Hari
OM
Monday is AUM-day; in search of meditation.
Last
the question was 'why meditate?'. Having pointed out that first one must
determine why at all one is bothering to sit in one position and attempt to
clear the mind, it was finally noted that there is a final purpose, a'goal' if
you will. That is to meet up with The Self, the core beingness which pervades
all creation. The question now arises,
'who seeks Self-realisation?'
We
all refer to ourselves, in daily transaction, as "I". We are so "I"dentified as
individuals! When asked to talk about ourselves, we inevitably take up self
description with 'I am male/female, I am daughter/son, I am father/mother, I am
sister/brother, I am the doer of this or that, I am happy/sad, I am a seeker…
"I" am spiritual… "I" am a lover of God…' Additionally we speak in terms of ownership;
'this is MY home, MY family, My friend, My job, MY strength/weakness, MY
feelings/thoughts, MY karma/luck, MY path…'
Now
think on the following;
What (or who) is this "I"??? Who is it that
makes claims upon things, people, situations? Anyone who stops to think
for even the slightest moment, with a truly observational mindset, will start
to ask this question. Often it is asked, albeit still within the ego framework
and the search begins only from the psychological level with a view to
rearranging relationships and situations.
This is fine. It is a starting point. For one who has taken up
meditation, however, this sheds a new light…
 |
| The nature of deception |
How is this "I" related to these things,
people, situations? Are the actually definitions of "me"?
Meditation provides the room to stand back and gain a properly observational
perspective on life. We can truly begin, for ourselves, to sort out the
valuable from the 'tat' and let drop away all the nonsense which can overload
us.
Given that these things, people, situations are
separate from the "I" who is noting them, what exactly are they and
what is their place in the world? Having worked into a space of the true
observer, we can now turn again to investigating the investigator! Further, we
can properly begin to assess the nature of the world around us.
What is the stuff, the substance, which makes up
these objects of the world? Bear in mind, that in Vedanta, the term
'objects' relates also to people and events as well as to thoughts and much
more subtle things. In meditation, once a truly objective stance has been
found, we can delve into the teachings on the make-up of the world, pondering
the premise, testing the theory and discovering for ourselves the proof of
those teachings.
Now, from whence came all this? Having dealt
with the gross, and the more subtle, the meditator raises the stakes and begins
to ponder the source, the cause of all these effects.
Again it is asked, with fresh and informed
perspective, 'who am"I" really?' We can thrash about in the
daily life asking this question, but with no real intent and perhaps expecting
some outside phenomenon to provide the answer.
In meditation, we have the potential to discover the answer for
ourselves. By working through the logical process given briefly here, it is
possible to ask the question without expectation, in a place of clarity and
purity and with a reasonable expectation that, finally, the answer will come.
Who,
then, seeks Self-realisation? The one who is not at all happy with glib
responses and put downs and side-tracks and diversions and who, finally, is
tuning into h(OM)e. For such as these, the path of the Rsis (the ancient
Himalayan sages) is provided in the form of Vedanta. Advaita Vedanta, as
perfected and presented by Sri Adi Shankara and all who can prove parampara
(teaching lineage) to that saint. These are the very stuff of the philosophy
and it benefits from multiple centuries of experimentation and proving. Does it mean that if there is no urge,
currently, to follow such a path that meditation is useless?
Absolutely
not!!! True meditation, practiced well, will reveal Truth to all practitioners,
regardless of their doctrine or philosophy. It is its very nature. Therefore,
if you have any of these questions do not hesitate.
MEDITATE.
MEDITATE. MEDITATE!!!
