What Is Meditation? By Dr. Harsh K. Luthar

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends:

 

I have completed a draft of an article titled, " What is Meditation "

on my blog.

 

 

 

Recently, I have been experimenting with breaking long articles using

subtitles to make them more readable. I have also added some

pictures. No, it's not me in the lotus pose you see. My legs no

longer go in that direction comfortably.

 

As always, your comments on the substance and how to improve the

presentation are most welcome.

 

Please pass it on to anyone who has an interest in either learning

meditation or learning about meditation or learning about how to

prepare for mediation.

 

Thank you.

Namaste and Love to all

Harsha

 

 

 

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What Is Meditation?

Posted by Harsha on December 28th, 2006

 

The Art Of Doing Nothing

By Dr. Harsh K. Luthar

 

My Dear Friends,

 

You have heard many things about meditation and perhaps there are

questions in your mind about it. Today, there is no shortage of

information on any topic having to do with meditation and yoga.

There are literally thousands of books on meditation and yoga and

self-help techniques. If you go on the Internet and put in a few key

words, you will come across many views on meditation.

 

Some people equate repeating a mantra with meditation. Others say

that if you focus on the in-going and out-going breath, that is

meditation. There are people who believe that you must be able to

sit cross-legged in the lotus position with a straight spine in

order to meditate effectively.

 

Having meditated since early childhood, I can assure you that this

is not true. Inviting aches and pains by sitting in a lotus position

will not lead to a peaceful mind. Meditation, after all, is about

relaxation and peace. Having peace, or recognizing the peace within,

is meditation. What takes us away from being peaceful cannot be

meditation. Whatever brings us peace is meditation.

 

Avoidance Of Stillness

 

It is my experience that people like to keep busy. In today's world,

being busy is considered a very high virtue. We want to keep busy

and be productive in some way. Otherwise, we feel we are wasting

time and feel guilty. Certainly, being active is a good thing and

allows us to make a living and maintain relationships in the world.

 

Even Sri Krishna says to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita that one cannot

avoid action. One is compelled to act according to one's nature

under the force of circumstances. That is the universal law of Karma.

 

But we have to understand the nature of action and our relationship

to it. This is why Sri Krishna advises Arjuna to act according to

his duty and dharma but without any expectation for any fruits of

action. Our expectations undermine our peace when they do not come

to fruition. Right conduct, according to one's best understanding

and judgement, brings peace. Therefore, it bring us to meditation.

 

Mental Experiments

 

Ancient Yogic and Advaitic sages gave methods and taught us to

conduct mental experiments to find the nature of truth. These mental

experiments can indirectly help us recognize the Pure Being within

our center as our own Heart.

 

The techniques of meditation, such as mantra, chanting, yoga,

pranayama, breath-awareness, etc., are simply mental and physical

experiments. These practices start us on a journey with the

potential for personal and spiritual growth.

 

However, real meditation is beyond visionary experiences and is the

discovery of peace within. To reach there, we have to be quiet and

learn the art of stillness. Once we know how to be still while doing

nothing, we can carry this stillness into our actions as well. But

first, we must discover the nature of this inner peace; and to do

that we have to learn the art of doing nothing.

 

Are You Able To Do Nothing?

 

Are you able to do nothing? Absolutely nothing! The art of

meditation is learned by seeing the value of doing nothing. If you

can sit very still and quiet without mental disturbance, you have

already come a long way towards the experience of meditation.

 

It is only a rare person that enjoys doing nothing. Doing nothing is

not as easy as it may sound. Try it sometimes. Just sit on the sofa.

Don't go to sleep. Stay awake and think about nothing in particular.

 

You will soon find your mind racing here and there, thinking about

your girl friend, your boy friend, your boss, your co-workers, your

business, your friends, your family, tofu, pizza, chocolate… the sky

is the limit!

 

The Mind Is A Monkey And A Donkey!

 

Yogic sages have compared the human mind to a monkey. Just like the

monkey cannot be quiet and must be restlessly hopping here and

there, so it is with the mind. It is the nature of the mind to be

either brooding about the past (regrets, mistakes, guilt, lost

opportunities, the roads not taken) or fantasizing about what the

future will bring.

 

The burden of carrying the past and the future in this present

moment is heavy. But the mind, like a donkey, gets used to carrying

this load and plods along.

 

However, the mind that is always lost in memories (past) or hopes

(the future) misses the most delicious feast of all that is taking

place in the present.

 

The eternal reality, we can call it Self, Sat-Chit-Anand, God, the

Supreme Being, the Supreme Goddess, Paramatman, Brahman, the Great

Void, or the Kingdom of Heaven, always exists and is shining in the

present right before our very eyes.

 

The Divine mystery is recognized when the mind is calm and awake and

free from anger, hatred, and greed and thus not subjected to the

pulls of the past and the future. This is why all major religions

encourage human beings to be good and kind and compassionate. These

virtues serve as the building blocks for the spiritual life because

they remove the agitation of the mind.

 

Why Meditation Techniques Do Not Always Work

 

Meditation techniques are fully effective only in a mind that

already has some understanding and maturity. So really, laying the

foundation or the groundwork for meditation is more important than

the practice of meditation. Just like a seed grows naturally on

fertile ground, meditation happens spontaneously in a reflective and

a quiet mind.

 

When the mind is ready and ripe, meditation works and self-inquiry

is fruitful in a short time.

 

When the mind is restless, anxious, and troubled, meditation becomes

a forced activity and is not always helpful. At such times, one

should take a walk, practicing deep breathing, or go for running or

do push-ups and other exercises. Those are more useful than

meditation when the mind is not ready to be calm.

 

Pranayama, involving deep rhythmic breathing is an ancient y ogic

method that can serve to calm and sedate the mind in a natural way.

According to Hatha Yoga Pradipika and other classic yogic texts, one

first has to master proper breathing in order to progress to

meditation. This is the commonly held belief in the school of Hatha

Yoga. However, the path of Jnana Yoga does not emphasize breathing

exercises or Hatha Yoga Mudras and Kriyas and considers these to be

irrelevant to Self-Knowledge.

 

Advanced Pranayama practices involving breath retention or awakening

of Kundalini Shakti can be found in many yogic texts and modern

books. However, these should be learned very cautiously from an

experienced practitioner of pranayama.

 

Laying The Foundation For Meditation

 

In order to advance in meditation and learn it in depth, we have to

understand the nature of the mind and learn to be alert and watchful

of its activities. It is this constant watching, that is the key

method behind all the techniques of meditation. A form of this is

what Buddhist calls, " Mindfulness " . Jains call it Upa Yoga (Yoga of

Awareness), Hindus refer to it as the " Inquiry into the Self " or

Self-Remembrance.

 

A spiritual seeker is watchful.

 

The essence of this watchfulness is that with the mind one watches

the mind.

 

If meditation is going to take place, if this recognition of Pure

Being with clarity is to be gained, an inner silence must ensue. One

cannot see one's image clearly in the water, when the water is full

of waves. In a still pool, our image is reflected and can easily be

recognized. Similarly, in a still mind, we can see the nature of our

being.

 

This inner watchfulness, the observer being aware of the observer,

this self-inquiry can occur in a ripe mind that is calm, content,

and ready.

 

We Are Dancing For Others!

 

The difficulty is that our minds are noisy. This is the nature of

the mind that goes outward only. It is overcome by sensory

experiences and is unable to see its origin. The worldly chatter

overshadows and muffles the subtle divine music that is playing.

 

Friends, sometimes I think, we are dancing to the drum of other

people's expectations, which we have internalized.

 

There is no end to this dance. This dance has a stronger hold on us

than rock and roll or disco or rap music. It keeps us hopping all

our life doing this and doing that or achieving this and achieving

that. Ultimately, it is exhausting.

 

The whole life slips away in the blink of an eye as we keep busy

in " doing " this dance making sure that the movement of our steps

have the approval of others. We forget to " Be " who we are.

 

To Be Still is the true meditation. Meditation is simply Pure Being.

 

The art of recognizing yourself as Pure Being is meditation. Pure

Being is Self-Awareness or Awareness.

 

A Powerful Intervention: Conduct This Experiment

 

The state of meditation is simple. The methods and techniques and

the philosophy behind it are very complicated. That is why thousands

of books are written on such things. But the aim of meditation is

simply peace. Peaceful Awareness. Meditation is easy to understand.

It is being peaceful without expectations.

 

Conduct the following experiment with being peaceful without

expectations. Tell yourself this: " For the next one minute, I am not

going to worry about anything and be bothered. "

 

Try to be free of all inner and outer conflicts for one minute. Give

yourself this one minute as a holiday gift!

 

This is a powerful intervention. Can you be free from inner conflict

for one minute? See what hinders your attitude to be worry free for

one minute. If you can be peaceful and free from anxiety for one

minute then you can do it for two minutes and then more.

 

To Be With Yourself

 

So dear friends, find some time to simply " Be " with yourself. To

just " Be " is an amazing experience of the present moment. See what

thoughts come to your mind. When you sit quietly, many visual images

and thought patterns start emerging from the subconscious. This is

referred to as " Surfacing " and it happens when your relax and your

mind is at ease and free of tension.

 

If you remain awake and pay attention, you can gain insight into

your own mind. These insights will teach you to not attach yourself

to things that do not bring you peace. You will come to see that

your nature is that of Pure Being which is associated with the many

thoughts in your mind and yet is independent of these.

 

Sri Ramana Maharshi, the great Indian Sage of Arunachala, gave forth

this method of reflective Self-Inquiry, that focuses on the

question, " Who Am I? "

 

This investigation, when done with understanding and sincerity,

brings us to the state of Being that is free from thoughts. This

inquiry is really at the heart of the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta.

 

Always Be Gentle With Yourself

 

If you are not able to sit quietly right away and be completely

still for even one minute, do not worry about it at all. The reason

it is difficult for us to sit quietly and do nothing is because

often there are wounds inside which we would rather not become aware

of or deal with.

 

The process of living life can be very very painful and stressful.

Over the years, we put temporary bandages on our hurtful

experiences, which for a short time dull the pain.

 

My teacher Chitrabhanu-Ji taught me that when we try to relax and

meditate, our anxieties and fears and past suffering sometimes

bubble up from the unconscious. So we have to be alert and to accept

and let these things go so we can renew ourselves and be fresh.

 

The ancient Yogic Sages of thousands of years ago left us with great

works on the nature of human suffering and how to alleviate it.

Sometimes when I read the Bhagavad Gita or Patanjali's yoga sutras,

Tao Te Ching, Buddha's path or Mahavir's philosophy of reverence for

life and Ahimsa, I marvel at the depth of the insights contained in

these.

 

The great Yogis of the past 5000 years have been really great

psychologists who knew the nature of the human condition. They

deeply understood what happens when spiritual seekers try to get

insights into their mind and provided a path and guidance on how to

walk it with the help of teachers and fellow students.

 

The Notion Of The Sangha

 

In India, some people meditate in Ashrams or in communities. The

notion of a Sangha (community of spiritual seekers) is important. In

such a community, meditation is easier, because people are able to

encourage each other and share each other's pain and burdens. When

our mental or physical suffering is intense, we are not able to

meditate. People turn to alcohol or drugs to numb themselves so that

they do not feel their own suffering. This, however, cannot lead to

any permanent solution and satisfaction. Indeed, it can weaken the

body and the mind and makes matters worse.

 

Being part of a vibrant spiritual community, or to just be in the

company of good people who care about one another, can exercise a

protective influence on you.

 

As a general rule, in order to advance in meditation, you should

keep the company of good people who allow you to be who you are.

 

I studied with Chitrabhanu-Ji who is one of the key figures in 20th

and 21st century Jainism. Chitrabhanu-Ji, before he make a Jain

monk, was part of Mahatma Gandhi's movement to free India from the

British through the peaceful means of Ahimsa (Nonviolence).

 

Ahimsa is the cardinal principle in Jainism. Chitrabhanu-Ji taught

me that a mind becomes fully fit for meditation and Self-Realization

through the practice of reverence for all life and amity towards all

beings.

 

A genuine spiritual community has to be completely dedicated to the

principle of Ahimsa in thought and action and be committed to

alleviating suffering among all living beings. A teacher or a guru

who does not understand or practice the principle of Ahimsa and is

abusive to his or her students should be avoided. Such people are on

power trips only and have their own problems to deal with.

 

Having A Personal Philosophy

 

It is good to become aware of and think about fundamental life

issues at any age, but particularly so if you are young. It allows

one to develop a personal philosophy that helps to structure and

interpret different experiences and put things into their proper

perspective.

 

It is important to sit quietly and spend time with yourself in order

to have an understanding of your own nature. Whatever philosophy one

adopts the following general rules are helpful in remaining calm and

healthy.

 

Ten Tips From Yogic Texts And Sages

 

1. Eat nutritious foods that suit your constitution in moderate

quantities (My New Year's Resolution!)

 

2. Walk every day if possible (My Second New Year's Resolution!).

 

3. Avoid people who are manipulative, loud, obnoxious, and

destructive if at all possible.

 

4. Keep company of people who are pleasant, easy going, cheerful,

and supportive.

 

5. Remain silent when you have the urge to be sarcastic or make fun

of someone.

 

6. Help people who are in need within your capacity.

 

7. Take the time to be alone everyday and be with yourself.

 

8. Never give into peer pressure to drink or do drugs or go to wild

parties (Tame and sober get together with good friends and Satsang

with fun singing and chanting is OK!).

 

9. Develop confidence in your own ability to do what you need to do.

 

10. Engage in introspection at the end of the day. Mentally wishing

everyone well, always go to bed with a clean slate.

 

Even A Little Effort Helps!

 

Friends, even a little right effort is never wasted. Every journey

must start with the first step. The journey that takes you inside

your own Self is the most wondrous journey you can ever take as it

reveals the mystery of existence itself. Start from this very moment

and enjoy the wonders of your own nature and the sparkling reality

that has been smiling and shining on you for the whole of eternity.

 

What Is Meditation? By Dr. Harsh K. Luthar