Quote:
Originally Posted by Light
When I was 20 (I'm 65 now) I was introduced to meditation techniques by an Indian Guru who shall remain nameless. They included techniques for the internal experience of breath, (vibration) Light, music and nectar. I really struggled with the techniques and felt I wasn't getting anywhere but also felt that meditation is the right path to discover who I am. As the Guru said, "Its just you going within you". But i couldn't find me.
Over the years I realized a couple of the techniques (music and nectar) were never productive for me because I felt uncomfortable doing them. So I stopped doing those. This gave me more time for the two techniques I still do today which are the Breath (vibration), the main one, and Light.
The breath/vibration technique is very simple and is the oldest form of meditation which is simply focusing on your breath and ignoring thoughts. The Light technique I modified from what I was taught as it too was a bit uncomfortable, But the modified Light technique I use now is more productive and comfortable. That entails focusing on your Pineal Gland.
So here is my "homemade" version of meditation today. It involves a combination of the Breath and the Light. At first I though this modification was "heresy" until I heard another spiritual leader say that he too modified his meditation until he found what worked for him.
This modification was my own but partially taught to me by a very enlightened being that shall also remain nameless. I have no problem revealing it because it's more the "work" and discipline rather than the technique that will get someone to their destination.
Breathe only through your nose. On inhaling focus your incoming breath on you heart Chakra. The enlightened one taught me that on exhaling, focus your breath on your third eye Chakra as your breath is moving right underneath the Pineal Gland area. Notice this keeps your mind busy switching its attention from the Heart to the head chakras which gives your mind less time to distract you with its thoughts, so you can reach a state of transcendence.
So in the initial breath, you are summoning your love and in exhaling,your love is turning into wisdom through Light. This is different than many who say that when exhaling you are expelling toxins from your body. To me that makes no sense even though they too inhale to the heart Chakra. It would seem if you just inhaled into your heart you wouldn't exhale "toxins",you'd exhale Love. But I think those meditations are more for superficial relaxation techniques rather than meditation designed for self exploration. I meditate everyday religiously 40 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes at night. I made it a priority over everything else including work for the last 10 years or so. The heavenly sensations of a love I never knew before that seem like what Jesus was talking about started about 5 or 6 years ago and have gradually increased. But I'm certain I've only experienced the very tip of the iceberg.
I know you said you do a "mantra" and there is a friend I know who teaches "mantra meditation" to various organizations for a living. I do not like that approach because it activates my mental faculties in order to chant the mantra. But we have had long discussions and realized that regardless of the different meditation techniques, they both reach the same desired goal or effect in the end. This is similar to different religions with different approaches but ending up in the same Divine destination.
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I was taught meditation by a disciple of Adi Shankara. A 7th century Indian teacher who formulated Advaita Vedanta, a teaching nondual consciousness.
I was involved for 10+ years in a 4th way school. Organized by P.D. Ouspensky. Before his death he urged his students to seek out the esoteric sources his teacher G.I. Gurdjieff spoke of. Ouspenky's group did connect with two. One was the Shankaracharya of Northern India in the 1960's.
The teaching points to the difficulty of our ever busy ordinary mind which interferes and blocks real consciousness. We are mired by either restless activity or restless inactivity. Two sides of lower mind. However above and "containing" these lower energies,
Tams,(sloth). and unconscious movement,
Rajas, is
Satva, or clarity and stillness. The energy of divine origin. And that is an attainable goal nearby.
The mantra is not "chanted" or vocalized. The actual word that is used, is purposefully designed to have no intellectual or emotional connotations. It is a vibration intended to resonate neutrally in lower mind. One repeats that vibration internally without any external word or sound. With one pointed attention on that inner sound.
At first glance what could be easier? As you know, our usual state of mind is churning constantly. It latches on to many things. Past experiences and thoughts, present and future plans, what to eat for dinner.
When involved in any life activity our minds are intended to pay attention. A reasonable measure of thinking clarity in life, is the ability to do something well with focused awareness. However the proper energy is needed. Our minds need to gather that energy from somewhere and not just throw it away. One goal of meditation is
real rest. Stillness of the body, the intellect and the emotions allows Satva to permeate down from real mind.
What could be easier? Try sitting quietly and NOT thinking of an "elephant." One can not do that Active resistance or directly suppressing that thought is a problem. The solution of meditation of many traditions is to simply provide something else on to which we may actively place one's attention.
Our noisy usual mind has herds of elephants popping in and out of existence
Recently my attention on my mantra has gone deeper. Fewer "herds" of all sorts are distracting me. Allowing Satva to collect in greater amounts.
In Advaita Vedanta, there is Atman, and Para Atman. Atman is within us, a reflection of Para Atman without us.
Atman provides Satva when we keep quiet and move out of the way.
