What is Meditation?

The word meditation has been thrown around A LOT and people that don’t know much about it are actively teaching it. I teach kung-fu. That’s it. I don’t teach meditation. I do meditation but I don’t teach it at all.

This is because I am not an enlightened being that can lead you upon the path safely and thus do not offer any personal information, direction or guidance regarding this matter. What I do, however, is guide interested parties to exceptional people whose meditations are practical, secular and actually make a difference in one’s emotional and mental state of being.

I do Pranic Healing so I do the meditations that are given in that system: Meditation on Twin Hearts, Meditation on the Blue Pearl, Kundalini Meditation, Arhatic Dhyan meditation, Meditation on the Lord’s Prayer and others that are within the system.

The purpose of this post is to define what meditation is. So in that regards, I will stop speaking and quote and reference below the definition given in the Pranic Healing system:

A Guide to Meditation for Beginners

Since meditation is a stepping stone for anyone embarking upon his or her spiritual quest, it is important to simplify the art of meditation for beginners. There is a very crucial difference between concentration and meditation. Most people often confuse the two concepts. Concentration can be best explained by your state of mind when you are so immersed in reading a book, that you don’t hear someone beside you calling you loudly. Thus concentration can be defined as ‘prolonged focusing’ or ‘prolonged one-pointedness’. Concentration is a much discussed concept in yoga books. However what sets concentration apart from meditation is that enlightenment cannot be achieved by concentration alone. Simply speaking, if you are unable to hear the person’s voice right next to you, how can you hear the voice of your inner soul? How can you hear your inner OM or the ‘sound of silence’?

A Beginner’s understanding of the concept of meditation

Concentration to achieve spiritual enlightenment takes the form of meditation. Simply practicing prolonged concentration is not enough. It is equally important to practice sensitivity or awareness. This is called meditation. The concept of prolonged awareness is very prominent in the Indian culture and is known as dhyana. However, this concept is not there in the Western culture and hence there is no specific word to describe this state of being. Hence the word ‘meditation’ will be used.

The concept of dhyana is understood very little by most spiritual practitioners. The concept of dhyana was brought to China from India by Bodhidharma and was named Chan in Chinese. Chan was brought to Japan by the Shaolin monks of Southern China and was named Zen in Japanese. The words Dhyana, Chan and Zen all mean ‘prolonged awareness’.

The Concept of Meditation

In the Western culture, the word ‘meditation’ is used rather loosely. It can mean a number of things- from daydreaming to stress reduction to pondering on something. In Sanskrit, the word ‘meditation’ translates to ‘sadhana’. Sadhana can be described as ‘spiritual practice’ and spiritual cultivation’.

Meditation for beginners can be difficult at the onset. When practicing Sadhana, balance has to be achieved between concentration and meditation. While concentration is important to avoid the mind drifting off, meditation is necessary to register and respond to the inner and higher stimuli. The balance required in playing a musical instrument can be compared to the balanced required between concentration and meditation in the practice of Sadhana. If the strings are too tight or loose, the desired sound will not be achieved. Hence, a fine balance needs to be achieves between prolonged one-pointedness and prolonged awareness.

When you practice sadhana, there must be a proper balance between one-pointedness and awareness. In higher yogic practices, it is necessary to use prolonged awareness, prolonged concentration and oneness in order to achieve certain results. The use of these three practices is called ‘Samayama’.

Samadhi

The word Samadhi describes the different levels of consciousness. The term was originally used to refer to yogis who deliberately left their bodies permanently to unite with their higher soul or even with their divine spark. However in popular usage, the term Samadhi can mean anyone who has died. When a person dies, it is said that the person has attained mahasamadhi.

Samadhi, as used in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali means oneness. The combined use of prolonged awareness, prolonged concentration and oneness is called Samayama. Master Choa Kok Sui explains many simple techniques of meditation for beginners all the books he has written from his vast research.

Reference: http://www.thepranichealers.com/pages/en/our-system/meditation-for-beginners

How Meditation Benefits You

Regularity brings with it a whole host of meditation benefits- physical, mental and emotional. A practitioner of meditation will experience a complete transformation of self over a period of time. Stress, negativity, emotional turmoil, anger, physical disorders and ailments can all be treated and cured through the power of meditation. Meditation benefits you in more ways than you can imagine!

Regular practice of Meditation on Twin Hearts ensures better physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health for the practitioner. When practiced by a large number of people, the meditation benefits are amplified and the energy generated can also be used to bless the entire earth and promote harmony and peace.

When meditating on Twin Hearts, divine energy descends upon the person, filling him with divine light, love and power. Divine energy or spiritual energy that passes through the spiritual cord and the centers flows to the aura. This leads to the flushing out of negative thoughts and emotions, thereby cleansing the aura.

Benefits of Meditation on Twin Hearts for students

Students, who are preparing for exams, should practice this form of meditation. It results in greater concentration and increases the ability to study better and understand better.

Benefits of Meditation on Twin Hearts for managers and executives

Meditation benefits include quicker thinking and ensures the ability to make decisions fast. This form of meditation can give people in the corporate world and extra edge. The practitioner will find that his/her thinking has become sharper and faster.

Some of the holistic benefits include:

• Attainment of inner peace.
• Psychological stability through the cleansing of auras and the chakras in human body .
• Meditating regularly accelerates spiritual development
• Meditation energizes the brain cells, making the brain quicker and sharper.

People with brain and nervous disorders are advised to meditate twice a week as meditation cleanses and energizes the heart and the nervous system. Practitioners need to be cautious about over-doing Twin Hearts Meditation as it may cause pranic congestion.

Experiments

Experiments were conducted in Italy on patients with multiple sclerosis. The patients were treated with a combination of medical treatment, Meditation in Twin Hearts and Advanced Pranic Healing. It was observed that after a span of 6 months, the patients showed remarkable and steady improvement. Many patients who had little movement in their limbs also showed strong improvement.

Reference: http://www.thepranichealers.com/pages/en/our-system/meditation-benefits

Philosophy vs Ideology

If the philosophy is not practical then it is not philosophy but ideology. Ideology centers upon a certain idea and is accompanied by particular perceptions. We want something practical and applicable – tangibility is the goal. It does not matter if it does not look good. We can address that later.

What is meant by the practical is that the philosophy comes into play in daily life. It assists, nay, improves the quality of whatever it touches. Now such a thing falls into 3 categories: improvement of the body, the mind and other.

Improvement of the body occurs when attentiveness is given to particular motions and actions. Philosophy of the body occurs when the condition of the body is made to be flexible, strong, and dexterous. The content of the body is comprised of the execution and precision in its actions and movements.

Improvement of the mind occurs when incidents that attack the body and emotions are dealt with by withdrawing. There is response but no reaction. That reaction has been tempered by the understanding that what is known is always incomplete and the goal is resolution, not revolution. Let the matter pass by resolution – proper if possible but there is no obsession to it.

Other refers to the observership by remaining adrift of the body and mind. Although they act and their actions are known, there certainly is a distance between the observer and observed. This third improvement only occurs with experience. To expand upon it is akin to explaining physics to a theorist – it does not compute.

Question Mark

There is nothing in this world that is poorer or sadder than a person adrift of purpose. For that purpose gives rise to will and that will leads to action.

You are here but you don’t know why it is exactly. Where you were before birth is not certain either. You know you will die. Not sure how or when but it is inevitable. After that? Not certain either.

There are too many uncertainties and not enough theories as to clearly form the basis of one’s purpose. The purpose will come. But it will propel one along a path as opposed to knowingly trotting upon it.

Amidst these uncertainties, one thing stands out and that is will. The power to do. Yet this will is insatiably fueled by purpose – the what to do. Whether or not there is a why is irrelevant. Perhaps it cannot be eloquently expressed and what remains is a strong feeling – this supercharged emotion that something must be done.

When comparing those who are successful or “go-getters” to those who are not, the separation exists due to the execution of the will. Whether it is held back and impaired by hurdles such as fear, doubt, lack of confidence or others, it is a block that stops growth and succession.

Layers and Stratas of the “I AM Affirmation”

Above is the “I AM Affirmation” used in spiritual classes for Pranic Healing. It is a relatively simple and straightforward affirmation used to remember one’s true essence. However, in the Western world (heck, even in Eastern world and all over!) this information does not come lightly. I remember a certain statement that came to me through intuition: if you do not experience spiritual truths but simply come across them, you will not be able to understand them correctly. Hence you will be more likely to reject, distort or disavow them.

Nonetheless, I give a glimpse of the “levels of Truths” from my perspective. I will expound upon them in the same post at a later time or in a later post altogether.

1st level: I am not the body. I am not the mind. I am not the emotions. I am not the thoughts. The mind is a subtle instrument…

This level is relatively straightforward. One can understand it and agree with it. I am not these “tools” but am the operator of them.

Level 2: of the Soul. I AM the Soul.

This is where it gets tricky and a bit abstract for Westerners. They will most likely argue here. How do you know? It is a paradox because in order for you to experience this truth, you have to do the techniques and meditations and become relatively pure, then you can experience it. To have this experience without any committment simply does not work!

Level 3: I AM a spiritual being of Divine Light, Divine Love and Divine Power.

Again, this one “blows the mind” because they are simply statements made without “any proof.” To be the Soul is one thing but then you start defining it as a spiritual being with the attritubes of Divine Light, Love and Power.

Level 4: I AM one with my Higher Soul. I AM THAT I AM.

Again, this becomes abstract. What is meant by “Higher Soul?” Where does this distinction come in? One can take the idea of the Soul and a spiritual being with certain attributes but what is this Higher Soul stuff? How can it possibly be validated without much effort?

Level 5: I AM one with the Divine Spark within me.

Same thing here. What is going on? It started out relatively simple without excluding the physical and intangible properties and then moved upwards. But now we are at a very high level where those who achieve this state are called God-Realized beings.

Level 6: I AM a Child of God. I AM connected with God. I AM one with God.

The child portion is alright but what does it mean to say one with God? How can that be anything but blasphemy? How can one be one with the Almighty? Again, this is beyond intellectual comprehension.

Level 7: I AM one with All.

How can one be with All? How is it possibly to be connected as such? Is not every being a complete and sovereign entity? Everything else may be fine upto this point but this one with All stuff?

Now the thing is, that with Spiritual stuff, it is simply looking at that which is beyond matter – the Spirit. You have to take in the information “as is” but then need to find the relevance and practical application of them in your life. That is the only way for them to “fit.”

Limitations (Continuing off of Soul)

Limitations are evident. It is not because of the lack of theory or philosophy, for there are a multitude of them. However, it is the lack in belief in them that causes limitations. Know that one without any philosophy or ideology is one lost at sea, adrift of actual purpose in life. I am not speaking of impractical or illogical concepts here. If the philosophy or ideology is not practical or grounded in reality, assume it to be less of a perspective and more of a fantasy. With that in mind, I yet again return to that one refrain a Yogi had stated, that stays in my mind quite often: “death ahead and the unknown behind, still man does not seek to understand the mysteries of life.” This is paraphrased of course. But it has stuck with me and resounds frequently.

Here, in India, the concepts of karma, reincarnation, the Soul, God and worship are prevalent. You cannot go down a street without seeing the shape, silhouette or perhaps merely the name of a temple, mosque or masjid no matter how small they may be. However, even amidst all this religious and spiritual prevalence, you will find that people are limited. They don’t actually believe in the stuff as deep as you would suppose. A couple of knocks on their heads would make them doubt God and may even turn them to the path of atheism. It is strange, no? So much reverberation but so little penetration. If there was indeed penetration of the spiritual aspects deep into these peoples’ lives, then India would be a paradise: no one would act unruly – because of karma. No one would look at the other in any regards other than that of the Soul and so, while actions would not be excused, they would be tolerated with equanimity – for that is the entire path: tolerating but not suffering and through understanding not hardship. But this is not happening, yes?

There are limitations on what people take to heart. This has to be looked at very cleanly, very crisply because it dictates what mindset one is trying to procure. Yes, each one has to have the Soul mindset. It will not do for only a few to have them. If you take a look into the past, you will find that civilizations have come and gone. One theory that I partake in is that: if there are no spiritually advanced persons – those with Soul Realization or higher – then those civilizations will eventually falter, decay and will become extinct. There are other factors, conditions and variables at play but this is the biggest one. I have heard this from multiple sources so I believe there is more validity in it as opposed to simple contemplation and theorizing of it.

The Truth is what is. This has always been the case. Somehow, somewhere along the way, predetermined thoughts and ideas given off by others consciously or unconsciously have molded our way of thought. Moving through the journey of this life, left unchallenged, these thoughts and perspectives seemingly became our own and now we thus challenge other concepts based on our own. Never mind that we were never correct to begin with; the picture was always fragmented and fractured – even at its most best. It does not do to simply take things how we want them. There must be adherence to the reality of what is. And the simplest and most profound step that must be actualized is that we are not the body, not the emotions, not the thoughts and not the mind. These are instruments and tools we use. We are the Soul. Unless this realization occurs, reincarnation is a necessity for profit has not been achieved and the game is not yet “won.” Techniques exist already to help one to achieve this realization. If one cannot find them, the simplest one remains: to remember and ponder this constantly: I am the Soul. I am not the body, emotions, thoughts or the mind. I am the Soul.

Soul

This topic is quite deep – even for me – but I will attempt to keep it simple and relevant. I will follow up with it but I must give this introduction as it is. It will be edited accordingly to keep cohesion and mental acuity.

When one approaches spirituality, there are many unknown factors to consider. If one approaches it blindly, it becomes superstition devoid of experiential truth and can stray one into fanaticism. If one rejects it, then one acts like a fool – deeming belief to be stronger than what is [the truth]. Now “the truth” is simply what is. The entire goal is to uncover this enigma but you must first be aware that the pursuit requires a certain degree of refinement, of class, of character to achieve. It thus forms a paradox: one cannot make any decisions without first having a clear notion as to what the path holds. Yet one cannot make clear notions without first trodding upon the path.

Know that everything is an unknown: mystery (from whence came this birth) behind and death (change of what kind) lie ahead. What to make of this fate? The only way is through guidance and lessons from teachers and Gurus. However, the depth and value of their teachings may not be apparent from the get-go. This is why things need to be taken in correlation with one’s understanding while leaving room for comprehension in the future.

What is the true nature of a person? How does transformation come about? Is it the cessation of a vice or the building of a opposite virtue? I think it is not that a person is angry and must become calm – that is that the calm state must be procured. It rather appears to me as removing the anger naturally reflects the calm state. This “natural state” is called the “True Self” or the “Soul.” It is not of the question of whether or not it exists but rather what to do with knowledge of its existence. What is the relative value of this knowledge? How is it relevant to me? This is how spirituality must be looked at. Not cynically but practically and a bit keenly.

One thing that keeps popping up in my studies and understandings is that 1) there is the Soul and 2) there are things above that level. To get into the details of the second is foolish because unless the first is intimately known then everything else is theoretical. This includes “knowing” or “experiencing God.” The levels are much higher than can possibly be envisioned but it all starts with a firm platform of being one with the Soul.

The Soul is the “Real You.” It is said to be pure on all accounts. However, it is not perfect. This is what has been said regarding it. It takes a human form to “learn lessons” but why “the game (of this world and its relative dualities)” exists and does so in this manner is something I cannot give a theory for. So I leave it as it is – there is Pure Soul and our “job” is to unite with it while interacting in “this world.” The Soul puts a portion of itself in a human form. This is called an embodied soul or a jivatma. Why this is so is also beyond me. Perhaps there are restrictions on how much a purely spiritual being can incarnate or materialize to a physical level.

Now try to understand this: two sides cannot be “played” at once. They can be played in a layered position though. Think of a horizontal drum with two sides. One is looking at everyone as the Pure Soul (their potential and unrealized actuality) and the second is looking at them in physical forms with the gender of a male or female. The gender is rendered meaningless when looking at them as Souls. However when one views them in gendered forms, then there is no divinity embedded in them. If you take this horizontal drum and turn it vertical, then the two sides are in a linear fashion. This means you accept the divinity – the Pure Soul – in them while understanding that their functioning is that of a male or female. This is how one looks at things: in layered proportions. The “correctness” of one idea does not negate that of another idea. Rather it is a collection of ideas in layered forms.

So the Truth is that everyone is a Pure Soul. This is both the theory and the actual. It is theory because the jivatmas or embodied Souls are not displaying the characteristics of the Pure Soul. They engage and become entangled, emmeshed and captured by the world and its dualities. The actual is there because everyone – sooner or later – will achieve this state. It is not a question of if. It is one of when. So the only way to look at people is by their potential and actuality, not of their current state of confusion. No matter how you must act in order to keep others in check or control, this state of mind is never abandoned. This is what it means to be a spiritual person and see the good in all.

Echo Chamber

The more time passes and the more in-tune I become in meditation, the greater the concept of the “echo chamber” becomes apparent. What I mean is that we – because of our base qualities and natures – attract and amplify and distance and dissolve qualities of those nature. To put it much more simply, a robber or thief need not be dealt swiftly by justice itself because the very quality and nature of the thief – due to such acts being committed – will create a path that will inevitably end poorly.

It is akin to a straw house building upon itself haphazardly. It may pride itself on being built so high and so large but it only takes a ember to burn it all the down. The nature is flammable and so it enshrines the quality of being burnt.

Usually, in order to improve oneself, the focus must be on oneself. If there is no awareness of the mistakes being wrought, then correcting or minimizing those mistakes will be highly improbable. It is in focusing oneself – and the weaknesses and flaws that one inhabits – that what is being “given off” will become more acutely evident. There will be good and the not-so-good but the good we want to keep and enhance while transforming the not-so-good. Yet whether it be one or the other, we only get back whatever we can give. We are only presented whatever it is we imbibe.

If the focus is on others, there is never an understanding of the echo chamber because all anguish is directed outside. One simply cannot understand “what is occurring to them and/or why.”

This concept is interesting at a practical level. When that realization hits, that yes, I am the cause of my situation and condition along with the ability to intellectually dissect one’s flaws, then others are not blamed. The primary, the only culprit, is oneself. And this is what is occurring to me at this present moment in time.

Poison

Poisonous interactions are those which affect the mind and emotions. They cause such a paralysis or long-standing ailment that I have termed them poisonous interactions. Now, note: those interactions are not poisonous by themselves – they are poisonous because of one’s inability to withstand them.

So, an interaction is simply an interaction. However, the capacity of one to interact without being negatively influenced determines whether or not the interaction is poisonous. And furthermore, this poisonous interaction is always negative. It may yield positive benefits but the primary effect is negativity.

There is negativity because the person is not mature enough to handle the situation. This is it, put in point-blank terms. The interactions are deemed poisonous or advantageous due to the effect they have upon one’s behaviors.

The way to avoid this poison is by building a state of mind through inner purification – preferably using few techniques. This should happen when one is at peace and its goal is to remove past imprints and residues of negativity – such that may attract negative to it. When there are no such interactions to jostle such residues, it may appear that there are none or they are so few that they can be handled with proper care. However, it is only when one is poisoned that one realizes the fallacy of this thought process.

One must purify before such poisonous interactions occur or else, they will affect one’s perception for hours, days and weeks, possibly continuing for months and years. These are experienced as panic attacks or PTSD episodes. Another thing that may occur is that although the initial interaction was difficult yet passable, subsequent revisits of those interactions may cause poison to come forth. This poison may be labeled as “self-induced” but truly, aren’t all perceptions self-induced? All erupt from an inability to counter negative emotions and words/ actions.

In-all, it is better to continually purify one’s self against such poison as its effects are quite detrimental to one’s emotional and mental well-being. One will not be able to stay in a neutral state of mind, let alone a positive one if one insists that “they way they are” is working out perfectly and normally well. Prevention is definitely better than the cure as the cure will take much time to bring one to a normal state.

Getting rid of the intangible

This topic and the accompanying thoughts came to me during meditation in great detail. I was looking at each perspective very closely – almost immersed – before I let it pass. I then worked to claw it back. The resulting residue is less than what was originally envisioned but it still portrays a clean perspective. I leave it as it is with minimal edits.

It is difficult to get rid of pride or such emotions because they cannot tangibly be seen, hence believed. If it was something physical, it could be prodded and removed. But an intangible thing? Even a clairvoyant who could see and pick out the energies during healing could not remove it fully. They would say: How did this come back? I just removed it last time.

Something causes it to come back. This removal of vices is difficult indeed because it requires awareness, understanding and action from the inside of one’s person. Otherwise what really is the difference between a saint and a sinner? The body components are the same. There is a thought/ intellect process occurring in both. So what is the real difference? It is that which is coming out from the inside. And because it is intangible, more attention must be paid to this “it.”

A CEO works with ideas, delegates and thus it slowly evolves into (real) physical action and movement of products and services. But it starts from the mind. The workers can say, you are playing with your mind while we are actively lifting or engaging in physical labor for long periods of time with little pay. We miss spending time with our children and family while you make enough to hire nannies and tutors. We do the real while you engage in nothing. Both perspectives are true but they are not the whole. What must be is the ability for the hand (workers) to become the brain (CEO). This is not in a physical sense but in the internal sense. A hand never becomes a brain per se but the cells do travel from one area to another. There has to be the ability of the worker to attain the role of CEO. This is the backwards transformation, that from the physical to the mental. Understanding that the world is here and apparently real – living in it as we are – we have to go back to a higher concept where this world is the unreal. It is a impure representation of what actually is. But this doesn’t come lightly.

Just as removing vices such as pride occurs when one goes beyond the physical and tangible, so too do ideologies that occur on a strata beyond the capacity of a “living” and “worldly” mind. It can be understood and expressed beautifully but unless awareness is active and such traits are chased after, it has no effect.

Letting go

Firstly, I wanted to say that it’s now a task to write. It used to come naturally – the desire, the words to type and the the overall thought process. More than any of those, it was that writing wasn’t a task; it was a dedication. Nowadays, that does not apply. So while I will write, it will definitely be sporadic.

Secondly, I will change the manner of writing to make it more subjective, more intimate. Objective writing is great but I had discovered awhile back that writing is always selective. Know it to be a selective perspective given by the author. If a certain subject had 30,000 unique facts but you could only pick 100 or 1000, then what you would pick would be different than anything any other would select. And that is subjectivity even amidst the objective [data].

Now on to the topic at hand. This is about letting go but it is coming from a particular perspective so follow closely. Letting go is letting matters pass when a certain state of understanding has been reached.

This understanding comes from the attainment of stillness. Stillness is the core component of meditation. If the “meditation” does not involve stillness, then it is not meditation. Stillness, expounded simply, is the silencing of rampant thoughts and tumultuous emotions as well as the erratic and eccentric movements of the body. Beyond that is intuition – [getting] information which beyond the capabilities of the senses. In stillness, really, there is achievement of understanding and the attainment of what we may call wisdom.

This wisdom stems, in one sense, from letting things go. A saying passed through the lips of spiritual observers is that you know a man’s character by how much (and how fast) they are willing to let matters pass. This concerns those matters which are beyond one’s control.

Another way that this manifests is in letting go of people once you understand their nature – people that talk but do not act. People that make excuses but refuse to change. People that hide their fear or weakness through potent and pervasive soliloquies – these are who you must let go. There is no purpose in chasing after them; attempting to decipher their words or to convince them of a greater path. One must let go but this letting go is not done through apathy or disregard. It is done through wisdom.

Actions are actions not simply because of their result but by the intention through which they were initiated as well as the process through which they exhibited their execution. Understanding changes the way one perceives how things actually are. But until one gets to that actual, literal point, they will only be able to fool others as they are indeed first fooling themselves. It is never idle talk but action. The action is taken in respect to change. And that change is in respect to improving oneself.

This letting go is one such action. But it occurs naturally through the development of wisdom. This wisdom is cultivated through the act of stillness primarily found in meditation. There may be some who can remain in stillness through activities but their level and scope of achievement is beyond the norm. That is an exception, not a norm.