Devi
Linda Gumahin: Swamiji, what is the purpose of meditation?
Swami
Nirliptananda: Meditation is very important. It has a very high
objective - to take us away from this world of suffering into
the world of happiness, joy and Bliss.
It
is a method, a discipline, that we have to follow very discreetly
and if we follow it properly we will find that meditation helps
us to discover ourselves, what we really are. As we get deeper
into meditation we come nearer the Source of our Being.
We
think that we are the physical body, the senses, the intellect,
but when we analyse this carefully we will find that all these
things have their limitations. Through such analysis we tend
to come to the conclusion that there is something more profound
within us which we do not know, and as we get deeper and deeper
into meditation, we come nearer and nearer to that Source of
our Being.
So,
meditation really is that which leads us from this world of suffering
into the world of joy. This distraction that we find in the world
is due to the senses - they are all attractions of the senses,
sense objects, and we tend to realize that the pleasure that
we get out of these things is what we call happiness, but these
pleasures are all temporary and they make us no better than what
we are.
On
the contrary, these little bits of pleasure that we get out of
material things divert our attention from the real Source of
pure happiness and joy. Only through the practice of meditation
are we able to tap that Source of our inner Being. These distractions
are there and when we get away from them we come to the Source
of meditation.
In
the Hindu philosophy, this Source is referred to as Sat-Chit-Ananda
- absolute Consciousness, absolute Existence, absolute Bliss.
These are the three characteristics of the Source of happiness
and inner Being - what we really are. But when we come into this
world our mind becomes so much obsessed with the material world
and conditioned by the material vibrations that we tend to think
we can analyse with our senses what we can see and hear, and
that these are the only reality. But we will find that all these
things change, that all these things are impermanent, and when
we look at them carefully we find that they do not have the characteristics
of happiness, because they are all inanimate objects and, therefore,
cannot be the Source of happiness.
It
is through such analysis that we tend to be drawn to find out
how we can get to that Source of meditation. When we practise
meditation for a certain period of time we tend - very gradually
- to realize that Source, because our mind - rather than becoming
attracted to the world - becomes detached from the world. As
a result of this detachment and training in meditation, our mind
begins to get deeper and deeper into a purer state of consciousness.
As we get deeper into that we tend to realize peace and happiness
and there is also a feeling of joy, of liberation. This liberation
is what we are all searching for, this happiness and peace which
the material world cannot give us.
When
we sit quietly and calmly for meditation we will gradually find
that the mind becomes settled, and we begin to sense peace within
us. In other words, it is a Self-discovery, the discovery of
who we really are - not the physical body but Sat-Chit-Ananda.
DLG:
Is there any specific time to do the meditation?
SN:
Unless we have a fixed time for meditation we cannot develop
the discipline to meditate. A fixed time will help us get into
a different frame of mind, a type of discipline that we become
conscious of. Meditation is particularly important in the morning.
We do not realize how the mind becomes conditioned during the
period from 4am onwards. It is that time of the night when we
are neither fully awake nor fully asleep when the mind becomes
very vulnerable to things we experienced the day before, or perhaps
we never experienced at all. But these negative vibrations are
there and the mind tends to pick them up and they enter the dream
state. By the time we wake up, our mind is already conditioned
by these negative vibrations, and so it becomes very difficult
to meditate because with a mind charged with such vibrations
it is difficult to concentrate on something else.
Getting
up early means that we get up with a fresh, clear, free mind.
Then we are able to fill the mind with positive vibrations, positive
thoughts, and through this we will find that the mind gets nourished
by this positive thinking, gets strengthened by it, and it helps
to keep the mind steady. Therefore, early morning mediation is
very important. At 4 o'clock in the morning, before getting up,
we can sit for one, two or three hours in meditation.
DLG:
What is the time limit for the beginner?
SN:
Beginners can meditate for 30 minutes; that is good enough. However,
to meditate for only 10 to 15 minutes cannot be too helpful for
meditation because by the time the mind starts to settle down
we are about to get up. Then we have not given the mind enough
time to settle down. Unless we give the mind enough time we cannot
get the experience that is necessary in meditation. So, a specific
time is very important.
Before
we go to bed, the last thing we should do is, again, to meditate
and to sit calmly, quietly and peacefully and allow ourselves
to be absorbed in God. By so doing we will find that the mind
becomes relaxed, and when we go to sleep in a relaxed state,
charged with positive vibrations, our whole being becomes saturated
by that vibration during sleep. When we get up the next morning
we get up with a pure, fresh mind and we will be able to sit
better, to meditate more comfortably, and we are not meditating
with a mind that is charged negatively, with tendencies in the
mind that are distracting, which we have to fight. By getting
up early in the morning and meditating before we go to bed at
night we will find that our whole being gradually becomes saturated
by the spiritual vibrations of meditation. But this does not
mean we can rest for the rest of the day; even during the rest
of the time we should be self-conscious, we should be aware about
the negativity coming into our mind. We should always think about
positive, creative things. If we can do so, the mind is protected.
A
mantra helps to protect the mind as well. If we repeat a mantra
and concentrate on its sound and vibrations we will find that
nothing else will get a chance to enter the mind while we are
repeating it. When we chant the mantra OM, we can sound it loud
when we are alone - we will find that this is very helpful. However,
after a few times it must become a mental process. Then the mantra
will start to come from within us, from our inner Self. Our mind
will become contemplative on that sound and through that we will
become withdrawn from the world. In this way the mind becomes
purified.
So,
during the morning and evening we sit for meditation at fixed
times and we must be self-conscious for the rest of the day.
If we keep a watch or clock in front of us and we time ourselves
to meditate a bit longer, not getting up as soon as we feel a
little uncomfortable, we could increase the time progressively
and, very gradually, we will be able to sit more comfortably.
That will help us, no doubt, as we go along. It is very important
to increase the time as we go along. When we feel too uncomfortable,
we could get up and walk a little, stretching our legs. Then
we can sit for meditation once more and we will find that in
this way our meditation period will develop; we will be able
to sit longer. Some people do not have much time, but since meditation
is such an important thing we should find time for it, because
it is only through meditation that we will find joy in life.
There are temptations which keep us very busy, but they do not
bring peace, happiness or joy, so we must find time for meditation.
DLG:
Can you, please, explain the proper method?
SN:
It is best to meditate while sitting in a particular posture,
which means to sit comfortably. We tend to think that a cushion
will be comfortable, but sometimes it may be very uncomfortable
to sit on, especially when it is soft - it tends to tilt us in
a particular direction. It is best to sit upright. One could
have a folded blanket to sit on. It is not necessary to sit cross-legged,
with one leg on top of the other, but to sit in a comfortable
upright position. Then we sit calmly, quietly and stable, with
the body still, without twisting and turning any part of the
body, and we make sure that we remain in that position for at
least 15 minutes. If we can do that - being conscious of sitting
in that posture - we will find that there is an inner development,
an inner strength, an inner power, gradually developing within
us.
Because
when we sit for meditation with self-determination, with the
body fixed in a particular posture, and we maintain that posture
without shaking a limb, being conscious of it, that consciousness
we apply and are aware of helps to develop that inner strength.
When that is developed within us, we will be able to sit for
longer periods in a relaxed state. Once we get our posture right,
it is recommended to do some pranayam - control of the breath
for there is a connection between our rhythm of breathing and
our mind.
While
maintaining an upright posture, we breathe into the left nostril,
keeping the right nostril closed with a finger, and we breathe
out through the right nostril, keeping the left nostril closed
with a finger. Then we breathe into the right nostril and out
through the left side. And we continue like this: into the left,
out through the right; into the right, out through the left.
We do the breathing in counts, breathing in for four counts,
taking a good deep breath, and we retain the breath for 16 counts
while keeping both nostrils closed, and we exhale, very slowly,
for eight counts. Doing both sides is one round and we do it
for five rounds. As we go along, we can increase the time, but
we have to be careful not to overdo it. As we go on doing that,
we will find that our mind gradually becomes harmonized.
After
the pranayam, we wait for a few minutes before we start with
the relaxation exercise. Then, we first of all relax our left
foot, beginning with the big toe; then we relax the other toes
one by one, the top of the foot, the sole, the ankle, then all
the muscles up to the knee. We relax very slowly all the tensions
that are there. And so we work our way up to the hip. Then we
relax the right leg in a similar fashion, then the abdomen, navel,
chest, shoulders, neck, left hand starting with the fingers,
the back of the hand, the wrist, from the wrist up to the shoulder,
and then the right arm likewise. Then we relax the whole body
up to the neck, and we relax the chin, the lips, the nose and
around it, the cheeks, around the eyes, the forehead, and the
top of the head. We relax the lower part of the spine up to the
sides of the back, up to the back of our neck and head, and then
the top of our head again. We relax the whole body and look at
it as a glow of light with pure vibrations while we maintain
the consciousness, the concentration of relaxation all the time;
we relax whatever tension is there.
In
this way, maintaining an awareness of relaxation without shaking
any limbs, we sit in meditation. Then we can repeat our mantra
and it is most important to try and maintain the state of relaxation.
The combination of the two will help to detach from the world
and, ultimately, to detach from our body as well. When we repeat
our mantra, consciousness develops and from that consciousness
meditation comes. Meditation happens when we are not attached
to the world nor to the body. Then we can fix our mind for meditation.
The mind itself becomes meditative. Then the mind no longer functions
at the physical level, but at a higher state of consciousness,
a pure state of consciousness and we begin to sense the pure
vibrations, joy, freedom and peace. Once we can be absorbed,
we can be in that state for a long time. When we finish we stay
for another five to 10 minutes, and allow the pure vibrations
to come into every aspect of our being - then we should observe
silence to keep in that state of consciousness of meditation
while we are doing our work and other things. In this way we
will find that meditation becomes something that lives with us,
remains with us, and that when we go out our mind does not become
distracted by the world. Om Tat Sat Hari Om.
The
Purpose Of Meditation Reprinted with the kind permission of
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| Authors
Details:
Devi
Linda Gumahin interviews
Swami Nirliptananda
Swami
Nirlipananda is a senior Swami in one of the temples of
the Asian community in London, deeply acquainted with the
teachings of Maitreya. |
|
