What are the stages of developing self-awareness through meditation?
Step 1 – The desire arises to investigate through meditation
Step 2 – The action of searching for “how to meditate”
Step 3 – Implementing this into action of attempting to meditate based on the information discovered about meditation
Step 4 – First “attempt” at meditating which leads to the conclusion that it is difficult to concentrate on “meditating” as the mind is so very busy and easily detracted.
Step 5 – Persevering regardless of the distractions and business of the mind flow.
Step 6 – The understanding dawns that the mind flow is observable and you are not actually your mind or thoughts because they are indeed observed.
Step 7 – Noticing the gap between thoughts as the mind appears to slow down since it is being observed and the “thinker” concept is weakening by this realization.
Step 8 – Who am I that can observe the flow of thoughts labeled mind?
Step 9 – Attention is directed towards the center from where this “observer” concept is arising.
Step 10 – Awareness of the observer without a specific location or identification. Awareness of Awareness, Conscious of Consciousness, Meditating on the Meditator.
Why is experiencing enlightenment firsthand said to be better than understanding it intellectually?
Intellectual understanding is built on acquired knowledge and can easily arouse doubt, and or seeking “more” understanding. Direct recognition and reflection, or for lack of a better word “experience” is spontaneous and removes all doubt. After you realize you are self evident, there is no longer a need for external support. This leads to conviction, “Oh, so that I, I am that.” 1,000 people can try and impress their ideas, and although you may appear polite, your self evident conviction remains. Jai Guru.
When a person meditates in order to silence the mind, what is the overall goal or purpose of doing that?
Meditation does not silence the mind. Meditation allows the understanding that you are not the mind as it’s content may be observed. With this understanding you will cease supplying your energy and power to the mind, and settle within your own self.
Is it necessary to have an empty or still mind in order to meditate effectively?
No. Actually in the beginning having a busy mind can be of benefit as it is easier to observe the constant flow of thoughts. Understanding arises “my” mind is very busy “I am unable to meditate”. This “my” mind is obviously an observable object that you are able to observe. Turning attention or awareness towards this center of observation and away from the thought flow of the “busy mind” does the task of stilling the mind spontaneously. Now that you have conviction that the busy mind has no effect on you, your mind is stilled, as it is no longer of interest or importance. Remain with your awareness or attention focused on this center which “is” with or without mind and discover the mind is just a layer that appears on your presence.
How can one maintain the understanding of formlessness while navigating daily life in a seemingly physical world?
Their is no need to “maintain” the understanding of formlessness. Once you have known that subtle sense of Presence through meditation practice your true formless nature will become self evident. When beginning the meditation at first thoughts will seem to disturb, switch attention and focus on the witness of these thoughts. Concentrate on the concentrator, not on the objects that appear and disappear (thoughts).
After some time this concentrator will also dissolve as it will be seen as an observable object, a sense of existence or “I am”, Presence whatever you wish to call it, will also emerge or appear to you. This becomes the next object which appears. Presence is formless and all forms appear and disappear spontaneously. Directing the attention to the sense of Presence, a sense of existence or “I am” which is more subtle than any body based experience, and away from any other “externals” body, mind, ego, intellect, world, etc., the identification shifts gradually to the sense of Presence.
Holding the identification with the sense of Presence, rather than the previously held identification with the body which appeared in a world, having experiences, allows understanding through direct recognition that this worldly appearance does not effect you, and is in fact an appearance within you, the formless sense of Presence.
This is a one time direct recognition and is self evident.
Deepening this understanding by remaining with the object of Presence within your awareness will allow even this sense of Presence to be perceived as merely an appearance. Presence, “I am”, the sense of existence, has appeared to you. You were there for this to appear, as you are prior to every experience, even this experience, “I exist”.
Whether Presence is there or not, you are. The body is the medium through which Presence may be “experienced”. When the body is no longer available, the sense “I exist” will be no more. However, you to whom this sense of existence has appeared, very much will be.
You are the one to whom the appearance of the sense of existence has appeared and are therefore not effected in any way by its appearance or disappearance, you remain unchanged in the appearance or absence of both.
Now go about your daily routine while the appearance of the body and world are available, without any fear at all that you were born and are going to die, birth and death are for the body, not for you.
What is the meaning of “I am that” in Vedanta philosophy?
You are formless, all forms are appearances within your true formless nature. When all forms dissolve the formless knower of the forms remains. You are self evident, You Are That.
Is it common to experience strange things during meditation? How should one handle these experiences, if at all, during meditation?
Concentrate on the concentrator, not on any objects which appear and disappear no matter how wonderful and grand.
Can people achieve a state of meditative consciousness while fully awake?
Effortlessly accepting what comes without taking instruction from the thought flow of what should be.
Is it possible to meditate without focusing on your breath or any other specific object? What are the potential effects of not doing so during a mindful session?
Concentrate on the concentrator, until the concentrator dissolves within the concentration.
Can people who have had an enlightening experience be considered truly “enlightened”, or do they only think they are because of their new perspective?
Enlightenment is not an experience. The word experience is synonymous with change. You are the unchanging on which change appears. Their may be progressive steps leading to this understanding, similarly to walking towards a light switch, however once the switch is flipped, their is light. Once the understanding dawns it is self evident and requires no further need for any body based concepts, such as birth, death or enlightenment.
Is a mantra effective without a guru’s blessing and initiation?
Through your journey of self discovery you will come to find that any guru who gives you initiation or mantra is your very own self. The guru appears in form due to the misunderstanding you hold about yourself that you are with form (body). You are formless, the guru is formless. When you have full trust and faith in a mantra the illusion of separation will begin to fade. The mantra works on removing the illusory layers covering your shining presence by keeping the mind busy so that attention may be directed and remain with yourself formlessly.
How do you know you have achieved Samadhi? What are the signs?
Samadhi is the dissolution of the concept of an experiencer experiencing something other. Where all experience ends there you are self evident. If you are experiencing Samadhi there is still work to be done. Concentrate on the concentrator until the concentrator dissolves within the concentration. Meditate on the meditator until the meditator dissolves within the meditation. The knower with nothing to know, even the sense of “I”. Of course Samadhi is a body based concept which is only meant to serve as a pointer to relax and observe the center from where observation arises, which is outside anything that can be observed, including the sense of a separate observer.
Sahaja Samadhi is when you are there naturally as nothing, while things appear and disappear, without even the slightest touch of the “I am the body” idea which is a magnet for the sense of existence or “I Am”
When it comes to enlightenment, people imagine what they think are the greatest benefits. Is the greatest benefit of enlightenment unending or infinite love that you can feel, that you never felt before?
Enlightenment is a body based concept, in other words you learned of the idea of enlightenment after the knowledge of body, mind and world appeared. You are not, never were, and can not be a body. Your true nature is formless. The illusion of being a body appears within you. As you have not yet discovered this truth, I am formless, you take the body, mind, world to be the reality and imagine all sorts of concepts expressed through thought and words.
Words such as enlightenment, love, understanding, knowledge etc. are all within the dualistic appearance of body, mind, world. As you are formless, these words do not apply to you and can only point to the discovery of your true nature without body, mind, world (or prior to the illusion that you are a body with a mind in a world having experiences).
Truth can not be changed, only covered. Discovering your true nature the understanding is self evident that you are as you always have been, without any form whatever. Therefore there can be no benefit to discovering what you already always are, you just cease imagining what you are not.
You are not body, you are formless. Discover this for yourself and remove the layers of illusory body based concepts. (birth, death, enlightenment, benefits, bliss)
Is it possible to distinguish between reality and illusion? How can we be sure that what we are seeing is not just our imagination?
The “seer” is reality, the fact that you are is undeniable and self evident. Everything that appears and disappears to the “seer” is not anything other than a passing show. Including the eyes and body which are used by the “seer” to see. As the “seer” is the only actual verifiable truth, you could say that everything else is transitory, illusory or imagined. Imagination is the attempt to give a sense of permanence to the appearances, including what you the “seer” appear to be.
What are you supposed to think during meditation?
Meditation allows the observation of thoughts as they are flowing naturally. By the act of observing understanding arises that you are more subtle than thought, as the thoughts appear to you. With this realization you will be able to seek from where the source of this observing of thoughts is arising. As you seek more deeply to discover this one that is the observer of the flowing thoughts and know you are not part of that whole process, since it can be observed, you will self discover. This self discovery is self evident and needs no support. Whether thoughts are there, or not, I am. Taking this understanding and putting it into practice in your daily life will lead to deeper peace, understanding, and joy, as you will gradually dissolve all of the illusion that appeared to be covering your presence. Jai Guru.
Can you explain the concept of everything being an illusion, including our own existence and the nature of reality?
In a dream a seeming material existence is created from formlessness. Due to identification with a “dream body” activities occur, people are seen and interacted with, feelings are felt, etc. When you wake up you understand that although appearing real at the time, everything that was seen, felt and experienced, was in fact untrue/illusion. Yet you the dreamer very much were in order for the dream to have appeared and to have been witnessed. Similarly, this world appearance is a long dream brought about by identification with a body form as “I”. “I exist” is self evident/reality. The illusion occurs when identifying “I” with a body form and taking in impressions from this wrong perspective. Through meditation you will discover/uncover this “I” discarding the layers of illusion impressed upon by the belief “I am some body”. You are no body, every body, every thing and no thing. The formless existence in which objects appear as something, and disappear back into nothing.
What is the book “I am that” by Nisargadatta Maharaj about?
Presence is the name given to the subtle sense of your existence that can be “felt” due to holding a body form through the concept of duality.
Their is no experience or experiencer. You are formless.
Just as when you lay down to sleep at night the sense of existence is perceived and an entire dream world is created spontaneously, formlessly. Objects appear, and imagination allows for a story base to be impressed through identification with a dream character as “I”. Subject object dualistic concepts allow for the apparent reality to be perceived through this perspective of “I”. Experiencing is experienced, however no experience is occurring nor is their an actual experience.
On awakening from the dream understanding is quickly impressed, that was a dream. If “I” was swimming, their was no swimming. If “I” was conversing, their was no conversation and no one to whom the conversing could be experienced. Everything seemed very real at the time, but now you have woken up, nothing was true.
The sense of Presence is felt due to the fact that a body form is available through the illusion of separateness, “I exist” or “I am”. This sense of existence, Presence or “I am” has appeared to you. This knowledge has created a seeming world spontaneously, in which for a time, their is the appearance of objects, and the illusion of experiencing. As you investigate this sense of Presence that is felt due to the availability of a body form, creating the illusion of duality, this investigation yields the result, “I am formless, shapeless, all shapes and forms appear within my Presence.”
Don’t stop the investigation at this point as so many times that is considered the Highest and you open up your Guru shop charging whatever the ignorant people may pay to attend your “sessions”.
Deepen your understanding through a thorough investigation of Presence with Presence, Concentration on the Concentrator, Investigation of the Investigator, and find that You Are, their is Nothing Other. Even Presence is not true and is in the illusion of duality. You Are That. When you know yourself in a real sense, you are the knower of Presence, the knowledge of Presence has appeared to You along with the appearance of so many other things.
You are not a thing. You are the Knower of the Knowledge of Your existence. Whether the sense “I exist”, “I am” or Presence is known or not, the Knower Is, and Always Will Be, available to Know the Knowledge of Your existence. For without You, to whom would this Knowledge of existence appear?
Reading this again and again will answer every question every put be You believing yourself to be something, and remove the veil of ignorance that appears to have been covering the Truth.
Jai Sadguru!
What are the signs that make you feel aware that you are on the right path to your spiritual journey?
Disturbances will be reduced
Joy will be felt without the need of an exterior cause, it will arise from within.
You will not have such a strong feeling of attachment to things.
You will not feel the need to make a point, argue or try and convince anyone
You will find yourself more peaceful and quiet, possibly desiring more alone time
Fear will not effect you as strongly and will fade
Your desire for spiritual information and knowing yourself, God and Reality will increase and then disappear entirely
You will loose the feeling of being special or more of something
You will be normal, natural and humble just being with yourself and not seeking anything to add to you or your experience
Can doing mental chanting of mantras from a guru bring about samadhi?
Mental chanting of a Mantra clears the field by keeping the mind busy so that you may concentrate on yourself.
Sri Ramakant Maharaj gives the story of a mother who needs to cook food for the children, but they are needing her attention and therefore she is unable to concentrate on the cooking. To resolve this dilemma she gives the children some toys to play with, thus freeing her up to be able to cook the food without further interruption. Similarly the Mantra is a toy for the mind to keep it occupied to allow you to remain with yourself without having to give attention to every passing thought.
Samadhi is a body based concept used to attempt to describe the direct experience of remaining with yourself unencumbered by the mind, ego and intellect that came with the body.
How can we use meditation to stay spiritually connected with our inner guru?
Meditation invites the attention of the invisible meditator felt as a sense of Presence. This very subtle feeling or sensation of Presence is discovered by sitting quietly with oneself with attention naturally drawing inwards instead of outwards towards body expressions or worldly sensations.
As you come to meditate in this way you will naturally be “intoxicated” by this sensation of Presence felt as a deep peacefulness. This is the beginning of training to direct awareness towards the feeling of Presence as a sort of “reward”.
As this “reward” of meditation is reinforced it begins to strengthen the desire to direct awareness inwardly and search for the sense of Presence even while not in meditation.
Going about your daily routine life you can continue to keep the awareness on the sense of Presence and refrain from allowing it to wander about in the worldly and bodily sensations. With the direct result of being spiritually connected to your Inner Guru (as a sense of Presence) and no longer disturbed by the seeming happenings with the bodily sensations and experiences in the world.
What is the Advaita Vedanta philosophy’s stance on the statement “I am God”?
Advaita is literally “not two”. Only God Is. God is the name given to the Power that can be known through the illusion of duality. Without the illusion of duality there is no vessel with which to speak “I am God” nor is there any vessel that could hear those words spoken. The Power that provides the speaking and the listening is One and the same, which has been labeled God. “I am God” is a statement that can only be made through the illusion of duality and the appearance of a body. God is a body based concept that came along with the knowledge of the body, through the illusion of duality.
In Reality their is no one to speak, no one to hear, and no one who would know. In the illusion of duality the speaker, the listener, and the knowledge “I am God” is meaningless.
What is one method or technique that if applied with enough frequency and intensity will result in enlightenment?
Bringing attention to the sense of Presence. Just like doing reps in the gym.
Continually bringing your attention inward to the sense of Presence and withdrawing from the outward apparent experience like a turtle pulling in its legs and head.
This sense of existence, Presence, I am, Selfless Self, Holy Spirit, whatever name you wish to call it will dissolve all body based concepts, even the concept of “Enlightenment”.
You will have the direct experience of what the word “Enlightenment” is pointing to.