Meditation

Renuka R. NarangITM

--An attempt to understand

Meditation is a mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the "thinking" mind into

a deeper state of awareness.

The word meditation comes through the Latin “meditatio”, which originally indicated any type

of physical or intellectual exercise.

What is Meditation?

What is not Meditation!

Meditation • is not mere attention,• or simply relaxation , • is not only concentration, • neither just contemplation or reflection, • nor is it intention or control or willpower

exercise.

Every work in this world is done with the help of mind.

Meditation is the only thing that happens when there is no mind.

A conscious absence of mind is Meditation.

Meditation

States of mind on the path of meditation

AttentionExercise of fixing the mind

ContemplationExercise of thought

ConcentrationExercise of focus

IntentionExercise of will

ConsciousnessSelf Meditation

• There are five levels or states of mind• True meditation is what happens at the highest

level… that of consciousness

Pre-requisites -- for a beginner

• Practise meditation either in the morning or in the evening

• Carry out your activities slowly before meditation• Prepare your body and mind before meditation• Meditate in peaceful surroundings• Always use the same seat for meditation• Importance of mudra in meditation• Keep backbone straight in meditation• Sit at least for twenty minutes in meditation

Attention Exercise

• Music Meditation– Sit in the meditation posture and close eyes. Join your

index finger and thumb or use any other mudra– With your eyes closed, listen to a musical instrument

through your internal ears. This instrument is not being played in reality. One has to listen as if it is being played

– Listen to the sound of that instrument only. If you happen to hear the sound of some other instrument in between, push it aside

– Now open your eyes– This helps enhancing the concentration power

Contemplation Exercise

• Wisdom Meditation (“Who am I” exercise)

– Sit in the meditation posture. Look at your hand and ask yourself… “Am I this hand?” You will get an answer from within… No. You will get a feeling… this is my hand, but I am not the hand

– Repeat this for other parts of your body. Every time, the answer received will be “No”

– This exercise helps to find our self and we experience the truth, that we are not the body

Concentration Exercise

• Word Reverse Meditation– Try pronouncing names in reverse– For eg; try reversing the name Renuka… It will be

Akuner – Try this with every name you are familiar with– While doing this the mind has to be focussed

completely– Concentration improves with this exercise

Intention Exercise

• Neutral Meditation– This is remaining neutral for every thought– If you are sad, do not say you are sad… instead

say…”Thoughts of sorrow are passing through my mind”– Similarly think for happy thoughts as well– Thoughts should be neutral in both the instances.– This can be repeated for states of anger, boredom,

depression etc.– This helps in remaining balanced and detached in every

situation

Consciousness Exercise

• Complete Meditation– Meditation is complete when self observation

meets awareness– In all earlier exercises experiencing the

Experiencer was missing– Here the Experiencer experiences the Experiencer

in the Experience (In the entire experience, you experience yourself)

Complete Meditation continued…

• Start with the Who Am I exercise• Every time the answer “No” is received, ask yourself

“Who am I?” • You’ll get an answer; I am the knower of this part • Shift your focus to know the knower every time• In the end, tell yourself, I am not the body, I am the

knower of this• Try to meet the knower• This awareness transforms us and stabilizes us on Self

Realization

Meditation and Religious faiths" Meditation is the key

for opening the doors of mysteries to your mind. In that state man abstracts himself:

In that state man withdraws himself from all outside objects; In that subjective mood; he is immersed in the ocean of spiritual life,

And can unfold the secrets of things-in-themselves.“– Bahai’s Faith

"The gift of learning to meditate is the greatest gift, you can give yourself in this life. For it is only through meditation,

that you can undertake the journey to discover your true nature, And so find the stability and confidence you will need

to live, and die, well.Meditation is the road to enlightenment .“ –Buddhism

Meditate with the intention to progress spiritually.

Meditation is for annihilating the ego, not for perpetuating it.

Thank you