Jiddu Krishnamurti, was born in India in the late 19th century and moved to the U.S. in the 1920s. Krishnamurti was famous for preaching the benefits of meditation outside of the institutionalization of it. In his book “Meditation” he discusses meditation as simply awareness.
When we use the word “meditation” we do not mean something that is practiced. We have no method. Meditation means awareness: to be aware of what you are doing, what you are thinking, what you are feeling, aware without any choice, to observe, to learn. Meditation is to be aware of one’s conditioning, how one is conditioned by the society in which one lives, in which one has been brought up, by the religious propaganda — aware without any choice, without distortion, without wishing it were different. Out of this awareness comes attention, the capacity to be completely attentive. Then there is freedom to see things as they actually are, without distortion. The mind becomes unconfused, clear, sensitive. Such meditation brings about a quality of mind that is completely silent — of which quality one can go on talking, but it will have no meaning unless it exists.
Here is a little more about J. Krishnamurti on Toni Packer’s www.Meditationblog.com and a link to his book. http://www.meditationblog.com/2005/03/04/krishnamurti-on-meditation/