Meditation

Meditation
A word is like a finger. A finger can be used to point at different objects. Likewise, a word can be
used to point at different concepts. “Meditation” can be used to mean “the practice of prolonged
awareness“ or it could mean "spiritual practice" or "spiritual cultivation.” It is called sadhana in
Sanskrit. The word meditation is overused in the western culture. It can literally mean almost
anything. The meaning can range from daydreaming to imagining to stress reduction and others. But
in this book, meditation will be used to mean either prolonged awareness or spiritual practice.
In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, prolonged one-pointedness or concentration is called dharana. The
practice of prolonged awareness is called dhyana. Unfortunately, in many western books, the work
of Patanjali in relation to dhyana has been translated to mean a “longer period of concentration”
which is incorrect. Unless this concept is corrected, the spiritual development of the disciple will be
adversely affected.
When you practice sadhana, it is important that there must be a balance between concentration
(prolonged one-pointedness, dharana) and meditation (prolonged awareness, dhyana).
Concentration is necessary to avoid “drifting of the mind” or “wavering of the mind.” Dhyana or
prolonged awareness is necessary in order to register and respond to inner and higher stimuli. The
practice of sadhana is like playing a guitar or a sitar. If you make the strings too tight, the sound
produced is not good. If you make the strings too loose, the sound is also not good. So there must
be a proper balance between one-pointedness and awareness during one’s sadhana.
Another important concept in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjah is samadhi. In its strictest sense, samadhi
as used by Patanjali means “oneness.” 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 samyama.
This paragraph gives you the key to understanding Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.
In India, the word samadhi is also used to mean different concepts. It could also mean death. When
a person dies, they say the person has mahasamadhi. This word was probably originally used to
refer to yogis who deliberately leave their bodies permanently to achieve complete union with their
higher soul or even with their divine spark. Unfortunately, it became too popular and was used to
mean anybody who has died. Samadhi could also be used to describe the different levels of
consciousness.
Meditation on the Gap to Achieve Inner Stillness
In India, there is a saying that if the water is rough, you cannot see through it. On the other hand, if
the water is calm, you will be able to see through it. In the same way, when your mind and emotions
are still, you can see your true nature. You can achieve oneness with your higher soul. In Buddhism
this is called “Realizing one’s (higher) Buddha nature.”
How do you achieve stillness? You do not achieve stillness by stopping the thinking process, but by
being aware of the inner stillness. Where is this inner stillness located? It is in the “gap.”
The mantra OM helps, but it is not enough. What is more important is being aware of the interval
between two OMS. Between two OMS is a gap or stillness. This is called Meditation on the Gap.
When you do Awareness Meditation on the Breath, you must not only be aware of the inhalation
and exhalation. What is more important is that one should be aware of the gap between inhalations
and exhalations and between exhalations and inhalations. Within this gap there is stillness. One
must be aware repeatedly of this stillness.
“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) By practicing stillness, one becomes aware of the
Divine Presence not only within one’s self; one also becomes aware of the pervasive presence of the
Divine.
Practising Awareness Meditation on the Thoughts is advisable.
Not only should you be aware of the thoughts going in and out of the mind, but also be aware of the
interval or gap between the two thoughts, because in this gap there is stillness. By repeatedly being
aware of this inner stillness, one will be able to achieve expansion of consciousness.
The practice of repeating mantras is also good but, like other meditational practices, it is more
important to be aware of the gap between the two mantras because the stillness is in the gap.
Achieving oneness with the higher soul - Master Choa Kok Sui

Meditation - Master Choa Kok Sui

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