Just as the light is burning within the hurricane lamp, so also the Divine Flame is burning
from time immemorial in the lamp of your heart. Close your eyes. Merge yourself within the Divine Flame. Plunge deep into the chambers of your heart. Meditate on this Divine Flame and become one with the Flame of God. If the wick within the lamp is small the light will also be small. If the wick is big, the light also will be powerful. Similarly, if the Jiva (individual soul) is pure, if he practices meditation, the manifestation or expression of the Self will be powerful. He will radiate a big light. If he is unregenerate and impure, he will be like a burnt-up charcoal. The bigger the wick, the greater the light. Likewise, the purer the soul, the greater the expression.
If the magnet is powerful, it will influence the iron fillings even when they are placed at a
distance. Even so, if the Yogi is an advanced person, he will have greater influence over the persons with whom he comes in contact. He can exert his influence on persons even when they live in distant places. The fire of meditation annihilates all foulness due to vice. Then suddenly there comes Knowledge of Self or Divine Wisdom which directly lends to Mukti or final emancipation.
During meditation note how long you can shut out all worldly thoughts. Watch your mind.
If it is for twenty minutes, try to increase the period to thirty minutes and so on. Fill the mind with thoughts of God again and again.
In meditation do not strain your eyes. Do not strain the brain. Do not struggle or wrestle with
the mind. Relax. Gently allow the divine thoughts to flow. Steadily think of the Lakshya (point of
meditation). Do not voluntarily and violently drive away the intruding thoughts. Have sublime
Sattvic thoughts. The vicious thoughts will by themselves vanish.
From - SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA
Discovery of India
You have within yourself tremendous powers and latent faculties of which you have really
never had any conception. You must awaken these dormant powers and faculties by the practice of meditation and Yoga. You must develop your will and control your senses and mind. You must
purify yourself and practice regular meditation. Then only you can become a Superman or
God-man. There is no such thing as miracle or Siddhi. Ordinary man is quite ignorant of higher
spiritual things. He is sunk in oblivion. He is shut up from higher transcendental knowledge. So he calls some extraordinary event a miracle. But for a Yogi who understands things in the light of
Yogas there is no such thing as miracle. Just as a villager is astonished at the sight of an aeroplane or a talkie for the first time, so also a man of the world is stunned when he sees an extraordinary spectacle for the first time.Every human being has within himself various potentialities and capacities. He is a magazine of power and knowledge. As he evolves, he unfolds new powers, new faculties, new qualities. Now he can change his environments and influence others. He can subdue other minds. He can conquer internal and external nature. He can enter into super-conscious state. In a dark room if a pot containing a lamp inside it, is broken, the darkness of the room is dispelled and you see light everywhere in the room. Even so, if the body-pot is broken through constant meditation on the Self, i.e., if you destroy ignorance (Avidya) and its effects such as identification with the body, and rise above body-consciousness, you will cognise the supreme light of the Atman everywhere.
Just as the water in the pot that is placed in the ocean becomes one with the waters of the
ocean, when the pot is broken, so also when the body-pot is broken by meditation on the Atman, the individual soul becomes one with the Supreme Soul.
From - SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA
If you meditate for half an hour, you will be able to face the daily battle of life with peace
and spiritual strength for one week through the force of meditation. Such is the beneficial effect of meditation. As you have to move with different minds of peculiar nature, get the requisite strength and peace from meditation and be free from worry and trouble.
The wise cut asunder the knot of egoism by the sharp sword of constant meditation. Then
dawns supreme Knowledge of the Self or full Illumination or Self-realisation. The liberated sage
has neither doubt nor delusion. All bonds of Karma (action) are rent asunder. Therefore be ever
engaged in meditation. This is the master-key to open the realms of eternal Bliss. It may be
disgusting and tiring in the beginning, because the mind will be running away from the point
(Lakshya) every now and then. But after sometime it will be focussed in the centre. You will be
immersed in Divine Bliss. Regular meditation opens up the avenues of intuitional knowledge, makes the mind calm and steady, awakens an ecstatic feeling, and brings the Yogic student in contact with the SupremePurusha. If there are doubts, they are all cleared by themselves, when you march on the path of Dhyana-Yoga (meditation) steadily. You will yourself feel the way to place your footstep in the next higher rung of the Yogic ladder. A mysterious inner voice will guide you. Hear thou this attentively, O Yogananda! When you get a flash of illumination, do not be frightened. It will be a new experience of immense joy. Do not turn back. Do not give up meditation. Do not stop there. You will have to advance still further. This is only a glimpse of truth. This is not the whole experience. This is not the highest realisation. This is only a new platform. Try to ascend further. Reach the Bhuma or the Infinite. Now alone you are proof against all temptations. You will drink deep the nectar ofImmortality. This is the acme or final stage. You can take eternal rest now. You need not meditate any further. This is the final goal.
Sitting on your favourite meditative pose and keeping the head, neck and trunk erect, close
your eyes and gently concentrate on either the tip of the nose, space between the eyebrows, the
heart-lotus or the crown of the head. When once you have selected one centre of concentration,
stick to it till the last with leech-like tenacity. Never change it. Thus, if you have chosen to
concentrate on the heart-lotus after having tried the other centres, stick to the heart-lotus alone.
Then only you can expect rapid advancement. Meditation is of two kinds viz., Saguna (with Gunas or qualities) meditation and Nirguna (without Gunas or qualities) meditation. Meditation on Lord Krishna, Lord Siva, Lord Rama or Lord Jesus is Saguna meditation. It is meditation with form and attributes. The Name of the Lord is also simultaneously repeated. This is the method of the Bhaktas. Meditation on the reality of the Self is Nirguna meditation. This is the method of the Vedantins. Meditation on Om, Soham, Sivoham, Aham Brahma Asmi and Tat Tvam Asi is Nirguna meditation. Put an iron rod in the blazing furnace. It becomes red like fire. Remove it from the fire. It loses its red colour. If you want to keep it always red, you must keep it always in fire. Even so, if you want to keep the mind charged with the fire of Brahmic Wisdom, you must keep it always in contact with the Brahmic Fire of Knowledge through constant and intense meditation. You must, in other words, keep up an unceasing flow of Brahmic Consciousness.
Meditation is the most powerful mental and nervine tonic. The holy vibrations penetrate all
the cells of the body and cure the various diseases that human flesh is heir to. Those who regularly meditate save the doctor’s bills. The powerful soothing waves that arise during meditation exercise a benign influence on the mind, nerves, organs and cells of the body. The divine energy freely flows like the flow of oil from one vessel to another, from the Feet of the Lord to the different systems of the practitioner.
From - SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA
Of course, even if you wander from pole to pole, you cannot get an ideal place that will
satisfy you from every standpoint. Every place has some advantages and some disadvantages as
well. So you should select a place that is more advantageous than others. Having once hit upon a
place, you must stick to it till the last. You must not think of changing the place, when some
difficulty stares you in the face. You must put up with the difficulty by all means. Rishikesh (Himalayas), Haridwar, Uttarkashi, Badrinarayan, Gangotri, Mount Kailas, Brindavan, Varanasi,
Nasik and Ayodhya are all excellent places for meditation in India.
The best and the most congenial time for the practice of meditation is unquestionably the
Brahmamuhurta i.e., from 4 to 6 a.m. That is the time when the mind is quite refreshed after an
agreeable slumber, when the mind is calm and comparatively pure. It is like a clean blank sheet of paper. Only such a mind can be moulded into whatever shape you like. Moreover, the atmosphere also is charged with purity and goodness at this time.
In the beginning you can meditate twice daily, from 4 to 5 in the morning and 7 to 8 at night.
As you advance in your practices, you can increase the duration of each sitting little by little using your commonsense and discretion, and also have a third sitting either in the morning between 10 and 11 or in the evening between 4 and 5.
In the Yoga-Vasishtha you will find: “The right course to be adopted by one who is in his
novitiate is this: Two parts of the mind must be filled with the objects of Enjoyment, one part with Philosophy and the remaining part with Devotion to the teacher. Having advanced a little, he should fill one part of the mind with the objects of Enjoyment, two parts with Devotion to the teacher and the remaining one with getting an insight into the meaning of Philosophy. When one has attained proficiency, he should everyday fill two parts of his mind with Philosophy and supreme Renunciation, and the remaining two parts with Meditation and devoted Service to the Guru.” This will eventually lead you on to meditation for twenty-four hours.
From - SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA
Meditation follows concentration. Concentration merges into meditation. Concentration is
holding the mind on to some particular object. An unbroken flow of knowledge in that subject is
meditation. Meditation is regular flow of thought with regard to the object of concentration.
Meditation opens the door of the mind to intuitive knowledge and many powers. You can get
whatever you want through meditation. During meditation all worldly thoughts are shut out from the mind. Meditation is called Dhyana in Sanskrit and is the seventh step in the Yogic ladder. In Lesson VII you were advised to keep a separate room for practicing Pranayama, isn’t it so? Well, the same room will also serve the purpose of meditation. In fact, one room will be quite sufficient for all spiritual practices—Asanas, Pranayama, Japa,27 Kirtan,28 concentration,
meditation, and so forth. The room should be regarded as a temple of God. You should not allow
anybody into the room. You should enter the room with a pious and reverent mind. Thoughts of
jealousy, lust, greed and anger should not be entertained within the four walls of the room. All
worldly talks, also should not be indulged in there. For every word that is uttered, every thought that is cherished and every deed that is done is not lost; they are reflected on the subtle layers of ether encircling the room where they are done and hence affect the mind invariably.
Decorate the room with inspiring pictures of great Saints, Sages, Prophets and World
Teachers. In a prominent place in the room keep a beautiful photo of your tutelary Deity
(Ishta-Devata), either Lord Jesus, Lord Krishna, Lord Siva or Devi. Let the Deity face the East or North. Spread your Asana (seat) in front of the Deity. Keep some religious and philosophical books such as the Bhagavad-Gita, the Upanishads, the Vedanta-Sutras, the Ramayana, the
Yoga-Vasishtha, the Bible, etc., by your side. Wash your face, hands and legs before you enter the room. Burn a piece of camphor and light some scented sticks immediately after entering the room. Sit on the Asana in front of the Deity and repeat the Name of the Lord or sing some devotional hymns. Then take to the practice of concentration and meditation.
From - SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA
Imagine that you are a lotus candle. Someone walks toward you and lights your wick. You are now giving out a small glow of orange light. Slowly, your whole body becomes an orange colour. Feel yourself giving out warm orange light. Someone lifts you up and places you on the shrine table. Your warm orange light is like the brightness of wisdom. You are now shining brightly, as bright as you can be, to drive away the darkness of ignorance. Your light symbolizes the Buddha’s teaching. His teachings help and guide us when we are in darkness. When we behave badly and get angry, it is as if we are in darkness. We need the light of the Buddha’s teaching to help us. Your light helps to remind people not to remain in darkness but to brighten themselves with the Buddha’s teaching.You are the bright orange light. Feel yourself , your light going out further and further, until it shines through the whole temple, then further until it shines through the whole country, and still further until it covers the whole world. You are as big as the whole world and your light breaks through all the darkness and your light shines out in every direction. Your light of wisdom is touching all of space. Continue giving out orange light in every direction.
From - Guided Meditation for Primary Students
That’s all you can do. So just be mindful, don’t beat up your self.About consciousness-awareness-knowing, remember and observe these things always:e arising and passing away of consciousness.at every mind that arises is another and new mind.Consciousness arises because of the object and passes away because of the object.It is consciousness that sees hears, smells, tastes, touches, and thinks, not ‘I’ or ‘me’ or ‘mine.’ It is consciousness, the mind, that experiences all sense objects.When you are not mindful you get gaps of ‘knowing.’Understanding comes to those who are not in a hurry to understand. Understanding is like a fruit tree. It takes some time to mature. One cannot force it to bear fruits.A person who is ‘role free’, ‘game free’, ‘I’ free. Accepting the truth frees the mind.Understand your limitations, you can only do so much. Seeing ones own limitations clearly is very important.How hard it is for me to see where I am stuck and how to become unstuck. Only when you see clearly where you are stuck, there is a chance that you might become unstuck.People behave like they are doing something and as if they know what they are doing. Do they really know what they are doing?You may stop thinking for a while just how important you are!Life is very short. ere are things to be done.Only deep understanding of attachment can free the mind from it.at’s all you can do. So just be mindful, don’t beat up your self.About consciousness-awareness-knowing, remember and observe these things always:e arising and passing away of consciousness.at every mind that arises is another and new mind.Consciousness arises because of the object and passes away because of the object.
From - Contemplation of the Mind
The nature of the body is to be born, decay and die.Don’t try to get calm or peaceful. Do just one thing. Watch the noting mind.If any questions come up in your mind just watch it and let go. e answer will come to you later.After you have watched your mind for years, you get to know it so well, recognise it so clearly; how stupid, tricky, jealous, foolish, covetous, bossy, overpowering, it can be and because you can be aware of it, it cannot carry you away.We cannot afford to be careless, always try to be very careful and use your sati as your compass.e mindful mind will always warn you when you are getting into trouble. No control, just simple bare awareness of mind. Can you hear the chattering, the monologue or dialogue going on in the mind, the comments, the judgements and so on.e mind is always tricky and craves for something, but is that what you really want to do? Run all day slaving for the mind?Just because many other people are running mindlessly after all kinds of stimulation?Watch how the mind creates its own problems. Most of our problems are mind made. Most problems will disappear just by the understanding of the mind.e present phenomenon is the only thing I have whether I like it or not. So it is more important for me.Having little distraction we can observe things easily. When you will become quite mindful you will know how to live your life. You will know what to do in any situation.Looking for satisfaction is looking for pain. Understanding this deeply we learn to let go.See how much you hurry yourself when you are upset. Be mindful. See anger as anger, not ‘my anger’.If you are upset because you enjoy music you are too demanding, you are asking and expecting too much of yourself.But if you see the enjoying mind and watch it with equanimity then only you will see it for what it is.Being upset which is a kind of aversion, is a close companion to greed and pride, because you think: ‘ I am a meditator so there shouldn’t be greed and pride arising in my mind.’But you should be thinking: ‘Now is a good chance for me to study and examine them!’A stream enterer still has greed and anger. But he has no identification with mind and body. Only non-returners and fully enlightened ones are free of greed and anger. Only the arahat is free from comparing oneself with others.Meditate also when you are restless when you think it’s impossible for you to meditate because your mind is crazy. at is the most important time for you to meditate.e Buddha said: ‘When the mind is restless he or she knows that the mind is restless’.You are not expected to do more than that. You don’t feel guilty because there is anger or greed, etc. You know anger or greed are happening, you don’t deceive your self.
From - Contemplation of the Mind
This is the proper way to practise a mantra. Utter it as loudly and slowly as possible ten times, then not quite so loudly and a very little faster ten times more. Continue this process until there is nothing but a rapid movement of the lips; this movement should be continued with increased velocity and diminishing intensity until the mental muttering completely absorbs the physical. The student is by this time absolutely still, with the mantra racing in his brain; he should, however, continue to speed it up until he reaches his limit, at which he should continue for as long as possible, and then cease the practice by reversing the process above described. Any sentence may be used as a mantra, and possibly the Hindus are correct in thinking that there is a particular sentence best suited to any particular man. Some men might find the liquid mantras of the Quran slide too easily, so that it would be possible to continue another train of thought without disturbing the mantra; one is supposed while saying {19} the mantra to meditate upon its meaning. This suggests that the student might construct for himself a mantra which should represent the Universe in sound, as the pantacle<
1. Aum.
2. Aum Tat Sat Aum. This mantra is purely spondaic. II. {illustration: line of music with: Aum Tat Sat Aum :under it}
3. Aum mani padme hum; two trochees between two caesuras. III. {illustration: line of music with: Aum Ma-ni Pad-me Hum :under it}
4. Aum shivaya vashi; three trochees. Note that "shi" means rest, the absolute or male aspect of the Deity; "va" is energy, the manifested or female side of the Deity. This Mantra therefore expresses the whole course of the Universe, from Zero through the finite back to Zero. IV. {illustration: line of music with: Aum shi-va-ya Va-shi Aum shi-va-ya Vashi :under it} 5. Allah. The syllables of this are accented equally, with a certain pause between them; and are usually combined by fakirs with a rhythmical motion of the body to and fro. 6. Hua allahu alazi lailaha illa Hua. {20} Here are some longer ones: 7. The famous Gayatri. Aum! tat savitur varenyam Bhargo devasya dimahi Dhiyo yo na pratyodayat. Scan this as trochaic tetrameters.
8. Qol: Hua Allahu achad; Allahu Assamad; lam yalid walam yulad; walam yakun lahu kufwan achad. 9. This mantra is the holiest of all that are or can be. It is from the Stele of Revealing.
This means that you have to face the situation at the beginning and not ignore it until it’s too late.Check very carefully your attitude: If there is wrong attitude there and you are able to see it clearly, acknowledge it, that ‘seeing’ by itself will change and turn in time that negative attitude into positive. Do not change object until your present object zeros. If sati is strong, usually the mental feeling will decrease to zero, then the mental attitude will change to upekkha-neutral feeling, and the mental image will disappear and bodily sensation will break up or it will be just another sensation.For a seasoned Cittanupassana meditator the looking at the mental attitude changing will cause the image to disappear and the bodily sensation to break up.So Zap it with the X rays of your sati!
from - Contemplation of the Mind
Every breath, every thought, every image, every step or movement,
you experience is brand new.Mark the ending of experience carefully.Doubt: Before anything else see the teacher because different
methods apply. Look into this doubt mind, no reason to get alarmed, it’s a very natural thing, but if questions arise while you are practising don’t try to answer them. Leave them for later.Remorse: Again, see the teacher before anything else, because different methods apply. Don’t let it affect you, or the present moment.Doubt and Remorse will arise when the practice is good. Look directly into the mind that’s causing it.Sensual Desire: Ask sensual desire: Why do you arise? Who are you?Human life is the perfect environment for fighting and extinguishing defilement. Forget suppression, samatha practice and locking up yourself in a volt!Look repeatedly at the mental feelings, and the pictures in your mind until you can understand the composition of its characteristic feeling. (Don’t be surprised at this stage if the hindrance gets stronger). Also check your mental attitude: Do I desire this, or do I dislike it? Do I fear it ?At this stage upekkha will arise, then as you look back at the object, it will disappear. (is will do for beginners who find out the characteristics of desire for food for example. However the same method applies to desiring all kinds of things.)An experienced practitioner would check his mental attitude first and then check bodily sensations and would avoid looking at the mental image. Will drop the image immediately, and again and again if necessary.e difficulty one faces with the dropping of the image, shows the strength of the attachment.is last method works with all sense objects.is latest practice will help you understand how mental attitudes and mental feelings cause you to suffer.Sexual Desire: In this case check your mental attitude first, then chest-heart area for mental feelings, totally ignore image and keep checking as before again.If there is change in mental attitude you will feel it; i.e. mental heaviness, contraction (chest-heart area) or pleasantness and so on.Also use your wisdom, see the bad side in what seems attractive and desirable, think of the results or the price you have to pay for sense pleasure. Look at what’s coming, what’s following pleasant feeling. Observe that feeling (is does not mean start feeling guilty!)As you observe continuously, the unpleasant feeling will decrease. (Your observing has to be at present moment, but to be able to do that, your mental attitude has to be right.)Observe sensation until it goes down to zero. is is very important, because if it doesn’t work, it means sati is weak.To increase sati look continuously into sensation area persisting, increasing viriya; i.e. putting out fire: if its not much, a glass of water will put it out, if your whole house is burning a glass of water its useless.
from - Contemplation of the Mind
A Quick Look At e Hindrancesere are pleasant and unpleasant hindrances. For example, pleasant visual hindrances such as the Buddha or the Sangha, Temples, Teachers etc. ey promote faith. But too much faith brings blind devotion unless it is balanced with wisdom.If there was wisdom in the first place one would have ignored the encouraging images.Pleasant Bodily Sensations: Just look at them until they disappear. Piti gives rise to joy; calm (passadhi) gives rise to comfort, to no pain, mental clarity inner happiness etc. (caused by samadhi).Note, observe, and do not get attached.Unpleasant Hindrances: sleepiness-restlessness-boredom-doubt-remorse (caused by lack of samadhi).Sleepiness: With good sati look at it directly without getting involved. If sati is weak look at the properties of sleepiness: dark, heavy, foggy and so on.By continuously applying your self you will be able to overcome it. Sleepiness is only a mental state.Restlessness: Return to rising and falling until your mind gets calm enough to overcome it. Check for tension in your body and mind. Tension is the mother of restlessness.B : Restlestness
and worry: Look straight into the thinking mind. at will cause it to disappear. en turn your attention to the ‘rising and falling’ for three or four times and look right into the mind again checking for thinking/restlessness. If there is restlessness turn your attention again to the ‘rising and falling’ for a few breaths and look again into the mind checking for thinking. Work like this again and again balancing the mind until thinking mind is totally overcome.Boredom: Seeing repetition and getting bored. Remind your self that what you are seeing is always new.
from - Contemplation of the Mind
Dhamma Sukha Tawya translates as Dhamma happiness hermitage. It is Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw’s second monastery. His International Center. Both Vipassana and Cittanupassana are taught in the center in the style of Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw.e main characteristics of the center would be:a) Not a tension factory!b) Definitely Dhamma conscious. In other well-known centers monks and nuns who are not ‘fast progressing’ according to certain expectations are simply and coldly told to ‘go somewhere else to practice’ or are looked down on, and so on.at’s not the case at all in Dhamma Sukha Tawya where patience and compassion are plenty for all. they also cater especially for people with depression problems.e schedule in this monastery is arranged in such a way that one can practice, without having to take a pause if one wishes, indefinitely.
from - Contemplation of the Mind
THE connection between breath and mind will be fully discussed in speaking of the Magick Sword, but it may be useful to premise a few details of a practical character. You may consult various Hindu manuals, and the writing of "K"wang Tze, for various notable theories as to method and result. But in this sceptical system one had better content one's self with statements which are not worth the trouble of doubting. The ultimate idea of meditation being to still the mind, it may be considered a useful preliminary to still consciousness of all the functions of the body. This has been dealt with in the chapter on Asana. One may, however, mention that some Yogis carry it to the point of trying to stop the beating of the heart. Whether this be desirable or no it would be useless to the beginner, so he will endeavour to make the breathing very slow and very regular. The rules for this practice are given in Liber CCVI. The best way to time the breathing, once some little skill has been acquired, with a watch to bear witness, is by the use of a mantra. The mantra acts on the thoughts very much as Pranayama does upon the breath. The thought is bound down to a recurring cycle; any intruding thoughts are thrown off by the mantra, just as pieces of putty would be from a fly-wheel; and the swifter the wheel the more difficult would it be for anything to stick.
from - THE WAY OF ATTAINMENT OF GENIUS
Knowing mind is the mind that knows the object, watching mind or ‘one step up mind’ is the one that knows of both of them.
Most people don’t know the knowing mind, and don’t get to the point where they can see the knowing mind that knows the object.
These cittas-consciousnesses that arise one after the other and ‘know’ of the process of consciousness that proceed them can actually arise infinitely, according to the Abhidhamma, but to know just these two or three, is enough for you to be able to see that process and not confuse it with a ‘self’ or ‘personality’.
It’s only when you get to the mind that you get to real paramattha. When you get to reality you don’t see any more concepts. You see just the basic reality; only paramattha and you can see this only through the mind.
If you don’t see how the mind works you don’t know how the mind creates these concepts.
CONCEPTS ARE CREATED BY THE MIND
If you do not see that the concept is created by the mind you can’t stop it. (i.e. when we sit and we think that our bodies are going very big or very small and we don’t know that the mind is imagining this).
About the practice, when you are very high level and your sati and samadhi is very strong then what happens is, that you are looking at the knowing mind and the objects come to the knowing mind.
You don’t have to go looking for the object. The objects keep coming to the mind.
You are aware of this, you are aware of that; i.e. the rising and falling, or watching your object, something is always there.
Of course you don’t see a head or feet or hands or something like this, there is no concept involved, but some object is coming to the knowing mind.
It is not that we are aware of being aware of nothing, the object doesn’t disappear. The objects are always there, we don’t need to go down and focus on the objects, like you don’t have to choose what object you want to know; you know the mind and the mind knows objects continuously one after the other. Objects do not stop.
With Cittanupassana you have to have a teacher who teaches from experience, it can not be taught from the book.
To teach Cittanupassana effectively the teacher and the student must have a close relationship and close contact and the student must be very honest and be able to explain his experiences very clearly and openly.
The kind of mind and attitude one practices with is very important
From - Buddhist Meditation - Contemplation of the Mind
Meditation an ancient practice is rooted in Vedic Hinduism. It is a state in which the mind dissolves and is free of thoughts. Full fledged in Western culture, meditation is a common practice known to everyone. It includes a wide variety of spiritual practices that masters on the mental activity of a person. Most of them approach Meditation for achieving peace of mind. Types of Meditation: is on the basis of different religions- • Bahai faith Just thinking on one topic is Christian type of meditation. In this, mystics reach a state of achieving complete silence of mind known as contemplation. In Hinduism, meditation by the repetition of mantras is introduced that induces a positive energy. In Buddhism, meditation masters on breathing. Repetition of Mantras help one to be free from thoughts and helps to reach a sound feeling peacefulness on mind. Different postures are followed for meditation. A comfortable position should be attained before practicing meditation that helps to relax oneself from the meddling matters of the daily life. Meditation helps one to find a positive attitude towards mind and enriches personal growth. Declaration and visualization: makes one to deepen the relationship with the devotional powers. The positive visualization that one wishes to reach should be done along with the meditative prayers should be done. Transformation through meditation: positive will of the person together with the meditation makes one to achieve developmental transformation in oneself. Different techniques: Many simple techniques are there that can be practiced. A place with little distraction preferably a prayer room with icons, incense or something is the finest place for meditation. • Hearing the silence- with less distraction. Common postures: 1. Cross legged posture The three stages of meditations: 1. Dharana- complete concentration of mind Benefits of Meditation: • Controls stress- the person finds to manage the root causes of the stress in his life. Dev Sri provides Kerala tour and travel information through The Kerala Tourism website. Check out the website to find cool places, genuine Ayurvedic centers and Kerala travel packages. Website built, hosted and promoted by Aienet Communications.
• Buddhism
• Christianity
• Gnostic
• Jainism
• Hinduism
• Islam
• Judaism
• Sikhism
• Taoism
• New Age
Prayers: meditational prayers are related to one religious background. It is one of the contemplative prayers that connects one to the cosmic powers.
• A comfortable posture should be attained for better meditation.
• It is advised to meditate twice a day for better results.
2. Seated posture
3. Kneeling posture
4. Lying down posture
2. Dhyana- contemplation or worship
3. Samadhi- complete merging into a spiritual freedom
• Pain Management- the proper practice of meditation helps one to manage chronic pain that persists on and other psychic disorders connected to it.
• Physical healing- heals cancer, high blood pressure, infertility, respiratory problems, premenstrual Syndrome etc
• Gain repressed memories
• Handle pain attacks
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It would be a better option to consider meditation for procrastination, especially for those people, who suffer from procrastination largely because their mind is replete with stress. It is estimated that meditation offers a best solution for stress, since it helps in decreasing the levels of tension from the mind. Hence, it is mostly used in the far eastern regions of the world with much success through all these years. Apart from its use for religious purposes, meditation has also benefited those workers, who procrastinate and even for those people who prepare for their exams. The main reason for a person procrastinating is the fact that they mainly involve a confused mind, which is largely unable to deal with the situation that is at hand. For such people, the best way is to embark on meditation for procrastination. This is largely because, the process of meditation helps in cleansing the mind. This, in turn, helps them in thinking rationally and clearly and without the undue influence of outside forces.
More on Meditation:
It is also estimated that the process of meditation for procrastination helps in the improvement in the levels of concentration. This is mainly because, majority of the people suffering from this disorder are those who face problems with the concentration of tasks at hand and are emotionally unstable. Meditation for procrastination helps in reducing the negative emotions and also, improves the self esteem of a person.
The other reason that needs to be considered for undertaking meditation for procrastination is the fact that, it helps in improvement of metabolism and gives a general promotion of well being, which allows students to concentrate better. In addition, it also proves beneficial to the adults as they feel better to work for an entire stretch in a day.
Miscellaneous benefits of Meditation:
It is up to the individual to understand, as to what it actually takes for meditation in addition to the purpose for which a person meditates. A person needs to be clear about his expectations out of the meditation exercises also. Once a clear idea is acquired, a person would be in a position to prepare a good meditation schedule such that it does not get missed anytime ever.
Overall, the moment a person undergoes deep meditation for procrastination, he would have a good peace of mind and would be in a better position of communicating with others. This would ensure that a person stops procrastinating once and for all and, becomes an achiever who would be in a position to complete whichever tasks are required to be performed. Apart from banishing procrastination, meditation has numerous benefits. The quicker a person meditates, the better it is for him.
If you would like to learn more about Procrastination and receive a FREE Newsletter on the subject visit the authors site http://www.procrastinationadvice.com
Meditation has been found to have a positive influence on the body, mind, and spirit. Successful management of chronic pain, decrease in blood pressure, and reduction in stress hormones are a few of the physiological benefits of meditative practices. Meditation is also known to produce a variety of psychological benefits, including reduction of anxiety, enhanced sense of well-being, increased awareness of emotions, and a greater sense of self-actualization. Spiritual bliss and enlightenment are among the spiritual benefits of meditation.
Recently scientists have looked at the effect of mindfulness meditation (one type of awareness meditation) on the brain and neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to develop and change - essentially rewire itself - in response to training and/or experience. Richard Davidson, PhD at the University of Wisconsin has conducted research that indicates that meditation increases neuronal firings in the left frontal cortex of the brain – the same area associated with positive feelings and happiness. Studies involving very experienced meditators (Buddhist monks) have shown that these brain changes may be long lasting. In other words, mindfulness meditation may increase your level of happiness and the more you practice the happier you will be.
Rather than disregarding any distracting thoughts, those practicing mindfulness meditation simply observe their thoughts without judgment. The goal of this form of meditation is to increase awareness in the present moment. If you want to give this type of meditation a try, I suggest beginning with a mindful walking practice. This simply means that while you are walking, you keep your awareness on the experience of walking. Stay in the present moment and be aware of what your body feels like as you walk. Notice the sensations as you put one foot in front of the other. Notice the sights, sounds, and smells around you. Simply keep your awareness on your experience in the moment.
When other thoughts come into your mind (and they most definitely will come) simply observe them and let them go – without judging them. This is a key to mindfulness - rather than getting caught up in these thoughts or berating yourself for having distracting thoughts, it is important to be an impartial observer of the thoughts flowing through your mind. Remember… observe the thoughts and let them go.
As you gain experience with this type of meditation, you will gain the understanding that your true essence - your essential spirit - is not the contents of your mind, but rather the observer of the contents. This awareness will help you detach from intense emotions and allow them to flow freely and easily. When practiced on a regular basis, mindfulness becomes a way of life and a path toward greater happiness, peace, and joy.
If you are one of the millions of people who suffer from headaches you may have chosen to consider alternative treatments as an addition to medications or perhaps even as a replacement for them. Meditation is one such treatment and its roots are, in fact, very old.
has been used in cultures around the world and through many centuries. It is considered a form of mind and body healing and it is intended to balance a person's physical, mental and emotional states. Stress and tension are often implicated in headache pain and meditation is a way to decrease anxiety, leaving your mind and body relaxed and comfortable. Meditation can relax breathing patterns, lower blood pressure and reduce or remove stress, which can then reduce headache frequency and severity.
Concentrative Meditation
Concentrative meditation is a form of meditation that focuses on something simple such as a breath, image, or sound. The idea is to calm the mind and bring about a strong awareness and clarity within oneself. It essentially allows you to narrow your focus.
A basic way to try concentrative meditation is to sit quietly and calmly; you should focus your attention on just breathing. Since anxiety tends to yield labored, rapid breathing, the aim is to focus breathing and slow it down so that it is calmer and more regular. By focusing on the inhalation and exhalation of breath, you are practicing a simple but effective form of meditation. Your mind should then become more relaxed and clear as you continue to focus and you may experience a sense of tranquility.
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation is a way of training your mind to remain in the present moment. It's a way of taking note of both conscious and unconscious thought. With mindfulness meditation, you become aware of what is happening within your body as well as your surroundings. Try sitting in a place free from external noise or interference. Allow your mind to run freely and accept all of the thoughts that you experience. Try not to judge them or become too involved in them, but simply let them enter and exit your mind.
Stress Management
Meditation is thought to have many benefits on stress from different areas of life, whether that is home, work or personal related stress. By using meditation to cope with stress, your headaches will hopefully become a thing of the past.
Ease Pain
Frequent and intense headache pain can really decrease quality of life, affecting relationships and functioning in both work and home. Despite a great deal of research focused on new drug treatments as well as investigations into causes of headaches, many people still prefer a non-pharmaceutical approach to easing pain. Meditation is touted as an effective way to address pain without the potential side effects of conventional treatment. It's worthwhile to try meditation and see if it makes a difference in your headaches.
There isn't really a right or wrong way to perform meditation; the aim is to spend time on yourself. It's a way of giving your mind and body the care it deserves and you may find that a reduction in stress and headaches is only one of many benefits you experience.
Many people have heard of meditation, but most may not be aware of the real benefits of what it can do. Many think of meditation as simply closing your eyes and doing some chanting. Many also think that meditation is closely related to religion. The most commonly known benefit of meditation is stress reduction. While this may be true, there are also many other benefits that most are not aware of. This article summarizes some other benefits that meditation can bring: The most known benefit of meditation of course, is that it is used to relieve stress and anxiety, and this is the reason why most people meditate in the first place.
Reduction of Blood Pressure
Studies have shown that regular meditation can lower your blood pressure. The reason for this is because the practice of meditation opens up the blood vessels, thus lowering the blood pressure.
Reduction of Cholesterol Level
Meditation can also reduce blood cholesterol levels, minimizing chances of heart disease. Meditation could be the answer to a healthy heart!
Reduction of Respiratory Problems
Have breathing problems? Try meditating! As part of meditation, you control and focus on your breathing. You may not realize, but your controlled breathing reduces airway resistance and increases air flow into the lungs. This makes for easier breathing and is beneficial for patients with asthmatic problems.
Reduce Heart Rate and Metabolic Rate
Meditation lowers your heart rate, and also lowers the metabolic rate, bringing you into a state of calmness.
Coping with Depression
Meditation can bring you into a more positive state of mind, making you feel happy and rejuvenated. Because of this, meditation is often used as an effective tool to cope with depression.
An Increased Emotional Stability
Meditation brings about emotional stability, enabling us to better control our emotions and feelings.
An Increase in Productivity
Meditation also helps to increase memory and alertness, giving us more clarity of thought to make better judgments and decisions. It makes us more alert and awake at work, thus increasing productivity in what we do.
Enjoy meditating!
Meditation is an exercise and practise where we seek to discover our own inner Source. Through meditation we can learn to identify with a vast, infinite consciousness that embodies peace, light and abiding satisfaction. Everybody has these divine qualities of inner peace and joy, it is just that at the moment we are not aware of them. Meditation is our conscious effort to experience these qualities and make them part of our nature.
To practice meditation we don’t need to follow a particular religion; anybody can meditate, the only requirement is our conscious aspiration to silence the thoughts of the mind. At the same time if we can have the help of a qualified teacher and associate with others who meditate then our progress will be quicker and more assured. We gain inspiration by meditating with others and following a certain path of meditation.
There are many different approaches to meditation but ultimately the various teachings of meditation share a common objective; to stop our mental thoughts. In essence meditation is an experience where we are not using the mind to think. If we can empty our mind of thoughts, then we will be able to enter into a meditative consciousness. When we enter into this meditative consciousness we actually find our inner being, our inner pilot will spontaneously meditate on our behalf. In the beginning we may need to make an effort to silence the mind. However when we have achieved this task of silencing the mind we find meditation is something that is very spontaneous and natural.
To be able to be able to go from an ordinary mental consciousness to this elevated consciousness we need to master the practice of concentration. To concentrate we only focus on one thing at a time; we need to avoid getting distracted by thoughts and emotions. To help us achieve this there are various meditation exercises, which help us to silence the mind. These exercises can include the use of mantra, visualization exercises and concentrating on certain objects.
Unless we are very fortunate, meditation may not come easily, but if we practice regularly we will begin to increase our meditative capacity and over time we will learn how to experience the lasting peace and satisfaction that meditation can give us. As Sri Chinmoy says of meditation
“Meditation gives us peace of mind without a tranquillizer. And unlike a tranquillizer, the peace of mind that we get from meditation does not fade away. It lasts for good in some corner of the inmost recesses of our aspiring heart.” [1]
But to describe the experience of real meditation in words is always inadequate. It is one thing to talk about peace and love but it is only when we meditate that we can experience these qualities as a living reality.
Resources:
[1] Excerpt from The Seeker's Mind by Sri Chinmoy
R.Pettinger has studied meditation under the guidance of Sri Chinmoy for 7 years. He teaches meditation classes in his home town of Oxford. For more articles on meditation and spirituality see: http://www.writespirit.net/blog
Meditation can be practiced in many ways and there are several meditation exercises available for people with different objectives. For people who are body-oriented, there various physical forms of exercise can be used to get in touch with the inner self. For the heart-oriented, prayer is considered the best form of attunement; for the intellect-oriented, meditation is their path to enlightenment. All types of meditations follow the same pattern where they begin with transforming the body, then move through the heart, next they arrive at the mind and then they go beyond. Meditation exercises are designed for reducing stress, building self-confidence and self-esteem, and maintaining good health.
One of the most popular meditation exercises is the breathing exercise where the meditators have to focus on inhalation and exhalation. The idea here is to become aware of the gap between inhalation and exhalation that is present for a fraction of second. Breathing meditation is popular as it is easy to understand and practice. The benefits of this exercise are also visible after a relatively shorter span of time when compared with other meditation exercises. This type of meditation can be done either by quietly sitting in a posture or by coupling it with other actions such as walking and eating.
Another type of meditation is the objective kind of meditation where the meditators choose any object to look at and then meditate on its origin. Meditators can allow their thoughts to wander to the origin of the object, the process of its making and then various stages involved in bringing the object to its present situation. This type of meditation is ideal for beginners as they may find it easier to relate to things that they can see than to something abstract.
Meditators who may be unsure about the benefits or the way of performing meditation exercises can consult qualified health professionals, specialists, or reputed teachers for advice.
Meditation provides detailed information on Meditation, Meditation Techniques, Transcendental Meditation, Guided Meditation and more. Meditation is affiliated with Tai Chi Videos.
Do you feel overhwelmed and at odds with your life? Does it seem like your mind rambles incessantly, as if you can never experience a moment of peace? Many people in our modern world describe their lives as frenzied and imbalanced. The good news is that it doesn't have to be this way. Many Asian cultures have understood something for the past several thousand years that modern people are gradually beginning to discover: That we have to learn how to work with our minds in a conscious and healthy way if we are to attract peace, abundance, and joy into our lives. Without a consistent method of cultivating awareness, we will be forever resigned to circumstances that feel out of our control. That is why so many modern people are struggling. We have lost the ancient practice of connecting our inner world of thoughts, feelings, and energy with our outer world of the circumstances we attract into our lives. Because of this, everything that appears seems to be random. We lose trust in the unfolding of the universe. As a result, our minds are filled with anxiety and worry, which only attracts more seeming chaos and confusion into our lives. Does this sound familiar?
The law of attraction states that what you focus on expands. If your thoughts and feelings resonate with anxiety and confusion, then you will attract more of those qualites to you through your relationships, work, finances, etc. The key is not to trick our minds into creating positive thoughts through affirmations or other methods, but to develop space around the workings of our minds altogether. Herein lies the magic of mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness is a method of becoming acutely aware of everything that happens within the scope of our perception. We shed light on what we think, feel, and sense. We make conscious all of the subconscious material that typically sabotages our good intentions. We don't try to change it. Instead, we just become extremely aware of it. We do this by sitting still and doing nothing but watching how our mind works without attachment or judgment. We just sit and witness what takes place within us and we start to draw parallels between what we believe to be true and what we are constantly attracting into our lives.
Many people, particulalry Westerners, try meditation for a period of time and then give up after getting frustrated with the process. This is because we are always looking for results. We are deeply attached to our expectations of what should happen. Most of us try to use meditation to shut our minds down, to dwell in a space of 'no thought.' If you try to use meditation to stop thinking, you are in for a rude surprise. You simply cannot do it. In fact, the harder you try to stop thinking, the louder and more obnoxious your thoughts become. This is not the way. The main intention of mindfulness is to be fundamentally OK with whatever arises as you practice. Whether you have a good thought or a bad thought, you give it the same attention. You remain neutral. By doing this, you stop feeding the energy of your thoughts. This is the first step in cutting through the vicious cycle of
thought-feeling-reaction that keeps so many of us habitually attracting the wrong kinds of energy, people, and circumstances into our lives. If we believe what we think, the energy of the thought will evolve into a feeling. The momentum of the feeling will cause us to react to it, which will create a cause in the world that will always lead to an effect. The effect will always be a reflection of that initial thought impulse. So, if your thoughts are habitually centered around negativity, greed, fear, or narcissism, then the effects you will see in your life will mirror this back to you.
Mindfulness is a process of becoming truly proactive for the first time in your life. Most of the time, we are just reacting to what we think and feel, which brings us endless cycles of conflict and disappointment. When we remain neutral to our thoughts and feelings, then we will gradually make contact with an aspect of ourselves that is spontaneous and awake. We will act (not react) from this place. We will attract what we truly desire into our lives based on a conscious process of heightening our senses. And, yes, at some point the mind does slow down. We experience wonderful and refreshing moments of peace and openness. The universe is naturally seen as a benevolent place.
Instead of our typical attempts to outsmart the universe, mindfulness is a humbling process of surrender and gratitude.
Cultivate space, endless space, around your thoughts and feelings. Allow your spirit to inhabit your body fully. Don't buy into self-defeating storylines and beliefs. Don't try to force yourself to see the positive in life or repeat useless affirmations that you have no innate connection with. Instead, taste the perfection of this moment as it is. If you can feel in your bones that you are fundamentally OK and that life is precious, you will attract much more meaningful relationships with people, better health, more fulfilling work and more prosperity on all levels of being. That is the power of mindfulness.
By:Kevin Doherty-6600
We are meditating, or perhaps just walking on the beach, and WHAM! the insight strikes. Wow! But then what happens? In a millisecond, the interfering mind elbows right in, “WHAT WAS THAT? WHAT WAS THAT?” and our insight evaporates like ephemeral foam on a wave.
If only we could keep that meddlesome, nosy mind away for one more moment, then the insight would remain, and deeper and deeper we would go until there would be that immense flash that shifts our consciousness into glorious new levels.
But not our luck; we can’t even watch our breath for more than a few minutes before the manic mind takes over, let alone expect it to behave itself when a tremendous insight crops up. Our hyper mind must immediately identify the insight and figure it all out, completely destroying the subtly that all insights are.
So, what to do? How can we keep the mind quiet so that these insights can ripen? We can’t use a power play, where when an insight arises we force the mind away, because the one doing the forcing is the very mind itself, laughing at us and our pathetic attempts to quiet it. Let’s face it; our minds are powerful, and not easily tamed.
Okay, let’s try this; the mind gets involved because it is protecting us – that’s the mind’s job, and it performs that job well. If we are about to step on a snake, the moment the mind glimpses the snake our body will involuntarily jump back as a reflex, that’s how fast and efficient our mind is, and in many ways, this keeps us alive.
If this is the case, what chance do we have of ever convincing the mind to just leave us alone during insights - but perform it’s regular efficient job with everything else? Fat chance! It doesn’t work that way. So, what can we do? If we don’t solve this problem, our insights will never have a chance to deepen. Fortunately, there is a way to solve this predicament, and it involves a strict training of the mind.
The “jhana” levels of deep concentration meditation explain it best:
In regular meditation, the mind is still caught up in the busy mind with thoughts gone wild, but at the first level of jhana, there are periods where the thoughts subside temporarily, causing rapture and pleasure to suffuse the body. If an insight is experienced during first jhana, the insight will deepen for a long moment before the mind ruins it, resulting in a shift in consciousness.
At the second level of jhana, thoughts are no longer present at all, only feelings of unification, serenity, and internal confidence. Insights experienced at this level will remain for an extended period of time. One might understand, for example, that an awareness permeates all elements, cells and molecules, and that consciousness is the very protégé of this awareness, and therefore all beings, all things in the universe are connected, with no differentiation in any way at a fundamental level. This insight will remain, and manifest itself as unconditional love.
The third level of jhana involves a pleasurable feeling accompanied by equanimity. When insights arise now, the mind cannot jump on them as it has in the past. Now the mind is subdued, tranquil, and the insights go deeply within the meditator with tremendous shifts in consciousness that alter the meditator’s basic being.
At the fourth level of jhana, there are only equanimity and mindfulness, with a complete absence of pleasure and pain. There is only bright awareness now; the mind is now only a mosquito trying to bite an iron bull and cannot interfere with insights at all. The mediator’s insights now deepen dramatically, particularly when the meditator focuses his or her attention on such things as the body, feelings, consciousness, and truths.
Now the insights come non-stop, and the meditator, no longer encumbered by mind, holds on to none of the insights, and as a result, the insights come faster and faster, and still the meditator lets them all go. Then, one day, the great insight appears momentarily, and the meditator understands, in his or her heart, that they are now free.
So don’t be satisfied with that first insight, regardless of how powerful it is. It is only the beginning of what you truly seek – ultimate freedom. Don’t allow your mind to steal your insights, identify, and label them, or capture them and begin using them for its own purposes. Practice your meditation, calm your mind, and your fear will disappear while your entire life changes and has a new meaning. Now you will understand things that never in your wildest imagination had you ever thought of discovering.
Begin with only a few minutes of meditation each night before retiring. If you do it every night, no matter what, in time you will want to do it more. Then you will be on your way to tremendous insights, and a new life.
E. Raymond Rock of Fort Myers, Florida is cofounder and principal teacher at the Southwest Florida Insight Center, http://www.SouthwestFloridaInsightCenter.com His twenty-eight years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents, including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Theravada Buddhist monk. His book, A Year to Enlightenment (Career Press/New Page Books) is now available at major bookstores and online retailers. Visit http://www.AYearToEnlightenment.com
A “thoughtless” person can be very dangerous to ourselves, and unpredictable as well. Thoughtless people are all over the place, we seem to run into them constantly these days, and when we do, we must be prepared to respond in the appropriate manner.
Perhaps “thoughtless” is not the correct terminology here. When we typically think of a thoughtless person, we think of a person who is actually filled with thoughts, constant thoughts, and not thoughtless at all. They are filled with endless thoughts about themselves, so much so, that there is no room for others, or the opinions of others. This person is filled with himself to the point that he no longer notices others, or attempts to help them. He only helps himself. If he does happen to notice someone else, it is usually from the standpoint of contempt.
But this is not the thoughtless people that I am writing about. I am writing about truly thoughtless people – people who can see so clearly that they act without the burden of thought interfering with their actions. You know who they are; the soldier who falls on a grenade to save his buddies, the mother who gives her life for her child, our champions in the movies that so endear us with their selfless actions, the football heroes that sacrifice all personal safety to help their team win.
But when thought has a chance to interfere, we become careful. Thought is the protector and architect of our “self,” our ego, and as such will hesitate when it comes to selfless action. If Mother Teresa wasn’t a thoughtless person, she would have thought twice about risking her life in a disease ridden country to help poor kids that could never pay her back.
Therefore, thoughtless people are a danger to our “selves.” The reason they are a danger is because when we see how a thoughtless person’s actions are pure, without agenda, without consideration or cunningness to receive something in return, or save themselves, then our small “self” feels ashamed, and when our self feels ashamed, it begins to justify its cowardly actions.
So how should we respond to these thoughtless people that we run into constantly? I think that we should embrace them – recognize them for the heroes and heroines that they truly are. But since they are thoughtless, the praise that they receive will go in one ear and out the other, as will any criticism that they are in some way irresponsible.
They can’t help it that they are thoughtless, they just see life differently. They see life as it actually is, not merely tools for our personal security. The thoughtless person envisions all of us as one, and whatever they do; it is never considered to be a sacrifice. How could giving up a self, that doesn’t exist in a thoughtless person’s mind, be sacrificed for anything.
Mother Teresa could easily have died in India, and if she would have, she would not have felt that she was any better or different from the children she saved. This understanding only occurs to thoughtless people, because thoughtless people are humanity; not merely separate parts of humanity. Did Mother Teresa care if the children were Catholic, or Hindu, or Buddhist? No, she never asked; she knew that such unimportant things such as religious beliefs only mattered with thoughtful people, never thoughtless people. Thoughtless people only worried about their fellow human beings.
So as meditators, we watch our thoughts, and we are constantly asked how we can survive in this world without relying solely on thinking.
I ask in return; have you noticed the world lately, one that is completely ruled by thought?
Written By:-E. Raymond Rock
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=E._Raymond_Rock
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