Meditation practices differ in how they attempt to master the suppression of the thoughts, feelings, ideas and memories that constantly crop up. Elsewhere you can read about focusing thoughts on the breath, for as Ramana Maharshi says, “Breath is the gross form of mind.” What we are going to present here is the technique of concentrating on the words of an inspirational passage, akin to the medieval practice of lectio divina, Latin for “divine reading.”

Thinking good thoughts is probably helpful, but certainly not the kind of force I am describing. The depth of psychological change I am referring to here cannot happen at an occasion. The battle has to be renewed every day – twice a day if one is going to be serious – and go on the rest of our life. It has little to do with pleasant thoughts or indeed any thoughts, and many daunting ancillary disciplines have to be added to sustain this practice and realize its full effects.