The
Knack of Meditation
The No-Nonsense Guide to Successful Meditation
*
INTRODUCTION
Meditation
is certainly not a modern idea - forms of meditation have been with us
for thousands of years!
Thought-free meditation is detailed in ancient writings and has been
advocated widely over many centuries.
Unfortunately, information concerning thought-free meditation is scarce
today
and, where it is available, the practice is seldom
described clearly, or instruction offered freely.
All-too-often
talk about meditation is confused and confusing.
If
those learning to meditate hear suggestions such as 'go
deep', 'go beyond thought', 'empty the mind', 'blank the mind', they
can easily
become confused and get put off.
Such instructions are quite
misleading and make it
all-too-easy for people to imagine that meditation involves
discomfort or
dissociation. Indeed, the topic of meditation is so muddled that some
even fear they might fall
prey to self-hypnosis or find themselves in a
trance!?!
Here, on this webpage, thought-free meditation is explained, clearly
and
simply.
Guidance is offered independent of any personality,
guru, cult, or belief
system.
*
WHAT IS MEDITATION?
Meditation is an age-old practice described in ancient texts
of various cultures across the
world, some more than 2000 years
ago.
Meditation is variously referred to as 'Dhyana' in Sanskrit, 'Ch'an' in Chinese, 'Zen' in Japanese, and 'Sgom' in Tibetan.
Thought-free
meditation is
sometimes referred to as the 'Royal Path' or 'Raja Yoga' ('rājā' = king i.e. royal).
Authentic
thought-free
meditation
can be
practised by anyone regardless of beliefs, or
lack of
beliefs.
Meditation
is a very
useful practice.
WHY MEDITATE?
There
are various reasons why people are drawn to
the practice of meditation - the desire to
simplify, to neutralize stress and to come to terms with oneself, and
the wish to relax,
to find
inner happiness and experience stillness and tranquility.
We live in an age where it
is increasingly difficult to keep up with pace of change, where we are
overloaded with images, sounds and ideas from multiple sources. So, it
essential we find sufficient peace of mind in order to live
such a
lifestyle - meditation fulfils this need.
Meditation is a
gift to ourselves as no fee is payable for understanding
or practising meditation.
Meditation is completely
natural.
WHEN TO MEDITATE?
Soon!
There
are no hard and fast
rules about when to meditate - but best not to practice if you are too
tired, or have just eaten a meal, or are in an induced state
of
consciousness (through drink or drugs).
HOW TO MEDITATE?
The
Practice of Meditation Explained in 7 Easy Stages
1st
stage of meditation
Find
somewhere comfortable enough for you to sit, where you are
unlikely to be interrupted for at least half an hour or for as long as
you wish to meditate. If you choose to sit in the traditional
crossed-legged pose, sit with a thick cushion beneath the bottom, to
prevent strain to the knees and spine. It cannot be stressed too much
that when you sit to meditate you should be
comfortable!
2nd
stage of meditation
Settle
for a short while, then close the eyes.
Closing
the eyes, perhaps you feel some stillness, some quietness, some silence?
No
doubt thoughts will arise whilst you sit.
Thinking
is a natural process.
Thinking
occurs without effort.
Enjoy
the thoughts.
3rd
stage of meditation
Then
place your attention on something other than thoughts. This can easily
be achieved by placing one's attention onto airborne sounds or on to
one's own breath. Or one can direct the attention to the sensation of
light within, which at first might appear very faint but can become
quite intense on occasion.
4th
stage of meditation
Gradually,
gradually minimise and decrease mental activity, but do this reasonably
gently. The mind seems to be active just because that is its habit.
See the thoughts as just the apparently endless workings of your mind,
which ought to be allowed to take a break.
It is time to
exercise one's mental brakes, very lightly but firmly.
See the thoughts
for what they are - just mental activity - and realise that this would
be a good time for the mind to be less active.
If the mind is
determined to go on being active, redirect it to awareness of the breath
or just listen to outer sounds, just place your attention on the sounds
without involvement. Do
not resist sounds you may hear whilst
meditating, just listen and accept (respond to sounds only if there
is some good reason).
If you get caught up in a
whole load of thinking, thats fine, just observe the thoughts.
Agitating against thoughts is counter-productive, so just relax.
Don't be
unduly
frustrated if you do not readily sustain a state of no thought. Just be
a witness to the experience, this is meditation.
Whilst
you are sitting quietly witnessing
the thoughts that come and go, the
body may, from time to time, draw your attention. Both the mind and
body are settling down.
Ask
yourself what it would be like to sit without thoughts.
Remind yourself
that you are giving your mind permission to quieten and be without
thoughts for a while. The mind might rebel against this idea. No
problem, don't force the issue. But from time-to-time summon this idea
again. At some time the mind will be curious enough to co-operate.
6th
stage of meditation
The
meditative state is found to be a state of alert passivity,
and
is often accompanied by reduced breathing.
When
the state of no-thought is arrived at there is nothing to do!
This state of no-thought is a
chance for the mind and body to relax for a while. Indeed,
whilst in
this state of mind there can be no anxieties, no concerns about what is
past,
no worries about the present or the future. It is a truly refreshing
experience.
7th
stage of meditation
When
you feel the wish to resume activity again then gently open the eyes
and
slowly re-adjust to your surroundings before getting up.
*
HOW WAS YOUR MEDITATION?
Hopefully,
you relaxed and didn't put any effort into 'trying' to meditate - it is
important to be without expectations in meditation and not to force
anything, else you might find yourself with a
headache!
Take it easy and don't get achievement-orientated - just relax,
and, when a moment comes to let go, then let go of
the thoughts and enjoy the natural result.
Remember, don't
get frustrated trying to achieve anything in your
meditation. Just find time to sit again and again to meditate.
Meditation is
well described as a 'circuit breaker'.
If
you find yourself falling asleep during meditation, don't resist
(unless you have some
prior appointment or duty).
If you have fallen asleep during
your meditation, then, once you have awoken sufficiently, open the eyes
and
re-engage with everyday activity.
TOO WOUND UP TO MEDITATE?
It is
possible that some may
feel unable or unready to practice meditation, on account of being
unable to relax long enough, unable to sit and close their eyes for
more than a couple of minutes or so.
Some
people are convinced that they are too wound up to meditate but believe
that certain techniques, such as using an additive such as a mantra to
distract and please
the mind, or dwelling on certain thoughts, or contemplating certain
qualities such as love and compassion, can help them settle down. Indeed,
if you have already been taught a meditation technique that you value,
you can practise that technique until you settle down somewhat, and
then follow the tips about letting go of thoughts.
So,
go with your own choice of 'technique', if you use one, and when the
mind has settled somewhat, and the
thought comes to let go of thought, then simply go with that.
As
long
as you are settling down and are not straining to achieve something,
the mind will find that moment to let go of the mind-chatter and be
free to just indwell.
It is about choice, your choice, nobody is
pressurising you.
BENEFITS OF REGULAR MEDITATION
It
has been pointed out that this process of clearing the mind of thoughts
is useful in preparing to go to sleep. It would be great if it were
also adopted as a means of waking up!
It
is not uncommon for practitioners of meditation to sit for two periods
per day, once in the morning and once in the evening. If in doubt as to
how long to sit for meditation, a widely used method is to sit for the
length of time a medium length stick of incense takes to burn down, say
about twenty minutes or half an hour, whatever suits you. However, it
is not necessarily beneficial to meditate for particularly long periods
or to meditate more frequently. Ideally, one should live a balanced
life,
so meditate for a while and then get up and get on with the
everyday life.
It
is held that the experience of meditation is extremely beneficial, both
physically and mentally. as apparently experience of the thought-free
wakeful state
gives rise to positive changes of brain chemistry (allegedly linked to
an increase in levels of dopamine). It is
also taught that the repeated conscious
experience of the state of no-thought (sometimes referred to as Pure
Consciousness) eventually gives rise to a permanent state of higher
awareness. Pure consciousness is a level of consciousness that
underlies the three basic states of consciousness,
viz. waking,
dreaming and deep sleep. In Sanskrit this pure consciousness is called
'turiya', 'chaturya' or 'chaturtha' meaning fourth. The
repeated experience of this Pure Consciousness can be likened to oil
being poured, flowing into
the other three states of consciousness, oiling the mechanisms of
perception, thereby bringing greater freshness,
clarity, and purpose to everyday life. In many traditions and cultures
it is taught that such experience is the basis of 'enlightenment'
(definition and description of this exalted state varies). All told,
the
experience of thought-free meditation is held to be extremely
positive with enjoyment of the now being its chief purpose.
*
ARE ALL
MEDITATION METHODS EQUALLY USEFUL?
Nowadays a very wide variety of
meditation methods are
available, though not all meditators are guided to a thought-free state.
Meditative
techniques that
engage the mind or imagination seem popular, especially those taught in
groups, which rely on visualization or focus on qualities of sensation,
colour or sound. Though these teachings may initially appear
attractive, they are unlikely to do more than affect a temporary change
to mood levels, without producing
significant long-term benefits.
Also popular are those less accessible esoteric teachings,
often purporting to be from a special lineage or an ancient tradition, revealing secret
practices only to committed 'initiates'. Though
it is tempting to believe that such-and-such a teaching can
miraculously transform one's life - be aware - initiates can find
themselves disappointed, disillusioned, ill-used and impoverished. Beware of cults!
The important thing to realise about meditation is that, unless a
'thought-free state' is attained, one is still involved in the
incessant activity of the mind, regardless of how interesting that
might be.
So, at some time, you need to give yourself a break from the seemingly
endless process of thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking ....
Question:
'Why
don't
more meditators reach the "thought-free" state?'
Answer: 'One
of
the most important limitations is not knowing that a state of "no
thoughts" is possible, desirable, or useful. Having few
thoughts
is not something described cryptically in obscure texts of
one
small sect. The state of "no thoughts" has been described by
many
leading spiritual figures in many different traditions.'
'A
Practical Guide to Awakening'
-
Gary Weber
author 'Happiness Beyond Thought'
*
Yes,
contained in the Scriptures of various cultures are numerous
references to the practice of thought-free meditation, and
over the centuries many
thinkers, spiritual teachers and gurus have
emphasised the
importance and value of
this practice. This
fact seems to have escaped most people's notice, resulting in
all-too-many getting caught up with strange beliefs, imaginings and the
occult.
Interestingly, the wave of 20th Century teachers, though critical of
one another's teachings, appears to have been united in praise of
thought-free meditation! But, rather than publicise their views on
thought-free meditation, these controversial figures spread their own
philosophies and practices.
*
A Selection of Quotations
relating to
Thought-Free
Meditation
-
ancient,
modern &
contemporary -
Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Christian & others
Disclaimer
-
this site is NOT
an endorsement of any organisation or individual quoted.
*
Bhairava - Shiva -
Shankar - Mahadeva
Dharana (Attention)
on Thought-free-ness
यत्र यत्र मनो याति तत्तत्तेनैव
तत्क्षणम्।
परित्यज्यानवस्थित्या निस्तरङ्गस्ततो
भवेत्॥
१२९॥
yatra
yatra mano yāti tattattenaiva
tatkṣaṇam|
parityajyānavasthityā
nistaraṅgastato bhavet ||
129 ||
'The
very moment that the mind goes wandering,
that
inattentiveness is to be
abandoned [then]
stillness
should follow.' VB
v129
- Vigyana
Bhairava Tantra
*
Krishna - in meditation
'In a
clean spot, having
set a firm seat (cushion)
of
his own, neither too high nor too low,
made of cloth, a deerskin and kusha-grass, one upon the other. Gita 6:11
'There,
having made the
mind one-pointed, with the activities of the mind and the senses
controlled, let him seated on the seat, practise "yoga" for
self-purification. Gita 6:12
'Let
him steadily hold
his body, keeping head and neck erect and still, directing the gaze
towards the tip of the nose, without looking in any direction. Gita 6:13
-
'Abandoning
without
reserve all desires born of thought and imagination and completely
restraining the whole group of senses by the mind from all sides. Gita
6:24
'Gradually,
gradually
let him attain to quietude by firmly holding the intellect;
establishing the mind in the Self; let him not think even of anything.
Gita 6:25
'From
whatever cause the
restless and unsteady mind wanders away, from that let him restrain it
and bring it under the control of the Self alone. Gita
6:26
'For
supreme happiness
comes to the yogi whose mind is quite peaceful, whose passion is
quieted...' Gita 6:27
-
BhagavadGita
c.5th
Century BC
*
यदा पञ्चावतिष्ठन्ते ज्ञानानि मनसा सह।
बुद्धिश्च
न विचेष्टते तामाहुः परमां गतिम्॥ २-३-१०॥
yadā
pañcāvatiṣṭhante jñānāni manasā saha
|
buddhiśca na viceṣṭate tāmāhuḥ paramāṁ gatim ||
2-3-10 / 6-10 ||
'When the
five senses
are settled
and
the mind has ceased
to think
and
the intellect does
not stir
That is the highest
state, they say.' Katha
2-III-10 / 6.10
तां
योगमिति मन्यन्ते
स्थिरामिन्द्रियधारणाम्।
अप्रमत्तस्तदा
भवति योगो हि प्रभवाप्ययौ॥ २-३-११
tāṁ yogamiti manyante
sthirāmindriyadhāraṇām .
apramattastadā bhavati yogo hi prabhavāpyayau
|| 2-3-11 / 6-11 ||
'Thus
"yoga" is considered to be holding still the senses.
Then one should be alert,
for "yoga" comes and goes.'
Katha
2-III-11 / VI.11
-
Katha Upanishad
c.5th Century BC
*
“Yoga is the halting of mental
activity”
Yogadarshanam
(Pajanjali's Sutras) Ch1 v2
(Earliest known definition
of word ‘yoga’
- c.3rd Century BC)
अथ
योगानुशासनम् १.१
योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः
१.२
तदा
द्रष्टुः स्वरूपेऽवस्थानम्
१.३
वृत्तिसारूप्यमितरत्र १.४
atha
yogānuśāsanam 1.1
yogaścittavṛttinirodhaḥ 1.2
tadā draṣṭuḥ svarūpe'vasthānam 1.3
vṛttisārūpyamitaratra 1.4
'Now, the teaching of "yoga"...
YS 1:1
"yoga"
is "nirodha" (restraint, stopping, halting) of the
"vritti"
(whirling, thought-waves, mental activity) of the
"chitta"
(consciousness, memory, subconscious).
YS 1:2
Then the seer rests in his own
self. YS 1:3
At other times he is identified
with the whirling [of the mind].' YS
1:4
-
YogaDarshanam of Patanjali
Patanjali's
Yoga Sutras
c.3rd Century BC
Commemorative
Stamp of Patanjali
*
Buddha
Dhyāna [Meditation] in Buddhism
The
jhānas are states of meditation where the mind is
free from the five
hindrances—craving,
aversion, sloth, agitation and doubt—and (from the second jhāna
onwards) incapable of discursive thinking.
The
Buddha also
rediscovered an attainment beyond the dimension of neither perception
nor non-perception, Nirodha-Samapatti, the "cessation of feelings and
perceptions".
This is
sometimes called the "ninth jhāna" in
commentarial and scholarly literature.
Dhyāna in Buddhism
*
The Ninth
Jhana:
Cessation
When you reach the limits of perception,
you
realize that lesser mental activity is better for your calm and
peaceful state. You enter a state of “cessation” of
consciousness where there is only a very subtle form of perception. The
meditator may appear to be unconscious. There have been reports of
meditators having heart beats as low as 20 to 40 beats per minute at
this jhanic level. The nearest way to describe this state is something
like a very deep sleep. The eight and ninth jhanas are not full
enlightenment, but very close stepping stones to full awakening. Only
those who are very close to being fully enlightened can enter the
eighth and especially, the ninth jhana.
*
'Be still, and know that I am
God.'
Psalms
46:10
-
Bible (Old Testament)
'But seek ye first the kingdom of
heaven of God and all these things will be added unto you.'
Matt 6:33
'.. the kingdom of God is within
you.' Luke 17:21
-
Bible (New Testament)
*
Lao Tzu
Zhì
xū jí
shǒu jìng dǔ
'Empty
yourself of everything.
Let the mind rest at peace.'
'Tao
Te Ching' v16 (translation by Gia-fu Feng and Jane English)
-
Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu
c. 6th century
BC
*
Hui Neng
Zazen
'When no thought arises in the mind it is called za (sitting)
and to look at one's own nature inwardly is called zen
(meditation).'
wu
nien
[about
zen
(meditation) & wu
nien (no thought)]
'Have
your mind like unto space and yet entertain in it no thought of
emptiness.'
-
Platform Sutra of Hui-Neng (638-713)
Chinese Ch'an
(Zen) Buddhist
Wu-Nien. Zen
Buddhists apply this term (meaning literally
"no-thought") to meditation on one's own self-nature. Wu-nien does not
imply the exclusion of mental activity except in this special kind of
meditation. Only when one has achieved the realization of one's own
self-nature can one know the essential nature of other minds and other
things. Wu-nien is not a cessation of consciousness but, rather, a
seeing and a knowing that exclude all attachment and so is called
"thoughtlessness" (wu-nien). It is related to shūnyatā
(emptiness): the selfnature cannot be what anything else is. "I am what
I am."
Dictionary
of Religion and Philosophy, New York: Paragon House, 1989
*
Dazhu HuiHai
'Question: A little while ago you spoke of
refraining from thinking (nien), but you did not finish your
explanation.
Answer: It
means not fixing
your mind upon anything any-where, but totally withdrawing it from the
phenomena surrounding you, so that even the thought (szu) of seeking
for something does not remain; it means that your mind, confronted by
all the forms composing your environment, remains placid and
motionless. This abstaining from all thought whatever is called real
thought...'
IA 36.1
Teaching of
Instantaneous Awakening
-
Zen Teaching of Instantaneous Awakening
Dazhu Huihai
'the
Great Pearl' (9th c.)
Chinese Ch'an
Buddhist
*
Do-gen Zenji
'Think
the unthinkable.
How
to think the unthinkable?
Be
without thoughts - this is the secret of meditation.'
Fukan
Zazen-Gi of Do-gen Zenji
Japanese Zen Buddhist (13th c.)
*
Tilopa
'mi-mno don't
recall,
mi-bsam don't
imagine,
mi-shes / mi-sems don't
think,
mi-dpyod don't
examine,
mi-sgom don't
control,
rang-sar-bzhag gather
oneself anew.'
-
Tilopa (988-1069)
Indian Tantric
*
Shri Valmiki Maharshi
'.. by self-effort and
self-knowledge make the mind no-mind. Let the infinite consciousness
swallow, as it were, the finite mind and then go beyond everything.
With your intelligence united with the supreme, hold on to the self
which is imperishable.' YV
3.111
'If you give up all thoughts you
will here and now attain to the realisation of oneness with all.'
YV 3.17
(trans.
Venkatesananda - SUNY, 1993)
- Yoga
Vasistha Maharamayana of Valmiki
*
Mahsati Ganjavi
'When
I went beyond myself,
the
pathway finally opened.'
-
Mahsati Ganjavi (12th c.)
Sufi from
Azerbaijan
*
'.. when the mind becomes devoid of all the activities and remains
changeless,
then the "yogi" attains to the "laya" stage. 4-31
When all the thoughts and activities are destroyed, then the "laya"
stage is produced,
to describe which is beyond the power of speech,
being known by self-experience alone. 4-32
They often speak of "laya", "laya"; but what is meant by "laya"?
"laya" is
simply the forgetting of the objects of senses
when the "vasanas" (desires) do not rise into existence again' 4-33
The Hatha Yoga
Pradipika (trans, Pancham Sinh)
-
Hatha Yoga Pradipika
oldest known text on Hatha Yoga exercise
c. 14th Century
*
Swami Brahmanand Saraswati
Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math, 1941-1953
'According
to Upasana Khand of the Vedas we
are told:- "yoga" is stopping the fluctuations of consciousness ['yogash-chitta-vritti-nirodhah'
-
YogaDarshanam 1:2]. The
ultimate aim is this, that by the practice of having stopped the
fluctuations of the inner self, to experience the Supreme form of the
Self. Calm without a ripple in any part of the pool of water, that
manner
a person can see his own face. That really is the method,
stopping the fluctuations of the consciousness is really
giving a clear reflection of the imperishable self in the instrument of
inner vision. This indeed is "darshan" (sight) of the "atma" (self or
soul).'
from page
86 of 'Shri
Shankaracharya Vaaksudhaa'
(published
1947)
*
Ramana Maharshi
'In
samadhi, there is only the feeling 'I am' and no thoughts. The
experience 'I am' is being still'
'Maharshi's
Gospel Book 1 - VI Self-Realisation'
'This
‘I’-thought is not pure. It is contaminated with
the association of the body and senses. See to whom the trouble is. It
is to the ‘I’-thought. Hold it. Then the other
thoughts vanish.'
'Be
As You Are: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi'
by
David Godman
'When these
thoughts are dispelled, you remain in the state of meditation (aware of
awareness), free from
thoughts. When the practise becomes firm, your real nature (awareness
of awareness) shows itself as true meditation.'
'THE SELF' - by
Sri Ramana
'The limited
and
multifarious thoughts having disappeared, there shines in the Heart a
kind of wordless illumination of 'I - I' which is pure consciousness
(Being-ness).'
'THE SELF' - by
Sri Ramana
'What
is meditation? It is the suspension of thoughts.'
'Simple and
Powerful Meditation'
'There
are no impediments to meditation. The very thought of such obstacles is
the greatest impediment.'
'Ramana
Maharshi Biography'
-
Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950)
*
Swami Sivananda
'Raja
Yoga is the king of Yogas. It concerns directly with the mind. In this
Yoga there is no struggling with Prana or physical body. There are no
Hatha Yogic Kriyas. The Yogi sits at ease, watches his mind and
silences the bubbling thoughts. He stills the mind, restrains the
thought-waves and enters into the thoughtless state or Asamprajnata
Samadhi, Hence the name Raja Yoga.'
from
Introduction to 'Raja Yoga'
'ASAMPRAJNATA:
Highest superconscious state where the mind is completely annihilated
and Reality experienced.'
from
Glossary to 'Raja
Yoga'
-
Sivananda (1887-1963)
*
Paramahansa
Yogananda
'In meditation, try to go beyond thinking. As long as thoughts enter
the mind, you are functioning on the conscious level.'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A disciple was having difficulty
with his meditations. He asked Sri Yogananda, “Am I not
trying hard enough?”
'You are trying too hard. You are using too much will power. It becomes
nervous. Just be relaxed and natural.
As long as you try to meditate, you won’t be able to, just as
you
can’t sleep so long as you will yourself to sleep. Will power
should be used gradually. Otherwise, it may become detrimental.
That’s why it is better, in the beginning, to emphasize
relaxation.'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Don’t
feel badly if you find yourself too restless to meditate deeply.
Calmness will come in time, if you practice regularly. Just never
accept the thought that meditation is not for you. Remember, calmness
is your eternal, true nature.'
-----------------------------------------
'Where motion ceases, God
begins.'
'Go
Deeper Into Meditation - from The Essence of Self-Realisation'
-
Paramahansa Yoganananda (1893-1952)
Self-Realisation Fellowship
*
J Krishnamurti
'Method
involves
time, does it not? If not now, then eventually, - tomorrow, in a couple
of years, - I shall be tranquil. Which means, you do not see the
necessity of being tranquil. And so, the "how" becomes a distraction;
the method becomes a way of postponing the essentiality of
tranquility. And that is why you have all these meditations, these
phoney, false controls to get eventual tranquility of the mind, and
the various methods of how to discipline in order to acquire that
tranquility. Which means you do not see the necessity, the immediate
necessity, of having a still mind. When you see the necessity of it,
then there is no inquiry into the method at all. Then you see the
importance of having a quiet mind, and you have a quiet mind.'
Talk
in London, England - 7th April 1952
-
Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895-1986)
*
Alan Watts
'The
practice of meditation is not what is ordinarily meant by practice, in
the sense of repetitious preparation for some future performance. It
may seem odd and illogical to say that meditation, in the form of yoga,
Dhyana, or Za-zen, as used by Hindus and Buddhists, is a practice
without purpose – in some future time – because it
is the
art of being completely centered in the here and now.'
'Meditation is therefore the art of suspending verbal and symbolic
thinking for a time, somewhat as a courteous audience will stop talking
when a concert is about to begin.
Simply
sit down, close your eyes, and listen to all sounds that may be going
on – without trying to name or identify them. Listen as you
would
listen to music. If you find that verbal thinking will not drop away,
don’t attempt to stop it by force of will-power. Just keep
your
tongue relaxed, floating easily in the lower jaw, and listen to your
thoughts as if they were birds chattering outside – mere
noise in
the skull – and they will eventually subside of themselves,
as a
turbulent and muddy pool will become calm and clear if left alone.'
'The
Practice of
Meditation' from 'Way of Liberation' pp91-95
-
Alan Watts (1915-1973)
*
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
'Those
who meditate, they retire from the outside, they take their awareness
from the outside and gradually go deep into the thinking process and
eventually go beyond the thought. Transcend thought and then the
thinking mind, the conscious mind becomes consciousness. When it goes
beyond thought then it transcends thought and becomes consciousness.
This consciousness is pure consciousness. The nature of this pure
consciousness is bliss. It is non-changing sphere of life because we
have transcended all the variable section of relative life and gone to
the Absolute. This is called Being, Inner Being, Absolute Bliss
consciousness.'
'Seven
States of Consciousness'
- recorded lecture USA - 1967
*
'As
long as the thinking mind is experiencing a thought, so long the mind
is a thinker and the thought becomes finer and finer, then the thinker
becomes more and more alert in order to experience the finer thought,
and then the thought becomes finer and finer, it becomes finest and
when the thought drops off, the thinker remains all by himself and this
is self-realization.
What
I have to do to realize myself? I have only to stop realizing things
from within and see that I don't go to sleep.'
'Seven
States of Consciousness' - recorded lecture USA - 1967
Acharya Rajneesh aka
Bhagwan aka Osho
'Really,
there can be no method as far as meditation is concerned. Meditation is
not a method. Through technique, through method, you cannot go beyond
mind. When you leave all methods, all techniques, you transcend mind.'
Lecture
at the invitation of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, with questions &
answers, Pahalgam, Kashmir 1969
-
Acharya Rajneesh (1931-90)
'Dynamic
Meditation'
'When
you are not doing anything at all, bodily, mentally... on no level,
then all activity has ceased, and you simply are, just to be.... That's
what meditation is.'
Meditation
is a Very Simple Phenomenon (video)
-
Osho (1931-90)
'Dynamic Meditation'
*
Mataji Nirmala Devi
'In meditation you
have to be absolutely effortless, expose yourself fully and you have to
be absolutely thoughtless at that time.
If you are not thoughtless, at that time you have to just watch your
thoughts, but do not get involved into them. You will find gradually,
as when the sun rises, darkness goes away and the sun’s rays
go
into every part and make the whole place enlightened. In the same way,
your being will be completely enlightened. But if you put in an effort
at that time or try to stop something within you, it will not happen.
Effortlessness is the only way into meditation, but you should not be
lethargic about it. You should be alert and watch it.'
'Effortless
Meditation'
- London, 1st January 1980
- Shri
Mataji Nirmala Devi (1923-2011)
'Sahaja Yoga'
*
Nisargadatta
Maharaj
'To remain without thought in the
waking state is the greatest worship.'
''I
AM (EXISTENCE, CONSCIOUSNESS)''
'As long as you are a beginner certain formalised meditations, or
prayers may be good for you. But for a seeker for reality there is only
one meditation - the rigorous refusal to harbour thoughts. To be free
from thoughts is itself meditation....You begin by letting thoughts
flow and watching them. The very observation slows down the mind till
it stops altogether. Once the mind is quiet, keep it quiet. Don't get
bored with peace, be in it, go deeper into it....Watch your thoughts
and watch yourself watching the thoughts. The state of freedom from all
thoughts will happen suddenly and by the bliss of it you shall
recognise it. '
'I Am
That' (translation by Maurice Frydman), p.224f
'When thus
the mind becomes completely silent, it shines with a new light and
vibrates with new knowledge. It all comes spontaneously, you need only
hold on to the 'I am' '
'I Am
That' (translation by Maurice Frydman), p.332
-
Nisargadatta Maharaj (1897- 1981)
*
contemplatio
- prayer not using thoughts or emotions.
"Contentless
meditation" doesn't use emotions or thoughts - not even spiritual
thoughts. It's often called simply meditation or thought-free
meditation. It does not develop thoughts, images, or feelings,
but rather rests attentively, receptively, in awareness, in
the
presence of God, with the intention of consenting to the presence and
action of God in oneself. You do this without identifying with any
thoughts or feelings that may spontaneously arise. You don't reject,
suppress or block the thoughts, by the way - you just let go of them,
without the affirmation "this is I" or "this is my thought". And you
rest attentively and receptively in the space between each thought and
the next. Those spaces may grow a little, though new thoughts will
probably keep coming. One reason for avoiding the use of even spiritual
thoughts during contemplative prayer is that at this time you intend to
be present to God, not to an idea or image of God. Actually, it's not
so much a matter of avoidance but rather not-identifying-oneself-with
the thoughts. Another reason is that the ordinary self, which is
maintained by thoughts and emotions and by identification with them, is
to be given a rest during these practices. And just think of all that
"surrendering" training you get by not hanging on to each
thought.'
easterspirit
- Christian
Contemplative Practice
*
'..
in meditation the method used is intended to lead to a prayer beyond
all methods, that is contemplative prayer. Contemplation is often a
misunderstood word. It is not a prayer that we can initiate or cause to
happen. It is divinely produced and no amount of action on our part can
produce or prolong it.'
'We
have entered into a wordless prayer, an awareness of the Divine Guest
within, not through the use of the intellect but through a knowing
loving, a deep communion with the Triune God. It is a prayer of quiet
calmness in which we drink deeply at the life-giving fount.'
from
'Meditation and Contemplation… What’s the
Difference?'
-
Carmelite Sisters
Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles
*
Bhante
G
'Once
your mind is free from thought, it becomes clearly wakeful and at rest
in an utterly simple awareness. This awareness cannot be described
adequately.'
'Mindfulness
in Plain English'
chapter 16, p171
-
Bhante Henepola Gunaratana b.1927
Theravada
Buddhist monk - founder Bhavana Society
*
Chokyi
Nyima Rinpoche
'Meditation training, in the sense of sustaining the nature of mind, is
a way of being free from clinging and the conceptual attitude of
forming thoughts, and therefore free from the causes of samsara: karma
and disturbing emotions. Please do not believe that liberation and
samsara is somewhere over there: it is here, in oneself. Thought is
samsara. Being free of thought is liberation. When we are free of
thinking, we are free of thought.'
'Thought-Free
Wakefulness'
-
Dzogchen Master Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche b.1951
Tibetan
Buddhist lama
Saṃsāra. The
cycle of
birth and rebirth as understood in
Hindu teaching. It is dictated by the karmic principle. (See Karma.)
Saḿsāra
implies bondage: only by the control of thoughts and desires can human
beings
overcome that bondage and be liberated in such a way as to transcend
the cycle.
Karma and saḿsāra imply both biological and spiritual evolution and a
relation
between human beings and lower forms of animal life such as imposes on
the
former the duty of compassion toward the latter: reverence not only for
human
but for all life.
Dictionary
of Religion and Philosophy, New York: Paragon House, 1989
Karma. Sanskrit
term meaning "deed" or
"action". The karmic principle is the basic principle of the spiritual
dimension of being. It is a principle of balance. Although commonly
associated with Hinduism, Buddhism, and other oriental religions, it
can be seen as expressive of the Torah in Judaism, considered as the
eternal principle of righteousness embodied in the written Torah and
also as expressed in the Golden Rule, to be found in Confucius, in
Kant's Categorical Imperative, and in the form laid down by Jesus: "Do
unto others as ye would have others do unto you." Contrary to the
vulgar misunderstanding of it as a fatalistic principle, it is in fact
a principle that preeminently implies and is based upon freedom of
choice. It is associated with the principle of Reincarnation and may be
thought to imply it. Actions, good or bad, have consequences upon the
karma of each individual. Each individual has a karmic inheritance,
good and bad, and sooner or later must work off the bad and develop the
good.
Dictionary
of Religion and Philosophy, New York: Paragon House, 1989
*
*
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