Meditation and Human Development Essentials of the Spiritual Path

Meditation There are various ways of meditating. Is meditation concentrated thinking? What should one meditate on? –It depends on one’s goal. –What one wants to achieve.

Human Beings What is the main characteristic of a human being? –He or she is looking for happiness, peace. How long do they want it for? –Always.

How to get it? Where lies the peace or happiness? –Within. How to move within? –There are various techniques. The best way of meditation and moving within is through incantation or mantra.

Incantation Incantation is a Latin term. It means "repeating a particular word". And that word creates a special type of vibration, and that vibration will have actional effect on the material world.

Mantra The Sanskrit term for incantation is ‘mantra’. However, the rudimental meanings of ‘incantation’ and ‘mantra’ are not the same. Mantra means, the subtle word that helps one in attaining self-realization (liberation).

Movement Every living being has to move, every animate and inanimate object has to move. Human beings also have to move. In this world, living beings are born to do something, to move forward. No thing and no one is stationary. No one can remain static.

Three strata Human movement is in three strata: –Physical; –Psychic; –Spiritual.

Movement in the Material World In the material world people are moving towards a particular goal. They must keep their eyes fixed on the goal, otherwise their movement will go to waste. The movement should be towards a goal and in adjustment with the environment.

Psychic Movement When people move in the psychic sphere they should define a mission in their minds, and they should move towards the fulfillment of that mission. Suppose a student is studying. He will have to remember that he has to pass an examination. If he does not think about passing the examination, if he studies only for the sake of study, he may never pass it.

Mission To keep a mission before one's eyes is necessary. If there is no mission, then psychic endeavour looses its meaning.

Do you want to live 100 years? Why? You want to live long because you hope to do more and more work in this life -- being goaded by this desire, you wish to live a long life. In the psychic sphere one must always remember that one has a mission in life, and just to materialize that mission, one is to remain in this world; otherwise people even want to retire from life early.

What is the Highest Mission? One’s mission is to promote the welfare of the world. Essential to spirituality. To care for the welfare of the universe.

Mantras and Spirituality There are different types of Mantra.

Mantra of Honey Knowledge Your work in pursuance of your mission will be considered your service, and when your service will be done with the sweet ideation that Divinity is everywhere you will spiritually advance. This is ‘guru mantra’.

Further into the Spiritual … Above the mental sphere there is the spiritual sphere. In the spiritual sphere the movement is internal, from mind to spirit. Here the mission is Self-Realization.

Ishta Mantra When there is the question of Self- Realization or spiritual beatitude the mantra one needs is the Ishta Mantra. Is’ta (ishta) is fulfillment of the goal, and for this one only requires real love. Ishta Mantra is that which when repeated again and again guides the mind towards liberation or Self-Realization.

The “Mantra” Man – mind. Tra – liberates. The idea (word) that liberates the mind.

Mantra There are so many words and so many syllables. Why is a particular word or a particular syllable to be treated as a mantra?

Vitality in a Mantra If there is no consciousness in a mantra or if the vitality of a mantra is limited, then even if it is repeated millions and millions of times, it will not bear fruit.

Perfected Mantra A subtle sound vibration filled with the Cosmic Sentiment … … it makes the personal vibrational flow move in perfect rhythm with the Macrocosmic vitality. Such a mantra is called a siddha mantra [perfected mantra].

The System of Mantra For spiritual progress, the system of mantra is indispensable. With spiritual progress existence becomes fully meaningful. One does not fell something missing in life.

The Effect of Mantra Develop subtle intelligence and intuition. Persons know what should be done and what should not be done. A siddha mantra can help you to remain on the right path.

Human Progress The progress in the physical and mental sphere is relative. There is always plus and minus in the physical and psychic spheres. There is only real progress in the spiritual sphere.

Yoga Systems Practice, purity, service –Training the senses = disciplined life style: No animal killing, no intoxication, No lying, cheating, stealing… Lots of selfless service. –Strengthening (purifying) the nervous system: Pranayama (breath control), Controlled diet (vegetarian), Performing certain asanas (yoga postures) & mudras (gestures / positions for well-being). –Serving the Divine: Physical, intellectual, spiritual and social service with love, Studying at the guru’s feet.

Yoga Systems –Prana (vital energy) is the key. –The goal of yoga is raising your kundalini. –Kundalini = consciousness. –Highest consciousness = to be at One by experiencing Love in All. Prana in mystic yoga is experience of bhakti (devotion or love). Called Bhagavan in bhakti yoga.

Yoga: one with many forms The process of linking oneself with the Supreme is called yoga. It may be compared to a ladder for attaining the utmost spiritual realization. This ladder begins from the lowest material condition of the living entity and rises up to perfect self-realization in pure spiritual life. According to various elevations, different parts of the ladder are known by different names. But, all in all, the complete ladder is called yoga and may be divided into three parts, namely: jinana-yoga, karma-yoga and bhakti-yoga. That is, development of mind, actions and devotion (love).

Why yoga is needed in the modern world? Influence of selfishness in this age: –Tendency to use religion or spirituality to exploit, –Tendency to seek out shortcuts, –Loss of authentic oral traditions leads to dependency on the senses, –Short lived and fearful modern humans are easily mislead about the nature of reality.

Astanga Yoga Essential spiritual practices - based on the 8-limbed system of spiritual development. First three: –* Yama - external moral/ethical discipline, –* Niyama - internal moral/ethical strength, –* Asana - yogic postures.

Astanga Yoga Next four: –* Pranayama - proper breathing, –* Pratyahara - withdrawal of senses from the external world so as to internalise your consciousness for spiritual meditation, –* Dharana - concentration or extended mental focusing, fundamental to spiritual meditation, –* Dhyana - contemplation in spiritual meditation - the principal practice of bringing your mind into an unbroken flow with Oneness.

Astanga Yoga The eighth: –* Samadhi - experience of unitive consciousness, so as to feel inwardly one with the Divine and attain Infinite Peace.

Yama [things you can control] –Ahimsa – to harm no living thing. –Satya – truthfulness. –Asteya – non-stealing - refraining from theft. –Brahmacarya – seeing / experiencing God in everything. –Aparigraha – freedom from possessiveness.

Niyama [things you can do] –Shoaca – cleanliness. –Santosa – being satisfied, at ease. –Tapah – going out of your way to help, austerity. –Svadhyaya – clear understanding and study of inspirational scriptures and other works. –Ishvara-pranidhana – surrender to the influence of the Supreme Spirit.

Preparatory stage: essential steps Preparation –Training the senses – healing your own ecology: No harm to humans or animals No artificial highs (drink & drugs) Stay clean, organized and faithful Be just: no lying, cheating, or exploiting others Exercise and diet –Strengthening the nervous system: Weight (awareness through asana / yoga postures) Breathing practices (pranayama) Mantra (japa - repetition) –Eventually: service to Universe: Menial service with love Intellectual service with love Spiritual service with devotion