When I was a little boy, I regularly practiced something without knowing exactly what it was. The final experience that came from that practice drew me toward it, and I continued doing it for a long time.
It was only after I grew up and was exposed to many things that I understood that what I had been doing was a form of meditation, and that experience which had drawn me toward it was what is called 'Samadhi'.
It was only after I grew up and was exposed to many things that I understood that what I had been doing was a form of meditation, and that experience which had drawn me toward it was what is called 'Samadhi'.
You can meditate by reading some book or by undergoing meditation training. You may also have several experiences. But, sometimes, you encounter certain questions – "Was this experience inspired by some belief, or was it the natural consequence of a particular practice? Is it possible for someone who has no formal understanding of meditation to have a similar experience? Is the experience of meditation the result of ideas that you have created and imposed upon yourself? Or is it independent of all of these?" and so on.
Looking at my childhood experience, it becomes clear that it was independent of any belief or mental background. At that time, I was completely innocent, free from prejudice, and completely ignorant about meditation.
Therefore, whatever a person's mental background may be, I feel that this happens naturally to anyone who practices this.
What exactly is meditation?
Today we see many forms of meditation. But here, I would like to limit myself only to what is described in ancient Indian texts such as the Upanishads, Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, or the Buddhist Tipitaka.
Meditation is a way of gradually calming the mind and reaching a state of complete tranquility. The state that one enters at the culmination of that tranquility is called 'Samadhi'.
The Upanishads, such as the Mandukya Upanishad, describe that final state as follows:
"It is a state in which there is neither awareness of external events nor internal mental activity such as thoughts and dreams. That does not mean that it is an unconscious, inert state. There is perception, but that perception is beyond the affairs of the worldly realm. It is the perception of ultimate reality."
The Buddhist Tipitakas also describe this as "a process of progressively narrowing mental attention until one reaches a state in which there is neither perception nor non-perception." On the surface, this may seem somewhat contradictory. But they are referring to a state that is beyond the scope of worldly perception, which they call 'lokuttara'. The Tipitakas speak about several milestones encountered on this journey, which are called 'jhaanaas'.
Patanjali also speaks about a similar process, in which the mind is focused on an object for a prolonged period of time. Patanjali speaks about four stages that one passes through before reaching the final Samadhi, or the state of complete tranquility. At each of these stages, mental activities gradually decrease and eventually become almost zero.
What happens after passing through these stages?
The Upanishads speak about a final realization of becoming one with the whole of existence. They say that the diversity we normally perceive is a creation of the mind, and that there is only one unified existence.
The Tipitakas avoid speaking about this final state because it is beyond the worldly realm and beyond words. The ultimate goal of the Tipitakas is to emerge from the mental games that give us a mistaken conception of reality.
Patanjali too speaks about becoming free from the delusion created by mental activities. This freedom enables one to see things as they really are.
All of this fits neatly into one important concept:
"The perception of diversity is a creation of the mind, and when the mind becomes completely peaceful, a unified perspective emerges."
What does science say about this process of meditation and its final state? Is this entirely a phenomenon of the brain? Through meditation, are you pushing your brain into a stage where it begins to function in a completely different way?
Before we arrive at any such conclusion, let us understand exactly what happens at the different stages of meditation.
Buddhist meditation practices impose strict rules of conduct even before one begins meditation. This is called the Eightfold Path; Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Concentration, and Right Samadhi. The first six of these rules prepare a person mentally for the journey ahead.
The ten components of Patanjali's Yamas and Niyamas correspond, for the most part, to these six rules.
In neurological terms, these six rules help reduce the excessive neuronal agitation or the sequence of surges in brain activity that occur in an uncontrolled brain. This is often regarded as the main benefit of meditation, namely stress relief. But this alone is not sufficient to reach the final state of a completely tranquil mind.
To reach that stage, one must have the ability to continuously narrow one's attention. The Buddhists prescribe practices such as 'Kaayasati' and 'Anapanasati' to help achieve this. Using these techniques, one can develop the ability to focus one's complete attention on a selected object. Patanjali speaks about 'Praanaayaama' for developing this same ability.
In neurological terms, this is a process of training the attention-related structures in the middle of the brain, namely the 'thalamic circuits'. When these circuits receive proper training, they become capable of focusing attention on a single object without any distractions.
As one progresses in meditation, one gradually sharpens one's attention. This takes a person through the stages of the initial 'jhaanaas' described by the Buddhists and through the various stages of 'Samprajnata Samadhi' described by Patanjali.
At these stages, one's mental activities gradually diminish, eventually reaching a state that is beyond the scope of the mind itself.
None of our texts clearly describe that state, because our vocabulary, which is used in the context of worldly perceptions, is not sufficient to describe that transcendental state.
What does neuroscience say about this?
Studies of the brain have confirmed that, during meditation, brain activity gradually decreases, and activity becomes concentrated only in extremely narrow regions. The normal, chaotic activity almost disappears. But neuroscience does not venture to make any speculation about what happens after going beyond even that stage.
All of this confirms that these practices have a definite effect. But are these effects entirely physical, or do they also have some transcendental dimensions?
Science is limited to the physical, and it does not dare to go beyond it.
All the ancient texts affirm that this is not merely a physical state. They refer to various attainments of meditation that cannot be explained solely by physical laws. For example, the ability to perceive beyond the limits of the senses; the ability to look into the past and the future; the ability to read other people's minds; the ability to influence other people's minds without any direct communication; memories of previous lives, and so on.
Neuroscience generally takes a skeptical position regarding these things and asks for incontrovertible evidence. But it is true that many serious meditators demonstrate such abilities. This surprises even the most hardened skeptics.
I have taken an open-minded position regarding meditation, even though I am convinced that such abilities are possible.
Whatever the truth of these abilities may be, I believe that meditation has a broad, unifying effect; it is a unification that goes beyond narrow, self-centered identities. That attainment is certainly no small thing.
What do you think? Write and let me know your thoughts. See you again.
Looking at my childhood experience, it becomes clear that it was independent of any belief or mental background. At that time, I was completely innocent, free from prejudice, and completely ignorant about meditation.
Therefore, whatever a person's mental background may be, I feel that this happens naturally to anyone who practices this.
What exactly is meditation?
Today we see many forms of meditation. But here, I would like to limit myself only to what is described in ancient Indian texts such as the Upanishads, Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, or the Buddhist Tipitaka.
Meditation is a way of gradually calming the mind and reaching a state of complete tranquility. The state that one enters at the culmination of that tranquility is called 'Samadhi'.
The Upanishads, such as the Mandukya Upanishad, describe that final state as follows:
"It is a state in which there is neither awareness of external events nor internal mental activity such as thoughts and dreams. That does not mean that it is an unconscious, inert state. There is perception, but that perception is beyond the affairs of the worldly realm. It is the perception of ultimate reality."
The Buddhist Tipitakas also describe this as "a process of progressively narrowing mental attention until one reaches a state in which there is neither perception nor non-perception." On the surface, this may seem somewhat contradictory. But they are referring to a state that is beyond the scope of worldly perception, which they call 'lokuttara'. The Tipitakas speak about several milestones encountered on this journey, which are called 'jhaanaas'.
Patanjali also speaks about a similar process, in which the mind is focused on an object for a prolonged period of time. Patanjali speaks about four stages that one passes through before reaching the final Samadhi, or the state of complete tranquility. At each of these stages, mental activities gradually decrease and eventually become almost zero.
What happens after passing through these stages?
The Upanishads speak about a final realization of becoming one with the whole of existence. They say that the diversity we normally perceive is a creation of the mind, and that there is only one unified existence.
The Tipitakas avoid speaking about this final state because it is beyond the worldly realm and beyond words. The ultimate goal of the Tipitakas is to emerge from the mental games that give us a mistaken conception of reality.
Patanjali too speaks about becoming free from the delusion created by mental activities. This freedom enables one to see things as they really are.
All of this fits neatly into one important concept:
"The perception of diversity is a creation of the mind, and when the mind becomes completely peaceful, a unified perspective emerges."
What does science say about this process of meditation and its final state? Is this entirely a phenomenon of the brain? Through meditation, are you pushing your brain into a stage where it begins to function in a completely different way?
Before we arrive at any such conclusion, let us understand exactly what happens at the different stages of meditation.
Buddhist meditation practices impose strict rules of conduct even before one begins meditation. This is called the Eightfold Path; Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Concentration, and Right Samadhi. The first six of these rules prepare a person mentally for the journey ahead.
The ten components of Patanjali's Yamas and Niyamas correspond, for the most part, to these six rules.
In neurological terms, these six rules help reduce the excessive neuronal agitation or the sequence of surges in brain activity that occur in an uncontrolled brain. This is often regarded as the main benefit of meditation, namely stress relief. But this alone is not sufficient to reach the final state of a completely tranquil mind.
To reach that stage, one must have the ability to continuously narrow one's attention. The Buddhists prescribe practices such as 'Kaayasati' and 'Anapanasati' to help achieve this. Using these techniques, one can develop the ability to focus one's complete attention on a selected object. Patanjali speaks about 'Praanaayaama' for developing this same ability.
In neurological terms, this is a process of training the attention-related structures in the middle of the brain, namely the 'thalamic circuits'. When these circuits receive proper training, they become capable of focusing attention on a single object without any distractions.
As one progresses in meditation, one gradually sharpens one's attention. This takes a person through the stages of the initial 'jhaanaas' described by the Buddhists and through the various stages of 'Samprajnata Samadhi' described by Patanjali.
At these stages, one's mental activities gradually diminish, eventually reaching a state that is beyond the scope of the mind itself.
None of our texts clearly describe that state, because our vocabulary, which is used in the context of worldly perceptions, is not sufficient to describe that transcendental state.
What does neuroscience say about this?
Studies of the brain have confirmed that, during meditation, brain activity gradually decreases, and activity becomes concentrated only in extremely narrow regions. The normal, chaotic activity almost disappears. But neuroscience does not venture to make any speculation about what happens after going beyond even that stage.
All of this confirms that these practices have a definite effect. But are these effects entirely physical, or do they also have some transcendental dimensions?
Science is limited to the physical, and it does not dare to go beyond it.
All the ancient texts affirm that this is not merely a physical state. They refer to various attainments of meditation that cannot be explained solely by physical laws. For example, the ability to perceive beyond the limits of the senses; the ability to look into the past and the future; the ability to read other people's minds; the ability to influence other people's minds without any direct communication; memories of previous lives, and so on.
Neuroscience generally takes a skeptical position regarding these things and asks for incontrovertible evidence. But it is true that many serious meditators demonstrate such abilities. This surprises even the most hardened skeptics.
I have taken an open-minded position regarding meditation, even though I am convinced that such abilities are possible.
Whatever the truth of these abilities may be, I believe that meditation has a broad, unifying effect; it is a unification that goes beyond narrow, self-centered identities. That attainment is certainly no small thing.
What do you think? Write and let me know your thoughts. See you again.
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