Many of my clients ask me what meditation means, how it is to be practiced? What is it really and what does it involve?
They have visited many Sadhus and Saints and various Yoga gurus and also have attended workshops on meditation and they also confirm that they come back confused and totally misinformed.
Here I have tried to explain what meditation means to me and the way I have experienced it and the way I have enjoyed its consciousness through practice.
I do not recommend anyone to join any mass meditation camp or attend classes (where it is not one to one) to learn it. It is not something you learn through theory or by knowing from someone; you learn it through sincere practice. It is something where you yourself create the atmosphere to meditate, then you practice it on your own; and all this at your convenient time and place; and at your call of knowing it.
What is meditation?
Meditation is to remain unoccupied. What this means is just doing nothing and sitting still. Be calm. Be quiet and just be Yourself.
When you are doing nothing all your energy force moves to the center and it settles down in the center. When you are doing something your energy force moves out. doing something means moving out. Doing nothing and remaining unoccupied is moving in, at the center.
Meditation is to be happy in your own presence. Feeling the presence of God around you. Being happy for just being Yourself, accepting what you are and just be. Its to be delighted and to seek joy in your own being. That’s meditation.
Question is how can you be happy if you are doing nothing? where does this delight come from?
It actually comes from nowhere or it actually comes from everywhere. Whenever you are happy, you are happy for no reason, you just feel it that way, you are happy for no reason at all, and whenever you are unhappy, you have some reason to be unhappy – because happiness is what you are actually made of. That is You. And joy is you.
It is very simple – a totally relaxed state of consciousness, where you are doing nothing. The moment you want to do something you become more conscious, you become tense, anxiety enters you, the urge to succeed enters you and the fear of failure seeps in. You actually move in the future.
Meditation is just to be, not doing anything, – no action, no thought, no emotion, you are just yourself. And that is joy accepting the way you are, and acknowledging what you are and being happy about it.
Meditation starts by being separate from the mind, by being a mere spectator, a witness. Not participating in the game you see but just witnessing the game.
Don’t do anything. Don’t repeat any mantra, don’t repeat the name of god – just watch whatever the mind is doing. Do not disturb it, do not prevent it, and do nothing to change it, do not do anything at all. Be a good spectator and this miracle is meditation. As you keep watching your mind becomes empty of thoughts. Emptiness is meditation. When your mind is empty you do not sleep but you become more alert. As the mind becomes empty your whole energy, your whole potential, becomes more evident and bright, and this is meditation.
The initial stage help – If you want to be calm, relaxed, focused, and just be still – start to recite a mantra or name of god if that enables you to concentrate and helps you to remain still – slowly & steadily. Remember that this is to be done initially to help you concentrate and should not become a habit. Later on you should be able to do nothing and be just a witness and watch the miracle called meditation.
Meditation is a state of no mind, no matter, no content. It is a state of pure bliss, of pure being – pure consciousness.
Normally consciousness is too much of rubbish and chaos! The mind is constantly engaged. Thoughts are moving, desires are moving, memories are running haywire, ambitions running riots, worries, anxieties, dreams, everything is just moving and there is so much chaos. Just look at the amount of activity in consciousness – and this happens day in, day out.
Surprisingly even when you are sleeping the mind is active and functioning, its dreaming, it is thinking hard, it is still in worries and anxieties. It is preparing for the future – the next day. It is always in a state of preparedness. This is the state of no meditation.
When there is no chaos or thinking has ceased, no thought moves, no desire stirs, you are utterly silent – that silence, tranquility is meditation. And in that silence the ultimate truth is known and never otherwise. So meditation is simply a state of no-mind.
Try understanding this. What they teach you in class rooms or camps – the exercises you do involve the chakras, exercises you do involve the breath, pranayam, chanting, these are disciplines and they are not meditation.
Meditation is the awareness of that “I am”. When you are aware of what you are, and that goes deeper and deeper in you, slowly slowly, a few moments arrive, moments of silence, moments of pure space, moments of will know who you are, and you will know what the mystery of this existence is. Whats the purpose of You? Your existence.
Sit silently. Doing nothing. Let the rains come. Let the grass grow by itself!
With grace and peace,
Dr. Vickram Aadityaa
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