Hari
OM
Monday is AUM-day; in search of meditation.
More
on OM as focus of meditation. Let us look more closely at unmanii.
The
term 'unmanii' is complex in terms of translation. It essentially means 'no
mind' and so could equally be used at the samaadhi and turiiya levels
also. Each of them contains unmanii but
have some additional meaning as we will see at the time of discussing
them. Here, unmanii is used in relation
to that point between waking and dream states, the transition, where neither
one is manifest. A state of suspension.
Have you felt it? That moment
when you have let go of waking - then with a jolt are in the dream world - or the reverse… but somehow you know you
have crossed a point about which you know nothing? You only know that there was
one state and now you are in another, but the point at which those states
changed you are 'blind' to.
That
is unmanii.
When
focused on AUM for meditation it is relatively easy to rest in the realms of
gross, subtle and causal as symbolised in A, U and M; however, the deeper and
longer one practices, the more one's awareness of the transitional point
between each of these expands.
Remember!
Meditation is a conscious act. One of the great mistakes of those who would
meditate is to find themselves reaching this point of 'suspension' and
mistaking it for the endpoint. Thinking
on all three akshara-s and then finding an awareness of unmanii, it is easy to
self-deceive and accept the sensation of 'no mind' as 'having reached'. All that has happened, however, is that
having properly understood the AUM combo, the consciousness is beginning to
pull back its 'curtains' in order that the seeker can climb within themselves.
Almost
invariably, unmanii state permits such an openness of being, that there come
'experiences'; it is in this state where one might encounter 'out of body'
events, or a knowing of something about to happen a little before it does. Unmanii gives us a glimpse of being in the
absolute present.
However,
it is as much a part of the gross world as AUM.
This can be said, because all who have this level of meditative practice
will find they cannot hold the transcendental experience with them. It has been but enough to encourage, to
entice, to lure the seeker back for more; to give hope that there is indeed
something more to work for. It also
provides a filter. To progress further,
it is unmanii which challenges the seeker to question 'reality'. It is here that the need to understand, to
gain knowledge of the process reveals itself. Those who are happy with unmanii
alone seek no further. That is fine. It provides a lot of relief and benefit in
itself. For some, though, for a special few, it is not enough.
SAADHANA.
Do
not seek to be 'in' unmanii. Simply add
to your daily practice the understanding given here, ponder on its nature as
you build your 'AUMary'...
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