Meditation transforms us from within. This process is completely natural and normal. If you bring forth divine qualities – peace, light, wisdom, love and compassion – your outer life has to change for the better.
Being a natural process, spiritual growth takes time.
When we are teenagers growing very rapidly, we don’t wake up one morning suddenly a lot taller. From day to day we don’t notice drastic change in ourselves. Yet when we visit our grandmother whom we haven’t seen for 6 months, she exclaims: “My, how you’ve grown!” Many changes in us will be noticed first by others. Our colleagues at work may remark on an air of calm and poise about us. A common question is: “What’s wrong with you? You’re smiling the whole time!”
Because the results of meditation are often subtle, we may not notice them ourselves until sometimes months or even years down the track.
When we live in our minds we are goal-oriented, focused on “success”. Yet when it comes to meditation, the benefits of which are sometimes imperceptible to our conscious awareness, there is no definable criteria for what constitutes success – other than a complete absence of thoughts, which we very rarely achieve. The value of meditation is in its cumulative effects. Each time we meditate we are building on the achievements of all our previous efforts.
We tend to focus on our shortcomings. While aiming at the summit, we see how much further there is yet to climb, neglecting the tremendous distance already covered. Intent on quieting our mind, we are intensely aware of all the thoughts that are still not under control.
Sometimes it’s good to look back down and appreciate how far we have come.
Don’t judge yourself. Enjoy the journey. You will proceed smoother, faster and further.
Every day we cannot enjoy a sumptuous feast. Some days we might have all the ingredients on hand for a full banquet, while at other times we might go to the pantry only to find dry bread. If that is all that is available, then on that day we won’t starve: we get by on dry bread.
Meditation can be like that. On some days, without seeming to try, we find ourselves soaring in bliss without a care in the world. On other days, despite our fervent efforts, we just can’t disentangle ourselves from a maze of thoughts and distractions. Just as we eat every day to keep ourselves alive, so must we meditate every day, regardless of the perceived “quality” of the experience. Even on days when our meditation seems dry and tasteless, our day will flow better than if we don’t attempt to meditate at all. Discipline brings its own reward. The effort is everything.
Meditation is self-discovery.
The journey of self-discovery is eternal.
Imagine self-discovery is a grand palace which you are building brick by brick. Every time you sit down to practise meditation, you are placing another brick in the edifice. Some bricks may be buried away in the basement, yet every brick plays its role, each is as important as every other. Every time we practise meditation, we learn and gain something valuable, regardless of how well we feel we are meditating. Our palace is taking shape, brick by brick.
Every day we miss our meditation, one brick is taken away. So every day we miss, is effectively costing us two days, as we will have to spend one day replacing the brick that was lost before we can start to make forward progress again.
A good surfer practises techniques and hones skills. Preparation is essential; preparing the board, preparing oneself, finding the right break at the right beach.
Yet no matter how skilled, how experienced, how expert, without the wave the surfer is meaningless and helpless. All the best equipment, preparation and capacity is of no avail.
The essence and thrill of surfing is in riding the wave, experiencing its power and perfection. When riding a wave the surfer feels and becomes part of something greater and vaster than his or her self. He or she surrenders to that vaster reality in the freedom and exhilaration of the infinite. If there is no surrender, no letting go, the wave cannot be ridden and the endeavour is fruitless.
Preparation, technique, skill and the right attitude are all essential: yet when the surfer stands on the board, technique, equipment and attitude become secondary, as the wave itself takes over. The best surfer is the one who can most completely surrender to, and become the wave.
So is it in meditation. We must prepare ourselves with the right equipment, technique and attitude. When we are successful in clearing the mind is the moment when the surfer stands up on the board. At this moment, the wave must take control and we become spectators and enjoyers. We allow the meditation-wave of peace, power, light and love to carry us beyond and within to the freedom of the infinite.
After some time, it occurs to us to wonder: if the force of this experience is coming from the wave, from where does the wave derive its power?
Just as the surfer is nothing without the wave, so the wave is nothing without the ocean.
It is this ocean we must aspire eventually to become.
Meditation is self-discovery. Pure meditation is not something we do, it is what we are: not an action, but a state of being.
The active part of the process, the part we are responsible for, is concentration. In concentration, we focus and clear the mind. Meditation is entering and enjoying that infinite sky beyond the mind’s ceiling.
The sun is always shining, though we are sometimes unaware of it. When it is raining or in the night, we might think the sun has gone. In reality it is there, though covered with clouds or on the other side of the world. Similarly, our spiritual heart is always shining with peace, love and light, though sometimes we lose sight of it when our mind’s sky is overcast with the clouds of sadness, distraction and perplexity.
To see the sun on a rainy day, we have to clear the sky: to feel our hearts, we have only to clear the mind of its thought-clouds. This is the role of concentration. Meditation follows.
Meditation is like sunbathing. In sunbathing, we have a role to play: we have to prepare ourselves, find a comfortable place in the sun, spread our towel on the ground, remove our shirt and lie down. The real work of sunbathing is performed by the sun.
Similarly, in meditation we have to prepare ourselves: create the time, find a quiet place where we won’t be disturbed, sit in position and practise our chosen technique. As in sunbathing, the real work of meditation is done by our inner sun, our heart and soul, which spontaneously flood our consciousness with their pre-existent peace, love and light. We are along for the ride. Our role is to be receptive, to enjoy, be grateful and do our best to retain these divine gifts.
Like the piano, our heart has many strings, each tuned to a spiritual quality. Whereas the piano has strings for various notes, our heart has a “Love” string, a “Beauty” string, a “Peace” string and so forth.
Most of the time these heart-strings are not resonating, as the dampers of our mind’s thoughts and problems press against them and prevent them from vibrating. Yet occasionally the mind’s dampers are caught unawares and something causes or allows our heart-strings to resonate.
A glorious sunset is like the trumpet of our experiment. Whereas the trumpet is blasting a “C”, the sunset is blaring “Beauty”. The “Beauty” string of our heart recognises its own quality and, thrilled, vibrates in sympathy with the beauty of the sunset. We exclaim “Ah!” as we are overwhelmed with a sense of beauty.
While we are outwardly seeing the beauty in the sky, nevertheless the actual experience of beauty is perceived and felt within, inside our heart. If our hearts did not possess a “Beauty” string, then when we see a glorious sunset there could be no resonance, and we would feel nothing. We would look up at the sky and just go: “Huh?”
This applies not only to beauty, but to all the spiritual and divine qualities: to peace, love, happiness, wisdom, joy, light, to truth itself.
The outer world is a mere reflection of our inner consciousness. We cannot perceive anything outside of ourselves which is not already within us. When we see or feel beauty, love, joy and other higher and deeper realities, something deep within is called forth or awakened.
So, next time you perceive suddenly a superb sunset, instead of exclaiming: “Ah, how beautiful is the sky!”, you should rather voice forth: “Ah, how beautiful – am I!
For this experiment you will need a piano and a trumpet. In our previous episode we explored the mechanics of a piano, and how its strings produce various notes according to the frequency to which they are tuned.
Now to our experiment: first press down the far right hand pedal on the piano with your foot, so that all of the strings of your piano are now free to vibrate. Bring your trumpet so it is pointing right inside the piano, close to the strings, and play a loud “C” on your trumpet.
Something amazing happens. The piano, without any of its strings being touched, “sings” the same note of “C” back to you, as though echoing the trumpet.
This is due to the principle of “sympathetic resonance.” The “C” string, without being touched, is enveloped by the vibration of the trumpet’s “C” and recognises that vibration as its own. Thrilled, it vibrates and resonates in sympathy, emitting a sound much subtler and sweeter than its usual sound produced when it is struck.
This same principle is seen in operation with Indian stringed instruments, for example the sitar. Sitting above the bridge and frets of the sitar, are 6 or 7 main strings which are plucked and produce the melodic line. Meanwhile, underneath the bridge and frets is a whole series of “sympathetic strings” which are not touched by the player. These are tuned to each note of the scale, and resonate when their corresponding note is played on the main, plucked strings, thus setting up this wonderful background resonance which is such a feature of classical Indian music, as though representing the cosmic ground of being, or omnipresent God, behind the “melody” of our world and life.
Recently I was driving along the freeway, my mind a tangled knot of problems, anxieties and stresses of the day. Suddenly, with the distant mountain range for its stage, was an unutterably glorious sunset. Spontaneously I let out an “Ah!”, my mind’s petty preoccupations arrested and banished in a panoply of glory, beauty and serenity.
Let’s pause now for an experiment. You will need a piano and a trumpet.
A piano has many strings. Each note of the scale vibrates at its own particular frequency; the higher the frequency, the higher the note. Likewise, each string of the piano is tuned to its own frequency, corresponding to the various notes. The longer, thicker strings are tuned to lower notes, while the shorter, thinner, more tightly wound strings are higher notes. The “A” string above middle “C” on the piano, for example, vibrates at 440 times per second, so when it is struck, its vibration produces the sound of “A”, which then carries through the air and reaches our ear as the note “A”.
The piano’s strings are prevented from sounding by a series of felt “dampers” which press against the strings so they cannot vibrate. When the piano’s key is pressed, the damper of the corresponding note is released from its string, so it is now free to vibrate and produce sound. Then, almost simultaneously, a felt hammer strikes the string, setting it into vibration and releasing its note to the world. This note continues until the finger is taken off the key, returning the damper to once again mute the string.
The piano has three pedals. When the right hand pedal is depressed, all of the dampers are released, leaving all the strings free to vibrate until the dampers are returned.
In ancient times, there was a most rare and precious jewel, renowned throughout all the lands. It had many owners over the years: it was traded for great riches; bestowed as a highest reward; even battles were fought over its possession. In time, this jewel came universally to be regarded as the most precious object in all existence.
The jewel was captured by a particular king, who fancied himself as ruler over all. He kept the jewel under guard in his palace.
Other kings now feared for their own domains, and conspired to obtain the jewel for themselves. Two faraway kingdoms dispatched their best secret service agents to capture the jewel by any means necessary.
The king’s secret police uncovered both conspiracies. Both special agents were arrested and locked in a cell inside the palace.
It happened that the jewel was being kept in the very next room to the spies’ cell. One of the spies was aware of the jewel’s whereabouts, and knew it was next door: the other had no idea.
That night one of the spies slept soundly, while the other lay wide awake.
Which one slept well, and which had no sleep?
The one who knew not the jewel’s whereabouts slept well; he who knew it was next door could not sleep, obsessed with gaining the treasure.
We humans are as these two thieves. Those who are oblivious to the soul within them, are content to sleep soundly in ignorance, enjoying the attachment of earthly pleasures: those who have become aware that the most precious treasure of the universe – our soul – is tantalisingly closer than our own breath, yet veiled – these spiritually awakened seekers are consumed with a unique torment, and cannot rest until the soul is won.
Aspiration is the inner cry, inner yearning for something truer, higher, vaster, deeper, freer, ever more perfect and divine.
Aspiration is a burning flame within us, a flame rising upwards and heavenwards higher and ever higher. It is beginingless and endless. Aspiration is the cry of the infinite for the infinite. It arises from the heart, from the infinite within us, and consumes our outer being until our outer finite self merges with and grows into its source, the infinite soul within.
Aspiration is a rocket within us. Just as the force of gravity pulls everything down to earth and prevents it from escaping the earth’s atmosphere; so the force of the finite, of ego and attachment ensures that our consciousness remains fixed in the earthbound, finite realm.
To transcend the earth’s gravity requires the stupendous impulse, power and thrust of a rocket engine. The rocket is aimed at the heavens and speeds only upwards, never deviating, hesitating or looking down or back, to fulfil its mission to conquer gravity.
Aspiration is that rocket engine in the spiritual realm. To liberate our consciousness from the ruthless gravitational pull of the finite, from the prison-cell of the earth-bound body, vital and mind, requires a sustained act of limitless will, a one-pointed aspiration that will be satisfied only when all thought and desire is subdued, and our identity subsumed in the Infinite, Eternal and Immortal.
Aspiration reveals to us that we not only have the soul: we ARE the soul, and nothing else.
Aspiration compels us to meditate and to practise our spiritual discipline. As long as aspiration is alive and intense in our hearts, our spiritual progress is assured. Therefore, to keep our aspiration-flame safe and burning brightly is our life’s primary obligation.
We all feel there is something missing in our lives; something subtle, indefinable, somehow always beyond our reach.
This sense of missing something makes us feel incomplete. This sense of incompleteness drives us, motivates us to fill this void, either temporarily, or once and for all…
There are two primary engines that drive human activity: desire and aspiration. Which of these two engines we employ to “fill the void” depends on our consciousness.
When we identify ourselves as being primarily the body, vital and mind, we see ourselves as a finite being in a finite world. It seems we might therefore be fulfilled by acquiring more of the finite. This is the promise of desire: that happiness and fulfilment will surely come from getting more, possessing more, learning more; having more things, status, wealth and power.
Yet desire does not work.
Desire is a dog chasing its tail. No sooner do we fulfil one desire, than another takes its place. As soon as the void is filled, it reopens elsewhere.
Desire can never be a permanent cure to our incompleteness, for we are not finite beings – we are spiritual beings. We are infinite, as is that for which we yearn. Only the infinite can know the infinite, and only the infinite can fulfil the infinite.
All we most yearn for – peace, love, joy, wisdom, poise, fulfilment – are spiritual qualities. They are infinite. Only by deepening and expanding our experience of these qualities can the void within us be filled, can we feel ourselves complete.
The yearning for these spiritual qualities is aspiration. Aspiration comes from our heart, and leads to our soul.
Languishing ever in the finite, desire brings us suffering and invites us ultimately to death. Aspiration nourishes with ever-expanding satisfaction and leads us ultimately to immortality.
“We need a resolute determination To silence the pride Of thought-flood.”
– Sri Chinmoy
Imagine thoughts during meditation are birds in the sky.
You are not the birds. You are the sky.
Perhaps the biggest hurdle we encounter in meditation, is the very first hurdle: the stream of thoughts flowing through our minds.
What to do with these thoughts?
Never be discouraged. Everyone faces the same challenge and for everyone, it is difficult. If you give up, you will never reach the goal.
Patience and persistence always win. If your mind is as stubborn as a rock, then bring forth a determination as persistent as water. Water will eventually wear down even the toughest rock.
Imagine your mind is the vast sky, and thoughts are birds flying through your sky. Your task is to remain focused on the sky, not on the birds. There will always be birds somewhere in the sky: accept them as something natural and inevitable, and let them fly right by.
The moment you focus on a particular bird, then that thought-bird becomes a distraction, and your meditation is disturbed. The bird is not to blame; it’s just doing its thing. Your focus on the bird is the culprit.
Let’s focus on what is within our power, and not what is beyond our control. You may not be able to stop the birds from flying, but you can ignore them.
Another version of this approach is to imagine that you are the lead bird flying in formation. You are seeing only sky ahead of you. When a thought comes, that is another bird trying to take the lead. So speed up – redouble your enthusiasm and application – to take the lead again and be immersed once more in infinite sky. Never surrender your lead!
We know that the goal of meditation is to enter into a completely vacant, still and silent mind.
Yet even after years of practise, I am still being bothered by thoughts and distractions. Does this mean I am a useless meditator, wasting my time?
Not at all! To be able to silence the mind at will is a monumental achievement requiring an enormous effort of will, practise and persistence.
From an early age we have deliberately loaded our minds up with facts and falsehoods, details and data, theories, philosophies, beliefs and an ever-mounting mountain of useless information. If our mind is a monster, it is a monster of our own making.
Consider how much effort has been poured into making our mind so active and complex. Now we are telling that same mind: “Please be silent.” Impossible and absurd!
It is like standing in front of a train going at 200 kph and asking it to stop on the spot. It cannot be done. Slowly and gradually the train has to slow down and eventually be brought to a standstill. Similarly, we cannot hope for the mind to cease its activity all at once. Instead, like the train, we need first to slow the mind down. We do this by focusing the mind on one thing: a mantra, our breath, slow counting, a flower or a candle flame. Only once we can effectively focus the mind on ONE thing, can we hope to then empty the mind of all thoughts.
Meditation is not just about quieting our mind: it is more about entering and opening our spiritual heart.
Don’t worry about thoughts and distractions. Focus more on your heart. Your heart will gladly, lovingly take care of your mind.
We are so used to our mind’s constant clutter, that we become inured to its incessant activity. The only time we notice so many thoughts is when we sit down and try to meditate. It’s as though all of a sudden there are all these thoughts at the precise moment we don’t want any! Of course the thoughts have been there the whole time…
If you come from a quiet village to live on a busy street in the city, at first you won’t be able to sleep at night due to all the noise of traffic and activity outside. Yet after a while you get used to the noise. It becomes part of your background. So is it with our thoughts. We just don’t notice them any more – until we try to turn them off.
Yet even though we may not be 100% successful in silencing the mind, there is always tremendous benefit just from the effort to do so. Let’s say the usual level of activity in our mind is around 100 TPM (thoughts per minute). Now when we sit to meditate, while focusing on our chosen object perhaps we are able to bring the rate down to 50 TPM. Because our goal is to have 0 TPM we are disheartened by this: we say “I’m a failure at meditation because I have still have so many thoughts!”
Yet we should be proud of this achievement: 50 TPM is a huge improvement on 100 TPM! What is most important is progress. Little by little by little we bring the mind under our control.
Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Don’t be tempted to judge the quality of your meditation experience. The only essential thing is to practise with sincerity every day.
