Meditation - 5

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Dear Learned Devotees in the Group,

 

I have been reproducing questions and answers from the

booklet titled "Meditation: Bhagavan Ramana Answers"

by A.R. Natarajan, which I got from the local (New

Delhi) Ramana Kendra. I am a beginner and some of the

questions and answers are beyond my understanding. I,

therefore,thought it prudent on my part to share these

questions and answers with you all the learned

devotees in the group to elicit your opinion, reaction

and comment/commentary, so as to get cleared. I

request you all to explain the inner-meaning of the

questions and answers in SIMPLE ENGLISH for the

benefit of one and all. Love and respects.

 

12. D: Should I meditate on the right chest in order

to meditate on the Heart?

 

M: The Heart is not physical. Meditation should not be

on the right or the left. Meditation should be on the

Self. Everyone knows 'I am'. Who is the 'I'? It will

be neither within or without, neither on the right nor

on the left. 'I am' - that is all.

 

The Heart is the centre from which everything springs.

Because you see the world, the body and so on, it is

said that ther eis a centre for these, which is called

the Heart. When you are in the Heart, the Heart is

known to be neither the centre nor the circumference.

There is nothing else. Whose centre could it be?

 

D: May I take it that the Self and the non-Self are

like substance and its shadow?

 

M: Substance and shadow are for the one who sees only

the shadow and mistakes it for the substance and sees

its shadow also. But, there is neither substance nor

shadow for the one who is aware only of the Reality.

 

13. D: Meditation is with mind and how can it kill the

mind in order to reveal the Self?

 

M: Meditation sticking to one thought. That single

thought keeps away other thoughts; distraction of mind

is a sign of its weakness. By constant meditation it

gains strength, i.e., to say, its weakness of fugitive

thought gives place to the enduring background free

from thoughts. This expanse devoid of thought is the

Self. Mind in purity is the Self.

 

14. D: How is meditation to be practised?

 

M: Meditation, truly speaking, is to be fixed as the

Self. But when thoughts cross the mind and an effort

is made to eliminate them the effort is usually termed

meditation. Fixity in the Self is your real nature.

Remain as you are. That is the aim.

 

D: But thoughts come up. Is our effort meant to

eliminate thoughts only?

 

M: Yes. Meditation being on a single thought, the

other thoughts are kept away.

 

D: We are asked to fix the mind in the Self. But the

Self is unthinkable.

 

M: When all thoughts are eliminated it becomes fixed

in the Self.

 

15. D: Meditation is with mind in the waking state.

There is mind in dream also. Why is there no

meditation in dream? Is it not possible?

 

M: Ask it in the dream.

 

After a short silence Sri Bhagawan continued. You are

told to meditate now and find who you are. Instead of

doing it you ask "Why is there no meditation in dream

or in sleep?" If you find out for whom there is

waking, it will be clear that dream and sleep are also

for the same one. You are the witness of waking, dream

and sleep - rather, they pass before you. Because you

are out of meditation now, these questions arise.

Stick to meditation and see if these questions arise.

 

16. D: There is something concrete necessary to

meditate upon. How shall we meditate upon 'I'?

 

M: We have become rooted in forms and so we require a

concrete form for meditating upon. Only that which we

contemplate will in the end remain ever. When you

contemplate the other thoughts disappear. So long as

you need to contemplate there are other thoughts.

Where are you? You contemplate because you exist. For,

the contemplator must contemplate. The contemplation

can only be where he is. Contemplation wards off all

other thoughts. You should merge yourself in the

source. At times we merge in the source unconsciously,

as in sleep, death, swoon, etc. What is contemplation?

It is merging into the source consciously. Then the

fear of death, of swoon, etc., will disappear, because

you are able to merge into the source consciously.

 

D: After leaving this Asramam in October I was aware

of Bhagawan's peacae enfolding me for about ten days.

All the time while busy in work there was an

undercurrent of that peace of unity; it was almost

like the dual consciousness while half asleep in a

dull lecture. Then it faded out entirely, and the old

stupidities came in instead.

 

Work leaves no time for separate meditation. Is the

constant reminder "I am", trying to feel it while

actually at work, enough?

 

M: It will become constant when the mind becomes

strengthened. Repeated practice strengthens the mind;

and as such mind is capable of h olding on to the

current. In that case, engagement in work or no

engagement, the current remains unaffected and

uninterrupted.

 

D: No separate meditation is necessary?

 

M: Meditation is your true nature now. You call it

meditation, because there are other thoughts

distracting you. When these thoughts are dispelled,

you remain alone, i.e., in the state of meditation

free from thoughts; and that is your real nature which

you are now attempting to gain by keeping away other

thoughts. Such keeping away of other thoughts is now

called m editation. When the practice becomes firm,

the real nature shows itself as the true meditation.

 

D: Other thoughts arise more forcibly when you attempt

meditation.

 

There was immediately a chorus of questions by a few

others.

 

M: Yes, all kinds of thoughts arise in meditation. It

is but right. What lies hidden in you is brought out.

Unless they rise up how can they be destroyed? They,

therefore, rise up spontaneously in order to be

extinguished in due course, thus to strengthen the

mind.

 

Love and regards

 

Gopi Krishna

 

 

 

 

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