More on practice

[Guest guest]

As I start the day in the usual way, on the roof, meditating with

Arunachala before dawn, I usually start by listening to a bit of a

recording of a satsang or other spiritual teaching from Nome. this

morning I was listening to a Meditation session, where Nome starts

with a short talk on meditation.

 

I thought this talk was relivant to the discussion we are having about

spiritual practice, so I just transcribed it. Here it is:

 

----

 

Nome, January 2006

 

Meditation is the return of the sense of identity to its origin or

rightful place, which consequentially is the return of both reality

and happiness to the same origin or rightful place, which is the Self.

 

When such meditation transcends the fluctuation of the senses, prana

and the mind, and therefore is beyond all that is transient, it

becomes of a perpetual nature. Only such perpetual meditation is known

as Knowledge, Self-knowledge. That which is known in its eternity as

Self-knowledge, itself shines as the inquiry to know ones Self, one

and the same thing being the means and the end, and you, yourself.

 

Always the focus should be upon `Who am I?', and thereby reality

comprehends itself.

 

If reality comprehends itself, that is, your own being knows itself,

there is no confusion, and there is no false sense of individuality or

ego. That is abidance as unalloyed Being-Consciousness-Bliss.

 

If there arises some idea, some idea, some conception of `I' or

`this', which depends on `I', the Maharshi's instruction is to

inquire, `For whom is this? Who am I?' and thereby ascertain your true

identity, your true existence.

 

So wherever your mind might wander, if it wanders, in meditation,

whether towards an object gross, such as the sensations, or an object

subtle, an object of thought, inquire, `For whom is this? Who am I?'.

That is, perceive clearly, discern clearly, what identity, what

definition you have assumed in order to conceive of such an idea,

whether the idea by specific to a particular form or just a notion of

abiding in some state, such as waking, dreaming, deep sleep. For whom

are these states? For whom are the thoughts? Who am I?

 

----------------------------

 

Om Arunachala,

Richard