MEDITATION: WINNING OVER THE TURBULENT MIND AND SELF

There are various forms of meditations as per the traditions of the great masters or Gurus. These traditions though, differ from each other, yet they have the common goal of making the practitioners’ mind and body calm, healthy and help in opening up the paths to spirituality. If done correctly and regularly, meditation can be a real blessing for the learners. Now, consider the following reasons before you actually decide to start your meditation mission.

(1) Though the mainstream meditation traditions come from the sages and saints of Hinduism and Buddhism, in itself, meditation is free from religions and rituals, as it has been perfected for the benefit of the mankind, in general; just like Ayurveda (plants and natural elements based healing/treatment system), Pranayama (breathing techniques) or Yogasana (Yogic postures). With this universal appeal, meditation can safely be practiced by all; as a well proven, scientific, natural, and neutral system to promote well-being and healing. Above all,the system of meditation is resilient enough and can be adapted to certain specific requirements of the students and practitioners of all backgrounds, by keeping the core principles, intact.

 

Also, consider whether you are able to continue with your religious beliefs and ethical orientations, even after you commit yourself to the practice of meditation. Fully try to resolve your conflicts, if any, so that you can seek it and not just try or experiment with.
I am certain, most probably; you will feel convinced and be more than willing to start your meditation practice very soon. Your complete willingness and convictions are the important factors, as the first important steps towards going and aiming for the goals in meditation.

(2) It is always preferable to learn the basics of meditation from a learned master, who has proved his/her mettle by complete dedication and by initiations of disciples selflessly; over a long period of time. A master of meditation ought to be a selfless giver and largely free from commercial considerations; except for the actual expenditures required for sustenance and operation.

Before you actually learn and start to meditate by learning from your chosen Guru, it is quite practical to orient yourself by reading the available books and scientific studies; written and conducted by credible authorities in their respective fields of expertise. Browse through the manuals on meditation and also talk to the actual practitioners to gain insights and then only make your mind up for its actual suitability for you. Have a firsthand experience of the meditation process being imparted, if possible, in an Ashrama or formal place for meditation. Thereafter, think and take enough time needed, before you come to a firm conclusion about its suitability for you and the benefits that you are going to have, by meditating. When you are fully convinced and ready to explore the life as a mediator, you are on to the right path. Remember, there are no meditation shops around, as they simply can not be and if you happen to come across one such outlet, please take a conscious diversion; for, the meaning and purpose of meditation is almost lost, if it is pushed as a product or process of utility for the consumers.

(3) Meditation is both easy and difficult. It is not a thing of instant Nirvana or a panacea or quick fix, to any or all of the problems in your life. It is a lifelong commitment to a disciplined life, and much of hard work to be done in utmost humility, in order to attain the meditative stages; over a long period of time. Like any other things in life; the more you try sincerely to attain perfection in meditation, the better it becomes. It is also easy to accomplice in the sense that starting from the first day at the meditation session, you stand to only gain and never ever loose. One you start your meditation, you are bound to experience abundance and inclusive security. The only thing is to consolidate the incremental gains by avoiding the pitfalls that you may encounter, as a beginner. One you are through it, after the initial difficulties, start enjoying its unfathomable depths, every moment in your life. A common type of difficulty encountered by many beginners generally pertains to a lack of concentration, which can be gradually overcome, with regular practice and guidance from the teacher. Mediation is only difficult only if, you don’t have the right conviction, motivation, clarity of purpose, enough time or lack patience. The other difficulties are just titular and with the passage of time, they too would just fade away like the troubling thoughts in mind.

(4) As a practitioner of meditation, your gains are limitless, simply because they are not quantifiable. Mainly, it is related to the qualities of life that are gained. Moreover, regular practice of meditation can effectively reduce the stress level by calming down your mind and body and prepare you to fend off the negativeness around you. It can induce a feeling of completeness and set you free from bondages and burdens of life in several ways. It can additionally aid in the healing of a number of lifestyle health imbalances, by making your immune system robust and healthy; being complementary to all the established systems of medicine and treatment regimen.

Practitioners of meditation report increased skin sensitivity, sensory enhancement, lower blood pressure, quality sleep, improved hunger, increased emotional stability, and heightened sense of integration with people and environment around them, considerable reduction in destructive emotions like anger, jealousy, etc. and a marked feeling of peace, composure and containment. Regular practice of meditation can make you a healthy and happy person, full of compassion with better understanding of life and its divine purpose, in the long run.

(5) To meditate, one is not required to renounce life or its pleasures but to adjust and utilize it better and more effectively. It is one of the most inexpensive forms of practice that requires minimum amount of time and physical effort. The practice of meditation, if combined with Yogasana and Pranayama, can truly multiply the benefits for a practitioner; though not essential. However, these three forms of ancient ways of healing and wellness practices are to be perfected separately under the able guidance of an enlightened and qualified Guru only. Self learning and self practice is not the right thing, as it may be at times harmful or not beneficial, optimally. One can safely practice meditation (or Yogasana and Pranayama) after fully learning all the aspects from the learned teacher only.

At least in the beginning and of course mostly; it is good to meditate in a group situation, since it increases the learning process, its effectiveness and facilitates the required support. The Guru can also potentialize meditation by infusing divine and spiritual knowledge (another form of Yoga), or by providing deeper insights and practical solutions to the queries of the practitioners.

(6) In order to know what exactly meditation is, now, let us imagine a pond filled with water in a torrential rainy day with gushing winds. At this particular time, if you look at the pond, you will notice that the ever pounding rain drops and the force of the winds are creating ripples after ripples, generating uncontrollable turbulence on the surface of the water of the once calm scenic pond. The same forces are also generating a lot of churning inside, though not visible. Here, everything in the pond is in a state of constant agitation and the resultant consequences are far from the normal. It is a state of disturbance and chaos. We can safely compare this situation at the pond in a stormy rainy day to that of our own mind. Even during sleep, our mind continues to experience the turmoil, without any pause. Our thoughts, memories, experiences at the deeper level, middle space and surface are constantly emerging and vanishing; creating unwanted ripples, in the process. They are very curiously not within our control and have a life of their own. We have no effective power to control, contain or discipline those gushing actions being enacted inside our mind. This leads us to tension, frustration, anger, reaction and over-reaction and many other actions that may not actually benefit us in any way. Yet we continue to live with these unnecessary realities of sufferings or with partial solutions not capable of providing any actual relief to us.

Mediation can rescue you from such a disturbed and chaotic situation of instability through its gentle, pleasant, non-strenuous and non-invasive techniques; by neutralizing the conflicts in your mind (conscious, sub-conscious and unconscious), in a most effective and proven manner. When you perfect the practice of meditation, the thoughts of your mind will be no longer be controlling you or cause any unnecessary pain or suffering without your express permission. With a calm and peaceful mind, the you as the practitioner of mediation therefore, can comfortably start to walks on to the paths of healing, peace and prosperity as a stable being;  benefiting others as well with empathy in the ensuing process. In general, meditation can induce in you the natural healing process and allow you to be in charge. The mind of the practitioner of meditation, as a rule, is incapable to play any destructive tricks on him or her.

(7) Meditation is neither a religious practice or ritual, magic nor a form of mind control technique. There is absolutely nothing mystical about it as it can be explained scientifically like any other type of exercise or practice. It promotes purity of thoughts and action in us. It makes us happy and healthy. It variously awakens us, inwardly as well as outwardly and helps to be humane. It further makes us humble and kind.

Meditation can not make us to become a super human being or let us learn the secret rope trick, but it can certainly make us better human beings. It is a purely benevolent form of practice, developed by the ancient sages and masters to prepare us to cultivate calm and reach the higher precepts of life. Meditation means winning over the turbulent mind and self by reining it gently, while at the same time being able to cultivate, the bounties of spiritualism.