The Goal of Meditation

Many people think that the goal of meditation is to achieve a state called “enlightenment,” nirvana, the ultimate dimension, the other shore, or God.

In actuality, many of the states are not achievable when we are caught in our thoughts, feelings, emotions, plans, dreams, fantasies, and memories.

However, there is a state of well-being that is deep inside of us which gives us a deep sense of flourishing and happiness.

“The traditional goal of meditation is to arrive at a state of well-being that is imperturbable—or if perturbed, easily regained. The French monk Matthieu Ricard describes such happiness as ‘a deep sense of flourishing that arises from an exceptionally healthy mind.’ The purpose of meditation is to recognize that you already have such a mind. That discovery, in turn, helps you to cease doing the things that produce needless confusion and suffering for yourself and others. Of course, most people never truly master the practice and don’t reach a condition of imperturbable happiness. The near goal, therefore, is to have an increasingly healthy mind—that is, to be moving one’s mind in the right direction.”
– Sam Harris from Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion

I love this quote because it tells us that what we seek is already an integral part of ourselves, and we can achieve a healthier mind by daily meditation practices.

What did you find valuable in this quote and how will you proceed?

Books by Sam Harris

Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion by Sam Harris For the millions of Americans who want spirituality without religion, Sam Harris’s latest New York Times bestseller is a guide to meditation as a rational practice informed by neuroscience and psychology. From Sam Harris, neuroscientist and author of numerous New York Times be… Buy Now on Amazon