Meditation - 6

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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.

 

18. D: I get headache if meditation be prolonged for

some time. What should I do?

 

M: If the meditator and meditation be understood to be

the same there will no headache or similar complaints.

 

D: But they are different. How shall we consider them

to be the same?

 

M: That is due to your outlook. There is only one and

there are no differences. On meditation the relative

consciousness will vanish. That is not annihilation;

for absolute consciousness arises. The Bible itself

says, "The Kingdom of Heaven is within you"... If you

cnsider yourself to be the body there is some

difficulty in understanding the statement. On the

other hand, if you know how you really are, the

Kingdom of Heaven and all are included in your true

Self.

 

19. D: I am hard-worked and find little time to

practise concentration. Are there any aids for it? Is

control of breath a good aid?

 

M: Prana and mind arise from the same source. The

source can be reached by holding the breath or tracing

the mind. If you cannot do the latter the former will

no doubt be helpful. Regulation of breath is gained by

watching its movements.

 

If the mind is watched thoughts cease. Peace results

and it is your true nature. King Janaka said "I have

now found the robber (namely the mind) who has been

robbing me of my 'I'-ness. I will instantly kill this

thief." The perturbation owing to thoughts appears to

rob the Self to its peace. The perturbation is the

mind. When that ceases the mind is said to take

flight. The Self remains as the undisturbed

substratum.

 

20. D: Is not meditation better than investigation?

 

M: Meditation implies mental imagery, whereas

investigation is for the Reality. The former is

objective, whereas the latter is subjective.

 

21. D: What is dhyana?

 

M: Dhyana is holding on to a single thought and

putting off all other thoughts.

 

D: What is to be meditated upon?

 

M: Anything that you prefer.

 

D: Siva, Vishnu, and Gayatri are said to be equally

efficacious. Which should I meditate upon?

 

M: Anyone you like best. They are all equal in their

effect. But you should stick to one.

 

D: How to meditate?

 

M: Concentrate on that one whom you like best. If a

single thought prevails, all other thoughts are put

off and finally eradicated. So long as diversity

prevails there are bad thoughts. When the object of

love prevails only good thoughts hold the field.

Therefore, hold on to one thought only. Dhyana is the

chief practice.

 

A little latter Sri Bhagavan continued:

 

Dhyana means fight. As soon as you begin meditation

other thoughts will crowd together, gather force and

try to sink the single thought to which you try to

hold. The good thought must gradually gain strength by

repeated practice. After it has grown strong the other

thoughts will be put to flight. This is the battle

royal always taking place in meditation.

 

One wants to rid oneself of misery. It requires peace

of mind, which means absence of perturbation owing to

all kinds of thoughts. Peace of mind is brought about

by dhyana alone.

 

 

22. D: How is one to meditate?

 

M: What is meditation? It is commonly understood to be

concentration on a single thought. Other thoughts are

kept out at that time. The single thought also must

vanish at the right time. Thought-free consciousness

is the goal.

 

23. D: How is Vichara to be done?

 

M: The questioner must admit the existence of his

Self. "I AM" is the Realisation. To pursue the clue

till Realisation is Vichara. Vichara and Realisation

are the same.

 

D: It is elusive. What shall I meditate upon?

 

M: Meditation requires an object to meditate upon,

whereas there is only the subject without the object

in Vichara. Meditation differs from vichara in this

way.

 

24. D: Will vichara alone do in the absence of

meditation?

 

M: Vichara is the process and the goal also. 'I AM' is

the goal and the final Reality. To hold to it with

effort is vichara. When spontaneous and natural it is

Realisation.

 

25. D: How can meditation become steady?

 

M: What is meditation? It consists in expulsion of

thoughts. All the present troubles are due to thoughts

and are themselves thoughts. Give up thoughts. That is

happiness and also meditation. The thoughts are for

the thinker. Remain as the Self of the thinker and

there is an end of thoughts.

 

Om - Love - Respects

 

 

 

 

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