ljubljana, Slovenia: DZS. , (184 pages)Eknath Easwaran
Eknath Easwaran (December 17, 1910 October 26, 1999) was an Indian-born spiritual teacher, author and translator and interpreter of Indian religious texts such as the ''Bhagavad Gita'' and the Upanishads.
Easwaran was a professor of English lit ...
(1995)
Meditación: ocho puntos para transformar la vida (Meditation: eight points for transforming life)
(Juan Andrés Iglesias, trans.). Barcelona, Spain: Herder. , (259 pages)Eknath Easwaran
Eknath Easwaran (December 17, 1910 October 26, 1999) was an Indian-born spiritual teacher, author and translator and interpreter of Indian religious texts such as the ''Bhagavad Gita'' and the Upanishads.
Easwaran was a professor of English lit ...
(1999)
Meditación (Meditation)
(María Emilia Negri Beltrán, trans.). Buenos Aires, Argentina: Atlantida. , (262 pages)Eknath Easwaran
Eknath Easwaran (December 17, 1910 October 26, 1999) was an Indian-born spiritual teacher, author and translator and interpreter of Indian religious texts such as the ''Bhagavad Gita'' and the Upanishads.
Easwaran was a professor of English lit ...
(1998)
Dhyanam (Meditation)
Madhuranthakam Narendra, trans.). Chennai (?), India: Subashini Publishing. (196 pages) (printed in Channai, India, by Nagarjuna Printers)Taylor & Francis
Taylor & Francis Group is an international company originating in England that publishes books and academic journals. Its parts include Taylor & Francis, Routledge, F1000 (publisher), F1000 Research or Dovepress. It is a division of Informa ...
(1979, , , 237 pages) and in India by Penguin
Penguins (order (biology), order List of Sphenisciformes by population, Sphenisciformes , family (biology), family Spheniscidae ) are a group of Water bird, aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: on ...
(1996, , , 237 pages), and Jaico
Jaico Publishing House is a prominent publisher in India.
History
Jaico was founded in 1946 by Jaman Shah as a book distribution business for U.S. paperback publishers. The company's name commemorates India's independence ("Jai" means victory i ...
(2008, , , 251 pages).
See also
*Research on meditation
The psychological and physiological effects of meditation have been studied. In recent years, studies of meditation have increasingly involved the use of modern instruments, such as fMRI and EEG, which are able to observe brain physiology and n ...
References
{{reflist, 2
External links
Easwaran Teaches Passage Meditation (4-session video introduction)
Blue Mountain Center of Meditation (BMCM) and Nilgiri Press
* Michael Nagler (2004)
"Passage to meditation"
Yoga Journal
' 200 (March/April 2004).
page view at Google books
Meditation
1978 non-fiction books
American non-fiction books
Books about spirituality
Works by Eknath Easwaran