Prepare To Meditate I

Swami Chinmayananda

The variety of sense objects in the world attract the attention of man and his sense organs seek them for his pleasures. A mind, which is not
controlled and guided by the intellect, blindly follows the direction of the senses. Such an uncontrolled mind does not possess the capacity to
concentrate on any single chosen ideal. Meditation, being the highest form of concentration, is therefore, not recommended for the initiates; it is
meant for advanced seekers. Before meditation is undertaken, the mind needs to be well prepared and trained. Only a prepared mind can
concentrate and use the technique of meditation to one's advantage and spiritual progress.

The first stage of preparation is to withdraw the mind from its preoccupation with the world and its enchantments. As long as a mind craves for
sensual indulgence, it remains agitated and an agitated mind can never concentrate on anything. If such an ill-prepared mind is forced to meditate,
the individual develops frustration and, instead of evolving spiritually, will only degenerate.

An agitated mind seeking sensuous joys has three fundamental imperfections. Unless these faults are removed, there can be no effective
meditation. The first of them is the excessive flow of thoughts, i.e. the quantity of thoughts entertained by the mind is excessive. Secondly the
quality of thoughts in the mind is poor and degrading and lastly, the direction, in which the thoughts are channelised, is towards lower values of life.
These have to be carefully dealt with and directed, for, then alone can man gain a relative equanimity which is an essential prerequisite for an
attempt at meditation.

The spiritual discipline advised for effecting a reduction of the quantity of thoughts in the mind is Karma Yoga or the Path of Action. This discipline
is directed to one's physical personality. By Karma Yoga is meant selfless actions dedicated to the general prosperity of one and all. It is practiced
by surrendering all activities to a higher ideal or altar and working without an ego-centric attachment to the work itself or a craving for the fruits
thereof. When one continues to practice this art of right action, the mind, instead of pursuing the senses, maintains the thought of the higher Ideal
and thereby succeeds in reducing the quantity of thoughts.

The quality of thoughts is improved by Bhakti Yoga or the Path of Devotion, which is prescribed for one's mental or emotional personality. Devotion
is the same as love with one difference, that the latter is directed to lower objects and beings while the former is to a higher ideal. Devotion is
developed by prayer, by mental prostration and surrender of the ego in dedication to the Lord or Guru. When this is practiced regularly the quality
and the texture of thoughts necessarily improve.

Lastly, the direction of the thoughts can be changed by Gnana Yoga or the Path of Knowledge. This path deals with the, human intellect in
developing the discrimination between the Real and the unreal through the study of and reflection upon the spiritual truths. When a seeker
constantly reflects upon the sacred truths, his attention automatically recedes from the fields of sensuality, wherein it was hitherto indulging, and
gets more and more established in the higher and nobler values of life.

In fact, man needs to practice all the paths together to subdue the three aspects of his personality. The extent to which each shall be followed
would depend upon the nature of his inner personality. When a man is predominantly intellectual, he needs to take to Gnana Yoga and spend more
time and effort in the study, analysis and reflection upon the contents of the Scriptures. But he, who is more emotional than intellectual, requires
Bhakti with more prayer and worship. A third variety is a combination of the intellectual and the emotional temperaments, where both are almost
equally developed. For him Karma is to be followed, more since it caters to both aspects of his personality. A man, thus pursuing the three paths,
slowly gets relieved from the entanglements of the material world and turns his attention to God, With this achievement, the agitations in his mind
are reduced and a tranquility is created within. Such an equanimous mind alone is qualified to obtain the best results from concentration and
meditation.

If, however, a seeker plunges into meditation without undertaking this initial preparation of the mind, his spiritual personality will not grow and all his
efforts will fritter away. This advice is not meant to turn one away from the practice of meditation. It is only to caution the students that a lot of
preparation has essentially to be gone through, if they desire to get the best results out of their efforts in meditation. The success in meditation is
commensurate with one's preparation and consequent equanimity of the mind.

***

Page 1 of 22
 Prepare to Meditate II
Swami Chinmayananda

Meditation is the subtlest of human activities and one requires initial preparation for putting it into practice. The mental and intellectual personalities
have to be well tuned up before they could be successfully employed in meditation. These adjustments are necessary in just the same way as an
aircraft requires adjustments before it is declared airworthy. To ignore the preliminary preparation and attempt at meditation without the necessary
background would prove not only futile but detrimental to the premature practitioner.

The time taken for meditation is a small part of the day while, the rest of the day is employed in various other activities. Thes e activities have an
influence on one's meditation. If, for instance, they are passionate and ignoble, agitations are created in the mind which cause disturbances during
meditation. Where as disciplined and noble actions purify the mind and make it peaceful. For effective meditation, therefore, the day's activities
must be so organized as to prepare the inner personality and thereby develop a conducive mental atmosphere for it.

During the course of a day every individual goes through three states of consciousness viz., the waking, the dream and the deep sleep. The mind
and intellect function in the first two states and are practically non-existent in the state of the deep sleep. The equipments themselves being absent
in this state, man does not react to the external world and hence there can be no conscious effort made toward rehabilitation of his inner
personality. But in the other two states the mind and intellect can be prepared and perfected to develop a conducive atmosphere within, for the
purpose of meditation.

In the experience of a dream, the mind at times gets agitated and the agitations disturb the peace during meditation. To avoid this, the dream and
its experience need to be controlled. Such control is not possible while a person is actually going through the experience of a dream. The control
could be exercised only in the waking state. This is successfully executed by remembering the Lord just before going to bed and immediately on
waking up. For practical purposes a mala (rosary) or any other idol is used for giving a powerful thought of the Lord to the mind, even while in bed,
as the last thought of the day and the first in the morrow. When this is done the mind, ere long, retains the memory of the Lord for the whole night,
resulting in peace and tranquility during sleep. The quietude thus gained during the night helps meditation in the morning.

Having controlled to an extent the agitations in the dream one has to bestow more attention to and reduce the agitations to the minimum in the
waking state of consciousness since it covers the major part of the day. To achieve this, the Paths of Action (Karma), Devotion (Bhakti ) and
Knowledge (Gnana) are recommended as disciplines for the physical, mental and intellectual personalities respectively. A. constant and sincere
application in pursuance of these paths makes one meditation-worthy and meditation practiced regularly develops one's capacity to concentrate
and pursue the chosen paths. Thus the two aspects of preparation and. meditation are cumulative and help- to develop each other.

Another important sadhana which is suggested as a preliminary course to meditation for neophytes is introspection or self-observation.
Introspection is a process of self-analysis of one's own activities performed during the day. It is usually practiced during night, preferably after the
meal, by carefully recollecting and observing all the activities—physical, mental and intellectual—which have been experienced by an individual
from the time of rising until the moment he is introspecting. In the beginning stages of introspection the seeker fails to recollect all the happenings of
the day. In such cases, he should try and remember at least the main events and gradually cover as many details as he can. With consistent and
sincere application more activities reveal themselves to his memory until at last lie is able to remember and recollect the minutest details of all that
he has done during the day with less effort and time. In this process he has merely to observe the activities of the day without criticizing or
correcting them, for such criticism and censure, day after day, create a sort of frustration in life. The correction, however, comes automatically when
he becomes fully aware of his imperfections.

The problem that faces man is not in his ignorance of what he should do or not do when a situation arises for action, but the non-availability of his
intellect at such moments. In other words, he lacks concentration and his faculty of discrimination is not with him for application to each and every
activity. Many a time he commits faults but his own intellect later on regrets the wrong action. When introspection is practiced regularly, the
constant observation of his own actions with their merits or faults helps him to remember and observe them even at the time of performance. Thus
roan becomes conscious and Watchful of all his activities. When any action is consciously undertaken the discriminating intellect is available for
application and such actions, performed under the guidance of the intellect, alone are efficient and progressive To pause, to think, to judge and
then act needs concentration which introspection provides. Introspection, therefore, prepares the seeker to concentrate and act rightly during the
day so that he is able to meditate properly. Meditation, performed with this preparation, again helps him to concentrate and act better. These two
practices are therefore like two pedals of a wheel which, when used properly, help man to progress on the spiritual path.

As the sadhak progresses in meditation he develops ethical and moral values, mental equanimity and intellectual poise. With these qualities his
concentration is perfected and he emerges successful in any walk of life. The more he lives the right values of life, the more he shall succeed in
meditation. Thus the right way of living and meditation promote each other and together they help one to reach the divine Abode of Truth.

***

Page 2 of 22
 Process of Meditation
Swami Chinmayananda

Meditation is the final gatewaywhich leads to the discovery of the supreme Self within. Before the Self, the core of the human personality, could be
reached, one's attention must first be withdrawn from the world of sensual activities and then from the five layers of matter enveloping it. The mind
of man attracted by the sense organs constantly dwells in the sense objects around him. His attention being extrovert, the world of beings and
things creates desires and agitations in his bosom thereby rendering him unfit for any concentrated activity. To subdue these activities the first step
in the process of meditation would necessarily be to disengage his attention from the world. This is achieved, as seen earlier, by practicing selfless
service, by cultivating devotion for the Lord or by studying and reflecting upon the scriptural truths.

Having thus achieved a certain amount of withdrawal from the world, the meditator chooses a quiet place for his meditation so as to be physically
away from the disturbances of the external world. It has been the common experience of seekers particularly in larger cities not to be able to
procure a quiet place for the purpose amidst the noises both outside and inside the house. Whenever such a situation arises the solution would be
to choose a quiet time, say, an early hour of the morning when everything is silent and One should bear in mind that an absolute quietude is not
found even in the serene atmosphere of the Himalayas, and what we are seeking for is a relatively peaceful place. In fact, real tranquility is found
within one's self and not in the environment.

In the place chosen for meditation, the idol worshiped by the seeker is fixed in front of his meditation seat with the feet of the Lord in level with the
vision of his eyes. In case where no particular idol is worshipped and the meditator wishes to have one, an ? sign may be prepared and placed
likewise. Flowers, incense sticks and other decoration help to suggest to the sense organs that the mind has withdrawn from the world and is
seeking the Truth.

After having thus detached from the gross external world the next step in the process of meditation is to withdraw one's attention from the physical
body. The mind which has been pulled back from the world may still think of the body and continue to dissipate itself. To avoid this, the sadhak is
advised to maintain proper health and take precautions to ensure that the body does not cause any disturbance during the practice of meditation.
Again, at the seat of meditation the strain in the limbs or the tension in the muscles may disturb one’s concentration. To get over these disturbances
the meditator is asked to sit in the correct posture using a thin flat cushion (not too soft—a bed sheet folded twice may serve the purpose). The
correct posture for meditation is to sit with legs folded, having a maximum base, vertebral column erect (slightly bending forward in the pelvic
region) with the left hand placed on the left thigh and the right hand with the mala on the right calf muscle. The eyes are kept gently closed and
looking nowhere in particular as in sleep. With posture thus fixed, the mind is made to tap slowly the various muscles of the body starting from the
neck and descending to the toes with a view to inspect and release their stiffness and tension, if any. This process is called 'Thought-Massage'.
With the completion of the Thought-Massage, the withdrawal of one's attention from the disturbances of the physical body is complete.

The next source of disturbance is the mind where the predominant thoughts and desires of the day rise and cause agitations. Such of them which
arise spontaneously are allowed to come up and exhaust themselves. The meditator is however cautioned not to initiate any fresh thoughts and
thus create further agitations instead of quietening those that are already in his mind. All the while, the intellect stands firm and detachedly
observes the thoughts coming up and passing away just as a military officer taking the salute watches a marchpast without identifying with 'anyone
of the soldiers marching before him. By this practice all the agitations in the mind settle down, at least temporarily, and the mind is available for the
chant. The process is known as `Thought-Parade'.

After the Thought-Parade is over the individual is fully prepared and he starts his japa or chanting. As long as the chanting continues, the mind and
intellect exist, since the mind is thought-flow and the intellect, the discriminating faculty which distinguishes one thought from another. In a
concentrated spell of chanting, the meditator stops the chanting suddenly and in the silence, created by the absence of thoughts, there is neither
the mind nor the intellect. That moment of dynamic silence is the state of God-Realization when the meditator, the meditated and the meditation
merge into one eternal blissful Experience.

***

Page 3 of 22
 The Goal of Meditation
Swami Chinmayananda

The cruelest period for a sincere seeker during his spiritual life are the moments before the final experience Divine. The pathetic anguish felt by him
on the path is called "the dark night of the soul". This stage of extreme helplessness, complete disappointment, total dejection and utter despair-
though unvoidable-can be minimized if the seeker, on his meditation-flight to the transcendental, is well equipped and fully trained for this supreme,
subjective adventure-Divine. It is the unprepared student who falls into unproductive, progress-halting ruts of thoughts and gets torn in the rising
storms within him.

Throughout our Hindu spiritual literature there are scattered "pointers and sign-posts" in order to guide the seekers who thus get stranded on the
great path. Silhouetted against the dim light of our enthusiasm, each one them presents but a vague shape of the pointing "hand" of the post.
Everyone must pursue the pilgrimage in the direction so confidently shown by the unerring words of the Upanishads: all commentaries and
explanations, annotations and discourses are attempts to raise a fluttering candle to the ambiguous cross-road signs left in the scriptures.

Without all the preliminary preparations no one should start for a great pilgrimage. If one does so, it is clear that one has no sincerity, or sense of
urgency, to reach the destination. The vehicle must be properly rigged, the fuel filled, the engine, well tuned up, and the tools packed ready before
one gets behind the wheel and drives away. The traveler must have the necessary technical knowledge to spot out troubles and correct them
en’route.
As we travel ahead we must be alert to read the road signs and implicitly obey their directions; nay, at places where one is in doubt, it will always
be rewarding to slow down, even stop and get out, meet others on the road, enquire, and ascertain whether one is traveling in the right direction.
For a true and sincere seeker all these are useful hints, and a successful meditator of today among us is one who faithfully kept to this general plan
of action.

The final peak of success aimed at by a mind in meditation is its own merger into the great "silence"—into the dynamic Pure Consciousness which
is the "matrix" behind all the subtle world of subjective thoughts -and-emotions, and the gross realm of objective things-and-beings. The "conscious-
thoughts", in their enlivened vitality, give us the apparent __________________________________________________________

Mind is the thought-flow in us. The quality, quantity and direction of the thoughts in an individual determine the type of "flow" in him, and
consequently it alone decides the worth, the beauty and the effectiveness of his personality as expressed in life. All the psychiatric treatments doled
out today are attempts to jerk the thought-flow of the patient into a rhythm. But the ruts cut by the long periods of wrong flow have created
disturbing patterns of thought-gush in the subject, and he has an irresistible tendency to dash back into the old familiar stream of thinking and living.
A spiritual seeker, to begin with, must therefore learn to initiate new and healthier channels of thought in himself and thereby, on the whole, etching
vividly the desired scheme of a spiritually conducive mental behavior.

The direction of thoughts in a mind is determined by the peculiar sub-surface motivating factors found within the emotional profile of each of us:
These are called Vasanas. When we are conscious of their pull, and when we realize that they are—at least some of them—condition us and
dragging us into incompetency and into futile mental and physical dissipations, we call them "mental hang-ups". All of us have many such "hang-
ups", and we struggle in vain against them and ultimately, in our weariness, yield to them. A spiritual seeker must conquer these vasanas in order
to master his mind. Without this mastery over the "thought-flow", self-expansion and self -experience are mere hopes, false dreams, empty claims,
unprofitable bluffs.

The inner and subtler forces are more powerful than the outer and grosser factors ordering our life and our world and, therefore, the Rishies advise
us first to learn to conquer, control and tame the "outer equipments of perception"—the sense organs. And they are, in us, miserable slaves in their
own chosen harem of enchanting objects. Remember, it is certainly excusable if the physical sense organs seek to fulfill themselves in the physical
objects; for there is always a natural affinity for matter towards matter. But the individual personality should not get involved in them. So long as we
live identified with the sense organs, and so completely committed to our passions, we can never wean ourselves away from the confusing medley
of our riotous sense-appetites for the sense-objects.

In fact, the sense-organs cannot function without the mind; and so, by raising the vision of the mind and engaging the mind entertainingly absorbed
at a nobler altar of adoration, the sense-organs can be clutched off and their dash into the fields of sense-objects can be slowed down. Yet the
remedy suggested here is, in fact, not available to the raw seeker, because the mind as such cannot be readily lifted to a greater vision unless the
motive forces functioning in it are purified and controlled.

The force that drives the mind to whip and herd the sense-organs into the cess-pool Of sense-objects is the intellect, and its various "schemes for
happiness" called desires (____). Again these desires gurgling up in the PLEASE CHECK IF PAGE IS MISSING intellect and poisoning the entire
personality, are themselves manifestations of the ultimate source of all conditionings the motivating urges deep in the "unconscious" in man, called
the vasanas. This level of our personality is called by the Rishies the "Causal Body", because it is the final determining factor that orders the type of
mind and intellect, the "Subtle Body" and all behavior on the physical level, the "Gross Body".

The "Causal" level of our personality—the unc onscious depth-layer of our mind—is indicated in the Upanishadic discussions as Nescience or
Ignorance (Avidya). The "ignorance" of the spiritual essence and its infinite glory and perfection in us is the "cause" for our sense of restlessness,
loneliness, fear, etc. and therefore- the intellect "desires" for, the mind "agitates" with and the sense-organs "indulge" in the world of sense objects.
The sense gratifications bring but more and more fatigue at all levels in the sensuous man, and never a deep, cons oling satisfaction. Dissatisfied,
the individual's intellect plans yet another desire and the body sweats and toils again to seek and fulfill it—only to discover the same disconcerting
sense of emptiness filling his heart, a painful weight of dissatisfaction crushing him in the end!

Sooner or later one realizes, if intelligent, that all the wealth acquired, all objects of pleasures procured, all relationships maintained, name and
fame gained, work done, achievements accomplished—none of them has any relevance to the inner actual peace and joy in life. The entire life then
seems an empty struggle, a futile exertion, a meaningless mission.

Thus, the Rishies pithily declare that the pangs of life lived by many are all due to their own spiritual "ignorance" (Avidya), consisting of the
irresistibly compelling urges of love, to acquire and to enjoy the world around. The removal of this "ignorance" (Avidya) is the goal of meditation.
With the knowledge (Vidya) of the spiritual centre, the Self, this "ignorance" is ended. "Seek the Self' is the silent scream of the highest meditation.

On this grand path of spirituality, hasten slowly.

***
Page 4 of 22
 Conquering the Mind
Swami Chinmayananda

In our last discussion we found that the entire personality complex is maintained and run by the vasanas, and that they are generated by our ego-
centric contacts with the world-of objects. In passionate hunger for sense gratification, when one's personality runs out in extroverted seeking and
clinging to the joys of sense-objects, the sensuous vasanas increase in one's personality composition. The more these sub-conscious urges and
motivating factors in an individual, the more grows his surge of desires, and the more become the devastating agitations of the mind. And in such
an individual the sense-organs cannot remain withdrawn and quiet. They must gallop on towards indulgence in the sense objects that promise but
perishable moments of pleasure.

Once a desire is gratified, there is not going to be a permanent satisfaction: it only kindles more desires more thirst. Therefore, the subtle thinkers
of the past rightly advised the seekers who are striving to gain mastery over their mind *"My son! Towards all objects give up every trace of
attachment. This is the secret means of winning over the mind."

Our attachment to the objects makes the objects powerful, and then the objects come to rule over our mind. He, who is seeking to master his mind,
must therefore learn to live without entangling himself in the endless meshes of attachments by which his personality gets irretrievably bound to the
objects and beings around him in his life.

Thus, when the seeker gets attached to the goal of conquering his mind, all his other fascinations automatically end and completely drop out of him.
The more his attachments to the external objects, he now realizes the more wild and uncontrollable his mind will be. The very goal he has now
chosen, the conquest of his mind, helps him to curtail, regulate control, and ultimately annihilate all his "clinging attachments" to the world outside.

Man clings only to things that he understands contain some joy for him. Thirst for happiness is natural with every living organism in this universe.
The murderer expects happiness for himself after the killing of his enemy; the drunkard believes that his happiness is in his bottle; the devotee finds
his happiness in his prayers; the poor in searching for crumbs, and the rich and the powerful in trying to gain economic and political domination
over the whole world—all are seeking their individual fulfillment in happiness.

This "thirst" (trishna) is a built-in urge natural to all thoughtless men. A little quiet contemplation and self-enquiry can reveal that the outer objects do
not contain what we are demanding, and that our demand is not really for these objects.

Yet, all of us dissipate our energies in this futile, mad quest, with quixotic fervor, consistent foolishness, and charming idiocy. We refuse to think.

When our anxious demand to master the mind reaches its peak, a sincere and deep urgency comes to assert itself to accomplish, as quickly as
possible, this release of our individuality from the suicidal tyranny of our own mind. This anxious urgency is called "Sraddha." As a seeker cultivates
himself, and grows in his depth-Sraddha, he discovers in himself an endless "enthusiasm" to put forth any amount of joyous efforts at mastering his
mind. Without such a spring of enlivening enthusiasm, the Sadhana becomes laborious, unrewarding, burdensome, and sooner or later the seeker
leaves the field, vanquished and routed by the mind.

Once we generate in our heart a certain amount of this "spiritual enthusiasm", we can readily "remember" our chosen goal constantly. If the
constant awareness of the goal is blazing in the highways of our mind, then in our hurried living and the rush of events and happenings we will not,
even accidentally, run out catering to the idle demands of the mind and thus fall again unwillingly into some new sets of clinging attachments,
expecting happiness from the acquisition and possession of, and indulgence in the world. The constant remembrance of our goal will serve as a
steady warning light, and it will guide us aright steadily on our pilgrimage through all the day-to-day cotentions of the busy brutal life in the
community!

Thus, once Sraddha, the "sincere urgency" for mastering the mind has manifested in us, spiritual "enthusiasm" in applying ourselves to its
achievement immediately follows, and where there is this "enthusiasm" we cannot but steadily "remember" our determined goal. When a seeker
lives thus in the constant remembrance of his ideal-to-be-attained, his "concentration" must naturally grow.*

The capacity of the mind to entertain consistently one idea, to the exclusion of all dissimilar thought, is called concentration. This single-pointed,
mental self-application to an exclusive idea becomes inevitable in a seeker who remembers his goal constantly.

For all our spiritual conquests the forces we employ is our single-pointed concentration. But, however large one's army may be, its strength lies in
the education, culture, and discipline of its members. Else the army may win the battle yet lose the war by its own indiscipline and victorious
excesses. Similarly, "concentration" is the secret weapon w hich we must have to storm the citadel of truth; but this weapon in an impure heart may
convert all its successes into a suicidal self-annihilation. Therefore, we must cultivate the ethical and moral virtues side by side, and a bosom rich in
these glorious traits alone can use its powers of concentration for the creative programs of mastering the mind.

Values of life which arise only in our contact with others in society constitute our strategy and policy, regulating and beautifying all our relationships
with others. The Rishies of yore experimented with these. They come to prescribe the right attitude towards given specific types, or sets of
challenges. Thus, "friendliness towards happy ones, kindness towards unhappy ones, joyous enthusiasm towards the virtuous and the righteous,
disregard towards sensuous sinners" are prescribed as the healthy attitudes to be cultivated and maintained by all seekers. In this way we learn to
involve ourselves with good, commit ourselves to the righteous, and avoid all the evil influences of the sinful.

By bringing up our personality in this way, in the very contentious and competitive market-place of life and in the midst of its tensions, we can
spiritually grow and gather more and more steadiness of mind, called "purity of the inner-equipments".** Without a steady mind spiritual
explorations are indeed impossible. "The earlier prescribed friendliness, kindness, etc. are values of right relationships; when practiced for a
sufficiently long time they will lead the intelligent seeker to discover in himself a more steady mind at his contemplation seat."***

When the seeker has, as explained so far, eliminated from himself all "clinging attachments" (Asakti ) to and "thirst" (trishna) for the world, he will
find that his concentration proportionately increases. In a purified mind the power of concentration becomes more dynamic and greatly creative. In
such a person, concentration—as applied in his meditation—cannot waver as he had conquered all his eagerness to possess and enjoy the objects
of pleasure. When this anxious urge to seek joy in objects has dried up in his bosom, how can any thoughts arise in it to drive the seeker into idle
mental wandering during his deep meditation?

Page 5 of 22
"Thoughts, turned extrovert and functioning in the objects are, together and in their entirety called chittam. All meditation is our sincere effort to
capture and destroy the chittam: "the outward-running thoughts." When the mind is not engaged in any object, how can thoughts (chittam) manifest
on the empty horizon of the mind?" asks the Acharya.

Students of meditation, not knowing the mode of their mental functioning, unnecessarily struggle to quieten their minds, and feel utterly
disappointed and discouraged because they themselves are thereby unwittingly exciting their mind and feeding their thought-agitations therein.

The engine of the mind functions on the oil of perception. The mind running out through the sense-organs reaches the object, and there it moulds
itself into the shape of the object; when that "object- thought" glows in the light of Consciousness in our bosom, the "knowledge of that object" is
born. This is perception, according to Vedanta. The more the perceptions, the more are the agitations. Therefore, "perceptions" (vedanam) supply
the grit for the mill of the mind," say the wise.** The rising of the pictures of the outer objects and memories of the past experiences in the mind
Vishaya spuranam) constitute perception—and so long as these perceptions are rising, the mind will be buzzing with its irresistible activities.

Not to co-operate with the mental dancings and not to lend them the grace of life by our identification with them (A-bhavanam) brings about the
exhaustion of vasanas; the end of the vasanas is annihilation of the mind; where mind ends, "spiritual ignorance" (Avidya) ceases to express.***

To summarize, therefore: to conquer the mind we must—

(a) Reduce our clinging attachments.
(b) End our thirst to enjoy objects.
(c) When we are eager to master our mind, less number of thoughts arise in us.
(d) Perception of objects feeds the engine of our mind, and so, cut off this steady supply of vitality to the mind by A-bhavana.

When thus stripped of its features one by one, the mind dries up and withers away! Mind disappears to vision—the great grand fulfillment Divine.
Hasten thither slowly.

***

Page 6 of 22
 The Alter Of contemplation
Swami Chinmayananda

We left last when we were discussing how by refusing to feed the mind (Abhavana) with object perceptions (Vishaya-Bhavana) the mind shall
slow ly grind to a stop.

Some Rishies go still further and declare that the meditator should give up even the attitude (Bhavana) that he is an "imaginative-thinking-entity"
(Sankalpavan) 'It is the mind's function to think, to feel or to imagine in short, to make Shankalpas. These feelings and thoughts cannot arise, and
they cannot be maintained by themselves, without an intimate reference to the thinker-feeler-ego.

When the idea "I am the thinker-feeler" is renounced by a meditator, he becomes, thereafter, an interested "observer" of the "flood of thoughts"
rising in himself, and, soon enough, the very gurgling springs of his thoughts dry up in him.. The mind in him then, in due course, ends. *In the
egoless attitude of detachment one's mind becomes extremely subtle and gathers to itself a greater power of penetration to reach deeper
meditations.
The mind in us determines the quality and beauty, the dynamism and glory, the nature and arrangements of the world around us. An extension of
our mind in its constant perceptions and interpretations, unveils for us our private world of sorrows and joys, likes and dislikes, successes and
failures. By conquering the mind we conquer our world. The outer circumstances and the available objects and beings around us can no longer
make us dance to their will and whim. We shall come to call the tune, and the world around us shall learn to obey, as we will it act.

In fact, without this subjective conquest of one's own mind, no conquest anywhere is a real conquest. Even if you have won the whole world, of
what avail is it to you, if you have not won over the soul (mind) in yourself? No success is a success, no joy a real joy, no beauty a true beauty
unless the individual has conquered his own mind.

Even though you have not conquered, in battles, the world, you become the world-conqueror when you have conquered your mind; and although
you have for long conquered the world by force, you have conquered nothing so long as you have not conquered yourself."

In order to thus conquer the mind one need not run away physically from all sense-objects or living beings in one's life. All that we have to do is to
attend consistently to the taming of the mind. Objects (Vishayas) are helpless against a mind under control of the clear intellect. The sense-organs
will not dare run out into the cess-pools of sensuous gratifications, when the mind behind them is a fully disciplined and strictly cultivated one.

Therefore, instead of unnecessarily wasting our energies in regulating the world of objects and environments, instead of exhausting ourselves in
vain attempts at controlling the sense-organs, let us attend to the mastering of our mind. Say the Acharyas: *"Extrovert thought (chittam) is the
commander of the sense-organs, and so to win him is to win all; not to win him is to win none just as to one who is wearing shoes the whole world
is covered with leather"

We need not conquer the sense-organs one by one, nor need we run away from all objects of sense fascinations. Control the mind: and then go
wherever you will. With shoes one can walk even over thorny bushes and stony slopes. You are protected from them all. Conquer your mind, then
you are insured against everything, everywhere, at all times.

A meditator must thus direct his attention constantly in capturing the wild mind and taming it to obey his own pure decisions and sattwic commands.
Once the mind is conquered all else is conquered.

A conquered mind is called "pure mind" in Vedanta (Suddha Antahkarana), and it is a mental equipment which is not agitated by every passing
mood of passion, or is disturbed by every fascinating object that comes across it.

A pure mind has less agitations—but there are agitations still in it. We are—through following ethical and moral codes of conduct, through the
cultivation of devotion to the Lord, through worship and prayers, penance and surrender unto Him, through study and reflection, dispassion and
meditation upon the Self—striving to bring our mind into a quiet and total silence, and the quieter the mind gets, the more conquered the mind
becomes.

When the direction of our thoughts is towards the objects, the agitations are more and the thoughts in that state of agitation are called chittam. So
long as the chittam is riotous there cannot be any mental quietude, and, naturally, there can be no success in meditation.

Therefore it becomes clear that to quieten the mind it must be switched off from its blind, passionate run after the sense-objects. Left to itself, the
mind in its irresistible energy would run towards its own familiar and known fields of pleasures. Thereafter it becomes habituated only to move in
that limited field of gratifications. Once this extrovertedness has become a firm habit with mind, to wean that mind from its self-destructive
preoccupations becomes painful and almost a herculean task.

The nature of the mind is that its thoughts will readily flow towards any object of its love. Where our Prem is, there our mind reaches and lingers
lovingly. This being it natural and instinctive mode of behavior, if we supply it with an alternative field of joyous love, it is sure to turn towards it, and
in so doing, will be turning away from the world-of-objects, where it is now getting totally dissipated of all its rich potentialities.

This creative altar provided for the mind to hold on to, away from the storms of wordly temptations is called the "point-of-contemplation",
(Alambanam). With devotion when we thus worship, adore and meditate upon the chosen Lord-of-our-heart (Ishta-devata), we give the mind a
refreshing altar of contemplation upon which we may dry-dock the mind, away from the stormy confusions of sense-enchantments, and repair it.

Devotion (Bhakti) thus contributes much to prepare the quietude of the mind, which is the beginning of the path of meditation. Rush to it: but haste
makes waste: yet, hasten slowly.

***

Page 7 of 22
 The Witness Attitude in Meditation
Swami Chinmayananda

When the mind fully attains the state of "A-bhavana and comes to drop its perceptions of sense-objects, at that stage in meditation, mind is really a
"no-mind". When thoughts are rushing out in their mad fury to hug objects -of-pleasure they constitute Chittam, a fact we have already explained,
and to quieten the Chittam is the sacred function of the Yoga of Meditation.* Where these outgoing thoughts (Chittam) are eliminated is known as
the "No-thought" (A-chitta) state, and that condition of the mind (Mana) is recognised as "No-mind" (A-mana) state, highest in meditation.

Thoughts are gushing in to flood our bosom and to make our mind an angry gush of self -ruinous compulsions, mainly from two sources. Thoughts
stem out from the past, dragging along with them the memories of the good and bad done in the days gone by. These confuse the individuals, with
their regrets and sorrows, joys and pleasures from the stinking tombs of the past, forcing them to re-live the dead-past right in the fragrant present
moments.

Often, we are flown upon the wings of our mind's fancy and imagination, to dreams, where we are made to shudder at the future possibilities of
failures and tremble in hopes of successes and swoon in the expectation of total losses or large profits.

The past really is made up of dead moments and to unearth the buried moments is to live w ith the dead. We do so when we w aste our energies in
unproductive and wasteful regrets, for things we had already committed. The more we remember them, the more are those very "Vasanas" getting,
alas, deeper and deeper fixed into our personality structure. When we are not engaging ourselves with the negative pre-occupations of entertaining
the regrets of the past, we are wandering in the fairy-castles of our fancied future, peopled with ugly fears, horrid dreams, unnerving hopes, and
perhaps thousands of impossible expectations.

In short, when our minds are not rattled by the perceptions-of-objects (Chittam) let us not thereby conclude that we have quietened our thoughts.
Often, it is not so.' Mind, when it is not engaged in the worldly objects that are right in front of it, can choose its own private fields of agitations,
subjectively in itself, by dragging up the buried corpses of a diseased past, or it can bring up vivid or throbbing pictures of a tragic hopelessness as
the sure possibility of the immediate future! In either case the mind of the individual at meditation can get sadly disturbed.

Therefore, the .Rishies advise us: "Moment to moment engage the out-going mind (Chittam) to live the present. Reject completely the past.
Renounce totally the future. Then in such a bosom, 'agitated mind' (Chittam) shall reach the state of "mindlessness" (A-chittam)," This state of mind
is called the "No-mind".

The content of the present moment, divorced from all relationship with the past and the future, is the absolute fullness of the Infinite. Eternity is
experienced at the sacred depth, of the present moment. To live the present, independent of the past and the future, is to experience Samadhi, the
revealing culmination of meditation. Seek it yourself. Nobody can give it to anyone else. Each w ill have to reach there all by himself, in himself, with
no other vehicle than himself.

The sum total of the memories that we retain in ourselves, of our own experiences in the past, together gives us a false notion of ourselves as an
"individual entity". This is the personality of our ego. It is this ego—a mere bundle of memories of dead moments—that is meeting the present, and
interpreting it constantly in terms of its diseased past. Never can the ego ever see the present truly as it is.

Again, when the past, the "ego", meets the present it always strives to weave, out of the present, a future pattern, a web, spun by the very fancy of
the "ego" out of its own imaginations. Hence life is a confusing jumble of meaningless sorrows, purposeless tensions , unproductive strains, pitless
sorrows, depthless joys all together a mad roar of an inconsistent destiny, dashing against the unyielding actualities of life. On the bosom of this
frothy confusion the individual feels helpless, a mere raft dancing to the whim of the surge around him.

Not to identify overselves with our rising tides of thoughts (sankalpa), but to remain as a witness of them all, is a definite stage in the efforts of
meditation. In an atmosphere of your own "unconcernedness" your thoughts will get suffocated and will die by themselves. So the Rishies advise
the seekers on the path of meditation:* "Moment to moment disassociate yourself from continuing any thought that consciously rises in the mind.
This practice sweeps the mind clean of all rising thoughts, leads you to the state of thoughtlessness (A-chitta-ttwam) and you arrive at the Holy of
holies."

This non-association with the rising thought disturbances is achieved by training ourselves to remain as a "witness" to the flood of happenings in
ourselves. To be a mere "on-looker" of the lusty parade of thoughts in-revelry is to withdraw from thoughts their ability to continue longer their inner
carnival. As a "witness" we remain in the present, without being conditioned by the past associations or being enchanted away by future
expectations. This state, called the "neutral condition" of personality, is that which will grow, in its sweep and depth, to bring ultimately the
experience of the "Thoughtless" condition. This `.No-mind" state is the very Divine Substratum upon which the present exists, and serves as the
threshold-of-time, where the future becomes the past.

At this state is the experience of Pure Awareness, with no distracting objects, the Infinite Self, the Changeless and the Unique. This is the goal to
be reached, the Truth to be realized, the "experience divine" to be lived as the meditator's own essential Self. It is not a thing to be objectively
recognised, or even intellectually to be comprehended. This is a state that is to be spiritually apprehended, in an immediate personal inner
experience. This is where meditation gets fulfilled—and the meditator becomes the one Self, where the triple factors, meditator meditated-
meditation coalesce to be a vital experience of a total Transcendental Awakening: the Self-realization.

The goal is no doubt, extremely covetable, supremely enchanting. But to attain it the meditator must have the necessary equipments fully prepared.
In our times we find failures are more often reported than successes in meditation. This is because the sadhakas , in the spirit of our hurried times,
dash into the "act of meditation" without procuring at first the required pre-flight perfect attunement of their machines -of-flight. The take-off never
happens!

As the most conducive scheme of life, which can help meditators to grow into meditative attunement, the Acharyas advise us in the most general
terms, thus:**"Stop remembering and craving for things bygone; entertain no joy or sorrow as they reach you in the present; remaining thus you
shall grow into the greater glory of your own Self." Therefore, let us learn to surrender our past unto His Feet in love, and let us learn to remain in
those sublime heights of Divine Awareness, where the worries and joys of the present cannot reach to cloud our vision and upset our equipoise.

Be patient. Be steady. Be striving continuously, cultivating these qualities. Success is sure as the Upanishad Rishies assure for us the Experience
of the Self. Towards this acme of life hurry without haste: hasten slowly.

Page 8 of 22
 Final Advice To The Meditator
Swami Chinmayananda

Recognition of the mind's existence, and the total identification with it, are the play of the "spiritual ignorance" (A-gyanam), consisting of (a) the non-
apprehension of Reality and (b) the consequent misapprehension of it. When we fail to apprehend the way -side post, we misunderstand it as a
ghost, and the ghost-vision gives rise to fear, confusion and a raised pulse rate! To deny mind and its out-going thoughts (Chittam) and to
recognize them as fiickerings of the Self, the Consciousness, is to annihilate the mind. End of the mind is the dawn of "wisdom" (Gyanam).

Our spiritual teachers with paternal kindness chalk out for us the entire route of our pilgrimage to the Self in us. "When the sense-organs are not
engaged in the seeking of the indulging in the sense-objects, they remain in their own nature and they would not then drag the thoughts out into the
field of sense-gratifications." Again, "When this 'self withdrawal' (Pratyahara) from the theatres of sense-gratifications, is practiced, all sense-
organs come under the will and total control of the seeker."

"Thereafter the meditator, through 'faith' built upon right knowledge (Sraddha), self-control' (Brahmacharya), devoted concentration' (Vidya,
otherwise called as Upasana), and intelligent, self-dicipling 'austerities' (Tapas), cultivates 'quietude of mind' (Chittanirodha) which steadily grows in
him under these spiritual practices (Satkara-Vasaat)."

"Devotion for Narayana, worship of Him and dedication of all activities unto Him, ensures to the meditator His Grace, and the Lord blesses him
soon with the Supreme Experience of the Self-Divine."

No one can ever have any chance to complain of difficulties enroute, if he is following this grand road to the Temple of Effulgence-Supreme.
Problems arise, progress gets choked, confusions beset, faith departs, despair strangles, and the seeker gets hurled down on the path only
because of his own inner unpreparedness. Deep-seated urges and inclinations (Vasanas ) have to be thrown up from the "unconscious" to the level
of the "conscious" mind. They may play for a while in us, and then will depart, never to return……..if we have developed the necessary stamina and
discovered sufficient guts to stand apart from them as a disinterested Witness during their threatening upsurge. Such frequent explosions are
unavoidable in any seeker on the "march".

Let not those who are practicing meditation even feel aghast at what they have to accomplish. When they enter the spiritual field and courageously
start their honest efforts at hastening the fulfillment of their evolution, a great Divine Power comes to help the seeker at every turn. The teacher
laughs at our enexplicable fears: *"Even a mountain can be slowly, slowly reduced to powder; even a rocky hillock can be blasted by repeatedly
shooting arrows at it: that is the glory of continuous practice (Abhyas)-even an 'ignorant' one can gain 'Wisdom". This is the unfailing reward of
steady, daily prac tice, sincerely undertaken for a long, continuous period of time.

Be regular. Be sincere. Get involved in your Sadhana. Keep cheerful, carefree and inspired all through your study, during your reflection and in your
devotion. Forget to worry over the future. Refuse to have regrets over the past. Surrender the present problems to His care. "NarayanaNarayana."
Live in the confidence of His guiding support. Quietly, sincerely, continuously strive on, as best as you can, to live in the awareness of the Infinite
Self.

Let your life in the world be no more than a minor disturbance in You, the Infinite Self, who is not contained in a mere body, who cannot be
tantalized by the frolicsome dancings of the mind, or the unpredictable mad fancies of the intellect. Be firm, steady, undisturbed in all conditions.
Nothing in this world is permanently with you to give you perpetual disturbance. They too are finite. Then why worry? In spite of them, be regular.
Be determined to -pursue in unabated joy your daily meditation.

In life we all silently suffer a thousand horrid pains and impossible disturbances, and still we pursue with gusto our wordly activities. Why not, then,
suffer with a heart filled with self -confidence and held in an attitude of dignified indifference tow ards all the tyrannies of the flesh, the rising of
passions, the storms of sentiments. etc., and still continue our pursuit of the goal divine? Let no situation in life stand between us and our attempts
at exploring the subtler spheres of the Higher Consciousness.

Asks a Rishi in utter amazement, *"We suffer silently wounds inflicted by weapons suffer the pains of diseases, yet, to suffer the thought 'I am not
the ego', why such dread? Is it so tiring and terrible, terrifying and trying?"

Let not any seeker throw up his efforts in despair and run away from his meditation-seat, even after his millionth failure to quieten his mind! These
very attempts, though apparently unrewarding, are slowly eating up the delusions and widening the gateway to Realization. Never give up: never
despair. Strive on! on and on! Every effort you put forth is a step taken towards the Truth. When tired...smile! When exhausted...rest! And then
strive again!! When dispirited surrender to Him. Help comes! Help surely comes!!

The path of spiritual unfoldment is reserved for the wise heroes and not for simple-minded, foolish cowards. You must, now and then, assume a
get-tough stance with the mind. Don't yield! Continuously fight.

Even when you are losing, retreat still fighting for every inch. Call up reinforcements from the Lord, through your devotion and surrender.

The Sadhana must be continued till the achievement of realization of the "Flameless Light" (Nirvana) of Consciousness. Say the Guru: *"To gain
the Supreme experience, through a total quietude of the entire mind intellect-equipment, O! Sin-less One! strive one, till you reach the Abode of
Peace, Brahman."

Having thus set the student on the path and having equipped the pilgrim with all knowledge, the teacher in the Upanishad says to the seeker: *God-
speed. Good luck enroute. May you go pleasantly beyond the Kingdom of Darkness," into the Light-of-Lights, by whose Light alone all other lights
are lit up ever.

Never hurry. Have faith in the Lord and your Teacher. And hasten slowly.

"Hari Om-Hari-Om- Hari Om."

Page 9 of 22
 Meditation In Monism
Swami Ghanananda

Every religion has four parts, namely, mythology and ritual philosophy and higher spiritual disciplines. Of all forms of spiritual disciplines meditation
is the highest. In it the approach to the divine goal is made directly by the soul of man, and he ultimately relizes the relationship between the soul
and his Maker, and experiences God as the highest Reality. The value of meditation, therefore, is higher than that of ritual as a form of practical
spiritual discipline. In studying mythology disciplines like ritual, the thought of God is present in the mind of man. But in meditation this thought
becomes deepest and most intense until at last it transcends itself when the highest Illumination is attained.

Many sincere and honest people believe that if they sit down to think of God they will be able to meditate and obtain the fruits of meditation. They
think, therefore, that they only need sufficient time to do so. When they are young or in middle age they believe that a day will come after many
years when they will be free from the turmoil of work and be able to devote some time every day to the thought of God; but such people generally
find it extremely hard in spite of proper guidance and spiritual help. It goes to show that only when the mind has been trained in the earlier
years of life and has kept up the habit through middle age, will it be able to meditate in the last years of life.

We know that all forms of training, whether physical, for the growth and development of the body, or mental, for the growth and development of the
intellect, heart or will, are the outcome of a science. Thus there is the science of meditation, which began to be studied and formulated even from
most ancient times by the Indo-Aryans and which reached the highest excellence unsurpassed among other peoples. Even in the days of the
Brahmans and Samhitas, which preceded the age of the Upanishads-those expressions of deepest meditativeness and spiritual experience-the
performer of ritual often passed into a state of communion with the Deity. In the Upanishadic period this became deeper and was specially
cultivated by those who became the Seers of the Upanishads. The science, therefore, grew and flourished, and though it w as in the hands of a few,
it was kept alive. In the post-Vedic age we find its greatest teacher, Shri Krishna teaching his disciple, Arjuna, the way of meditation; and in a
subsequent period Kapila and Patanjali developed and expounded the psychological and psychic aspects of meditation. In the post-Buddhistic age
Sankara, Ramanuja, Madhya and others expounded the science of meditation in their commentaries, each in his own way.

Whatever the path a man may find suitable for him to follow, whether it be the path of devotion or that of knowledge, or the path of right action or
that of psychic control, meditation is the maturer form of all spiritual practices. A man may hear the teachings of the scriptures and philosophies he
tries to understand and reflect on the truths so taught. But when he practices, meditation forms an important part of his disciplines. Again, when a
man does all work in a spirit of dedication his mind slowly but steadily becomes filled with the thought of God to whom he dedicates his work: his
consciousness becomes so deeply colored in the long run, that meditation becomes natural to him. This is true of devotional practices, and also of
the psychic and psychological disciplines prescribed by Raja Yoga. Our endeavors to live the spiritual life from the day we began to have an inkling
of its nature till the day of Enlightenment, form a series of concentric circles which contract more and more until the Reality called God, which is
their centre, is reached.

In Vedanta, meditation is compared by the teacher Ramanuja to the uninterrupted flow of oil from one vessel to another.

Vedanta is studied and practiced in three aspects namely, monistic, qualified-monistic and dualistic. In monistic Vedanta the approach to meditation
is similar to that in Samkhya except that in Samkhya they speak of a plurality of souls, whereas in monism the ultimate Reality is One. In Samkhya
the practical procedure consists in eliminating prakriti and its modifications—the body, 'mind' and ego—and arriving at the spiritual consciousness
called the Purusha; whereas in Vedanta it consists in denying the absolute existence of body, mind and ego, as well as the universe, which are only
relatively real, and arriving at the One Absolute Reality called Brahman with which the Self of man, the essence of his being, is identical.

Monistic meditation is meditation on the Absolute. As the Absolute is beyond form and beyond attributes, this type of meditation is the most difficult
of all. It is not thinking of mere formlessness such as 'vacant space', the blue sky or the shoreless ocean. This does not constitute meditation on the
Absolute. It is only thinking of the 'material infinity' called mahakasha or the universal space. A higher and subtler form of infinity is the 'mental
infinity' called chittakasha or the space of the mind from which infinite thought-forms arise, as in the dream state. But the true Absolute, the Infinite
of monism, is the Spiritual Infinity or the Infinity of the Spirit, called chidakasha, the Void beyond all forms and attributes. This is the negation of
everything conceivable or expressible and is described in the words, 'not this, nor that', of the Upanishads. This is inconceivably higher than the
infinity of the universe and the infinity of the mind, for the universe and the mind are both limited, but the Infinity of the Spirit, the Atman or
Brahman, is the true Infinity, the true Absolute of monism.

From the above it must be clear that monistic meditation is bound to prove difficult even in the case of those who have arrived at an intellectual
_________________________ conviction of the identity of the Atman or the Self in man with Brahman or the Oversoul.

Vedanta, therefore, prescribes four forms of preliminary disciplines for monistic aspirants, without undergoing which monistic seekers cannot
successfully attempt their meditation. The first and foremost of these is the constant discrimination between the Real and the unreal. Day and night
the aspirant is to think of the enduring Real which abides and does not change, and which is, therefore, different from the passing real. He is to
discriminative constantly between •the Absolute Reality and the relative reality of the universe and its phenomena the universe with its myriad forms
clothed in my riad hues ephemeral, but also the body of man and his mind including his ego: This teaching is based on the experience of the Seers.

Even this discrimination between the Real and the unreal is insufficient to help the seeker in his monistic meditation and help him realize the goal of
monism. Man lives in this world, and therefore with a view to protecting his mind from obstacles to the practice of discrimination, three other forms
of spiritual disciplines are also enjoined. One of these consists in the practice of the following virtues:

(a) Checking the mind from the pursuit of all objects except hearing the Upanishads and other teachings of Vedanta;

(b) Checking the organs of action and knowledge from all objects except hearing the Upanishads and other teachings of Vedanta;

(c) Keeping the organs so restrained from drifting along their old course to sense objects;

(d) Remaining unruffled by pleasure and pain, profit and loss, prosperity and adversity, honor and dishonor, and other pairs of opposites;

(e) Constantly concentrating the mind on hearing the Upanishads and other teachings of Vedanta, and practicing such virtues as modesty,
humility, devotion, purity and service to the guru;

(f) Faith in God; faith in the Upanishads and other teachings of Vedanta; faith in the guru; and faith in one's capacity to realize the Truth.

Page 10 of 22
Practice of the above six virtues constitutes the second form of preliminary disciplines.

A third form consists in the relinquishment of the desire for the fruits of action in this world or in svarga, that supernatural world where souls enjoy
subtle pleasures and happiness. The monist aims at knowledge, and cares for nothing but knowledge.

Fourthly and finally the seeker is exhorted to create in himself a divine discontent and a thirst for liberation from the thraldom of body, mind
and_____________________

These disciplines prepare the mind for steadiness in daily meditation on the Atman, the Pure Consciousness in man, and on his identity with the
Oversoul or Transcendental Consciousness.

In order to help its students in monistic meditation, Vedanta gives an unchallenged and unchallengeable definition of the Absolute Reality by
declaring that It is That which remains unaffected throughout all time— past, present and future. This definition brings the conception of Reality
right into the heart -of man, as we shall see presently.

With a view to ascertaining the nature of Reality or what It is, the Seers of India first studied objective phenomena. They noted that objects changed
with lapse of time. They were once in a subtle state and then their present condition, and from this they will again change into a subtle state. What
is true of individual objects is also true of the universe as a whole. The universe also was once in a subtle state from which it evolved into its
present condition, and it will again return to its subtle state in the future. Thus what we see is not a permanent reality. But we should remember that
though it may change and change, it never ceases to exist; in other words the notion of existence can never be removed from our minds.

The ancient Seers further found that not only the objective universe but also the observer who saw it changed from time to time. His body and mind
change with years. Nay, more, he is not the same during the 24 hours of the day and night. During day he is awake, but enters into quite a different'
state when he sleeps and begins to dream, and when he is in dreamless sleep he is in yet another state which is different from his waking and
dream states. It must therefore be clear that not only do the objective phenomena of the universe change, but there is a change also in the
subjective counterpart in man.

A study of matter in the objective universe eventually led to the growth and .development of science. A study of phenomena as presented to the
consciousness of man in the different states of waking, dream and Sleep, as well as the study of these three states in relation to the Self of man,
contributed to the growth and development of monistic religion and philosophy.

An investigation into the three states of consciousness known to man, viz., waking, dream and sleep, is one of the characteristic features of
Vedanta. Vedanta claims that no study of man is complete unless a study of his personality in all three states is attempted. As a result of such
study we find that in the waking state the universe appears as real, tangible, perceptible to the five senses. In the dream state the universe
becomes thin and attenuated. And in sleep man does not see anything, does not know anything; the universe has entirely disappeared and his not
even aware that he is sleeping; but when he wakes in the morning, he remembers to have slept well or ill as the case may be. Now every act of
remembrance is an act of re-cognition. This means that the cognition took place even in sleep without man's knowledge. Who could this cognizer
be?

The Upanishads declare that the cognizer in sleep is Consciousness itself. It directly registers sleep without the help of mind and ego, for these do
not function in sleep—it registers the fact of sleep just as at night the thermometer records the temperature and the barometer the atmospheric
pressure, though we are fast asleep.

Consciousness is present in our waking and dream states, but it takes the help of the mind and the ego to perceive and know. Mind and ego are its
adjuncts in the waking and dream states. In the waking state we are conscious of ourselves, our pleasures and pains, joys and sorrows. We are
conscious of these in the dream state also, though the time, space and causation in the dream state are of a standard different from that of the
waking state. When I am awake, my identity is felt as such and such. In dream I perceive many things which are not seen in the waking state, and
the ego of waking has vanished and another ego has taken its place; yet I know that another person does not dream for me it is I myself who dream
and wake up again. In sleep nothing is perceived and there is neither the ego of dream nor that of waking; yet on waking we all feel and know
intuitively the identity of our personality in waking, dream and sleep. Extending the study of consciousness to the period from our birth till old age,
we shall find that it was we that were born, it is we that are now living and it is we that will grow old and die.

This notion of the identity and continuity of human personality can arise only when something exists as a background of the stages of life and states
of consciousness. This is Pure Consciousness. It is behind the three states of waking, dream and dreamless sleep, or rather It has three modes of
being, called waking, dream and dreamless sleep. It is also behind all the stages of life such as infancy, youth, middle age and old age. Nay, It has
been existing eternally throughout our past lives and will exist throughout the future. It is the Atman or the Self, a fact underlying all that is given by
experience. 'The Pure Consciousness is that of which the personal consciousness, which is bound up with the activities of body and mind and with
which alone man is normally acquainted, is a reflection in matter.' Suppose somebody hits me, then I become conscious of pain. The is a state of
personal consciousness and is a complex. From it, if I eliminate whatever is contributed by the body and the mind, what remains is the
consciousness that accompanies all mental processes, which was first differentiated by Pfotunus among Western Philosophers and called the
accompaniment Parakolonthesis—of the mental activities by the soul. This is the light of Consciousness which manifests in both the mental and
physical worlds. 'It is the power of pure intelligence which being unchangeable cannot become the seat of perception, for this latter belongs to the
mind. Thus Pure Consciousness is separate from mental activity. It is not a mere idea or abstraction but a Reality, indeed the greatest Reality that
man can attain.

This Pure Consciousness is called Purusha by the Samkhya Philosophy and Atrnan by Vedanta. But for It and Its illuminating power, the power to
manifest mental and bodily functions would go on unconsciously and unknown. Unlike matter, it is immutable, beginningless and endless, a steady
shadowless light that knows not any change. It is the immaterial part of man; It is his immortal soul, his deathless Self, the core of his being.
Sankara says, -`The Atman is jna, Eternal Consciousness, because It is uncreate. Eternal Consciousness, is the nature of the Atman just as heat
and light are of fire.' The moment a seeker will realize It, he will intuitively realize Its identity with the Oversoul, Brahman.

In all the three states of waking, dream and dreamless sleep the Atman is the witness. But our goal is to be the Atman with nothing to witness-the
Atman as It is, shining in Its own glory undimmed by its adjuncts.

What has been given above is what one can learn by investigating the nature of the three states. The tearing off of the veil of prakriti with a view to
realizing the Atman and Its identity with Brahman has to be attempted first by meditating on the Atman and then on 'Its identity with Brahman, until

Page 11 of 22
eventually this identity is realized. If this method is found difficult, one should begin by meditating on God with attributes, and if necessary, on God
with form and attributes and in due course follow the monistic method.

In monism we have method of meditation which does not want us to accept any theological doctrine or dogma of any particular religion. Its
philosophy and its approach are like the air and water, the gift of Mother Nature: they belong to everyone.

Monism accepts all paths and religions, yet rises above them all - from the book "Meditation" by the Monks of the Ramakrishna Order.

***

Page 12 of 22
 Meditation According To Patanjali
Swami Satyananda Saraswati

THE MOST SYSTEMATIC METHOD of attaining states of meditation is raja yoga. It is not the only method, and in fact all other types of yoga such
as bhakti, karma, jnana etc. are equally important and all aim at eventually bringing about meditational experiences, and ultimately gaining self-
realization. In fact, all the different systems should be practiced as much as possible in conjunction with each other, for they don't oppose each
other.

Raja yoga is explained in a book called Yoga Sutras, written by the ancient yogi Patanjali some time before the birth of Christ. It is worth discussing
this system in detail, for it throws much light on the obstacles that must be overcome before successful meditation can be attained. The first stages
have little 'direct connection with meditation but are of the utmost importance, for they prepare the practitioner's mind and body for the higher
stages. Without some practice of the first five stages few people will have success in meditation. Of course they are not absolutely necessary and
some people will be able to meditate without even knowing their existence, but these are the few lucky people who have no mental or physical
disorders and who from birth have been inclined to looking inwards and towards the meditational way of life. Raja yoga is for every person,
whatever his nature. It starts at the very basic requirements for higher spiritual life. It begins by molding a person's character in the way necessary
for spiritual progress.

Patanjali divided the path of raja yoga into eight stages, starting from the basic rules of character change in the individual and ending with the final
stage of samadhi, samadhi being also divided into four stages, culminating in self-realization. The stages are as follows:

Preparatory practices :

1) YAMAS (self restraints),

2) NIYAMAS (observances),
3) ASANAS (postures),
4) PRANAYAMA (vital energy control) and
5) PRATYAHARA (abstraction).

Higher stages:

6) DHARANA (concentration),
7) DHYANA (meditation in the traditional sense of the word) and
8) SAMADHI (the process of diving into the deeper layers of the mind, to reach the state of identification with pure consciousness.)

The first five practices are bahiranga (external) yoga and the last three are antaranga (internal) yoga. The inner and higher practices become easier
to perform when the external and preliminary practices have been developed to a reasonable degree of perfection. The reason for this is that most
of us are totally unable to concentrate and meditate because of the continual wandering and rational thinking of the mind. Only a person with a
tranquil mind can meditate.

Let us look at the types of disturbances that prevent concentration and - meditation.

Emotional disturbances due to mental conflicts and moral imperfections. These are eliminated or at least reduced by developing the yamas and
niyamas (stages 1 and 2).

Physical discomforts, such as pain, illness and uncomfortable pose. These are removed by practicing asanas (stage 3).

Irregularities in the pranic flow in the body which cause disturbances. Prana is energy in the body that can be loosely defined as vital or bio-energy
(see chapter on pranayama for details). The techniques of pranayama (stage 4) remove any mental disturbances which arise from this source.

Outside distractions such as sound which cause mental disturbances. How can we possibly perform the inner techniques when our mind is
absorbed and continually distracted by the outside environment? Pratyahar (stage 5 in raja yoga) eliminates this source of disturbance by
disconnecting the association of the sense organs -eyes, ears etc. from external happenings. The outer occurrences are still there, of course, but
the sense organs no longer send messages to the mind, or if they do the mind does not become aware of them.

The reader should not realize how important Patanjali’s first five stages are in order to practice successfully the higher stages. Without developing
them the practitioner is unable to reach the higher stages.

Though the first five stages have been systematically explained in other I books on this subject, we will briefly deal with them here.

Yamas or self retraints

These are five in number, and the reader on first impression may wonder what these seemingly socially inclined codes have to do with yoga. They
are closely connected with higher yoga, however, for as has already been explained, these rules seek to remove all emotional disorders from the
individual. It does not take much thought to realize that these topics cause most of our guilty feelings, inner conflicts and general mental
disturbances. ______________________________________________

The way to tackle the symptom is to root out the cause. In this way the mind will be rendered more peaceful and ready for the higher practices.

Patanjali actually was an idealist and intended the practices of raja yoga for people who devoted their life to seeking realization and who probably
isolated themselves from society. This becomes obvious when he writes in one of his sutras (verses) that they are inviolable and should be
followed no matter what circumstances arise, even if the result is serious injury to oneself or other. This, of course, is not practical for the modern
person in society, for sexual relations are a natural part of life, and sometimes one needs to tell a lie under certain circumstances, perhaps to
safeguard another person from undesirable knowledge. We therefore ask the yoga practitioner to exercise his own discretion with regard to the
yamas. However, we must point out that the more the yamas are followed, within the capacity and individual circumstances, the more likely it is that
the mind will be calm and stable. This only occurs when there is no conflict between one’s conscience and one’s saction or thoughts.

Page 13 of 22
The five yamas are as follows:

Ahimsa (non-violence): Non-violence should be practiced as far as it is possible. This does not only mean physically, but also in thought and words.
Of course, if someone causes you trouble and you have to fight, then do so, but without hatred or malice if it is possible. Just accept it as something
you must do. Actually, as one evolves and practices the higher stages of meditation etc. the less one wants to hurt anyone, and the more one will
feel compassion towards everything and everyone, including so—called enemies. Yet at the same time a highly evolved person will do his duty
(dharma) even if it means harm to others.

Satya (truth): One should be as truthful as is possible, for lies and the covering up of lies involves much mental strain. Most people who tell lies are
also under a constant fear, perhaps not consciously, that their lie will be revealed to others. This subject covers forms of lies such as pretending to
be more than you are, richer than you are, hiding facts by only telling half the truth and so on. A further point is that we will eventually do meditation
to seek truth. How can we do this if we are not truthful to ourselves and our dealings with life?

Asteya (honesty and non-theft): Little explanation is required here regarding this rule of conduct. There are very few people, especially those who
are inclined to do yoga, who will not feel mental or emotional disturbances, manifested or not manifested, as a result of dishonesty.

Brahmacharya (sexual control): This is a code which people do not take very seriously in this reasonably liberated modern world. ‘Why shouldn’t we
have sexual relations’, most people will say, ‘it’s natural, isn’t it?’ Yes, it ____________________________________ surely is, and in fact more
people have suffered emotionally throughout history by suppressing their natural desires; often in response to strict rulings proclaimed by various
religions which have forgotten the real reason why the rule was originally made. The people of today should interpret this rule to mean that they
should reduce their sexual activity as much as possible, after fulfilling obligations to partners, if they want to have great success in meditational
practices, real success that is. Why? What is the relationship between sex and meditation? The need for sexual intercourse is nothing but the build-
up of energy, vital energy. When one completes the sexual act the body is drained of this vital force. Now energy, as everyone knows, can manifest
in different ways, and sexual energy is no exception to the rule. If this energy is redirected towards spiritual or meditational experiences they will be
highlighted and expanded. The reader must, however, find this out for himself.

Aparigraha (non-possessiveness): The idea here is that you can have belongings, but you must try not to be attached to them. Think of the
unhappiness in your life that has been caused by the loss or damage of a prized possession. Consider also the continual fear you have that you
might lose or damage your possessions. The overall result is that your mind is continually plagued by some kind of tension, perhaps consciously,
though probably subconsciously. You can be a very rich man, yet if you have this attitude of non-attachment you will be unburdened of many
worries and tensions of the mind.

Niyamas or observances

These, like the yamas, are five in number. They are more concerned with the personal discipline of the practitioner. They are intended to prepare
the spiritual aspirant for the arduous yogic path that lies ahead. Like the yamas (which are ethically inclined), the niyamas are aimed at reducing
mental and emotional conflicts and rendering the individual’s mind tranquil for concentration and meditation.

Shaucha (purity): This rule needs little explanation. One should keep the body as pure as possible by regular baths and also by eating food that is
as pure and nutritional as possible. If you don’t, then you will be more susceptible to diseases both external and internal and this is a great
hindrance to meditational practices, for how can one make the mind go inwards to the deeper realms of the mind when one’s attention is continually
distracted by indigestion or any other ailment? There is also another factor. One’s meditational capacity is related very much to the type of food one
eats. If one eats impure and coarse food, then the mind is unlikely to be sensitive enough to respond to the subtle vibrations and experiences of
meditation. The subtle states of meditation need a subtle and pure mind in which to manifes t.

This rule also applies to the purification of the mind from disturbing thoughts and emotions. Since this is the Whole reason for the yamas and
niyamas, it implies that the yamas and niyamas must be practiced.

Santosha (contentment): It is essential to develop the ability to withstand daily problems without being deeply affected; to be contented no matter
what circumstances beset one. Most people have a continually changing mood because of the ups and downs of life. One moment they are happy.
Then something occurs and they suddenly become very unhappy. A mind that is continually fluctuating in this way is not suitable for meditation. For
this reason contentment is of the utmost importance. Not external contentment to impress other people, but inner contentment. Easier said than
done, you might say. This is true, but by continual development of the other yamas and niyamas and a conscious effort to accept what comes to
you, no matter what, this contentment will surely come.

Tapas (austerity): This is intended to strengthen the willpower, by undergoing small austerities such as fasting, maintaining n vow of silence for a
few hours and so on. This can help to discipline the mind. This tapas should not, however, involve suppression of the mind for this can do more
harm than good. Willpower is absolutely necessary in yoga, for the mind is like a kitten which wanders here and there without purpose. It will try
and make you do things you don’t want to do. In this way, it will bring more disturbances to the mind and thereby hamper your meditational
practices. Willpower is the only way to bring it under control.

Swadhyaya (self study): This has various interpretations, the most likely being that you should continually watch your actions and reactions with
more awareness. See how you react to different situations and why you become happy in one situation and unhappy in another situation. If you
become angry, ask yourself, ‘Why did I become angry?’ If you are attached to certain things, ask yourself why you are attached to that thing and so
on. By this continual self analysis you will gradually find out how your mind works, at least on a superficial level, and you will become more aware of
the things that disturb your mind. Self study should also extend to your meditations, however deep, so that you progressively understand more
about yourself.

In other words, if you see visions in your meditations, let them come. Don’t suppress them, for they will tell you more about the things that are
imbedded in your subconscious mind—your memories, your deep-rooted problems and other things, many of which are causing persistent tension
in the mind, in many cases without your knowledge. It is only when you know them that you start to remove them and further improve your ability to
experience deeper meditations, which these deep—rooted tensions hamper.

Ishwara pranidhana (self surrender): This means to surrender your actions ______________ _____________________
____________________________________ that which drives you through life. Your every action should be a dedication of worship. You should
try, by constant practice, to lose your individuality, your ego, and realize that your actions are nothing but a manifestation of the supreme
consciousness. Remember, it is our ego that causes much of our emotional and mental problems. It is our ego that makes us hate, fight, become
Page 14 of 22
attached to objects and so on. If we reduce our ego a little, our mind becomes correspondingly less disturbed and more tranquil. If we can totally
lose our ego, which is not easy, mark you, then our meditations will automatically take us to reality. Karma and bhakti yoga, selfless action and
divine devotion respectively, are a great help in this respect.

Yamas and niyamas —a summary

An objection might be raised that perhaps it is a person’s true nature to be dishonest, untruthful etc. and so therefore any attempt to practice the
yamas or niyamas could be contrary to his nature and could therefore cause more mental problems instead of reducing them. This of course is a
controversial and philosophical question. However, all the great sages have emphasized that the intrinsic nature of all human beings is to be
truthful, honest, to do good and so on. Anything done to the contrary, though appearing to be a manifestation of the individual’s true nature, is
therefore really a shield or an act which has arisen through circumstances in life; perhaps poverty, mistreatment by other people and so on.
Consciously the individual may feel he is only doing what comes naturally, but subconsciously it is a different story. Conflict occurs in the
subconscious realms and these cause mental disturbances of the type that the individual feels consciously but does not know what is the cause. It
is in this form that most mental problems occur in modern society; a conflict between what one actually does, and what the subconscious really
wants to do.

The yamas and niyamas are therefore applicable to everyone without, distinction. A further thing: the reader may find these yamas and niyamas a
little impractical, perhaps even a little ‘heavy’. But remember your aim is transcendence and the path to perfection. Even if you abide by them to the
slightest extent this is a definite step in the right direction. Even a small step will be helpful. Don’t aim further than you are able, tread slowly and
gently.

Asanas or yogic postures

In traditional raja yoga, as enumerated by Patanjali, asanas are briefly mentioned as suitable sitting poses which give a steady and comfortable
position of the body. This enables one to practice concentration and meditation without physical disturbance. In view of the close relationship
between mind and body, this is a most essential part of every meditative session. Any position of the body which is even slightly unc omfortable will
prevent any serious progress in meditation, for the mind will be preoccupied with the body to the exclusion of all else.

However, as the reader is probably aware, there are numerous other asanas which are not generally suitable for meditational practices. These we
will call therapeutic asanas as opposed to meditational asanas. The therapeutic asanas, sirshasana, halasana etc. are nevertheless very useful in
allowing the aspirant to gain success in meditation. These asanas, if performed regularly, remove and prevent disease of the body and mind. They
loosen up the muscles and tone the nervous system. They help to induce tranquility of mind. In this respect, they encourage successful meditation
by eliminating a large number of factors which tend to prevent meditation. They also allow one to perform one’s daily duties with more zest and less
emotional upsets, which greatly helps one to meditate. These asanas are discussed in a wide selection of books (such as Asana, Pranayama,
Mudra, Bandha, published by the Bihar School of Yoga). The render is sincerely advised to refer to one of these books for details of their practice
and benefits and to do them on a daily basis.

The reader should also refer to the chapter on asanas which are the most suitable for sitting during meditational practices.

Pranayama or vital energy control

The word prana is used much in yoga, yet it is not well understood by the majority of people. It can be defined as vital or bio-energy. The reader is
referred to the section on pranayama for full details.

It is the medium through which matter and mind are linked to consciousness. Without this vital medium, consciousness could not express itself in
the external world through the mind. It therefore seems logical that control of the flow of prana helps to control the mind and therefore leads one
along the path to meditation. It is this control that the many techniques of pranayama attempt to achieve.

Many people, especially those new to yoga, assume that pranayama is no more than regulation of breath. This is partly true, for breath is indeed
modified during the practice of pranayama. Yet this is only half the story and it is not the prime motive of pranayama. The aim is control over the
flow of prana, which is intimately related to the breathing process. So close is this relationship, that any manipulation of the breath will automatically
cause manipulation of the prana.

One can meditate without doing pranayama, but its regular practice is a great help in achieving success in meditation. For example, the stage
before dhyana (meditation) in raja yoga is dharana (concentration); without being able to concentrate on one object for some time, dhyana is
impossible. The usual method is to visualize an internal object with closed eyes. This in itself is not so simple, for any mental image is either blurred
or fades from view within a short time. Pranayama is extremely useful in encouraging the appearance of clear mental images which remain visible
for longer periods of time. This is caused by redistribution of prana in the body, which renders the mind more able to perceive and control the
images.

Pranayama and its techniques have been discussed in various books and the reader is advised to refer to these for more information.

Pratyahara or sense withdrawal

Most of us spend the majority of our waking life with our mind externalized. In other words, our mind is predominantly concerned with events which
occur outside the body. Now, to gain any success in meditational techniques, we need to withdraw the mind from association with the outside
world. We have to forget the external environment. This is easier said than done, for the mind has been habituated since birth to looking outside,
and like all habits it is difficult to overcome. Most people find it difficult to close their eyes and forget the outside world, even for a minute or so.
During meditation lessons we ask the practitioners to try to keep their eyes closed for the duration of the practice. We tell them that they should
resist the temptation to open their eyes by asking themselves the question: “What is outside that can possibly interest me? I am in a room and
certainly nothing is happening outside.” All of us have this conditioned reflex always to think of external things. Our awareness is drawn outside in
the same way as iron is attracted to a magnet.

The biggest problem is that our mind is continually receiving data about the outside world via the sense organs: the ears, the eyes etc. Our mind
can never really disassociate itself from the outside world until it is trained or encouraged to ignore this never—ending stream of stimuli from the
sense organs. This is a natural process, for the mind does not assimilate or take note of all the messages it receives from the sense organs. If it
did, it would be unable to make decisions or obtain knowledge of the outside world, for it would be inundated with so much information that it would
Page 15 of 22
be powerless to act. The situation would be similar to having fifty radios in a room emitting fifty different radio stations with equal intensity. Sitting in
the middle of the room, one would be unable to perceive any one station and comprehend any one programme. The mind selects some of the data
and then makes decisions. What we must do is to reduce the selection of sense impressions which are communicated to the mind to zero. Actually
we do this more than we think. If we are absorbed in an interesting book we automatically lose awareness of the surroundings; we forget the sound
of the clock or the voice of people in another room or the crackling of a fire in the room. What we must try to do in meditation, concentration and
pratyahara is to lose awareness of our environment, but without the help of an exciting book or any other external thing that absorbs the intellectual
faculties of the mind. The mind should be absorbed, should be concentrated, but without intellectualization.

Now the mind is like a naughty child; it does the opposite of what you want it to do- So if you try to shut out sense impressions the mind
automatically makes them more intense. If, on the other hand, you force the mind to think of external things whilst the eyes are closed it will, after
sometime, tend to lose interest in the external sounds etc. and will not associate with sense impressions. This state of mind, called pratyahara, is
exactly what we want for meditation. This idiosyncrasy of the mind is utilized in one yogic process called antar mouna, which is an excellent method
of attaining pratyahara and preparing for meditation. This method is described in the section on meditational practices.

The degree to which a person can do pratyahara successfully depends very much on his ability to sit in a comfortable asana for the duration of
practice. If he feels continual physical discomfort, then of course his mind will be continually aware of stimuli from the sense organs giving
information about paid, stiffness and so on. Pratyahara and consequently meditation will be out of the question. It is therefore necessary that the
practitioner trains the body so that it can maintain one position for a prolonged length of time, without any discomfort whatsoever.

Many of the techniques given in this book involve a systematic rotation of one’s awareness around different parts of the body, awareness of the
breathing process, of sounds uttered either mentally or verbally etc. This is utilized partly to concentrate the mind, but also to keep the mind
engrossed in internal things so that it automatically forgets the surroundings, thereby inducing a state of pratyahara. This satisfies the wandering
tendency of the mind, but in controlled manner, and avoids the problems encountered in the practice of pure one-pointed concentration, during
which the untrained mind tends to rebel against the forced restraints and all progress may be lost.

Dharana or concentration

By the time one is ready to practice this stage all external disturbances to the mind should have been eliminated. However, the mind is still in a
state of turmoil; in that it is plagued by thoughts. These thoughts are not concerned with the present time, for all outside stimuli have been shut off.
They can be classified into two groups: memories of the past and projections of future events. How can we remove these activities of the mind?
The method of elimination is through dharana or concentration.

Concentration in this context means fixing the mind totally on one object to the exclusion of all others. When this is achieved then the mind
automatically does not think of other things or ideas. It becomes totally absorbed in the object of concentration. The object of concentration is
usually an internal image kept in front of the closed eyes, though it can also be an external object. However, the mind tends to wander more easily
if it is concentrating on an external object, but concentrating on a external object is very useful for those people who have difficulty in visualizing an
internal object. If one concentrates on an external object (as in the practice of trataka, explained later in this book) for a reasonable length of time
daily, it will eventually be possible to close the eyes and visualize the image of that object internally. Concentration on one idea to the exclusion of
all other ideas can also be practiced, but this is more difficult and is usually done when one has developed the power of concentration to a very
high level.

Actually in the yogic concentration the mind is not held completely’ rigid; the processes of the mind are not curtailed. The mind is held so that it is
aware of one object, but it should move in the sense that it realizes deeper aspects of the object. It realizes aspects of the object that were not
perceivable before when ‘the mind was continually wandering from one object to the next. This may be compared to a person visiting an art gallery.
If he quickly glances at each picture he sees little of the fine detail. If, on the other hand, he spends half an hour studying one picture, the finer and
more subtle points of the picture will reveal themselves to him.

Even people who think they have highly developed powers of concentration will find concentration on one object difficult. This is because
concentration is normally of a wider type where one concentrates on a train of ideas, whilst reading a book for example, or on a large number of
objects. To hold your mind on one object is far more difficult and its benefits in the form of deeper insight into the object of concentration are also
correspondingly greater. Concentration on one object is not impossible. It requires persistent practice and annihilation of all mental disturbances by
the practice of the lower five stages of raja yoga, and when the mind has been completely purified by these basic practices, concentration will come
of itself, naturally, w ithout any special effort being required.

Dhyana or meditation

Dhyana is really an extension of dharana and has been defined by Patanjali as the uninterrupted flow of .concentration of the mind on the object of
meditation or concentration. There is a f ine difference between dharana and dhyana. In dharana the mind continually tries to think of things other
than the object, and the practitioner has to bring the awareness back to the object; distractions still exist in one form or another. In dhyana,
howev er, the mind has been subjugated and is totally and continually absorbed in the object. It is in meditation that the deeper aspects of the object
start to manifest themselves. The depth of concentration in dhyana is far greater than in dharana.

It is through the regular and continual practice of concentration that dhyana spontaneously manifests itself.

Samadhi or illumined consciousness

Samadhi is the fullest extension of dhyana. It is the climax of meditation. It is actually divided into four stages, all of which must be transcended
before one eventually reaches the culmination of yoga and of life itself, self —realization or oneness with reality. These stages will not be discussed
in this book, for they are so far above normal experience that words are totally inadequate to describe them. We would be merely playing with
words, even more so than when we tried to describe meditation on the lower levels. Anyone, however, who is interested in the technical aspects of
samadhi should refer to any of the many commentaries on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

Patanjali describes samadhi as that state during meditation where there is only consciousness of the object and no concurrent consciousness of
the mind. This needs some explanation. During lower states of meditation the object’s deeper reality slowly shows itself. Yet the ultimate essence
does not show itself; something seems to prevent it revealing itself. This something is, in fact, the mind of the meditator. It acts as a screen
between the object and consciousness. The self —conscious nature of the mind veils the reality of the object from consciousness. We can compare
this to a person who is singing. If he is singing without awareness of himself his singing will be much better than if he is self-conscious and aware
Page 16 of 22
that people are listening to him. One only needs to look at all great people to see that they have produced their greatest work when they have lost
this element of self —consciousness. When the mind removes its impediment, higher inspiration can shine through. It is exactly the same in high
states of meditation.

In samadhi the self-consciousness of the mind disappears. The duality of object and perceiving subject disappears so that the object and subject
become one. It is only under these circumstances that the ultimate essence of the object reveals itself, for if the object and subject are no longer
different but the same, then the subject must know everything about the object. The object of perception, the person perceiving and the perception
that takes place all become one entity. This situation is difficult to explain in words, for it transcends normal experience. Let us take a very gross
analogy. A man sees a large crowd of people from a distance; he feels that he is separate from the crowd and of course he is. This is like our
normal relationship to the things around us. The crowd is discussing something but it is too far away for the man to hear. Between him and the
crowd and preventing him discovering what it is talking about is a large fence. The fence is the mind. It must be overcome or climbed if he wants to
find out what the crowd is talking about. He climbs the fence, joins the crowd and finds out what it is talking about. In a crude sense the man
becomes one with the crowd and also the knowledge that keeps the crowd together, the reason for the formation of the crowd. The viewer joins
with the viewed and the point of view hold by the viewed. They become one. It is the same in samadhi. Of course the unity obtained during samadhi
is indescribable and far transcends our day -to-day experiences.

A person looking at a man in samadhi will have no comprehension of what the man in samadhi is experiencing. In fact the spectator might even feel
that the man in samadhi is asleep if he is in a sitting position, or else acting completely normally, with ‘normal’ thought processes if he is performing
his daily duties. Not even the man in samadhi consciously knows the height of the experience he is undergoing. When he leaves the state of
samadhi and returns to normal awareness, or perhaps we should say normal non-awareness, (for that it surely is in comparison to samadhi), he
maintains the deep wisdom and peace and expresses it in everyday activities. A man who has experienced samadhi even once is a completely
changed man. He has raised himself above the average and he sees everything in a totally new light.

The stages of dharana to samadhi are really different names for different degrees of attainment. One automatically leads to the next when the
aspirant has reached a certain level of development. They are not totally different practices as are the lower stages such as asanas, pranayama,
for example. There is no abrupt change from one stage to the next. The progress of the aspirant in these realms is natural and spontaneous. It is at
these stages that the guru is said to become an absolute necessity, for while the aspirant’s awareness is fully engrossed in the experiences he is
passing through, only the guru can provide the guidance needed to carry him safely on the path to the goal.

***

Page 17 of 22
 Meditation According To The Bhagavata
Swami Siddhinathananda

Do thou restrain by all means thy fickle mind, my son, by thy superior intelligence set steady on Me. This is the sum and substance of all Yoga’. So
spake the Lord to Uddhava

Tasmat sarvatmana tata

nigrhana mano dhiya
Mayi avesitaya yukta
etavan yogasamgrahah

Meditation means reflection, derived, according to the Chamber’s Dictionary, from the Latin meditari probably cognate with the Latin root mederi,
meaning to heal. So, meditation is the science of healing in its origin. Most ailments are mental and physical, and then there are the purely mental
ones. Primarily the component that needs healing is the mind. So meditation is identical with yoga which is defined as the prevention of mental
modifications. Mental modifications are the root cause of all misery and their eradication is the science of yoga. Arresting of the ripples is only the
negative aspect of the process; the positive aspect is the reflection on the witnessing Self which is ever present. Self -awareness is the goal of Yoga
and the means is meditation. Dhyana is the term used by the Yoga system for meditation Dhyana has various degrees of intensity; they are called
Dhyana, Dharana and Samadhi. Dharana is the process of placing the mind on the object of meditation to the exclusion of contrary thoughts. When
the mental flow becomes steady and deep, it is Dhyana. When the object of meditation alone remains to the exclusion of all else, it is Samadhi.
Samadhi is the end and the other two, the process.

In Dhyana or meditation, there are three factors: the meditator, the process of meditation and the object of meditation. Of these three, the first two
are constant factors in any form of meditation. The possibility of difference, if any, is only in the object. Here also, there cannot by any real
difference in the object but, only in the conception of the object. When one speaks of ‘Meditation according to the Bhagavata’, the qualification on
‘Meditation’ can apply only to the object. For, in meditation, whether it be according to the Bhagavata or the Yoga Sutras, the person and the
process are the same. The objects may differ. The Yoga Sutras suggest a few such as God, a flame, a saint and so on. The Bhagavata elaborates
this to infinite proportions and at the same time provides a supreme, sublime person as the object of meditation.

Meditation is the soul of spiritual life. A life without meditation is like a horse without reins or a boat without rudder. That science has been perfected
by Patanjali. All types of aspirants have adopted that method with suitable modifications to attain their goals. Mind is the object of attack for all. It is
an internal instrument evolved by the soul out of subtle matter. Subtle matter by association with the luminous soul becomes live and serves both
its father, the soul and its mother, nature, i.e., the body. Though it was intended to be a loyal servant of the soul, it played foul and started serving
the demands of its material parent, with the result that the soul has been caught in interminable woes and worries. It is like the filament of an
electric bulb claiming the luminosity to itself. Rightly has it been compared to a drunk and maddened monkey. It is this monkey that has to be
tackled. The strange part of it is that the hero and the villain are -the same mind. The mind has to be trained to conquer itself. It is almost an
impossible task and often, very exasperating. Arjuna was perfectly right when he compared the attempt at controlling the mind to binding the mighty
wind. Krishna’s reply acknowledged the hazard involved and at the same time struck a positive and optimistic note. It is a slow, steady and
prolonged process. ‘Watch and wait’ is its watchword. The secret of success lies in patience and steadiness. In spiritual life, the method is more
important than the end. Once the end is fixed on, one can forget it; the whole attention may then be directed to the means. The sustained struggle
itself is practically the end so far as an aspirant is concerned.

The monkey has to be taught to obey the bidding of the master. Mind has to be made aware that is only a servant and that the master is someone
above it. In the path of knowledge, the mind is required to dwell on the Ultimate, incomprehensible Reality. By definition, the Ultimate Reality is
beyond mind. To assign the mind to grasp the infinite is asking for the impossible. Even the wise lose their way in that path, says the Bhagavata.
Patanjali’s path, though very systematic, is difficult of attainment, for it is almost impossible to possess all the prerequisites. It is a frontal encounter
with the mind. Either it plays truant or cracks. The Bhagavata has a smooth and effective way for the purpose.

Concentration is the essence of meditation. It is well known that the mind gets easily concentrated on matters of its liking. Objects of the senses are
charming and the mind naturally flows towards them. Give it something more charming and it will automatically flow in that direction. Instead of
trying to stem a strong current abruptly, cut a channel on the, upper reaches and divert the flow through it, and you can regulate the water to turn a
turbine to produce light and power. That is the method that the .Bhagavata proposes and hence its popular appeal. That takes into account the
needs and limitations of the mind, and therefore it is a truly psychological approach. -

Asti bhati priyam rupam

nama ca ityamsa-pancakam
adya-trayam brahma-rupam
jagad-rupam tato dvayam

Being, knowing, bliss, form and name are the live constituents of the Totality. The first three are Brahman and the last two the changing world.
Philosophically the world is called Maya. Mind is maya individualized. It operates in ‘the magic field. Its field is the phenomenal world. Endow
Brahman with a magic cover and the mind will apprehend it. Invest the Satchidananda with a name and a form and the mind can grasp it. That is
why Narada instructed Vyasa; the author of the Brahmasutras to sing the glories of the Incarnations of God. The Bhagavata provides innumerable
forms of God for meditation, all sublime and enchanting. Not only that, it allows free play to all human emotions. Emotion directed to divinity is
devotion. The Bhagavata approves of establishing any kind of emotional relation with divinity; paternal or maternal, fraternal or filial, erotic or
esoteric relations to the divine are adopted. Nay even an antagonistic way to God is recognized. All the demons of the Bhagavata are deeply
devoted to God and their apparent antagonism is an expression of their impatience to go back to the feet of God. In intensity of feeling, perhaps
they may rank on a par with the bucolic lasses of Vrindavan. The advantage in adopting an emotional and personal relation to God is that the mind
will dwell on Him constantly without cessation. It will be spontaneous, smooth and incessant meditation. The devotee dwells ever in the presence of
God. There is no formality in this path. It is meditation with eyes open; wherever his eyes set, there he espies his Beloved. The Gopis were always
in a state of divine intoxication. Suka was ever in sublime peace. Narada was at all times in divine inebriation. Prahlada was soaked in bliss divine
for ever. Mira, the great saintly singer, is said to have been brought up by her grandparents as she lost her parents early in life. Her grandfather
was a devout man. He used to sing and dance in the name of God and lose himself in meditation. The little girl was fascinated and perplexed. She
asked her grandpa why he was shouting and jumping at times and sitting like a stock at other times. How to explain the mysteries of devotion to a
tiny tot? He said he was praying and meditating. What is praying and meditating, demanded Mira. Her grandpa said; ‘When we talk to God, it is
prayer and when God talks to us, it is meditation’. Mira’s whole life was a continuous dialogue between her Soul and her Beloved.

Page 18 of 22
Well, Mira’s way is the Bhagavata way, a continuous pre-occupation of the Soul with God. The afflicted man, when at his wit’s end, turns to God
and pours out his worries and cares, submits his complaints and prays for succor. That is the stage of the Soul speaking to God. When man feels
utterly helpless and cries quarter, God opens his portals and man remains mute. These are the various stages of meditation.

In Book XI. Ch. 23 of the Bhagavata there is the story of a Brahmin, who was miserliness personified and hated by one and all. Fate deprived him
of all his wealth, and he became a mendicant and was insulted and tortured by the people. Learning his lesson through bitter experiences, he
became cool and composed. There is beautiful philosophical passage attributed to him. Among other things he says: ‘These people are not the
cause of my misery, nor the angels nor God, nor the stars, nor fate, nor time. Mind is the prime cause and the whole wheel of life turns and twirls
because of the mind. It sets in motion the strong desires. The Jiva embraces the mind and gets entangled and enchained in worldly affairs. All
spiritual disciplines such as fasts and vigils, charity and dutifulness, purity and poverty, all these have only one goal in view, namely the control of
the mind; for, the highest Yoga is concentration of the mind. If once the mind is controlled, of w hat use are charity and other virtues? And if the
mind is not under control, what availeth one the observance of charity, poverty and the like? All the gods are under the control of the mind; the mind
is not under the control of anyone. Mind is a terrible God, stronger than the strongest. He who has it under his control is verily the God of gods.
Without subjugating this relentless foe, man falls foal of fellow —men. Identifying himself with the body which is nothing bat a mental construct, he
roams about deluded in this endless darkness. I shall take to the path the ancient sages have trodden. I shall serve the Lord’s feet and shall cross
this shoreless ocean of Samsara’.

The normal haunts of the mind are the world of the senses. Give it something better and sweeter and it will take to it.

Visayan dhyayatascittam
visayesu visajjate
mam anusmaratascittam
mayi eva praviliyate
Bh. 11.14.27.

‘The mind that dwells on sense—objects gets stuck in them. The mind that remembers Me constantly, gets dissolved in Me’, says Krishna to
Uddhava. That is the mode of meditation advocated by the Bhagavata. Ordinarily meditation is the despair of aspirants, for, the mind does not
relish any sort of restraint. Bat then, sweeten the emotion with devotion, and meditation becomes sweet and spontaneous. Prahlada told his
friends: ‘It isn’t very difficult to please the Lord, for He is within one and all and is visible everywhere.’ He was looking through the eyes of love.
When his teachers asked him who turned his head to Hari, Prahlada replied: ‘As the iron filings fly to the magnet, so does my mind run to the feet of
the Wielder of the discus’. When meditation is cultured in the medium of love, it is easy, sweet and lovely. Then look any where, you will see the
wonder child of Vraja playing around. Tune your soul to Vrindavan, you will hear the sweet strains from Krishna’s flute. If only you love Him
sufficiently, you can constantly live and play with Him.

Komalam kujayan venuni

syamaloyam kumarakah
vedavedyam param brahma
bhasatam purato mama

‘May He of hue welkin-blue’, He, the Supreme Soul of all the Vedas, dance before me playing on His divine flute’. That is the prayer of the devotee:
that is the vision he craves for. And that is the meditation according to the Bhagavata, a sweet and constant awareness of the ever playful and the
ever blissful Supreme Lord.

Attune your ears to Vridavana like the Gopis; you will hear the call of Krishna through His flute. Pluck at the lute of your heart with loving abandon,
like Narada Hari will come running into your heart. Open your Soul to the Lord like Prahlada; you will see Han everywhere. Meditate on the Lord
like Sri Suka and you are ever in the presence of God.

The finale of meditation is spiritual illumination and its language is silence. A peace that passeth understanding is its subjective content and an
irenic, elusive smile, its visible indication. ‘Silence is Brahman’ say the Seers.

From the book “Paths of Meditation.”

***

Page 19 of 22
 When Thoughts Become Silent
Even as fire without fuel becomes extinct in its own resting-place, when thoughts become silent the mind becomes quiet in its own source.

Even in a mind which longs for truth and has quieted down in its own source, there arise false inclinations due to past actions w hen deluded by the
senses.

Samsara takes place in one’s own mind. Let one therefore keep the mind pure by effort, for what a man thinks that he becomes: this is the eternal
mystery.

The true silence of the mind overcomes good and evil actions. Becoming one with the serene Self, he enjoys imperishable happiness.

If men thought of Brahman as much ns they think of the things of this world, who will’ then not be free from bondage?

The mind, it is said, is of two kinds, pure and impure. Impure when in the bondage of desire, pure when free from desire.

When the mind is silent and motionless, freed from sloth and distraction, then one can enter into a state which is beyond the mind, the Supreme
State.

The mind should be kept in the heart as long as it has not reached the Highest End. This is wisdom, this is liberation. Everything else is but an
extension of the knots which bind us to this life.

Words cannot describe the joy of one whose impurities are cleansed in deep meditation—who is one with the Self. Only those who have
experienced this joy know what it is in their own heart.

As one cannot distinguish water when it merges with water, fire, when it merges with fire; space when it merges with space, even so he whose
mind has entered the Self, is one with the Self and attains the supreme liberation.

Mind is indeed the source of bondage and also the source of liberation for man. To be bound to things of this world: this is bondage. To be free
from them: this is liberation.

Maitri Upanishad VI 34

***

Page 20 of 22
 Meditation
J. Krishnamurti

WHAT IS MEDITATION? Before we go into that really quite complex and intricate problem we ought to be very clear as to what it is that we are
after. We are always seeking something, especially those who are religiously minded; even for the scientist, seeking has become quite an issue—
seeking. This factor, of seeking, must be very clearly and definitely understood before we go into what meditation is and why one should meditate
at all, what is its use and where does it get you.

The word ‘seek’— to run after, to search out—implies, does it not, that we already know, more or less, .what we are after. When we say we are
seeking truth, or we are seeking God—if we are religiously minded—or we are seeking a perfect life and so on, we must already have in our minds
an image, or an idea. To find something after seeking it, we must already have known what its contour is, its color, its substance and so on. Is there
not implied in that word, ‘seeking’, that we have lost something and we are going to find it and that when we find it we shall be able to recognize it—
which means that we have already known it, that all we have to do is to go after it and search it out?

In meditation the first thing we realize is that it is no use to seek; for what is sought is predetermined by what you wish; if you are unhappy, lonely,
in despair, you will search out hope, companionship, something to sustain you, and you will find it, inevitably.

In meditation, one must lay the foundation, the foundation of order, which is righteousness—not respectability, the social morality which is no
morality at all, but the order that comes of understanding disorder: quite a different thing. Disorder must exist as long as there is conflict, both
outwardly and inwardly.

Order, which comes of understanding disorder, is not according to a blueprint, according to some authority, or your own particular experience-
Obviously this order must come about without effort, because effort distorts —it must come about without any form of control.

We are talking about something very difficult in saying that we must bring about order without control. We must understand disorder, how it comes
into being; it is the conflict which is in ourselves. In observing it, it is understood; it is not a matter of overcoming t, throttling it, suppressing it. To
observe without any distortion, without any compulsive or directive impulse, is quite an arduous task.

Control implies either suppression, rejection or exclusion; it implies conflict. When one understands this, control and choice come totally to an end.
All this may seem rather difficult and rather contradictory to everything you have thought about. You may say: how can there be order without
control implies division, between the one who controls and the thing that is to be controlled; in this division there is conflict, there is distortion. When
you really understand this, then there is the ending of the division between the controller and the controlled and therefore comprehension,
understanding. When there is understanding of what actually is, then there is no need for control.

So there are these two essential things that must be completely understood if we are to go into the question of what meditation is: first, there is no
use in seeking; second, there must be that order which comes from the understanding of disorder which comes from control, with all the
implications of the duality and the contradiction which arises between the observer and the observed.

Order comes when the one w ho is angry and tries to get rid of anger sees that he is anger itself. Without this understanding you really cannot
possibly know what meditation is. Do not fool yourself with all the books written about, meditation, or with all the people who tell you how to
meditate, or the groups that are formed in order to meditate. For it there is no order, which is virtue, the mind must live in the effort of contradiction.
How can such a mind be aware of the whole implication of meditation?

With one’s whole being one must come upon this strange thing called love—and therefore be without fear. We mean love that is not touched by
pleasure, by desire, by jealousy—love that knows no competition, that does not divide, as my love and your love. Then the mind—including the
brain and the emotions—is in complete harmony; and this must be, otherwise meditation becomes self-hypnosis.

You must work very hard, to find out the activities of you own mind, how it functions, with its self-centered activities, the ‘me’ and the ‘not me’; you
must be quite familiar with yourself and all the tricks that the mind plays upon itself, the illusions and the delusions, the imagery and the imagining
of all the romantic ideas that one has. A mind that is capable of sentimentality is incapable of love; sentiment breeds brutality, cruelty and violence,
not love.

To establish this deeply in yourself is quite arduous; it demands a tremendous discipline, to learn by observing what is going on in yourself that
observation is not possible if there is any form of prejudice, conclusion or formula, according to which you are observing. If you are observing
according to what a psychologist has said to you, you really are not observing yourself, therefore there is no self -knowing.

You need a mind _______________________________________________ by the propaganda or the experiences of others. Enlightenment does
not come through the understanding of what is in yourself —not going away from yourself. The mind has to understand actually what is going on it
its own psychological field; it must be aware of what is going on without any distortion, without any choice, without any resentment, bitterness,
explanation or justification—it must just be aware.

This basis is laid happily, not compulsively, but with ease, with felicity, without any hope of reaching anything. If you have hope, you are moving
away from despair; one has to understand despair, not search out hope. In the understanding of ‘what is’ there is neither despair nor hope.

Is all this asking too much of the human mind? Unless one asks what may appear to be impossible, one falls into the trap, the limitation, of what is
thought to be possible. To fall into this trap is very easy. One has to ask the utmost of the mind and the heart, otherwise one will remain in the
convenient and the comfortable possible.

Now are we together still? Verbally, probably we are; but the word is not the thing; what we have done is to describe, and the description is not the
described. If you are taking a journey with the s peaker you are taking the journey actually, not theoretically, not as an idea but as something that
you yourself are actually observing—not something you are experiencing; there is a differences between observation and experience.

There is a vast difference between observation and experience. In observation there is no ‘observer’ at all, there is only observing; there is not the
one who observes and is divided of from the thing observed. Observation is entirely different from the exploration in which analysis is involved. In
analysis there is always the ‘analyzer’ and the thing to be analyzed. In exploring there is always an entity who explores. In observation there is a
continuous accumulation. In hope you see the difference. Such learning is different from learning in order to accumulate so that from that

Page 21 of 22
accumulation one thinks and acts. An enquiry may be logical, sane and rational, but to observe without the ‘observer’ is entirely different.

Then there is the question of experience, Why do we want experience? Have you ever thought about it? We have experience all the time, of which
we are either cognizant or ignorant. And we want deeper, wider, experiences —rnystical, profound, transcendental, godly, spiritual—why? Is it not
because one’s life is so shoddy, so miserable, so small and petty? One wants to forget all that and move into another dimension altogether. How
can a petty mind, worried, fearful, occupied with problem after problem experience anything other than its own projection and activity? This demand
for greater experience is the escaping from that which actually is; yet it is only through that actuality that the most mysterious thing in life is
generally, is out of the past, there is nothing new in it. So there is a difference between observation and the craving for experience.

If all this, that is so extraordinarily subtle, demanding great inward attention, is clear, then we can come to our original question: what is meditation?
So much has been said about meditation; so many volumes have been written; there are great (I do not know if they are great) yogis who come
and teach you how to meditate. The whole of Asia talks about meditation; it is one of their habits, as it is a habit to believe in God or something
else. They sit for ten minutes a day in a quiet room and ‘meditate’, concentrate, fix their mind on an image, an image created by themselves, or by
somebody else who has offered that image through propaganda. During those ten minutes they try to control the mind; the mind wants to go back
and forth and they battle with it—that game they play everlastingly; and that is what they call meditation.

If one does not know anything about meditation, then one has to find out what it is, actually—not according to anybody—and that may lead one to
nothing or it may lead one to everything. One must enquire, ask that questions, without any expectation.

To observe the mind—this mind that chatters, that projects ideas, that lives in contradiction, in constant conflict and comparison—I must obviously
be very quiet. If I am to listen to what you are saying I must give attention, I cannot be chattering, I cannot be thinking about something else, I must
not compare what you are saying with what I already know, I must listen to you completely; the mind must he attentive, must be silent, quiet.

It is imperative to see clearly the whole structure of violence; looking at violence the mind becomes completely still—you do not have to ‘cultivate’ a
still mind. To cultivate a still mind implies the one who cultivates, in the field of time, that which he hopes to achieve. See the difficulty. Those who
try to teach meditation, say, ‘Control your mind, make your mind absolutely quiet’. You try to control it and everlastingly battle with it; you spend
Forty years controlling it. The mind that, observes does not control and everlastingly battle.

The very act of seeing or listening is attention; this you do not have to practice at all; if you practice, you immediately become inattentive. You are in
attentive and your mind wanders off let it wander off, but know that it is inattentive; that awareness of that attention is attention. Do not battle with
inattention; do not try, saying, ‘I must be attentive’—it is childish. Know: that you are inattentive, be aware, choicelessly, that you are inattentive—
what of it?—and at the moment, in that inattention, when there is action, be.

The silence of the mind is beauty in itself. To listen to a bird, to the voice of a human being, to the politician, to the priest, to all the noise of
propaganda that goes on, to listen completely silently, is to hear much more, to see much more. Such silence is not possible if your body is not also
completely still. The organism, with all its nervous responses —the fidgeting, the ceaseless movement of fingers, the eyes—with all its general
restlessness, must be completely still. Have you ever tried sitting completely still without a single movement of the body, including the eyes? Do it
for two minutes. In those two minutes the whole thing is revealed—if you know how to look.

The body being still, the flow of blood to the head becomes more. But if you sit crouched and sloppy, then it is more difficult for the blood to go to
the head—you must know all this. But; on the other hand, you can do anything and meditate; when in the bus, or when you are driving—it is the
most extraordinary thing, that you can meditate while you are driving—be careful, I mean this. The body has its own intelligence, which thought has
destroyed. Thought seeks pleasure, and in this way thought leads to indulgence, overeating, indulging sexually; it compels the body to do certain
things—if it is lazy, it forces it not to be lazy, or it suggests taking a pill to keep awake. That way the innate intelligence of the organism is destroyed
and it becomes insensitive. One needs great sensitivity, therefore one has to watch what one eats—if one overeats, one knows what happens.
When there is great sensitivity, there is intelligence and therefore love; love then is joy and timeless.

Most of us have physical pain, in some form or another. That pain generally disturbs the mind which spends days, even years, thinking about it—’I
wish I did not have it’; ‘Shall I ever be without it?’ When the body has pain, watch it, observe it, do not let thought interfere with it.

The mind, including the brain and the heart, must be in total harmony. Now, what is the point of all this, this kind of life, this kind of harmony, what
good is it in this world, where there is so much suffering? If one or two people have this ecstatic life, what is the point of it? What is the point of
asking this question?—it has none whatsoever. If you do have this extraordinary thing going in your life, then it is everything; then you become the
teacher, the disciple, the neighbor, the beauty of the cloud—you are all that, and that is love.

Then comes another factor in meditation. The waking mind, the mind that is functioning during the day along the lines in which it has has been
trained, the conscious mind with all its daily activities, continues those activities during sleep in dreams. In dreams there is action going on, of
_______waking hours. And there is a lot of mysterious hocuspocus about dreams —that the’ need to be interpreted hence all the professionals
interpreting dreams —which you can observe yourself very simply, if you watch your own life (luring the daytime. Yet why should there lie dreams at
all? (Though the psychologists say that you must have dreams, otherwise you will go insane.) But when you have observed very closely your
waking hours, all your self-centered activities, the fearful, the anxious, the guilty, when you are attentive to that all day then you will see that when
you sleep, you have no dreams. The mind has been watching every moment of thoughts, attentive to its every word; if you do it, you will see the
beauty of it—not the tired boredom of watching, hut the beauty of watching; you will see then that there is attention in sleep. And meditation, the
thing that we have talked about during this hour, becomes extraordinarily important and worthwhile, full of dignity and grace and beauty. When you
understand what attention is, not only during waking hours hut also during sleep, then the whole of the mind is totally awake. Beyond that, every
form of des cription is not the described; you do not talk about it. All that one can do is point to the door. And if you are willing to go, take a journey
to that door, then it is for you to walk beyond; nobody can describe the thing that is not nameable, whether that nameable is nothing or everything-it
does not matter, Anybody who describes it does not know. And one who says he knows, does not know.

***

Page 22 of 22