Hari
OM
Monday is AUM-day; in search of meditation.
We
shall look a bit more at the process of meditation very soon. Maintaining
practice as given already in terms of aasana, praana and seeking to minimise
interfering thoughts is all that is required at this stage.
A
few posts back there was a list given regarding aspects of samaadhi - that
state of internal stillness from which we can rise to the highest state of
existence. Let us now take a look at the definitions given. This is done for
the purpose of understanding that samaadhi itself is not the end of the
spiritual road (and as we will learn much later, there are considered to be
seven stages even within that condition), but that it is a 'thresh-hold' state. These are glimpses of the goal at which all true meditators are aimed.
Several
of the terms given are differentiated only by semantics and therefore can be
grouped together.
We
begin with the more functional aspects as we approach the 'gateway';
"set; settlement; assent; agreement;
adjustment;" - this grouping indicates that, once we have worked
our way through all our internal impediments, we have still to steady ourselves
in practice and also to find out the remaining vestiges of vaasanas withing. We
have come to the junction between the world of plurality and the final road to
yoga, union with Self. It is here that things can become unsettled once more
and the hasty or careless 'traveller' may find that, after all, they are
unprepared for those final steps. Obstacles will
arise. The external world will raise its
demands in order to not be forgotten. The courageous ones will set their sights
on the True Goal; they will make settlement with the world that there is to be
a compromise, permitting this shift; there will, perhaps, have to be the assent
of close ones and an agreement that this seeker must follow this path… it takes
a special ring of family and friends to support such 'high faluting'
spirituality! This requires their adjustment to you, as seeker, being less
available to them; but it is also a stage of huge adjustment for the seeker as
it is discovered that everything experienced up to this point really holds not
particular clue to this and what follows.
The
next grouping relates to moving into the 'gateway';
"putting together; concentration of thoughts;
setting to rights; justification of a statement; attention/intentness"
- having recognised the falling away of the external, yet recognising that
there is still some way to go, this is the place to correlate all learning thus
far gained. Putting together all salient points, keeping the mind dedicated to
this task alone, examining statements made to and by the seeker in light of the
learning and 'setting to rights' anything which appears to be disjointed or
incongruous. This is mananam at its best and can only come about with such
intentness that is relentless.
This
is followed by movement of the gate itself;
"concentration of mind; intense application of
mind/contemplation of singular item; profound or abstract meditation;
aggregate; proof; bringing into harmony" - When the body-awareness
has dropped away (and it surely has at this stage), we are left with our antah
karana, the mind portion of our physical existence. This is now honed and
tempered and wrangled as it deals with what it thinks it knows and what it is
now expected to know. Constantly each of the manas (feeling mind), buddhi
(analytical mind) and ahankaara ("I" mind) will battle as the chitta
(universal mind), which is within us all, seeks to dominate and bring about an
aggregation of all knowledge resulting in the desired harmony.
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Finally,
there is breakthrough;
"deep concentration/meditation; absorption as if
in trance; joining/combining with; completion/conclusion/accomplishment; whole;
union;" - all sense of individuality merges with the Greater
Reality and true bliss is attained. This is a truly rare condition, few rise to
it. When in the fullness of samaadhi, practitioners have been known to go for
extended periods of time (months sometimes) without moving. Their body is still
alive, but all functions are reduced to absolute minimum. Such a one, who
condescends to return to transactional life to shed the love and the light
amongst all with whom contact is made, never again loses the Higher connection.
At any given moment they can move freely between Maya and Brahman and remain
untouched by the first whilst revelling in the second.
There
are two definitions on the list not mentioned in the groups. These are both
physical descriptions; one relates to a neck joint, which may seem strange, but
when one considers how important gaining correct aasana is and that there is a
strong connection of the upper chakras with the lower chakras through the neck
region, it makes a little more sense. The other is 'sanctuary or tomb of
saint'; as mentioned, when a sadhu has attained full samaadhi (the turiiya
state), their body remains in aasana awaiting a return to function. This place is itself called their
samaadhi. Further, when such an
enlightened being leaves the body (reaching Maha Samaadhi - the Great Union),
it may be interred by devotees as a token of their reverence as well as a focus
for their own endeavours.
As
you will note, all this is rather esoteric for the majority of us struggling
with staying in aasana and breath-focused for even half an hour a day! It is given as a carrot, a sign that there
are 'places to be' other than where we are now and that they are desirable. The
vast majority of meditation practitioners will not attain in this life. The
attempts made now, however, will add to the next life of devotion and
meditation. All efforts made are worthwhile.
Do
not be disheartened. Even that half an hour a day of total peace is a
tremendous gain!
| Sri Jagadeeshwara Master of Meditation |