THE MEDITATION OF MOTORCYCLING

An overland ride on a well-equipped motorcycle is a transcendental experience - or can be - a form of meditation of a high order. Certainly, it is an opportunity to meditate.
The motorcycle seems to become almost weightless, only occasionally touching down, as the earth unfolds beneath. The countryside passes by in full stereo-scopic vision. And you sit there at ease, going faster or slower by the merest movement of your right wrist. Your eyes survey sky, landscape, road verge. As the road curves left and right, your eyes have only to follow the radius and body leans accordingly, taking the motorcycle with it. You rest, you can relax. It's the nearest thing to the mythical Arabian flying carpet which effortlessly wafts its master over hill and dale, skimming the contours of the Earth. A motorcycle can be intensely exhilarating as well as intensely relaxing. The exhilaration derives from the unfettered free feeling, flowing movement and responsiveness of the machine. The relaxation comes from having to concentrate on the surroundings and the road so as to be fully alert and aware; it's akin to the pleasurable concentration one may get from model building, fine needlecraft or sculpting - depending on your propensities for an absorbing activity.

As the miles go by ... the body settles down. The mind begins to roam. Thoughts keep flowing in. Some pass quickly, others you retain, examine, and delve into. Your mind is free ... free to think, to question, to analyse, to hold probing dialogues with itself. Free from the body, which does its job almost as a separate entity, relaxedly scanning the road, absorbing the air and scents, and which has synergised with the machine to respond automatically to road conditions. Free from the constraints of people and society, so that your real Self can emerge without interruption, without intimidation, without distraction. Hours can go by without interference or disturbance. In that time, your mind can soar far and high and wide ... ... ...

The word 'meditate' is somewhat mysterious. Its word root is unknown. One theory is that it's derived from the Latin mederi (to heal). Its sense and purpose was known only in esoteric circles such as Buddhist, Rosicrucian and Theosophical societies, before it became popularised by the TM (Transcendental Meditation) movement of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the 1960's.

It's become something of a buzzword, now. It is used transitively and intransitively. In self-improvement courses and in business and management training, the word 'meditation' is mostly used in the transitive (focused) mode as a synonym for deep contemplation on a specific topic. You are told to meditate on (or contemplate) a problem or a strategy or a scenario. The insights which develop can range from practical to near-psychic. A good example (albeit in a different context) is that of the famous organic chemistry pioneer of the middle of the last century, Friedrich Kekule, who had been trying to discover the molecular structure of carbon atoms in certain classes of organic compounds. In a half-asleep state, he saw a snake with its tail in its mouth, thus forming a circle. Eureka-like, Kekule realised that the molecular structure he sought was hexagonal, with a carbon atom at each vertex (the so-called carbon ring).

Used transitively, meditation has a purpose and focus i.e. it has an object. In esoteric circles, the word is mostly used in the intransitive (unfocused) mode; one is told of the virtues and benefits of meditation, and may be given a bewilderingly wide range of techniques. Another point of initial confusion is that the goal of intransitive meditation is generally given as the attainment of some kind of elevated mind-state, the results of which cannot be objectified in advance. The purpose of such meditation is indeed to let happen what will; a sort of esoteric Que sera, sera ... allowing the soul to re-establish contact with the self, the self to regain contact with its divine essence.

Meditation, then, is a means of opening up our normally constricted consciousness to a higher level of consciousness - which may be within us or around us or indeed permeating all existence. One analogy is that of a big computer network, where a myriad of limited-intelligence terminals are sustained by a central mainframe. We are analogous to the terminals, and the mainframe is the Divinity.

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