Nisargadatta on Meditation

[Guest guest]

Meditation is a deliberate attempt to pierce into

the higher states of consciousness and finally go

beyond it. The art of meditation is the art of

shifting the focus of attention to ever subtler

levels, without losing one's grip on the levels left

behind. In a way it is like having death under

control. One begins with the lowest levels: social

circumstances, customs and habits; physical

surroundings, the posture and the breathing of the

body, the senses, their sensations and perceptions;

the mind, its thoughts and feelings; until the

entire mechanism of personality is grasped and

firmly held. The final stage of meditation is

reached when the sense of identity goes beyond the

'I-am-so-and-so', beyond 'so-l-am', beyond 'I-am-

the-witness-only', beyond 'there-is', beyond all

ideas into the impersonally personal pure being. But

you must be energetic when you take to meditation.

It is definitely not a part-time occupation. Limit

your interests and activities to what is needed for

you and your dependents' barest needs. Save all your

energies and time for breaking the wall your mind

had built around you. Believe me, you will not

regret.

 

Nisargadatta Maharaj

I Am That

 

Note especially, " The art of meditation is the art of

shifting the focus of attention.... "

 

Bill

[Guest guest]

Nisargadatta , " pliantheart " <pliantheart

wrote:

 

 

Meditation is a deliberate attempt to pierce into

the higher states of consciousness and finally go

beyond it. The art of meditation is the art of

shifting the focus of attention to ever subtler

levels, without losing one's grip on the levels left

behind. In a way it is like having death under

control. One begins with the lowest levels: social

circumstances, customs and habits; physical

surroundings, the posture and the breathing of the

body, the senses, their sensations and perceptions;

the mind, its thoughts and feelings; until the

entire mechanism of personality is grasped and

firmly held. The final stage of meditation is

reached when the sense of identity goes beyond the

'I-am-so-and-so', beyond 'so-l-am', beyond 'I-am-

the-witness-only', beyond 'there-is', beyond all

ideas into the impersonally personal pure being. But

you must be energetic when you take to meditation.

It is definitely not a part-time occupation. Limit

your interests and activities to what is needed for

you and your dependents' barest needs. Save all your

energies and time for breaking the wall your mind

had built around you. Believe me, you will not

regret.

 

Nisargadatta Maharaj

I Am That

 

Note especially, " The art of meditation is the art of

shifting the focus of attention.... "

 

Bill

 

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