Meditation For Beginners, Meditation Instructions: Shabda Yoga Tradition

04-17-2001, 10:33 PM

"The saints and mystics come to share the Light, the peace, and happiness
they found with all humanity. They come to show us the Light so we can
experience more happiness, tranquality, and peace than we can ever dream
of. We do not have to wait until death to experience the worlds beyond.
We do not even need a near-death experience and all the physical trauma
that it brings to find the inner Light. It is waiting with each of us
this very moment. Through meditation each one of us can find it." (Rajinder
Singh, "Inner & Outer Peace Through Meditation")

Introductory Meditation Instructions

Step One: Finding a Time and a Place for

Meditation

It is best to find a time in which we will have the least distractions

from our environment. We should choose a time and place in which we

will not be disturbed by phone calls and there is a quietude in the

atmosphere. This is why the time between three and six o'clock in the

morning is recommended. In India this time is referred to as amrit

vela or Brahm mahulab because that is the quietest time of the day.

But in this day and age that is not a necessity. We can meditate at

any time in which we will not be disturbed. As we develop our

concentration, we should be able to meditate even in a noisy

environment. But to help us in the beginning, it is definitely

preferable to sit in an area in which there will not be any noise, any

telephones ringing, or any outside activity. Once we have perfected

our inner travels we can meditate anywhere we like. In the beginning,

however, it definitely helps if the surroundings are conducive to

sitting for meditation.

We should sit in meditation only at times when we are fully

awake. If we try to sit in meditation when we have just come back from

work and are tired, then the chances are that in the process we will

fall asleep. So we want to find a time which is most suitable for us,

during which we are fully awake and relaxed.

The main point is that we can meditate whenever we find the right

time and place for ourselves.

Step Two: Selecting a pose

We should sit in a pose that is most convenient to us. This could be

at any place in our house. We do not have to leave our house to

meditate. Meditation can be practiced anywhere. We can sit on a chair,

we can sit on the floor we can sit on a sofa, we can sit cross-legged

or with legs strait. We can sit in any manner. One can even meditate

standing up or lying down. The main thing is to meditate whenever we

are comfortable. The only thing that is expected of us is that

whatever pose we choose should be one that we can be still for the

longest period of time. Before the mind can be stilled, the body has

to be stilled. We want to be sure that in whatever pose we select, we

can remain without moving, shaking, or scratching an itch. For those

who are physically unable to sit, they can even lie down. The reason

lying down is not recommended is that it is conducive to falling

asleep.

In whatever pose we adopt, there should be no tension in any part

of the body. We should sit in a relaxed pose. Once we select the pose,

we should not change it during the meditation sitting. We should

remain physically still.

Step three: Concentrating

Once we pick a pose, we should close our eyes very gently, just as we

do when going to sleep, and concentrate on seeing what lies in front

of us. There should be no pressure on the eyes. Our eyes should be

relaxed as they are when we go to sleep. Since these physical eyes are

not those by which we will be seeing the inner realms, there is no

need to turn the eyeballs upwards in the hopes that we will see

something there. We should concentrate on the forehead. Instead, we

should keep our eyeballs horizontal, as if we were looking straight

ahead.

If the eyeballs look or turn upwards, we will feel a little

pressure on the forehead, which may result in two problems. We may

get a headache or we may generate heat in that area and our forehead

will become hot. That will create problems for us which will cause us

to

move or get up to do something to cool ourselves down. That will

interrupt our meditation. So we need focus our attention a few inches

in front of us.

When we close our eyes we will first see darkness. That which sees the

darkness is our inner eye. With the inner eye, we should gaze

lovingly, sweetly, and penetratingly into whatever is in front of us.

We should be relaxed but attentive, as if we were watching a movie

screen and waiting for the movie to begin. This is a process in which

we do not worry about the world out side or what is going on in the

body below. We are only trying to invert so as to reach the worlds

within.

Step Four: Silencing Thought

Once we close our eyes and focus our attention in front of us, the

mind will distract our concentration with thoughts. Our mind is like

mercury, always restless and moving about. We will start thinking
about

all our problems. We will think about the past, we will think about

the present, and we will think about the future. It could bring us

thoughts about our work, about our families, or about our friends.

Mind has many ways of distracting us from sitting in meditation and of

keeping us from learning about our soul and God.

In our body we have our soul and our mind. The mind is a powerful

entity whose main aim is to keep the soul in the body so that it does

not reach the inner realms. The mind will try to keep our attention

entangled in the physical world. It will do its best to prevent us

from rising above this physical world and returning to God. The mind

will keep us constantly thinking of our problems at work or at home.

It will engage us in continually making plans for the future. We need

to realize the soul is our real self; is the part of us that is the

same essence as God. Unfortunately we have been separated from God. If

we can realize that our soul is covered by the mind and body, and

understand that the mind's role is to keep us from knowing our soul,

we

will be better able to still our mind.

For perfect concentration, we have to reach a state where there are

no thoughts. If we have any thoughts, whether they are good or bad,

they are all bad for us as far as meditation is concerned. Thoughts

are like chains. The iron chains are our bad thoughts. But even if

good thoughts are chains of gold, they are still chains. Thus good

thoughts are still distractions and will not help us in the process of

meditation.

To provide assistance to help us bring our attention to the

eye-focus and to still the mind, we should repeat any names of God
with

which we feel comfortable. The mind is a great distraction and keeps

the attention from concentrating at the seat of the soul. However, if

the mind is busy in the repetition of these names, it cannot distract

the attention with thoughts. While we gaze into the middle of what

lies in front of us, we repeat the names. The names are to be repeated

mentally, with the tongue of thought, not out loudly. They are to be

repeated slowly, at intervals, not in quick succession. There should

be

a slight pause between each Name.

Step Five: Concentrating on the inner light and sound

We need to realize the light within us. It is like having a light

bulb. If you put four or five sheaths over it, pretty soon you will

not see the light from the bulb. So this process of concentration,

this process of meditation, is one by which we try to remove these

sheaths one by one. We try to go within so we can see the light

within us. Once we see how much illumination there is within, we will

automatically want to see more and more of it. We will want to be in

that state all the time. Similarly, unless we once taste the bliss of

contacting the light within, we cannot appreciate it. But once we go

within, we crave that enjoyment more and more.

There are two meditation practices. The first is concentrating on

the inner light. During this practice the repetition of the names

continues. We need to realize the light within us. It is like having

a light

bulb. If you put four or five sheaths over it, pretty soon you will

not see the light from the bulb. So this process of concentration,

this process of meditation, is one by which we try to remove these

sheaths one by one. We try to go within so we can see the light

within us. Once we see how much illumination there is within, we

will automatically want to see more and more of it. We will want to be

in that state all the time. Similarly, unless we once taste the bliss

of contacting the light within, we cannot appreciate it. But once we

go within, we crave that enjoyment more and more.

There are two meditation practices. The first is concentrating on

the inner light. During this practice the repetition of the Names

continues. This repetition is called simran. While the repetition goes

on mentally we gaze at the field of darkness lying in front of us. We

should not think about the world outside, the body below, or the

process of withdrawal of the sensory currents from the body. We should

not put our attention on our breathing. Similarly, in meditation it

should go on automatically.

Our job is to sit calmly and quietly and lovingly gaze into the

darkness lying in front of us. As we do so, the attention will

automatically begin to collect at the single eye. It requires no

effort. In fact, any effort we make, any thoughts we have to will

ourselves to withdraw, will only interfere with the process, for it

means our thinking is activated. We should just go on repeating the

Names and gazing.

There are vistas and vistas of sights inside. As the sensory

currents withdraw, we forget our body. When we are fully collected at

the eye-focus, we become more absorbed in the field lying in front of

us. We will begin to see more flashes of light, or lights of various

colors. We should continue to gaze with full attention into the

middle of whatever is lying in front of us. Look intently and

penetrate deeply to find out what is there. Our job is to look

lovingly and penetratingly into whatever is in front of us and not to

worry about anything else in the body. We should be totally focused
on

what is before us. Then as we concentrate more and more, these lights

will stabilize and we may see red, white, green, blue, violet,

purple, yellow, or golden light, or flashes of light. Whatever we see,

we should concentrate in the middle of it.

As we meditate more, as our attention is more focused and we

progress, we will be able to see inner vistas. We may see inner stars,

moon and sun. As we gaze attentively into the middle of whatever we

see, the power of God will guide us beyond physical into higher

planes.

The second practice of meditation is listening to the inner Sound

Current. This Sound is the power of God, the holy Word, or Naam, which

brought all creation into being. The soul is of the same essence as of

God and the Sound Current. Thus, when it hears the divine Melody it is

magnetized to it. The soul can then travel on the Sound Current

through the higher regions.

Step six: The Journey into Higher Regions

As we become more absorbed in the inner Light and Sound that we see

and hear in our meditations, we transcend the physical plane and enter

the astral region. The physical world which is made predominantly of

matter is left behind, and we find a realm of greater consciousness.

Here we travel in a covering known as the astral body. This is an

ethereal body. The astral region is full of beauty and wonderful

Light and Sound.

When we transcend the astral region we enter the causal region. This

is

a region which is still more ethereal. It consists of equal parts

of matter and consciousness. In this region, we shed our astral body

and we travel in our casual body.

Going still further, we enter the supracausal region. Each region

has greater and greater Light and higher and higher Celestial Sounds

and bliss. The supracausal region has more of consciousness and only

a small

amount of illusion. In the supercasual region, the casual body is left

behind and our soul is covered only by a thin layer. At this stage we

recognize ourselves as soul. We find that the soul is as bright as

twelve outer suns. It is a stage were we have the realization of

"Sohang," or "I am That," or "Aham Braham Asmi." We realize that we

are of the same essence of that of the Creator. Ultimately, we reach

the region were the power of God emanated, the spiritual region known

as Sach Khand, Maqam-i-Haq, or True Realm. This is the purely

spiritual region of all light and all bliss in which all coverings

around the soul are shed. There is not even a speck of matter in this

region. Here our soul merges in the ocean of all consciousness, the

Oversoul, the Source from where it came. The drop of water merges with

the Ocean and becomes the Ocean. A ray of Light merges with the Sun

and becomes the Sun.

At each stage of the journey we experience greater and greater

waves of spiritual bliss which permeate our soul. One by one, the

layers covering our soul are pealed off until we return to our

pristine state. At each region we think we have reached the highest

state or rapture, only to find that the next stage fills us with

greater ecstasy. The ultimate bliss is when our soul merges back into

God, its Creator. This is a state that we all need to achieve for us

to realize eternal peace and happiness. This merger of our soul with

the Creator brings joy and happiness that lasts with us

forever. Through attaining these higher inner stages of bliss, we

carry with us a divine gift that helps us through our problems in

life. We can tap into this source of divinity whenever we want. The

bliss and happiness we experience in meditation stays with us even

after we come out of meditation. It is a wellspring of love and

peace that we can tap into any time we wish. The experience is so

powerful and deeply fulfilling that it helps us to transcend the

pains of and sorrows of life. No matter what happens to us in life, we

have a fountain of nectar within us from which we can drink at any

time. This is the gift we can achieve through meditation.

-- Rajinder Singh, "Inner & Outer Peace Through Meditation, Element Books
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