Meditation For Beginners, Meditation Instructions: Shabda Yoga Tradition

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"The saints and mystics come to share the Light, the peace, and happiness

they found with all humanity. They come to show us the Light so we can

experience more happiness, tranquality, and peace than we can ever dream

of. We do not have to wait until death to experience the worlds beyond.

We do not even need a near-death experience and all the physical trauma

that it brings to find the inner Light. It is waiting with each of us

this very moment. Through meditation each one of us can find it." (Rajinder

Singh, "Inner & Outer Peace Through Meditation")

 

Introductory Meditation Instructions

 

Step One: Finding a Time and a Place for

 

Meditation

 

It is best to find a time in which we will have the least distractions

 

from our environment. We should choose a time and place in which we

 

will not be disturbed by phone calls and there is a quietude in the

 

atmosphere. This is why the time between three and six o'clock in the

 

 

morning is recommended. In India this time is referred to as amrit

 

vela or Brahm mahulab because that is the quietest time of the day.

 

But in this day and age that is not a necessity. We can meditate at

 

any time in which we will not be disturbed. As we develop our

 

concentration, we should be able to meditate even in a noisy

 

environment. But to help us in the beginning, it is definitely

 

preferable to sit in an area in which there will not be any noise, any

 

telephones ringing, or any outside activity. Once we have perfected

 

our inner travels we can meditate anywhere we like. In the beginning,

 

 

however, it definitely helps if the surroundings are conducive to

 

sitting for meditation.

 

We should sit in meditation only at times when we are fully

 

awake. If we try to sit in meditation when we have just come back from

 

work and are tired, then the chances are that in the process we will

 

 

fall asleep. So we want to find a time which is most suitable for us,

 

 

during which we are fully awake and relaxed.

 

The main point is that we can meditate whenever we find the right

 

time and place for ourselves.

 

 

 

Step Two: Selecting a pose

 

 

We should sit in a pose that is most convenient to us. This could be

 

 

at any place in our house. We do not have to leave our house to

 

meditate. Meditation can be practiced anywhere. We can sit on a chair,

 

we can sit on the floor we can sit on a sofa, we can sit cross-legged

 

 

or with legs strait. We can sit in any manner. One can even meditate

 

 

standing up or lying down. The main thing is to meditate whenever we

 

 

are comfortable. The only thing that is expected of us is that

 

whatever pose we choose should be one that we can be still for the

 

longest period of time. Before the mind can be stilled, the body has

 

 

to be stilled. We want to be sure that in whatever pose we select, we

 

 

can remain without moving, shaking, or scratching an itch. For those

 

 

who are physically unable to sit, they can even lie down. The reason

 

 

lying down is not recommended is that it is conducive to falling

 

asleep.

 

In whatever pose we adopt, there should be no tension in any part

 

of the body. We should sit in a relaxed pose. Once we select the pose,

 

we should not change it during the meditation sitting. We should

 

remain physically still.

 

 

 

Step three: Concentrating

 

Once we pick a pose, we should close our eyes very gently, just as we

 

 

do when going to sleep, and concentrate on seeing what lies in front

 

 

of us. There should be no pressure on the eyes. Our eyes should be

 

relaxed as they are when we go to sleep. Since these physical eyes are

 

not those by which we will be seeing the inner realms, there is no

 

need to turn the eyeballs upwards in the hopes that we will see

 

something there. We should concentrate on the forehead. Instead, we

 

should keep our eyeballs horizontal, as if we were looking straight

 

ahead.

 

If the eyeballs look or turn upwards, we will feel a little

 

pressure on the forehead, which may result in two problems. We may

 

get a headache or we may generate heat in that area and our forehead

 

 

will become hot. That will create problems for us which will cause us

 

 

to

 

move or get up to do something to cool ourselves down. That will

 

interrupt our meditation. So we need focus our attention a few inches

 

 

in front of us.

 

When we close our eyes we will first see darkness. That which sees the

 

darkness is our inner eye. With the inner eye, we should gaze

 

lovingly, sweetly, and penetratingly into whatever is in front of us.

 

 

We should be relaxed but attentive, as if we were watching a movie

 

screen and waiting for the movie to begin. This is a process in which

 

 

we do not worry about the world out side or what is going on in the

 

body below. We are only trying to invert so as to reach the worlds

 

within.

 

 

 

Step Four: Silencing Thought

 

Once we close our eyes and focus our attention in front of us, the

 

mind will distract our concentration with thoughts. Our mind is like

 

 

mercury, always restless and moving about. We will start thinking

about

 

all our problems. We will think about the past, we will think about

 

the present, and we will think about the future. It could bring us

 

thoughts about our work, about our families, or about our friends.

 

Mind has many ways of distracting us from sitting in meditation and of

 

keeping us from learning about our soul and God.

 

In our body we have our soul and our mind. The mind is a powerful

 

entity whose main aim is to keep the soul in the body so that it does

 

 

not reach the inner realms. The mind will try to keep our attention

 

entangled in the physical world. It will do its best to prevent us

 

from rising above this physical world and returning to God. The mind

 

 

will keep us constantly thinking of our problems at work or at home.

 

 

It will engage us in continually making plans for the future. We need

 

 

to realize the soul is our real self; is the part of us that is the

 

same essence as God. Unfortunately we have been separated from God. If

 

we can realize that our soul is covered by the mind and body, and

 

understand that the mind's role is to keep us from knowing our soul,

 

we

 

will be better able to still our mind.

 

For perfect concentration, we have to reach a state where there are

 

no thoughts. If we have any thoughts, whether they are good or bad,

 

they are all bad for us as far as meditation is concerned. Thoughts

 

are like chains. The iron chains are our bad thoughts. But even if

 

good thoughts are chains of gold, they are still chains. Thus good

 

thoughts are still distractions and will not help us in the process of

 

meditation.

 

To provide assistance to help us bring our attention to the

 

eye-focus and to still the mind, we should repeat any names of God

with

 

which we feel comfortable. The mind is a great distraction and keeps

 

 

the attention from concentrating at the seat of the soul. However, if

 

 

the mind is busy in the repetition of these names, it cannot distract

 

 

the attention with thoughts. While we gaze into the middle of what

 

lies in front of us, we repeat the names. The names are to be repeated

 

mentally, with the tongue of thought, not out loudly. They are to be

 

 

repeated slowly, at intervals, not in quick succession. There should

 

be

 

a slight pause between each Name.

 

 

 

Step Five: Concentrating on the inner light and sound

 

We need to realize the light within us. It is like having a light

 

bulb. If you put four or five sheaths over it, pretty soon you will

 

not see the light from the bulb. So this process of concentration,

 

this process of meditation, is one by which we try to remove these

 

sheaths one by one. We try to go within so we can see the light

 

within us. Once we see how much illumination there is within, we will

 

 

automatically want to see more and more of it. We will want to be in

 

 

that state all the time. Similarly, unless we once taste the bliss of

 

 

contacting the light within, we cannot appreciate it. But once we go

 

 

within, we crave that enjoyment more and more.

 

There are two meditation practices. The first is concentrating on

 

the inner light. During this practice the repetition of the names

 

continues. We need to realize the light within us. It is like having

 

a light

 

bulb. If you put four or five sheaths over it, pretty soon you will

 

not see the light from the bulb. So this process of concentration,

 

this process of meditation, is one by which we try to remove these

 

sheaths one by one. We try to go within so we can see the light

 

within us. Once we see how much illumination there is within, we

 

will automatically want to see more and more of it. We will want to be

 

in that state all the time. Similarly, unless we once taste the bliss

 

of contacting the light within, we cannot appreciate it. But once we

 

 

go within, we crave that enjoyment more and more.

 

There are two meditation practices. The first is concentrating on

 

the inner light. During this practice the repetition of the Names

 

continues. This repetition is called simran. While the repetition goes

 

on mentally we gaze at the field of darkness lying in front of us. We

 

 

should not think about the world outside, the body below, or the

 

process of withdrawal of the sensory currents from the body. We should

 

not put our attention on our breathing. Similarly, in meditation it

 

should go on automatically.

 

Our job is to sit calmly and quietly and lovingly gaze into the

 

darkness lying in front of us. As we do so, the attention will

 

automatically begin to collect at the single eye. It requires no

 

effort. In fact, any effort we make, any thoughts we have to will

 

ourselves to withdraw, will only interfere with the process, for it

 

means our thinking is activated. We should just go on repeating the

 

Names and gazing.

 

 

There are vistas and vistas of sights inside. As the sensory

 

currents withdraw, we forget our body. When we are fully collected at

 

 

the eye-focus, we become more absorbed in the field lying in front of

 

 

us. We will begin to see more flashes of light, or lights of various

 

colors. We should continue to gaze with full attention into the

 

middle of whatever is lying in front of us. Look intently and

 

penetrate deeply to find out what is there. Our job is to look

 

lovingly and penetratingly into whatever is in front of us and not to

 

 

worry about anything else in the body. We should be totally focused

on

 

what is before us. Then as we concentrate more and more, these lights

 

 

will stabilize and we may see red, white, green, blue, violet,

 

purple, yellow, or golden light, or flashes of light. Whatever we see,

 

we should concentrate in the middle of it.

 

As we meditate more, as our attention is more focused and we

 

progress, we will be able to see inner vistas. We may see inner stars,

 

moon and sun. As we gaze attentively into the middle of whatever we

 

see, the power of God will guide us beyond physical into higher

 

planes.

 

The second practice of meditation is listening to the inner Sound

 

Current. This Sound is the power of God, the holy Word, or Naam, which

 

brought all creation into being. The soul is of the same essence as of

 

God and the Sound Current. Thus, when it hears the divine Melody it is

 

magnetized to it. The soul can then travel on the Sound Current

 

through the higher regions.

 

 

 

Step six: The Journey into Higher Regions

 

As we become more absorbed in the inner Light and Sound that we see

 

and hear in our meditations, we transcend the physical plane and enter

 

the astral region. The physical world which is made predominantly of

 

 

matter is left behind, and we find a realm of greater consciousness.

 

Here we travel in a covering known as the astral body. This is an

 

ethereal body. The astral region is full of beauty and wonderful

 

Light and Sound.

 

When we transcend the astral region we enter the causal region. This

 

is

 

a region which is still more ethereal. It consists of equal parts

 

of matter and consciousness. In this region, we shed our astral body

 

 

and we travel in our casual body.

 

Going still further, we enter the supracausal region. Each region

 

has greater and greater Light and higher and higher Celestial Sounds

 

 

and bliss. The supracausal region has more of consciousness and only

 

a small

 

amount of illusion. In the supercasual region, the casual body is left

 

behind and our soul is covered only by a thin layer. At this stage we

 

 

recognize ourselves as soul. We find that the soul is as bright as

 

twelve outer suns. It is a stage were we have the realization of

 

"Sohang," or "I am That," or "Aham Braham Asmi." We realize that we

 

are of the same essence of that of the Creator. Ultimately, we reach

 

 

the region were the power of God emanated, the spiritual region known

 

 

as Sach Khand, Maqam-i-Haq, or True Realm. This is the purely

 

spiritual region of all light and all bliss in which all coverings

 

around the soul are shed. There is not even a speck of matter in this

 

 

region. Here our soul merges in the ocean of all consciousness, the

 

Oversoul, the Source from where it came. The drop of water merges with

 

the Ocean and becomes the Ocean. A ray of Light merges with the Sun

 

and becomes the Sun.

 

At each stage of the journey we experience greater and greater

 

waves of spiritual bliss which permeate our soul. One by one, the

 

layers covering our soul are pealed off until we return to our

 

pristine state. At each region we think we have reached the highest

 

state or rapture, only to find that the next stage fills us with

 

greater ecstasy. The ultimate bliss is when our soul merges back into

 

 

God, its Creator. This is a state that we all need to achieve for us

 

 

to realize eternal peace and happiness. This merger of our soul with

 

 

the Creator brings joy and happiness that lasts with us

 

forever. Through attaining these higher inner stages of bliss, we

 

carry with us a divine gift that helps us through our problems in

 

life. We can tap into this source of divinity whenever we want. The

 

bliss and happiness we experience in meditation stays with us even

 

after we come out of meditation. It is a wellspring of love and

 

peace that we can tap into any time we wish. The experience is so

 

powerful and deeply fulfilling that it helps us to transcend the

 

pains of and sorrows of life. No matter what happens to us in life, we

 

have a fountain of nectar within us from which we can drink at any

 

time. This is the gift we can achieve through meditation.

 

-- Rajinder Singh, "Inner & Outer Peace Through Meditation, Element Books

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