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What
is Meditation ?
By Mouni Sadhu.
This is probably the best attempt by a European disciple
of Bhagawan Sri Ramana Maharshi to describe without
technicalities what Meditation is about, and why Indians
worship their Gurus. For several years Mouni Sadhu
steeped himself in the teachings of the foremost Hindu
ascetic, Sri Ramana Maharshi. Straight from the heart,
he describes movingly how he mastered the technique of
jnana yoga (Vichara or the " I " thought ) and achieved
the transcendent spiritual state (samadhi). He was so
completely absorbed by his Guru (Sri Ramana Maharshi)
that he succeeded in communing with him in silence. (Sri
Ramana Maharshi gave his initiation (diksha) almost
exclusively by silence.)
Meditation can be properly performed only when the mind
is cleansed of all thoughts. Almost every student knows
of this condition, but few can really achieve it.
Those who belong to different mystical societies often
believe that meditation consists in the effort of
directing the mind into certain channels according to
pre-conceived ideas. The results of such exercises -
they cannot be called meditation - are generally poor,
even though they may be practised over a period of
years, and they do not lead to the effective
purification of the mind from thought.
Usually, advanced members of such organisations are
given methods and rules, which are often insufficient.
There are two kinds which we can call artificial and
natural means.
The first group is based on imagination or mental
conceptions. Endless exercises are given, a few of the
most important being:
(a) The imagining of the possession of a virtue lacking
in the student. If he is of a sensual type, he must
think of himself as chaste during the time appointed for
the meditation.
(b) He can protect himself from invasion of thoughts
from outside by the mental creation of an astral shell
according to instruction.
(c) By the use of incantations or mantras he can reach
the necessary concentration or acquiescence of mind,
thus keeping to one idea for some considerable period of
time.
In the second group (natural means) I would first
mention prayer directed to what one believes to be the
Supreme Being. If such prayer is utterly sincere, and if
one is prepared to give enough time to regular practice,
the result can be satisfactory and the mind cleared of
everything but the object of meditation.
Then comes the 'vacuum' in the thinking process which is
then filled with true light from its true source - the
Self-God.
If one is blessed on his way through life by meeting a
spiritual Master, then everything becomes simple and
effective. Many disciples in those precious times of
spiritual contact visualise him (spiritual Master) as
seen, in the physical body. Such an image, living and
powerful, is a deadly weapon against the strategy of the
restless mind. Nothing is more effective than this when
combined with the Vichara (the "I" thought ); but in
order to use Self-inquiry properly, some steadiness of
mind must first be attained.
Man's emotions must also be cleansed; for this purpose
the vision of a living Master has no substitute. In a
mysterious way the power of such a vision is also
inherent in his (the Master's) pictures. Perhaps this is
for the aid of those who were not able to see him in the
physical body. Experience and practice show that almost
as beneficial results can be brought about from the
contemplation of such a picture.
When at last the vacuum or void in consciousness is
reached and firmly established, true meditation can be
approached, but not earlier. Then the consciousness of
the true Self will itself fill the vacuum. No more
instruction is needed, for the true Self takes over the
guidance and the goal is reached. In such meditation
there are no visions or feelings. Maharshi often warned
against ecstatic visions, pointing out that our goal is
pure awareness and nothing else.
If this awareness is attained it inevitably leads us to
samadhi, and this is the true aim of meditation (the
awakening from the dream-state called normal physical
consciousness).
There are signs which indicate that our meditation is
really leading us to samadhi, when we are free from all
thought of the body and of the 'ego', and when thoughts
and feelings are stilled. 'Good and evil" cease to
exist- we see nothing, for there is nothing to see.Yet
we are not in darkness, but merged in light being
ourselves this light. We cannot see It, for in this
state there is no subject and no object. This can give
but a veiled hint of the true state to one who has not
experienced such meditation for himself, for this is the
discovery of the true Self in man.
All that we recognise as objects - that is the outer
world plus our visible body- is like a painting. The
colours in it are the qualities of things. In these
things are held all material forms, feelings, thoughts,
good and evil, true and false, everything that we know
as the universe.
They are like the separated colours of the white light
or God-Self, broken up by the prism of the material
universe, as the Maharshi told us. If you could imagine
the same picture painted with only the basic white
Light, unbroken by the bewitched prism - that would be
Spirit, Self or God, the ultimate truth of being. That
is why the Master said: "There is nothing but the Pure
Being which alone exists and our sole purpose in life is
to realise It for ourselves."
Right meditation leads to the discovery of this great
mystery. All other means mentioned in different Yogas
such as breath control, mind control, body postures,
special foods and attitudes of the mind, and so on , are
only intermediary steps on the path to the goal, taken
by our material nature when we step onto the Direct Path
to the summit.This attainment makes these intermediary
steps unnecessary. When the train reaches a certain
station, one does not go back to count the milestones
already passed. Thus attunement with the Self produces
of its own accord the right postures, breathing, and
imperviousness to influences from the outer world.
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Techniques of Meditation
OOne of the initiations through which we pass while in
the presence of the Maharshi , is true meditation, which
years of study of occult literature had assured me was
the key to the awakening of supra-physical
consciousness. During my allegiance to Theosophy I
practised different forms of meditation in accordance
with their literature. From what I have since found out,
the knowledge given was for beginners.
Their aim was to direct the mind into certain
deliberately chosen channels of thought. There were
meditations on different themes such as Beauty, Love,
Purity, Wisdom, Devotion, God, The Creator of the
universe and so on. The object was to keep these ideas
in the mind as long as possible, and to imagine the
working out of these virtues in the consciousness. Such
'meditations' can create certain currents of thought in
the mind, conditioning it to a positive force which
activates the thinking. Such exercises have a certain
usefulness, for it is said:'a man is as he thinks'.
In other words, the manner of a man's thinking
creates his worthiness.
If he associates himself with good and positive thoughts
his nature will be improved; if with negative and evil
currents- he will retrograde and fall. All this is true
in the relative field, but is founded on the assumption
that man's consciousness is derived from his thinking
apparatus or mind.
Man can elevate his mind, as do the Yogis, and perform
'miracles' as have many of the saints of all religions.
The mind is a power, and when controlled and directed,
its force and subtlety are apparently unlimited. But
only apparently, for the power of the mind is based on
the false notion that there is one who thinks, and an
object of thought. This is the old lie of duality, and
its end cannot be brought about by the ennoblement of
the instrument(mind). The subject and object still
exist. This conception hinders the realisation of the
unreality of the outer world. And to count this as real
is an insurmountable obstacle on the path of realisation
of the true Self in man.
So long as man's consciousness is unable to merge in the
whole, there will always be the necessity for rebirths
and incarnations in matter. The bewitched circle is
closed. Strangely, from the first days of my stay at the
Ashram, my old mental meditations were forgotten and I
could not practice them in the presence of the Master.So
it still is, and for me there will be no return to those
old currents of thought. Every day there is a more and
more urgent inner inclination to be still, to remain
without thought, to merge in the silence.
The inaudible inner voice tells me that there lies the
truth.
Maharshi himself insisted on the necessity for
meditation, but what did he mean by this term
'meditation'? He calls true meditation 'silence', being
still', 'stillness'. So it was the same power which drew
me then and now.
While one is immersed in water one cannot see anything
above the water's surface. The world above is veiled
from sight. To gain the wider horizon one has to rise
out of the water, and only then will one realise how
limited was one's former vision. So long as man is
merged in the world of thought - the realm of mind- his
consciousness will be bounded by its limitations.
Thought must always have an object, however sublime it
may be, thus there must always be two, not one.Therefore,
thought and its process is a blind alley.
The Master's power released me from all desire to follow
this by-path. It was simply forgotten, as mentioned
before. I am not a believer in miracles. So I cannot put
the help and activity of the Master into this category.
But the fact remains, and that is all that matters In
this manner, I came at last to the secret of true
meditation. This state when I am aware of being apart
from the thinking process can be called true meditation.
This Awareness is the source of all Life, of that which
is my life. It is the source of everything. From It
alone I draw all that makes possible what I say on these
pages.
How can one enter this state of supra-mental meditation?
Analysing the process in myself, I find that FIRST
must come the stopping of all thoughts. The Vichara
ripens in the mind so that interest in the thinking
process vanishes, and the stilling of the mind, so
difficult in the past, becomes easy.
SECONDLY, when the mind is still, there
arises a strong urge to be united with the whole, but
what this whole is, cannot yet be conceived and I feel
that I could never attain it alone. The closest
comparison is melting and dissolving in That which alone
Is. It is different to leaving the body or ego for there
is no movement. One remains where one is, but is not
what one was before. Everything that could be seen or
felt before is now apart from me. No more can be told.
THIRDLY, the state of unity with the whole
brings an unshakable certainty that only this state is
real and permanent. That it is that last refuge which
one has always sought, and from which one can never more
be lost.There is nothing beyond it, for - it is all.
The conception that we know as 'death' is obliterated,
but this does not mean that we are in that state thought
of as 'life after death'. The only fact one knows is ,
that this life will always go on. In this state of being
there are no such false distinctions of time as past,
present, and future.
It is possible to force language to convey to the mind
something of that which one brings back from such a
meditation, but it is likely to be of no avail, and more
likely to be misunderstood. What I can express is
tragically little.
There is a mysterious experience which proves the power
of the Vichara. The Master insisted that we should not
use it as a Mantra, that is, as words only, but soak
each question with the desire to know 'WHO AM I?'. By
using the Vichara in this way, after stilling the mind,
the answer comes of itself, but without words or
thought- you know who you are.
What follows-is inexpressible
This is the great service which Maharshi
performed for humanity-the welding of this infallible
instrument of achievement, the inspired VICHARA.
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