Meditation 冥想

Closing Phase – Quiet Mind

First minimise outer world activity. Quieten the thoughts, calm the emotions, relax the body – intention is withdrawn.

That leaves a quiet awareness of the outer world through the external senses.

Then disconnect the superficial mind from the external senses, forget the physical world – awareness is withdrawn, motor neurons and sensory neurons are de-energised.

Only the processing inter-neurons then remain activated, giving brain consciousness disconnected from its external sensory and motor arms.

At this stage we have not yet awoken on the deeper levels – Deep Body (Etheric), Deep Emotional, Deep Mental.

This quiet state feels unusual because the superficial mind is usually either actively connected to the outer world with awareness and intention or passes quickly and unnoticed though this disconnected state at night while going to sleep.

Self-Observation

It is crucial at this initial stage not to simply horizontally split off a part of that quietly watching superficial conscious but to create a vertical split between the superficial-mind and something a little deeper.

If the common mistake of allowing this observing part to look back out through the external senses creating the quiet watchful horizontal split – which in itself cannot lead to anything deeper – is strengthened through practice it will lock you in your head, then interferring in all further progress (being really, if practiced to an extreme, the first step towards psychological imbalance).

All true, balanced teachings, understanding this, initially concentrate the separated watching part of the mind back towards the deep body sensations which draws this part of the mind deeper.

Ramanamaharshi, "In the pursuit of inner silence do not enter laya
[temporary suspension of mental faculties].
If you remain in this [trance like] state no benefit will come to you.
A complete absence of thoughts is not necessarily the true silence of the Self."

Self Sensing

Self-sensing is a state of simultaneous true awareness of the sensations throughout the whole body. It begins with a sense of the body’s spatial positioning and movement, pressure and warmth along with other sensations for which there are nerve sensors throughout the body, then expands to include the sense of the life-energy of the body itself.

Usually, in untrained people, the superficial parts of the mind just receive indirect information from the body via the Mind of the body, which actually receives the sensations. This relayed information can be mixed with imagination, feelings and thoughts from other sources.

Only by taking the Mind deeper as in the initial stages of going to sleep can direct contact with the sensations and life of the body be found. Then awareness and control can be practised on this level, leading to responsiveness to the Deep Mind.

Self-Feeling

Self-feeling occurs when awareness is centred in the part of the Mind connected with the Astral energy body, the Real Emotions (or in the dream state).

In a dream life within the Astral energy body feels completely real and the actual body seems to have no reality. When in the deep state of Self-feeling, exactly the same feeling arises, while potentially remaining fully aware of the body.

Then Self-sensing and Self-feeling can exist and be practised at the same time.

Self-Remembering

Self-remembering appears when the awareness is centred in the part of the Mind connected with the deep mental level, Real Intellect (approached in the deep sleep state).

In an undeveloped person the awareness is directed down through the Minds towards the brain consciousness and body. When instead that awareness is partly redirected back on itself, a light state of self-remembering appears which can go deeper progressively over time with effort to generate true Self-remembering.

Sheikh Abdullah: “When I sit in the silence in the meetings, I am aware of my body, have a silence in my head, am aware in my heart, often picking up the state of other peoples hearts, sometimes giving out a thought to the class and sometimes giving out something spiritual from my heart.”

Energy Sphere

The Large Dantian is centred in the chest and extends out to arms-length in all directions. It has 3 levels – Lower Dantian centred on the abdomen, Middle Dantian centred on the chest, Upper Dantian centred on the head.

All personal refinement takes place within this sphere which is the unique space in which all movements of the body, energy and Mind fully coexist.

After long and correct training, at a high level, all forces from outer life are received and neutralised within this sphere of our own Deep Mind.

Beginning

To begin the process take 3 full deep breaths. Each out breath let the mind close down as if going to sleep. The tensions of the body melt away.

Then the superficial-mind closes down further. The troubles of outer life are forgotten.

The mind passes through the quiet watchful state and continues deeper (Don't be tempted to rest in that quiet state). While the mind continues deeper, outer awareness fades away.

Dreamy State

Now the 2nd phase has 3 hidden sub-phases – waking up on the Deep Body, Deep Emotional and Deep Mental levels.

As the dreamy state first begins to appear, concentrate in the hands and feet looking for sensations of tingling, fullness and warmth.

Continue breathing deeply. Each out breath go deeper and intensify the fullness and warmth allowing it to grow into the arms and legs, then into the chest, then down through the trunk to rest in and around the base of the trunk, the perineum (Base Centre).

Base Centre Cloud

Allow a cloud of light to form around the perineum. Intensify the light as the mind sinks deeper.

Now the superficial-mind has been closed down and Deep Mind is awakening. Fullness and warmth appear due to the energetic stimulation of pressure and heat sensors.

In this deep condition visualising light will connect into the reality of the body's energy field (whereas in a superficially quiet state visualisation will lead to imaginary disconnection from reality).

Concentration

Meditation may be practiced while fully involved in outer life, while lightly involved in outer life or while momentarily withdrawn from outer life. It begins when a proportion of the mind is turned back towards its source.

Though meditation will later encompass the 3 aspects of the mind – consciousness, intention and intelligence – initially a division is created within consciousness so that while one part of the mind continues to act (producing thoughts, feelings or movements) an independent part of the mind is free to watch these manifestations.

True Deep Mind

When the Deep Mind appears, it is independent of whether the thinking mind is quiet or remains fully active. It is also independent of outer emotional arousal or physical movement.

The true test of the development of the Deep Mind is its ability to remain fully functioning as the outer activity of thoughts, feelings and movements within yourself and those around you, press in upon you. Only long training under a true teacher will lead to this.

Universal Mistake

Today and throughout history, the universal, even natural mistake, is to take the quiet mind as the basis of meditation. It arises when people, who have not gone through decades of training with a good teacher (who has themself previously passed through decades of true training), take it on themselves to teach what they 'believe they know' is meditation.

Though this was warned against by the Buddha and every genuine teacher since, still whole systems are devised, teachings promoted and books published, which are based on the brain state of no-thinking. No-thinking is not No-mind (Empty-mind, Buddha mind, Deep Mind).

Ramanamaharshi: "Setting apart time for meditation is only for the spiritual beginner. A person who is advancing enjoys the deeper state whether they are busy or at rest. While their hands are in society, their deeper self remains aloof."

Raja Yogi Mounimaharaj of Rajasthan said: "All realised beings say the same thing – but who listens to them?"