Understanding Me 283First, civilization provides a mental anchor for meditation. Remember
that only one aspect of me can „leave the ground‟ at any one time.
Therefore, if the meditator‟s me of Mercy identification is wandering
through the clouds of infinity, this means that the me of his physical body
must remain fixed upon solid ground. Evidence suggests that this is what
happens. Meditation invariably seems to arise in societies in which a
person‟s physical surroundings are controlled
by strong cultural bonds. These rules tell the
physical body what to do and where to go. I
suggest that this is why mysticism has
historically been connected with the East. The
frozen culture of Asian countries has for
centuries anchored the me of the physical
body and allowed people to float freely with
the me of Mercy identification. Similarly,
now that the West has become comfortable
with the concept of changing technology, it
too can begin to allow the me of Mercy
identification to wander.
Second, the social structures of
civilization allow the meditator to ignore the
me of his physical body. Like everyone else, he has a body with physical
needs. But, if other people give him food, clothing and shelter, then his
contact with the physical world can be minimized. For instance, he does
not have to grow rice; he only has to eat the rice that others give to him.
Meanwhile, as long as he sits motionless, he can pretend that his physical
body does not exist.A
Third, the existence of civilization itself gives emotional appeal to the
Teacher theory of Oneness. Remember that positive Teacher emotion
comes from discovering order within complexity. A general theory which
contains no specific elements does not feel good, because it has order but
not complexity. Now, suppose that the theory of Oneness really were true;
suppose that no specifics existed, and that there really was no difference
between me and not-me. Teacher thought would then look at the theory of
Oneness and disregard it—because it would contain no specific elements.
In other words, Teacher strategy can only gain emotional pleasure from a
theory of ultimate Oneness when the holder of this theory lives in a world
of specifics in which all is not one. This means that Eastern meditation can
A We will see in a later book that Zen Buddhism manages to combine
meditation with movement. We look here at standard meditation, which
remains motionless.