MEDITATION

I learnt Transcendental Meditation(TM) through the institute of Guruji Mahesh Yogi. Then I learnt Simplified Kundalini Yoga (SKY) taught by Guruji Vedathri Maharishi. All these I did 25 years ago. I have read the topics on meditation written by Swami Vivekananda, Swami Jugi Vasudev and also browsed through some chapters by Pathanchali Maharishi, Osho and also J. Krishnamoorthy.



You may ask me why I am not satisfied with the first technique TM. Transcendental Meditation bring inner peace by focusing the mind initially on a mantra then reaching a state of no thoughts. This they say will be blissful happiness. I was not convinced because to escape from the real world and to stay away did not convince me.


In SKY the mind is focused on the tip of the spinal cord called the Mooladhara Chakra and the energy dormant there is raised to the fore head. One could feel a mild pressure between the eye brows and observing this will calm down ones mind. A calm mind is capable of concentration. However, it is only the beginning. The ultimate is to be able to reach the state of awareness.


Even without following these routes one may practice observing the mind. The mind can be made to calm down by chanting OM as slowly as possible. Then once you touch your inner self, you know how to be aware of the emotions all the time. One need not control emotions but should be only aware of them. Acting then becomes the choice. This state is more comfortable.


This means that one does not need any technique to meditate. If you can focus your mind and become aware of the self and the emotions, life is so simple and enjoyable. Happiness can only be in action and not in running away from life and its multitude.


From time to time we can find some popular teachers who device a technique. He or she devices it to look unique. They promise special experiences. When you calmly observe your mind, after it becomes free of the thoughts concerning you, there will be some other thoughts and you will see places and people whom you would not have seen before. This experience is addicting. The techniques devised by the teacher of meditation can take one to this kind of experience.


The question is why one needs these kind of experiences. These experiences are endless and people like it. So there are many teachers teaching such techniques.


As far as I am concerned, if one can be aware of their self all the time and live in the present completely, the experience of life will be most full filling.


Yoga as defined in Indian philosophy consists of eight stages 1.Ethics with respect to others,2.Ethics with respect to one self and proper food 3.Adequate exercises to keep all parts of the body fit 4.Knowledge about breathing techniques and effect of breathing on mind 5. Capacity to focus the mind 6. Capacity to hold the mind on the focal point(Focused performance included) 7. Introspection of the mind 8. To be in touch with ones self without thoughts to recoup mental energy.


You may see that stages 5,6,7 and 8 constitutes meditation. On stages1,2 and 3 the culture, habits , social values , environment and the company one keeps have pronounced influence. To rejoice living, one should follow all the eight stages and not stage 7 or 8 alone.


The process is natural and simple. If any technique is resorted to, it might lead to hallucination as result of the procedure followed.


Let us understand the simplicity of meditation and make optimum use of it  to enrich the process of living.