What is Meditation?

[Guest guest]

advaitin , kuntimaddi sadananda

<kuntimaddisada wrote:

 

PraNAms to everybody.

 

Harshaji - excellent article. Subbuji your comments on the article

are on the mark. Can I

request you to post on the referenced sections from the Vidyaranya's

book - Jiivanmukta Viveka -

for the benefit of everybody?

 

Harshaji, yes for the mind to be still is a step to discover peace

within. It is also true that

mind cannot be made still by any process since the very process to

make the mind still disturbs

the mind from its stillness. A still mind is no mind at all. what is

needed is the mind that

effortlessly jumps from the observed to the observer - or more

correctly to see oneself as the

very substantive for both the observer and the observed - which

Mandukya says through mantra 7

...naantah prajnam, na bahir prajnam, ... thus negating the observer

and adRishTam, avyavahaaryam,

agraahyam .. negating the observed and ultimately establishing

oneself as ekaatma pratyayasaaram,

prapancopasamam .. the I, the consciousness that is the substantive

for the entire subject-object

worlds of plurality. This is the self-enquiry or who am I that the

Upanishads have been telling

us to find out which BhagavAn Ramana Maharshi emphasized in his sat

Darshan - the vision of the

truth.

 

To shift from the observed to the observer is easier by training the

mind to be an silent observer

- by observing the breathing etc. Japa and dhyaanam provides a means

to provide a limited

observations so that mind does not get hijacked by the observations.

AS your article emphasized

that some amount of detachment is needed in order to shift from the

observed to be a silent

observer. There is where yoga - karma, bhakti and jnaana helps in

reducing the habitual mental

agitations so that one can master the mind to redirect it to the path

of inquiry about the nature

of the reality - namely oneself.

 

Observing the observer with such detached mind then becomes an

intense dhyaanam which BhagavAn

Ramana puts it as inquiring about the inquirer, which makes the mind

to transcend both the

observer and the observed - to the peace that passth understanding or

realm of thoughts.

 

Meditation has to lead to clear understanding that there is nothing

to meditate upon - just be

your self as the self within, free from within and without. - That is

what Mandukya mantra 7 takes

us to and what BhagavAn emphasizes as the inquiry within.

 

Just some thoughts.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

 

 

--- subrahmanian_v <subrahmanian_v wrote:

 

> advaitin , Harsha <harsha@> wrote:

> You have said:

>

> //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.//

>

> The above para would be much more instructive if it could contain

> the methods: MaitrI (friendly attitude towards the accomplished),

> karuNA (compassion towards the suffering), muditA (feeling of

> positive joy towards the virtuous) and upEkShaa (indifference

> towards the sinful). Swami Vidyaranya in his classic 'Jivanmukti

> viveka' spends considerable elucidation on this vital topic. It is

> simply a joy reading that. > Pranams and Best wishes,

> subbu

> Om Tat Sat

>

>

>

>

 

--- End forwarded message ---

[Guest guest]

, Harsha wrote:

 

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

 

--- End forwarded message ---

[Guest guest]

Meditation has been practised by many eastern countries for thousands of years, priests and monks include meditation in their daily routine to bring about balance and clarity mentally, emotionally and physically. Many Gurus in India practice meditation to develop their spiritual awareness and wisdom.

Meditation is a practice that helps one create balance in our life, it

will help us focus mentally, calms our stress and tensions, and

promotes a more balanced state physically.Meditation can be practiced any time of the day, but it is recommended

that there be a routine such as early morning or night sessions. The

reason for this is we are very habitual creatures and by creating a

routine for the mind, it is taught that at a certain time of day is

when the ego mind has to move aside and allow the inner-self or

subconscious mind to come forward. read more...