What is meditation? - Sri Ramana Maharshi

[Guest guest]

Devotee: What is dhyana, or meditation?

 

The Maharshi: Dhyana consists in abiding firmly and unswervingly as

identical with one's pure Being—in whichever of the three states of

the mind, wakeful, sleeping, and dreaming, one may be—without

harboring the thought that one is in meditation. Such a person is not

even remotely conscious of the distinction between the three states

of the mind. Consequently, the apparent sleep in profound meditation

should also be considered dhyana. In short, meditation essentially

consists in transcending one's awareness of the idea, or notion, " I

am in meditation. "

 

D.: What, then, is the difference between such meditation and

samadhi, or absorption in the Self?

 

M.: Meditation is initiated and sustained by a conscious effort of

the mind. Where such effort entirely subsides, it is called samadhi.

[in samadhi there is no such effort.]

 

D.: What are the essential factors in the practice of meditation to

which one should pay particular attention?

 

M.: He that would abide in the Self should never swerve from his one-

pointed attention to the Self or the pure Being that he is. If,

however, he swerves or slips away from that state, several kinds of

visions conjured up by the mind may be seen. One should not, though,

be misled by such visions—which may be of light or space—or by the

nada, or subtle sound, that may be heard within, or by the visions of

personified God, seen either within oneself or without, as if they

had an objective reality, and consider them as the Real or Sat. When

the principle of intellection by which these visions, etc., are

cognized or perceived is, itself, false and illusory, how can the

objects thus cognized, and much less the visions perceived, be real?

 

In sadhana, one should pay particular attention to the following

points:

 

(a) If the aspirant would only devote every minute spent in vain

thinking about objects, which constitute the not-Self, in earnest

inquiry in quest of the Self, he would, in a very short time, attain

Self-Realization.

 

(b) Until the mind obtains a firm and steady hold on the state of

pure Being, practice of profound meditation tinged with religious

emotion (bhavana) 25 is essential, for, otherwise, the mind becomes

an easy prey to wayward thoughts or is overcome by sleep.

 

© The aspirant must not waste his time in an endless and vain

repetition of such scriptural dicta as " Sivo'ham " (the Supreme Lord

am I) or " Aham Brahmasmi " (I am Brahman), (over)

 

 

 

which is considered characteristic of nirgunopasana.26 Instead, the

aspirant should, with the strength of mind he gains by such devout

repetition, or upasana, practice Atmavicara, or investigation in

quest of the Self even as he is, without the superimposition of such

ideas as " I am Brahman, " etc.

 

(d) The excellence of the sadhana, or the method of practice adopted,

consists essentially in not yielding, by every possible means, any

scope for obsessing thoughts of any kind to enter the mind.

 

D.: If, as it is said, everything happens according to destiny, even

the obstacles that retard and prevent one from successfully carrying

on meditation may have to be considered insuperable as being set up

by such irrevocable destiny. How, then, can one ever hope to surmount

them?

 

M.: That which is called destiny, preventing dhyana, or meditation,

exists only to the externalized and not to the introverted mind.

Therefore, he that would inquire within in quest of the Self,

remaining even as he is, does not get frightened by any impediment

that may seem to stand in the way of carrying on his practice of

meditation. The very thought of such obstacles is the greatest

impediment.

 

D.: What are the restrictions or rules of conduct an aspirant should

observe?

 

M.: They are moderation in food, sleep, and speech.

 

D.: Up to what point is sadhana, or practice, essential?

 

M.: Ceaseless practice is essential until one attains, without the

least effort, that natural and primal state of the mind that is free

from thought [freedom from concepts] in other words, until

the " I, " " my, " and " mine " are completely eradicated and destroyed.

 

D.: What is meant by ekanta vasa, or life in solitude and seclusion,

that is recommended as conducive to spiritual development?

 

M.: Since the Atman, or the Self, is all-pervasive, no particular

place is allocated for leading such a life. To abide in that tranquil

state that is devoid of thought [free from mental concepts] is,

verily, leading a life of solitude and seclusion.

 

______

 

25 Bhavana, besides being a keen imaginative contemplation on the

deity of one's choice, is tinged with deep, religious emotion, which

runs to the very core of one's being. In that attitude, which

involves a high pitch of concentration, the mind is wide awake yet is

free from wayward thoughts.

 

26 i.e., any sadhana practiced for realizing the Nirguna Brahman,

or the Supreme beyond attributes, as distinguished from the worship

of the Supreme with attributes, or sagunopasana.

 

From Origin of Spiritual Instruction, published by Society of

Abidance in Truth

 

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Not two

Richard