305 Being Meditation is a total state of being. 坐存 Many people do not understand meditation, and so they reject it. Even those who accept it sometimes understand it in only a fragmentary way. Some think of it as a relaxation exercise; others think of it as a mere spiritual cultism. Even the fact that meditation is an uncommon word in everyday language is un-fortunate, for it reinforces the view that it is something strange. Meditation is a state of being. It is a mode of existence. What is difficult to communicate is that meditation is an act that occurs simultaneously on all levels of a person's life. For example, let's take the proverbial "contemplating your navel." If this is done correctly, here are some of the things that can happen: increased digestion, better elimination of the bowels, increased sexual vigor along with enhanced control, greater vi-tality, improved circulation, increased appetite, stabilized emo-tions, calmer mind, understanding of deep spiritual truths, and total absorption in a blissful state of being. It is difficult for people to accept that a single activity could span a continuum from better bowel movements to spiritual bliss. But unless meditation was so extraordinary, how else could it be expected to occupy such an honored place in people's lives?