Season Two Kakkanad resident Ms. Ammini Kutty shares her thought on the exploration of learning meditation.
At present times, we hear a lot about meditation. What is meditation? Why to meditate? These questions arise in the minds of people very often. Meditation was intimately bound up with religious contexts; within which it was practised. But nowadays, meditation techniques have also found application in non- spiritual contexts, such as health and mental well-being.
We find conflicts, chaos, confusion and turmoil throughout the world. From children to elders, all are stressed and are full of fear and anxiety. So everyone hankers after peace and happiness. According to great men, peace and happiness are within us and we have to seek them ourselves from within.
Here comes the need for meditation. “Meditation” means to continuously think about one thing, one idea or one object. For that, the mind, being constantly active and pulled by wishes, desires, fears and habits in many different directions, is to be regulated. If our mind comes to a harmonious state, circumstances and environments will have no effect on it. Peace and tranquillity shall reign under all circumstances.
The proper method to regulate the activities of the mind is to focus on one thought and in course of time, after constant practice, the mind gets disciplined and regulated and much of the inner disturbance is eliminated. The only method to accomplish this is , through meditation , under the guidance of a capable guide.
Meditation brings in a regulated mind where thinking , intellect and ego are refined and developed. We simplify our thinking process from many channels and we learn to focus on a particular thing or an object through the practice of meditation. Then we go deeper from thinking to feeling. Feeling gives us correct perception, greater intuition and ability to work without emotion, and we refine our lifestyle and integrate external behaviour with internal states.
When we start the practices we generally have a restless mind and is pulled by emotions and concerns, due to the ups and downs of daily life. By constant practice, we change from within to such an extent that, under all circumstances we remain centred and equanimous and not affected by any circumstances. Hence, meditation significantly reduces stress, anxiety and fear and enhances peace and well- being. So the panacea for modern illness, which is stress and anxiety and all other associated pains, is meditation.
Silence is golden. Spiritual leaders have stressed the importance of silence as an aid to meditation and eventual liberation. The whole world is crazy about a peaceful mind. Many words to convey something is not as effective as conveying it sincerely through a gesture. We have to seek HIM in silence.
Meditation is continuously thinking of something. There are various systems of meditation. Any system has to be followed exclusively for the perception of the effect , accruing therefrom ; which alone will help in finding the result (efficiency) of the system.
Pranahuti is utilization of divine energy for the transformation of man. Simplicity is the life of nature. Everyone should initiate it.
A good teacher or guide is a blessing in any field of learning, because it helps us to master a subject. The further we grow in any field, the more important it is to have a guide to help us move forward on the path. This is more important in spiritual field, where we are constantly heading into new unexplored areas, so the Guide is an important person in the life of a spiritual seeker. Guru does thorough cleaning, prepares us for the spiritual journey , triggers the start of the journey and also prepares the ground ahead of where we are going.
The Guide is not God. When we think like that, we bring religion into the spiritual world. No doubt he is godly in nature, but he is not God. We are also trying to be godly; that is our endeavour in Heartfulness, we don’t become the Guide, but can become like the Guide in his inner attributes and qualities.
We meditate to exercise and regulate the mind. An unregulated mind is pulled by wishes and desires, fears, and habits, in many different directions. When we meditate well, we regulate our minds so that our consciousness can expand and evolve. Our thinking, intellect and ego are all refined and developed through meditation. We simplify our thinking process from many channels, so that we learn to concentrate through the practice of meditation. Then we go deeper from thinking to feeling. Feeling gives us direct perception, greater intuition and ability to work with our emotions, so that we refine our lifestyle and integrate external behaviour with internal states. We need to work upon the mind to design our destiny. For this, we need a meditative practice.
Pranahuti is the utilization of divine energy for the transformation of man. If we use a single vehicle (medium) for our journey, the destination can be reached faster/quicker than when changing the vehicle on the way.
When we start the journey, we generally have a restless mind and a heart pulled by emotions and concerns, due to the ups and downs of daily life. By meditation, we can be cheerful under all circumstances. Heartfulness practice brings us to that state where we can be peaceful under all circumstances.
It is not possible to eradicate anger completely, as it is a thing bestowed by God. One should make right use of it. But greed is our own creation. It should be eradicated completely. One should not have greed even for spirituality. It is not possible to attain a perfect balanced state, because perfect balance brings about death. But one can reach near it, when we become almost balanced.
The method given by our Guru – meditation, cleaning and prayer – is a unique one. Though the whole world talks about meditation, almost all methods fall short of creating a true state of meditation.
Meditation alone cannot create resonance within the Guru. Without cleaning , the impressions and desires would remain in the heart and draw our focus outward, becoming an impenetrable membrane that could prevent us from diving within.
Just as meditation without cleaning is insufficient, cleaning without meditation will have its own consequences. Without the absorbency created by meditation, the inner vacuum resulting from cleaning could only attract more and more things, that is impressions, which become seeds for future desires. Vacuity can only remain beneficial as long as absorbency is on the personality, who is wearing the simple veil of nothingness; on such a Master who has no more selfish intentions to fulfil a personal level.
The culmination of this vacuity or state of nothingness, is the total absence of ‘I’ where, you no longer exist for your own sake. You should not have any self-will. You should do what He wills you to do. Let His will prevail. With full freedom, you should feel that you have no freedom. Reduce yourself to zero. Let there be the Lord and Lord alone, in the universe.
We must change from within, that is, we must change to the extent that, under all circumstances of misery or extreme ecstasy , we remain centered and equanimous. That is the state of Sthitha Pragya, so highly praised in the Bhagavad Gita. That is the true test.
Pranahuti is utilization of divine energy for the transformation of man. Meditation has to be done with the help of a Guru. You have to create in yourself the feeling that God on whom you are meditating is attracting you or pulling you towards Himself. By meditation we can internalize God.
As human beings, we have the golden opportunity to experience the journey to the centre of all existence! We have been blessed with the possibility of expanding the consciousness to encompass the universe and beyond, as we march towards infinity.
Responsiveness arises from a pure heart and a balanced mind. Transmission of divine energy by the Guru fine-tunes the mental tendencies and changes the intentions of the heart. Here, the lower self becomes the universal self, moving from selfishness to selflessness.
In the life of a practitioner / abhyasi , each meditation brings about a finer and subtler condition and a new level of consciousness , by the grace of the Guru, but the inability to appreciate what has been given , results in the gaze wandering.
Ego has infinite heads; when one is destroyed lo, another is ready to raise its head ! This game goes on ad infinitum , until one day we realize the futility of this game and surrender once and for all, with love. Now we have arrived Home.
One should be regular in the abhyas. If interest in meditation is created, half the work is done. After finishing meditation, one must look to or brood over his or her condition. This helps him/her develop sensitivity. One should not worry about the thoughts which arise during meditation or at other times. They rise for the sake of evaporation. It is not possible to become completely thoughtless.
While we cannot see transmission of energy, we can feel/see the effect of transmission, from the change happening in the inner condition of the recipient (abhyasi).
Any system has to be followed exclusively, for the perception of the effect accruing therefrom, which alone will help in judging the result (efficacy) of the system.
The Heartfulness system of meditation is nothing but internalizing God. To elaborate this statement, we are not benefitted by anything that is outside. For example, (a) if there is water outside, unless we drink water, thirst cannot be quenched, (b) unless the windows and doors are opened, breeze will not enter inside, and (c) unless I have money with me, I’m not benefitted. Similarly, if God is outside, obviously, no benefit can accrue to us.
NOTE : The efficacy of any system can be assessed only if it is followed or practiced exclusively, for a certain period. Likewise, meditation also has to be done exclusively, under the guidance of the follower of the system, nominated by the Guide, viz preceptors, throughout the world.
The routine to be followed by a practitioner: –
a) Morning – meditation for thirty minutes
b) Evening – cleaning for thirty minutes
c) Night – 9 p. m, Universal prayer
d) Periodical sittings, once a week, with a preceptor.
e) Attend Sunday Satsangh. i.e., group meditation
