classes ::: injunction, meditat, temp,
children ::: meditation (Savitri quotes)
branches ::: AQAL Meditation, guided meditations, meditation, Meditation Centers, states meditation

bookmarks: Instances - Definitions - Quotes - Chapters - Wordnet - Webgen


object:meditation
class:injunction
class:meditat

--- TYPES
  Big Mind, tonglen, I AM, breath, AQAL, Witness, 3-2-1 (Three Faces of Spirit), guided imaginings

--- QUESTIONS
  effect of environment?
  a circle around bench?

--- TIME
  Before Meditation
    some deep breathing
    setting intention of meditation, or goal (see POTENTIAL OBJECTS above)

  During Meditation

  After Meditation

--- ON POSTURE
  I recall reading in a Zen book that to have perfect posture is the be doing Zen. Perhaps or probably limited but in a sense true.
  I recall also going for "braced". Or as a tiger ready to pounce.

--- EXPERIENCES
  Common experiences during Meditation
    remembering my ring isnt on.

  Uncommon experiences during Meditation


QUOTES


WHAT IS MEDITATION
WHY MEDITATION
WHAT TO MEDITATION UPON
HOW TO MEDITATE
HOW MUCH TO MEDITATE
UNSORTED
SEE ALSO
MISSING

WHAT IS MEDITATION


The means are meditation, concentration excluding all things else, a total loss of the mind in its object. ~ SA, TSOY, 2.01_-_The_Object_of_Knowledge

The main factor in meditation is to keep the mind active in its own pursuit without taking in external impressions or thinking of other matters. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi

To enter into a deeper or higher consciousness or for that deeper or higher consciousness to descend into you-that is the true success of meditation. ~ SA, LOY2, 2.3.01_-_Concentration_and_Meditation

Meditation is a deliberate attempt to pierce into the higher states of consciousness and finally go beyond it. The art of meditation is the art of shifting the focus of attention to ever subtler levels, without losing one's grip on the levels left behind. In a way it is like having death under control. One begins with the lowest levels: social circumstances, customs and habits; physical surroundings, the posture and the breathing of the body, the senses, their sensation s and perceptions; the mind, its thoughts and feelings; until the entire mechanism of personality is grasped and firmly held. The final stage of meditation i
s reached when the sense of identity goes beyond the 'I-am-so-and-so', beyond 'so-l-am', beyond 'I-am-the-witness-only', beyond 'there-is', beyond all ideas into the impersonally personal pure being. But you must be energetic when you take to meditation. It is definitely not a part-time occupation. Limit your interests and activities to what is needed for you and your dependents' barest needs.Save all your energies and time for breaking the wall your mind had built around you. Believe me, you will not regret.
~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj


--- WHY MEDITATION


Through the study of books one seeks God; by meditation one finds him. ~ Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina

To fix the mind on God is very difficult, in the beginning, unless one practices meditation in solitude. ~ Sri Ramakrishna

Meditation being on a single thought, the other thoughts are kept away. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Talks, 294a

I think one of the most important thing is to know why one meditates; this is what gives the quality of the meditation and makes it of one order or another.

' ' 'You may meditate to open yourself to the divine Force, you may meditate to reject the ordinary consciousness, you may meditate to enter the depths of your being, you may meditate to learn how to give yourself integrally; you may meditate for all kinds of things. 'You may meditate to enter into peace and calm and silence - this is what people generally do, but without much success. 'But you may also meditate to receive the Force of transformation, to discover the points to be transformed, to trace out the line of progress. 'And then you may also meditate for very practical reasons: when you have a difficulty to clear up,
a solution to find, when you want help in some action or another. 'You may meditate for that too.

' ' 'I think everyone has his own mode of meditation. 'But if one wants the meditation to be dynamic, one must have an aspiration for progress and the meditation must be done to help and fulfill this aspiration for progress. 'Then it becomes dynamic.'
~'The Mother, Questions And Answers 1956

WHAT TO MEDITATE UPON


The object of meditation is to open to the Mother and grow through many progressive experiences into a higher consciousness in union with the Divine.

2. What should be the object or ideas for meditation?
Whatever is most consonant with your nature and highest aspirations. But if you ask me for an absolute answer, then I must say that Brahman is always the best object for meditation or contemplation and the idea on which the mind should fix is that of God in all, all in God and all as God. It does not matter essentially whether it is the Impersonal or the Personal God, or subjectively, the One Self. But this is the idea I have found the best, because it is the highest and embraces all other truths, whether truths of this world or of the other worlds or beyond all phenomenal existence, - 'All this is the Brahman.'
~ Sri Aurobindo, Autobiographical Notes

Examples of subjects for meditation:
New birth.
Birth to a new consciousness.
The psychic consciousness.
How to awaken in the body the aspiration for the Divine.
The ill-effects of uncontrolled speech.

concentration in the centre of aspiration:
It is always better to try to concentrate in a centre, the centre of aspiration, one might say, the place where the flame of aspiration burns, to gather in all the energies there, at the solar plexus centre and, if possible, to obtain an attentive silence as though one wanted to listen to something extremely subtle, something that demands a complete attention, a complete concentration and a total silence. 'And then not to move at all. 'Not to think, not to stir, and make that movement of opening so as to receive all that can be received, but taking good care not to try to know what is happening while it is happening, for it
one wants to understand or even to observe actively, it keeps up a sort of cerebral activity which is unfavourable to the fullness of the receptivity - to be silent, as totally silent as possible, in an attentive concentration, and then be still.
' ' 'If one succeeds in this, then, when everything is over, when one comes out of meditation, some time later - usually not immediately - from within the being something new emerges in the consciousness: a new understanding, a new appreciation of things, a new attitude in life - in short, a new way of being.
~'The Mother

Two Centers for Concentration
Concentration is gathering together of the consciousness and either centralising at one point or turning on a single object, e.g., the Divine; there can be also be a gathered condition throughout the whole being, not at a point. In meditation it is not indispensable to gather like this, one can simply remain with a quiet mind thinking of one subject or observing what comes in the consciousness and dealing with it. ...

...Of this true consciousness other than the superficial there are two main centres, one in the heart (not the physical heart, but the cardiac centre in the middle of the chest), one in the head. The concentration in the heart opens within and by following this inward opening and going deep one becomes aware of the soul or psychic being, the divine element in the individual. This being unveiled begins to come forward, to govern the nature, to turn it and all its movements towards the Truth, towards the Divine, and to call down into it all that is above. It brings the consciousness of the Presence, the dedication of th
e being to the Highest and invites the descent into our nature of a greater Force and Consciousness which is waiting above us. To concentrate in the heart centre with the offering of oneself to the Divine and the aspiration for this inward opening and for the Presence in the heart is the first way and, if it can be done, the natural beginning; for its result once obtained makes the spiritual path far more easy and safe than if one begins the other ways.

That other way is the concentration in the head, in the mental centre. This, if it brings about the silence of the surface mind, opens up an inner, larger, deeper mind within which is more capable of receiving spiritual experience and spiritual knowledge. But once concentrated here one must open the silent mental consciousness upward and in the end it rises beyond the lid which has so long kept it tied in the body and finds a centre above the head where it is liberated into the Infinite. There it begins to come into contact with the universal Self, the Divine Peace, Light, Power, Knowledge, Bliss, to enter into that a
nd become that, to feel the descent of these things into the nature. To concentrate in the head with the aspiration for quietude in the mind and the realisation of the Self and Divine above is the second way of concentration. It is important, however, to remember that the concentration of the consciousness in the head in only a preparation for its rising to the centre above; otherwise, one may get shut up in one's own mind and its experiences or at best attain only to a reflection of the Truth above instead of rising into the spiritual transcendence to live there. For some the mental concentration is easier, for some the conc
entration in the heart centre; some are capable of doing both alternatively - but to begin with the heart centre, if one can do it, is the most desirable.
~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters On Yoga - II, 6,

HOW TO MEDITATE


simple as a child ::: When you sit in meditation you must be as candid and simple as a child, not interfering by your external mind, expecting nothing, insisting on nothing. Once this condition is there, all the rest depends upon the aspiration deep within you. And if you call upon Divinity, then too you will have the answer.
~ The Mother, Questions And Answers 1929-1931

When you give us a subject for meditation, what should we do about it? Keep thinking of it?
Keep your thought focused upon it in a concentrated way.

And when no subject is given, is it enough to concentrate on your Presence in the heart-centre? Should we avoid a formulated prayer?
Yes, concentration on the Presence is enough.
~ The Mother, Words Of The Mother - II

How should I meditate?
Fix your mind on the aspiration and dismiss everything else.
~ The Mother, More Answers From The Mother

3. Conditions internal and external that are most essential for meditation.
There are no essential external conditions, but solitude and seculsion at the time of meditation as well as stillness of the body are helpful, sometimes almost necessary to the beginning. But one should not be bound by external conditions. Once the habit of meditation is formed, it should be made possible to do it in all circumstances, lying, sitting, walking, alone, in company, in silence or in the midst of noise etc.

The first internal condition necessary is concentration of the will against the obstacles to meditation, i.e. wandering of the mind, forgetfulness, sleep, physical and nervous impatience and restlessness etc.

If the difficulty in meditation is that thoughts of all kinds come in, that is not due to hostile forces but to the ordinary nature of the human mind. All sadhaks have this difficulty and with many it lasts for a very long time. There are several was of getting rid of it. One of them is to look at the thoughts and observe what is the nature of the human mind as they show it but not to give any sanction and to let them run down till they come to a standstill - this is a way recommended by Vivekananda in his Rajayoga. Another is to look at the thoughts as not one's own, to stand back as the witness Purusha and refuse the sanction - the thoughts are regarded as things coming from outside, from Prakriti, and they must be felt as if they were passers-by crossing the mind-space with whom one has no connection and in whom one takes no interest. In this way it usually happens that after the time the mind divides into two, a part which is the mental witness watching and perfectly undisturbed and quiet and a part in which the thoughts cross or wander. Afterwards one can proceed to silence or quiet the Prakriti part also. There is a third, an active method by which one looks to see where the thoughts come from and finds they come not from oneself, but from outside the head as it were; if one can detect them coming, then, before enter, they have to be thrown away altoge ther. This is perhaps the most difficult way and not all can do it, but if it can be done it is the shortest and most powerful road to silence.

It is not easy to get into the Silence. That is only possible by throwing out all mental-vital activities. It is easier to let the Silence descend into you, i.e., to open yourself and let it descend. The way to do this and the way to call down the higher powers is the same. It is to remain quiet at the time of efforts to pull down the Power or the Silence but keeping only a silent will and aspiration for them. If the mind is active one has to learn to look at it, drawn back and not giving sanction from within, until its habitual or mechanical activities begin to fall quiet for want of support from within. if it is too persistent, a steady rejection without strain or struggle is the one thing to be done.

HOW MUCH TO MEDITATE



Mother I would like to know from you if it is good for me to devote more time to meditation than I am doing at present. I spend about two hours, morning and evening together. I am as yet not quite successful in meditation. My physical mind disturbs me a lot. I pray to you that it may become quiet and my psychic being may come out. It is so painful to find the mind working like a mad machine and the heart sleeping like a stone. Mother let me feel your presence within my heart always. ...

The increase of time given to meditation is not very useful unless the urge for meditation comes spontaneously from inside and not from any arbitrary decision of the mind. My help, love and blessings are always with you.
~ The Mother, Words Of The Mother - II,

UNSORTED


Each meditation ought to be a new revelation, for in each meditation something new happens.

Even if you are not apparently successful in your meditation, it is better to persist and to be more obstinate than the opposition of your lower nature.

To keep constantly a concentrated and in-gathered attitude is more important than having fixed hours of meditation.

When you have time, you can meditate on her [the Mother] with the thinking attitude that She is with you, She is sitting in front of you. ~ Sri Aurobindo


--- Practical Advice about Meditation
At the top of the head or above it is the right place for yogic concentration in reading or thinking.

It is quite natural to want to meditate after reading yogic literature - that is not the laziness.

The laziness of the mind consists in not meditating, when the consciousness wants to do so.

It is certainly much better to remain silent and collected for a time after the meditation. It is a mistake to take the meditation lightly - by doing that one fails to receive or spills what is received or most of it.

--- why concentrate the attention:
Whatever you may want to do in life, one thing is absolutely indispensable and at the basis of everything, the capacity of concentrating the attention. 'If you are able to gather together the rays of attention and consciousness on one point and can maintain the concentration with a presistent will, nothing can resist it - whatever it may be, from the most material physical development to the highest spiritual one. 'But this discipline must be followed in a constant and, it may be said, imperturbable way; not that you should always be concentrated on the same thing - that's not what I mean, I mean learning to concentrate.
' ' 'And materially, for studies, sports, all physical or mental development, it is absolutely indispensble. 'And the value of an individual is proportionate to the value of his attention.
' ' 'And from the spiritual point of view it is still more important. 'There is no spiritual obstacle which can resist a penetrating power of concentration. 'For instance, the discovery of the psychic being, union with the inner Divine, opening to the higher spheres, all can be obtained by an intense and obstinate power of concentration - but one must learn how to do it.
' ' 'There is nothing in the human or even in the superhuman field, to which the power of concentration is not the key.
' ' 'You can be the best athlete, you can be the best student, you can be an artistic, literary or scientific genius, you can be the greatest saint with that faculty. 'And everyone has in himself a tiny little beginning of it - it is given to everybody, but people do not cultivate it. - The Mother

--- most essential conditions for meditation:
' ' 'There are no'essential'external conditions, but solitude and seclusion at the time of meditation as well as stillness of the body are helpful, sometimes almost necessary to the beginning. 'But one should not be bound by external conditions. 'Once the habit of meditation is formed, it should be made possible to do it in all circumstances, lying, sitting, walking, alone, in company, in silence or in the midst of noise etc.
' ' 'The first internal condition necessary is concentration of the will against the obstacles to meditation, i.e. wandering of the mind, forgetfulness, sleep, physical and nervous impatience and restlessness etc.'- Sri Aurobindo

--- dealing with thoughts in meditation:
If the difficulty in meditation is that thoughts of all kinds come in, that is not due to hostile forces but to the ordinary nature of the human mind. 'All sadhaks have this difficulty and with many it lasts for a very long time. 'There are several was of getting rid of it. 'One of them is to look at the thoughts and observe what is the nature of the human mind as they show it but not to give any sanction and to let them run down till they come to a standstill - this is a way recommended by Vivekananda in his Rajayoga. 'Another is to look at the thoughts as not one's own, to stand back as the witness Purusha and refuse the s
anction - the thoughts are regarded as things coming from outside, from Prakriti, and they must be felt as if they were passers-by crossing the mind-space with whom one has no connection and in whom one takes no interest. 'In this way it usually happens that after the time the mind divides into two, a part which is the mental witness watching and perfectly undisturbed and quiet and a part in which the thoughts cross or wander. 'Afterwards one can proceed to silence or quiet the Prakriti part also. 'There is a third, an active method by which one looks to see where the thoughts come from and finds they come not from oneself, b
ut from outside the head as it were; if one can detect them coming, then, before enter, they have to be thrown away altoge ther. ' This is perhaps the most difficult way and not all can do it, but if it can be done it is the shortest and most powerful road to silence.'- Sri Aurobindo

--- getting into the Silence:
It is not easy to get into the Silence. 'That is only possible by throwing out all mental-vital activities. 'It is easier to let the Silence descend into you, i.e., to open yourself and let it descend. 'The way to do this and the way to call down the higher powers is the same. 'It is to remain quiet at the time of efforts to pull down the Power or the Silence but keeping only a silent will and aspiration for them. 'If the mind is active one has to learn to look at it, drawn back and not giving sanction from within, until its habitual or mechanical activities begin to fall quiet for want of support from within. 'if it is too
persistent, a steady rejection without strain or struggle is the one thing to be done.'- Sri Aurobindo

--- persistence in meditation:
Even if you are not apparently successful in your meditation, it'is better to persist and to be more obstinate than the opposition'of your lower nature. - The Mother

--- ending a meditation practice:
It is certainly much better to remain silent and collected for a time after the meditation. 'It is a mistake to take the meditation lightly - by doing that one fails to receive or spills what is received or most of it. - Sri Aurobindo

--- powers of concentration:
It is to bring back all the scattered threads of consciousness to a single point, a single idea. 'Those who can attain a perfect attention succeed in everything they undertake; they will always make rapid progress. 'And this kind of concentration can be developed exactly like the muscles; one may follow different systems, different methods of training. 'Today we know that the most pitiful weakling, for example, can with discipline become as strong as anyone else. 'One should not have a will that flickers out like a candle.
' ' 'The will, the concentration must be cultivated; it is a question of method, of regular exercise. 'If you will, you can.
' ' 'But the thought "What's the use?" must not come in to weaken the will. 'The idea that one is born with a certain character and can do nothing about it is a stupidity. ' -'The Mother

--- meditation and progress
The hours spent in meditation is no proof of spiritual progress. 'It is proof of your progress when you no longer have to make an effort to meditate. 'Then you have rather to make an effort to stop meditating: it becomes difficult to stop meditation, difficult to stop thinking of the Divine, difficult to come down to the ordinary consciousness. 'Then you are sure of progress, then you have made real progress when concentrating on the Divine is the necessity of your life, when you cannot do without it, when it continues naturally from morning to night whatever you may be engaged in doing. ' Whether you sit down to meditation
or go about and do things and work, what is required of you is consciousness; that is the one need - to be constantly conscious of the Divine.
' ' 'But is not sitting down to meditation an indispensable discipline, and does it not give a more intense and concentrated union with the Divine?
That may be. 'But a discipline in itself is not what we are seeking. 'What we are seeking is to be concentrated on the Divine in all that we do, at all times, in all our acts and in every movement. 'There are some here who have been told to meditate; but also there are others who have not been asked to do any meditation at all. 'But it must not be thought that they are not progressing. 'They too follow a discipline, but it is of another nature. 'To work, to act with devotion and an inner consecration is also a spiritual discipline. 'The final aim is to be in constant union with the Divine, not only in meditation but in all c
ircumstances and in all the active life.'-'The Mother

--- time in meditation:
Mother,'I would like to know from you if it is good for'me to devote more time to meditation than I am doing'at present. I spend about two hours, morning and evening together. I am as yet not quite successful in'meditation. My physical mind disturbs me a lot. I pray'to you that it may become quiet and my psychic being may come out. It is so painful to find the mind working'like a mad machine and the heart sleeping like a'stone. Mother, let me feel your presence within my heart always.
The increase of time given to meditation is not very useful unless'the urge for meditation comes spontaneously from inside and'not from any arbitrary decision of the mind.
' ' 'My help, love and blessings are always with you. - The Mother

--- in-gathered attitude rather then meditation:
To keep constantly a concentrated and in-gathered attitude is'more important than having fixed hours of meditation. - The Mother

--- reading and meditation:
- It is quite natural to want to meditate after reading yogic literature - that is not the laziness.'
' ' 'The laziness of the mind consists in not meditating, when the consciousness wants to do so.

SEE ALSO


concentration_(quotes), Prayer

MISSING


find and add some from Zen, from AC.



POTENTIAL OBJECTS/TOPICS FOR MEDITATION


--- FAVORITES

--- AS THEY COME
God
Savitri
travelling the worlds

a question, (seeking one or exploring one)
concentration on something.
a visualization exercise.
clarity
to remember
an offering
this topic (potential objects for meditation)
for certain experiences?
to change some element of ones nature
to discover something
commune with God? (contemplative prayer?)

meet someone
anything one can do in lucid dreaming
meet future self
streams of realizations (from contemplation, concentration or meditation)
self-knowledge (parts of self meditation)
an experiment
deity meditation
guided visualization
yoga nidra
egoism (friends, humanity)
desire
travel somewhere
find the mother and ask for help
talk with mother?
imagine SA + TM (deity meditation)
samadhi on goal, topic, subject, object, concept
oscillate between seeing picture and close eyes and visualize it (like SA+TM)
mantra meditation?
pratyahara
raja yoga
siddhis

"limitless drug" state of consciousness

learning to distinguish subject from object.

--- ALPHA - POTENTIAL TOPICS
an experiment
an offering
anything one can do in lucid dreaming
a question, (seeking one or exploring one)
a visualization exercise.
clarity
commune with God? (contemplative prayer?)
concentration on something.
deity meditation
desire
egoism (friends, humanity)
find the mother and ask for help
for certain experiences?
God
guided visualization
imagine SA + TM (deity meditation)
mantra meditation?
meet future self
meet someone
oscillate between seeing picture and close eyes and visualize it (like SA+TM)
pratyahara
raja yoga
samadhi on goal, topic, subject, object, concept
Savitri
self-knowledge (parts of self meditation)
siddhis
streams of realizations (from contemplation, concentration or meditation)
talk with mother?
this topic (potential objects for meditation)
to change some element of ones nature
to discover something
to remember
travel somewhere
travelling the worlds
yoga nidra



CHAPTERS


2.09 - Meditation
2.3.01 - Concentration and Meditation
3.8.1.03 - Meditation
5.2.02 - The Meditations of Mandavya



OLD NOTES


Why Meditation - part 1
'Meditation may be the most powerful and king of all injunctions. 'meditation may work concentration, awareness, willpower, freedom from desire, bliss, truth, knowledge, spirit, consciousness, physical health, physical awareness, awareness of gross, subtle and casual bodies, love, self-love, improved visualization, improved memory, more effective mind, more mental connections, faster reaction time, calmness, i could go on practically forever. improves hockey skills. like fucking almost everything directly and everything indirectly. 'state booster. ..

why meditation - part 2 (influenced by aurobindo)
from my practice and reading of aurobindos integral yoga, i gather that there is an inner awakening psychic being that draws me towards aurobindo and meditation. 'when i ask why meditation, it is a rational mental question but i am trying to draw out the inner reason that will bring me back to my bench. 'the reason because its what i should do, does not appease my mind, but it appeases my soul.
but as my psychic being draws me towards the bench there seems to be a revolt from the lower selves. 'the mental and vital beings revolt asking for reason and desire to do so. 'this is where learning to listen to the psychic being comes into play. perhaps that is the heart center being which would make sense why to focus there.

what I gain from meditation -'CLARITY'

This'why i think the most amazing experiment would be like doing 12 hours of witnessing meditation tomorrow. '
the practical benefits are probably so nice and instantaneous. 'then i think after the 12th hour i should smoke some weed.'this is not going to be easy as all my parts need to be onboard and there will be some serious revolt.. 'though man if i can do this often my life would radically transform. '

desire mind and meditation
i oft get the words, "i dont want to" 'perhaps it is especially that part I want to overcome. '
a part says i want to eat cereal instead of meditate. .. . . . .

NOTES FROM WITNESSING PRACTICE:
while sitting desire is always at play, shakti, the desire takes place in attachment to feelings, repulsion to sensation (scratch that itch!), desire to get up and do something else.'
moving tongue inside mouth
to overcome desire is to overcome fear?'
' ' 'i had a 50 minute sit, and the reason i justified getting up was that i didnt want to over sit and then not want to sit next time. 'this seems so weird because you would think it is just an excuse but there seems to be a serious truth to it. 'zenhabits on motivation? '

NOTES FROM'PSYCHIC BEING'ASPIRATION MEDITATION:
during this meditation, offer up the practice itself (karma yoga) to the psychic fire, but also offer the desire to do other things, offer thoughts that distract the concentration, offer the urge to move.
whilst sitting, concentrate fully.
cultivates aspiration, devotion, surrender, connection to the psychic,'

post meditation:



--- UNSORTED
  why, how, what, when

--- SECTIONS TO ADD
  building a meditation


--- FOOTER
chapters ::: 2.09 - Meditation, 2.3.01 - Concentration and Meditation
books ::: Meditation The First and Last Freedom, Prayers And Meditations

# section pages
see also ::: meditation (topics), meditation (quotes)
see also ::: Prayers and Meditation, concentration, imaginings,

class:temp




see also ::: concentration, imaginings, meditation_(quotes), meditation_(topics), Prayers_and_Meditation

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now begins generated list of local instances, definitions, quotes, instances in chapters, wordnet info if available and instances among weblinks


OBJECT INSTANCES [10] - TOPICS - AUTHORS - BOOKS - CHAPTERS - CLASSES - SEE ALSO - SIMILAR TITLES

TOPICS
1-2-3_of_God
Anapanasati
AQAL_Meditation
Big_Mind_Meditation
Dhyana
guided_meditations
how_to_meditate
meditate
meditation_(Savitri_quotes)
states_meditation
SEE ALSO

concentration
imaginings
meditation_(quotes)
meditation_(topics)
Prayers_and_Meditation

AUTH

BOOKS
Achieving_Oneness_With_The_Higher_Soul___Meditations_for_Soul_Realization
A_Treatise_on_Cosmic_Fire
Big_Mind,_Big_Heart
Buddhahood_Without_Meditation__A_Visionary_Account_Known_as_Refining_One's_Perception
Collected_Poems
Concentration_(book)
Deep_Meditation
Depth_Psychology__Meditations_in_the_Field
Enchiridion_text
Essays_In_Philosophy_And_Yoga
Essential_Integral
Guided_Buddhist_Meditations__Essential_Practices_on_the_Stages_of_the_Path
Guru_Bhakti_Yoga
Heart_of_Matter
How_to_Practice_Shamatha_Meditation__The_Cultivation_of_Meditative_Quiescene
Hymn_of_the_Universe
Infinite_Library
Initiation_Into_Hermetics
Integral_Life_Practice_(book)
josh_books
Kosmic_Consciousness
Letters_on_Occult_Meditation
Letters_On_Yoga
Letters_On_Yoga_II
Liber_157_-_The_Tao_Teh_King
Liber_ABA
Life_without_Death
Manual_of_Zen_Buddhism
mcw
Meditation__Advice_to_Beginners
Meditations
Meditation__The_First_and_Last_Freedom
Mind_at_Ease__Self-Liberation_through_Mahamudra_Meditation
Mind_-_Its_Mysteries_and_Control
Modern_Man_in_Search_of_a_Soul
My_Burning_Heart
Plotinus_-_Complete_Works_Vol_01
Prayers_And_Meditations
Process_and_Reality
Progressive_Stages_of_Meditation_on_Emptiness
Questions_And_Answers_1929-1931
Questions_And_Answers_1950-1951
Questions_And_Answers_1953
Questions_And_Answers_1954
Questions_And_Answers_1955
Questions_And_Answers_1957-1958
Quotology
Savitri
Sayings_of_Sri_Ramakrishna_(toc)
Self_Knowledge
Sri_Aurobindo_or_the_Adventure_of_Consciousness
The_Book_of_Secrets__Keys_to_Love_and_Meditation
The_Divine_Companion
The_Divine_Milieu
The_Essentials_of_Buddhist_Meditation
The_Essential_Songs_of_Milarepa
The_Externalization_of_the_Hierarchy
The_Gateless_Gate
The_Heart_Treasure_of_the_Enlightened_Ones__The_Practice_of_View,_Meditation,_and_Action__A_Discourse_Virtuous_in_the_Beginning,_Middle,_and_End
The_Imitation_of_Christ
The_Integral_Yoga
The_Ladder_of_Divine_Ascent
The_Mother_With_Letters_On_The_Mother
The_Perennial_Philosophy
The_Republic
The_Seals_of_Wisdom
The_Study_and_Practice_of_Yoga
The_Sweet_Dews_of_Chan_Zen
The_Tarot_of_Paul_Christian
The_Way_of_Perfection
The_Yoga_Sutras
Thought_Power
Words_Of_Long_Ago
Words_Of_The_Mother_II

IN CHAPTERS TITLE
06.03_-_Types_of_Meditation
07.23_-_Meditation_and_Some_Questions
07.24_-_Meditation_and_Meditation
08.29_-_Meditation_and_Wakefulness
09.02_-_Meditation
10.23_-_Prayers_and_Meditations_of_the_Mother
1.038_-_Impediments_in_Concentration_and_Meditation
1929-04-21_-_Visions,_seeing_and_interpretation_-_Dreams_and_dreaml_and_-_Dreamless_sleep_-_Visions_and_formulation_-_Surrender,_passive_and_of_the_will_-_Meditation_and_progress_-_Entering_the_spiritual_life,_a_plunge_into_the_Divine
1929-06-23_-_Knowledge_of_the_Yogi_-_Knowledge_and_the_Supermind_-_Methods_of_changing_the_condition_of_the_body_-_Meditation,_aspiration,_sincerity
1950-12-25_-_Christmas_-_festival_of_Light_-_Energy_and_mental_growth_-_Meditation_and_concentration_-_The_Mother_of_Dreams_-_Playing_a_game_well,_and_energy
1951-02-12_-_Divine_force_-_Signs_indicating_readiness_-_Weakness_in_mind,_vital_-_concentration_-_Divine_perception,_human_notion_of_good,_bad_-_Conversion,_consecration_-_progress_-_Signs_of_entering_the_path_-_kinds_of_meditation_-_aspiration
1951-02-17_-_False_visions_-_Offering_ones_will_-_Equilibrium_-_progress_-_maturity_-_Ardent_self-giving-_perfecting_the_instrument_-_Difficulties,_a_help_in_total_realisation_-_paradoxes_-_Sincerity_-_spontaneous_meditation
1954-10-20_-_Stand_back_-_Asking_questions_to_Mother_-_Seeing_images_in_meditation_-_Berlioz_-Music_-_Mothers_organ_music_-_Destiny
1956-03-14_-_Dynamic_meditation_-_Do_all_as_an_offering_to_the_Divine_-_Significance_of_23.4.56._-_If_twelve_men_of_goodwill_call_the_Divine
1956-07-18_-_Unlived_dreams_-_Radha-consciousness_-_Separation_and_identification_-_Ananda_of_identity_and_Ananda_of_union_-_Sincerity,_meditation_and_prayer_-_Enemies_of_the_Divine_-_The_universe_is_progressive
1957-02-07_-_Individual_and_collective_meditation
1957-06-05_-_Questions_and_silence_-_Methods_of_meditation
1957-08-14_-_Meditation_on_Sri_Aurobindo
1958-08-27_-_Meditation_and_imagination_-_From_thought_to_idea,_from_idea_to_principle
1.hs_-_Meditation
1.lla_-_Neither_You_nor_I,_neither_object_nor_meditation
1.wby_-_A_Meditation_in_Time_of_War
1.wby_-_Meditations_In_Time_Of_Civil_War
1.wby_-_The_Meditation_Of_The_Old_Fisherman
2.09_-_Meditation
2.1.02_-_Combining_Work,_Meditation_and_Bhakti
2.3.01_-_Concentration_and_Meditation
3.8.1.03_-_Meditation
4.01_-_Prayers_and_Meditations
5.2.02_-_The_Meditations_of_Mandavya
Prayers_and_Meditations_by_Baha_u_llah_text
The_Anapanasati_Sutta__A_Practical_Guide_to_Mindfullness_of_Breathing_and_Tranquil_Wisdom_Meditation

IN CHAPTERS CLASSNAME
2.09_-_Meditation
2.3.01_-_Concentration_and_Meditation
3.07.2_-_Finding_the_Real_Source
3.07.5_-_Who_Am_I?
DM_2_-_How_to_Meditate

IN CHAPTERS TEXT
00.01_-_The_Mother_on_Savitri
0.00a_-_Introduction
0.00_-_INTRODUCTION
0.00_-_The_Book_of_Lies_Text
0.00_-_THE_GOSPEL_PREFACE
0.02_-_Letters_to_a_Sadhak
0.03_-_III_-_The_Evening_Sittings
0.03_-_Letters_to_My_little_smile
0.04_-_The_Systems_of_Yoga
0.06_-_INTRODUCTION
0.06_-_Letters_to_a_Young_Sadhak
0.08_-_Letters_to_a_Young_Captain
0.10_-_Letters_to_a_Young_Captain
0.11_-_Letters_to_a_Sadhak
0.14_-_Letters_to_a_Sadhak
0_1955-04-04
0_1956-02-29_-_First_Supramental_Manifestation_-_The_Golden_Hammer
0_1956-03-20
0_1956-04-23
0_1957-07-03
0_1958-05-11_-_the_ship_that_said_OM
0_1958-07-06
0_1958-08-29
0_1958-09-16_-_OM_NAMO_BHAGAVATEH
0_1958-11-02
0_1958-11-04_-_Myths_are_True_and_Gods_exist_-_mental_formation_and_occult_faculties_-_exteriorization_-_work_in_dreams
0_1958-11-08
0_1958_12_-_Floor_1,_young_girl,_we_shall_kill_the_young_princess_-_black_tent
0_1959-01-06
0_1959-04-23
0_1959-05-19_-_Ascending_and_Descending_paths
0_1959-06-03
0_1960-01-31
0_1960-05-16
0_1960-05-24_-_supramental_flood
0_1960-06-07
0_1960-09-20
0_1960-10-22
0_1960-10-30
0_1960-11-26
0_1960-12-13
0_1960-12-23
0_1960-12-31
0_1961-01-12
0_1961-01-19
0_1961-03-21
0_1961-03-25
0_1961-03-27
0_1961-04-12
0_1961-06-02
0_1961-06-17
0_1961-06-20
0_1961-06-24
0_1961-08-02
0_1961-08-05
0_1961-08-08
0_1961-08-25
0_1961-11-05
0_1961-12-20
0_1961-12-23
0_1962-02-03
0_1962-05-27
0_1962-05-29
0_1962-05-31
0_1962-06-06
0_1962-06-12
0_1962-07-14
0_1962-07-25
0_1962-07-28
0_1962-08-18
0_1962-09-08
0_1962-09-15
0_1962-09-18
0_1962-10-20
0_1962-10-24
0_1962-10-27
0_1962-10-30
0_1962-11-07
0_1962-11-27
0_1963-01-09
0_1963-01-14
0_1963-01-30
0_1963-02-15
0_1963-03-09
0_1963-03-19
0_1963-03-23
0_1963-04-20
0_1963-05-03
0_1963-05-11
0_1963-06-26b
0_1963-07-20
0_1963-08-03
0_1963-08-10
0_1963-09-04
0_1963-10-16
0_1963-11-20
0_1963-11-30
0_1963-12-07_-_supramental_ship
0_1963-12-11
0_1963-12-21
0_1964-01-04
0_1964-03-04
0_1964-03-28
0_1964-04-08
0_1964-04-25
0_1964-05-02
0_1964-05-17
0_1964-07-18
0_1964-08-19
0_1964-10-07
0_1964-10-17
0_1964-10-24a
0_1964-10-28
0_1964-11-04
0_1964-11-07
0_1964-11-12
0_1964-11-25
0_1965-05-05
0_1965-06-05
0_1965-06-23
0_1965-07-21
0_1965-08-18
0_1965-10-27
0_1965-11-27
0_1965-12-04
0_1965-12-07
0_1965-12-15
0_1966-03-30
0_1966-04-06
0_1966-05-07
0_1966-06-25
0_1966-08-10
0_1966-08-17
0_1966-08-24
0_1966-09-30
0_1966-10-05
0_1966-10-12
0_1966-10-19
0_1966-11-15
0_1966-12-31
0_1967-02-04
0_1967-02-22
0_1967-02-25
0_1967-03-04
0_1967-03-11
0_1967-04-27
0_1967-05-06
0_1967-05-10
0_1967-05-17
0_1967-05-27
0_1967-05-30
0_1967-06-30
0_1967-07-08
0_1967-07-15
0_1967-08-02
0_1967-08-16
0_1967-09-30
0_1967-10-19
0_1967-10-25
0_1967-10-30
0_1968-02-14
0_1968-02-20
0_1968-03-20
0_1968-08-07
0_1968-10-05
0_1968-10-23
0_1968-10-30
0_1968-11-02
0_1968-11-06
0_1968-11-20
0_1968-11-23
0_1968-11-30
0_1968-12-11
0_1968-12-25
0_1969-01-01
0_1969-01-29
0_1969-04-02
0_1969-05-07
0_1969-07-12
0_1969-07-23
0_1969-08-16
0_1969-09-03
0_1969-09-27
0_1969-10-11
0_1969-10-15
0_1969-10-18
0_1969-11-01
0_1969-11-26
0_1969-12-06
0_1970-01-03
0_1970-01-10
0_1970-01-28
0_1970-01-31
0_1970-02-04
0_1970-02-07
0_1970-02-11
0_1970-02-21
0_1970-02-25
0_1970-04-01
0_1970-04-29
0_1970-05-02
0_1970-05-20
0_1970-05-23
0_1970-08-12
0_1970-09-02
0_1970-09-05
0_1970-09-19
0_1970-09-23
0_1970-10-28
0_1970-11-14
0_1970-11-21
0_1970-12-02
0_1971-04-17
0_1971-07-24
0_1971-09-04
0_1971-11-17
0_1971-11-27
0_1971-12-29b
0_1972-01-01
0_1972-01-12
0_1972-02-09
0_1972-02-12
0_1972-02-16
0_1972-03-18
0_1972-03-22
0_1972-04-05
0_1972-04-15
0_1972-05-06
0_1972-05-17
0_1972-05-31
0_1972-10-07
0_1972-10-25
0_1972-10-28
0_1972-12-02
0_1972-12-13
0_1972-12-16
0_1973-04-08
0_1973-04-14
0_1973-05-09
02.01_-_The_World_War
02.11_-_The_Kingdoms_and_Godheads_of_the_Greater_Mind
02.14_-_The_World-Soul
03.11_-_The_Language_Problem_and_India
04.01_-_The_Birth_and_Childhood_of_the_Flame
04.03_-_The_Call_to_the_Quest
04.04_-_The_Quest
05.01_-_At_the_Origin_of_Ignorance
05.13_-_Darshana_and_Philosophy
06.02_-_Darkness_to_Light
06.03_-_Types_of_Meditation
06.04_-_The_Conscious_Being
06.12_-_The_Expanding_Body-Consciousness
06.15_-_Ever_Green
06.22_-_I_Have_Nothing,_I_Am_Nothing
06.24_-_When_Imperfection_is_Greater_Than_Perfection
06.30_-_Sweet_Holy_Tears
06.31_-_Identification_of_Consciousness
06.32_-_The_Central_Consciousness
06.34_-_Selfless_Worker
07.03_-_The_Entry_into_the_Inner_Countries
07.14_-_The_Divine_Suffering
07.22_-_Mysticism_and_Occultism
07.23_-_Meditation_and_Some_Questions
07.24_-_Meditation_and_Meditation
07.25_-_Prayer_and_Aspiration
08.21_-_Human_Birth
08.28_-_Prayer_and_Aspiration
08.29_-_Meditation_and_Wakefulness
08.30_-_Dealing_with_a_Wrong_Movement
09.01_-_Prayer_and_Aspiration
09.02_-_Meditation
09.03_-_The_Psychic_Being
09.12_-_The_True_Teaching
10.01_-_A_Dream
10.03_-_The_Debate_of_Love_and_Death
10.04_-_Lord_of_Time
1.007_-_Initial_Steps_in_Yoga_Practice
1.008_-_The_Principle_of_Self-Affirmation
1.009_-_Perception_and_Reality
1.00a_-_Introduction
1.00b_-_DIVISION_B_-_THE_PERSONALITY_RAY_AND_FIRE_BY_FRICTION
1.00c_-_DIVISION_C_-_THE_ETHERIC_BODY_AND_PRANA
1.00d_-_Introduction
1.00e_-_DIVISION_E_-_MOTION_ON_THE_PHYSICAL_AND_ASTRAL_PLANES
1.00_-_Introduction_to_Alchemy_of_Happiness
1.00_-_Preliminary_Remarks
1.01_-_Asana
1.01_-_Description_of_the_Castle
1.01f_-_Introduction
1.01_-_Foreward
1.01_-_Hatha_Yoga
1.01_-_Historical_Survey
1.01_-_How_is_Knowledge_Of_The_Higher_Worlds_Attained?
1.01_-_Maitreya_inquires_of_his_teacher_(Parashara)
1.01_-_MASTER_AND_DISCIPLE
1.01_-_On_knowledge_of_the_soul,_and_how_knowledge_of_the_soul_is_the_key_to_the_knowledge_of_God.
1.01_-_Prayer
1.01_-_SAMADHI_PADA
1.01_-_Sri_Aurobindo
1.01_-_Tara_the_Divine
1.01_-_The_First_Steps
1.01_-_The_Four_Aids
1.01_-_The_Mental_Fortress
1.01_-_The_Science_of_Living
1.01_-_Who_is_Tara
10.22_-_Short_Notes_-_5-_Consciousness_and_Dimensions_of_View
10.23_-_Prayers_and_Meditations_of_the_Mother
10.24_-_Savitri
1.025_-_Sadhana_-_Intensifying_a_Lighted_Flame
1.028_-_Bringing_About_Whole-Souled_Dedication
1.02_-_Meditating_on_Tara
1.02_-_Meeting_the_Master_-_Authors_second_meeting,_March_1921
1.02_-_On_the_Knowledge_of_God.
1.02_-_Pranayama,_Mantrayoga
1.02_-_SADHANA_PADA
1.02_-_Skillful_Means
1.02_-_The_Divine_Teacher
1.02_-_The_Great_Process
1.02_-_The_Human_Soul
1.02_-_The_Magic_Circle
1.02_-_The_Philosophy_of_Ishvara
1.02_-_The_Pit
1.02_-_The_Recovery
1.02_-_The_Ultimate_Path_is_Without_Difficulty
1.031_-_Intense_Aspiration
1.035_-_The_Recitation_of_Mantra
1.036_-_The_Rise_of_Obstacles_in_Yoga_Practice
1.037_-_Preventing_the_Fall_in_Yoga
1.038_-_Impediments_in_Concentration_and_Meditation
1.03_-_A_Parable
1.03_-_Concerning_the_Archetypes,_with_Special_Reference_to_the_Anima_Concept
1.03_-_Eternal_Presence
1.03_-_Invocation_of_Tara
1.03_-_Japa_Yoga
1.03_-_Meeting_the_Master_-_Meeting_with_others
1.03_-_On_exile_or_pilgrimage
1.03_-_PERSONALITY,_SANCTITY,_DIVINE_INCARNATION
1.03_-_Preparing_for_the_Miraculous
1.03_-_Tara,_Liberator_from_the_Eight_Dangers
1.03_-_The_End_of_the_Intellect
1.03_-_The_House_Of_The_Lord
1.03_-_The_Human_Disciple
1.03_-_The_Psychic_Prana
1.03_-_The_Sephiros
1.03_-_The_Sunlit_Path
1.03_-_The_Tale_of_the_Alchemist_Who_Sold_His_Soul
1.03_-_To_Layman_Ishii
1.03_-_VISIT_TO_VIDYASAGAR
1.03_-_Yama_and_Niyama
1.03_-_YIBHOOTI_PADA
1.040_-_Re-Educating_the_Mind
1.045_-_Piercing_the_Structure_of_the_Object
1.04_-_ADVICE_TO_HOUSEHOLDERS
1.04_-_On_blessed_and_ever-memorable_obedience
1.04_-_Sounds
1.04_-_Te_Shan_Carrying_His_Bundle
1.04_-_The_Divine_Mother_-_This_Is_She
1.04_-_The_Gods_of_the_Veda
1.04_-_The_Paths
1.04_-_The_Praise
1.04_-_The_Sacrifice_the_Triune_Path_and_the_Lord_of_the_Sacrifice
1.04_-_The_Silent_Mind
1.04_-_Wake-Up_Sermon
1.052_-_Yoga_Practice_-_A_Series_of_Positive_Steps
1.053_-_A_Very_Important_Sadhana
1.056_-_Lack_of_Knowledge_is_the_Cause_of_Suffering
1.057_-_The_Four_Manifestations_of_Ignorance
1.05_-_Buddhism_and_Women
1.05_-_CHARITY
1.05_-_Consciousness
1.05_-_Dharana
1.05_-_Hsueh_Feng's_Grain_of_Rice
1.05_-_On_painstaking_and_true_repentance_which_constitute_the_life_of_the_holy_convicts;_and_about_the_prison.
1.05_-_Problems_of_Modern_Psycho_therapy
1.05_-_Some_Results_of_Initiation
1.05_-_THE_HOSTILE_BROTHERS_-_ARCHETYPES_OF_RESPONSE_TO_THE_UNKNOWN
1.05_-_THE_MASTER_AND_KESHAB
1.05_-_Vishnu_as_Brahma_creates_the_world
1.05_-_War_And_Politics
1.05_-_Work_and_Teaching
1.06_-_Dhyana
1.06_-_Dhyana_and_Samadhi
1.06_-_MORTIFICATION,_NON-ATTACHMENT,_RIGHT_LIVELIHOOD
1.06_-_Of_imperfections_with_respect_to_spiritual_gluttony.
1.06_-_On_remembrance_of_death.
1.06_-_On_Thought
1.06_-_Origin_of_the_four_castes
1.06_-_Raja_Yoga
1.06_-_The_Ascent_of_the_Sacrifice_2_The_Works_of_Love_-_The_Works_of_Life
1.06_-_The_Literal_Qabalah
1.06_-_THE_MASTER_WITH_THE_BRAHMO_DEVOTEES
1.06_-_Yun_Men's_Every_Day_is_a_Good_Day
1.075_-_Self-Control,_Study_and_Devotion_to_God
1.078_-_Kumbhaka_and_Concentration_of_Mind
1.07_-_A_Song_of_Longing_for_Tara,_the_Infallible
1.07_-_Jnana_Yoga
1.07_-_On_mourning_which_causes_joy.
1.07_-_Raja-Yoga_in_Brief
1.07_-_Samadhi
1.07_-_Savitri
1.07_-_The_Continuity_of_Consciousness
1.07_-_The_Farther_Reaches_of_Human_Nature
1.07_-_The_Magic_Wand
1.07_-_The_Mantra_-_OM_-_Word_and_Wisdom
1.07_-_THE_MASTER_AND_VIJAY_GOSWAMI
1.07_-_The_Process_of_Evolution
1.07_-_TRUTH
1.080_-_Pratyahara_-_The_Return_of_Energy
1.081_-_The_Application_of_Pratyahara
1.083_-_Choosing_an_Object_for_Concentration
1.089_-_The_Levels_of_Concentration
1.08_-_Adhyatma_Yoga
1.08a_-_The_Ladder
1.08_-_Independence_from_the_Physical
1.08_-_Origin_of_Rudra:_his_becoming_eight_Rudras
1.08_-_Psycho_therapy_Today
1.08_-_Sri_Aurobindos_Descent_into_Death
1.08_-_The_Depths_of_the_Divine
1.08_-_The_Four_Austerities_and_the_Four_Liberations
1.08_-_THE_MASTERS_BIRTHDAY_CELEBRATION_AT_DAKSHINESWAR
1.08_-_Wherein_is_expounded_the_first_line_of_the_first_stanza,_and_a_beginning_is_made_of_the_explanation_of_this_dark_night
1.094_-_Understanding_the_Structure_of_Things
1.096_-_Powers_that_Accrue_in_the_Practice
1.097_-_Sublimation_of_Object-Consciousness
1.09_-_ADVICE_TO_THE_BRAHMOS
1.09_-_Concentration_-_Its_Spiritual_Uses
1.09_-_Kundalini_Yoga
1.09_-_Of_the_signs_by_which_it_will_be_known_that_the_spiritual_person_is_walking_along_the_way_of_this_night_and_purgation_of_sense.
1.09_-_Sleep_and_Death
1.09_-_Talks
1.09_-_Taras_Ultimate_Nature
1.09_-_The_Crown,_Cap,_Magus-Band
11.01_-_The_Eternal_Day__The_Souls_Choice_and_the_Supreme_Consummation
1.1.02_-_The_Aim_of_the_Integral_Yoga
1.107_-_The_Bestowal_of_a_Divine_Gift
1.10_-_Concentration_-_Its_Practice
1.10_-_GRACE_AND_FREE_WILL
1.10_-_Harmony
1.10_-_The_descendants_of_the_daughters_of_Daksa_married_to_the_Rsis
1.10_-_The_Secret_of_the_Veda
1.1.1.06_-_Inspiration_and_Effort
11.14_-_Our_Finest_Hour
1.11_-_Legend_of_Dhruva,_the_son_of_Uttanapada
1.11_-_Powers
1.11_-_The_Change_of_Power
1.11_-_The_Soul_or_the_Astral_Body
1.11_-_WITH_THE_DEVOTEES_AT_DAKSHINEWAR
1.12_-_Brute_Neighbors
1.12_-_Dhruva_commences_a_course_of_religious_austerities
1.12_-_God_Departs
1.12_-_On_lying.
1.12_-_THE_FESTIVAL_AT_PNIHTI
1.12_-_The_Left-Hand_Path_-_The_Black_Brothers
1.12_-_The_Superconscient
1.13_-_And_Then?
1.13_-_Gnostic_Symbols_of_the_Self
1.13_-_THE_MASTER_AND_M.
1.13_-_The_Spirit
1.14_-_Bibliography
1.14_-_Descendants_of_Prithu
1.14_-_INSTRUCTION_TO_VAISHNAVS_AND_BRHMOS
1.14_-_The_Book_of_Magic_Formulae
1.14_-_The_Secret
1.15_-_Index
1.15_-_In_the_Domain_of_the_Spirit_Beings
1.15_-_On_incorruptible_purity_and_chastity_to_which_the_corruptible_attain_by_toil_and_sweat.
1.15_-_Prayers
1.15_-_The_world_overrun_with_trees;_they_are_destroyed_by_the_Pracetasas
1.1.5_-_Thought_and_Knowledge
1.16_-_The_Season_of_Truth
1.16_-_WITH_THE_DEVOTEES_AT_DAKSHINESWAR
1.17_-_God
1.17_-_M._AT_DAKSHINEWAR
1.17_-_On_poverty_(that_hastens_heavenwards).
1.17_-_The_Transformation
1.18_-_Asceticism
1.18_-_M._AT_DAKSHINESWAR
1.18_-_The_Importance_of_our_Conventional_Greetings,_etc.
1.200-1.224_Talks
1.2.01_-_The_Call_and_the_Capacity
1.2.02_-_Qualities_Needed_for_Sadhana
1.2.03_-_Purity
1.2.05_-_Aspiration
1.2.07_-_Surrender
1.20_-_On_bodily_vigil_and_how_to_use_it_to_attain_spiritual_vigil_and_how_to_practise_it.
1.20_-_RULES_FOR_HOUSEHOLDERS_AND_MONKS
1.20_-_Visnu_appears_to_Prahlada
1.2.10_-_Opening
1.2.1_-_Mental_Development_and_Sadhana
1.22_-_ADVICE_TO_AN_ACTOR
1.2.2_-_The_Place_of_Study_in_Sadhana
1.23_-_FESTIVAL_AT_SURENDRAS_HOUSE
1.23_-_Improvising_a_Temple
1.2.3_-_The_Power_of_Expression_and_Yoga
1.240_-_1.300_Talks
1.240_-_Talks_2
1.24_-_Describes_how_vocal_prayer_may_be_practised_with_perfection_and_how_closely_allied_it_is_to_mental_prayer
1.24_-_PUNDIT_SHASHADHAR
1.25_-_ADVICE_TO_PUNDIT_SHASHADHAR
1.25_-_Fascinations,_Invisibility,_Levitation,_Transmutations,_Kinks_in_Time
1.25_-_SPIRITUAL_EXERCISES
1.26_-_Continues_the_description_of_a_method_for_recollecting_the_thoughts._Describes_means_of_doing_this._This_chapter_is_very_profitable_for_those_who_are_beginning_prayer.
1.26_-_FESTIVAL_AT_ADHARS_HOUSE
1.27_-_AT_DAKSHINESWAR
1.27_-_Structure_of_Mind_Based_on_that_of_Body
1.300_-_1.400_Talks
1.3.01_-_Peace__The_Basis_of_the_Sadhana
1.3.04_-_Peace
1.3.05_-_Silence
1.30_-_Describes_the_importance_of_understanding_what_we_ask_for_in_prayer._Treats_of_these_words_in_the_Paternoster:_Sanctificetur_nomen_tuum,_adveniat_regnum_tuum._Applies_them_to_the_Prayer_of_Quiet,_and_begins_the_explanation_of_them.
1.34_-_Continues_the_same_subject._This_is_very_suitable_for_reading_after_the_reception_of_the_Most_Holy_Sacrament.
1.34_-_The_Tao_1
1.35_-_The_Tao_2
1.400_-_1.450_Talks
1.4.01_-_The_Divine_Grace_and_Guidance
1.439
1.450_-_1.500_Talks
15.03_-_A_Canadian_Question
15.05_-_Twin_Prayers
15.09_-_One_Day_More
1.52_-_Killing_the_Divine_Animal
1.550_-_1.600_Talks
1.63_-_Fear,_a_Bad_Astral_Vision
1.70_-_Morality_1
19.02_-_Vigilance
19.08_-_Thousands
1912_11_02p
1912_11_03p
1912_11_19p
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19.14_-_The_Awakened
1915_01_02p
1915_01_11p
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1918_07_12p
1918_10_10p
1919_09_03p
19.19_-_Of_the_Just
1920_06_22p
19.20_-_The_Path
19.21_-_Miscellany
19.25_-_The_Bhikkhu
19.26_-_The_Brahmin
1927_05_06p
1928_12_28p
1929-04-21_-_Visions,_seeing_and_interpretation_-_Dreams_and_dreaml_and_-_Dreamless_sleep_-_Visions_and_formulation_-_Surrender,_passive_and_of_the_will_-_Meditation_and_progress_-_Entering_the_spiritual_life,_a_plunge_into_the_Divine
1929-04-28_-_Offering,_general_and_detailed_-_Integral_Yoga_-_Remembrance_of_the_Divine_-_Reading_and_Yoga_-_Necessity,_predetermination_-_Freedom_-_Miracles_-_Aim_of_creation
1929-06-09_-_Nature_of_religion_-_Religion_and_the_spiritual_life_-_Descent_of_Divine_Truth_and_Force_-_To_be_sure_of_your_religion,_country,_family-choose_your_own_-_Religion_and_numbers
1929-06-23_-_Knowledge_of_the_Yogi_-_Knowledge_and_the_Supermind_-_Methods_of_changing_the_condition_of_the_body_-_Meditation,_aspiration,_sincerity
1931_11_24p
1933_12_23p
1935_01_04p
1936_08_21p
1937_10_23p
1938_08_17p
1950-12-21_-_The_Mother_of_Dreams
1950-12-25_-_Christmas_-_festival_of_Light_-_Energy_and_mental_growth_-_Meditation_and_concentration_-_The_Mother_of_Dreams_-_Playing_a_game_well,_and_energy
1951-01-04_-_Transformation_and_reversal_of_consciousness.
1951-01-27_-_Sleep_-_desires_-_repression_-_the_subconscient._Dreams_-_the_super-conscient_-_solving_problems._Ladder_of_being_-_samadhi._Phases_of_sleep_-_silence,_true_rest._Vital_body_and_illness.
1951-02-05_-_Surrender_and_tapasya_-_Dealing_with_difficulties,_sincerity,_spiritual_discipline_-_Narrating_experiences_-_Vital_impulse_and_will_for_progress
1951-02-12_-_Divine_force_-_Signs_indicating_readiness_-_Weakness_in_mind,_vital_-_concentration_-_Divine_perception,_human_notion_of_good,_bad_-_Conversion,_consecration_-_progress_-_Signs_of_entering_the_path_-_kinds_of_meditation_-_aspiration
1951-02-17_-_False_visions_-_Offering_ones_will_-_Equilibrium_-_progress_-_maturity_-_Ardent_self-giving-_perfecting_the_instrument_-_Difficulties,_a_help_in_total_realisation_-_paradoxes_-_Sincerity_-_spontaneous_meditation
1951-02-19_-_Exteriorisation-_clairvoyance,_fainting,_etc_-_Somnambulism_-_Tartini_-_childrens_dreams_-_Nightmares_-_gurus_protection_-_Mind_and_vital_roam_during_sleep
1951-02-24_-_Psychic_being_and_entity_-_dimensions_-_in_the_atom_-_Death_-_exteriorisation_-_unconsciousness_-_Past_lives_-_progress_upon_earth_-_choice_of_birth_-_Consecration_to_divine_Work_-_psychic_memories_-_Individualisation_-_progress
1951-03-22_-_Relativity-_time_-_Consciousness_-_psychic_Witness_-_The_twelve_senses_-_water-divining_-_Instinct_in_animals_-_story_of_Mothers_cat
1951-04-05_-_Illusion_and_interest_in_action_-_The_action_of_the_divine_Grace_and_the_ego_-_Concentration,_aspiration,_will,_inner_silence_-_Value_of_a_story_or_a_language_-_Truth_-_diversity_in_the_world
1951-04-07_-_Origin_of_Evil_-_Misery-_its_cause
1951-04-21_-_Sri_Aurobindos_letter_on_conditions_for_doing_yoga_-_Aspiration,_tapasya,_surrender_-_The_lower_vital_-_old_habits_-_obsession_-_Sri_Aurobindo_on_choice_and_the_double_life_-_The_old_fiasco_-_inner_realisation_and_outer_change
1953-05-13
1953-05-27
1953-07-01
1953-07-29
1953-08-05
1953-09-23
1953-10-07
1953-11-25
1953-12-09
1954-05-26_-_Symbolic_dreams_-_Psychic_sorrow_-_Dreams,_one_is_rarely_conscious
1954-06-02_-_Learning_how_to_live_-_Work,_studies_and_sadhana_-_Waste_of_the_Energy_and_Consciousness
1954-06-30_-_Occultism_-_Religion_and_vital_beings_-_Mothers_knowledge_of_what_happens_in_the_Ashram_-_Asking_questions_to_Mother_-_Drawing_on_Mother
1954-07-14_-_The_Divine_and_the_Shakti_-_Personal_effort_-_Speaking_and_thinking_-_Doubt_-_Self-giving,_consecration_and_surrender_-_Mothers_use_of_flowers_-_Ornaments_and_protection
1954-08-11_-_Division_and_creation_-_The_gods_and_human_formations_-_People_carry_their_desires_around_them
1954-09-08_-_Hostile_forces_-_Substance_-_Concentration_-_Changing_the_centre_of_thought_-_Peace
1954-10-20_-_Stand_back_-_Asking_questions_to_Mother_-_Seeing_images_in_meditation_-_Berlioz_-Music_-_Mothers_organ_music_-_Destiny
1954-12-15_-_Many_witnesses_inside_oneself_-_Children_in_the_Ashram_-_Trance_and_the_waking_consciousness_-_Ascetic_methods_-_Education,_spontaneous_effort_-_Spiritual_experience
1955-03-09_-_Psychic_directly_contacted_through_the_physical_-_Transforming_egoistic_movements_-_Work_of_the_psychic_being_-_Contacting_the_psychic_and_the_Divine_-_Experiences_of_different_kinds_-_Attacks_of_adverse_forces
1955-03-23_-_Procedure_for_rejection_and_transformation_-_Learning_by_heart,_true_understanding_-_Vibrations,_movements_of_the_species_-_A_cat_and_a_Russian_peasant_woman_-_A_cat_doing_yoga
1955-04-13_-_Psychoanalysts_-_The_underground_super-ego,_dreams,_sleep,_control_-_Archetypes,_Overmind_and_higher_-_Dream_of_someone_dying_-_Integral_repose,_entering_Sachchidananda_-_Organising_ones_life,_concentration,_repose
1955-04-27_-_Symbolic_dreams_and_visions_-_Curing_pain_by_various_methods_-_Different_states_of_consciousness_-_Seeing_oneself_dead_in_a_dream_-_Exteriorisation
1955-06-22_-_Awakening_the_Yoga-shakti_-_The_thousand-petalled_lotus-_Reading,_how_far_a_help_for_yoga_-_Simple_and_complicated_combinations_in_men
1955-07-20_-_The_Impersonal_Divine_-_Surrender_to_the_Divine_brings_perfect_freedom_-_The_Divine_gives_Himself_-_The_principle_of_the_inner_dimensions_-_The_paths_of_aspiration_and_surrender_-_Linear_and_spherical_paths_and_realisations
1955-08-17_-_Vertical_ascent_and_horizontal_opening_-_Liberation_of_the_psychic_being_-_Images_for_discovery_of_the_psychic_being_-_Sadhana_to_contact_the_psychic_being
1955-09-21_-_Literature_and_the_taste_for_forms_-_The_characters_of_The_Great_Secret_-_How_literature_helps_us_to_progress_-_Reading_to_learn_-_The_commercial_mentality_-_How_to_choose_ones_books_-_Learning_to_enrich_ones_possibilities_...
1955-11-09_-_Personal_effort,_egoistic_mind_-_Man_is_like_a_public_square_-_Natures_work_-_Ego_needed_for_formation_of_individual_-_Adverse_forces_needed_to_make_man_sincere_-_Determinisms_of_different_planes,_miracles
1955-12-07_-_Emotional_impulse_of_self-giving_-_A_young_dancer_in_France_-_The_heart_has_wings,_not_the_head_-_Only_joy_can_conquer_the_Adversary
1955-12-14_-_Rejection_of_life_as_illusion_in_the_old_Yogas_-_Fighting_the_adverse_forces_-_Universal_and_individual_being_-_Three_stages_in_Integral_Yoga_-_How_to_feel_the_Divine_Presence_constantly
1955-12-28_-_Aspiration_in_different_parts_of_the_being_-_Enthusiasm_and_gratitude_-_Aspiration_is_in_all_beings_-_Unlimited_power_of_good,_evil_has_a_limit_-_Progress_in_the_parts_of_the_being_-_Significance_of_a_dream
1956-01-04_-_Integral_idea_of_the_Divine_-_All_things_attracted_by_the_Divine_-_Bad_things_not_in_place_-_Integral_yoga_-_Moving_idea-force,_ideas_-_Consequences_of_manifestation_-_Work_of_Spirit_via_Nature_-_Change_consciousness,_change_world
1956-01-11_-_Desire_and_self-deception_-_Giving_all_one_is_and_has_-_Sincerity,_more_powerful_than_will_-_Joy_of_progress_Definition_of_youth
1956-02-01_-_Path_of_knowledge_-_Finding_the_Divine_in_life_-_Capacity_for_contact_with_the_Divine_-_Partial_and_total_identification_with_the_Divine_-_Manifestation_and_hierarchy
1956-02-29_-_Sacrifice,_self-giving_-_Divine_Presence_in_the_heart_of_Matter_-_Divine_Oneness_-_Divine_Consciousness_-_All_is_One_-_Divine_in_the_inconscient_aspires_for_the_Divine
1956-03-14_-_Dynamic_meditation_-_Do_all_as_an_offering_to_the_Divine_-_Significance_of_23.4.56._-_If_twelve_men_of_goodwill_call_the_Divine
1956-03-21_-_Identify_with_the_Divine_-_The_Divine,_the_most_important_thing_in_life
1956-05-23_-_Yoga_and_religion_-_Story_of_two_clergymen_on_a_boat_-_The_Buddha_and_the_Supramental_-_Hieroglyphs_and_phonetic_alphabets_-_A_vision_of_ancient_Egypt_-_Memory_for_sounds
1956-06-06_-_Sign_or_indication_from_books_of_revelation_-_Spiritualised_mind_-_Stages_of_sadhana_-_Reversal_of_consciousness_-_Organisation_around_central_Presence_-_Boredom,_most_common_human_malady
1956-06-27_-_Birth,_entry_of_soul_into_body_-_Formation_of_the_supramental_world_-_Aspiration_for_progress_-_Bad_thoughts_-_Cerebral_filter_-_Progress_and_resistance
1956-07-04_-_Aspiration_when_one_sees_a_shooting_star_-_Preparing_the_bodyn_making_it_understand_-_Getting_rid_of_pain_and_suffering_-_Psychic_light
1956-07-18_-_Unlived_dreams_-_Radha-consciousness_-_Separation_and_identification_-_Ananda_of_identity_and_Ananda_of_union_-_Sincerity,_meditation_and_prayer_-_Enemies_of_the_Divine_-_The_universe_is_progressive
1956-09-12_-_Questions,_practice_and_progress
1956-09-19_-_Power,_predominant_quality_of_vital_being_-_The_Divine,_the_psychic_being,_the_Supermind_-_How_to_come_out_of_the_physical_consciousness_-_Look_life_in_the_face_-_Ordinary_love_and_Divine_love
1956-10-03_-_The_Mothers_different_ways_of_speaking_-_new_manifestation_-_new_element,_possibilities_-_child_prodigies_-_Laws_of_Nature,_supramental_-_Logic_of_the_unforeseen_-_Creative_writers,_hands_of_musicians_-_Prodigious_children,_men
1956-11-21_-_Knowings_and_Knowledge_-_Reason,_summit_of_mans_mental_activities_-_Willings_and_the_true_will_-_Personal_effort_-_First_step_to_have_knowledge_-_Relativity_of_medical_knowledge_-_Mental_gymnastics_make_the_mind_supple
1956-11-28_-_Desire,_ego,_animal_nature_-_Consciousness,_a_progressive_state_-_Ananda,_desireless_state_beyond_enjoyings_-_Personal_effort_that_is_mental_-_Reason,_when_to_disregard_it_-_Reason_and_reasons
1957-01-23_-_How_should_we_understand_pure_delight?_-_The_drop_of_honey_-_Action_of_the_Divine_Will_in_the_world
1957-02-07_-_Individual_and_collective_meditation
1957-03-06_-_Freedom,_servitude_and_love
1957-03-08_-_A_Buddhist_story
1957-04-03_-_Different_religions_and_spirituality
1957-04-10_-_Sports_and_yoga_-_Organising_ones_life
1957-04-17_-_Transformation_of_the_body
1957-05-01_-_Sports_competitions,_their_value
1957-06-05_-_Questions_and_silence_-_Methods_of_meditation
1957-06-19_-_Causes_of_illness_Fear_and_illness_-_Minds_working,_faith_and_illness
1957-07-03_-_Collective_yoga,_vision_of_a_huge_hotel
1957-07-09_-_Incontinence_of_speech
1957-07-31_-_Awakening_aspiration_in_the_body
1957-08-14_-_Meditation_on_Sri_Aurobindo
1957-09-04_-_Sri_Aurobindo,_an_eternal_birth
1957-09-11_-_Vital_chemistry,_attraction_and_repulsion
1957-10-02_-_The_Mind_of_Light_-_Statues_of_the_Buddha_-_Burden_of_the_past
1957-10-23_-_The_central_motive_of_terrestrial_existence_-_Evolution
1957-11-27_-_Sri_Aurobindos_method_in_The_Life_Divine_-_Individual_and_cosmic_evolution
1957-12-04_-_The_method_of_The_Life_Divine_-_Problem_of_emergence_of_a_new_species
1958-01-08_-_Sri_Aurobindos_method_of_exposition_-_The_mind_as_a_public_place_-_Mental_control_-_Sri_Aurobindos_subtle_hand
1958-03-05_-_Vibrations_and_words_-_Power_of_thought,_the_gift_of_tongues
1958-08-06_-_Collective_prayer_-_the_ideal_collectivity
1958-08-13_-_Profit_by_staying_in_the_Ashram_-_What_Sri_Aurobindo_has_come_to_tell_us_-_Finding_the_Divine
1958-08-15_-_Our_relation_with_the_Gods
1958-08-27_-_Meditation_and_imagination_-_From_thought_to_idea,_from_idea_to_principle
1960_06_29
1960_10_24
1.ac_-_An_Oath
1.cllg_-_A_Dance_of_Unwavering_Devotion
1f.lovecraft_-_The_Case_of_Charles_Dexter_Ward
1f.lovecraft_-_The_Cats_of_Ulthar
1f.lovecraft_-_The_Electric_Executioner
1.hs_-_Meditation
1.is_-_A_Fisherman
1.jda_-_When_spring_came,_tender-limbed_Radha_wandered_(from_The_Gitagovinda)
1.jk_-_Endymion_-_Book_I
1.jm_-_I_Have_forgotten
1.jm_-_Song_to_the_Rock_Demoness
1.jm_-_The_Profound_Definitive_Meaning
1.jm_-_The_Song_of_Perfect_Assurance_(to_the_Demons)
1.jm_-_The_Song_of_View,_Practice,_and_Action
1.jr_-_Lord,_What_A_Beloved_Is_Mine!
1.kbr_-_Abode_Of_The_Beloved
1.kbr_-_The_Light_of_the_Sun
1.kbr_-_The_light_of_the_sun,_the_moon,_and_the_stars_shines_bright
1.kbr_-_Where_do_you_search_me
1.kt_-_A_Song_on_the_View_of_Voidness
1.lla_-_Day_will_be_erased_in_night
1.lla_-_Intense_cold_makes_water_ice
1.lla_-_Neither_You_nor_I,_neither_object_nor_meditation
1.lla_-_There_is_neither_you,_nor_I
1.lla_-_The_way_is_difficult_and_very_intricate
1.lla_-_Your_way_of_knowing_is_a_private_herb_garden
1.mb_-_Why_Mira_Cant_Come_Back_to_Her_Old_House
1.ml_-_Realisation_of_Dreams_and_Mind
1.nmdv_-_Thou_art_the_Creator,_Thou_alone_art_my_friend
1.nrpa_-_The_Summary_of_Mahamudra
1.pbs_-_Marenghi
1.pbs_-_Peter_Bell_The_Third
1.pbs_-_Stanzas_Written_in_Dejection,_Near_Naples
1.pbs_-_The_Cenci_-_A_Tragedy_In_Five_Acts
1.pc_-_Staying_at_Bamboo_Lodge
1.raa_-_A_Holy_Tabernacle_in_the_Heart_(from_Life_of_the_Future_World)
1.raa_-_Their_mystery_is_(from_Life_of_the_Future_World)
1.rmpsd_-_Of_what_use_is_my_going_to_Kasi_any_more?
1.rt_-_Gitanjali
1.rt_-_Leave_This
1.rt_-_Lovers_Gifts_LIV_-_In_The_Beginning_Of_Time
1.rt_-_Urvashi
1.rvd_-_The_Name_alone_is_the_Truth
1.sfa_-_How_Virtue_Drives_Out_Vice
1.snt_-_As_soon_as_your_mind_has_experienced
1.snt_-_By_what_boundless_mercy,_my_Savior
1.snt_-_In_the_midst_of_that_night,_in_my_darkness
1.snt_-_What_is_this_awesome_mystery
1.srh_-_The_Royal_Song_of_Saraha_(Dohakosa)
1.tr_-_In_A_Dilapidated_Three-Room_Hut
1.tr_-_My_Cracked_Wooden_Bowl
1.tr_-_Returning_To_My_Native_Village
1.wby_-_All_Souls_Night
1.wby_-_A_Meditation_in_Time_of_War
1.wby_-_Meditations_In_Time_Of_Civil_War
1.wby_-_Nineteen_Hundred_And_Nineteen
1.wby_-_The_Meditation_Of_The_Old_Fisherman
1.whitman_-_Carol_Of_Occupations
1.whitman_-_Crossing_Brooklyn_Ferry
1.whitman_-_Prayer_Of_Columbus
1.whitman_-_Warble_Of_Lilac-Time
1.ww_-_Book_Eighth-_Retrospect--Love_Of_Nature_Leading_To_Love_Of_Man
1.ww_-_Book_Fifth-Books
1.ww_-_Book_First_[Introduction-Childhood_and_School_Time]
1.ww_-_Book_Ninth_[Residence_in_France]
1.ww_-_Book_Seventh_[Residence_in_London]
1.ww_-_Book_Sixth_[Cambridge_and_the_Alps]
1.ww_-_Book_Third_[Residence_at_Cambridge]
1.ww_-_Most_Sweet_it_is
1.ww_-_Stone_Gate_Temple_in_the_Blue_Field_Mountains
1.ww_-_The_Excursion-_IV-_Book_Third-_Despondency
1.ww_-_The_Excursion-_V-_Book_Fouth-_Despondency_Corrected
1.ww_-_The_Excursion-_X-_Book_Ninth-_Discourse_of_the_Wanderer,_and_an_Evening_Visit_to_the_Lake
1.ww_-_The_Recluse_-_Book_First
1.ww_-_The_Waggoner_-_Canto_First
1.ww_-_To_Lady_Eleanor_Butler_and_the_Honourable_Miss_Ponsonby,
20.01_-_Charyapada_-_Old_Bengali_Mystic_Poems
2.00_-_BIBLIOGRAPHY
2.01_-_AT_THE_STAR_THEATRE
2.01_-_On_Books
2.01_-_The_Object_of_Knowledge
2.01_-_The_Yoga_and_Its_Objects
2.01_-_War.
2.02_-_Habit_2__Begin_with_the_End_in_Mind
2.02_-_On_Letters
2.02_-_THE_DURGA_PUJA_FESTIVAL
2.02_-_The_Ishavasyopanishad_with_a_commentary_in_English
2.02_-_Yoga
2.03_-_Karmayogin__A_Commentary_on_the_Isha_Upanishad
2.03_-_On_Medicine
2.03_-_THE_MASTER_IN_VARIOUS_MOODS
2.03_-_The_Supreme_Divine
2.04_-_ADVICE_TO_ISHAN
2.04_-_Concentration
2.04_-_On_Art
2.05_-_Apotheosis
2.05_-_Aspects_of_Sadhana
2.05_-_VISIT_TO_THE_SINTHI_BRAMO_SAMAJ
2.06_-_The_Synthesis_of_the_Disciplines_of_Knowledge
2.06_-_WITH_VARIOUS_DEVOTEES
2.07_-_The_Cup
2.08_-_ALICE_IN_WONDERLAND
2.08_-_AT_THE_STAR_THEATRE_(II)
2.08_-_The_Sword
2.09_-_Meditation
2.09_-_On_Sadhana
2.09_-_THE_MASTERS_BIRTHDAY
2.1.01_-_The_Central_Process_of_the_Sadhana
21.01_-_The_Mother_The_Nature_of_Her_Work
2.1.02_-_Combining_Work,_Meditation_and_Bhakti
2.10_-_THE_MASTER_AND_NARENDRA
2.10_-_The_Realisation_of_the_Cosmic_Self
2.1.1_-_The_Nature_of_the_Vital
2.11_-_WITH_THE_DEVOTEES_IN_CALCUTTA
2.12_-_On_Miracles
2.12_-_THE_MASTERS_REMINISCENCES
2.12_-_The_Robe
2.1.2_-_The_Vital_and_Other_Levels_of_Being
2.1.3.2_-_Study
2.14_-_AT_RAMS_HOUSE
2.14_-_On_Movements
2.14_-_The_Bell
2.1.4_-_The_Lower_Vital_Being
2.1.5.4_-_Arts
2.15_-_CAR_FESTIVAL_AT_BALARMS_HOUSE
2.16_-_The_15th_of_August
2.16_-_VISIT_TO_NANDA_BOSES_HOUSE
2.17_-_December_1938
2.17_-_THE_MASTER_ON_HIMSELF_AND_HIS_EXPERIENCES
2.18_-_January_1939
2.18_-_SRI_RAMAKRISHNA_AT_SYAMPUKUR
2.19_-_Feb-May_1939
2.19_-_THE_MASTER_AND_DR._SARKAR
2.2.01_-_Work_and_Yoga
2.2.02_-_Becoming_Conscious_in_Work
2.21_-_IN_THE_COMPANY_OF_DEVOTEES_AT_SYAMPUKUR
2.21_-_Towards_the_Supreme_Secret
2.22_-_1941-1943
2.22_-_THE_MASTER_AT_COSSIPORE
2.2.3_-_Depression_and_Despondency
2.23_-_THE_MASTER_AND_BUDDHA
2.25_-_AFTER_THE_PASSING_AWAY
2.25_-_List_of_Topics_in_Each_Talk
2.2.7.01_-_Some_General_Remarks
2.28_-_Rajayoga
2.3.01_-_Aspiration_and_Surrender_to_the_Mother
2.3.01_-_Concentration_and_Meditation
2.3.01_-_The_Planes_or_Worlds_of_Consciousness
2.3.02_-_Mantra_and_Japa
2.3.02_-_Opening,_Sincerity_and_the_Mother's_Grace
2.3.03_-_The_Mother's_Presence
2.3.03_-_The_Overmind
2.3.04_-_The_Mother's_Force
2.3.05_-_Sadhana_through_Work_for_the_Mother
2.3.06_-_The_Mother's_Lights
2.3.07_-_The_Mother_in_Visions,_Dreams_and_Experiences
2.3.08_-_The_Mother's_Help_in_Difficulties
2.3.08_-_The_Physical_Consciousness
2.3.1.08_-_The_Necessity_and_Nature_of_Inspiration
2.3.1_-_Ego_and_Its_Forms
2.3.4_-_Fear
2.4.01_-_Divine_Love,_Psychic_Love_and_Human_Love
2.4.02_-_Bhakti,_Devotion,_Worship
24.05_-_Vision_of_Dante
2.4.2_-_Interactions_with_Others_and_the_Practice_of_Yoga
26.07_-_Dhammapada
27.05_-_In_Her_Company
29.03_-_In_Her_Company
2_-_Other_Hymns_to_Agni
30.14_-_Rabindranath_and_Modernism
3.01_-_Fear_of_God
3.02_-_King_and_Queen
3.02_-_The_Psychology_of_Rebirth
3.03_-_On_Thought_-_II
3.04_-_LUNA
3.04_-_On_Thought_-_III
3.04_-_The_Way_of_Devotion
3.05_-_SAL
3.05_-_The_Conjunction
3.05_-_The_Formula_of_I.A.O.
3.07.2_-_Finding_the_Real_Source
3.07.5_-_Who_Am_I?
3.07_-_The_Formula_of_the_Holy_Grail
3.08_-_Purification
3.08_-_The_Thousands
3.1.02_-_Spiritual_Evolution_and_the_Supramental
31.05_-_Vivekananda
3.10_-_Punishment
31.10_-_East_and_West
3.1.1_-_The_Transformation_of_the_Physical
3.1.23_-_The_Rishi
3.15_-_Of_the_Invocation
3.18_-_Of_Clairvoyance_and_the_Body_of_Light
3.2.02_-_The_Veda_and_the_Upanishads
3.2.04_-_Suddenly_out_from_the_wonderful_East
3.2.07_-_Tantra
3.2.08_-_Bhakti_Yoga_and_Vaishnavism
32.09_-_On_Karmayoga_(A_Letter)
3.21_-_Of_Black_Magic
3.2.2_-_Sleep
3.2.3_-_Dreams
33.07_-_Alipore_Jail
33.10_-_Pondicherry_I
33.15_-_My_Athletics
33.18_-_I_Bow_to_the_Mother
3.4.1.01_-_Poetry_and_Sadhana
3.4.1.06_-_Reading_and_Sadhana
3.4.2_-_Guru_Yoga
35.03_-_Hymn_To_Bhavani
36.07_-_An_Introduction_To_The_Vedas
37.05_-_Narada_-_Sanatkumara_(Chhandogya_Upanishad)
38.01_-_Asceticism_and_Renunciation
38.02_-_Hymns_and_Prayers
3.8.1.03_-_Meditation
3_-_Commentaries_and_Annotated_Translations
40.01_-_November_24,_1926
4.01_-_Prayers_and_Meditations
4.01_-_Sweetness_in_Prayer
4.01_-_The_Principle_of_the_Integral_Yoga
4.02_-_Divine_Consolations.
4.03_-_Prayer_of_Quiet
4.09_-_The_Liberation_of_the_Nature
4.1.4_-_Resistances,_Sufferings_and_Falls
4.15_-_Soul-Force_and_the_Fourfold_Personality
4.1_-_Jnana
4.2.2.01_-_The_Meaning_of_Psychic_Opening
4.2.3.04_-_Means_of_Bringing_Forward_the_Psychic
4.24_-_The_supramental_Sense
4.2.5.03_-_The_Psychic_and_Spiritual_Movements
4.2.5.04_-_The_Psychic_Consciousness_and_the_Descent_from_Above
4.3.1.06_-_A_Vision_of_the_Universal_Self
4.3.4_-_Accidents,_Possession,_Madness
4.4.2.01_-_Contact_with_the_Above
4.4.2.05_-_Ascent_and_the_Psychic_Being
4.4.2.08_-_Fixing_the_Consciousness_Above
4.4.3.02_-_Calling_in_the_Higher_Consciousness
4.4.5.02_-_Descent_and_Psychic_Experiences
4.4.5.03_-_Descent_and_Other_Experiences
4.4.6.01_-_Sensations_in_the_Inner_Centres
5.05_-_THE_OLD_ADAM
5.07_-_Beginnings_Of_Civilization
5.1.01.2_-_The_Book_of_the_Statesman
5.2.02_-_The_Meditations_of_Mandavya
5.4.01_-_Notes_on_Root-Sounds
5_-_The_Phenomenology_of_the_Spirit_in_Fairytales
6.02_-_STAGES_OF_THE_CONJUNCTION
6.04_-_THE_MEANING_OF_THE_ALCHEMICAL_PROCEDURE
6.06_-_SELF-KNOWLEDGE
6.09_-_THE_THIRD_STAGE_-_THE_UNUS_MUNDUS
6.0_-_Conscious,_Unconscious,_and_Individuation
7.02_-_The_Mind
7_-_Yoga_of_Sri_Aurobindo
9.99_-_Glossary
Aeneid
APPENDIX_I_-_Curriculum_of_A._A.
Bhagavad_Gita
Big_Mind_(ten_perfections)
Blazing_P3_-_Explore_the_Stages_of_Postconventional_Consciousness
BOOK_II._--_PART_II._THE_ARCHAIC_SYMBOLISM_OF_THE_WORLD-RELIGIONS
BOOK_I._--_PART_I._COSMIC_EVOLUTION
BOOK_I._--_PART_III._SCIENCE_AND_THE_SECRET_DOCTRINE_CONTRASTED
BOOK_I._--_PART_II._THE_EVOLUTION_OF_SYMBOLISM_IN_ITS_APPROXIMATE_ORDER
BOOK_XIII._-_That_death_is_penal,_and_had_its_origin_in_Adam's_sin
Conversations_with_Sri_Aurobindo
COSA_-_BOOK_XI
COSA_-_BOOK_XIII
Diamond_Sutra_1
DM_2_-_How_to_Meditate
DS3
DS4
ENNEAD_04.03_-_Psychological_Questions.
ENNEAD_05.01_-_The_Three_Principal_Hypostases,_or_Forms_of_Existence.
ENNEAD_06.03_-_Plotinos_Own_Sense-Categories.
ENNEAD_06.05_-_The_One_and_Identical_Being_is_Everywhere_Present_In_Its_Entirety.345
Gorgias
Guru_Granth_Sahib_first_part
Jaap_Sahib_Text_(Guru_Gobind_Singh)
Liber
Liber_111_-_The_Book_of_Wisdom_-_LIBER_ALEPH_VEL_CXI
Liber_46_-_The_Key_of_the_Mysteries
Liber_71_-_The_Voice_of_the_Silence_-_The_Two_Paths_-_The_Seven_Portals
LUX.01_-_GNOSIS
MMM.01_-_MIND_CONTROL
Prayers_and_Meditations_by_Baha_u_llah_text
Sayings_of_Sri_Ramakrishna_(text)
Tablets_of_Baha_u_llah_text
Talks_001-025
Talks_026-050
Talks_051-075
Talks_076-099
Talks_100-125
Talks_125-150
Talks_151-175
Talks_176-200
Talks_225-239
Talks_500-550
Talks_600-652
Talks_With_Sri_Aurobindo_1
Talks_With_Sri_Aurobindo_2
The_Act_of_Creation_text
The_Anapanasati_Sutta__A_Practical_Guide_to_Mindfullness_of_Breathing_and_Tranquil_Wisdom_Meditation
The_Book_of_Certitude_-_P1
The_Book_of_Certitude_-_P2
The_Circular_Ruins
The_Dwellings_of_the_Philosophers
the_Eternal_Wisdom
The_Five,_Ranks_of_The_Apparent_and_the_Real
The_Logomachy_of_Zos
Timaeus
Verses_of_Vemana

PRIMARY CLASS

injunction
meditat
meditation
quotes
Savitri
temp
SIMILAR TITLES
Achieving Oneness With The Higher Soul _ Meditations for Soul Realization
AQAL Meditation
Big Mind Meditation
Buddhahood Without Meditation A Visionary Account Known as Refining One's Perception
Deep Meditation
Depth Psychology Meditations in the Field
Guided Buddhist Meditations Essential Practices on the Stages of the Path
guided meditations
How to Practice Shamatha Meditation The Cultivation of Meditative Quiescene
Letters on Occult Meditation
meditation
Meditation Advice to Beginners
Meditation Centers
Meditations
meditation (Savitri quotes)
Meditation The First and Last Freedom
Mind at Ease Self-Liberation through Mahamudra Meditation
Prayers And Meditations
Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness
states meditation
The Book of Secrets Keys to Love and Meditation
The Essentials of Buddhist Meditation
The Heart Treasure of the Enlightened Ones The Practice of View, Meditation, and Action A Discourse Virtuous in the Beginning, Middle, and End

DEFINITIONS


TERMS STARTING WITH

meditation ::: Meditation The practice of inner focus which renders an advanced state of awareness. It includes a variety of techniques for some individuals that may or may not incorporate spirituality which can calm and soothe as well as provide insight.

meditation ::: n. --> The act of meditating; close or continued thought; the turning or revolving of a subject in the mind; serious contemplation; reflection; musing.
Thought; -- without regard to kind.


meditation or, without the sense of phj^ical inertness or immo- bility, a little while longer and afterwards is lost ; but as the sadhana follows its normal course, it comes more and more, lasting longer and in the end as an enduring deep peace and inner stillness and release becomes a normal character of the consciousness, the foundation indeed of a new consciousness, calm and liberated.

meditation: refers to techniques that focus the mind and promote a state of calmness so that the mind and body can be brought into greater harmony to facilitate health and healing.

meditation

meditation ::: Sri Aurobindo: "There are two words used in English to express the Indian idea of dhyana , ‘meditation" and ‘contemplation". Meditation means properly the concentration of the mind on a single train of ideas which work out a single subject. Contemplation means regarding mentally a single object, image, idea so that the knowledge about the object, image or idea may arise naturally in the mind by force of the concentration. Both these things are forms of dhyana , for the principle of dhyana is mental concentration whether in thought, vision or knowledge. *Letters on Yoga

meditation ::: “There are two words used in English to express the Indian idea of dhyana , ‘meditation’ and ‘contemplation’. Meditation means properly the concentration of the mind on a single train of ideas which work out a single subject. Contemplation means regarding mentally a single object, image, idea so that the knowledge about the object, image or idea may arise naturally in the mind by force of the concentration. Both these things are forms of dhyana , for the principle of dhyana is mental concentration whether in thought, vision or knowledge. Letters on Yoga

meditation. There is no single term in Buddhism that corresponds precisely to what in English is called "meditation." Some of its connotations are conveyed in such Buddhist terms as BHĀVANĀ; CHAN; DHYĀNA; JHĀNA; PAtIPATTI; SAMĀDHI; ZUOCHAN.

MEDITATION. ::: A process leading towards knowledge and through knowledge; it is a thing of the, head and not of the heart.

MEDITATION By meditating daily on desirable qualities man can acquire these in any percentage whatever. He will free himself of undesirable qualities by not attending to them and by meditating on their opposites. He will attain higher levels by meditating on the qualities of these higher levels. Without meditation, development is so slow that even after a hundred incarnations there is scarcely any noticeable progress. K 7.23.2

Meditation is the easiest process for the human mind, but the narrtyftest in its results ; contemplation more difficult, but greater; self-observation and liberation from the chains of Thought the most difficult of all, but the widest and greatest in its fruits.

Meditation ::: On this site it refers to two general categories of practice with the mind that lead to fundamental revelations about the nature of reality: samatha practice and insight practice.

Meditation school of Buddhism: See: Zen Buddhism.

Meditation The attempt to raise the self-conscious mind to the level of its spiritual counterpart, to unite manas with a ray from buddhi. It is a positive attitude of mind, a state of consciousness rather than a system or a time period of intensive thinking. It corresponds in its more perfect form to the ecstasy of Plotinus, which he defines as “the liberation of the mind from its finite consciousness, becoming one and identified with the Infinite.” It is silent prayer in one real sense, for the heart aspires upwards to become freed from all desire for personal benefit, and the mind frames no specific object, but both unite in the aspiration; not my will, but thine, be done. When engaged in at the outset of the day, or on retiring to sleep, it often takes the form of reflecting profoundly and impersonally on spiritual teachings, as well as self-examination, attuning of the mind and heart to calm and unselfish thought and feelings, as well as the endeavor to realize in consciousness one’s highest ideals of duty, purity, and truth, and inducing thereby a general harmonizing and one-pointed adjustment of the whole nature.

Meditation ::: What meditation exactly means. There are two words used in English to express the Indian idea of Dhyana, "meditation" and "contemplation". Meditation means properly the concentration of the mind on a single train of ideas which work out a single subject. Contemplation means regarding mentally a single object, image, idea so that the knowledge about the object, image or idea may arise naturally in the mind by force of the concentration. Both these things are forms of dhyana; for the principle of dhyanais mental concentration whether in thought, vision or knowledge.
   Ref: CWSA Vol. 36, Page: 293-294



TERMS ANYWHERE

AbhAsvarAloka. (P. Abhassaraloka; T. 'od gsal ba; C. jiguangjing tian/guangyintian; J. gokukojoten/koonten; K. kŭkkwangjong ch'on/kwangŭmch'on 極光淨天/光音天). In Sanskrit, the "heaven of radiant light" (in Chinese, the name is also parsed as the "heaven of radiant sound"), the highest of the three heavens associated with the second concentration (DHYANA) of the realm of subtle materiality (RuPADHATU). As the BRAHMA divinities dwelling in this realm perpetually experience this profound state of meditation, they are described as subsisting on bliss (PRĪTI) and abiding in ease (SUKHA). Their bodies radiate light in all directions like lightning or like flames from a torch. While the bodies of the divinities of this realm are uniform, their perceptions are diverse, and there is no assurance that they will not be reborn in a lower realm of existence after their death. At the beginning of a world cycle, when the physical world (BHAJANALOKA) of the sensuous realm (KAMADHATU) has not yet been formed, and at the end of a world cycle when that physical world has been destroyed, many beings are reborn into the AbhAsvarAloka. A BODHISATTVA is never reborn in the immaterial realm (ARuPYADHATU) even if he has achieved meditative states consistent with that realm, but he may be reborn in the AbhAsvarAloka. The Buddha once disabused a BrahmA god dwelling in that realm of the mistaken view that he was eternal. This god, whose name was Baka, had been the first living being born in the AbhAsvarAloka after a period of world dissolution, and presumed that no one had existed before him. When the divinities (DEVA) of the AbhAsvarAloka are first reborn in the realm of human beings (MANUsYA), they may retain their divine attributes for a time, being spontaneously generated rather than born viviparously, and possessing bodies made from subtle materiality rather than gross matter. However, as time passes and they take on the physical and mental characteristics of ordinary human beings, they lose their luminosity, develop sexual characteristics, and come to subsist on solid foods.

abhibhvAyatana. (P. abhibhAyatana; T. zil gyis gnon pa'i skye mched; C. shengchu; J. shosho; K. sŭngch'o 勝處). In Sanskrit, "sphere of sovereignty" or "station of mastery"; eight stages of transcendence over the sense spheres (AYATANA), which are conducive to the development of meditative absorption (DHYANA). By recognizing from various standpoints that material forms are external, one trains oneself to let go of attachments to material objects and focus exclusively on the meditation subject. The standard list of eight is as follows. When one perceives forms internally (viz., on one's own person), one sees forms external to oneself that are (1) limited and beautiful or ugly (viz., pure and impure colors) or (2) unlimited, and beautiful or ugly, and masters them so that one is aware that one knows and sees them; when one does not perceive forms internally, one sees external forms that are (3) limited or (4) unlimited. When one does not perceive forms internally, one sees external forms that are (5) blue, (6) yellow, (7) red, or (8) white and masters them so that one is aware that one knows and sees them. In the PAli meditative literature, the earth and the color devices (KASInA) are said to be especially conducive to developing these spheres of sovereignty. Progress through these spheres weans the mind from its attraction to the sensuous realm (KAMADHATU) and thus encourages the advertence toward the four meditative absorptions (DHYANA; RuPAVACARADHYANA) associated with the realm of subtle materiality (RuPADHATU), wherein the mind becomes temporarily immune to sensory input and wholly absorbed in its chosen object of meditation.

abhidhammika. [alt. Abhidhammika]. In PAli, "specialist in the ABHIDHAMMA"; scholarly monks who specialized in study of the abhidhamma (S. ABHIDHARMA) section of the Buddhist canon. In the PAli tradition, particular importance has long been attached to the study of abhidharma. The AttHASALINĪ says that the first ABHIDHAMMIKA was the Buddha himself, and the abhidhammikas were presumed to be the most competent exponents of the teachings of the religion. Among the Buddha's immediate disciples, the premier abhidhammika was SAriputta (S. sARIPUTRA), who was renowned for his systematic grasp of the dharma. Monastic "families" of abhidhamma specialists were known as abhidhammikagana, and they passed down through the generations their own scholastic interpretations of Buddhist doctrine, interpretations that sometimes differed from those offered by specialists in the scriptures (P. sutta; S. SuTRA) or disciplinary rules (VINAYA) . In medieval Sri Lanka, the highest awards within the Buddhist order were granted to monks who specialized in this branch of study, rather than to experts in the scriptures or disciplinary rules. Special festivals were held in honor of the abhidhamma, which involved the recital of important texts and the granting of awards to participants. In contemporary Myanmar (Burma), where the study of abhidhamma continues to be highly esteemed, the seventh book of the PAli ABHIDHARMAPItAKA, the PAttHANA ("Conditions"), is regularly recited in festivals that the Burmese call pathan pwe. Pathan pwe are marathon recitations that go on for days, conducted by invited abhidhammikas who are particularly well versed in the PatthAna, the text that is the focus of the festival. The pathan pwe serves a function similar to that of PARITTA recitations, in that it is believed to ward off baleful influences, but its main designated purpose is to forestall the decline and disappearance of the Buddha's dispensation (P. sAsana; S. sASANA). The TheravAda tradition considers the PatthAna to be the Buddha's most profound exposition of ultimate truth (P. paramatthasacca; S. PARAMARTHASATYA), and according to the PAli commentaries, the PatthAna is the first constituent of the Buddha's dispensation that will disappear from the world as the religion faces its inevitable decline. The abhidhammikas' marathon recitations of the PatthAna, therefore, help to ward off the eventual demise of the Buddhist religion. This practice speaks of a THERAVADA orientation in favor of scholarship that goes back well over a thousand years. Since at least the time of BUDDHAGHOSA (c. fifth century CE), the life of scholarship (P. PARIYATTI), rather than that of meditation or contemplation (P. PAtIPATTI), has been the preferred vocational path within PAli Buddhist monasticism. Monks who devoted themselves exclusively to meditation were often portrayed as persons who lacked the capacity to master the intricacies of PAli scholarship. Even so, meditation was always recommended as the principal means by which one could bring scriptural knowledge to maturity, either through awakening or the realization (P. pativedha; S. PRATIVEDHA) of Buddhist truths. See also ABHIDHARMIKA.

AbhidhAnottaratantra. [alt. AvadAnastotratantra] (T. Mngon par brjod pa'i rgyud bla ma). In Sanskrit, "Continuation of the Explanation [of the CAKRASAMVARATANTRA]"; an Indian text describing the invocation of numerous tantric deities together with their seed syllables (BĪJA) and ritual meditations. The work was originally translated into Tibetan and edited by ATIsA DĪPAMKARAsRĪJNANA and RIN CHEN BZANG PO in the eleventh century.

abhijNA. (P. abhiNNA; T. mngon shes; C. shentong; J. jinzu; K. sint'ong 神通). In Sanskrit, "superknowledges"; specifically referring to a set of supranormal powers that are by-products of meditation. These are usually enumerated as six: (1) various psychical and magical powers (ṚDDHIVIDHABHIJNA [alt. ṛddhividhi], P. iddhividhA), such as the ability to pass through walls, sometimes also known as "unimpeded bodily action" (ṛddhisAksAtkriyA); (2) clairvoyance, lit. "divine eye" (DIVYACAKsUS, P. dibbacakkhu), the ability to see from afar and to see how beings fare in accordance with their deeds; (3) clairaudience, lit. "divine ear" (DIVYAsROTRA, P. dibbasota), the ability to hear from afar; (4) the ability to remember one's own former lives (PuRVANIVASANUSMṚTI, P. pubbenivAsAnunssati); (5) "knowledge of others' states of mind" (CETOPARYAYABHIJNANA/PARACITTAJNANA, P. cetopariyaNAna), e.g., telepathy; and (6) the knowledge of the extinction of the contaminants (ASRAVAKsAYA, P. AsavakkhAya). The first five of these superknowledges are considered to be mundane (LAUKIKA) achievements, which are gained through still more profound refinement of the fourth stage of meditative absorption (DHYANA). The sixth power is said to be supramundane (LOKOTTARA) and is attainable through the cultivation of insight (VIPAsYANA) into the nature of reality. The first, second, and sixth superknowledges are also called the three kinds of knowledge (TRIVIDYA; P. tevijjA).

Abhimanyu (Sanskrit) Abhimanyu [from abhi towards + the verbal root man to think] Son of Arjuna by Subhadra, sister of Krishna. In the mystic interpretation of the Bhagavad-Gita, Abhimanyu represents high-mindedness, akin to dhyana (meditation). Abhimanyu killed Duryodhana’s son Lakshmana on the second day of the great battle of Kurukshetra, while he himself was slain on the thirteenth day. The Mahabharata tells of Abhimanyu’s previous birth as Varchas, son of Chandra, and the agreement entered into by Chandra with the devas to send his son to be born as the son of Arjuna in order to fight against the “wicked people.” Chandra imposed the condition, however, that Abhimanyu should be slain by the opposing forces so as to return to him in his sixteenth year.

abhirati. (T. mngon dga'; C. miaoxi/abiluoti; J. myoki/abiradai; K. myohŭi/abiraje 妙喜/阿比羅提). In Sanskrit, "delight," "repose," or "wondrous joy"; the world system (LOKADHATU) and buddha-field (BUDDHAKsETRA) of the buddha AKsOBHYA, which is said to be located in the east. Abhirati is one of the earliest of the buddha-fields to appear in Buddhist literature and is depicted as an idealized form of our ordinary SAHA world. As its name implies, abhirati is a land of delight, the antithesis of the suffering that plagues our world, and its pleasures are the by-products of Aksobhya's immense merit and compassion. In his land, Aksobhya sits on a platform sheltered by a huge BODHI TREE, which is surrounded by row after row of palm trees and jasmine bushes. The soil is golden in color and as soft as cotton. Although abhirati, like our world, has a sun and moon, both pale next to the radiance of Aksobhya himself. In abhirati, there are gender distinctions, as in our world, but no physical sexuality. A man who entertains sexual thoughts toward a woman would instantly see this desire transformed into a DHYANA that derives from the meditation on impurity (AsUBHABHAVANA), while a woman can become pregnant by a man's glance (even though women do not experience menstruation). Food and drink appear spontaneously whenever a person is hungry or thirsty. Abhirati is designed to provide the optimal environment for Buddhist practice, and rebirth there is a direct result of an adept having planted meritorious roots (KUsALAMuLA), engaging in salutary actions, and then dedicating any merit deriving from those actions to his future rebirth in that land. Aksobhya will eventually attain PARINIRVAnA in abhirati through a final act of self-immolation (see SHESHEN). Abhirati is described in the AKsOBHYATATHAGATASYAVYuHA, an important precursor to the more famous SUKHAVATĪVYuHA that describes SUKHAVATĪ, the buddha-field of AMITABHA.

AbhirupA NandA. In PAli, "NandA the Lovely"; one of three prominent nuns named NandA mentioned in the PAli canon (the others being JANAPADAKALYAnĪ NANDA and SUNDARĪ NANDA), all of whom share similar stories. According to PAli sources, AbhirupA NandA was said to be the daughter of the SAkiyan (S. sAKYA) chieftain Khemaka and lived in Kapilavatthu (S. KAPILAVASTU). She was renowned for her extraordinary beauty, for which she was given the epithet AbhirupA (Lovely). So popular was she that her parents became vexed by the many suitors who sought her hand in marriage. As was the SAkiyan custom, NandA was entitled to choose her future husband, but on the day she was to wed, her fiancé died and her parents forced her into the monastic order against her will. Exceedingly proud of her beauty and having no real religious vocation, she avoided visiting the Buddha lest he rebuke her for her vanity. Learning of her reluctance, the Buddha instructed MahApajApatī (S. MAHAPRAJAPATĪ), his stepmother and head of the nuns' order, to arrange for every nun in her charge to come to him for instruction. NandA, in fear, sent a substitute in her place but the ruse was uncovered. When NandA was finally compelled to appear before the Buddha, he created an apparition of lovely women standing and fanning him. NandA was enthralled by the beauty of the conjured maidens, whom the Buddha then caused to age, grow decrepit, die, and rot, right before her eyes. The Buddha then preached to her about the fragility of physical beauty. Having been given a suitable subject of meditation (KAMMAttHANA), NandA eventually gained insight into the impermanence (ANITYA), suffering (DUḤKHA), and lack of self (ANATMAN) of all conditioned things and attained arahatship. The source for the stories related to AbhirupA NandA is the commentarial note to verses nineteen and twenty of the PAli THERĪGATHA, a text only known to the PAli tradition.

abhisamaya. (T. mngon rtogs; C. xianguan; J. genkan; K. hyon'gwan 現觀). In Sanskrit and PAli, "comprehension," "realization," or "penetration"; a foundational term in Buddhist soteriological theory, broadly referring to training that results in the realization of truth (satyAbhisamaya; P. saccAbhisamaya). This realization most typically involves the direct insight into the FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS (catvary AryasatyAni) but may also be used with reference to realization of the twelvefold chain of dependent origination (PRATĪTYASAMUTPADA), the noble eightfold path (ARYAstAnGAMARGA), the thirty-seven wings of enlightenment (BODHIPAKsIKADHARMA), etc., thus making all these doctrines specific objects of meditation. The PAli PAtISAMBHIDAMAGGA discusses forty-four specific kinds of abhisamaya, all related to basic doctrinal lists. In the SARVASTIVADA abhidharma, abhisamaya occurs on the path of vision (DARsANAMARGA), through a "sequential realization" (anupurvAbhisamaya) of sixteen moments of insight into the four noble truths. This gradual unfolding of realization was rejected by the THERAVADA school and was strongly criticized in HARIVARMAN's *TATTVASIDDHI, both of which advocated the theory of instantaneous realization (ekaksanAbhisamaya). In the YOGACARA school of MAHAYANA, abhisamaya is not limited to the path of vision, as in the SarvAstivAda school, but also occurs on the path of preparation (PRAYOGAMARGA) that precedes the path of vision through the abhisamayas of thought, faith, and discipline, as well as on the path of cultivation (BHAVANAMARGA) through two abhisamayas associated with wisdom and an abhisamaya associated with the ultimate path (NIstHAMARGA). The term comes to be associated particularly with the ABHISAMAYALAMKARA, attributed to MAITREYANATHA, which sets forth the various realizations achieved on the "HĪNAYANA" and MAHAYANA paths. In the eight chapters of this text are delineated eight types of abhisamaya, which subsume the course of training followed by both sRAVAKAs and BODHISATTVAs: (1) the wisdom of knowing all modes (SARVAKARAJNATA), (2) the wisdom of knowing the paths (MARGAJNATA), (3) the wisdom of knowing all phenomena (SARVAJNATA), (4) manifestly perfect realization of all (the three previous) aspects (sarvAkArAbhisambodha), (5) the summit of realization (murdhAbhisamaya; see MuRDHAN), (6) gradual realization (anupurvAbhisamaya), (7) instantaneous realization (ekaksanAbhisamaya), and (8) realization of the dharma body, or DHARMAKAYA (dharmakAyAbhisambodha).

abhisaMdhi. (T. ldem por dgongs pa; C. miyi; J. mitchi/mitsui; K. mirŭi 密意). In Sanskrit, "implied intention," a term used in hermeneutics to classify the types of statements made by the Buddha. In the MAHAYANASuTRALAMKARA, there are four such abhisaMdhi listed. (1) The first is implied intention pertaining to entrance (avatAranAbhisaMdhi). The Buddha recognizes that if he were to teach HĪNAYANA disciples that, in addition to the nonexistence of the self (ANATMAN), DHARMAs also did not exist (DHARMANAIRATMYA), they would be so terrified that they would never enter the MAHAYANA. Therefore, in order to coax them toward the MahAyAna, he teaches them that a personal self does not exist while explaining that phenomena other than the person do exist. (2) The second is implied intention pertaining to the [three] natures (laksanAbhisaMdhi). When the Buddha said that all phenomena are without own-nature, he had in mind the imaginary nature (PARIKALPITA) of phenomena. When he said that they were neither produced nor destroyed, he had in mind their dependent nature (PARATANTRA). When he said that they were inherently free from suffering, he had in mind their consummate nature (PARINIsPANNA). (3) The third is implied intention pertaining to antidotes (pratipaksAbhisaMdhi). In the hīnayAna, the Buddha teaches specific antidotes (PRATIPAKsA) to various defilements. Thus, as an antidote to hatred, he teaches the cultivation of love; as an antidote to sensuality, he teaches meditation on the foul, such as a decomposing corpse; as an antidote to pride, he teaches meditation on dependent origination; and as an antidote to a wandering mind, he teaches meditation on the breath. He indicates that these faults can be completely destroyed with these antidotes, calling them a supreme vehicle (agrayAna). In fact, these faults are only completely destroyed with full insight into non-self. Thus, the Buddha intentionally overstated their potency. (4) The final type is implied intention pertaining to translation (parinAmanAbhisaMdhi). This category encompasses those statements that might be termed antiphrastic, i.e., appearing to say something quite contrary to the tenor of the doctrine, which cannot be construed as even provisionally true. A commonly cited example of such a statement is the declaration in the DHAMMAPADA (XXI.5-6) that one becomes pure through killing one's parents; the commentators explain that parents are to be understood here to mean negative mental states such as sensual desire. See also ABHIPRAYA; SANDHYABHAsA.

Abhyasa-yoga (Sanskrit) Abhyāsa-yoga [from abhi towards + the verbal root as to be, exist + yoga union from the verbal root yuj to join, yoke] Sometimes erroneously abhyasana. Repeated practice and application of yoga, meditation, or recollection; the effort of the mind to attain an unmodified condition of perfect serenity and quiet. One of the eight disciplines or requirements of yoga: persistent concentration of attention. When accompanied with physical postures, it is a form of hatha yoga, and practiced without the spiritual training of raja yoga, it has its dangers. As a system of mental concentration directed to impersonal, altruistic ends, it is beneficial. Krishna (BG 12:9-10) points out that abhyasa-yoga is not only useful for training in one life but, if performed for the sake of the Supreme, is likely to leave permanent helpful impulses in the soul which will aid it in future incarnations and lead it ultimately to union (yoga) with the divine.

Absorption Concentration ::: In concentration meditation, this refers to the various states found in the samatha jhanas whereby the locus of focus narrows solely on the object of observation. Attainment of absorption concentration is causally preceded by access concentration which is itself preceded by the monkey mind state of awareness associated with mundane consciousness.

Access Concentration ::: In concentration meditation, this refers to the state preceding access to the samatha jhanas whereby the locus of focus has narrowed considerably from the monkey mind state of awareness associated with mundane consciousness and has started to settle rather effortlessly on the object of concentration. Precedes access to absorption concentration.

Action of the Divine Force: What comes from above can come when one is In a clear mind or when the vital is disturbed, when one is in meditation or when one is moving about, when one is working or when one is doing nothing. Most often it comes when one is in a clear concentrated stale, but it may not,

adhigamadharma. (T. rtogs pa'i chos; C. zhengfa; J. shoho; K. chŭngbop 證法). In Sanskrit, "realized dharma"; one of the two divisions of the dharma or teaching of the Buddha, together with the "scriptural dharma" (AGAMADHARMA). The adhigamadharma is the practice of the dharma, often identified in this context as the training in higher morality (ADHIsĪLAsIKsA), the training in higher meditation (ADHISAMADHIsIKsA), and the training in higher wisdom (ADHIPRAJNAsIKsA), which leads to direct realization (ADHIGAMA), rather than mere conceptual understanding. It is also identified with the truths of cessation and path within the FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS. See also AGAMA; AGAMADHARMA.

adhisamAdhisiksA. (T. lhag pa'i ting nge 'dzin gyi bslab pa; C. zengshangding xue; J. zojojogaku; K. chŭngsangjong hak 增上定學). In Sanskrit, "training in higher meditation"; the second of the three trainings (TRIsIKsA) required to achieve enlightenment, said to be set forth primarily in the SuTRA basket of the TRIPItAKA. AdhisamAdhisiksA is primarily associated with the last three constituents of the eightfold path (ARYAstAnGAMARGA), viz., right effort (SAMYAGVYAYAMA), right mindfulness (SAMYAKSMṚTI), and right concentration (SAMYAKSAMADHI).

Adhi (Sanskrit) Ādhī [from ā near, towards + the verbal root dhi to mind, care for] Mental anxiety, meditation, thought, concern.

aforethought ::: a. --> Premeditated; prepense; previously in mind; designed; as, malice aforethought, which is required to constitute murder. ::: n. --> Premeditation.

Ajahn Chah BodhiNAna. (1918-1992). A prominent Thai monk who was one of the most influential Thai forest-meditation masters (PHRA PA) of the twentieth century. Born in the village of Baan Gor in the northeastern Thai province of Ubon Ratchathani, he was ordained as a novice at his local temple, where he received his basic education and studied the Buddhist teachings. After several years of training, he returned to lay life to attend to the needs of his parents, but motivated by his religious calling, at the age of twenty, he took higher ordination (UPASAMPADA) as a BHIKsU and continued his studies of PAli scripture. His father's death prompted him to travel to other monasteries in an effort to acquire a deeper understanding of Buddhist teaching and discipline under the guidance of different teachers. During his pilgrimage, he met AJAHN MUN BHuRIDATTA, the premier meditation master of the Thai forest-dwelling (ARANNAVASI) tradition. After that encounter, Ajahn Chah traveled extensively throughout the country, devoting his energies to meditation in forests and charnel grounds (sMAsANA). As his reputation grew, he was invited to establish a monastery near his native village, which became known as Wat Pa Pong after the name of the forest (reputed to be inhabited by ghosts) in which it was located. Ajahn Chah's austere lifestyle, simple method of mindfulness meditation, and straightforward style of teaching attracted a large following of monks and lay supporters, including many foreigners. In 1966, he established Wat Pa Nanachat, a branch monastery specifically for Western and other non-Thai nationals, next to Wat Pa Pong. In 1976, he was invited to England, which led to the establishment of the first branch monastery of Wat Pa Pong there, followed by others in Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, and Italy. He also visited the United States, where he spoke at retreats at the Insight Meditation Center in Barre, Massachusetts. Ajahn Chah died in 1992, after several years in a coma.

Ajahn Mun Bhuridatta. (1870-1949). Thai monk who revitalized the Thai forest-monk tradition (Thai PHRA PA), and the subject of a celebrated Thai hagiography by Ajahn MahA Boowa NAnasampanno (b. 1913). Born in 1870, in Ban Khambong village in the province of Ubon Ratchathani, Mun was ordained in 1893 at Wat Liab and began studying insight practice (VIPAsYANA) under the guidance of Ajahn Sao Kantasīla (1861-1941). Through developing the meditation on foulness (AsUBHABHAVANA), he eventually had an experience of calmness (sAMATHA), and in order to enhance his practice, he embarked on the life of asceticism (P. DHUTAnGA) as a forest dweller (P. ARANNAVASI) in northeast Thailand and southern Laos. After every rains' retreat (VARsA) was over, he would travel into the forests, staying just close enough to a few small villages in order to perform his alms round (PIndAPATA) each morning. According to the hagiography, after first experiencing the fruition of the state of the nonreturner (ANAGAMIN), he eventually achieved the stage of a worthy one (ARHAT) in Chiang Mai, an experience that he said shook the entire universe and brought a roar of accolades from the heavenly hosts. Ajahn Mun became a widely known and respected meditator and teacher, who was invited to dwell in monasteries throughout much of Thailand. The hagiography compiled by Ajahn MahA Boowa is filled with exuberantly told tales of his meditative visions, prophetic dreams, lectures and instructions, and encounters with other eminent monks, laypeople, and even with deceased arhats and divinities (DEVA) such as sAKRA with his 100,000 strong retinue. Ajahn Mun's many prominent disciples helped revive the Thai forest-monk tradition, especially in the northeast, and defined its austere practices (Thai, THUDONG; P. DHUTAnGA) in their contemporary context.

ajikan. (阿字観). In Japanese, "contemplation of the letter ‛A'"; a meditative exercise employed primarily within the the Japanese SHINGON school of esoteric Buddhism. The ajikan practice is also known as the "contemplation of the letter 'A' in the moon-wheel" (AJI GATSURINKAN). The letter "A" is the first letter in the Sanskrit SIDDHAM alphabet and is considered to be the "seed" (BĪJA) of MAHAVAIROCANA, the central divinity of the esoteric traditions. The letter "A" is also understood to be the "unborn" buddha-nature (FOXING) of the practitioner; hence, the identification of oneself with this letter serves as a catalyst to enlightenment. In ajikan meditation, the adept draws a picture of the full moon with an eight-petaled lotus flower at its center. The Siddham letter "A" is then superimposed over the lotus flower as a focus of visualization. As the visualization continues, the moon increases in size until it becomes coextensive with the universe itself. Through this visualization, the adept realizes the letter "A" that is originally uncreated (AJI HONPUSHo), which is the essence of all phenomena in the universe and the DHARMAKAYA of MAHAVAIROCANA Buddha.

Akasic Samadhi [adjective of ākāśa ether, space + samādhi profound meditation from sam-ā-dha to hold or fix together (in abstract thought)] Used for the state of consciousness into which victims of accidental death enter: “a state of quiet slumber, a sleep full of rosy dreams, during which, they have no recollection of the accident, but move and live among their familiar friends and scenes, until their natural life-term is finished, when they find themselves born in the Deva-Chan . . .” (ML 109).

AksobhyatathAgatasyavyuha. (T. De bzhin gshegs pa mi 'khrugs pa'i bkod pa; C. Achu foguo jing; J. Ashuku bukkokukyo; K. Ach'ok pulguk kyong 阿閦佛國經). In Sanskrit, "The Array of the TATHAGATAAKsOBHYA"; a SuTRA in which the Buddha, at sARIPUTRA's request, teaches his eminent disciple about the buddha AKsOBHYA; also known as the Aksobhyavyuha. It was first translated into Chinese in the mid-second century CE by LOKAKsEMA, an Indo-Scythian monk from KUSHAN, and later retranslated by the Tang-period monk BODHIRUCI in the early eighth century as part of his rendering of the RATNAKutASuTRA. The scripture also exists in a Tibetan translation by Jinamitra, Surendrabodhi, and Ye shes sde. The text explains that in the distant past, a monk made a vow to achieve buddhahood. He followed the arduous BODHISATTVA path, engaging in myriad virtues; the text especially emphasizes his practice of morality (sĪLA). He eventually achieves buddhahood as the buddha Aksobhya in a buddha-field (BUDDHAKsETRA) located in the east called ABHIRATI, which the sutra describes in some detail as an ideal domain for the practice of the dharma. As its name implies, Abhirati is a land of delight, the antithesis of the suffering that plagues our world, and its pleasures are the by-products of Aksobhya's immense merit and compassion. In his land, Aksobhya sits on a platform sheltered by a huge BODHI TREE, which is surrounded by rows of palm trees and jasmine bushes. Its soil is golden in color and as soft as cotton, and the ground is flat with no gullies or gravel. Although Abhirati, like our world, has a sun and moon, both pale next to the radiance of Aksobhya himself. In Abhirati, the three unfortunate realms (APAYA) of hell denizens, ghosts, and animals do not exist. Among humans, there are gender distinctions but no physical sexuality. A man who entertains sexual thoughts toward a woman would instantly see that desire transformed into a DHYANA that derives from the meditation on impurity (AsUBHABHAVANA), while a woman can become pregnant by a man's glance (even though women do not experience menstruation). Food and drink appear spontaneously whenever a person is hungry or thirsty. There is no illness, no ugliness, and no crime. Described as a kind of idealized monastic community, Abhirati is designed to provide the optimal environment to engage in Buddhist practice, both for those who seek to become ARHATs and for those practicing the bodhisattva path. Rebirth there is a direct result of having planted virtuous roots (KUsALAMuLA), engaging in wholesome actions, and then dedicating any merit deriving from those actions to one's future rebirth in that land. One is also reborn there by accepting, memorizing, and spreading this sutra. Aksobhya will eventually attain PARINIRVAnA in Abhirati through a final act of self-immolation (see SHESHEN). After his demise, his teachings will slowly disappear from the world.

Alambana. (P. Arammana; T. dmigs pa; C. suoyuan; J. shoen; K. soyon 所縁). In Sanskrit, "objective support," "sense object," or "object of cognition"; in epistemology, the object of any one of the six sensory consciousnesses (VIJNANA), i.e., visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile, and mental objects. In the mainstream traditions, these objects were considered to be the external constituent in the cognitive relationship between subject and object, whereby the contact (SPARsA) between, e.g., an olfactory sensory object (e.g., gandha) and the olfactory sense base (GHRAnENDRIYA) produces a corresponding olfactory consciousness (GHRAnAVIJNANA). Sense objects thus correspond to the six external "sense-fields" or "spheres of perception" (AYATANA) and the six external "elements" (DHATU). The term Alambana is also used in instructions on meditation to describe the object upon which the meditator is to focus the mind. See also ALAMBANAPRATYAYA.

AlayavijNAna. (T. kun gzhi rnam par shes pa; C. alaiyeshi/zangshi; J. arayashiki/zoshiki; K. aroeyasik/changsik 阿賴耶識/藏識). In Sanskrit, "storehouse consciousness" or "foundational consciousness"; the eighth of the eight types of consciousness (VIJNANA) posited in the YOGACARA school. All forms of Buddhist thought must be able to uphold (1) the principle of the cause and effect of actions (KARMAN), the structure of SAMSARA, and the process of liberation (VIMOKsA) from it, while also upholding (2) the fundamental doctrines of impermanence (ANITYA) and the lack of a perduring self (ANATMAN). The most famous and comprehensive solution to the range of problems created by these apparently contradictory elements is the AlayavijNAna, often translated as the "storehouse consciousness." This doctrinal concept derives in India from the YOGACARA school, especially from ASAnGA and VASUBANDHU and their commentators. Whereas other schools of Buddhist thought posit six consciousnesses (vijNAna), in the YogAcAra system there are eight, adding the afflicted mind (KLIstAMANAS) and the AlayavijNAna. It appears that once the SarvAstivAda's school's eponymous doctrine of the existence of dharmas in the past, present, and future was rejected by most other schools of Buddhism, some doctrinal solution was required to provide continuity between past and future, including past and future lifetimes. The alAyavijNAna provides that solution as a foundational form of consciousness, itself ethically neutral, where all the seeds (BIJA) of all deeds done in the past reside, and from which they fructify in the form of experience. Thus, the AlayavijNAna is said to pervade the entire body during life, to withdraw from the body at the time of death (with the extremities becoming cold as it slowly exits), and to carry the complete karmic record to the next rebirth destiny. Among the many doctrinal problems that the presence of the AlayavijNAna is meant to solve, it appears that one of its earliest references is in the context not of rebirth but in that of the NIRODHASAMAPATTI, or "trance of cessation," where all conscious activity, that is, all CITTA and CAITTA, cease. Although the meditator may appear as if dead during that trance, consciousness is able to be reactivated because the AlayavijNAna remains present throughout, with the seeds of future experience lying dormant in it, available to bear fruit when the person arises from meditation. The AlayavijNAna thus provides continuity from moment to moment within a given lifetime and from lifetime to lifetime, all providing the link between an action performed in the past and its effect experienced in the present, despite protracted periods of latency between seed and fruition. In YogAcAra, where the existence of an external world is denied, when a seed bears fruit, it bifurcates into an observing subject and an observed object, with that object falsely imagined to exist separately from the consciousness that perceives it. The response by the subject to that object produces more seeds, either positive, negative, or neutral, which are deposited in the AlayavijNAna, remaining there until they in turn bear their fruit. Although said to be neutral and a kind of silent observer of experience, the AlayavijNAna is thus also the recipient of karmic seeds as they are produced, receiving impressions (VASANA) from them. In the context of Buddhist soteriological discussions, the AlayavijNAna explains why contaminants (ASRAVA) remain even when unwholesome states of mind are not actively present, and it provides the basis for the mistaken belief in self (Atman). Indeed, it is said that the klistamanas perceives the AlayavijNAna as a perduring self. The AlayavijNAna also explains how progress on the path can continue over several lifetimes and why some follow the path of the sRAVAKA and others the path of the BODHISATTVA; it is said that one's lineage (GOTRA) is in fact a seed that resides permanently in the AlayavijNAna. In India, the doctrine of the AlayavijNAna was controversial, with some members of the YogAcAra school rejecting its existence, arguing that the functions it is meant to serve can be accommodated within the standard six-consciousness system. The MADHYAMAKA, notably figures such as BHAVAVIVEKA and CANDRAKĪRTI, attacked the YogAcAra proponents of the AlayavijNAna, describing it as a form of self, which all Buddhists must reject. ¶ In East Asia, the AlayavijNAna was conceived as one possible solution to persistent questions in Buddhism about karmic continuity and about the origin of ignorance (MOHA). For the latter, some explanation was required as to how sentient beings, whom many strands of MAHAYANA claimed were inherently enlightened, began to presume themselves to be ignorant. Debates raged within different strands of the Chinese YogAcAra traditions as to whether the AlayavijNAna is intrinsically impure because of the presence of these seeds of past experience (the position of the Northern branch of the Chinese DI LUN ZONG and the Chinese FAXIANG tradition of XUANZANG and KUIJI), or whether the AlayavijNAna included both pure and impure elements because it involved also the functioning of thusness, or TATHATA (the Southern Di lun school's position). Since the sentient being has had a veritable interminable period of time in which to collect an infinity of seeds-which would essentially make it impossible to hope to counteract them one by one-the mainstream strands of YogAcAra viewed the mind as nevertheless tending inveterately toward impurity (dausthulya). This impurity could only be overcome through a "transformation of the basis" (AsRAYAPARAVṚTTI), which would completely eradicate the karmic seeds stored in the storehouse consciousness, liberating the bodhisattva from the effects of all past actions and freeing him to project compassion liberally throughout the world. In some later interpretations, this transformation would then convert the AlayavijNAna into a ninth "immaculate consciousness" (AMALAVIJNANA). See also DASHENG QIXIN LUN.

Also the name of an ancient Aryan sage, a Kshatriya, who through continuous religious austerities and philosophical meditation, became a rishi, and whose name was given to the pole star. In the Puranas, the son of Uttanapada, who was raised to the pole star by Vishnu.

altered states of awareness: any state of awareness which differs from normal waking awareness; examples include meditation, sleep, drug states and psychosis.

Amarapura NikAya. One of three major monastic fraternities (NIKAYA) within the modern Sinhalese THERAVADA sangha (S. SAMGHA), the others being the majority SIYAM NIKAYA and the RAMANNA NIKAYA. The Amarapura NikAya was founded in the early nineteenth century in opposition to the Siyam NikAya's policy of restricting higher ordination (UPASAMPADA) to the highest Goyigama caste. The Goyigama was concentrated in the interior highlands of Sri Lanka, which were governed by the Kandyan king. The lower castes-comprised of toddy tappers and cinnamon pickers, who formed the majority population in the British controlled coastal lowlands-were at most given lower ordination (PRAVRAJYA) as novices (sRAMAnERA). In protest, five low-caste Sinhalese novices journeyed to the Burmese capital of Amarapura in 1800 to receive higher ordination from the Burmese patriarch, NAnabhivaMsa. In 1803, they were ordained as monks (BHIKsU) and, together with three Burmese elders (P. thera), returned to Sri Lanka to establish the reformist Amarapura NikAya. The Amarapura NikAya takes as its charter the KALYAnĪ INSCRIPTIONS of the Mon king Dhammazedi erected at Pegu in 1479, a recension of which it preserves in its monasteries as the KalyAnipakarana. Following its establishment, the Amarapura NikAya itself divided along caste lines into numerous subgroups, each group maintaining its own lineage of teachers that are traced back to the original founders of the Amarapura NikAya. Continued sectarianism, along with doctrinal disagreements over the role of meditation, led to the formation of another reformist monastic order with Burmese roots, the RAmaNNa NikAya, in 1862.

Amiga "computer" A range of home computers first released by {Commodore Business Machines} in early 1985 (though they did not design the original - see below). Amigas were popular for {games}, {video processing}, and {multimedia}. One notable feature is a hardware {blitter} for speeding up graphics operations on whole areas of the screen. The Amiga was originally called the Lorraine, and was developed by a company named "Amiga" or "Amiga, Inc.", funded by some doctors to produce a killer game machine. After the US game machine market collapsed, the Amiga company sold some {joysticks} but no Lorraines or any other computer. They eventually floundered and looked for a buyer. Commodore at that time bought the (mostly complete) Amiga machine, infused some money, and pushed it through the final stages of development in a hurry. Commodore released it sometime[?] in 1985. Most components within the machine were known by nicknames. The {coprocessor} commonly called the "Copper" is in fact the "{Video} Timing Coprocessor" and is split between two chips: the instruction fetch and execute units are in the "Agnus" chip, and the {pixel} timing circuits are in the "Denise" chip (A for address, D for data). "Agnus" and "Denise" were responsible for effects timed to the {real-time} position of the video scan, such as midscreen {palette} changes, {sprite multiplying}, and {resolution} changes. Different versions (in order) were: "Agnus" (could only address 512K of {video RAM}), "Fat Agnus" (in a {PLCC} package, could access 1MB of video RAM), "Super Agnus" (slightly upgraded "Fat Agnus"). "Agnus" and "Fat Agnus" came in {PAL} and {NTSC} versions, "Super Agnus" came in one version, jumper selectable for PAL or NTSC. "Agnus" was replaced by "Alice" in the A4000 and A1200, which allowed for more {DMA} channels and higher bus {bandwidth}. "Denise" outputs binary video data (3*4 bits) to the "Vidiot". The "Vidiot" is a hybrid that combines and amplifies the 12-bit video data from "Denise" into {RGB} to the {monitor}. Other chips were "Amber" (a "flicker fixer", used in the A3000 and Commodore display enhancer for the A2000), "Gary" ({I/O}, addressing, G for {glue logic}), "Buster" (the {bus controller}, which replaced "Gary" in the A2000), "Buster II" (for handling the Zorro II/III cards in the A3000, which meant that "Gary" was back again), "Ramsey" (The {RAM} controller), "DMAC" (The DMA controller chip for the WD33C93 {SCSI adaptor} used in the A3000 and on the A2091/A2092 SCSI adaptor card for the A2000; and to control the {CD-ROM} in the {CDTV}), and "Paula" ({Peripheral}, Audio, {UART}, {interrupt} Lines, and {bus Arbiter}). There were several Amiga chipsets: the "Old Chipset" (OCS), the "Enhanced Chipset" (ECS), and {AGA}. OCS included "Paula", "Gary", "Denise", and "Agnus". ECS had the same "Paula", "Gary", "Agnus" (could address 2MB of Chip RAM), "Super Denise" (upgraded to support "Agnus" so that a few new {screen modes} were available). With the introduction of the {Amiga A600} "Gary" was replaced with "Gayle" (though the chipset was still called ECS). "Gayle" provided a number of improvments but the main one was support for the A600's {PCMCIA} port. The AGA chipset had "Agnus" with twice the speed and a 24-bit palette, maximum displayable: 8 bits (256 colours), although the famous "{HAM}" (Hold And Modify) trick allows pictures of 256,000 colours to be displayed. AGA's "Paula" and "Gayle" were unchanged but AGA "Denise" supported AGA "Agnus"'s new screen modes. Unfortunately, even AGA "Paula" did not support High Density {floppy disk drives}. (The Amiga 4000, though, did support high density drives.) In order to use a high density disk drive Amiga HD floppy drives spin at half the rotational speed thus halving the data rate to "Paula". Commodore Business Machines went bankrupt on 1994-04-29, the German company {Escom AG} bought the rights to the Amiga on 1995-04-21 and the Commodore Amiga became the Escom Amiga. In April 1996 Escom were reported to be making the {Amiga} range again but they too fell on hard times and {Gateway 2000} (now called Gateway) bought the Amiga brand on 1997-05-15. Gateway licensed the Amiga operating system to a German hardware company called {Phase 5} on 1998-03-09. The following day, Phase 5 announced the introduction of a four-processor {PowerPC} based Amiga {clone} called the "{pre\box}". Since then, it has been announced that the new operating system will be a version of {QNX}. On 1998-06-25, a company called {Access Innovations Ltd} announced {plans (http://micktinker.co.uk/aaplus.html)} to build a new Amiga chip set, the {AA+}, based partly on the AGA chips but with new fully 32-bit functional core and 16-bit AGA {hardware register emulation} for {backward compatibility}. The new core promised improved memory access and video display DMA. By the end of 2000, Amiga development was under the control of a [new?] company called {Amiga, Inc.}. As well as continuing development of AmigaOS (version 3.9 released in December 2000), their "Digital Environment" is a {virtual machine} for multiple {platforms} conforming to the {ZICO} specification. As of 2000, it ran on {MIPS}, {ARM}, {PPC}, and {x86} processors. {(http://amiga.com/)}. {Amiga Web Directory (http://cucug.org/amiga.html)}. {amiCrawler (http://amicrawler.com/)}. Newsgroups: {news:comp.binaries.amiga}, {news:comp.sources.amiga}, {news:comp.sys.amiga}, {news:comp.sys.amiga.advocacy}, {news:comp.sys.amiga.announce}, {news:comp.sys.amiga.applications}, {news:comp.sys.amiga.audio}, {news:comp.sys.amiga.datacomm}, {news:comp.sys.amiga.emulations}, {news:comp.sys.amiga.games}, {news:comp.sys.amiga.graphics}, {news:comp.sys.amiga.hardware}, {news:comp.sys.amiga.introduction}, {news:comp.sys.amiga.marketplace}, {news:comp.sys.amiga.misc}, {news:comp.sys.amiga.multimedia}, {news:comp.sys.amiga.programmer}, {news:comp.sys.amiga.reviews}, {news:comp.sys.amiga.tech}, {news:comp.sys.amiga.telecomm}, {news:comp.Unix.amiga}. See {aminet}, {Amoeba}, {bomb}, {exec}, {gronk}, {guru meditation}, {Intuition}, {sidecar}, {slap on the side}, {Vulcan nerve pinch}. (2003-07-05)

Amiga ::: (computer) A range of home computers first released by Commodore Business Machines in early 1985 (though they did not design the original - see below). feature is a hardware blitter for speeding up graphics operations on whole areas of the screen.The Amiga was originally called the Lorraine, and was developed by a company named Amiga or Amiga, Inc., funded by some doctors to produce a killer game joysticks but no Lorraines or any other computer. They eventually floundered and looked for a buyer.Commodore at that time bought the (mostly complete) Amiga machine, infused some money, and pushed it through the final stages of development in a hurry. Commodore released it sometime[?] in 1985.Most components within the machine were known by nicknames. The coprocessor commonly called the Copper is in fact the Video Timing Coprocessor and is Agnus chip, and the pixel timing circuits are in the Denise chip (A for address, D for data).Agnus and Denise were responsible for effects timed to the real-time position of the video scan, such as midscreen palette changes, sprite the A4000 and A1200, which allowed for more DMA channels and higher bus bandwidth.Denise outputs binary video data (3*4 bits) to the Vidiot. The Vidiot is a hybrid that combines and amplifies the 12-bit video data from Denise into RGB to the monitor.Other chips were Amber (a flicker fixer, used in the A3000 and Commodore display enhancer for the A2000), Gary (I/O, addressing, G for glue logic), card for the A2000; and to control the CD-ROM in the CDTV), and Paula (Peripheral, Audio, UART, interrupt Lines, and bus Arbiter).There were several Amiga chipsets: the Old Chipset (OCS), the Enhanced Chipset (ECS), and AGA. OCS included Paula, Gary, Denise, and Agnus.ECS had the same Paula, Gary, Agnus (could address 2MB of Chip RAM), Super Denise (upgraded to support Agnus so that a few new screen modes were Gayle (though the chipset was still called ECS). Gayle provided a number of improvments but the main one was support for the A600's PCMCIA port.The AGA chipset had Agnus with twice the speed and a 24-bit palette, maximum displayable: 8 bits (256 colours), although the famous HAM (Hold And Modify) use a high density disk drive Amiga HD floppy drives spin at half the rotational speed thus halving the data rate to Paula.Commodore Business Machines went bankrupt on 1994-04-29, the German company Escom AG bought the rights to the Amiga on 1995-04-21 and the Commodore Amiga range again but they too fell on hard times and Gateway 2000 (now called Gateway) bought the Amiga brand on 1997-05-15.Gateway licensed the Amiga operating system to a German hardware company called Phase 5 on 1998-03-09. The following day, Phase 5 announced the introduction of a four-processor PowerPC based Amiga clone called the pre\box. Since then, it has been announced that the new operating system will be a version of QNX.On 1998-06-25, a company called Access Innovations Ltd announced to build a new Amiga chip set, the AA+, based partly on the AGA chips but with backward compatibility. The new core promised improved memory access and video display DMA.By the end of 2000, Amiga development was under the control of a [new?] company called Amiga, Inc.. As well as continuing development of AmigaOS (version 3.9 multiple platforms conforming to the ZICO specification. As of 2000, it ran on MIPS, ARM, PPC, and x86 processors. . . .Newsgroups: comp.binaries.amiga, comp.sources.amiga, comp.sys.amiga, comp.sys.amiga.advocacy, comp.sys.amiga.announce, comp.sys.amiga.applications, comp.sys.amiga.multimedia, comp.sys.amiga.programmer, comp.sys.amiga.reviews, comp.sys.amiga.tech, comp.sys.amiga.telecomm, comp.Unix.amiga.See aminet, Amoeba, bomb, exec, gronk, guru meditation, Intuition, sidecar, slap on the side, Vulcan nerve pinch.(2003-07-05)

AmitAbha. (T. 'Od dpag med/Snang ba mtha' yas; C. Amituo fo/Wuliangguang fo; J. Amida butsu/Muryoko butsu; K. Amit'a pul/Muryanggwang pul 阿彌陀佛/無量光佛). In Sanskrit, "Limitless Light," the buddha of the western PURE LAND of SUKHAVATĪ, one of the most widely worshipped buddhas in the MAHAYANA traditions. As recounted in the longer SUKHAVATĪVYuHASuTRA, numerous eons ago, a monk named DHARMAKARA vowed before the buddha LOKEsVARARAJA to follow the BODHISATTVA path to buddhahood, asking him to set forth the qualities of buddha-fields (BUDDHAKsETRA). DharmAkara then spent five KALPAS in meditation, concentrating all of the qualities of all buddha-fields into a single buddha field that he would create upon his enlightenment. He then reappeared before LokesvararAja and made forty-eight specific vows (PRAnIDHANA). Among the most famous were his vow that those who, for as few as ten times over the course of their life, resolved to be reborn in his buddha-field would be reborn there; and his vow that he would appear at the deathbed of anyone who heard his name and remembered it with trust. DharmakAra then completed the bodhisattva path, thus fulfilling all the vows he had made, and became the buddha AmitAbha in the buddha-field called sukhAvatī. Based on the larger and shorter versions of the SukhAvatīvyuhasutra as well as the apocryphal GUAN WULIANGSHOU JING (*AmitAyurdhyAnasutra), rebirth in AmitAbha's buddha-field became the goal of widespread Buddhist practice in India, East Asia, and Tibet, with the phrase "Homage to AmitAbha Buddha" (C. namo Amituo fo; J. NAMU AMIDABUTSU; K. namu Amit'a pul) being a central element of East Asian Buddhist practice. AmitAbha's Indian origins are obscure, and it has been suggested that his antecedents lie in Persian Zoroastrianism, where symbolism of light and darkness abounds. His worship dates back at least as far as the early centuries of the Common Era, as attested by the fact that the initial Chinese translation of the SukhAvatīvyuhasutra is made in the mid-second century CE, and he is listed in the SADDHARMAPUndARĪKASuTRA ("Lotus Sutra") as the ninth son of the buddha MahAbhijNA JNAnAbhibhu. The Chinese pilgrims FAXIAN and XUANZANG make no mention of him by name in their accounts of their travels to India in the fifth and seventh centuries CE, respectively, though they do include descriptions of deities who seem certain to have been AmitAbha. Scriptures relating to AmitAbha reached Japan in the seventh century, but he did not become a popular religious figure until some three hundred years later, when his worship played a major role in finally transforming what had been previously seen as an elite and foreign tradition into a populist religion. In East Asia, the cult of AmitAbha eventually became so widespread that it transcended sectarian distinction, and AmitAbha became the most popular buddha in the region. In Tibet, AmitAbha worship dates to the early propagation of Buddhism in that country in the eighth century, although it never became as prevalent as in East Asia. In the sixteenth century, the fifth DALAI LAMA gave the title PAn CHEN LAMA to his teacher, BLO BZANG CHOS KYI RGYAL MTSHAN, and declared him to be an incarnation of AmitAbha (the Dalai Lama himself having been declared the incarnation of Avalokitesvara, AmitAbha's emanation). ¶ The names "AmitAbha" and "AmitAyus" are often interchangeable, both deriving from the Sanskrit word "amita," meaning "limitless," "boundless," or "infinite"; there are some intimations that Amita may actually have been the original name of this buddha, as evidenced, for example, by the fact that the Chinese transcription Amituo [alt. Emituo] transcribes the root word amita, not the two longer forms of the name. The distinction between the two names is preserved in the Chinese translations "Wuliangguang" ("Infinite Light") for AmitAbha and Wuliangshou ("Infinite Life") for AmitAyus, neither of which is used as often as the transcription Amituo. Both AmitAbha and AmitAyus serve as epithets of the same buddha in the longer SukhAvatīvyuhasutra and the Guan Wuliangshou jing, two of the earliest and most important of the sutras relating to his cult. In Tibet, his two alternate names were simply translated: 'Od dpag med ("Infinite Light") and Tshe dpag med ("Infinite Life"). Despite the fact that the two names originally refer to the same deity, they have developed distinctions in ritual function and iconography, and AmitAyus is now considered a separate form of AmitAbha rather than just a synonym for him. ¶ AmitAbha is almost universally shown in DHYANASANA, his hands at his lap in DHYANAMUDRA, though there are many variations, such as standing or displaying the VITARKAMUDRA or VARADAMUDRA. As one of the PANCATATHAGATA, AmitAbha is the buddha of the padma family and is situated in the west. In tantric depictions he is usually red in color and is shown in union with his consort PAndarA, and in East Asia he is commonly accompanied by his attendants AVALOKITEsVARA (Ch. GUANYIN) and MAHASTHAMAPRAPTA. See also JINGTU SANSHENG; WANGSHENG.

amulet ::: Amulet From the Latin 'amuletum', meaning an object that protects a person from trouble, an amulet is generally an object worn around the neck, which has been charged with the magician's personal energies through ritual or meditation, often used to ward off a particular evil force. See also Talisman.

anabhraka. (T. sprin med; C. wuyun tian; J. muunten; K. muun ch'on 無雲天). In Sanskrit, "cloudless," the lowest of the eight heavens of the fourth concentration (DHYANA) of the realm of subtle materiality (RuPADHATU). As with all the heavens of the realm of subtle materiality, one is reborn as a divinity (DEVA) there through achieving the same level of concentration (dhyAna) as the gods of that heaven during one's practice of meditation in the preceding lifetime. This heaven has no analogue in PAli.

anAgAmin. (T. phyir mi 'ong ba; C. buhuan/bulai/anahan; J. fugen/furai/anagon; K. purhwan/pullae/anaham 不還/來/阿那含). In Sanskrit and PAli, "nonreturner"; the third of the four types of Buddhist saint or "noble person" (ARYAPUDGALA) in the mainstream traditions, along with the SROTAAPANNA or "stream-enterer" (the first and lowest grade), the SAKṚDAGAMIN or "once-returner" (the second grade), and the ARHAT or "worthy-one" (the fourth and highest grade). The anAgAmin is one who has completely put aside the first five of ten fetters (SAMYOJANA) that bind one to the cycle of rebirth: (1) belief in the existence of a perduring self (SATKAYADṚstI), (2) belief in the efficacy of rites and rituals (sĪLAVRATAPARAMARsA), (3) skeptical doubt about the efficacy of the path (VICIKITSA), (4) sensual craving (KAMARAGA), and (5) malice (VYAPADA). The anAgAmin has also weakened considerably the last five of the ten fetters (including such affective fetters as pride, restlessness, and ignorance), thus enervating the power of SAMSARA. Having completely eradicated the first five fetters, which are associated with the sensuous realm (KAMADHATU), and weakened the latter five, the anAgAmin is a "nonreturner" in the sense that he will never be reborn in the kAmadhAtu again; instead, he will either complete the path and become an arhat in the present lifetime or he will be reborn in the "pure abodes," or sUDDHAVASA (corresponding to the five highest heavens in the subtle-materiality realm, or RuPADHATU); and specifically, in the AKANIstHA heaven, the fifth and highest of the pure abodes, which often serves as a way station for anAgAmins before they achieve arhatship. As one of the twenty members of the ARYASAMGHA (see VIMsATIPRABHEDASAMGHA), the anAgAmin is the name for a candidate (pratipannaka) for anAgAmin (the third fruit of the noble path). In addition, the ANAGAMIPHALASTHA is the basis for several subdivisions of the twenty members. The anAgamin may be either a follower through faith (sRADDHANUSARIN) or a follower through doctrine (DHARMANUSARIN) with either dull (MṚDVINDRIYA) or keen faculties (TĪKsnENDRIYA). The anAgAmins have eliminated all of the nine levels of afflictions that cause rebirth in the sensuous realm (kAmadhAtu) that the ordinary (LAUKIKA) path of meditation (BHAVANAMARGA) removes. Depending on their earlier career, they may be VĪTARAGAPuRVIN (those who have already eliminated sensuous-realm faults prior to reaching the path of vision) and an Anupurvin (those who reach the four fruits of the noble path in a series). Those with dull faculties are Anupurvin who have earlier been SAKṚDAGAMIPHALASTHA. Those with keen faculties reach the third fruit when they attain the VIMUKTIMARGA (path of liberation from the afflictions, or KLEsA) on the DARsANAMARGA (path of vision). See also ANABHISAMSKARAPARINIRVAYIN; SABHISAMSKARAPARINIRVAYIN; UPAPADYAPARINIRVAYIN.

Anahata-sabda (Sanskrit) Anāhata-śabda [from an not + ā-han to beat, strike + śabda sound from the verbal root śabd to make noise, cry out, invoke] Unstruck circle of sound; the immaterial sound produced by no form of material substance; a mystical bell-like sound at times heard by the dying which slowly lessens in intensity until the moment of death. Also heard by the yogi or contemplative at certain stages of his meditation. The Theravada Buddhists speak of this inner signal as the voice of devas which resemble the “sound of a golden bell” (Digha-nikaya 1:152). The anahata-sabda is, in reality, a reflection of the inherent sound-characteristic of akasa (cf VS 18, 78).

ACTIVATION OF
CONSCIOUSNESS, SYSTEMATIC Systematic activation of consciousness is done in four steps: concentration, meditation, contemplation and illumination.

Concentration is the keeping of attention on a certain thing. Meditation implies a concentrated analysis of all relations pertaining to this subject-matter. Contemplation entails the isolation of the problem until one begins to see the idea and can concentrate attention on that single point. If thereby activity ceases, there is a risk of falling asleep or into ordinary trance. If activity can be kept up long enough, illumination comes and the individual will find what he has been seeking. K 7.17.9


Anantaryakarman. (P. Anantariyakamma; T. mtshams med pa'i las; C. wujian ye; J. mukengo; K. mugan op 無間業). In Sanskrit, "act that brings immediate retribution" or "inexpiable transgressions." This term refers to particularly heinous deeds that after death result in the "immediate retribution" of rebirth in the AVĪCI hell, without an intervening rebirth in another realm. They are often enumerated as five: patricide, matricide, killing an ARHAT, spilling the blood of a buddha, and causing schism in the monastic order (SAMGHABHEDA). According to PAli sources, this type of act also serves as a karmic obstruction (KARMAVARAnA) to concentration meditation (specifically of the KASInA visualization devices).

AnApAnasatisutta. (S. AnApAnasmṛtisutra; T. Dbugs rngub pa dang 'byung ba dran pa'i mdo; C. Annabannanian; J. Annahannanen; K. Annabannanyom 安那般那念). In PAli, "The Mindfulness of Breathing Discourse," the 118th sutta (SuTRA) in the MAJJHIMANIKAYA (a separate SARVASTIVADA recension, as titled above, appears in the Chinese translation of the SAMYUKTAGAMA). In this discourse, the Buddha outlines a type of meditation where the meditator remains mindful of the process of breathing in and breathing out (P. AnApAnasati; S. ANAPANASMṚTI). The meditator begins by developing an awareness of the physical processes involved in breathing, such as whether the breath is long or short; remaining cognizant of either the entire body during breathing or the entire process of breathing (as the commentaries typically interpret it), it culminates in breathing while consciously striving to calm the body. The meditator then follows the in- and out-breaths while developing salutary affective states, such as rapture (P. pīti, S. PRĪTI) and ease (SUKHA). The penultimate step is breathing while actively seeking to focus and liberate the mind. The meditation culminates in mindfulness of the breath while focusing on the awareness of the mental qualities of impermanence, cessation, and relinquishment. Through this progressive development, mindfulness of breathing thus leads from physical and mental calm, to direct insight into the value of nonattachment. The discourse ends with a treatment of the seven aspects of awakening (P. bojjhanga; S. BODHYAnGA) with regard to the four foundations of mindfulness (P. satipaṫṫhAna; S. SMṚTYUPASTHANA) of the physical body, physical sensations, state of mind, and mental qualities. See also ANBAN SHOUYI JING.

AnApAnasmṛti. (P. AnApAnasati; T. dbugs rngub pa dang 'byung ba dran pa; C. shuxi guan/annabannanian; J. susokukan/annahannanen; K. susik kwan/annabannanyom 數息觀/安那般那念). In Sanskrit, lit. "mindfulness (SMṚTI) of inhalation (Ana = prAna) and exhalation (apAna)," or simply, "mindfulness of breathing"; referring to one of the oldest and most basic meditative techniques found in Buddhism. The practice requires focusing on the breath as it moves into and out of the body during inhalation and exhalation, some say through attention to the sensation of the movement of breath at the tip of the nose, others say through attention to the rise and fall of the diaphragm. This passive following of the breath leads to physical and mental calm, which allows the meditator to focus on the generic aspect of breath: viz., the fact that the constant ebb and flow of the breath is emblematic of impermanence (ANITYA). This awareness may then lead to nonattachment and insight. The PAli ANAPANASATISUTTA provides a detailed description of the processes involved in developing this type of meditation. Unlike many of the other forty topics of meditation (KAMMAttHANA) in PAli Buddhism, which are said to suit specific types of personalities or as antidotes to specific negative tendencies, AnApAnasmṛti is claimed to be suitable for all, which may account for its continued popularity. Elsewhere, it is said to be a suitable object of meditation for those given to excessive thought. Some form of this practice is found in nearly every Buddhist tradition. There are various renderings of the term using Chinese Sinographs; although shuxi guan is one of the most common translations, there are others (e.g., chixi guan), as well as different ways of transcribing the Sanskrit into Chinese (e.g., anabona nian).

ango. (S. vArsika; P. vassa; C. anju; K. an'go 安居). In Japanese, "peaceful dwelling"; also known as gegyo ("summer dwelling"), zage ("sitting in the summer"), zaro ("sitting age"), etc. The term is used in ZEN monasteries to refer either to the summer rainy season retreat, which usually lasts for three months, or to an intensive period of meditative training during the summer rain's retreat. The beginning of this period is known as kessei (C. JIEZHI), but this term is also occasionally used in place of ango to refer to the meditation retreat. In the Soto Zen tradition (SoToSHu), ango is often used as a means of measuring the dharma age, or horo (C. FALA), of a monk. A monk who completes his first summer retreat is known as "one who has entered the community," five retreats or more a "saint," and ten retreats or more a "master." See also VARsA.

Animitta. (P. animitta; T. mtshan ma med pa; C. wuxiang; J. muso; K. musang 無相). In Sanskrit, "signless"; one of three "gates to deliverance" (VIMOKsAMUKHA), along with emptiness (suNYATA) and wishlessness (APRAnIHITA). A sign or characteristic (NIMITTA) refers to the generic appearance of an object, in distinction to its secondary characteristics or ANUVYANJANA. Advertence toward the generic sign and secondary characteristics of an object produces a recognition or perception (SAMJNA) of that object, which may in turn lead to clinging or rejection and ultimately suffering. Hence, signlessness is crucial in the process of sensory restraint (INDRIYASAMVARA), a process in which one does not actively react to the generic signs of an object (i.e., treating it in terms of the effect it has on oneself), but instead seeks to halt the perceptual process at the level of simple recognition. By not seizing on these signs, perception is maintained at a pure level prior to an object's conceptualization and the resulting proliferation of concepts (PRAPANCA) throughout the full range of sensory experience. As the frequent refrain in the SuTRAs states, "In the seen, there is only the seen," and not the superimpositions (cf. SAMAROPA) created by the intrusion of ego (ATMAN) into the perceptual process. Mastery of this technique of sensory restraint provides access to the signless gate to deliverance. Signlessness is produced through insight into impermanence (ANITYA) and serves as the counteragent (PRATIPAKsA) to attachments to anything experienced through the senses; once the meditator has abandoned all such attachments to the senses, he is then able to advert toward NIRVAnA, which ipso facto has no sensory signs of its own by which it can be recognized. In the PRAJNAPARAMITA literature, signlessness, emptiness, and wishlessness are equally the absence of the marks or signs of intrinsic existence (SVABHAVA). The YOGACARABHuMIsASTRA says when signlessness, emptiness, and wishlessness are spoken of without differentiation, the knowledge of them is that which arises from hearing or learning (sRUTAMAYĪPRAJNA), thinking (CINTAMAYĪPRAJNA), and meditation (BHAVANAMAYĪPRAJNA), respectively.

animittayoga. (T. mtshan med kyi rnal 'byor). Literally, "yoga without signs," a term that occurs in Buddhist tantric literature and is especially associated with YOGATANTRA among the four classes of tantric texts. It refers to those meditation practices in which one meditates on emptiness (suNYATA) in such a way that there are no dualistic appearances or "signs." It is contrasted with SANIMITTAYOGA or "yoga with signs," practices that entail dualistic appearances or signs in the sense that the meditator visualizes seed syllables (BĪJA) and deities.

anupassanA. (S. ANUPAsYANA). In PAli, "contemplation." A term applied to several sets of meditation practices, most notably as enumerated under the category of the four "foundations of mindfulness" (P. satipatthAna; S. SMṚTYUPASTHANA). The first foundation is called "contemplation of the body" (kAyAnupassanA, S. KAYANUPAsYANA) and comprises fourteen practices, which include mindfulness of breathing (P. AnApAnasati, S. ANAPANASMṚTI), mindfulness of postures or deportments (P., iriyApatha, S. ĪRYAPATHA), full awareness of bodily actions, contemplation of bodily impurities, contemplation of the four physical elements (DHATU, MAHABHuTA), and nine cemetery meditations (P. asubhabhAvanA, S. AsUBHABHAVANA). The second foundation is called "contemplation of sensations" (P. vedanAnupassanA, S. vedanAnupasyanA) and consists of one practice: mindfulness of physical sensations (VEDANA) as pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. The third foundation is called "contemplation of mind" (P. cittAnupassanA, S. cittAnupasyanA) and consists of one practice: mindfulness of one's general state of mind (CITTA), e.g. as calm or distracted, elated or depressed, etc. The fourth foundation is "contemplation of mind-objects" (P. dhammAnupassanA, S. dharmAnupasyanA) and includes five meditations on specific categories of factors (P. dhamma, S. DHARMA), namely: the five hindrances (NĪVARAnA), the five aggregates (SKANDHA), the six sense bases and six sense objects (AYATANA), the seven enlightenment factors (BODHYAnGA), and the FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS. In the PAli SATIPAttHANASUTTA, the four anupassanAs are extolled as the one path leading to the realization of nibbAna (NIRVAnA). Another common set of anupassanAs found in the PAli tradition includes three members: (1) contemplation of impermanence (aniccAnupassanA), (2) contemplation of suffering (dukkhAnupassanA), and (3) contemplation of nonself (anattAnupassanA). In the PAtISAMBHIDAMAGGA, this list is expanded to ten with the addition of (4) contemplation of nirvAna (nibbAnAnupassanA), (5) contemplation of dispassion (virAgAnupassanA), (6) contemplation of cessation (nirodhAnupassanA), (7) contemplation of renunciation (patinissaggAnupassanA), (8) contemplation of signlessness (animittAnupassanA), (9) contemplation of desirelessness (appanihitAnupassanA), and (10) contemplation of emptiness (suNNatAnupassanA).

anusmṛti. (P. anussati; T. rjes su dran pa; C. nian; J. nen; K. yom 念). In Sanskrit, "recollection." The PAli form anussati is applied to a number of mental exercises enumerated in the PAli tradition under the category of KAMMAttHANA, or topics of meditation. The fifth-century VISUDDHIMAGGA lists ten such recollections conducive to the cultivation of concentration (SAMADHI): namely, recollection of (1) the BUDDHA, (2) the DHARMA, (3) the SAMGHA, (4) morality, (5) generosity, (6) the gods, (7) death, (8) the body, (9) the in-breath and out-breath, and (10) peace. Of these, recollection or mindfulness (P. sati; S. SMṚTI) of the in-breath and out-breath can produce all four meditative absorptions (DHYANA; P. JHANA), while recollection of the body can produce the first absorption. The remaining recollections can produce only "access concentration" (UPACARASAMADHI), which immediately precedes but does not quite reach the first absorption. In East Asia, the practice of recollection of the Buddha (BUDDHANUSMṚTI) evolved into the recitation of name of the buddha AMITABHA in the form of the Chinese phrase namo Amituo fo (Homage to the buddha AmitAbha; see NAMU AMIDABUTSU). See also BUDDHANUSMṚTI.

appanAsamAdhi. In PAli, "absorptive concentration"; the more advanced of the two broad types of concentration (SAMADHI) discussed in PAli commentarial literature. Both of these two types of samAdhi are used with reference to meditators who are specializing in calmness (samatha; S. sAMATHA) techniques. The preliminary "threshold concentration" (UPACARASAMADHI) helps to calm and focus the mind but is too discursive to lead to full meditative absorption (JHANA; S. DHYANA). In order to develop jhAna, meditators must proceed to cultivate less discursive topics of meditation (KAMMAttHANA) that will lead to "absorptive concentration" and thence jhAna: e.g., mindfulness of breathing (AnApAnasati, S. ANAPANASMṚTI); the four "divine abidings" (BRAHMAVIHARA; [alt. P. appamaNNa], S. APRAMAnA), namely, loving-kindness (P. mettA; S. MAITRĪ), compassion (KARUnA), altruistic or empathetic joy (MUDITA), and equanimity or impartiality (P. upekkhA; S. UPEKsA); and the ten "visual devices" (KASInA)-devices that are constructed from the elements earth, water, fire, and air; the colors blue, yellow, red, and white; and light and space. See also KHANIKASAMADHI.

apramAnAbha. (P. appamAnAbha; T. tshad med 'od; C. wuliangguang tian; J. muryokoten; K. muryanggwang ch'on 無量光天). In Sanskrit, "immeasurable radiance"; the second of the three heavens of the second meditative absorption (DHYANA) of the realm of subtle materiality (RuPADHATU). The divinities of this heaven are so-called because their bodies emanate limitless light. As with all the heavens of the realm of subtle materiality, one is reborn as a divinity in this realm through achieving the same level of concentration (dhyAna) as the gods of that heaven during one's practice of meditation in a previous lifetime.

apramAna. (P. appammaNNA; T. tshad med pa; C. wuliangxin; J. muryoshin; K. muryangsim 無量心). In Sanskrit, "the boundless states," "unlimiteds," or "limitless qualities." This list is identical to the four "divine abidings" (BRAHMAVIHARA) of loving-kindness (MAITRĪ), compassion (KARUnA), empathetic joy (MUDITA), and equanimity or impartiality (UPEKsA). When taken as objects of concentration and extended in meditation to all beings without limit, the divine abidings then become "boundless states" (apramAna). The meditator is taught to take up each of the boundless states in the same way: starting with the first apramAna, for example, filling his mind with loving-kindness, he pervades the world with it, first in one direction, then in a second direction, then a third and a fourth, then above, below, and all around, identifying himself with all beings and remaining free from hatred and ill will. In the same way, he takes up compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity. These four factors are taken up as objects of meditation to counter the influence of specific unwholesome states of mind: viz., loving-kindness counteracts hostility (VYAPADA); compassion counters harmfulness (VIHIMSA); empathetic joy counters dissatisfaction or envy regarding others' achievements (arati); and equanimity counters both the desire and hostility arising from sensuality (KAMARAGA-VYAPADA) and the desire to win the approval of others (anunaya). Of these boundless states, the first three are capable of producing the first three of the four DHYANAs, or meditative absorptions; the fourth divine abiding is the only one capable of producing the fourth meditative absorption.

ArAda KAlAma. (P. AlAra KAlAma; T. Sgyu rtsal shes kyi bu ring du 'phur; C. Aluoluojialan; J. Ararakaran; K. Araragaran 阿羅邏迦蘭). The Sanskrit name of one of the Buddha's two teachers of meditation (the other being UDRAKA RAMAPUTRA) prior to his enlightenment. He was known as a meditation master who once sat in deep concentration without noticing that five hundred carts had passed by. He explained to GAUTAMA that the goal of his system was the attainment of the "state of nothing whatsoever" (AKINCANYAYATANA), which the BODHISATTVA quickly attained. ArAda KAlAma then regarded the bodhisattva as his equal. However, Gautama eventually recognized that this state was not NIRVAnA and left to begin the practice of austerities. Upon his eventual achievement of buddhahood, Gautama surveyed the world to identify the most worthy recipient of his first sermon. He thought first of ArAda KAlAma but determined that he had unfortunately died just seven days earlier.

araNNavAsi. In PAli, "forest-dweller"; in the PAli Buddhist tradition, a monk who is principally dedicated to meditative training (VIPASSANADHURA); contrasted with "town-dweller" (GAMAVASI), who lives in a village or town monastery and whose monastic vocation focuses on doctrinal study and teaching, or "book work" (GANTHADHURA). In Sri Lankan Buddhism, the emphases within the Buddhist order on both meditation and study led to the evolution over time of these two major practice vocations. The araNNavAsi remained in solitude in the forest to focus principally on their meditative practice. The gAmavAsi, by contrast, were involved in studying and teaching the dhamma, especially within the lay community of the village, and thus helped to disseminate Buddhism among the people. The araNNavAsi were not necessarily hermits, but they did live a more secluded life than the gAmavAsi, devoting most of their time to meditation (either individually or in smaller groups) and keeping their contact with the laity to a minimum. According to the VINAYA, a monk cannot remain constantly alone in the forest by himself; at a minimum, he must join together with the sangha at least once a fortnight to participate in the uposatha (S. UPOsADHA) rite, when the monks gather to confess any transgressions of the precepts and to listen to a recitation of the rules of discipline (P. pAtimokkha; S. PRATIMOKsA). These two vocations have a long history and have continued within the sangha into modern times. In a sense, the Buddha himself was an araNNavAsi for six years before he attained enlightenment; subsequently, he then passed much of his time as a gAmavAsi, teaching people the dharma and encouraging them to practice to bring an end to their suffering. See also PHRA PA; THUDONG.

Aranyakas: The “Forest Books” of Hinduism, so called because they were used in teachings in the secrecy of the forest; they are mystical, esoteric meditations on the meaning of ritual lore.

aranya. (P. araNNa; T. dgon pa; C. [a]lanruo; J. [a]rannya; K. [a]ranya [阿]蘭若). In Sanskrit, "forest" or "wilderness"; the ideal atmosphere for practice, and one of the various terms used to designate the residences of monks. The solitude and contentment fostered by forest dwelling was thought to provide a better environment for meditation (BHAVANA) than the bustle and material comforts of city monasteries, and there is some evidence in mainstream Buddhist materials of discord between monks who followed the two different ways of life. Forest dwelling was frequently championed by the Buddha, and living at the root of a tree was one of the thirteen specific ascetic practices (S. DHuTAGUnA, P. DHUTAnGA) authorized by the Buddha. Forest dwelling is also used as a metaphor for the renunciation and nonattachment that monks were taught to emulate. Forest dwellers are called aranyaka (P. araNNaka or AraNNaka). See also ARANNAVASI; PHRA PA.

arhatpratipannaka. (P. arahattamagga; T. dgra bcom zhugs pa; C. aluohan xiang; J. arakanko; K. arahan hyang 阿羅漢向). In Sanskrit, "candidate for worthy one"; one of the VIMsATIPRABHEDASAMGHA ("twenty varieties of the Arya saMgha") based on the list given in the ABHISAMAYALAMKARA. The arhatpratipannaka is usually an ANAGAMIPHALASTHA (one who has reached, or is the recipient of the fruit of nonreturner) who is making an effort to eliminate any fault that could cause rebirth in SAMSARA, including the very last, ninth fetter to the BHAVAGRA (summit of existence) that only the supramundane (LOKOTTARA) path of meditation (BHAVANAMARGA) can eliminate. See ARHAT.

AriyapariyesanAsutta. (C. Luomo jing; J. Ramakyo; K. Rama kyong 羅摩經). In PAli, "Discourse on the Noble Quest"; the twenty-sixth sutta (SuTRA) in the MAJJHIMANIKAYA, also known as the PAsarAsisutta (a separate SARVASTIVADA recension appears as the 204th SuTRA in the Chinese translation of the MADHYAMAGAMA); preached by the Buddha to an assembly of monks at the hemitage of the brAhmana Rammaka in the town of sRAVASTĪ. The Buddha explains the difference between noble and ignoble quests and recounts his own life as an example of striving to distinguish between the two. Beginning with his renunciation of the householder's life, he tells of his training under two meditation masters, his rejection of this training in favor of austerities, and ultimately his rejection of austerities in order to discover for himself his own path to enlightenment. The Buddha also relates how he was initially hesitant to teach what he had discovered, but was convinced to do so by the god BRAHMA SAHAMPATI, and how he then converted the "group of five" ascetics (PANCAVARGIKA) who had been his companions while he practiced austerities. There is an understated tone of the narrative, devoid of the detail so familiar from the biographies. There is no mention of the opulence of his youth, no mention of his wife, no mention of the chariot rides, no description of the departure from the palace in the dead of night, no mention of MARA. Instead, the Buddha states, "Later, while still young, a black-haired young man endowed with the blessing of youth, in the prime of life, though my mother and father wished otherwise and wept with tearful faces, I shaved off my hair and beard, put on the yellow robe, and went forth from the home life into homelessness." Although the accounts of his study with other meditation masters assume a sophisticated system of states of concentration, the description of the enlightenment itself is both simple and sober, portrayed as the outcome of long reflection rather than as an ecstatic moment of revelation.

Arudha (Sanskrit) Ārūḍha [from ā-ruh to mount, rise up] Mounted, ascended, raised up, attained; attainment. Used in compounds, such as indriyarudha (perceived, brought under the cognizance of the senses); yogarudha (absorbed in profound meditation, attainment of yoga or union).

ArupyAvacaradhyAna. (P. arupAvacarajhAna; T. gzugs med na spyod pa'i bsam gtan; C. wusejie ding; J. mushikikaijo; K. musaekkye chong 無色界定). In Sanskrit, "meditative absorption associated with the immaterial realm"; equivalent to S. ArupyadhyAna (q.v. DHYANA) and synonymous with "immaterial attainment" (arupasamApatti). One of two broad varieties of DHYANA or meditative absorption; the other being RuPAVACARADHYANA (P. rupAvacarajhAna) or meditative absorption belonging to the realm of subtle materiality. In both cases, dhyAna refers to the attainment of single-pointed concentration of the mind on an ideational object of meditation. ArupyAvacaradhyAna is described as accessible only to those who have already mastered the fourth absorption of the realm of subtle materiality, and is itself merely a refinement of that state. In the immaterial absorptions, the "object" of meditation is gradually attenuated until the meditator abides in the sphere of infinite space (S. AKAsANANTYAYATANA; P. AkAsAnaNcAyatana). In the second immaterial absorption, the meditator sets aside infinite space and abides in the sphere of infinite consciousness (S. VIJNANANANTYAYATANA; P. viNNAnAnaNcAyatanta). In the third immaterial absorption, one sets aside the perception of infinite consciousness and abides in the sphere of nothingness (S. AKINCANYAYATANA; P. AkiNcaNNAyatana). In the fourth immaterial absorption, one sets aside the perception of nothingness and abides in the sphere of neither perception nor nonperception (S. NAIVASAMJNANASAMJNAYATANA; P. nevasaNNAnAsaNNAyatana). Mastery of any of the absorptions of the immaterial realm can result in rebirth as a divinity (DEVA) within the corresponding plane in the immaterial realm (ArupyAvacara or ARuPYADHATU); see ANINJYAKARMAN. See also KAMMAttHANA.

Asakrit Samadhi (Sanskrit) Asakṛtsamādhi [from a-sakṛt not once, repeatedly + samādhi meditation] In Buddhism, repeated spiritual and intellectual meditation of the highest kind.

asaMjNAsamApatti. [alt. asaṁjNisamApatti] (P. asaNNasamApatti; T. 'du shes med pa'i snyoms par 'jug pa; C. wuxiang ding; J. musojo; K. musang chong 無想定). In Sanskrit, "equipoise of nonperception" or "unconscious state of attainment"; viz., a "meditative state wherein no perceptual activity remains." It is a form of meditation with varying, even contradictory, interpretations. In some accounts, it is positively appraised: for example, the Buddha was known for entering into this type of meditation in order to "rest himself" and, on another occasion, to recover from illness. In this interpretation, asaMjNAsamApatti is a temporary suppression of mental activities that brings respite from tension, which in some accounts, means that the perception (SAMJNA) aggregate (SKANDHA) is no longer functioning, while in other accounts, it implies the cessation of all conscious thought. In such cases, asaṁjNasamApatti is similar to AnimittasamApatti in functions and contents, the latter being a meditative stage wherein one does not dwell in or cling to the "characteristics" (NIMITTA) of phenomena, and which is said to be conducive to the "liberation of the mind through signlessness (ANIMITTA)" (P. Animittacetovimutti)-one of the so-called three gates to deliverance (VIMOKsAMUKHA). Elsewhere, however, asaṁjNAsamApatti is characterized negatively as a nihilistic state of mental dormancy, which some have mistakenly believed to be final liberation. Non-Buddhist meditators were reported to mistake this vegetative state for the ultimate, permanent quiescence of the mind and become attached to this state as if it were liberation. In traditional Buddhist classificatory systems (such as those of the YOGACARA school and the ABHIDHARMAKOsABHAsYA), asaMjNAsamApatti is sometimes also conflated with the fourth DHYANA, and the karmic fruition of dwelling in this meditation is the rebirth in the asaMjNA heaven (ASAMJNIKA) located in the "realm of subtle materiality," where the heavens corresponding to the fourth dhyAna are located (see RuPADHATU). Together with the "trance of cessation" (NIRODHASAMAPATTI), these two forms of meditation are classified under the CITTAVIPRAYUKTASAMSKARA ("forces dissociated from thought") category in SARVASTIVADA ABHIDHARMA texts, as well as in the one hundred dharmas of the YogAcAra school, and are also called in the East Asian tradition "the two kinds of meditation that are free of mental activity" (er wuxin ding).

Asana ::: A pose or posture as used in meditation or in a mind-body practice like Hatha Yoga.

ASANA. ::: Fixed posture habituating the body to certain attitudes of immobility. The system of Asana has at its basis two profound ideas ::: control by physical immobility, power by immobility.
The sitting motionless posture is the natural posture for concentrated meditation - walking and standing are active conditions. It is only when one has gained the enduring rest and passivity of the consciousness that it is easy to concentrate and receive when walking or doing anything. A fundamental passive condition of the consciousness gathered into itself is the proper poise for concentration and a seated gathered immobility in the body is the best position for that. It can be done also lying down, but that position is too passive, tending to be inert rather than gathered. This is the reason why yogis always sit in an āsana. One can accustom oneself to meditate walking. standing, lying but sitting is the first natural position.


Asana (Sanskrit) Āsana [from the verbal root as to sit quietly] One of the postures adopted by Hindu ascetics; five are usually enumerated, although nearly ninety have been noted. However, they are not of deep spiritual value or meaning: “Providing that the position of the body be comfortable so that the mind is least distracted, genuine meditation and spiritual and actual introspection can be readily and successfully attained by any earnest student without the slightest attention being paid to these various postures. A man may be sitting quietly in his arm-chair, or lying in his bed at night, or sitting or lying on the grass in a forest, and can more readily enter the inner worlds than by adopting and following any one or more of these various Asanas, which at the best are physiological aids of relatively small value” (OG 7).

Asana(Sanskrit) ::: A word derived from the verbal root as, signifying "to sit quietly." Asana, therefore,technically signifies one of the peculiar postures adopted by Hindu ascetics, mostly of the hatha yogaschool. Five of these postures are usually enumerated, but nearly ninety have been noted by students ofthe subject. A great deal of quasi-magical and mystical literature may be found devoted to these variouspostures and collateral topics, and their supposed or actual psychological value when assumed bydevotees; but, as a matter of fact, a great deal of this writing is superficial and has very little indeed to dowith the actual occult and esoteric training of genuine occultists. One is instinctively reminded of otherquasi-mystical practices, as, for instance, certain genuflections or postures followed in the worship of theChristian Church, to which particular values are sometimes ascribed by fanatic devotees.Providing that the position of the body be comfortable so that the mind is least distracted, genuinemeditation and spiritual and actual introspection can be readily and successfully attained by any earneststudent without the slightest attention being paid to these various postures. A man sitting quietly in hisarmchair, or lying in his bed at night, or sitting or lying on the grass in a forest, can more readily enterthe inner worlds than by adopting and following any one or more of these various asanas, which at thebest are physiological aids of relatively small value. (See also Samadhi)

asana. ::: yogic posture, especially a posture adopted for meditation; integration of mind and body through physical activity; the third of the eight limbs of ashtanga yoga

Asanga. (T. Thogs med; C. Wuzhao; J. Mujaku; K. Much'ak 無著) (c. 320-c. 390 CE). a.k.a. Arya Asanga, Indian scholar who is considered to be a founder of the YOGACARA school of MAHAYANA Buddhism. In the Tibetan tradition, he is counted as one of the "six ornaments of JAMBUDVĪPA" ('dzam gling rgyan drug), together with VASUBANDHU, NAGARJUNA and ARYADEVA, and DIGNAGA and DHARMAKĪRTI. Born into a brAhmana family in Purusapura (modern-day Peshawar, Pakistan), Asanga originally studied under SARVASTIVADA (possibly MAHĪsASAKA) teachers but converted to the MahAyAna later in life. His younger brother was the important exegete Vasubandhu; it is said that he was converted to the MahAyAna by Asanga. According to traditional accounts, Asanga spent twelve years in meditation retreat, after which he received a vision of the future buddha MAITREYA. He visited Maitreya's abode in TUsITA heaven, where the bodhisattva instructed him in MahAyAna and especially YogAcAra doctrine. Some of these teachings were collected under the name MaitreyanAtha, and the Buddhist tradition generally regards them as revealed by Asanga through the power of the future buddha. Some modern scholars, however, have posited the existence of a historical figure named MAITREYANATHA or simply Maitreya. Asanga is therefore associated with what are known as the "five treatises of MaitreyanAtha" (the ABHISAMAYALAMKARA, the DHARMADHARMATAVIBHAGA, the MADHYANTAVIBHAGA, the MAHAYANASuTRALAMKARA, and the RATNAGOTRAVIBHAGA). Asanga was a prolific author, composing commentaries on the SAMDHINIRMOCANASuTRA and the VAJRACCHEDIKAPRAJNAPARAMITASuTRA. Among his independent treatises, three are particularly important. The ABHIDHARMASAMUCCAYA sets forth the categories of the ABHIDHARMA from a YogAcAra perspective. The MAHAYANASAMGRAHA is a detailed exposition of YogAcAra doctrine, setting forth such topics as the ALAYAVIJNANA and the TRISVABHAVA as well as the constituents of the path. His largest work is the compendium entitled YOGACARABHuMIsASTRA. Two of its sections, the sRAVAKABHuMI and the BODHISATTVABHuMI, circulated as independent works, with the former important for its exposition of the practice of DHYANA and the latter for its exposition of the bodhisattva's practice of the six PARAMITA; the chapter on sĪLA is particularly influential. These texts have had a lasting and profound impact on the development of Buddhism, especially in India, Tibet, and East Asia. Among the great figures in the history of Indian Buddhism, Asanga is rare for the breadth of his interests and influence, making significant contributions to philosophy (as the founder of YogAcAra), playing a key role in TATHAGATAGARBHA thought (through the RatnagotravibhAga), and providing significant expositions of Buddhist practice (in the YogAcArabhumi).

Asita. (T. Mdog nag po; C. Asituo; J. Ashida; K. Asat'a 阿私陀). Sanskrit and PAli name for an Indian brAhmana who, according to PAli sources, was chaplain to the BODHISATTVA's grandfather Sīhahanu (S. SiMhahanu) and teacher of the bodhisattva's father Suddhodana (S. sUDDHODANA). After his retirement from the world, Asita developed various supranormal powers through his mastery of meditation and used them to sojourn in the realm of the divinities (DEVA). Once while staying in TRAYASTRIMsA heaven, he learned that the future buddha SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMA had been born as the son of King suddhodana. Asita went to the palace to examine the infant and saw that the child was endowed with the thirty-two marks of a MAHAPURUsA, or great man. From these signs, he realized that SiddhArtha was destined to become a fully enlightened buddha. Despite his great joy, Asita was also dismayed to realize that, at his current age of ninety, he would not live long enough to witness this event. Instead, he would die and be reborn in the immaterial realm (ARuPYADHATU), where he would not be able to hear the Buddha preach and could not be liberated by his salvific message. Asita urged his nephew NAlaka to renounce the world in anticipation of the future buddha's enlightenment. The boy complied and later attained arhatship after reflecting on the sermon the Buddha delivered to him in the NAlakasutta.

Asrama (Sanskrit) Āśrama [from the verbal root śram to exert oneself spiritually] A sacred building, a monastery or hermitage for ascetic purposes; likewise one of the four periods of effort or inner development in the religious life of a Brahmin in ancient times. These asramas were 1) the student or Brahmacharin; 2) the householder or grihastha, the period of married existence when the Brahmin played his due role in the affairs of the world; 3) the period of religious seclusion or vanaprastha, usually passed in a vana (forest), a period of inner spiritual recollection and meditation on philosophical and religious matters; and 4) the one who has renounced all the distractions of worldly life or bhikshu who has turned his attention wholly to spiritual affairs, although he may have returned to the world of men for purposes of aiding and teaching.

Asrama(Sanskrit) ::: A word derived from the root sram, signifying "to make efforts," "to strive"; with the particlea, which in this case gives force to the verbal root sram. Asrama has at least two main significations. Thefirst is that of a college or school or a hermitage, an abode of ascetics, etc.; whereas the second meaningsignifies a period of effort or striving in the religious life or career of a Brahmana of olden days. Theseperiods of life in ancient times in Hindustan were four in number: the first, that of the student orbrahmacharin; second, the period of life called that of the grihastha or householder -- the period ofmarried existence when the Brahmana took his due part in the affairs of men, etc.; third, the vanaprastha,or period of monastic seclusion, usually passed in a vana, or wood or forest, for purposes of innerrecollection and spiritual meditation; and fourth, that of the bhikshu or religious mendicant, meaning onewho has completely renounced the distractions of worldly life and has turned his attention wholly tospiritual affairs.Brahmasrama. In modern esoteric or occult literature, the compound term Brahmasrama is occasionallyused to signify an initiation chamber or secret room or adytum where the initiant or neophyte is strivingor making efforts to attain union with Brahman or the inner god.

astavimoksa. (P. atthavimokkha; T. rnam par thar pa brgyad; C. ba jietuo; J. hachigedatsu; K. p'al haet'al 八解脱). In Sanskrit, "eight liberations"; referring to a systematic meditation practice for cultivating detachment and ultimately liberation (VIMOKsA). There are eight stages in the attenuation of consciousness that accompany the cultivation of increasingly deeper states of meditative absorption (DHYANA). In the first four dhyAnas of the realm of subtle materiality (RuPAVACARADHYANA), the first three stages entail (1) the perception of materiality (RuPA) in that plane of subtle materiality (S. rupasaMjNin, P. rupasaNNī), (2) the perception of external forms while not perceiving one's own form (S. arupasaMjNin, P. arupasaNNī), and (3) the developing of confidence through contemplating the beautiful (S. subha, P. subha). The next five stages transcend the realm of subtle materiality to take in the four immaterial dhyAnas (ARuPYAVACARADHYANA) and beyond: (4) passing beyond the material plane with the idea of "limitless space," one attains the plane of limitless space (AKAsANANTYAYATANA); (5) passing beyond the plane of limitless space with the idea of "limitless consciousness," one attains the plane of limitless consciousness (VIJNANANANTYAYATANA); (6) passing beyond the plane of limitless consciousness with the idea that "there is nothing," one attains the plane of nothingness (AKINCANYAYATANA); (7) passing beyond the plane of nothingness, one attains the plane of neither perception nor nonperception (NAIVASAMJNANASAMJNAYATANA); and (8) passing beyond the plane of neither perception nor nonperception, one attains the cessation of all perception and sensation (SAMJNAVEDAYITANIRODHA). ¶ The ABHIDHARMASAMUCCAYA and YOGACARABHuMIsASTRA give an explanation of the first three of the eight vimoksas within the larger context of bodhisattvas who compassionately manifest shapes, smells, and so on for the purpose of training others. Bodhisattvas who have reached any of the nine levels (the RuPADHATU, the four subtle-materiality DHYANAs, and four immaterial attainments) engage in this type of practice. In the first vimoksa, they destroy "form outside," i.e., those in the rupadhAtu who have not destroyed attachment to forms (to their own color, shape, smell, and so on) cultivate detachment to the forms they see outside. (Other bodhisattvas who have reached the first dhyAna and so on do this by relaxing their detachment for the duration of the meditation.) In the second vimoksa, they destroy the "form inside," i.e., they cultivate detachment to their own color and shape. (Again, others who have reached the immaterial attainments and have no attachment to their own form relax that detachment for the duration of the meditation.) In the third, they gain control over what they want to believe about forms by meditating on the relative nature of beauty, ugliness, and size. They destroy grasping at anything as having an absolute pleasant or unpleasant identity, and perceive them all as having the same taste as pleasant, or however else they want them to be. These texts finally give an explanation of the remaining five vimoksas, "to loosen the rope of craving for the taste of the immaterial levels."

asubhabhAvanA. (P. asubhabhAvanA; T. mi sdug pa bsgom pa; C. bujing guan; J. fujokan; K. pujong kwan 不淨觀). In Sanskrit, the "contemplation on the impure" or "foul"; a set of traditional topics of meditation (see KAMMAttHANA) that were intended to counter the affliction of lust (RAGA), develop mindfulness (SMṚTI; P. SATI) regarding the body, and lead to full mental absorption (DHYANA). In this form of meditation, "impure" or "foul" is most often used to refer either to a standardized list of thirty-one or thirty-two foul parts of the body or to the various stages in the decay of a corpse. In the case of the latter, for example, the meditator is to observe nine or ten specific types of putrefaction, described in gruesome detail in the Buddhist commentarial literature: mottled discoloration of the corpse (vinīlakasaMjNA), discharges of pus (vipuyakasaMjNA), decaying of rotten flesh (vipadumakasaMjNA), bloating and tumefaction (vyAdhmAtakasaMjNA), the exuding of blood and the overflow of body fluids (vilohitakasaMjNA), infestation of worms and maggots (vikhAditakasaMjNA), the dissolution of flesh and exposure of bones and sinews (viksiptakasaMjNA), the cremated remains (vidagdhakasaMjNA), and the dispersed skeletal parts (asthisaMjNA). The KAyagatAsatisutta of the MAJJIHIMANIKAYA includes the contemplation of the impure within a larger explanation of the contemplation of one's body with mindfulness (KAYANUPAsYANA; see also SMṚTYUPASTHANA); before the stages in the decay of the corpse, it gives the standardized list of thirty-one (sometimes thirty-two) foul parts of the body: the head hairs, body hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, tendons, bones, bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, large intestines, small intestines, gorge, feces, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, skin-oil, saliva, mucus, fluid in the joints, and urine. These parts are chosen specifically because they will be easily visualized, and may have been intended to be the foul opposites of the thirty-two salutary marks of the great man (MAHAPURUsALAKsAnA). The Chinese tradition also uses a contemplation of seven kinds of foulness regarding the human body in order to counter lust and to facilitate detachment. (1) "Foulness in their seeds" (C. zhongzi bujing): human bodies derive from seminal ejaculate and, according to ancient medicine, mother's blood. (2) "Foulness in their conception" (C. shousheng bujing): human bodies are conceived through sexual intercourse. (3) "Foulness in their [gestational] residence" (C. zhuchu bujing): human bodies are conceived and nurtured inside the mother's womb. (4) "Foulness in their nutriments" (C. shidan bujing): human bodies in the prenatal stage live off and "feed on" the mother's blood. (5) "Foulness in their delivery" (C. chusheng bujing): it is amid the mess of delivery, with the discharge of placenta and placental water, that human bodies are born. (6) "Foulness in their entirety" (C. jüti bujing): human bodies are innately impure, comprising of innards, excrement, and other foul things underneath a flimsy skin. (7) "Foulness in their destiny" (C. jiujing bujing): human bodies are destined to die, followed by putrid infestation, decomposition, and utter dissolution. There is also a contemplation on the nine bodily orifices (C. QIAO), which are vividly described as constantly oozing pus, blood, secretions, etc. ¶ As contemplation on foulness deepens, first an eidetic image (S. udgrahanimitta, P. UGGAHANIMITTA), a perfect mental reproduction of the visualized corpse, is maintained steadily in mind; this is ultimately followed by the appearance of the representational image (S. pratibhAganimitta, P. PAtIBHAGANIMITTA), which the VISUDDHIMAGGA (VI.66) describes as a perfectly idealized image of, for example, a bloated corpse as "a man with big limbs lying down after eating his fill." Continued concentration on this representational image will enable the meditator to access up to the fourth stage of the subtle-materiality dhyAnas (ARuPYAVACARADHYANA). After perfecting dhyAna, this meditation may also be used to develop wisdom (PRAJNA) through developing increased awareness of the reality of impermanence (ANITYA). Foulness meditation is ritually included as part of the THERAVADA ordination procedure, during which monks are taught the list of the first five of the thirty-two foul parts of the body (viz., head hair, body hair, nails, teeth, and skin) in order to help them ward off lust.

atapa. (P. atappa; T. mi gdung ba; C. wure; J. munetsu; K. muyol 無熱). In Sanskrit, "not burning" (viz., "cool"), or "without torment" (also seen spelled as atapas, anavatapta); the second of the five pure abodes (sUDDHAVASA), where those who have attained the rank of ANAGAMIN become ARHATs, and the highest level of the fourth meditative realm of subtle materiality (RuPADHATU); it is also the name of the divinities (DEVA) who reside there. As with all the heavens of the realm of subtle materiality, one is reborn as a god there through achieving the same level of concentration (DHYANA) during one's practice of meditation as the gods of that heaven. According to BUDDHAGHOSA, the heaven is called "without torment" because the gods born there torment no one.

A. The first vowel and letter in the Sanskrit alphabet. The phoneme "a" is thought to be the source of all other phonemes and its corresponding letter the origin of all other letters. As the basis of both the Sanskrit phonemic system and the written alphabet, the letter "a" thus comes to be invested with mystical significance as the source of truth, nondifferentiation, and emptiness (suNYATA), or even of the universe as a whole. The PRAJNAPARAMITASARVATATHAGATAMATA-EKAKsARA, the shortest of the perfection of wisdom scriptures, also describes how the entirety of the perfection of wisdom is subsumed by this one letter. The letter in the Sanskrit SIDDHAM alphabet gained special significance within the esoteric Buddhist traditions in Japan (MIKKYo), such as Shingon (see SHINGONSHu), which considered it to be the "seed" (BĪJA) of MAHAVAIROCANA, the central divinity of esoteric Buddhism, and used it in a distinctive type of meditation called AJIKAN ("contemplation of the letter 'a'"). The letter "a," which is said to be originally uncreated (AJI HONPUSHo), is interpreted to be the essence of all phenomena in the universe and the DHARMAKAYA of the buddha MahAvairocana. In the East Asian CHAN traditions, the letter "a" is also sometimes understood to represent the buddha-nature (FOXING, S. BUDDHADHATU) of all sentient beings.

atmanusandhana. :::constancy in the Self; ::: the cultivation of equanimity in the Self; unwavering, perpetual meditation

AtthakanAgarasutta. (C. Bacheng jing; J. Hachijokyo; K. P'alsong kyong 八城經). In PAli, "Discourse to the Man from Atthaka"; the fifty-second sutta in the MAJJHIMANIKAYA (a separate SARVASTIVADA recension appears as SuTRA no. 217 in the Chinese translation of the MADHYAMAGAMA); preached by the Buddha's attendant ANANDA to the householder Dasaka of Atthaka at BeluvagAmaka near VesAlī (VAIsALĪ). According to the PAli recension, a merchant from the town (nAgara) of Atthaka named Dasaka approaches Ananda and asks him if there was any one thing that could lead to liberation from bondage. Ananda teaches him the eleven doors of the deathless, by means of which it is possible to attain liberation from bondage. These doors are made up of the four meditative absorptions (JHANA; S. DHYANA), the four BRAHMAVIHARA meditations, and the three immaterial meditations of infinite space (AKAsANANTYAYATANA), infinite consciousness (VIJNANANANTYAYATANA), and nothing-whatsoever (AKINCANYAYATANA). Ananda states that by contemplating the conditioned and impermanent nature of these eleven doors to liberation, one can attain arhatship (see ARHAT) in this life or short of that will attain the stage of a nonreturner (ANAGAMIN), who is destined to be reborn in the pure abodes (sUDDHAVASA), whence he will attain arhatship and final liberation.

Aum (Sanskrit) Aum The ancient Indians held that Om, when considered as a single letter was the symbol of the Supreme; when written with three letters — Aum — it stood among other things for the three Vedas, the three gunas or qualities of nature, the three divisions of the universe, and the deities of the Hindu Trimurti — Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva — concerned in the creation, preservation, and destruction of the universe or the beings composing it. “The mystic formula, résumé of every science, contained in the three mysterious letters, AUM which signify creation, conservation, and transformation” (IU 2:31). These three letters are supposed by some Hindus to have correspondences as follows: “The letter A is the Sattva Guna, U is the Rajas, and M is the Tamas; these three qualities are termed Nature (Prakriti). . . . A is Bhurloka, U is Bhuvarloka, and M is Svarloka; by these three letters the spirit exhibits itself” (Laheri in Lucifer 10:147). This word is said to have a morally spiritualizing effect if pronounced during meditation and when the mind is at peace and cleansed of all impurities. See also OM

Avalokitesvara. (T. Spyan ras gzigs; C. Guanshiyin/Guanyin; J. Kanzeon/Kannon; K. Kwanseŭm/Kwanŭm 觀世音/觀音). In Sanskrit, "Lord who Looks Down [in Empathy]"; the BODHISATTVA of compassion, the most widely worshipped of the MAHAYANA bodhisattvas and one of the earliest to appear in Buddhist literature. According to legend, Avalokitesvara was produced from a beam of light that radiated from the forehead of AMITABHA while that buddha was deep in meditation. For this reason, Buddhist iconography often depicts AmitAbha as embedded in Avalokitesvara's crown. His name dates back to the beginning of the Common Era, when he replaced the Vedic god BRAHMA as the attendant to sAKYAMUNI Buddha, inheriting in turn BrahmA's attribute of the lotus (PADMA). Images of Avalokitesvara as PADMAPAnI LOKEsVARA ("Lord with a Lotus in his Hand"), an early name, are numerous. Avalokitesvara is the interlocutor or main figure in numerous important MahAyAna sutras, including the PRAJNAPARAMITAHṚDAYASuTRA ("Heart Sutra"). His cult was introduced to China in the first century CE, where his name was translated as Guanshiyin ("Perceiver of the Sounds of the World") or GUANYIN ("Perceiver of Sounds"); his cult entered Korea and Japan with the advent of Buddhism in those countries. Avalokitesvara was once worshipped widely in Southeast Asia as well, beginning at the end of the first millennium CE. Although the MahAyAna tradition eventually faded from the region, images of Avalokitesvara remain. Avalokitesvara is also the patron deity of Tibet, where he is said to have taken the form of a monkey and mated with TARA in the form of a local demoness to produce the Tibetan race. Tibetan political and religious leaders have been identified as incarnations of him, such as the seventh-century king SRONG BTSAN SGAM PO (although that attribution was most likely a later addition to the king's legacy) and, notably, the DALAI LAMAs. The PO TA LA Palace, the residence of the Dalai Lamas, in the Tibetan capital of LHA SA is named for Avalokitesvara's abode on Mount POTALAKA in India. In China, Avalokitesvara as Guanyin underwent a transformation in gender into a popular female bodhisattva, although the male iconographic form also persists throughout East Asia. PUTUOSHAN, located off the east coast of China south of Shanghai, is said to be Potalaka. Avalokitesvara is generally depicted in the full raiments of a bodhisattva, often with an image of AmitAbha in his crown. He appears in numerous forms, among them the two-armed PadmapAni who stands and holds a lotus flower; the four-armed seated Avalokitesvara, known either as Caturbhuja Avalokitesvara [CaturbhujAvalokitesvara] or CintAmani Avalokitesvara [CintAmanyavalokitesvara], who holds the wish-fulfilling jewel (CINTAMAnI) with his central hands in ANJALIMUDRA, and a lotus and crystal rosary in his left and right hands, respectively; the eleven-armed, eleven-faced EKADAsAMUKHA; and the thousand-armed and thousand-headed SAHASRABHUJASAHASRANETRAVALOKITEsVARA (q.v. MAHAKARUnIKA). Tradition holds that his head split into multiple skulls when he beheld the suffering of the world. Numerous other forms also exist in which the god has three or more heads, and any number of arms. In his wrathful form as AstabhayatrAnAvalokitesvara (T. Spyan ras gzigs 'jigs pa brgyad skyob), "Avalokitesvara who Protects against the Eight Fears," the bodhisattva stands in ARDHAPARYAnKA ("half cross-legged posture") and has one face and eight hands, each of which holds a symbol of one of the eight fears. This name is also given to eight separate forms of Avalokitesvara that are each dedicated to protecting from one of the eight fears, namely: AgnibhayatrAnAvalokitesvara ("Avalokitesvara Who Protects from Fear of Fire") and so on, replacing fire with Jala (water), SiMha (lion), Hasti (elephant), Danda (cudgel), NAga (snake), dAkinī (witch) [alt. PisAcī]; and Cora (thief). In addition to his common iconographic characteristic, the lotus flower, Avalokitesvara also frequently holds, among other accoutrements, a jeweled rosary (JAPAMALA) given to him by Aksamati (as related in chapter twenty-five of the SADDHARMAPUndARĪKASuTRA), or a vase. In East Asia, Avalokitesvara often appears in a triad: the buddha AmitAbha in the center, flanked to his left and right by his two bodhisattva attendants, Avalokitesvara and MAHASTHAMAPRAPTA, respectively. In Tibet, Avalokitesvara is part of a popular triad with VAJRAPAnI and MANJUsRĪ. As one of the AstAMAHOPAPUTRA, Avalokitesvara also appears with the other bodhisattvas in group representation. The tantric deity AMOGHAPAsA is also a form of Avalokitesvara. The famous mantra of Avalokitesvara, OM MAnI PADME HuM, is widely recited in the MahAyAna traditions and nearly universally in Tibetan Buddhism. In addition to the twenty-fifth chapter of the Saddharmapundarīkasutra, the KARAndAVYuHA is also devoted to him. See also BAIYI GUANYIN; GUANYIN; MIAOSHAN; MAnI BKA' 'BUM.

avijNaptirupa. (T. rnam par rig byed ma yin pa'i gzugs; C. wubiaose; J. muhyojiki; K. mup'yosaek 無表色). In Sanskrit, "unmanifest material force," or "hidden imprints"; a special type of materiality (RuPA) recognized in the SARVASTIVADA school of ABHIDHARMA, especially. The SarvAstivAda school notably makes recourse to this unique type of materiality as one way of reconciling the apparent contradiction in Buddhism between advocating the efficacy of moral cause and effect and rejecting any notion of an underlying substratum of being (ANATMAN), as well as issues raised by the teaching of momentariness (KsAnIKAVADA). When a person forms the intention (CETANA) to perform an action (KARMAN), whether wholesome (KUsALA) or unwholesome (AKUsALA), that intention creates an "unmanifest" type of materiality that imprints itself on the person as either bodily or verbal information, until such time as the action is actually performed via body or speech. Unmanifest materiality is thus the "glue" that connects the intention that initiates action with the physical act itself. Unmanifest material force can be a product of both wholesome and unwholesome intentions, but it is most commonly associated in SarvAstivAda literature with three types of restraint (SAMVARA) against the unwholesome specifically: (1) the restraint proffered to a monk or nun when he or she accepts the disciplinary rules of the order (PRATIMOKsASAMVARA); (2) the restraint that is produced through mental absorption (dhyAnajasaMvara); and (3) the restraint that derives from being free from the contaminants (anAsravasaMvara). In all three cases, the unmanifest material force creates an invisible and impalpable force field that helps to protect the monk or nun from unwholesome action. PrAtimoksasaMvara, for example, creates a special kind of force that dissuades people from unwholesome activity, even when they are not consciously aware they are following the precepts or when they are asleep. This specific type of restraint is what makes a man a monk, since just wearing robes or following an ascetic way of life would not itself be enough to instill in him the protective power offered by the PRATIMOKsA. Meditation was also thought to confer on the monk protective power against physical harm while he was absorbed in DHYANA: the literature abounds with stories of monks who saw tiger tracks all around them after withdrawing from dhyAna, thus suggesting that dhyAna itself provided a protective shield against accident or injury. Finally, anAsravasaMvara is the restraint that precludes someone who has achieved the extinction of the outflows (ASRAVA)-that is, enlightenment-from committing any action (KARMAN) that would produce a karmic result (VIPAKA), thus ensuring that their remaining actions in this life do not lead to any additional rebirths. Because avijNaptirupa sounds as much like a force as a type of matter, later authors, such as HARIVARMAN in his TATTVASIDDHI, instead listed it among the "conditioned forces dissociated from thought" (CITTAVIPRAYUKTASAMSKARA).

avṛha. (P. aviha; T. mi che ba; C. wufan tian; J. mubonten; K. mubon ch'on 無煩天). In Sanskrit, "free from afflictions"; the name of the fifth highest of the eight heavens of the fourth concentration (DHYANA) of the realm of subtle materiality (RuPADHATU), and one of the five heavens within the fourth dhyAna that constitute the sUDDHAVASA, the "pure abodes," where those who have attained the rank of ANAGAMIN become ARHATs. As with all the heavens of the realm of subtle materiality, one is reborn as a divinity there through achieving the same level of concentration (dhyAna) as the gods of that heaven during one's previous practice of meditation.

Ba Khin, U. (1899-1971). Influential lay Burmese teacher of insight meditation (S. VIPAsYANA; P. VIPASSANA). Born to a working-class family in Rangoon, U Ba Khin was educated in Christian middle and high schools. Married with six children, he began his career as a government clerk during the British colonial period, later becoming accountant general of independent Burma. He began practicing vipassanA in 1937 under the guidance of Saya Thet Gyi, a lay meditation teacher and disciple of the Burmese monk LEDI SAYADAW. He explored several styles of tranquility (P. samatha, S. sAMATHA) and insight meditation and eventually developed his own technique of vipassanA by drawing on his own experiences. The method he devised focuses on physical sensations (VEDANA), beginning at the crown of the head and continuing throughout the body; his approach is considered to be especially effective in producing states of deep concentration (SAMADHI). In 1941, U Ba Khin met the famous meditation teacher Webu Sayadaw, who encouraged him to teach his meditation technique to others. He began teaching small groups informally and eventually, while accountant general, taught vipassanA to his staff. Under his influence, the government of Burma instituted a policy of encouraging civil servants to practice meditation as part of their daily routine. In 1952, U Ba Khin established the International Meditation Centre in Rangoon, where he taught meditation and began holding intensive ten-day vipassanA retreats on a regular basis. After his retirement from government service in 1953, he devoted all of his time to promoting vipassanA practice. He also played an active role in the sixth Buddhist council (see COUNCIL, SIXTH), held in Rangoon from 1954-1956. His style of vipassanA is one of the most widely disseminated techniques internationally, and his disciples include such well-known meditation teachers as S. N. Goenka.

Bakkula. [alt. Nakula; Vakula; etc.] (P. Bakkula; T. Ba ku la; C. Bojuluo; J. Hakukura; K. Pakkura 薄拘羅). Sanskrit and PAi name of an ARHAT disciple of the Buddha, who became an arhat only eight days after ordaining at the age of eighty. The Buddha declared him to be foremost among those who enjoyed good health, and also one of the four monks most proficient in superknowledges (ABHIJNA), supernatural powers that are the by-products of meditation. ¶ Bakkula is also traditionally listed as fifth (or, in Tibetan, ninth) of the sixteen arhat elders (sOdAsASTHAVIRA), who are charged by the Buddha with protecting his dispensation until the advent of the next buddha, MAITREYA. He is said to reside in JAMBUDVĪPA with eight hundred disciples. According to the East Asian tradition, Bakkula was a fierce warrior. After he ordained, the Buddha calmed him by making him sit in meditation, whence he became known as the "Quietly Sitting Arhat" (Jingzuo Luohan). Bakkula may be the arhat known by the epithet of Kundovahan (Holder of the Mongoose; C. Juntoupohan) referred to in the sAriputraparipṛcchA ("Sutra of sAriputra's Questions"). In Tibetan iconography he holds a mongoose (nakula) spitting out jewels; East Asian images have him seated in a chair holding a mongoose, sometimes accompanied by a beggar child. In CHANYUE GUANXIU's standard Chinese depiction, Bakkula is shown sitting cross-legged on a rock, with both hands holding a backscratcher over his left shoulder. In Tibetan Buddhism, Bakkula (or Bakula) is the first figure in an important incarnation (SPRUL SKU) lineage of the DGE LUGS sect. The nineteenth Bakula Rinpoche (1917-2003) served in the Indian parliament and as the Indian ambassador to Mongolia. Bakkula is alternatively known in Sanskrit as Bakula, Vakkula, Vakula, Vatkula (cf. P. BAkula; Vakkula).

Bala (Sanskrit) Bala Power, strength, might, vigor (cf Latin valor); one of the six functions of action, similar to the ten karmendriya (karmic energies) of Buddhism. In yoga practice the five powers (panchabalani) to be acquired are: complete trust or faith, energy, memory, meditation, and wisdom.

Baojing sanmei. (J. Hokyo sanmai/zanmai; K. Pogyong sammae 寶鏡三昧). In Chinese, "Jeweled-Mirror SAMADHI"; a definitive poem on enlightenment and practice from the standpoint of the Chinese CAODONG ZONG; otherwise known as the Baojing sanmei ge, or "GATHA of the Jeweled-Mirror SamAdhi." This lengthy Chinese song is attributed to the Chan master DONGSHAN LIANGJIE and, along with the CANTONG QI, is revered in the Chinese Caodong and Japanese SoTo schools of CHAN and ZEN as the foundational scripture of their tradition. Although the song is traditionally attributed to Dongshan, a number of sources note that Dongshan secretly received this song from his teacher Yunyan Tansheng (780-841), and Dongshan in turn transmitted it to his head disciple CAOSHAN BENJI. The earliest version of this song appears in the entry on Caoshan in the CHANLIN SENGBAO ZHUAN, written in 1123. The Baojing sanmei emphasizes the "inherent enlightenment" (BENJUE; cf. HONGAKU) of sentient beings and the futility of seeking that enlightenment through conscious reflection. Instead, the song urges its audience to allow one's inherently pure enlightened nature to "silently illuminate" itself through meditation (MOZHAO CHAN), as the Buddha did under the BODHI TREE. Numerous commentaries on this song are extant.

baojuan. (寶巻). In Chinese, "precious scrolls" or "treasure scrolls"; a genre of scripture produced mainly by popular religious sects with Buddhist orientations during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The baojuan are believed to have been divinely revealed to select beings who often became the leaders of these new religious movements (see also T. GTER MA). The earliest extant baojuan, which focuses on the worship of MAITREYA, the future buddha, is dated 1430, shortly after the fall of the Yuan dynasty. Lo Qing (1442-1527), a lay Buddhist, founded the Wuwei jiao ("Teachings of Noninterference"), for instance, for which he produced "five books and six volumes" of baojuan. Precious scrolls seem to share certain mythological elements, such as a new cosmogony of both the creation and demise of the world. Many of them also expound a new soteriology based on CHAN meditation and Daoist alchemy. The baojuan genre seems to be an evolutionary development from the earlier Buddhist vernacular narrative known as "transformation texts" (BIANWEN). Like bianwen, the baojuan were also employed for both popular entertainment and religious propagation.

Bardo (Tibetan) [from bar between + do two] Between two; generally a gap, interval, or intermediate state, especially the state between two births. The term has become known in the West through the Bar do thos sgrol (bar-do tho-dol), “Liberation through Hearing in the Bardo,” translated by W. Y. Evans-Wentz as The Tibetan Book of the Dead. According to the Bardo Thodol, there are six such “intervals”: the bardo of birth, the bardo of dreams, the bardo of samadhi (meditation), the bardo of the moment before death, the bardo of dharmata, and the bardo of becoming. The Bardo Thodol describes the last three of these, and is recited in the presence of the deceased believed to be experiencing these states, usually for a total period of 49 days. It is believed that the teaching contained in the text can enable the deceased to attain liberation while in the bardo states, or at least to attain the best possible rebirth.

Bendoho. (辨道法). In Japanese, "Techniques for Pursuing the Way"; a work devoted to the rules of the SAMGHA hall (see C. SENGTANG), written by DoGEN KIGEN. Primarily during his stays at the monasteries Daibutsuji and EIHEIJI, Dogen wrote a number of related manuals on monastic rules (C. QINGGUI), of which the Bendoho is perhaps most important. These manuals, including the Bendoho, were later collected and published together as a single text known as the EIHEI SHINGI. Dogen modeled his regulations after those found in an earlier code of monastic rules produced in China, the CHANYUAN QINGGUI. The Bendoho was therefore heavily influenced by the Chinese Chan master CHANGLU ZONGZE's manual of meditation, ZUOCHAN YI, which was embedded in the Chanyuan qinggui. The text includes guidelines for all of the activities of the saMgha hall, from sitting, walking, sleeping, and cleaning to the practice of seated meditation (J. zazen; C. ZUOCHAN). The Bendoho also contains a version of Dogen's FUKAN ZAZENGI.

Bendowa. (辨道話). In Japanese, "A Talk on Pursuing the Way"; a short essay written in vernacular Japanese by the SoTo ZEN monk DoGEN KIGEN in 1231. Dogen's earliest extant work, the Bendowa contains a brief description of the orthodox transmission to the East of the "true dharma" (shobo; S. SADDHARMA) of the Buddha and also a succinct explanation of Zen in a series of eighteen questions and answers. The Bendowa was later incorporated into Dogen's magnum opus, the SHoBoGENZo. The teachings on Zen meditation found in the Bendowa are similar to those of Dogen's FUKAN ZAZENGI.

benlai mianmu. (J. honrai no menmoku; K. pollae myonmok 本來面目). In Chinese, "original face"; an expression used in the CHAN school to describe the inherent state of enlightenment and often synonymous with buddha-nature (BUDDHADHATU; C. FOXING). The term is best known in the GONG'AN attributed by the tradition to the sixth patriarch (LIUZU) HUINENG (638-713), "Not thinking of good, not thinking of evil, at this very moment, what is your original face before your parents conceived you?" (The last line is often found translated as "what is your original face before your parents were born," but the previous rendering is preferred.) This gong'an is often one of the first given to RINZAI ZEN neophytes in Japan as part of their meditation training; the term, however, does not appear in the earlier DUNHUANG version of the LIUZU TAN JING ("Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch"), but only in later Song-dynasty recensions, suggesting it is actually a Song-period locution.

Bhadra. (P. Bhadda; T. Bzang po; C. Batuoluo zunzhe; J. Batsudara sonja; K. Palt'ara chonja 跋陀羅尊者). The Sanskrit name of the sixth of the sixteen ARHAT elders (sOdAsASTHAVIRA), who are charged by the Buddha with protecting his dispensation until the advent of the next buddha, MAITREYA. He is said to reside in Sri Lanka with nine hundred disciples. His mother gave birth to him under the bhadra (auspicious) tree, hence his name. A cousin of the Buddha, he served as his attendant and was famed for his clear exposition of the teachings. In the Chinese tradition, he is charged with matters related to bathing and his image is therefore enshrined in bath houses in some mountain monasteries. In CHANYUE GUANXIU's standard Chinese depiction, Bhadra typically sits on a rock in meditation. His forehead is high, his cheeks plump, and his gaze is turned slightly upward. His right hand is hidden under his robes and his left hand rests on his knee, holding prayer beads (JAPAMALA). Some East Asian images also show him accompanied by a tiger. In Tibetan iconography, he holds his left hand at his chest in VITARKAMUDRA, his right at his lap in DHYANAMUDRA.

Bhakti: (Skr. division, share) Fervent, loving devotion to the object of contemplation or the divine being itself, the almost universally recognized feeling approach to the highest reality, in contrast to vidya (s.v.) or jnana (s.v.), sanctioned by Indian philosophy and productive of a voluminous literature in which the names of Ramamanda, Vallabha, Nanak, Caitanya, and Tulsi Das are outstanding. It is distinguished as apara (lower) and para (higher) bhakti, the former theistic piety, the latter philosophic meditation on the unmanifest brahman (cf. avyakta). -- K.F.L.

Bhallika. (T. Bzang pa; C. Boli; J. Hari; K. P'ari 波利). In Sanskrit and PAli, one of the two merchants (together with his brother TRAPUsA, P. Tapussa) who became the first lay Buddhists (UPASAKA). Following his enlightenment, the Buddha remained in the vicinity of the BODHI TREE. In the seventh week, he went to the RAjAyatana tree to continue his meditation. Two merchants, Bhallika and his older brother Trapusa, who were leading a large trading caravan with five hundred carts, saw him there and, realizing that he had not eaten for weeks (as many as eight weeks, in some accounts), offered the Buddha sweet rice cakes with butter and honey. In response to their act of charity (DANA), the Buddha spoke with them informally and gave them the Buddha and dharma refuges (sARAnA) (the SAMGHA had not yet been created), making them the first lay Buddhists. The Buddha is said to have given the two brothers eight strands of hair from his head, which they took back to their homeland and interred for worship as relics (sARĪRA) in a STuPA. According to Mon-Burmese legend, Tapussa and Bhallika were Mon natives, and their homeland of Ukkala was a place also called Dagon in the Mon homeland of RAmaNNa in lower Burma. The stupa they constructed at Ukkala/Dagon, which was the first shrine in the world to be erected over relics of the present buddha, was to be enlarged and embellished over the centuries to become, eventually, the golden SHWEDAGON PAGODA of Rangoon. Because of the preeminence of this shrine, some Burmese chroniclers date the first introduction of Buddhism among the Mon in RAmaNNa to Tapussa and Bhallika's time. Bhallika eventually ordained and became an ARHAT; Trapusa achieved the stage of stream-enterer (SROTAAPANNA). The merchants were also the subject of a Chinese apocryphal text, the TIWEI [BOLI] JING, written c. 460-464, which praises the value of the lay practices of giving and of keeping the five precepts (PANCAsĪLA).

BhAvanAkrama. (T. Sgom rim). In Sanskrit, "Stages of Meditation," the title of three separate but related works by the late-eighth century Indian master KAMALAsĪLA. During the reign of the Tibetan king KHRI SRONG LDE BTSAN at the end of the eighth century, there were two Buddhist factions at court, a Chinese faction led by the Northern Chan (BEI ZONG) monk Heshang Moheyan (MahAyAna) and an Indian faction of the recently deceased sANTARAKsITA, who with the king and PADMASAMBHAVA had founded the first Tibetan monastery at BSAM YAS (Samye). According to traditional accounts, sAntaraksita foretold of dangers and left instructions in his will that his student Kamalasīla should be summoned from India. A conflict seems to have developed between the Indian and Chinese partisans (and their allies in the Tibetan court) over the question of the nature of enlightenment, with the Indians holding that enlightenment takes place as the culmination of a gradual process of purification, the result of perfecting morality (sĪLA), concentration (SAMADHI), and wisdom (PRAJNA). The Chinese spoke against this view, holding that enlightenment was the intrinsic nature of the mind rather than the goal of a protracted path, such that one need simply to recognize the presence of this innate nature of enlightenment by entering a state of awareness beyond distinctions; all other practices were superfluous. According to both Chinese and Tibetan records, a debate was held between Kamalasīla and Moheyan at Bsam yas, circa 797, with the king himself serving as judge (see BSAM YAS DEBATE). According to Tibetan reports (contradicted by the Chinese accounts), Kamalasīla was declared the winner and Moheyan and his party banished from Tibet, with the king proclaiming that thereafter the MADHYAMAKA school of Indian Buddhist philosophy (to which sAntaraksita and Kamalasīla belonged) would have pride of place in Tibet. ¶ According to Tibetan accounts, after the conclusion of the debate, the king requested that Kamalasīla compose works that presented his view, and in response, Kamalasīla composed the three BhAvanAkrama. There is considerable overlap among the three works. All three are germane to the issues raised in the debate, although whether all three were composed in Tibet is not established with certainty; only the third, and briefest of the three, directly considers, and refutes, the view of "no mental activity" (amanasikAra, cf. WUNIAN), which is associated with Moheyan. The three texts set forth the process for the potential BODHISATTVA to cultivate BODHICITTA and then develop sAMATHA and VIPAsYANA and progress through the bodhisattva stages (BHuMI) to buddhahood. The cultivation of vipasyanA requires the use of both scripture (AGAMA) and reasoning (YUKTI) to understand emptiness (suNYATA); in the first BhAvanAkrama, Kamalasīla sets forth the three forms of wisdom (prajNA): the wisdom derived from learning (sRUTAMAYĪPRAJNA), the wisdom derived from reflection (CINTAMAYĪPRAJNA), and the wisdom derived from cultivation (BHAVANAMAYĪPRAJNA), explaining that the last of these gradually destroys the afflictive obstructions (KLEsAVARAnA) and the obstructions to omniscience (JNEYAVARAnA). The second BhAvanAkrama considers many of these same topics, stressing that the achievement of the fruition of buddhahood requires the necessary causes, in the form of the collection of merit (PUnYASAMBHARA) and the collection of wisdom (JNANASAMBHARA). Both the first and second works espouse the doctrine of mind-only (CITTAMATRA); it is on the basis of these and other statements that Tibetan doxographers classified Kamalasīla as a YOGACARA-SVATANTRIKA-MADHYAMAKA. The third and briefest of the BhAvanAkrama is devoted especially to the topics of samatha and vipasyanA, how each is cultivated, and how they are ultimately unified. Kamalasīla argues that analysis (VICARA) into the lack of self (ATMAN) in both persons (PUDGALA) and phenomena (DHARMA) is required to arrive at a nonconceptual state of awareness. The three texts are widely cited in later Tibetan Buddhist literature, especially on the process for developing samatha and vipasyanA.

bhAvanAmArga. (T. sgom lam; C. xiudao; J. shudo; K. sudo 修道). In Sanskrit, "the path of cultivation" or "path of meditation"; the fourth of the five stages of the path (MARGA) in the SARVASTIVADA soteriological system (also adopted in the MAHAYANA), which follows the path of vision or insight (DARsANAMARGA) and precedes the adept path where no further training is necessary (AsAIKsAMARGA). In the SarvAstivAda path schema, the path of vision consists of fifteen thought-moments, with a subsequent sixteenth moment marking the beginning of the path of cultivation (BHAVANAMARGA). This sixteenth moment, that of subsequent knowledge (ANVAYAJNANA) of the truth of the path (mArga), is, in effect, the knowledge that all of the afflictions (KLEsA) of both the subtle-materiality realm (RuPADHATU) and the immaterial realm (ARuPYADHATU) that are associated with the FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS have been abandoned. As a result, the meditator destroys all causes for future rebirth as an animal, ghost, or hell denizen, but is not liberated from rebirth altogether and may still be reborn as a human or divinity. The more deeply rooted afflictions are destroyed over the course of the path of cultivation. For each of the nine levels of the three realms of rebirth-the sensuous realm (with one level), the realm of subtle materiality (with four levels), and the immaterial realm (with four levels)-there are nine levels of afflictions (KLEsA), from the most coarse to the most insidious, making eighty-one levels of affliction to be destroyed. As was the case with the path of vision, these defilements must be destroyed in a two-step process: the actual destruction of the particular affliction and the knowledge that it has been destroyed. There are therefore 162 "moments" of the abandoning of afflictions. This process, which takes place over the course of the path of cultivation, may occur over several lifetimes. However, when the 162nd stage is reached, and the subtlest of the subtle afflictions associated with the ninth level-that is, the fourth absorption of the immaterial realm-has been abandoned, the adept is then liberated from rebirth. The bhAvanAmArga is one of the "paths of the nobles" (ARYAMARGA) and one on this stage is immune to any possibility of retrogression and is assured of eventually achieving NIRVAnA. Reference is also sometimes made to the mundane path of cultivation (LAUKIKA-bhAvanAmArga), which refers to the three trainings (TRIsIKsA) in morality (sĪLA), concentration (SAMADHI), and wisdom (PRAJNA) as they are developed before the first of the three fetters (SAMYOJANA) is eradicated and insight achieved. In the MahAyAna path system, with variations between YOGACARA and MADHYAMAKA, the bhAvanAmArga is the period in which the BODHISATTVA proceeds through the ten BHuMIs and destroys the afflictive obstructions (KLEsAVARAnA) and the obstructions to omniscience (JNEYAVARAnA).

bhAvanAmayīprajNA. (P. bhAvanAmayapaA; T. bsgoms pa las byung ba'i shes rab; C. xiuhui; J. shue; K. suhye 修慧). In Sanskrit, lit. "wisdom generated by cultivation"; often translated as "wisdom derived from meditation"; the third of the three types of wisdom, together with sRUTAMAYĪPRAJNA (wisdom derived from what is heard, viz., learning) and CINTAMAYĪPRAJNA (wisdom derived from reflection or analysis). Although the general understanding is that this third and final manifestation of wisdom comes after, and is largely dependent on, the previous two types, bhAvanAmayīprajNA is considered to be the highest of these three because it is the culmination of one's efforts to cultivate the path (MARGA) and the product of direct spiritual experience. This third type of wisdom is a form of VIPAsYANA, an understanding of reality at the level of sAMATHA-profound concentration coupled with tranquility.

bhAvanA. (T. sgom pa; C. xiuxi; J. shuju; K. susŭp 修習). In Sanskrit and PAli, "cultivation" (lit. "bringing into being"); a Sanskrit term commonly translated into English as "meditation." It is derived from the root √bhu, "to be" or "to become," and has a wide range of meanings including cultivating, producing, manifesting, imagining, suffusing, and reflecting. It is in the first sense, that of cultivation, that the term is used to mean the sustained development of particular states of mind. However, bhAvanA in Buddhism can include studying doctrine, memorizing sutras, and chanting verses to ward off evil spirits. The term thus refers broadly to the full range of Buddhist spiritual culture, embracing the "bringing into being" (viz., cultivating) of such generic aspects of training as the path (MARGA), specific spiritual exercises (e.g., loving-kindness, or MAITRĪ), or even a general mental attitude, such as virtuous (KUsALA) states of mind. The term is also used in the specific sense of a "path of cultivation" (BHAVANAMARGA), which "brings into being" the insights of the preceding path of vision (DARsANAMARGA). Hence, bhAvanA entails all the various sorts of cultivation that an adept must undertake in order to enhance meditation, improve its efficacy, and "bring it into being." More specifically as "meditation," two general types of meditation are sometimes distinguished in the commentarial literature: stabilizing meditation (sAMATHA) in which the mind focuses with one-pointedness on an object in an effort to expand the powers of concentration; and analytical meditation (VIPAsYANA), in which the meditator conceptually investigates a topic in order to develop insight into it.

biguan. (J. hekikan; K. pyokkwan 壁觀). In Chinese, "wall contemplation" or "wall gazing"; a type of meditative practice reputedly practiced by the putative founder of the CHAN school, the Indian monk BODHIDHARMA, whom legend says spent nine years in wall contemplation in a small cave near the monastery SHAOLINSI on SONGSHAN. This practice is explained as a meditation that entails "pacifying the mind" (ANXIN) and is the putative origin of contemplative practice in the CHAN school. Despite the prestige the term carries within the Chan tradition because of its association with Bodhidharma, precisely what "wall contemplation" means has remained fraught with controversy since early in the school's history. Two of the more commonly accepted explanations are that the practitioner renders his or her mind and body silent and still like a wall, or that the mind is "walled in" and kept isolated from sensory disturbance. Some scholars have suggested that the term might actually be a combination of a transcription bi and a translation kuan, both referring to VIPAsYANA (insight) practice, but this theory is difficult to reconcile with the historical phonology of the Sinograph bi. Tibetan translations subsequently interpret biguan as "abiding in luminosity" (lham mer gnas), a gloss that may have tantric implications. Whatever its actual practice, the image of Bodhidharma sitting in a cross-legged meditative posture while facing a wall becomes one of the most frequent subjects of Chan painting.

bīja. (T. sa bon; C. zhongzi; J. shuji; K. chongja 種子). In Sanskrit, "seed," a term used metaphorically in two important contexts: (1) in the theory of KARMAN, an action is said to plant a "seed" or "potentiality" in the mind, where it will reside until it fructifies as a future experience or is destroyed by wisdom; (2) in tantric literature, many deities are said to have a "seed syllable" or seed MANTRA that is visualized and recited in liturgy and meditation in order to invoke the deity. In the Chinese FAXIANG (YOGACARA) school, based on similar lists found in Indian Buddhist texts like the MAHAYANASAMGRAHA, a supplement to the YOGACARABHuMI, various lists of two different types of seeds are mentioned. (1) The primordial seeds (BENYOU ZHONGZI) and the continuously (lit. newly) acquired seeds (XINXUN ZHONGZI). The former are present in the eighth "storehouse consciousness" (ALAYAVIJNANA) since time immemorial, and are responsible for giving rise to a sentient being's basic faculties, such as the sensory organs (INDRIYA) and the aggregates (SKANDHA). The latter are acquired through the activities and sense impressions of the other seven consciousnesses (VIJNANA), and are stored within the eighth storehouse consciousness as pure, impure, or indeterminate seeds that may become activated again once the right conditions are in place for it to fructify. (2) Tainted seeds (youlou zhongzi) and untainted seeds (wulou zhongzi). The former are sowed whenever unenlightened activities of body, speech, and mind and the contaminants (ASRAVA) of mental defilements take place. The latter are associated with enlightened activities that do not generate such contaminants. In all cases, "full emergence" (SAMUDACARA, C. xiangxing) refers to the sprouting of those seeds as fully realized action. ¶ In tantric Buddhism the buddha field (BUDDHAKsETRA) is represented as a MAndALA with its inhabitant deities (DEVATA). The sonic source of the mandala and the deities that inhabit it is a "seed syllable" (bīja). In tantric practices (VIDHI; SADHANA) the meditator imagines the seed syllable emerging from the expanse of reality, usually on a lotus flower. The seed syllable is then visualized as transforming into the mandala and its divine inhabitants, each of which often has its own seed syllable. At the end of the ritual, the process is reversed and collapsed back into the seed syllable that then dissolves back into the nondual original expanse. Seed syllables in tantric Buddhism are connected with DHARAnĪ, mnemonic codes widespread in MahAyAna sutras that consist of strings of letters, often the first letter of profound terms or topics. These strings of letters in the dhAranĪ anticipate the MANTRAs found in tantric ritual practices. The tantric "seed syllable" is thought to contain the essence of the mantra, the letters of which are visualized as standing upright in a circle around the seed syllable from which the letters emerge and to which they return.

bindu. (T. thig le). In Sanskrit, "drop," as in the title of Buddhist texts like DHARMAKĪRTI's NYAYABINDU ("Drop of Reasoning"). In Buddhist tantra, bindu is BODHICITTA, seminal fluids in the ordinary sense, and in an extraordinary sense the seed of the illusory world and enlightenment; in this tantric sense, bindu is either red (from the female) or white (from the male). A second meaning of bindu found widely in tantric literature in Tibet, and in the RNYING MA sect in particular, is in words like thig le chen po (great circle) and thig le nyag chig (single circle, single sphere), words for the primordial basis: the natural state of the mind as empty, creative, and a state of great bliss both in ordinary beings, and as the DHARMAKAYA at the time of enlightenment. This bindu is understood as including all phenomena, in a causal sense, and as their essence. According to tantric physiology, the bindu resides in the channels (NAdĪ) and is the source of bliss when manipulated in meditation practice through the control of the energies (PRAnA). Iconographically, it is represented as a curved line on the top of the circular symbol placed on the top of letters to represent the nasalization of vowels (anusvAra).

Binglingsi. (J. Heireiji; K. Pyongnyongsa 炳靈寺). In Chinese, "Bright and Numinous Monastery"; site of a Buddhist cave complex, located fifty miles outside Lanzhou, the capital of the present-day Chinese province of Gansu, and accessible only by boat. The complex contains 183 caves with 694 stone and eighty-two clay statues. Binglingsi, along with MAIJISHAN, developed under the patronage of the Qifu rulers of the Western Qin dynasty (385-43). The carving of Buddhist caves at Binglingsi may have started as early as the late fourth century; however, the earliest inscription was found in cave 169 and is dated 420. Two novel features can be found in cave 169. One is the stylistic link of some of its sculptures with the Buddhist art of KHOTAN on the southern SILK ROAD. For example, five seated buddhas in niche 23 inside the cave are attired in their monastic robes and perform the meditation gesture (DHYANAMUDRA), backed by a large aureole. Second, numerous inscriptions identify the sculptures and painted images in this cave, which include AMITABHA Buddha, accompanied by AVALOKITEsVARA (GUANYIN) and MAHASTHAMAPRAPTA (Dashizi). This triad in niche 6 closely resembles the style of Liangzhou, and thus KUCHA. Among the painted images are the buddhas of the ten directions (see DAsADIs), members of the Qin dynastic house, and the state preceptor (GUOSHI) Tanmobi (Dharmapriya), cotranslator with ZHU FONIAN of the AstASAHASRIKAPRAJNAPARAMITA. The representations in cave 169 depict the content of then-newly translated scriptures such as the VIMALAKĪRTINIRDEsA, SADDHARMAPUndARĪKASuTRA, and the shorter SUKHAVATĪVYuHASuTRA (see also AMITABHASuTRA), which had been translated by KUMARAJĪVA in Chang'an around 400-410. The sculptures and paintings at Binglingsi serve as precedents for the subsequent Northern Wei sculpture found at YUNGANG and LONGMEN.

Biqiuni zhuan. (J. Bikuniden; K. Piguni chon 比丘尼傳). In Chinese, "Lives of the Nuns," the major Chinese collection of biographies of eminent BHIKsUnĪ, compiled c. 516 CE by Shi Baochang, a Buddhist monk whose own biography can be found in the XU GAOSENG ZHUAN ("Continued Lives of Eminent Monks"). The anthology consists of sixty-five nuns' biographies, arranged chronologically beginning in the Eastern Jin (317-420 CE) and continuing through the period of the Northern and Southern dynasties (420-588 CE). The introduction lists several characteristics that Shi Baochang deems worthy of emulation and special mention. These include steadfast asceticism, skill in meditation and study, chastity, and teaching abilities. The hagiographies themselves emphasize the following activities: over half of the nuns included in the anthology excelled in either scriptural study or meditation and religious practice. Almost half taught scripture and established convents. One-third of the nuns are said to have practiced strict vegetarianism. The same number is also said to have excelled in chanting scriptures: the most frequently named scriptures as the object of this devotion include the SADDHARMAPUndARĪKASuTRA, the MAHAPARINIRVAnASuTRA, and the MAHAPRAJNAPARAMITASuTRA. The majority of nuns are also said to have inspired numerous monastic and secular followers. Many of the lay followers came from the highest reaches of society: governors and lords are regularly mentioned as patrons who often were instrumental in the founding of a new convent by donating land, funding construction, or both. In addition, almost half of the nuns were praised for their pure faith in the Buddha. In the instances where age was mentioned, almost half of the nuns were said to have adopted their vocation when they were still quite young (preadolescent); in contrast, only one-third were said to have left secular life once they were adults. The legitimacy of the Chinese nuns' order was specifically addressed in at least three hagiographies, where it is asserted that the subjects' ordinations were performed by foreign monks and nuns and was therefore valid.

Biyan lu. (J. Hekiganroku; K. Pyogam nok 碧巖録). In Chinese, "Emerald Grotto Record" or, as it is popularly known in the West, the "Blue Cliff Record"; compiled by CHAN master YUANWU KEQIN; also known by its full title of Foguo Yuanwu chanshi biyan lu ("Emerald Grotto Record of Chan Master Foguo Yuanwu"). The Biyan lu is one of the two most famous and widely used collection of Chan cases (GONG'AN), along with the WUMEN GUAN ("The Gateless Checkpoint"). The anthology is built around XUEDOU CHONGXIAN's Xuedou heshang baice songgu, an earlier independent collection of one hundred old Chan cases (GUCE) with verse commentary; Xuedou's text is embedded within the Biyan lu and Yuanwu's comments are interspersed throughout. Each of the one hundred cases, with a few exceptions, is introduced by a pointer (CHUISHI), a short introductory paragraph composed by Yuanwu. Following the pointer, the term "raised" (ju) is used to formally mark the actual case. Each case is followed by interlinear notes known as annotations or capping phrases (ZHUOYU; J. JAKUGO) and prose commentary (PINGCHANG), both composed by Yuanwu. The phrase "the verse says" (song yue) subsequently introduces Xuedou's verse, which is also accompanied by its own capping phrases and prose commentary, both added by Yuanwu. The cases, comments, and capping phrases found in the Biyan lu were widely used and read among both the clergy and laity in China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam as an contemplative tool in Chan meditation practice and, in some contexts, as a token of social or institutional status. A famous (or perhaps infamous) story tells of the Chan master DAHUI ZONGGAO, the major disciple of Yuanwu, burning his teacher's Biyan lu for fear that his students would become attached to the words of Xuedou and Yuanwu. The Biyan lu shares many cases with the Wumen guan, and the two texts continue to function as the foundation of training in the Japanese RINZAI Zen school.

Bka' brgyud. (Kagyü). In Tibetan, "Oral Lineage" or "Lineage of the Buddha's Word"; one of the four main sects of Tibetan Buddhism. The term bka' brgyud is used by all sects of Tibetan Buddhism in the sense of an oral transmission of teachings from one generation to the next, a transmission that is traced back to India. Serving as the name of a specific sect, the name Bka' brgyud refers to a specific lineage, the MAR PA BKA' BRGYUD, the "Oral Lineage of Mar pa," a lineage of tantric initiations, instructions, and practices brought to Tibet from India by the translator MAR PA CHOS KYI BLO GROS in the eleventh century. Numerous sects and subsects evolved from this lineage, some of which developed a great deal of autonomy and institutional power. In this sense, it is somewhat misleading to describe Bka' brgyud as a single sect; there is, for example, no single head of the sect as in the case of SA SKYA or DGE LUGS. The various sects and subsects, however, do share a common retrospection to the teachings that Mar pa retrieved from India. Thus, rather than refer to Bka' brgyud as one of four sects (chos lugs), in Tibetan the Mar pa Bka' brgyud is counted as one of the eight streams of tantric instruction, the so-called eight great chariot-like lineages of achievement (SGRUB BRGYUD SHING RTA CHEN PO BRGYAD), a group which also includes the RNYING MA, the BKA' GDAMS of ATIsA, and the instructions on "severance" (GCOD) of MA GCIG LAB SGRON. In some Tibetan histories, Mar pa's lineage is called the Dkar brgyud ("White Lineage"), named after the white cotton shawls worn by its yogins in their practice of solitary meditation. The reading Dka' brgyud ("Austerities Lineage") is also found. The lineage from which all the sects and subsects derive look back not only to Mar pa, but to his teacher, and their teachers, traced back to the tantric buddha VAJRADHARA. Vajradhara imparted his instructions to the Indian MAHASIDDHA TILOPA, who in turn transmitted them to the Bengali scholar and yogin NAROPA. It was NAropa (in fact, his disciples) whom Mar pa encountered during his time in India, receiving the famous NA RO CHOS DRUG, or the six doctrines of NAropa. Mar pa returned to Tibet, translated the texts and transmitted these and other teachings (including MAHAMUDRA, the hallmark practice of Bka' brgyud) to a number of disciples, including his most famous student, MI LA RAS PA. These five figures-the buddha Vajradhara, the Indian tantric masters Tilopa and NAropa, and their Tibetan successors Mar pa and Mi la ras pa (both of whom were laymen rather than monks)-form a lineage that is recognized and revered by all forms of Bka' brgyud. One of Mi la ras pa's chief disciples, the physician and monk SGAM PO PA BSOD NAMS RIN CHEN united the tantric instructions he received from Mi la ras pa and presented them in the monastic and exegetical setting that he knew from his studies in the Bka' gdams sect. Sgam po pa, therefore, appears to have been instrumental in transforming an itinerant movement of lay yogins into a sect with a strong monastic element. He established an important monastery in the southern Tibetan region of Dwags po; in acknowledgment of his importance, the subsequent branches of the Bka' brgyud are sometimes collectively known as the DWAGS PO BKA' BRGYUD. The Bka' brgyud later divided into what is known in Tibetan as the "four major and eight minor Bka' brgyud" (BKA' BRGYUD CHE BZHI CHUNG BRGYAD). A number of these subsects no longer survive as independent institutions, although the works of their major figures continue to be studied. Among those that survive, the KARMA BKA' BRGYUD, 'BRI GUNG BKA' BRGYUD, and 'BRUG PA BKA' BRGYUD continue to play an important role in Tibet, the Himalayan region, and in exile.

Blavatsky gives a human interpretation of Ahura: “The Magian knew not of any Supreme ‘personal’ individuality. He recognized but Ahura — the ‘lord’ — the 7th Principle in man, — and ‘prayed’, i.e. made efforts during the hours of meditation, to assimilate with, and merge his other principles — that are dependent on the physical body and ever under the sway of Angra-Mainya (or matter) — into the only pure, holy and eternal principle in him, his divine monad. To whom else could he pray? Who was ‘Ormuzd’ if not the chief Spent-Mainyu, the monad, our own god-principle in us? . . .

meditation ::: Meditation The practice of inner focus which renders an advanced state of awareness. It includes a variety of techniques for some individuals that may or may not incorporate spirituality which can calm and soothe as well as provide insight.

meditation ::: n. --> The act of meditating; close or continued thought; the turning or revolving of a subject in the mind; serious contemplation; reflection; musing.
Thought; -- without regard to kind.


meditation or, without the sense of phj^ical inertness or immo- bility, a little while longer and afterwards is lost ; but as the sadhana follows its normal course, it comes more and more, lasting longer and in the end as an enduring deep peace and inner stillness and release becomes a normal character of the consciousness, the foundation indeed of a new consciousness, calm and liberated.

meditation: refers to techniques that focus the mind and promote a state of calmness so that the mind and body can be brought into greater harmony to facilitate health and healing.

*meditations, meditation"s.

meditation ::: Sri Aurobindo: "There are two words used in English to express the Indian idea of dhyana , ‘meditation" and ‘contemplation". Meditation means properly the concentration of the mind on a single train of ideas which work out a single subject. Contemplation means regarding mentally a single object, image, idea so that the knowledge about the object, image or idea may arise naturally in the mind by force of the concentration. Both these things are forms of dhyana , for the principle of dhyana is mental concentration whether in thought, vision or knowledge. *Letters on Yoga

meditation ::: “There are two words used in English to express the Indian idea of dhyana , ‘meditation’ and ‘contemplation’. Meditation means properly the concentration of the mind on a single train of ideas which work out a single subject. Contemplation means regarding mentally a single object, image, idea so that the knowledge about the object, image or idea may arise naturally in the mind by force of the concentration. Both these things are forms of dhyana , for the principle of dhyana is mental concentration whether in thought, vision or knowledge. Letters on Yoga

BodhgayA. (S. BuddhagayA). Modern Indian place name for the most significant site in the Buddhist world, renowned as the place where sAKYAMUNI Buddha (then, still the BODHISATTVA prince SIDDHARTHA) became a buddha while meditating under the BODHI TREE at the "seat of enlightenment" (BODHIMAndA) or the "diamond seat" (VAJRASANA). The site is especially sacred because, according to tradition, not only did sAkyamuni Buddha attain enlightenment there, but all buddhas of this world system have or will do so, albeit under different species of trees. BodhgayA is situated along the banks of the NAIRANJANA river, near RAJAGṚHA, the ancient capital city of the MAGADHA kingdom. Seven sacred places are said to be located in BodhgayA, each being a site where the Buddha stayed during each of the seven weeks following his enlightenment. These include, in addition to the bodhimanda under the Bodhi tree: the place where the Buddha sat facing the Bodhi tree during the second week, with an unblinking gaze (and hence the site of the animesalocana caitya); the place where the Buddha walked back and forth in meditation (CAnKRAMA) during the third week; the place called the ratnagṛha, where the Buddha meditated during the fourth week, emanating rays of light from his body; the place under the ajapAla tree where the god BRAHMA requested that the Buddha turn the wheel of the dharma (DHARMACAKRAPRAVARTANA) during the fifth week; the lake where the NAGA MUCILINDA used his hood to shelter the Buddha from a storm during the sixth week; and the place under the rAjAyatana tree where the merchants TRAPUsA and BHALLIKA met the Buddha after the seventh week, becoming his first lay disciples. ¶ Located in the territory of MAGADHA (in modern Bihar), the ancient Indian kingdom where the Buddha spent much of his teaching career, BodhgayA is one of the four major pilgrimage sites (MAHASTHANA) sanctioned by the Buddha himself, along with LUMBINĪ in modern-day Nepal, where the Buddha was born; the Deer Park (MṚGADAVA) at SARNATH, where he first taught by "turning the wheel of the dharma" (DHARMACAKRAPRAVARTANA); and KUsINAGARĪ in Uttar Pradesh, where he passed into PARINIRVAnA. According to the AsOKAVADANA, the emperor AsOKA visited BodhgayA with the monk UPAGUPTA and established a STuPA at the site. There is evidence that Asoka erected a pillar and shrine at the site during the third century BCE. A more elaborate structure, called the vajrAsana GANDHAKUtĪ ("perfumed chamber of the diamond seat"), is depicted in a relief at BodhgayA, dating from c. 100 BCE. It shows a two-storied structure supported by pillars, enclosing the Bodhi tree and the vajrAsana, the "diamond seat," where the Buddha sat on the night of his enlightenment. The forerunner of the present temple is described by the Chinese pilgrim XUANZANG. This has led scholars to speculate that the structure was built sometime between the third and sixth centuries CE, with subsequent renovations. Despite various persecutions by non-Buddhist Indian kings, the site continued to receive patronage, especially during the PAla period, from which many of the surrounding monuments date. A monastery, called the BodhimandavihAra, was established there and flourished for several centuries. FAXIAN mentions three monasteries at BodhgayA; Xuanzang found only one, called the MahAbodhisaMghArAma (see MAHABODHI TEMPLE). The temple and its environs fell into neglect after the Muslim invasions that began in the thirteenth century. British photographs from the nineteenth century show the temple in ruins. Restoration of the site was ordered by the British governor-general of Bengal in 1880, with a small eleventh-century replica of the temple serving as a model. There is a tall central tower some 165 feet (fifty meters) in height, with a high arch over the entrance with smaller towers at the four corners. The central tower houses a small temple with an image of the Buddha. The temple is surrounded by stone railings, some dating from 150 BCE, others from the Gupta period (300-600 CE) that preserve important carvings. In 1886, EDWIN ARNOLD visited BodhgayA. He published an account of his visit, which was read by ANAGARIKA DHARMAPALA and others. Arnold described a temple surrounded by hundreds of broken statues scattered in the jungle. The MahAbodhi Temple itself had stood in ruins prior to renovations undertaken by the British in 1880. Also of great concern was the fact that the site had been under saiva control since the eighteenth century, with reports of animal sacrifice taking place in the environs of the temple. DharmapAla visited BodhgayA himself in 1891, and returned to Sri Lanka, where he worked with a group of leading Sinhalese Buddhists to found the MAHABODHI SOCIETY with the aim of restoring BodhgayA as place of Buddhist worship and pilgrimage. The society undertook a series of unsuccessful lawsuits to that end. In 1949, after Indian independence, the BodhgayA Temple Act was passed, which established a committee of four Buddhists and four Hindus to supervise the temple and its grounds. The Government of India asked AnagArika Munindra, a Bengali monk and active member of the MahAbodhi Society, to oversee the restoration of BodhgayA. Since then, numerous Buddhist countries-including Bhutan, China, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sikkim, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tibet, and Vietnam-have constructed (or restored) their own temples and monasteries in BodhgayA, each reflecting its national architectural style. In 2002, the MahAbodhi Temple was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Bodhidharma. (C. Putidamo; J. Bodaidaruma; K. Poridalma 菩提達磨) (c. late-fourth to early-fifth centuries). Indian monk who is the putative "founder" of the school of CHAN (K. SoN, J. ZEN, V. THIỀN). The story of a little-known Indian (or perhaps Central Asian) emigré monk grew over the centuries into an elaborate legend of Bodhidharma, the first patriarch of the Chan school. The earliest accounts of a person known as Bodhidharma appear in the Luoyang qielan ji and XU GAOSENG ZHUAN, but the more familiar and developed image of this figure can be found in such later sources as the BAOLIN ZHUAN, LENGQIE SHIZI JI, LIDAI FABAO JI, ZUTANG JI, JINGDE CHUANDENG LU, and other "transmission of the lamplight" (CHUANDENG LU) histories. According to these sources, Bodhidharma was born as the third prince of a South Indian kingdom. Little is known about his youth, but he is believed to have arrived in China sometime during the late fourth or early fifth century, taking the southern maritime route according to some sources, the northern overland route according to others. In an episode appearing in the Lidai fabao ji and BIYAN LU, after arriving in southern China, Bodhidharma is said to have engaged in an enigmatic exchange with the devout Buddhist emperor Wu (464-549, r. 502-549) of the Liang dynasty (502-557) on the subject of the Buddha's teachings and merit-making. To the emperor's questions about what dharma Bodhidharma was transmitting and how much merit (PUnYA) he, Wudi, had made by his munificent donations to construct monasteries and ordain monks, Bodhidharma replied that the Buddha's teachings were empty (hence there was nothing to transmit) and that the emperor's generous donations had brought him no merit at all. The emperor seems not to have been impressed with these answers, and Bodhidharma, perhaps disgruntled by the emperor's failure to understand the profundity of his teachings, left for northern China, taking the Yangtze river crossing (riding a reed across the river, in a scene frequently depicted in East Asian painting). Bodhidharma's journey north eventually brought him to a cave at the monastery of SHAOLINSI on SONGSHAN, where he sat in meditation for nine years while facing a wall (MIANBI), in so-called "wall contemplation" (BIGUAN). During his stay on Songshan, the Chinese monk HUIKE is said to have become Bodhidharma's disciple, allegedly after cutting off his left arm to show his dedication. This legend of Bodhidharma's arrival in China is eventually condensed into the famous Chan case (GONG'AN), "Why did Bodhidharma come from the West?" (see XILAI YI). Bodhidharma's place within the lineage of Indian patriarchs vary according to text and tradition (some list him as the twenty-eighth patriarch), but he is considered the first patriarch of Chan in China. Bodhidharma's name therefore soon became synonymous with Chan and subsequently with Son, Zen, and Thièn. Bodhidharma, however, has often been confused with other figures such as BODHIRUCI, the translator of the LAnKAVATARASuTRA, and the Kashmiri monk DHARMATRATA, to whom the DHYANA manual DAMODUOLUO CHAN JING is attributed. The Lidai fabao ji, for instance, simply fused the names of Bodhidharma and DharmatrAta and spoke of a BodhidharmatrAta whose legend traveled with the Lidai fabao ji to Tibet. Bodhidharma was even identified as the apostle Saint Thomas by Jesuit missionaries to China, such as Matteo Ricci. Several texts, a number of which were uncovered in the DUNHUANG manuscript cache in Central Asia, have been attributed to Bodhidharma, but their authorship remains uncertain. The ERRU SIXING LUN seems to be the only of these texts that can be traced with some certainty back to Bodhidharma or his immediate disciples. The legend of Bodhidharma in the Lengqie shizi ji also associates him with the transmission of the LankAvatArasutra in China. In Japan, Bodhidharma is often depicted in the form of a round-shaped, slightly grotesque-looking doll, known as the "Daruma doll." Like much of the rest of the legends surrounding Bodhidharma, there is finally no credible evidence connecting Bodhidharma to the Chinese martial arts traditions (see SHAOLINSI).

bomb 1. "software" General synonym for {crash} except that it is not used as a noun. Especially used of software or {OS} failures. "Don't run Empire with less than 32K stack, it'll bomb". 2. "operating system" {Atari ST} and {Macintosh} equivalents of a {Unix} "{panic}" or {Amiga} {guru}, in which {icons} of little black-powder bombs or mushroom clouds are displayed, indicating that the system has died. On the {Macintosh}, this may be accompanied by a decimal (or occasionally {hexadecimal}) number indicating what went wrong, similar to the {Amiga} {guru meditation} number. {MS-DOS} computers tend to {lock up} in this situation. 3. "software" A piece of code embedded in a program that remains dormant until it is triggered. Logic bombs are triggered by an event whereas time bombs are triggered either after a set amount of time has elapsed, or when a specific date is reached. [{Jargon File}] (1996-12-08)

bomb ::: 1. (software) General synonym for crash except that it is not used as a noun. Especially used of software or OS failures. Don't run Empire with less than 32K stack, it'll bomb.2. (operating system) Atari ST and Macintosh equivalents of a Unix panic or Amiga guru, in which icons of little black-powder bombs or mushroom indicating what went wrong, similar to the Amiga guru meditation number. MS-DOS computers tend to lock up in this situation.3. (software) A piece of code embedded in a program that remains dormant until it is triggered. Logic bombs are triggered by an event whereas time bombs are triggered either after a set amount of time has elapsed, or when a specific date is reached.[Jargon File] (1996-12-08)

Book of Dzyan [probably from Sanskrit dhyana intense spiritual meditation, wisdom, divine knowledge] An archaic work of enormous antiquity upon which Blavatsky based her Secret Doctrine. Dzyan has been variously spelled or transliterated, and under this form is a derivative of the Tibetan. Dzyan, dzen, or ch’an is the general term for the esoteric schools and their literature.

Brag dkar rta so. (Drakar Taso). In Tibetan, lit. "White Rock Horse Tooth"; a complex of meditation caves and small temples located close to the Nepalese border in the SKYID GRONG valley of southwestern Tibet. It was one of the primary meditation retreats of the eleventh-century yogin MI LA RAS PA, who was born nearby and later spent many years in the area in strict meditation retreat, especially at the site called Dbu ma rdzong (Uma dzong), "Fortress of the Central [Channel]." In the sixteenth century, a small monastery was founded at Brag dkar rta so by the 'BRUG PA BKA' BRGYUD master LHA BTSUN RIN CHEN RNAM RGYAL, and the location became an important xylographic printing house specializing in the biographies of BKA' BRGYUD masters. The center also became the seat of an important incarnation lineage, the Brag dkar rta so incarnations.

Brag yer pa. [alt. Yer pa; G.yer pa] (Drak Yerpa). A complex of meditation caves and temples northeast of LHA SA, regarded as one of the premier retreat locations of central Tibet. The ancient hermitage complex was founded by queen Mong bza' khri lcam (Mongsa Tricham) and her children and was inhabited during the imperial period by Tibet's religious kings SRONG BTSAN SGAM PO, KHRI SRONG LDE BTSAN, and RAL PA CAN. The Indian sage PADMASAMBHAVA is said to have spent some seven months in retreat there and hid numerous treasure texts (GTER MA) in the area. Brag yer pa is considered one of his three primary places of attainment (grub gnas), together with CHIMS PHU and Shel brag (Sheldrak). Lha lung Dpal gyi rdo rje (Lhalung Palgyi Dorje), assassin of King GLANG DAR MA, is said to have spent more than twenty-two years in retreat there. Brag yer pa later gained prominence under the influence of the BKA' GDAMS sect after the Bengali scholar ATIsA passed some three years at the site.

BrahmA. [alt. MahAbrahmA] (T. Tshangs pa; C. Fantian; J. Bonten; K. Pomch'on 梵天). An Indian divinity who was adopted into the Buddhist pantheon as a protector of the teachings (DHARMAPALA) and king of the BRAHMALOKA (in the narrow sense of that term). A particular form of the god BrahmA, called SAHAMPATI, plays a crucial role in the inception of the Buddhist dispensation or teaching (sASANA). During the seven weeks following his enlightenment, the newly awakened buddha GAUTAMA was unsure as to whether he should teach, wondering whether there would be anyone in this world who would be able to duplicate his experience. BrahmA descended to earth and convinced him that there were persons "with little dust in their eyes" who would be able to understand his teachings. The Buddha then surveyed the world to determine the most suitable persons to hear the DHARMA. Seeing that his former meditation teachers had died, he chose the "group of five" (PANCAVARGIKA) and proceeded to ṚsIPATANA, where he taught his first sermon, the "Turning of the Wheel of the Dharma" (DHARMACAKRAPRAVARTANASuTRA; P. DHAMMACAKKAPPAVATTANASUTTA). Because of this intervention, BrahmA is considered one of the main dharmapAlas. BUDDHAGHOSA explains, however, that the compassionate Buddha never had any hesitation about teaching the dharma but felt that if he were implored by the god BrahmA, who was revered in the world, it would lend credence to his mission. BrahmA is depicted with four faces and four arms, and his primary attributes are the lotus and the CAKRA. The figure of BrahmA also fused with early Indian BODHISATTVAs such as PADMAPAnI (AVALOKITEsVARA). In Tibet the dharmapAla TSHANGS PA DKAR PO is a fusion of BrahmA and PE HAR RGYAL PO.

brahma chintana. ::: constant meditation on Brahman; constant awareness of Reality

brahmavihAra. (T. tshangs pa'i gnas; C. fanzhu; J. bonju; K. pomju 梵住). In Sanskrit and PAli, "divine abidings," or "highest religious state." This is a classification of four meditative topics used for the cultivation of tranquility meditation (sAMATHA): loving-kindness (MAITRĪ; P. mettA), compassion (KARUnA), empathetic joy (MUDITA), and equanimity or impartiality (UPEKsA; P. upekkhA). The meditator is taught to take up each of the divine abidings in the same way: starting with the first brahmavihAra, for example, filling his mind with loving-kindness, he pervades the world with it, first in one direction; then in a second direction; then a third and a fourth; then above, below, and all around; always identifying himself with all beings and keeping himself free from hatred and ill will. In the same way, he develops compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity. These four factors are taken up as objects of meditation to counter the influence of specific unwholesome (AKUsALA) states of mind: viz., loving-kindness counteracts hostility (VYAPADA), compassion counters harmfulness (VIHIMSA), empathetic joy counters dissatisfaction or envy regarding others achievements (arati), and equanimity counters both the desire and hostility arising from sensuality (kAmarAgavyApAda) as well as the desire to win the approval of others (anunaya). Of these divine abidings, the first three are capable of producing the first three of the four meditative absorptions (DHYANA); the fourth divine abiding is the only one capable of producing the fourth meditative absorption. The four divine abidings are listed in the VISUDDHIMAGGA as four of the forty meditative topics (KAMMAttHANA) that may be pursued by the meditator. The Visuddhimagga notes they are useful only for the cultivation of tranquility (P. samatha; S. samatha), and not for the cultivation of insight (P. VIPASSANA; S. VIPAsYANA). Taken as objects of concentration and extended in meditation to all beings without limit, the divine abidings also come to be known as the "boundless states" (APRAMAnA).

'Bri gung bka' brgyud. (Drigung Kagyü). A subsect of the BKA' BRGYUD sect of Tibetan Buddhism, counted among the "four major and eight minor Bka' brgyud subsects" (BKA' BRGYUD CHE BZHI CHUNG BRGYAD). The lineage stems from the twelfth-century meditation master 'JIG RTEN GSUM MGON, who founded the sects seat at 'BRI GUNG MTHIL monastery in 1179, from which the lineage derives its name. Although the 'Bri gung bka' brgyud wielded political power at times during the thirteenth century, members of the tradition are primarily renowned as great meditators. The sect established prominent retreat centers around Mount KAILASA in western Tibet and LA PHYI in the south. It has remained an active Bka' brgyud subsect under the guidance of its principal reincarnate teachers, the Che tshang and Chung tshang lamas. The former has established an exile seat in Dehra Dun, Uttar Pradesh in northern India, with numerous affiliated centers in India, Nepal, and the West, while the latter remains in Tibet.

'Brom ston Rgyal ba'i 'byung gnas. (Dromton Gyalwe Jungne) (1004-1064). The foremost Tibetan disciple of the Bengali scholar ATIsA, and central figure in the founding of the BKA' GDAMS sect of Tibetan Buddhism during the period known as the later dissemination (PHYI DAR) of Buddhism in Tibet. Born in central Tibet, he began his education at an early age. Toward the middle years of his life, news of Atisa's arrival in western Tibet reached him, and he set out on the arduous journey to meet the master. 'Brom ston pa became an early and close student of Atisa and made arrangements for his Indian guru's tour of central Tibet in 1045. After Atisa's death, 'Brom ston pa established RWA SGRENG monastery in 1056, consolidating his career as translator and teacher at this important religious institution. He is remembered especially for the firm austerity of his religious practice. 'Brom ston pa's instructions, as recorded in Bka' gdams pa works such as the Bka' gdams gtor bu ("Bka' gdams Miscellania"), perhaps wary of the potential abuses of tantric practice, instead emphasize meditation on impermanence and compassion coupled with adherence to strict ethical principles and monastic discipline.

Bsam yas debate. An important event in the early dissemination (SNGA DAR) of Buddhism in Tibet. During the reign of the king KHRI SRONG LDE BRTSAN at the end of the eighth century, there were two Buddhist factions at court, a Chinese faction led by the Northern Chan (BEI ZONG) monk Heshang MOHEYAN (the Chinese transcription of "MahAyAna") and an Indian faction associated with the recently deceased sANTARAKsITA who, with the king and PADMASAMBHAVA, had founded the first Tibetan monastery at BSAM YAS. According to traditional accounts, sAntaraksita foretold of dangers and left instructions in his will that his student KAMALAsĪLA be called from India. A conflict seems to have developed between the Indian and Chinese partisans (and their allies in the Tibetan court) over the question of the nature of enlightenment, with the Indians holding that enlightenment takes place as the culmination of a gradual process of purification, the result of combining ethical practice (sĪLA), meditation (SAMADHI), and wisdom (PRAJNA). The Chinese spoke against this view, holding that enlightenment was the intrinsic nature of the mind itself rather than the goal of a protracted path of practice. Therefore, to recognize the presence of this innate nature of enlightenment, one need only enter a state of awareness beyond distinctions; all other practices were superfluous. According to both Chinese and Tibetan records, a debate was held between Kamalasīla and Moheyan at Bsam yas, circa 797, with the king himself serving as judge. According to Tibetan records (contradicted by Chinese accounts), Kamalasīla was declared the winner and Moheyan and his party were banished from Tibet, with the king proclaiming that the MADHYAMAKA school of Indian Buddhist philosophy (to which sAntaraksita and Kamalasīla belonged) would thereafter be followed in Tibet. Kamalasīla died shortly after the debate, supposedly assassinated by members of the Chinese faction. Scholars have suggested that although a controversy between the Indian and Chinese Buddhists (and their Tibetan partisans) occurred, it is unlikely that a face-to-face debate took place or that the outcome of the controversy was so unequivocal. The "debate" may instead have been an exchange of statements; indeed, KAmalasīla's third BHAVANAKRAMA seems to derive from this exchange. It is also important to note that, regardless of the merits of the Indian and Chinese philosophical positions, China was Tibet's chief military rival at the time, whereas India posed no such threat. The debate's principal significance derives from the fact that from this point on, Tibet largely sought its Buddhism from India; no school of Chinese Buddhism subsequently exerted any major influence in Tibet. It is said that when he departed, Moheyan left behind one shoe, indicating that traces of his view would remain in Tibet; some scholars have suggested possible connections between Chan positions and the RDZOGS CHEN teachings that developed in the ninth century. In Tibetan polemics of later centuries, it was considered particularly harsh to link one's opponent's views to the antinomian views of Moheyan. Moheyan himself was transformed into something of a trickster figure, popular in Tibetan art and drama. This event is variously referred to in English as the Council of Samye, the Council of Lha sa, and the Samye Debate. See also DUNWU.

Bsam yas. (Samye). Tibet's first Buddhist monastery, constructed on the north bank of the Gtsang po (Tsangpo) River in central Tibet, probably circa 779. The Tibetan king KHRI SRONG LDE BTSAN invited the renowned Indian Buddhist preceptor sANTARAKsITA to found the institution and ordain Tibet's first monks. According to traditional accounts, local spirits hostile to Buddhism blocked the completion of the project. Unable to continue his work, sAntaraksita convinced the Tibetan ruler to invite the powerful Indian tantric master PADMASAMBHAVA to his kingdom in order to subdue these autochthonous spirits. Padmasambhava reached the site and, from atop the nearby hill called He po ri, he subjugated the demons, binding them by oath to become protectors of the dharma (DHARMAPALA). The Bsam yas complex was subsequently constructed in the form of a MAndALA arranged in the shape of the universe according to Buddhist cosmological accounts, based on the model of ODANTAPURĪ, a PAla-dynasty monastery located in the present-day Indian state of Bihar. At the center stands the main basilica, serving as Mount SUMERU, surrounded by chapels representing the four continents and eight subcontinents in the four cardinal directions, all of which is ringed by a massive wall capped with a thousand STuPAs. According to Tibetan and Chinese sources, in about 797 the monastery served as the venue for a great dispute between proponents of Indian and Chinese Buddhist perspectives on enlightenment and meditation. The outcome of this famous BSAM YAS DEBATE, in which the Indian view is said to have prevailed, greatly influenced the development of Buddhism in Tibet, which subsequently became a tradition that looked more to India than China for inspiration. Bsam yas was a religiously and politically vibrant institution from its inception up to the tenth century, after which its influence waned under BKA' GDAMS, SA SKYA, and eventually DGE LUGS control. Bsam yas's central basilica is renowned for its art and its architectural design, said to be a fusion of styles from India, China, Tibet, and Central Asia. The complex suffered on numerous occasions due to fires and, most recently, at the hands of the Chinese military during the Cultural Revolution. Extensive reconstruction and renovations were begun in the 1980s and Bsam yas remains an important pilgrimage destination and a potent symbol of Tibet's Buddhist heritage.

bshad grwa. (shedra). In Tibetan, lit. "commentarial institution" or simply "teaching institute"; a part of a monastic complex devoted to the study of scripture, sometimes contrasted with a meditation center (sgrub khang, literally "practice house"). The institution possibly originates with SA SKYA PAndITA who in his Mkhas pa la 'jug pa'i sgo proposed a model of intellectual inquiry based on exposition, composition, and debate. In a traditional bshad grwa, the teacher explains line by line an authoritative Indian text, often referring to a Tibetan commentary; this may be followed by a formal period of debate; the teacher then calls on the monks during the next class to give an explanation of the part of the Indian text they have learned. The bshad grwa is contrasted with the RTSOD GRWA (tsodra) "debating institution," the origins of which may go back to the model of study followed in BKA' GDAMS monasteries like GSANG PHU NE'U THOG. The best known rtsod grwa are the six great DGE LUGS monasteries of pre-1959 Tibet, which rarely emphasized the ability to give an explanation of the Indian text, but rather followed strict debating periods where particular points of doctrine were investigated in great detail. In the rtsod grwa, debate was raised to a high level, forming a central part of the curriculum, and the examination system that provided access to important and remunerative ecclesiastical postings in the Dge lugs establishment was based almost entirely on debating, as distinct from the ability to give a full commentary on an Indian text. The bshad grwa appears to have gained particular importance in areas of Khams, in Eastern Tibet, after the rise of the so-called RIS MED (rime) movement in the nineteenth century; of particular note there is the Khams bye bshad grwa in the RDZONG GSAR region of SDE DGE, and the considerable number of new bshad grwa opened by learned monks from the Khams region as annexes of older monasteries that earlier were devoted entirely to ritual. See RDZONG GSAR.

Buddhabhadra. (C. Fotuobatuoluo; J. Butsudabatsudara; K. Pult'abaltara 佛陀跋陀羅) (359-429). Important early translator of Indian Buddhist texts into Chinese, also known by the Chinese translation of his name, Juexian, or "Enlightened Sage" (the Chinese above is the more common transcription of his Sanskrit name). According to the "Biographies of Eminent Monks" (GAOSENG ZHUAN), Buddhabhadra was born in north India and joined the SAMGHA after losing both his parents at an early age. Buddhabhadra studied various scriptures and was adept in both meditation and observing the precepts; he was also renowned for his thaumaturgic talents. At the behest of a Chinese monk named ZHIYAN, Buddhabhadra traveled to China along the southern maritime route. Upon learning of the eminent Kuchean monk KUMARAJĪVA's arrival in Chang'an, Buddhabhadra went to the capital in 406 to meet him. Due to a difference of opinion with KumArajīva, however, Buddhabhadra left for LUSHAN, where he was welcomed by LUSHAN HUIYUAN and installed as the meditation instructor in Huiyuan's community; Buddhabhadra came to be known as one of the eighteen worthies of Lushan. He devoted the rest of his career to translating such scriptures as the DAMODUOLUO CHAN JING, Guanfo sanmei hai jing, and AVATAMSAKASuTRA, to name just a few. Buddhabhadra also translated the MAHASAMGHIKA VINAYA with the assistance of FAXIAN and contributed significantly to the growth of Buddhist monasticism in China.

BuddhadAsa. (1906-1993). Prominent Thai monk, Buddhist reformer, teacher of meditation, and ecumenical figure. Born the son of a merchant in the village of Pum Riang in southern Thailand, he was educated at Buddhist temple schools. It was customary for males in Thailand to be ordained as Buddhist monks for three months at the age of twenty and then return to lay life. BuddhadAsa decided, however, to remain a monk and quickly gained a reputation as a brilliant thinker, meditator, and teacher. He dwelled for several years in the Thai capital of Bangkok to further his studies but grew disillusioned with the prevailing practices of the SAMGHA in the city, which he perceived to be lax and corrupt. In 1932, he returned home to an abandoned monastery near his native village to live a simple life, practice meditation, and teach the dharma. He named his monastery Wat Suan MokkhabalArAma (Garden of the Power of Liberation), which is usually abbreviated to Suan Mokkh, the Garden of Liberation. The monastery became one of the first VIPASSANA (S. VIPAsYANA) (insight meditation) centers in southern Thailand. BuddhadAsa spent most of his life at this forest monastery overlooking the sea. Although his formal scholastic training was limited, BuddhadAsa studied PAli scriptures extensively, in particular the SUTTAPItAKA, to uncover their true meaning, which he felt had become obscured by centuries of commentarial overlays, ritual practices, and monastic politics. A gifted orator, his numerous sermons and talks were transcribed and fill an entire room of the National Library in Bangkok. In his writings, many of which are his transcribed sermons, he eschewed the formal style of traditional scholastic commentary in favor of a more informal, and in many ways controversial, approach in which he questioned many of the more popular practices of Thai Buddhism. For example, he spoke out strongly against the practice of merit-making in which lay people offer gifts to monks in the belief that they will receive material reward in their next life. BuddhadAsa argued that this traditionally dominant form of lay practice only keeps the participants in the cycle of rebirth because it is based on attachment, whereas the true form of giving is the giving up of the self. Instead, BuddhadAsa believed that, because of conditioned origination (PRATĪTYASAMUTPADA), people are naturally connected through a shared environment and are in fact capable of living harmoniously together. The hindrance to such a harmony comes from attachments to "I" and "mine," which must therefore be severed. Modern and ecumenical in perspective, BuddhadAsa sought to strip traditional Buddhism of what he regarded as obscurantism and superstition, and present the Buddha's teachings in a rational scientific idiom that acknowledged kindred teachings in other religions. BuddhadAsa's interpretations of the dharma have had a great impact on contemporary Buddhist thought in Thailand and are especially influential among the urban intelligentsia, social reformers, and environmentalists. His teachings are often cited as foundational by advocates of engaged Buddhism. The monastery he founded has become a venue for the training of foreign monks and nuns and for interfaith dialogue between Buddhists of different traditions, as well as between Buddhists and adherents of other religions.

By the year 200 of the Hejira a definite sect of mystics had arisen, and following the instructions of a prominent member, Abu Said, his disciples forsook the world and entered the mystic life with a view of pursuing contemplation and meditation. These disciples wore a garment of wool, and from this received their name. Sufiism spread rapidly in Persia, and all Moslem philosophers were attracted to this sect, as great latitude in the beliefs of its followers was at first permitted, until in the reign of Moktadir, a Persian Sufi named Hallaj was tortured and put to death for teaching publicly that every man is God. After this the Sufis veiled their teachings, and especially in their poetry used amorous language and sang of the delights of the wine cup. In spite of the amorous trend of poetry followed by the Sufis, to the observing eye there appears a beauty and a spirituality of thought which has found many devotees. Ideas of pantheism abound, for God is held to be immanent in all things, expresses itself through all things, and is the transcendent essence of every human soul. For a person to know God is to see that God is immanent in himself.

candAlī. (T. gtum mo; C. zhantuoli; J. sendari; K. chondari 旃陀利). In Sanskrit, "fierce woman." In ordinary usage, this is a term for an outcaste or low-caste woman. However, in ANUTTARAYOGATANTRA, it refers to a meditation practice sometimes described in English as "inner heat" or "psychic heat." It is one of the "six yogas of NAropa" (NA RO CHOS DRUG) but it figures in many practices of the completion stage (NIsPANNAKRAMA). In this practice, the meditator imagines a seed syllable (BĪJA) in the middle of the central channel (AVADHuTĪ) at the navel CAKRA. As the meditator concentrates on the letter, it begins to glow with bright light and emits intense heat. That heat rises slowly up the central channel, first to the cakra at the heart, then to the cakra at the throat, and finally to the cakra at the crown of the head. When it reaches the crown of the head, the heat of the inner fire begins to melt the white drop (BINDU) located there, causing it to begin to melt. As it melts, it descends through the central channel, first to the cakra at the throat, then to the cakra at the heart, the cakra at the navel, and finally to the cakra at the end of the central channel. As the drop moves slowly down through each cakra, a different type of bliss is experienced. This practice is said to produce physical heat in the body; according to tradition, yogins in Tibet, most notably MI LA RAS PA, were able to survive the cold in mountain caves through this practice.

cankrama. (P. cankama; T. 'chag pa; C. jingxing; J. kyogyo/kinhin; K. kyonghaeng 經行). In Sanskrit, lit. "walking"; referring to both the physical act of walking itself and, by extension, composed, meditative walking, as well as the mendicant life of wandering as a vocation. Cankrama is the most active of the four postures (ĪRYAPATHA), and is one of the specific objects of mindfulness of the body (see SMṚTYUPASTHANA). Cankrama also refers to walking in a calm, collected manner, while maintaining one's object of meditation. Finally, cankrama refers to the wandering, "homeless" life (see PRAVRAJITA) of the Indian recluse, which was the model for the Buddhist SAMGHA. In East Asia, in addition to walking meditation per se, the term is also used to describe short periods of walking that break up extended periods of seated meditation (ZUOCHAN). In Korean meditation halls, for example, a three-hour block of meditation practice will be divided into three fifty-minute blocks of seated meditation, punctuated by ten-minutes of walking meditation. The Japanese ZEN tradition reads these Sinographs as kinhin.

Caodong zong. (J. Sotoshu; K. Chodong chong 曹洞宗). One of the so-called "five houses and seven schools" (WU JIA QI ZONG) of the mature Chinese CHAN tradition. The school traces its own pedigree back to the sixth patriarch (LIUZU) HUINENG via a lineage that derives from QINGYUAN XINGSI and SHITOU XIQIAN, but its history begins with the two Tang-dynasty Chan masters who lend their names to the school: DONGSHAN LIANGJIE and his disciple CAOSHAN BENJI. The name of this tradition, Caodong, is derived from the first characters of the two patriarchs' names, viz., Caoshan's "Cao" and Dongshan's "Dong." (The disciple's name is said to appear first in the school's name purely for euphonic reasons.) One of the emblematic teachings of the Caodong tradition is that of the "five ranks" (WUWEI), taught by Dongshan and further developed by Caoshan, which was a form of dialectical analysis that sought to present the full panoply of MAHAYANA Buddhist insights in a compressed rubric. During the Song dynasty, the Caodong school also came to be associated with the contemplative practice of "silent illumination" (MOZHAO CHAN), a form of meditation that built upon the normative East Asian notion of the inherency of buddhahood (see TATHAGATAGARBHA) to suggest that, since enlightenment was the mind's natural state, nothing needed to be done in order to attain enlightenment other than letting go of all striving for that state. Authentic Chan practice therefore entailed only maintaining this original purity of the mind by simply sitting silently in meditation. The practice of silent illumination is traditionally attributed to HONGZHI ZHENGJUE (see MOZHAO MING) and ZHENGXIE QINGLIAO, who helped revive the moribund Caodong lineage during the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries and turned it into one of the two major forces in mature Song-dynasty Chan. The silent-illumination technique that they championed was harshly criticized by teachers in the rival LINJI ZONG, most notably Hongzhi's contemporary DAHUI ZONGGAO. In Japan, the ZEN master DoGEN KIGEN is credited with transmitting the Caodong lineage to the Japanese isles in the thirteenth century, where it is known as the SoToSHu (the Japanese pronunciation of Caodong zong); it became one of the three major branches of the Japanese Zen school, along with RINZAISHu and oBAKUSHu. In Korea, just one of the early Nine Mountains schools of SoN (see KUSAN SoNMUN), the Sumisan school, is presumed to trace back to a teacher, Yunju Daoying (d. 902), who was also a disciple of Dongshan Liangjie; the Caodong school had no impact in the subsequent development of Korean Son, where Imje (C. Linji zong) lineages and practices dominated from the thirteenth century onwards.

carita. (T. spyod pa; C. xing; J. gyo; K. haeng 行). In Sanskrit and PAli, "conduct," "behavior," or "temperament"; an alternative form is Sanskrit caryA (P. cariyA). As "behavior," carita is typically bifurcated into either good (sucarita) or bad (S. duscarita; P. duccarita) conduct. As "temperament," carita is used to indicate six general character types, which are predominantly biased toward the negative temperaments of greedy (RAGA), hateful (S. DVEsA; P. dosa), and deluded (MOHA), or the more positive temperaments of faithful (S. sRADDHA; P. saddhA), intelligent (BUDDHI), and discursive (S. VITARKA; P. vitakka), a taxonomy found in the VISUDDHIMAGGA. The first three types of temperaments are negative and thus need to be corrected. (1) A greedy temperament is constantly searching out new sensory experiences and clings to things that are not beneficial. (2) A hateful temperament is disaffected, always finding imaginary faults in others; along with the intelligent temperament, he is less prone to clinging than the other character types. (3) A deluded temperament is agitated and restless, because he is unable to make up his mind about anything and follows along with others' decisions. The latter three types of temperaments are positive and thus need to be enhanced. (4) A faithful temperament is like a greedy type who instead cultivates wholesome actions and clings to what is beneficial. (5) An intelligent temperament is like a hateful type who performs salutary actions and points out real faults; along with the hateful temperament, he is less prone to clinging than the other character types. (6) A discursive temperament is characterized by a restlessness of mind that constantly flits from topic to topic and vacillates due to his constant conjecturing; if these discursive energies can be harnessed, however, that knowledge may lead to wisdom. The Visuddhimagga also provides detailed guidelines for determining a person's temperament by observing their posture, their preferences in food, and the sort of mental concomitants with which they are typically associated. This knowledge of temperaments is important as a tool of practice (BHAVANA), because in the Visuddhimagga's account of visualization (P. KASInA) exercises, the practitioner is taught to use an appropriate kasina device or meditation topic (P. KAMMAttHANA) either to mitigate the influence of the negative temperaments or enhance the influence of the positive ones. Thus, a practitioner with a greedy temperament is advised to emphasize the cemetery contemplations on foulness (S. AsUBHABHAVANA; P. asubhabhAvanA) and mindfulness of the body (S. KAYANUPAsYANA; P. kAyAnupassanA; see also SMṚTYUPASTHANA); the hateful temperament, the four divine abidings (BRAHMAVIHARA) and the four color kasinas (of blue, yellow, red, white); the deluded temperament, mindfulness of breathing (S. ANAPANASMṚTI; P. AnApAnasati); the discursive temperament, also mindfulness of breathing; the faithful temperament, the first six recollections (S. ANUSMṚTI; P. anussati), viz., of the Buddha, the DHARMA, the SAMGHA, morality, generosity, and the divinities; and the intelligent temperament, the recollections of death and peace, the analysis of the four elements, and the loathsomeness of food. Suitable to all six temperaments are the other six kasinas (viz., of earth, water, fire, air, light, and empty space) and the immaterial absorptions (S. ARuPYAVACARADHYANA; P. arupAvacarajhAna). ¶ In the MAHAYANA, caryA, carita, and related terms (e.g., Sanskrit compounds such as duscara) refer specifically to the difficult course of action that a BODHISATTVA pursues in order to reach the goal of enlightenment. These actions include the unending search or pilgrimage for a teacher, the sacrifices required to meet with an authentic teacher who can teach MahAyAna doctrines (see SADAPRARUDITA, SUDHANA), and the difficult practices of charity, such as giving away all possessions, including family members and even one's body (see DEHADANA; SHESHEN). The JATAKAMALA of sura, the BODHICARYAVATARA of sANTIDEVA, and to a certain extent the BUDDHACARITA of AsVAGHOsA set forth a model of the authentic bodhisattva's behavior for aspirants to emulate. In Buddhist TANTRA, caryA refers to a code of ritual purity, and to an esoteric practice called "yoga with signs" (SANIMITTAYOGA) followed by CARYATANTRA practitioners.

Cartesianism: The philosophy of the French thinker, Rene Descartes (Cartesius) 1596-1650. After completing his formal education at the Jesuit College at La Fleche, he spent the years 1612-1621 in travel and military service. The reminder of his life was devoted to study and writing. He died in Sweden, where he had gone in 1649 to tutor Queen Christina. His principal works are: Discours de la methode, (preface to his Geometric, Meteores, Dieptrique) Meditationes de prima philosophia, Principia philosophiae, Passions de l'ame, Regulae ad directionem ingenii, Le monde. Descartes is justly regarded as one of the founders of modern epistemology. Dissatisfied with the lack of agreement among philosophers, he decided that philosophy needed a new method, that of mathematics. He began by resolving to doubt everything which could not pass the test of his criterion of truth, viz. the clearness and distinctness of ideas. Anything which could pass this test was to be readmitted as self-evident. From self-evident truths, he deduced other truths which logically follow from them. Three kinds of ideas were distinguished: innate, by which he seems to mean little more than the mental power to think things or thoughts; adventitious, which come to him from without; factitious, produced within his own mind. He found most difficulty with the second type of ideas. The first reality discovered through his method is the thinking self. Though he might doubt nearly all else, Descartes could not reasonably doubt that he, who was thinking, existed as a res cogitans. This is the intuition enunciated in the famous aphorism: I think, therefore I am, Cogito ergo sum. This is not offered by Descartes as a compressed syllogism, but as an immediate intuition of his own thinking mind. Another reality, whose existence was obvious to Descartes, was God, the Supreme Being. Though he offered several proofs of the Divine Existence, he was convinced that he knew this also by an innate idea, and so, clearly and distinctly. But he did not find any clear ideas of an extra-mental, bodily world. He suspected its existence, but logical demonstration was needed to establish this truth. His adventitious ideas carry the vague suggestion that they are caused by bodies in an external world. By arguing that God would be a deceiver, in allowing him to think that bodies exist if they do not, he eventually convinced himself of the reality of bodies, his own and others. There are, then, three kinds of substance according to Descartes: Created spirits, i.e. the finite soul-substance of each man: these are immaterial agencies capable of performing spiritual operations, loosely united with bodies, but not extended since thought is their very essence. Uncreated Spirit, i.e. God, confined neither to space nor time, All-Good and All-Powerful, though his Existence can be known clearly, his Nature cannot be known adequately by men on earth, He is the God of Christianity, Creator, Providence and Final Cause of the universe. Bodies, i.e. created, physical substances existing independently of human thought and having as their chief attribute, extension. Cartesian physics regards bodies as the result of the introduction of "vortices", i.e. whorls of motion, into extension. Divisibility, figurability and mobility, are the notes of extension, which appears to be little more thin what Descartes' Scholastic teachers called geometrical space. God is the First Cause of all motion in the physical universe, which is conceived as a mechanical system operated by its Maker. Even the bodies of animals are automata. Sensation is the critical problem in Cartesian psychology; it is viewed by Descartes as a function of the soul, but he was never able to find a satisfactory explanation of the apparent fact that the soul is moved by the body when sensation occurs. The theory of animal spirits provided Descartes with a sort of bridge between mind and matter, since these spirits are supposed to be very subtle matter, halfway, as it were, between thought and extension in their nature. However, this theory of sensation is the weakest link in the Cartesian explanation of cognition. Intellectual error is accounted for by Descartes in his theory of assent, which makes judgment an act of free will. Where the will over-reaches the intellect, judgment may be false. That the will is absolutely free in man, capable even of choosing what is presented by the intellect as the less desirable of two alternatives, is probably a vestige of Scotism retained from his college course in Scholasticism. Common-sense and moderation are the keynotes of Descartes' famous rules for the regulation of his own conduct during his nine years of methodic doubt, and this ethical attitude continued throughout his life. He believed that man is responsible ultimately to God for the courses of action that he may choose. He admitted that conflicts may occur between human passions and human reason. A virtuous life is made possible by the knowledge of what is right and the consequent control of the lower tendencies of human nature. Six primary passions are described by Descartes wonder, love, hatred, desire, joy and sorrow. These are passive states of consciousness, partly caused by the body, acting through the animal spirits, and partly caused by the soul. Under rational control, they enable the soul to will what is good for the body. Descartes' terminology suggests that there are psychological faculties, but he insists that these powers are not really distinct from the soul itself, which is man's sole psychic agency. Descartes was a practical Catholic all his life and he tried to develop proofs of the existence of God, an explanation of the Eucharist, of the nature of religious faith, and of the operation of Divine Providence, using his philosophy as the basis for a new theology. This attempted theology has not found favor with Catholic theologians in general.

causal body ::: The mass-energy support (or “body”) for such states of consciousness as formless meditation, nirvikalpa samadhi, the chikhai bardo, and the deep, dreamless sleep state. The term “causal” technically refers only to this mass-energy but is sometimes broadly used to refer to states of consciousness supported by the causal body. See gross body and subtle body.

Cf. Meditations (Eng. tr. of Ta Eis Heauton) of A. -- M.F.

'cham. A Tibetan term for precisely choreographed ritual dances usually performed by a group of monks in a monastery courtyard and generally coinciding with a major monastic festival or important religious event. In many cases, the dancers are dressed in elaborate costumes, including painted masks, with the performance involving varied routines during the course of several days. Some dances, such as the zhwa nag (black hat) dance, symbolize the subjugation of forces inimical to Buddhism. Others may represent episodes from the life of Buddhist personalities, including PADMASAMBHAVA and MI LA RAS PA, or aspects of their spiritual attainment. Monks generally begin to train while quite young, although the most experienced performers practice 'cham as a form of active meditation. The dances are most often public events, performed before crowds of lay Buddhists from surrounding villages. Most performances are therefore a combination of religious ritual and social gathering and nearly every large dance festival will include several jester figures to keep the public entertained during slow periods in the program. See also LHA MO.

changjwa purwa. (S. naisyadika; P. nesajjika; T. cog bu pa; C. changzuo buwo; J. joza/choza fuga 長坐不臥). In Korean, "constantly sitting without lying down." This practice is the last of a list of twelve or thirteen voluntarily ascetic practices (see DHUTAnGA) sanctioned by the Buddha, and is used as a countermeasure (PRATIPAKsA) against sloth and torpor (P. thīnamiddha; S. STYANA-MIDDHA). In Korean Son (C. CHAN) monasteries, this is typically the only one of the list of the ascetic practices that is still in general practice. Although the practice of never lying down is recommended during intensive periods of practice during the summer and winter meditative retreats (kyolche; see JIEZHI), in some cases, the practice is carried out for months or years at a time. Unlike ascetics in the Chinese and Tibetan traditions, however, Korean monks never use physical supports to prop up the body. During periods of "ferocious effort" (YONGMAENG CHoNGJIN), typically the one-week period during the winter meditation retreat preceding the enlightenment day of the Buddha (the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month), the monks and nuns in the meditation hall often undertake changjwa purwa for the entire seven days.

Changlu Zongze. (J. Choro Sosaku; K. Changno Chongsaek 長蘆宗賾) (d.u.; fl. c. late eleventh to early twelfth centuries). Chinese CHAN monk of the YUNMEN ZONG. Little is known about his life, but Changlu is said to have been a native of Yongnian in Luozhou, in present-day Henan province. Changlu also seems to have had a close relation to the disciples of Tianyi Yihuai (993-1064), himself a disciple of the Yunmen Chan master XUEDOU CHONGXUAN. Changlu eventually became a student of Tianyi's disciples Fayun Faxiu (1027-1090) and Changlu Yingfu (d.u.), and later inherited the latter's lineage. Changlu Zongze is most famous for his compilation of the influential text on Chan monastic regulations or "rules of purity" (QINGGUI), the CHANYUAN QINGGUI, during his tenure at the Chan monastery Hongji chanyuan in 1103. When a revised edition of the Chanyuan qinggui was published in 1202, the meditation manual ZUOCHAN YI, probably composed by Changlu or his colleagues, was included. Changlu is also remembered as a PURE LAND adept renowned for his rigorous practice of NIANFO, the recitation of the name of the buddha AMITABHA. He later moved to Changlu in present-day Jiangxi province, whence he acquired his toponym. Changlu was later given the title Chan master Cijue (Compassionate Enlightenment).

Changuan cejin. (J. Zenkan sakushin; K. Son'gwan ch'aekchin 禪關策進). In Chinese, "Spurring Advancement through the Chan Barrier"; composed by the CHAN master YUNQI ZHUHONG in 1600. The text has long been used in Chan monasteries as a primer in meditation. From various Chan lineage histories (CHUANDENG LU) and recorded sayings (YULU), Yunqi compiled over a hundred anecdotes and legends about Chan masters that cogently demonstrated the value of diligence and intense practice. The Changuan cejin consists of two general collections. The first collection itself is further divided into two sections, entitled "Zhuzu fayu jieyao" ("Essential Selections of Dharma Talks by Various Masters") and "Zhuzu kugong jielüe" ("Brief Selections of the Painful Effort of Various Masters"). The first section consists largely of public lectures delivered by famous Chan masters, with Yunqi's own evaluation and notes appended at the end of each lecture. Similarly, the second section consists largely of stories of courageous efforts in practice made by various monks of the past, again with Yunqi's evaluations appended at the end of each story. The second collection, entitled "Zhujing yinzheng jielüe" ("Brief Selections of Verified Passages from Various Scriptures"), also consists of short passages quoted from various scriptures, with Yunqi's evaluation appended at the end of each passage.

Chan. (J. Zen; K. Son; V. Thièn 禪). In Chinese, the "Meditation," or Chan school (CHAN ZONG); one of the major indigenous schools of East Asian Buddhism. The Sinograph "chan" is the first syllable in the transcription channa, the Chinese transcription of the Sanskrit term DHYANA (P. JHANA); thus chan, like the cognate term chanding (chan is a transcription and ding a translation, of dhyAna), is often translated in English simply as "meditation." For centuries, the title CHANSHI (meditation master) was used in such sources as the "Biography of Eminent Monks" (GAOSENG ZHUAN) to refer to a small group of elite monks who specialized in the art of meditation. Some of these specialists adopted the term chan as the formal name of their community (Chan zong), perhaps sometime during the sixth or seventh centuries. These early "Chan" communities gathered around a number of charismatic teachers who were later considered to be "patriarchs" (ZUSHI) of their tradition. The legendary Indian monk BODHIDHARMA was honored as the first patriarch; it was retrospectively claimed that he first brought the Chan teachings to China. Later Chan lineage histories (see CHUANDENG LU) reconstructed elaborate genealogies of such patriarchs that extended back to MAHAKAsYAPA, the first Indian patriarch, and ultimately to the Buddha himself; often, these genealogies would even go back to all of the seven buddhas of antiquity (SAPTABUDDHA). Six indigenous patriarchs (Bodhidharma, HUIKE, SENGCAN, DAOXIN, HONGREN, and HUINENG) are credited by the established tradition with the development and growth of Chan in China, but early records of the Chan school, such as the LENGQIE SHIZI JI and LIDAI FABAO JI, reveal the polemical battles fought between the disparate communities to establish their own teachers as the orthodox patriarchs of the tradition. A particularly controversial dispute over the sixth patriarchy broke out between the Chan master SHENXIU, the leading disciple of the fifth patriarch Hongren, and HEZE SHENHUI, the purported disciple of the legendary Chinese monk Huineng. This dispute is often referred to as the "sudden and gradual debate," and the differing factions came to be retrospectively designated as the gradualist Northern school (BEI ZONG; the followers of Shenxiu) and the subitist Southern school (NAN ZONG; the followers of Huineng). The famous LIUZU TANJING ("Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch"), composed by the followers of this putative Southern school, is an important source for the history of this debate. Following the sixth patriarch, the Chan lineage split into a number of collateral lines, which eventually evolved into the so-called "five houses and seven schools" (WU JIA QI ZONG) of the mature Chan tradition: the five "houses" of GUIYANG (alt. Weiyang), LINJI, CAODONG, YUNMEN, and FAYAN, and the subsequent bifurcation of Linji into the two lineages of HUANGLONG and YANGQI, giving a total of seven schools. ¶ The teachings of the Chan school were introduced to Korea perhaps as early as the end of the seventh century CE and the tradition, there known as SoN, flourished with the rise of the Nine Mountains school of Son (KUSAN SoNMUN) in the ninth century. By the twelfth century, the teachings and practices of Korean Buddhism were dominated by Son; and today, the largest Buddhist denomination in Korea, the CHOGYE CHONG, remains firmly rooted in the Son tradition. The Chan teachings were introduced to Japan in the late twelfth century by MYoAN EISAI (1141-1215); the Japanese tradition, known as ZEN, eventually developed three major sects, RINZAISHu, SoToSHu, and oBAKUSHu. The Chan teachings are traditionally assumed to have been transmitted to Vietnam by VINĪTARUCI (d. 594), a South Indian brAhmana who is claimed (rather dubiously) to have studied in China with the third Chan patriarch SENGCAN before heading south to Guangzhou and Vietnam. In 580, he is said to have arrived in Vietnam and settled at Pháp Van monastery, where he subsequently transmitted his teachings to Pháp Hièn (d. 626), who carried on the Chan tradition, which in Vietnamese is known as THIỀN. In addition to the Vinītaruci lineage, there are two other putative lineages of Vietnamese Thièn, both named after their supposed founders: VÔ NGÔN THÔNG (reputedly a student of BAIZHANG HUAIHAI), and THẢO ĐƯỜNG (reputedly connected to the YUNMEN ZONG lineage in China). Chan had a presence in Tibet during the early dissemination (SNGA DAR) of Buddhism, and the Chan monk MOHEYAN was an influential figure at the Tibetan court in the late eighth century, leading to the famous BSAM YAS DEBATE.

Chan miyaofa jing. (J. Zenpiyohokyo; K. Son piyobop kyong 禪秘要法經). In Chinese, "Scripture on the Essential Techniques of Meditation"; translated by KUMARAJĪVA. The scripture details the practice of meditation, visualization, and controlling the breath. Among the different meditative practices discussed in the text, the meditations on foulness (AsUBHABHAVANA) serves as the foundational practice.

chanshi. (J. zenji; K. sonsa 禪師). In Chinese, lit. "DHYANA master," "meditation master," and, later, "CHAN master." Various "biographies of eminent monks" (GAOSENG ZHUAN) collections mention specialists of meditation known as chanshi, many of whom appear in a section typically entitled "practitioners of meditation" (xichan). Teachers of the TIANTAI, PURE LAND, and SANJIE JIAO are often referred to as chanshi. After the rise of the CHAN school in China, the term typically referred more specifically to the eminent teachers of this specific tradition. Often the formal title of chanshi (Chan master) was bestowed upon exceptional teachers by the monarchs of China, Korea, and Japan.

Chanyuan qinggui. (J. Zen'on shingi; K. Sonwon ch'onggyu 禪苑清規). In Chinese, "Pure Rules of the Chan Garden"; compiled by the CHAN master CHANGLU ZONGZE, in ten rolls. According to its preface, which is dated 1103, the Chanyuan qinggui was modeled on BAIZHANG HUAIHAI's legendary "rules of purity" (QINGGUI) and sought to provide a standardized set of monastic rules and an outline of institutional administration that could be used across all Chan monasteries. As the oldest extant example of the qinggui genre, the Chanyuan qinggui is an invaluable source for the study of early Chan monasticism. It was the first truly Chinese set of monastic regulations that came to rival in importance and influence the imported VINAYA materials of Indian Buddhism and it eventually came to be used not only in Chan monasteries but also in "public monasteries" (SHIFANG CHA) across the Chinese mainland. The Chanyuan qinggui provides meticulous descriptions of monastic precepts, life in the SAMGHA hall (SENGTANG), rites and rituals, manners of giving and receiving instruction, and the various institutional offices at a Chan monastery. A great deal of information is also provided on the abbot and his duties, such as the tea ceremony. Semi-independent texts such the ZUOCHAN YI, a primer of meditation, the Guijing wen, a summary of the duties of the monastic elite, and the Baizhang guisheng song, Zongze's commentary on Baizhang's purported monastic code, are also appended at the end of the Chanyuan qinggui. The Japanese pilgrims MYoAN EISAI, DoGEN KIGEN, and ENNI BEN'EN came across the Chanyuan qinggui during their visits to various monastic centers in China and, upon their return to Japan, they used the text as the basis for the establishment of the Zen monastic institution. Copies of a Chinese edition by a certain Yu Xiang, dated 1202, are now housed at the Toyo and Kanazawa Bunko libraries. The Chanyuan qinggui was also imported into Korea, which printed its own edition of the text in 1254; the text was used to reorganize Korean monastic institutions as well.

Chanyue Guanxiu. (J. Zengetsu Kankyu; K. Sonwol Kwanhyu 禪月貫休) (832-912). A Chinese CHAN monk famous as a poet and painter. His CHANYUE JI ("Collection of the Moon of Meditation") is one of the two most important collections of Chan poetry, along with the HANSHAN SHI. His rendering of the sixteen ARHAT protectors of Buddhism (sOdAsASTHAVIRA) became the standard Chinese presentation. His vivid portrayal of the arhats offers an extreme, stylized rendition of how the Chinese envisioned "Indians" (fan) or "Westerners" (hu), and gives each of his subjects a distinctive bearing and deportment and unique phrenological features and physical characteristics; these features are subsequently repeated routinely in the Chinese artistic tradition.

Chanyue ji. (J. Zengetsu shu; K. Sonwol chip 禪月集). In Chinese, "Collection of the Moon of Meditation"; a popular anthology of poetry by the poet and painter monk CHANYUE GUANXIU (832-912), otherwise known by his sobriquet of Chanyue dashi (Great Master Meditation Moon), whence the collection acquired its name. The Chanyue ji is said to have originally consisted of twenty-five or twenty-six rolls, of which only eleven are extant. A copy was made in 923 and again in 1240. Along with the HANSHAN SHI, the Chanyue ji is often considered one of the most lucid collections of CHAN poetry and is thus favored by many monks within the Chan tradition.

Chan zong. (J. Zenshu; K. Son chong 禪宗). The Chan, or Meditation, school. See CHAN.

Chan zong Yongjia ji. (J. Zenshu Yokashu; K. Sonjong Yongga chip 禪宗永嘉集). In Chinese, "Collection of Yonjia of the Chan School," attributed to the CHAN master YONGJIA XUANJUE; also known as the Yongjia ji, Yongjia chanzong ji, and Yongjia chanji. This text was an influential collection of poems that delineated the fundamental principles of meditation and the proper means of practice. The collection consists of ten major sections: (1) "intent and formalities in appreciating the way," (2) "haughtiness in keeping moral precepts (sĪLA)," (3) "the pure cultivation of the three modes of action," (4) "song of sAMATHA," (5) "song of VIPAsYANA," (6) "song of UPEKsA," (7) "gradual cultivation of the three vehicles," (8) "principle and phenomena are nondual," (9) "letters of encouragement to a friend," and (10) "vows." There is a famous commentary on this text by the Song-dynasty monk Xingding (d.u.) entitled the (Chan zong) Yongjia ji zhu. In 1464, a vernacular Korean translation of Xingding's text, with translation and commentary attributed to King Sejo (1455-1468) of the Choson dynasty, was published in Korea by the official Bureau of Scriptural Publication; this was one of the earliest texts composed in the new vernacular writing system of Han'gŭl.

Chijang. (C. Dizang 地藏) (628-726). A Korean monk of the Silla dynasty, also known as KIM KYOGAK, who was closely associated with the cult of KsITIGARBHA (K. Chijang) on the Chinese sacred mountain of JIUHUASHAN. According to his biography in the SONG GAOSENG ZHUAN ("Biographies of Eminent Monks Compiled During the Song Dynasty"); Kim was a scion of the Silla royal family, who ordained as a Buddhist monk at around the age of twenty-three and then traveled to Tang China on pilgrimage. Eventually arriving at Jiuhuashan in southeastern China, Chijang ended up residing there for some seventy-five years. Chijang is said to have spent his time in meditation, surviving by eating only rice that he cooked together with "white soil" (perhaps lime or gypsum). Deeply moved by his asceticism, the laity decided to build a large monastery for him. Around 780 CE, Zhang Gongyan brought the new name plaque for Chijang's monastery, designating it Huachengsi, and many laypeople made the arduous journey from Silla Korea to visit. In the summer of 803 CE, at the age of ninety-nine, Chijang bid farewell to his congregation, sat down in full lotus position, and passed away. His corpse was placed in seated position inside a coffin but even after three years it had not decayed and his face still looked as if he were alive. People eventually came to believe that he was the manifestation of his namesake, the BODHISATTVA KsITIGARBHA (K. Chijang). A shrine hall, named Dizang dian (K. Chijang chon), was built on the site where he died, which could only be reached by pulling oneself by rope up eighty-one precarious stone steps.

Chims phu. [alt. Mchims phu]. A conglomeration of meditation caves and hermitages on the side of a low ridge near BSAM YAS monastery south of LHA SA; also known as Mchims phu. It forms one of central Tibet's most important and active pilgrimage sites. The location's principal cave, Brag dmar ke'u tshang (Drakmar Ke'utsang), is one of eight major centers connected with PADMASAMBHAVA, and is considered the representation of the Indian master's speech. It is identified as the place where Padmasambhava first gave the instructions known as the "eight transmitted precepts of attainment" (SGRUB PA BKA' BGYAD) to his eight main disciples, including the Tibetan king KHRI SRONG LDE BTSAN. It is also the location where Padmasambhava resurrected Khri srong lde btsan's young daughter PADMA GSAL, and gave her the teachings of the MKHA' 'GRO SNYING THIG for the first time. The Chims phu complex also contains a natural representation of Padmasambhava's pure land, ZANGS MDOG DPAL RI, the glorious copper-colored mountain, as well as meditation caves of YE SHES MTSHO RGYAL, VAIROCANA, and KLONG CHEN RAB 'BYAMS, who died there. Many of the caves and hermitages at Chims phu are still used for meditation retreat by Tibetan men and women.

Chin'gak Hyesim. (眞覺慧諶) (1178-1234). Korean SoN master during the Koryo dynasty, also known as Yongŭl and Muŭija. Although he sought to ordain as a monk at an early age, his mother adamantly opposed his wish and he instead studied to become a Confucian literatus. It was not until 1202, after his mother's death, that he finally was able to join the SUSoNSA community established by POJO CHINUL and become his principal disciple. Hyesim was known for his intense style of practice: he is said, for example, to have been so absorbed in his meditation while he was at CHIRISAN that snow had piled up to his head. Although Chinul had decided to pass the leadership of his community on to Hyesim in 1208, Hyesim declined and went into hiding on Chirisan. In 1210, when Chinul passed away, some of his disciples notified the king of their master's death and he issued a royal decree, ordering Hyesim to return to Susonsa and succeed Chinul. Hyesim thus became the second teacher of the Susonsa community. He spent the rest of his life building the community and teaching the kanhwa Son (see KANHUA CHAN), or "questioning meditation," technique that Chinul had first championed in Korea. Hyesim compiled the first indigenous kongan (C. GONG'AN) collection, the SoNMUN YoMSONG CHIP, and the emphasis on kanhwa Son in subsequent Korean Buddhist practice owes much to his fervent advocacy of the technique. Hyesim passed away at the age of fifty-seven and received the posthumous title Chin'gak kuksa (State Preceptor Authentic Enlightenment). His other works include the CHOGYE CHIN'GAK KUKSA oROK and the Sonmun gangyo.

Chin'gam Hyeso. (眞鑑慧昭) (774-850). A Korean SoN master and pilgrim during the Silla dynasty, also known as Chin'gam Sonsa. Hyeso is famous for introducing a traditional Indian Buddhist chanting style (K. pomp'ae; C. FANBAI) to Korea. In 804, Hyeso accompanied the official embassy to China, where he studied under a disciple of the eminent CHAN master MAZU DAOYI in the HONGZHOU school of early Chan. In China, Hyeso is said to have been often referred to as the Sage of the East (Dongfang shengren) and the Black-Headed Ascetic (Heidoutuo) because of his dark skin. In 810, Hyeso received full monastic precepts at the monastery of SHAOLINSI on SONGSHAN, where he met a fellow Korean monk TOŬI. Hyeso later traveled to Zhongnanshan, where he practiced sAMATHA and VIPAsYANA meditation for three years. In 830, he returned to Korea and became the king's personal teacher. He later established the monasteries of Changbaeksa on Soraksan and Okch'onsa on CHIRISAN, where he constructed an image hall for the sixth patriarch (LIUZU) HUINENG. King Chonggang (r. 886-887) gave him the posthumous title Chin'gam (True Mirror) and changed the name of his monastery from Okch'onsa to SSANGGYESA (Paired Brooks Monastery). Hyeso is also renowned for introducing tea and tea culture to the Korean peninsula and green tea from the mountains surrounding SSANGGYESA is still renowned in Korea for its quality. Chin'gam Hyeso is also reputed to have introduced the distinctive "Indian style" of chanting to Korea around 830, and current pomp'ae specialists trace their lineage back to him.

Chinmyong Honwon. (眞明混元) (1191-1271). A Korean SoN master during the Koryo dynasty. Honwon was ordained in 1203 and studied under various teachers before visiting the Son master CHIN'GAK HYESIM. He began his training in Son (CHAN) meditation under Hyesim's disciple Mongyo (d. 1252), who became the third state preceptor (kuksa, C. GUOSHI) to lead the SUSoNSA community established by POJO CHINUL. Honwon eventually became Mongyo's disciple. In 1245, Honwon was invited by the powerful military commander Ch'oe U (d. 1249) to the newly founded monastery of Sonwonsa that he had established in the Koryo capital of Kaesong. There, Honwon attracted many talented disciples including CH'UNGGYoNG CH'oNYoNG. When Mongyo passed away in 1252, Honwon became the fourth state preceptor of Susonsa, but he quickly abdicated this position to his disciple Ch'onyong in 1259 to become the personal teacher of the king (wangsa). He was later given the posthumous title Chinmyong (True Illumination).

chinyong. (C. zhenying; J. shin'ei 眞影). In Korean, lit. "true image"; viz., a "monk's portrait." Although the term is known throughout the East Asian Buddhist traditions, it is especially associated with Korea; the related term DINGXIANG (J. chinzo, lit. "head's appearance") is more typically used within the Chinese and Japanese traditions. The employment of the term chinyong in Korea is a late Choson dynasty development; different terms were used in Korea before that era to refer to monk's portraits, including chinhyong ("true form"), sinyong ("divine image"), chinyong ("true appearance") and yongja ("small portrait image"). "Chin" ("true") in the compound refers to the inherent qualities of the subject, while "yong" ("image") alludes to his physical appearance; thus, a chinyong is a portrait that seeks to convey the true inner spirituality of the subject. Images of eminent masters who had been renowned patriarchs of schools, courageous monk soldiers, or successful fund-raisers were enshrined in a monastery's portrait hall. These portraits were painted posthumously-and, unlike Chinese dingxiang portraits, typically without the consent of the subjects-as one means of legitimizing the dharma-transmission lineage of their religious descendants; this usage of portraits is seen in both meditation (SoN) and doctrinal (KYO) monasteries. Korean monk portraits were not given out to individual disciples or lay adherents, as occurred in Chinese and Japanese Buddhism, where dozens and even hundreds of portraits were produced by and for a variety of persons. In the context of the Korean Son school, the pictures additionally enhanced the Son Buddhist emphasis on the direct spiritual transmission (see YINKE) between master and disciple. The development of monk portraiture was closely tied to annual commemorative practices in Buddhist monasteries, which sought to maintain the religious bonds between the dharma ancestors and their descendants.

Ch'obalsim chagyong mun. (初發心自警文). In Korean, "Personal Admonitions to Neophytes Who Have First Aroused the Mind," a primer of three short texts used to train Korean postulants and novices in the basics of Buddhist morality and daily practice, compiled during the middle of the Choson dynasty (1392-1910). The title of the primer is constructed by combining elements from its three constituent texts: (1) POJO CHINUL's (1158-1210) Kye ch'osim hagin mun ("Admonitions to Neophytes"), a vade mecum for monastic conduct directed to novices, monks, and SoN monks residing in the meditation hall; (2) WoNHYO's (617-686) PALSIM SUHAENG CHANG ("Arouse Your Mind and Practice") (-balsim is the first two Sinographs in the title of Palsim suhaeng chang); and (3) Yaun Kagu's (fl. c. 1376) Chagyong or Chagyong mun ("Self-Admonitions"), a set of ten behavioral codes to follow in religious development. The Ch'obalsim Chagyong mun continues today to be among the very first works read by male and female postulants in the monastic community.

ch'ongnim. (叢林). In Korean, lit., "dense grove"; a large, ecumenical monastery. In Korea, the term ch'ongnim is used in the contemporary CHOGYE CHONG to refer to a handful of major monasteries that are able to provide training in the full range of practices that exemplify the major strands of the Korean Buddhist tradition, including SoN meditation, KYO (and especially Hwaom, C. HUAYAN) doctrine, PURE LAND recitation of the buddha AMITABHA's name (K. yombul; see NIANFO), and VINAYA (monastic discipline) observance. While most monasteries are primarily devoted to one or another of these types of training, a ch'ongnim serves as a center where all can be practiced. These monasteries thus typically are larger comprehensive training centers, with a meditation hall (sonbang) and a monks' seminary or lecture hall (kangwon) on the campus; additionally, their spiritual head is called a pangjang (C. FANGJANG) rather than the usual chosil ("occupant of the patriarchs' room"). A monastery designated as a ch'ongnim receives a second name, most of which designate the mountain at which they are located. The five current Korean ch'ongnims are HAEINSA (also known as the Haein Ch'ongnim), SONGGWANGSA (Chogye Ch'ongnim), T'ONGDOSA (Yongch'uk Ch'ongnim), SUDoKSA (Toksung Ch'ongnim), and PAEGYANGSA (Kobul Ch'ongnim). See also CONGLIN.

chosan. (朝参). In Japanese, lit. "morning meditation"; the morning-period ZAZEN that begins the day at a Japanese ZEN monastery.

chukai. (抽解). In Japanese, "to take off"; referring to the rest period between meditation periods for monks practicing in the sodo, or SAMGHA hall. In between meditation sessions, monks are allowed to leave the SAMGHA hall and take off their robes to lie down and rest.

chukpi. (竹蓖). In Korean, "bamboo clacker"; an instrument used in Korea to mark the beginning and end of Buddhist ceremonies and meditation sessions. The instrument is a hollow stick of bamboo split down the middle, which, when struck, produces a clacking noise. The chukpi is typically clacked three times to signal the beginning and end of a ceremony or meditation session. Cf. MOKT'AK.

Cimin Huiri. (J. Jimin Enichi; K. Chamin Hyeil 慈愍慧日) (680-748). Founder of the Cimin lineage of Chinese PURE LAND Buddhism. Inspired by his meeting with the pilgrim and translator YIJING (635-713), Huiri also traveled to India between 702 and 719, where he is said to have studied with Indian teachers about SUKHAVATĪ, the pure land of AMITABHA and had a vision in which the BODHISATTVA AVALOKITEsVARA personally instructed him in pure land teachings. After Huiri returned to China, he taught an ecumenical approach to pure land practice, which combined the practices of meditation, recitation, and discipline. Because Huiri's approach differs markedly from that offered by LUSHAN HUIYUAN (334-416) and TANLUAN (476-542), his teachings are sometimes considered to constitute a separate Cimin line of the Chinese pure land tradition. Huiri also made a concerted effort to respond to critiques of pure land practice made by adepts within the CHAN ZONG, who disparaged the pure land approach as an expedient intended for spiritually inferior practitioners. The Tang emperor Xuanzong (r. 712-756) bestowed on Huiri the posthumous title of Cimin Sanzang (TREPItAKA Compassionate Sympathy) for his service in transmitting the pure land teaching. Cimin's combination of recitation of the Buddha's name (NIANFO) with meditation subsequently influenced the nianfo Chan of YONGMING YANSHOU (904-975).

cintAmayīprajNA. (P. cintAmayapaNNA; T. bsam pa las byung ba'i shes rab; C. sihui; J. shie; K. sahye 思慧). In Sanskrit, "wisdom derived from reflection [or analysis]"; the second of the three types of wisdom, together with sRUTAMAYĪPRAJNA (wisdom derived from what is heard, viz., study) and BHAVANAMAYĪPRAJNA (wisdom generated by cultivation or meditation). Building upon what one has learned through srutamayīprajNA, the practitioner deepens that knowledge by reflecting upon its significance and its application in understanding the nature of this world and beyond. This reflection may involve a certain level of mental attention and concentration, but not yet full meditative calmness (sAMATHA). This level of understanding is therefore not as profound as the third and final stage of wisdom, bhAvanAmayīprajNA, where the knowledge first learned and subsequently developed over the preceding two stages of wisdom is now authenticated at the level of VIPAsYANA.

cittaikAgratA. (P. cittekaggatA; T. sems rtse gcig pa; C. xin yijing xing; J. shin ikkyo sho; K. sim ilgyong song 心一境性). In Sanskrit, "one-pointedness of mind"; a deep state of meditative equipoise in which the mind is thoroughly concentrated on the object of meditation. In the progression of the four meditative absorptions associated with the subtle-materiality realm (RuPAVACARADHYANA), the first absorption (DHYANA) still involves the first two of the five constituents of dhyAna (DHYANAnGA): i.e., the application of thought to the meditative object (VITARKA) and sustained attention to that object (VICARA). As concentration deepens from the second dhyAna onward, applied and sustained thought vanish and the meditator moves from the mental "isolation" or "solitude" (VIVEKA) that characterizes the first dhyAna, to the true one-pointedness of mind (cittaikAgratA) that characterizes all higher stages of dhyAna; in this state of one-pointedness, the mind is so completely absorbed in the meditative object that even these most subtle varieties of thinking have disappeared.

cittaviprayuktasaMskAra. (T. sems dang ldan pa ma yin pa'i 'du byed; C. xin buxiangying fa; J. shinfusoobo; K. sim pulsangŭng pop 心不相應法). In Sanskrit, "conditioned forces dissociated from thought"; forces that are associated with neither materiality (RuPA) nor mentality (CITTA) and thus are listed in a separate category of factors (DHARMA) in ABHIDHARMA materials associated with the SARVASTIVADA school and in the hundred-dharmas (BAIFA) list of the YOGACARA school. These conditioned forces were posited to account for complex moral and mental processes (such as the states of mind associated with the higher spheres of meditation, where both physicality and mentality were temporarily suspended), and anomalous doctrinal problems (such as how speech was able to convey meaning or how group identity was established). A standard listing found in the DHARMASKANDHA and PRAKARAnAPADA, two texts of the SarvAstivAda abhidharma canon, includes sixteen dissociated forces: (1) possession (PRAPTI); (2) equipoise of nonperception (ASAMJNASAMAPATTI); (3) equipoise of cessation (NIRODHASAMAPATTI); (4) nonperception (AsaMjNika); (5) vitality (JĪVITA); (6) homogeneity (sabhAgatA); (7) acquisition the corporeal basis (*AsrayapratilAbha); (8) acquisition of the given entity (*vastuprApti); (9) acquisition of the sense spheres (*AyatanaprApti); the four conditioned characteristics (SAMSKṚTALAKsAnA), viz., (10) origination, or birth (JATI); (11) continuance, or maturation (STHITI); (12) senescence, or decay (JARA); and (13) desinence, or death (anityatA); (14) name set (nAmakAya); (15) phrase set (padakAya); 16) syllable set (vyaNjanakAya). The later treatise ABHIDHARMAKOsABHAsYA includes only fourteen, dropping numbers 7, 8, 9 and adding nonpossession (APRAPTI). These listings, however, constituted only the most generic and comprehensive types employed by the VAIBHAsIKA school of SarvAstivAda abhidharma; the cittaviprayuktasaMskAras thus constituted an open category, and new forces could be posited as the need arose in order to resolve thorny doctrinal issues. The four conditioned characteristics (saMskṛtalaksana) are a good example of why the cittaviprayuktasaMskAra category was so useful in abhidharma-type analysis. In the SarvAstivAda treatment of causality, these four characteristics were forcesthat exerted real power over compounded objects, escorting an object along from origination, to continuance, to senescence or decay, until the force "desinence," or death finally extinguishes it; this rather tortured explanation was necessary in order to explain how factors that the school presumed continued to exist in all three time periods (TRIKALA) of past, present, and future nevertheless still appeared to undergo change. The YOGACARA school subsequently includes twenty-four cittaviprayuktasaMskAras in its list of one hundred dharmas (see BAIFA), including such elements as the state of an ordinary being (pṛthagjanatva), time (KALA), place (desa), and number (saMkhyA).

cittavisuddhi. (S. cittavisuddhi). In PAli, "purity of mind"; according to the VISUDDHIMAGGA, the second of seven "purities" (VISUDDHI) to be developed along the path to liberation. Purity of mind refers to the eight meditative absorptions (P. JHANA; S. DHYANA) or attainments (SAMAPATTI) belonging to the subtle-materiality realm (rupAvacara) and the immaterial realm (ArupyAvacara). Meditative absorption belonging to the subtle-materiality realm (P. rupAvacarajhAna; S. RuPAVACARADHYANA) is subdivided into four stages, each of which is characterized by an increasing attenuation of consciousness as the meditator progresses from one stage to the next. Meditative absorption belonging to the immaterial realm (P. arupAvacarajhAna; S. ARuPYAVACARADHYANA) is likewise subdivided into four stages, but in this case it is the object of meditation that becomes attenuated from one stage to the next. In the first immaterial absorption, the meditator sets aside the perception of materiality and abides in the sphere of infinite space (P. AkAsAnaNcAyatana; S. AKAsANANTYAYATANA). In the second immaterial absorption, the meditator sets aside the perception of infinite space and abides in the sphere of infinite consciousness (P. viNNanaNcAyatana; S. VIJNANANANTYAYATANA). In the third immaterial absorption, the meditator sets aside the perception of infinite consciousness and abides in the sphere of nothingness (P. AkiNcaNNAyatana; S. AKINCANYAYATANA). In the fourth immaterial absorption, the meditator sets aside the perception of nothingness and abides in the sphere of neither perception nor nonperception (P. nevasaNNAnAsaNNAyatana; S. NAIVASAMJNANASAMJNAYATANA). To this list of eight absorptions is added "access" or "neighborhood" "concentration" (P. UPACARASAMADHI), which is the degree of concentration present in the mind of the meditator just prior to entering any of the four jhAnas.

clairvoyance ::: Clairvoyance This is a French word meaning 'clear seeing'. It is a paranormal mode of perception in which visual images are presented to the conscious mind. The perception may be of objects, people and/or scenes from the present, past or future. The clairvoyant experience may be spontaneous or induced through meditation, scrying or other methods of divination.

cogitation ::: n. --> The act of thinking; thought; meditation; contemplation.

Cogito Argument, The: (Lat. cogito, I think) An argument of the type employed by Descartes (Meditation II) to establish the existence of the self. Descartes' Cogito, ergo sum ("I think, therefore I exist") is an attempt to establish the existence of the self in any act of thinking, including even the act of doubting. The cogito ergo sum is, as Descartes himself insisted, not so much inference as a direct appeal to intuition, but it has commonly been construed as an argument because of Descartes' formulation. -- L.W.

Compass-Round ::: Another name for the traditional witch's ground consecration: a zone rite used to delineate space for purposes of magic, mediation, and meditation.

concentration ::: “Concentration is a gathering together of the consciousness and either centralising at one point or turning on a single object, e.g., the Divine; there can also be a gathered condition throughout the whole being, not at a point. In meditation it is not indispensable to gather like this, one can simply remain with a quiet mind thinking of one subject or observing what comes in the consciousness and dealing with it.” Letters on Yoga

CONCENTRATION ::: Fixing the consciousness in one place or on one object and in a single condition.

A gathering together of the consciousness and either centralising at one point or turning on a single object, e.g. the Divine; there can also be a gathered condition throughout the whole being, not at a point.

Concentration is necessary, first to turn the whole will and mind from the discursive divagation natural to them, following a dispersed movement of the thoughts, running after many-branching desires, led away in the track of the senses and the outward mental response to phenomena; we have to fix the will and the thought on the eternal and real behind all, and this demands an immense effort, a one-pointed concentration. Secondly, it is necessary in order to break down the veil which is erected by our ordinary mentality between ourselves and the truth; for outer knowledge can be picked up by the way, by ordinary attention and reception, but the inner, hidden and higher truth can only be seized by an absolute concentration of the mind on its object, an absolute concentration of the will to attain it and, once attained, to hold it habitually and securely unite oneself with it.

Centre of Concentration: The two main places where one can centre the consciousness for yoga are in the head and in the heart - the mind-centre and the soul-centre.

Brain concentration is always a tapasyā and necessarily brings a strain. It is only if one is lifted out of the brain mind altogether that the strain of mental concentration disappears.

At the top of the head or above it is the right place for yogic concentration in reading or thinking.

In whatever centre the concentration takes place, the yoga force generated extends to the others and produces concentration or workings there.

Modes of Concentration: There is no harm in concentrating sometimes in the heart and sometimes above the head. But concentration in either place does not mean keeping the attention fixed on a particular spot; you have to take your station of consciousness in either place and concentrate there not on the place, but on the Divine. This can be done with eyes shut or with eyes open, according as it best suits.

If one concentrates on a thought or a word, one has to dwell on the essential idea contained in the word with the aspiration to feel the thing which it expresses.

There is no method in this yoga except to concentrate, preferably in the heart, and call the presence and power of the Mother to take up the being and by the workings of her force to transform the consciousness; one can concentrate also in the head or between the eye-brows, but for many this is a too difficult opening. When the mind falls quiet and the concentration becomes strong and the aspiration intense, then there is a beginning of experience. The more the faith, the more rapid the result is likely to be.

Powers (three) of Concentration ::: By concentration on anything whatsoever we are able to know that thing, to make it deliver up its concealed secrets; we must use this power to know not things, but the one Thing-in-itself. By concentration again the whole will can be gathered up for the acquisition of that which is still ungrasped, still beyond us; this power, if it is sufficiently trained, sufficiently single-minded, sufficiently sincere, sure of itself, faithful to itself alone, absolute in faith, we can use for the acquisition of any object whatsoever; but we ought to use it not for the acquisition of the many objects which the world offers to us, but to grasp spiritually that one object worthy of pursuit which is also the one subject worthy of knowledge. By concentration of our whole being on one status of itself we can become whatever we choose ; we can become, for instance, even if we were before a mass of weaknesses and fears, a mass instead of strength and courage, or we can become all a great purity, holiness and peace or a single universal soul of Love ; but we ought, it is said, to use this power to become not even these things, high as they may be in comparison with what we now are, but rather to become that which is above all things and free from all action and attributes, the pure and absolute Being. All else, all other concentration can only be valuable for preparation, for previous steps, for a gradual training of the dissolute and self-dissipating thought, will and being towards their grand and unique object.

Stages in Concentration (Rajayogic) ::: that in which the object is seized, that in which it is held, that in which the mind is lost in the status which the object represents or to which the concentration leads.

Concentration and Meditation ::: Concentration means fixing the consciousness in one place or one object and in a single condition Meditation can be diffusive,e.g. thinking about the Divine, receiving impressions and discriminating, watching what goes on in the nature and acting upon it etc. Meditation is when the inner mind is looking at things to get the right knowledge.

vide Dhyāna.


Concentration Meditation ::: See Samatha Meditation.

Concentration With meditation, an equivalent for certain parts of yoga, as found in samadhi, dharana; the removal or surmounting of distractions originating in the mind and centering the latter on the spiritual and intellectual objective to be attained, which in the best sense is union with the inner god, the divine monad — a conscious identification of oneself with the universal through the individual’s innate divinity. The method of meditative concentration prescribed in the Bhagavad-Gita is to perform all the duties of life without either attachment or avoidance. The hindrances to concentration which are to be removed are those arising from anger, lust, vanity, fear, sloth, etc. Such obstacles are removed by lifting the mind above them or by deliberately ignoring them, since directly fighting with them serves to concentrate the mind on them, thus defeating the object aimed at; and by cultivating the spirit of impersonal love and the light of wisdom which it evokes. Thus the blending of the personal self with the impersonal self is achieved by an orderly process of self-directed evolution, first by unselfish work in the cause of humanity, continued in the various degrees of chelaship, culminating in initiation.

Conditions essfntitd for meditation ::: There are no essential external conditions, but solitude and seclusion at the time of meditation as as stillness of the body arc helpful, sometimes almost necessary to the beginner. Bui one should not bound b' external conditions. Once the habit of meditation is formed, it should be mads possible to do it in all circumstances, l.ving. sitting, walking, alone, in company, in silettce or in the midst of noise etc. The first imeroal condition necessary is concentration of the will against the obstacles to meditation. i.e. wandermg of the mind, forgetfulness, sfeep, phjsieal and nervous impatience and restlessness etc. The second is an increasing purity and calm of the inner consciousness (citia) out of which thought and emotion arise, i.e. a freedom frona all disturb i ng reactions, such as anger, grief, depression, anxiet>' about w-orldly happenings etc. Mental perfection and moral are always closely allied to each other.

Connected with the meditation there was practiced by certain individuals some form of breath control, as expressed by Chuang Tzu: the breathing of the sage is not like ordinary men, “he breathes with every part of him right down to the heels” (6:2). However, this author condemned physical exercises analogous to the yoga asanas (postures).

contemplation ::: n. --> The act of the mind in considering with attention; continued attention of the mind to a particular subject; meditation; musing; study.
Holy meditation.
The act of looking forward to an event as about to happen; expectation; the act of intending or purposing.


Dahui Pujue chanshi shu. (J. Daie Fukaku zenji sho; K. Taehye Pogak sonsa so 大慧普覺禪師書). In Chinese, "CHAN Master Dahui Pujue's Letters"; also known as the Dahui shumen, DAHUI SHUZHUANG, SHUZHUANG, and Dahui shu. Its colophon is dated to 1166. In reply to the letters he received from his many students, both ordained and lay, the Chan master DAHUI ZONGGAO wrote back with detailed instructions on meditation practice, especially his signature training in "observing the meditative topic," or more freely "questioning meditation" (KANHUA CHAN); after his death, his letters were compiled and edited in two rolls by his disciples Huiran and Huang Wenchang. Numerous editions of this collection were subsequently printed in China, Korea, and Japan. Many practitioners of Chan, SoN, and ZEN favored the Dahui Pujue chanshi shu for its clarity, intelligibility, and uniquely personal tone. The text was especially influential in the writings of the Korean Son master POJO CHINUL (1158-1210), who first learned about the Chan meditative technique of kanhua Chan from its pages and who attributed one of his three awakenings to his readings of Dahui. Dahui's letters were formally incorporated into the Korean Son monastic curriculum by at least the seventeenth century, as one of books in the "Fourfold Collection" (SAJIP), where it is typically known by its abbreviated title of "Dahui's Letters" (K. TAEHYE SoJANG) or just "Letters" (K. SoJANG; C. Shuzhuang). The Japanese monk and historian MUJAKU DoCHu (1653-1744) also wrote an important commentary to the text, known as the Daiesho koroju.

Dahui Zonggao. (J. Daie Soko; K. Taehye Chonggo 大慧宗杲) (1089-1163). Influential Song-dynasty Chinese CHAN master in the LINJI ZONG; also known as Miaoxi, Yunmen, Tanhui, or more typically just Dahui (J. Daie; K. Taehye). Dahui was a native of Ningguo in Xuanzhou (present-day Anhui province). After studying at LUSHAN and Mt. Dong, Dahui became the student of the Chan master DANTANG WENZHUN; in 1115, aware of his impending death, Dantang encouraged Dahui to continue his studies under YUANWU KEQIN. Before approaching Yuanwu, Dahui visited the Chan master JUEFAN HUIHONG, at which time he also met the powerful statesman and layman ZHANG SHANGYING. In 1124, while Yuanwu was serving under imperial orders as abbot of the monastery of Tianningsi in Dongjing, Dahui became his disciple and later inherited his Linji lineage. At the recommendation of the current grand councilor, Dahui was given the title Fori Dashi (Great Master Buddha Sun). After Yuanwu returned to his home province of Sichuan, Dahui moved to the hermitage of Yunmen'an in Haihun (present-day Jiangxi province) to avoid the invading forces of the Jin dynasty. In 1134, Dahui moved again to the hermitage of Yangyuan in Fujian province, where he launched a harsh critique against the practice of "silent-illumination Chan" (MOZHAO CHAN), championing instead the "investigation of the meditative topic" (KANHUA CHAN) method of meditation. Dahui later served as abbot of the powerful monastery Nengren Chanyuan on Mt. Jing (see WANSHOUSI) and revitalized the teachings of the Chan master LINJI YIXUAN. While a truce with the rival Jin dynasty was being negotiated, Dahui was accused of collaborating with Jin forces, for which he was exiled to Hengzhou in present-day Hunan province. During this period, Dahui composed his magnum opus, ZHENGFAYANZANG. After he was absolved of his alleged crime of treason, Dahui began his residence on Mt. Ayuwang and befriended the CAODONG ZONG Chan master HONGZHI ZHENGJUE, who was the preemiment advocate of the "silent-illumination" technique that Dahui so harshly criticized, suggesting that this professional disagreement did not affect their personal ties. Dahui later returned to his post at Nengren Chanyuan and became the teacher of Emperor Xiaozong (r. 1162-1189), who gave him the title Chan Master Dahui (Great Wisdom). He was also given the posthumous title Chan Master Pujue (Universal Enlightenment), the name typically used in his publications. Dahui's teachings are recorded in his Dahui chanshi yulu, DAHUI PUJUE CHANSHI SHU, and DAHUI PUJUE CHANSHI ZONGMEN WUKU.

dAkinī. (T. mkha' 'gro ma; C. tuzhini; J. dakini; K. tojini 荼枳尼). In Sanskrit, a cannibalistic female demon, a witch; in sANTIDEVA's BODHICARYAVATARA, a female hell guardian (narakapAlA); in tantric Buddhism, dAkinīs, particularly the vajradAkinī, are guardians from whom tAntrikas obtain secret doctrines. For example, the VAJRABHAIRAVA adept LAlitavajra is said to have received the YAMANTAKA tantras from vajradAkinīs, who allowed him to bring back to the human world only as many of the texts as he could memorize in one night. The dAkinī first appears in Indian sources during the fourth century CE, and it has been suggested that they evolved from local female shamans. The term is of uncertain derivation, perhaps having something to do with "drumming" (a common feature of shamanic ritual). The Chinese, Japanese, and Korean give simply a phonetic transcription of the Sanskrit. In Tibetan, dAkinī is translated as "sky goer" (mkha' 'gro ma), probably related to the Sanskrit khecara, a term associated with the CAKRASAMVARATANTRA. Here, the dAkinī is a goddess, often depicted naked, in semi-wrathful pose (see VAJRAYOGINĪ); they retain their fearsome element but are synonymous with the highest female beauty and attractiveness and are enlightened beings. They form the third of what are known as the "inner" three jewels (RATNATRAYA): the guru, the YI DAM, and the dAkinīs and protectors (DHARMAPALA; T. chos skyong). The archetypical Tibetan wisdom or knowledge dAkinī (ye shes mkha' 'gro) is YE SHES MTSHO RGYAL, the consort of PADMASAMBHAVA. dAkinīs are classified in a variety of ways, the most common being mkha' 'gro sde lnga, the female buddhas equivalent to the PANCATATHAGATA or five buddha families (PANCAKULA): BuddhadAkinī [alt. AkAsadhAtvīsvarī; SparsavajrA] in the center of the mandala, with LocanA, MAmakī, PAndaravAsinī, and TARA in the cardinal directions. Another division is into three: outer, inner, and secret dAkinīs. The first is a YOGINĪ or a YOGIN's wife or a regional goddess, the second is a female buddha that practitioners visualize themselves to be in the course of tantric meditation, and the last is nondual wisdom (ADVAYAJNANA). This division is also connected with the three bodies (TRIKAYA) of MahAyAna Buddhism: the NIRMAnAKAYA (here referring to the outer dAkinīs), SAMBHOGAKAYA (meditative deity), and the DHARMAKAYA (the knowledge dAkinī). The word dAkinī is found in the title of the explanation (vAkhyA) tantras of the yoginī class or mother tantras included in the CakrasaMvaratantra group.

Damoduoluo chan jing. (J. Darumatara zenkyo; K. Talmadara son kyong 達摩多羅禪經). In Chinese, the "DhyAna Sutra of DharmatrAta"; a scripture on meditation (DHYANA) attributed to the SARVASTIVADA teacher DHARMATRATA (c. fourth century CE) and translated into Chinese by BUDDHABHADRA in the early fifth century. Buddhabhadra arrived in the Chinese capital of Chang'an in 406 and briefly stayed at LUSHAN HUIYUAN's (334-416) monastery on LUSHAN, where he translated the text at the latter's request. The Damoduoluo chan jing describes the transmission of the oral teachings of the Buddha from master to disciple and details the various practices of meditation (GUAN) such as mindfulness of breathing (S. ANAPANASMṚTI; P. AnApAnasati) and meditation on the foul (AsUBHABHAVANA), as well as the categories of, SKANDHA, AYATANA, and DHATU. The text includes a listing of patriarchs of the tradition before and after DharmatrAta, which begins with MAHAKAsYAPA and ANANDA, continues through MADHYANTIKA, sAnAKAVASIN, UPAGUPTA, VASUMITRA, and SaMgharaksa, leading up to DharmatrAta, who is then followed in turn by Punyamitra. This lineage seems to derive from the SARVASTIVADA school in the KASHMIR-GANDHARA region and suggests that the notion of a teaching geneaology as a central part of Buddhist religious identity has its start in the Indian tradition. Prefaces to the Damoduoluo chan jing by Lushan Huiyuan and Huiguan subsequently connect versions of this lineage to BODHIDHARMA, the putative founder of the CHAN school in East Asia, suggesting this text exerted some influence in the rise of transmission lineages within the early Chan tradition.

Daoxin. (J. Doshin; K. Tosin 道信) (580-651). Chan monk and reputed fourth patriarch of the CHAN tradition. Although Daoxin's birthplace is not certain, some sources say he was a native of Qizhou in present-day Hubei province, while others mention Henei in Henan province. Little is known of his early training, but early Chan sources such as the LENGQIE SHIZI JI and CHUAN FABAO JI claim that Daoxin studied under SENGCAN, the putative third patriarch of Chan and supposed successor to BODHIDHARMA and HUIKE, his connection to this dubious figure is tenuous at best, however, and is probably a retrospective creation. The earliest biography of Daoxin, recorded in the XU GAOSENG ZHUAN ("Supplementary Biographies of Eminent Monks"), not only does not posit any connection of Daoxin to the preceding three patriarchs but does not even mention their names. The Chuan fabao ji states that Daoxin was fully ordained in 607, after his purported period of study under Sengcan. Daoxin is subsequently known to have resided at the monastery of Dalinsi on LUSHAN in Jiangxi province for ten years. At the invitation of the inhabitants of his native Qizhou, Daoxin moved again to Mt. Shuangfeng in Huangmei (perhaps in 624), where he remained in seclusion for about thirty years. He is therefore sometimes known as Shuangfeng Daoxin. During his residence at Mt. Shuangfeng, Daoxin is claimed to have attracted more than five hundred students, among whom HONGREN, the fifth patriarch of Chan, is most famous. The lineage and teachings attributed to Daoxin and Hongren are typically called the East Mountain Teachings (DONGSHAN FAMEN) after the easterly peak of Mt. Shuangfeng, where Hongren dwelled. Daoxin was given the posthumous title Chan Master Dayi (Great Physician) by Emperor Daizong (r. 762-779) of the Tang dynasty. According to the Lengqie shizi ji, Daoxin composed the Pusajie zuofa ("Method of Conferring the BODHISATTVA Precepts"), which is no longer extant, and the Rudao anxin yaofangbian famen ("Essentials of the Teachings of the Expedient Means of Entering the Path and Pacifying the Mind"), which is embedded in the Lengqie shizi ji. This latter text employs the analogy of a mirror from the Banzhou sanmei jing (S. PRATYUTPANNABUDDHASAMMUKHAVASTHITASAMADHISuTRA) to illustrate the insubstantiality of all phenomena, viz., one's sensory experiences are no more substantial than the reflections in a mirror. The text then presents the "single-practice SAMADHI" (YIXING SANMEI) as a practical means of accessing the path leading to NIRVAnA, based on the Wenshushuo bore jing ("Perfection of Wisdom Sutra Spoken by Manjusrī"). Single-practice samAdhi here refers to sitting in meditation, the supreme practice that subsumes all other practices. In single-practice samAdhi, the meditator contemplates every single aspect of one's mental and physical existence until one realizes they are all empty, and "guards that one without deviation" (shouyi buyi).

darsanamArga. (T. mthong lam; C. jiandao; J. kendo; K. kyondo 見道). In Sanskrit, "path of vision"; the third of the five paths (PANCAMARGA) to liberation and enlightenment, whether as an ARHAT or as a buddha. It follows the second path, the path of preparation (PRAYOGAMARGA) and precedes the fourth path, the path of meditation or cultivation (BHAVANAMARGA). This path marks the adept's first direct perception of reality, without the intercession of concepts, and brings an end to the first three of the ten fetters (SAMYOJANA) that bind one to the cycle of rebirth: (1) belief in the existence of a self in relation to the body (SATKAYADṚstI), (2) belief in the efficacy of rites and rituals (sĪLAVRATAPARAMARsA) as a means of salvation, and (3) doubt about the efficacy of the path (VICIKITSA). Because this vision renders one a noble person (ARYA), the path of vision marks the inception of the "noble path" (AryamArga). According to the SarvAstivAda soteriological system, the darsanamArga occurs over the course of fifteen moments of realization of the FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS, with the sixteenth moment marking the beginning of the BHAVANAMARGA. There are four moments of realization for each of the four truths. The first moment is that of doctrinal acquiescence (DHARMAKsANTI) with regard to the sensuous realm (KAMADHATU). In that moment, the afflictions (KLEsA) of the sensuous realm associated with the truth of suffering are abandoned. This is followed by a moment of doctrinal knowledge (DHARMAJNANA) of the truth of suffering with regard to the sensuous realm, which is the state of understanding that the afflictions of that level have been abandoned. Next comes a moment of realization called subsequent acquiescence (anvayaksAnti), in which the afflictions associated with the truth of suffering in the two upper realms, the realm of subtle materiality (RuPADHATU) and the immaterial realm (ARuPYADHATU) are abandoned; there is finally a moment of subsequent knowledge (anvayajNAna) of the truth of suffering with regard to the two upper realms. This sequence of four moments-doctrinal acquiescence and doctrinal knowledge (which are concerned with the sensuous realm) and subsequent acquiescence and subsequent knowledge (which are concerned with the two upper realms)-is repeated for the remaining truths of origin, cessation, and path. In each case, the moments of realization called acquiescence are the time when the afflictions are actually abandoned; they are called uninterrupted paths (ANANTARYAMARGA) because they cannot be interrupted or impeded in severing the hold of the afflictions. The eight moments of knowledge are the state of having realized that the afflictions of the particular level have been abandoned. They are called paths of liberation (VIMUKTIMARGA). An uninterrupted path, followed by a path of liberation, are likened to throwing out a thief and locking the door behind him. The sixteenth moment in the sequence-the subsequent knowledge of the truth of the path with regard to the upper realms-constitutes the first moment of the next path, the bhAvanAmArga. For a BODHISATTVA, the attainment of the path of vision coincides with the inception of the first BODHISATTVABHuMI (see also DAsABHuMI). The ABHIDHARMASAMUCCAYA explains that the bodhisattva's path of vision is also a direct perception of reality and is focused on the four noble truths; unlike the mainstream account, however, all three realms are considered simultaneously, and the sixteenth moment is not the first instant of the path of cultivation (bhAvanAmArga). The YOGACARA system is based on their doctrine of the falsehood of the subject/object bifurcation. The first eight instants describe the elimination of fetters based on false conceptualization (VIKALPA) of objects, and the last eight the elimination of fetters based on the false conceptualization of a subject; thus the actual path of vision is a direct realization of the emptiness (suNYATA) of all dharmas (sarvadharmasunyatA). This view of the darsanamArga as the first direct perception (PRATYAKsA) of emptiness is also found in the MADHYAMAKA school, according to which the bodhisattva begins to abandon the afflictive obstructions (KLEsAVARAnA) upon attaining the darsanamArga. See also DHARMAKsANTI; JIEWU; DUNWU JIANXIU.

Dasa-bhumi: Sanskrit for ten stages. In Buddhist terminology, the ten stages of the spiritual development of a Bodhisattva (q.v.) toward Buddhahood. Each school of Buddhism has its own dasa-bhumi, but the most widely accepted set in Mahayana Buddhism is that set forth in the Dasa-bhumi Sastra, viz.: (1) The Stage of Joy, in which the Bodhisattva develops his holy nature and discards wrong views; (2) the Stage of Purity, in which he attains the Perfection of Morality; (3) the Stage of Illumination, in which he attains the Perfection of Patience or Humility, and also the deepest introspective insight; (4) the Stage of Flaming Wisdom, in which he achieves the Perfection of Meditation and realizes the harmony of the Worldly Truth and the Supreme Truth; (5) the Stage of Presence, in which he achieves the Perfection of Wisdom; (7) the Stage of Far-going, in which he attains the Perfection of Expediency by going afar and to save all beings; (8) the Stage of Immovability, in which he attains the Perfection of Vow and realizes the principle that all specific characters of elements (dharmas) are unreal; (9) the Stage of Good Wisdom, in which he achieves the Perfection of Effort, attains the Ten Holy Powers, and preaches both to the redeemable and the unredeemable; (10) the Stage of the Cloud of the Law, in which he attains mastery of Perfect Knowledge and preaches the Law to save all creatures, “like the cloud drops rain over all.”

dasabhumi. (T. sa bcu; C. shidi; J. juji; K. sipchi 十地). In Sanskrit, lit., "ten grounds," "ten stages"; the ten highest reaches of the bodhisattva path (MARGA) leading to buddhahood. The most systematic and methodical presentation of the ten BHuMIs appears in the DAsABHuMIKASuTRA ("Ten Bhumis Sutra"), where each of the ten stages is correlated with seminal doctrines of mainstream Buddhism-such as the four means of conversion (SAMGRAHAVASTU) on the first four bhumis, the FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS (CATVARY ARYASATYANI) on the fifth bhumi, and the chain of dependent origination (PRATĪTYASAMUTPADA) on the sixth bhumi, etc.-as well as with mastery of one of a list of ten perfections (PARAMITA) completed in the course of training as a bodhisattva. The list of the ten bhumis of the Dasabhumikasutra, which becomes standard in most MahAyAna traditions, is as follows: (1) PRAMUDITA (joyful) corresponds to the path of vision (DARsANAMARGA) and the bodhisattva's first direct realization of emptiness (suNYATA). The bodhisattva masters on this bhumi the perfection of giving (DANAPARAMITA), learning to give away those things most precious to him, including his wealth, his wife and family, and even his body (see DEHADANA); (2) VIMALA (immaculate, stainless) marks the inception of the path of cultivation (BHAVANAMARGA), where the bodhisattva develops all the superlative traits of character incumbent on a buddha through mastering the perfection of morality (sĪLAPARAMITA); (3) PRABHAKARĪ (luminous, splendrous), where the bodhisattva masters all the various types of meditative experiences, such as DHYANA, SAMAPATTI, and the BRAHMAVIHARA; despite the emphasis on meditation in this bhumi, it comes to be identified instead with the perfection of patience (KsANTIPARAMITA), ostensibly because the bodhisattva is willing to endure any and all suffering in order to master his practices; (4) ARCIsMATĪ (radiance, effulgence), where the flaming radiance of the thirty-seven factors pertaining to enlightenment (BODHIPAKsIKADHARMA) becomes so intense that it incinerates obstructions (AVARAnA) and afflictions (KLEsA), giving the bodhisattva inexhaustible energy in his quest for enlightenment and thus mastering the perfection of vigor or energy (VĪRYAPARAMITA); (5) SUDURJAYA (invincibility, hard-to-conquer), where the bodhisattva comprehends the various permutations of truth (SATYA), including the four noble truths, the two truths (SATYADVAYA) of provisional (NEYARTHA) and absolute (NĪTARTHA), and masters the perfection of meditative absorption (DHYANAPARAMITA); (6) ABHIMUKHĪ (immediacy, face-to-face), where, as the name implies, the bodhisattva stands at the intersection between SAMSARA and NIRVAnA, turning away from the compounded dharmas of saMsAra and turning to face the profound wisdom of the buddhas, thus placing him "face-to-face" with both the compounded (SAMSKṚTA) and uncompounded (ASAMSKṚTA) realms; this bhumi is correlated with mastery of the perfection of wisdom (PRAJNAPARAMITA); (7) DuRAnGAMA (far-reaching, transcendent), which marks the bodhisattva's freedom from the four perverted views (VIPARYASA) and his mastery of the perfection of expedients (UPAYAPARAMITA), which he uses to help infinite numbers of sentient beings; (8) ACALA (immovable, steadfast), which is marked by the bodhisattva's acquiescence or receptivity to the nonproduction of dharmas (ANUTPATTIKADHARMAKsANTI); because he is now able to project transformation bodies (NIRMAnAKAYA) anywhere in the universe to help sentient beings, this bhumi is correlated with mastery of the perfection of aspiration or resolve (PRAnIDHANAPARAMITA); (9) SADHUMATĪ (eminence, auspicious intellect), where the bodhisattva acquires the four analytical knowledges (PRATISAMVID), removing any remaining delusions regarding the use of the supernatural knowledges or powers (ABHIJNA), and giving the bodhisattva complete autonomy in manipulating all dharmas through the perfection of power (BALAPARAMITA); and (10) DHARMAMEGHA (cloud of dharma), the final bhumi, where the bodhisattva becomes autonomous in interacting with all material and mental factors, and gains all-pervasive knowledge that is like a cloud producing a rain of dharma that nurtures the entire world; this stage is also described as being pervaded by meditative absorption (DHYANA) and mastery of the use of codes (DHARAnĪ), just as the sky is filled by clouds; here the bodhisattva achieves the perfection of knowledge (JNANAPARAMITA). As the bodhisattva ascends through the ten bhumis, he acquires extraordinary powers, which CANDRAKĪRTI describes in the eleventh chapter of his MADHYAMAKAVATARA. On the first bhumi, the bodhisattva can, in a single instant (1) see one hundred buddhas, (2) be blessed by one hundred buddhas and understand their blessings, (3) live for one hundred eons, (4) see the past and future in those one hundred eons, (5) enter into and rise from one hundred SAMADHIs, (6) vibrate one hundred worlds, (7) illuminate one hundred worlds, (8) bring one hundred beings to spiritual maturity using emanations, (9) go to one hundred BUDDHAKsETRA, (10), open one hundred doors of the doctrine (DHARMAPARYAYA), (11) display one hundred versions of his body, and (12) surround each of those bodies with one hundred bodhisattvas. The number one hundred increases exponentially as the bodhisattva proceeds; on the second bhumi it becomes one thousand, on the third one hundred thousand, and so on; on the tenth, it is a number equal to the particles of an inexpressible number of buddhaksetra. As the bodhisattva moves from stage to stage, he is reborn as the king of greater and greater realms, ascending through the Buddhist cosmos. Thus, on the first bhumi he is born as king of JAMBUDVĪPA, on the second of the four continents, on the third as the king of TRAYATRIMsA, and so on, such that on the tenth he is born as the lord of AKANIstHA. ¶ According to the rather more elaborate account in chapter eleven of the CHENG WEISHI LUN (*VijNaptimAtratAsiddhi), each of the ten bhumis is correlated with the attainment of one of the ten types of suchness (TATHATA); these are accomplished by discarding one of the ten kinds of obstructions (Avarana) by mastering one of the ten perfections (pAramitA). The suchnesses achieved on each of the ten bhumis are, respectively: (1) universal suchness (sarvatragatathatA; C. bianxing zhenru), (2) supreme suchness (paramatathatA; C. zuisheng zhenru), (3) ubiquitous, or "supreme outflow" suchness (paramanisyandatathatA; C. shengliu zhenru), (4) unappropriated suchness (aparigrahatathatA; C. wusheshou zhenru), (5) undifferentiated suchness (abhinnajAtīyatathatA; C. wubie zhenru), (6) the suchness that is devoid of maculations and contaminants (asaMklistAvyavadAtatathatA; C. wuranjing zhenru), (7) the suchness of the undifferentiated dharma (abhinnatathatA; C. fawubie zhenru), (8) the suchness that neither increases nor decreases (anupacayApacayatathatA; C. buzengjian), (9) the suchness that serves as the support of the mastery of wisdom (jNAnavasitAsaMnisrayatathatA; C. zhizizai suoyi zhenru), and (10) the suchness that serves as the support for mastery over actions (kriyAdivasitAsaMnisrayatathatA; C. yezizai dengsuoyi). These ten suchnessses are obtained by discarding, respectively: (1) the obstruction of the common illusions of the unenlightened (pṛthagjanatvAvarana; C. yishengxing zhang), (2) the obstruction of the deluded (mithyApratipattyAvarana; C. xiexing zhang), (3) the obstruction of dullness (dhandhatvAvarana; C. andun zhang), (4) the obstruction of the manifestation of subtle afflictions (suksmaklesasamudAcArAvarana; C. xihuo xianxing zhang), (5) the obstruction of the lesser HĪNAYANA ideal of parinirvAna (hīnayAnaparinirvAnAvarana; C. xiasheng niepan zhang), (6) the obstruction of the manifestation of coarse characteristics (sthulanimittasamudAcArAvarana; C. cuxiang xianxing zhang), (7) the obstruction of the manifestation of subtle characteristics (suksmanimittasamudAcArAvarana; C. xixiang xianxing zhang), (8) the obstruction of the continuance of activity even in the immaterial realm that is free from characteristics (nirnimittAbhisaMskArAvarana; C. wuxiang jiaxing zhang), (9) the obstruction of not desiring to act on behalf of others' salvation (parahitacaryAkAmanAvarana; C. buyuxing zhang), and (10) the obstruction of not yet acquiring mastery over all things (fa weizizai zhang). These ten obstructions are overcome by practicing, respectively: (1) the perfection of giving (dAnapAramitA), (2) the perfection of morality (sīlapAramitA), (3) the perfection of forbearance (ksAntipAramitA), (4) the perfection of energetic effort (vīryapAramitA), (5) the perfection of meditation (dhyAnapAramitA), (6) the perfection of wisdom (prajNApAramitA), (7) the perfection of expedient means (upAyapAramitA), (8) the perfection of the vow (to attain enlightenment) (pranidhAnapAramitA), (9) the perfection of power (balapAramitA), and (10) the perfection of knowledge (jNAnapAramitA). ¶ The eighth, ninth, and tenth bhumis are sometimes called "pure bhumis," because, according to some commentators, upon reaching the eighth bhumi, the bodhisattva has abandoned all of the afflictive obstructions (KLEsAVARAnA) and is thus liberated from any further rebirth. It appears that there were originally only seven bhumis, as is found in the BODHISATTVABHuMI, where the seven bhumis overlap with an elaborate system of thirteen abidings or stations (vihAra), some of the names of which (such as pramuditA) appear also in the standard bhumi schema of the Dasabhumikasutra. Similarly, though a listing of ten bhumis appears in the MAHAVASTU, a text associated with the LOKOTTARAVADA subsect of the MAHASAMGHIKA school, only seven are actually discussed there, and the names given to the stages are completely different from those found in the later Dasabhumikasutra; the stages there are also a retrospective account of how past buddhas have achieved enlightenment, rather than a prescription for future practice. ¶ The dasabhumi schema is sometimes correlated with other systems of classifying the bodhisattva path. In the five levels of the YogAcAra school's outline of the bodhisattva path (PANCAMARGA; C. wuwei), the first bhumi (pramuditA) is presumed to be equivalent to the level of proficiency (*prativedhAvasthA; C. tongdawei), the third of the five levels; while the second bhumi onward corresponds to the level of cultivation (C. xiuxiwei), the fourth of the five levels. The first bhumi is also correlated with the path of vision (DARsANAMARGA), while the second and higher bhumis correlate with the path of cultivation (BHAVANAMARGA). In terms of the doctrine of the five acquiescences (C. ren; S. ksAnti) listed in the RENWANG JING, the first through the third bhumis are equivalent to the second acquiescence, the acquiescence of belief (C. xinren; J. shinnin; K. sinin); the fourth through the sixth stages to the third, the acquiescence of obedience (C. shunren; J. junnin; K. sunin); the seventh through the ninth stages to the fourth, the acquiescence to the nonproduction of dharmas (anutpattikadharmaksAnti; C. wushengren; J. mushonin; K. musaengin); the tenth stage to the fifth and final acquiescence, to extinction (jimieren; J. jakumetsunin; K. chongmyorin). FAZANG's HUAYANJING TANXUAN JI ("Notes Plumbing the Profundities of the AVATAMSAKASuTRA") classifies the ten bhumis in terms of practice by correlating the first bhumi to the practice of faith (sRADDHA), the second bhumi to the practice of morality (sĪLA), the third bhumi to the practice of concentration (SAMADHI), and the fourth bhumi and higher to the practice of wisdom (PRAJNA). In the same text, Fazang also classifies the bhumis in terms of vehicle (YANA) by correlating the first through third bhumis with the vehicle of humans and gods (rentiansheng), the fourth through the seventh stage to the three vehicles (TRIYANA), and the eighth through tenth bhumis to the one vehicle (EKAYANA). ¶ Besides the list of the dasabhumi outlined in the Dasabhumikasutra, the MAHAPRAJNAPARAMITASuTRA and the DAZHIDU LUN (*MahAprajNApAramitAsAstra) list a set of ten bhumis, called the "bhumis in common" (gongdi), which are shared between all the three vehicles of sRAVAKAs, PRATYEKABUDDHAs, and bodhisattvas. These are the bhumis of: (1) dry wisdom (suklavidarsanAbhumi; C. ganhuidi), which corresponds to the level of three worthies (sanxianwei, viz., ten abidings, ten practices, ten transferences) in the srAvaka vehicle and the initial arousal of the thought of enlightenment (prathamacittotpAda) in the bodhisattva vehicle; (2) lineage (gotrabhumi; C. xingdi, zhongxingdi), which corresponds to the stage of the "aids to penetration" (NIRVEDHABHAGĪYA) in the srAvaka vehicle, and the final stage of the ten transferences in the fifty-two bodhisattva stages; (3) eight acquiescences (astamakabhumi; C. barendi), the causal incipiency of stream-enterer (SROTAAPANNA) in the case of the srAvaka vehicle and the acquiescence to the nonproduction of dharmas (anutpattikadharmaksAnti) in the bodhisattva path (usually corresponding to the first or the seventh through ninth bhumis of the bodhisattva path); (4) vision (darsanabhumi; C. jiandi), corresponding to the fruition or fulfillment (PHALA) level of the stream-enterer in the srAvaka vehicle and the stage of nonretrogression (AVAIVARTIKA), in the bodhisattva path (usually corresponding to the completion of the first or the eighth bhumi); (5) diminishment (tanubhumi; C. baodi), corresponding to the fulfillment level (phala) of stream-enterer or the causal incipiency of the once-returner (sakṛdAgAmin) in the srAvaka vehicle, or to the stage following nonretrogression before the attainment of buddhahood in the bodhisattva path; (6) freedom from desire (vītarAgabhumi; C. liyudi), equivalent to the fulfillment level of the nonreturner in the srAvaka vehicle, or to the stage where a bodhisattva attains the five supernatural powers (ABHIJNA); (7) complete discrimination (kṛtAvibhumi), equivalent to the fulfillment level of the ARHAT in the srAvaka vehicle, or to the stage of buddhahood (buddhabhumi) in the bodhisattva path (buddhabhumi) here refers not to the fruition of buddhahood but merely to the state in which a bodhisattva has the ability to exhibit the eighteen qualities distinctive to the buddhas (AVEnIKA[BUDDHA]DHARMA); (8) pratyekabuddha (pratyekabuddhabhumi); (9) bodhisattva (bodhisattvabhumi), the whole bodhisattva career prior to the fruition of buddhahood; (10) buddhahood (buddhabhumi), the stage of the fruition of buddhahood, when the buddha is completely equipped with all the buddhadharmas, such as omniscience (SARVAKARAJNATĀ). As is obvious in this schema, despite being called the bhumis "common" to all three vehicles, the shared stages continue only up to the seventh stage; the eighth through tenth stages are exclusive to the bodhisattva vehicle. This anomaly suggests that the last three bhumis of the bodhisattvayāna were added to an earlier srāvakayāna seven-bhumi scheme. ¶ The presentation of the bhumis in the PRAJNĀPĀRAMITĀ commentarial tradition following the ABHISAMAYĀLAMKĀRA uses the names found in the Dasabhumikasutra for the bhumis and understands them all as bodhisattva levels; it introduces the names of the ten bhumis found in the Dazhidu lun as levels that bodhisattvas have to pass beyond (S. atikrama) on the tenth bodhisattva level, which it calls the buddhabhumi. This tenth bodhisattva level is not the level of an actual buddha, but the level on which a bodhisattva has to transcend attachment (abhinivesa) to not only the levels reached by the four sets of noble persons (ĀRYAPUDGALA) but to the bodhisattvabhumis as well. See also BHuMI.

Dazhidu lun. (J. Daichidoron; K. Taejido non 大智度論). In Chinese, "Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom"; an important Chinese text that is regarded as the translation of a Sanskrit work whose title has been reconstructed as *MāhāprājNāpāramitāsāstra or *MahāprajNāpāramitopedesa. The work is attributed to the MADHYAMAKA exegete NĀGĀRJUNA, but no Sanskrit manuscripts or Tibetan translations are known and no references to the text in Indian or Tibetan sources have been identified. The work was translated into Chinese by the KUCHA monk KUMĀRAJĪVA (344-413) between 402 and 406; it was not translated into Chinese again. Some scholars speculate that the work was composed by an unknown Central Asian monk of the SARVĀSTIVĀDA school who had "converted" to MADHYAMAKA, perhaps even Kumārajīva himself. The complete text was claimed to have been one hundred thousand slokas or one thousand rolls (zhuan) in length, but the extant text is a mere one hundred rolls. It is divided into two major sections: the first is Kumārajīva's full translation of the first fifty-two chapters of the text; the second is his selective translations from the next eighty-nine chapters of the text. The work is a commentary on the PANCAVIMsATISĀHASRIKĀPRAJNĀPĀRAMITĀSuTRA, and is veritable compendium of Buddhist doctrine, replete with quotations from a wide range of Indian texts. Throughout the translation, there appear frequent and often substantial interlinear glosses and interpolations, apparently provided by Kumārajīva himself and targeting his Chinese readership; it is the presence of such interpolations that has raised questions about the text's Indian provenance. In the first thirty-four rolls, the Dazhidu lun provides a detailed explanation of the basic concepts, phrases, places, and figures that appear in the PaNcaviMsatisāhasrikāprajNāpāramitā (e.g., BHAGAVAT, EVAM MAYĀ sRUTAM, RĀJAGṚHA, buddha, BODHISATTVA, sRĀVAKA, sĀRIPUTRA, suNYATĀ, NIRVĀnA, the six PĀRAMITĀ, and ten BALA). The scope of the commentary is extremely broad, covering everything from doctrine, legends, and rituals to history and geography. The overall concern of the Dazhidu lun seems to have been the elucidation of the concept of buddhahood, the bodhisattva career, the MAHĀYĀNA path (as opposed to that of the HĪNAYĀNA), PRAJNĀ, and meditation. The Dazhidu lun thus served as an authoritative source for the study of Mahāyāna in China and was favored by many influential writers such as SENGZHAO, TIANTAI ZHIYI, FAZANG, TANLUAN, and SHANDAO. Since the time of the Chinese scriptural catalogue KAIYUAN SHIJIAO LU (730), the Dazhidu lun, has headed the roster of sĀSTRA materials collected in the Chinese Buddhist canon (DAZANGJING; see also KORYo TAEJANGGYoNG); this placement is made because it is a principal commentary to the PRAJNĀPĀRAMITĀ sutras that open the SuTRA section of the canon. Between 1944 and 1980, the Belgian scholar ÉTIENNE LAMOTTE published an annotated French translation of the entire first section and chapter 20 of the second section as Le Traité de la Grande Vertu de Sagesse, in five volumes.

2.The name of a branch of Chassidut founded by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, emphasizing the role of the intellect and meditation in the service of G-d,


Devadatta. (T. Lhas sbyin; C. Tipodaduo; J. Daibadatta; K. Chebadalta 提婆達多). Sanskrit and Pāli proper name for a cousin and rival of the Buddha; he comes to be viewed within the tradition as the embodiment of evil for trying to kill the Buddha and split the SAMGHA (SAMGHABHEDA). Devadatta is said to have been the brother of ĀNANDA, who would later become the Buddha's attendant. According to Pāli sources, when Gotama (GAUTAMA) Buddha returned to Kapalivatthu (KAPILAVASTU) after his enlightenment to preach to his native clan, the Sākiyans (sĀKYA), Devadatta along with ĀNANDA, Bhagu, Kimbila, BHADDIYA-KĀlIGODHĀPUTTA, Anuruddha (ANIRUDDHA), and UPĀLI were converted and took ordination as monks. Devadatta quickly attained mundane supranormal powers (iddhi; S. ṚDDHI) through his practice of meditation, although he never attained any degree of enlightenment. For a period of time, Devadatta was revered in the order. Sāriputta (sĀRIPUTRA) is depicted as praising him, and the Buddha lists him among eleven chief elders. Devadatta, however, always seems to have been of evil disposition and jealous of Gotama; in the final years of the Buddha's ministry, he sought to increase his influence and even usurp leadership of the saMgha. He used his supranormal powers to win over the patronage of Prince Ajātasattu (AJĀTAsATRU), who built for him a monastery at Gayāsīsa (Gayāsīrsa). Emboldened by this success, he approached the Buddha with the suggestion that the Buddha retire and pass the leadership of the saMgha to him, whereupon the Buddha severely rebuked him. It was then that Devadatta conceived a plan to kill the Buddha even while he incited Ajātasattu to murder his father BIMBISĀRA, king of MAGADHA, who was the Buddha's chief patron. At Devadatta's behest, Ajātasattu dispatched sixteen archers to shoot the Buddha along a road, but the Buddha, using his supranormal powers, instead converted the archers. Later, Devadatta hurled a boulder down the slope of Mt. Gijjhakuta (GṚDHRAKutAPARVATA) at the Buddha, which grazed his toe and caused it to bleed. Finally, Devadatta caused the bull elephant NĀLĀGIRI, crazed with toddy, to charge at the Buddha, but the Buddha tamed the elephant with the power of his loving-kindness (P. mettā; S. MAITRĪ). Unsuccessful in his attempts to kill the Buddha, Devadatta then decided to establish a separate order. He approached the Buddha and recommended that five austere practices (DHUTAnGA) be made mandatory for all members of the saMgha: forest dwelling, subsistence only on alms food collected by begging, use of rag robes only, dwelling at the foot of a tree, and vegetarianism. When the Buddha rejected his recommendation, Devadatta gathered around him five hundred newly ordained monks from Vesāli (VAIsĀLĪ) and, performing the fortnightly uposatha (UPOsADHA) ceremony separately at Gayāsīsa, formally seceded from the Buddha's saMgha. When the five hundred Vesāli monks were won back to the fold by Sāriputta (sĀRIPUTRA) and Moggallāna (MAHĀMAUDGALYĀYANA), Devadatta grew sick with rage, coughing up blood, and never recovered. It is said that toward the end of his life, Devadatta felt remorse and decided to journey to see the Buddha to ask him for his forgiveness. However, spilling the blood of a Buddha and causing schism in the saMgha are two of the five "acts that brings immediate retribution" (P. ānantariyakamma; S. ĀNANTARYAKARMAN), viz., rebirth in hell. In addition, Devadatta is said to have beaten to death the nun UTPALAVARnĀ when she rebuked him for attempting to assassinate the Buddha. She was an arhat, and killing an arhat is another of the "acts that bring immediate retribution." When Devadatta was on his way to visit the Buddha (according to some accounts, to repent; according to other accounts, to attempt to kill him one last time by scratching him with poisoned fingernails), the earth opened up and Devadatta fell into AVĪCI hell, where he will remain for one hundred thousand eons. His last utterance was that he had no other refuge than the Buddha, an act that, at the end of his torment in hell, will cause him to be reborn as the paccekabuddha (PRATYEKABUDDHA) Atthissara. In many JĀTAKA stories, the villain or chief antagonist of the BODHISATTVA is often identified as a previous rebirth of Devadatta. In the "Devadatta Chapter" of the SADDHARMAPUndARĪKASuTRA ("Lotus Sutra"), the Buddha remarks that in a previous life, he had studied with the sage Asita, who was in fact Devadatta, and that Devadatta would eventually become a buddha himself. This statement was used in the Japanese NICHIREN school as proof that even the most evil of persons (see ICCHANTIKA; SAMUCCHINAKUsALAMuLA) still have the capacity to achieve enlightenment. In their accounts of India, both FAXIAN and XUANZANG note the presence of followers of Devadatta who adhered to the austere practices he had recommended to the Buddha.

devatāyoga. (T. lha'i rnal 'byor). In Sanskrit, "deity yoga"; tantric practice in which a deity (often a buddha or bodhisattva) is visualized in the presence of the practitioner, the deity is propitiated through offerings, prayers, and the recitation of MANTRA, and is then requested to bestow SIDDHIs. Two types are sometimes enumerated: one in which the deity is visualized in front of the practitioner and another in which the practitioner imagines himself or herself to be the deity. According to TSONG KHA PA, the practice of this latter type of deity yoga is the distinguishing characteristic of the VAJRAYĀNA, differentiating it from the PĀRAMITĀYĀNA. He argues that both forms of deity yoga are to be found in all classes of tantra: KRIYĀ, CARYĀ, YOGA, and ANUTTARAYOGA. Devatāyoga is a central feature of the two stages of anuttarayoga tantra (UTPATTIKRAMA and NIsPANNAKRAMA); in the former "generation" stage, guided by a SĀDHANA, the tāntrika visualizes a MAndALA, with its central and surrounding deities. Through meditation on ANĀTMAN (nonself) or suNYATĀ (emptiness), the practitioner imagines himself or herself to be the central deity of the mandala. In certain forms of practice, the practitioner will also imagine the entire mandala and its deities as residing within the practitioner's body. When the practitioner has developed the ability to visualize the mandala and its deities in minute detail, one moves to the second "completion" stage (nispannakrama), in which the complex of NĀdIs (channels) and CAKRAs (wheels) of the human body are utilized to achieve buddhahood.

dge bshes. (geshe). A Tibetan abbreviation for dge ba'i bshes gnyen, or "spiritual friend" (S. KALYĀnAMITRA). In early Tibetan Buddhism, the term was used in this sense, especially in the BKA' GDAMS tradition, where saintly figures like GLANG RI THANG PA are often called "geshe"; sometimes, however, it can have a slightly pejorative meaning, as in the biography of MI LA RAS PA, where it suggests a learned monk without real spiritual attainment. In the SA SKYA sect, the term came to take on a more formal meaning to refer to a monk who had completed a specific academic curriculum. The term is most famous in this regard among the DGE LUGS, where it refers to a degree and title received after successfully completing a long course of Buddhist study in the tradition of the three great Dge lugs monasteries in LHA SA: 'BRAS SPUNGS, DGA' LDAN, and SE RA. According to the traditional curriculum, after completing studies in elementary logic and epistemology (BSDUS GRWA), a monk would begin the study of "five texts" (GZHUNG LNGA), five Indian sĀSTRAs, in the following order: the ABHISAMAYĀLAMKĀRA of MAITREYANĀTHA, the MADHYAMAKĀVATĀRA of CANDRAKĪRTI, the ABHIDHARMAKOsABHĀsYA of VASUBANDHU, and the VINAYASuTRA of GUnAPRABHA. Each year, there would also be a period set aside for the study of the PRAMĀnAVĀRTTIKA of DHARMAKĪRTI. The curriculum involved the memorization of these and other texts, the study of them based on monastic textbooks (yig cha), and formal debate on their content. Each year, monks in the scholastic curriculum (a small minority of the monastic population) were required to pass two examinations, one in memorization and the other in debate. Based upon the applicant's final examination, one of four grades of the dge bshes degree was awarded, which, in descending rank, are: (1) lha rams pa, (2) tshogs rams pa, (3) rdo rams pa; (4) gling bsre [alt. gling bseb], a degree awarded by a combination of monasteries; sometimes, the more scholarly or the religiously inclined would choose that degree to remove themselves from consideration for ecclesiastical posts so they could devote themselves to their studies and to meditation practice. The number of years needed to complete the entire curriculum depended on the degree, the status of the person, and the number of candidates for the exam. The coveted lha rams pa degree, the path to important offices within the Dge lugs religious hierarchy, was restricted to sixteen candidates each year. The important incarnations (SPRUL SKU) were first in line, and their studies would be completed within about twelve years; ordinary monks could take up to twenty years to complete their studies and take the examination. Those who went on to complete the course of study at the tantric colleges of RGYUD STOD and RYUD SMAD would be granted the degree of dge bshes sngags ram pa.

Dhammakāya. (Thai, Thammakai). A Buddhist reform movement in Thailand that originated in 1916, when a monk named Luang Phor Sodh is said to have rediscovered a technique of meditation that had been lost since the time of the Buddha. The movement began to gain impetus in 1970, when one of the abbot's disciples, a nun known as Khun Yay Upāsika, founded Wat Phra Dhammakāya. Dhammakāya meditation practice consists of visualizing a small crystal sphere entering one's body through the nasal passage; the sphere settles in the solar plexus and eventually becomes transformed into a crystal image of the Buddha. While engaging in this visualization, the meditator is supposed to focus on the MANTRA "samma arahang." The practice is supposed to culminate in the ability to see a buddha image (the dhammakāya, or "truth body" of the Buddha; see DHARMAKĀYA) inside oneself, an experience compared to tasting NIRVĀnA in the present life. Meditation is the principal Dhammakāya practice, and the organization encourages its followers to meditate twice a day as a way of improving self-confidence and as a tool for success, well being, and fostering family life. Dhammakāya also offers group training courses for adults in the private and public sectors. Devotees dress in white, and temple buildings are simple in design. Dhammakāya is also known for organizing massive ceremonies involving several thousand monks and tens of thousands of laypeople on Buddhist holy days. Rather than following the traditional lunar calendar and practicing on the days of the waning and waxing moon, Dhammakāya practice is held every Sunday, with meditation in the morning, followed by a sermon on topics relevant to the problems and concerns of everyday life. Its adherents are also encouraged to take part in such activities as retreats, youth camps, and massive ordinations for college students during the summer break. The Dhammakāya movement also differs from mainstream Thai Buddhism in that it requires monks to be ordained for life rather than the temporary ordination that is common among Thai laymen. In addition to its massive WAT outside of Bangkok, it has established branches throughout Thailand and overseas. Many Thais, especially intellectuals who support the forest meditation tradition, criticize Dhammakāya for its "direct marketing" type of organization and its quick-fix solutions to complex problems.

Dharmaksema. (C. Tanwuchen; J. Donmusen; K. Tammuch'am 曇無讖) (385-433 CE). Indian Buddhist monk who was an early translator of Buddhist materials into Chinese. A scion of a brāhmana family from India, Dharmaksema became at the age of six a disciple of Dharmayasas (C. Damoyeshe; J. Donmayasha) (d.u.), an ABHIDHARMA specialist who later traveled to China c. 397-401 and translated the sāriputrābhidharmasāstra. Possessed of both eloquence and intelligence, Dharmaksema was broadly learned in both monastic and secular affairs and was well versed in mainstream Buddhist texts. After he met a meditation monk named "White Head" and had a fiery debate with him, Dharmaksema recognized his superior expertise and ended up studying with him. The monk transmitted to him a text of the MAHĀPARINIRVĀnASuTRA written on bark, which prompted Dharmaksema to embrace the MAHĀYĀNA. Once he reached the age of twenty, Dharmaksema was able to recite over two million words of Buddhist texts. He was also so skilled in casting spells that he earned the sobriquet "Great Divine Spell Master" (C. Dashenzhou shi). Carrying with him the first part of the Mahāparinirvānasutra that he received from "White Head," he left India and arrived in the KUCHA kingdom in Central Asia. As the people of Kucha mostly studied HĪNAYĀNA and did not accept the Mahāyāna teachings, Dharmaksema then moved to China and lived in the western outpost of DUNHUANG for several years. Juqu Mengxun, the non-Chinese ruler of the Northern Liang dynasty (397-439 CE), eventually brought Dharmaksema to his capital. After studying the Chinese language for three years and learning how to translate Sanskrit texts orally into Chinese, Dharmaksema engaged there in a series of translation projects under Juqu Mengxun's patronage. With the assistance of Chinese monks, such as Daolang and Huigao, Dharmaksema produced a number of influential Chinese translations, including the Dabanniepan jing (S. Mahāparinirvānasutra; in forty rolls), the longest recension of the sutra extant in any language; the Jinguangming jing ("Sutra of Golden Light"; S. SUVARnAPRABHĀSOTTAMASuTRA; in four rolls); and the Pusa dichi jing (S. BODHISATTVABHuMISuTRA; in ten rolls). He is also said to have made the first Chinese translation of the LAnKĀVATĀRASuTRA (C. Ru Lengqie jing), but his rendering had dropped out of circulation at least by 730 CE, when the Tang Buddhist cataloguer ZHISHENG (700-786 CE) compiled the KAIYUAN SHIJIAO LU. The Northern Wei ruler Tuoba Tao, a rival of Juqu Mengxun's, admired Dharmaksema's esoteric expertise and requested that the Northern Liang ruler send the Indian monk to his country. Fearing that his rival might seek to employ Dharmaksema's esoteric expertise against him, Juqu Mengxun had the monk assassinated at the age of forty-nine. Dharmaksema's translation of Indian Buddhist texts into Chinese had a significant impact on Chinese Buddhism; in particular, the doctrine that all beings have the buddha-nature (FOXING), a teaching appearing in Dharmaksema's translation of the Mahāparinirvānasutra, exerted tremendous influence on the development of Chinese Buddhist thought.

Dharmatrāta. (T. Chos skyob; C. Damoduoluo; J. Darumatara; K. Talmadara 達摩多羅). The proper name of two well-known masters of the ABHIDHARMA. ¶ The first Dharmatrāta (fl. c. 100-150 CE), sometimes known to the tradition as the Bhadanta Dharmatrāta and commonly designated Dharmatrāta I in the scholarship, was a Dārstāntika from northwest India. This Dharmatrāta, along with VASUMITRA, Ghosa[ka], and Buddhadeva, was one of the four great ĀBHIDHARMIKAs whom Xuanzang says participated in the Buddhist council (SAMGĪTI) conveyed by the KUSHAN king KANIsKA (r. c. 144-178 CE), which was headed by PĀRsVA (see COUNCIL, FOURTH). The views of these four masters are represented in the ABHIDHARMAMAHĀVIBHĀsĀ, a massive commentary on KĀTYĀYANĪPUTRA's JNĀNAPRASTHĀNA, which functions as a virtual encyclopedia of SARVĀSTIVĀDA abhidharma. ¶ A second Dharmatrāta (fl. c. fourth century CE), known as Dharmatrāta II, is also the putative author of the SAMYUKTĀBHIDHARMAHṚDAYA (C. Za apitan xinlun; "The Heart of Scholasticism with Miscellaneous Additions"), the last of a series of expository treatises that summarized Sarvāstivāda abhidharma philosophy as it was then prevailing in BACTRIA and GANDHĀRA; the text was based on Dharmasresthin's ABHIDHARMAHṚDAYA. Dharmatrāta II also composed the PaNcavastuvibhāsā (C. Wushi piposha lun; "Exposition of the Five-Fold Classification"), a commentary on the first chapter of Vasumitra's PRAKARAnAPĀDA, one of the seven major texts of the Sarvāstivāda ABHIDHARMAPItAKA, which was also translated by Xuanzang in 663; it involves a discussion of the mature Sarvāstivāda fivefold classification system for dharmas: materiality (RuPA), mentality (CITTA), mental constituents (CAITTA), forces dissociated from thought (CITTAVIPRAYUKTASAMSKĀRA), and the unconditioned (ASAMSKṚTA). The DAMODUOLUO CHAN JING, a meditation manual that proved influential in early Chinese Buddhism, is also attributed to him.

dhimahi. ::: "we meditate upon"; meditation or knowledge of the Absolute

DHYAI^A . Meditation ; contemplation ; inner concentration of the consciousness ; going inside in samadhi ; prolonged absorp- tion of the mind in the object of concentration.

dhyana ::: meditation, contemplation; mental concentration whether in thought, vision or knowledge.

dhyana. ::: deep meditation; a state of pure thought and absorption in the object of meditation

Dhyana-marga (Sanskrit) Dhyāna-mārga [from dhyāna meditation + mārga path] The path of meditation or profound spiritual-intellectual contemplation.

dhyānamudrā. (T. mnyam bzhag gi phyag rgya; C. dingyin; J. join; K. chongin 定印). In Sanskrit, "gesture of meditation"; also sometimes written as dhyānimudrā. This MUDRĀ is formed with both hands resting in the lap, the back of the right hand resting on the palm of the left and both thumbs lightly touching. In this version, the right hand represents the world of enlightenment, which subdues the world of appearance symbolized by the left hand, or, alternatively, the absolute realm of reality in which NIRVĀnA and SAMSĀRA are nondual. This gesture may also be made with the left hand only, while the right hand is positioned in another mudrā. This gesture is commonly found in images of sĀKYAMUNI and AMITĀBHA buddhas and is also a basic hand position used in the practice of meditation.

dhyāna. (P. jhāna; T. bsam gtan; C. chan/chanding; J. zen/zenjo; K. son/sonjong 禪/禪定). In Sanskrit, "meditative absorption," specific meditative practices during which the mind temporarily withdraws from external sensory awareness and remains completely absorbed in an ideational object of meditation. The term can refer both to the practice that leads to full absorption and to the state of full absorption itself. Dhyāna involves the power to control the mind and does not, in itself, entail any enduring insight into the nature of reality; however, a certain level of absorption is generally said to be necessary in order to prepare the mind for direct realization of truth, the destruction of the afflictions (KLEsA), and the attainment of liberation (VIMUKTI). Dhyāna is classified into two broad types: (1) meditative absorption associated with the realm of subtle materiality (RuPĀVACARADHYĀNA) and (2) meditative absorption of the immaterial realm (ĀRuPYĀVACARADHYĀNA). Each of these two types is subdivided into four stages or degrees of absorption, giving a total of eight stages of dhyāna. The four absorptions of the realm of subtle materiality are characterized by an increasing attenuation of consciousness as one progresses from one stage to the next. The deepening of concentration leads the meditator temporarily to allay the five hindrances (NĪVARAnA) and to put in place the five constituents of absorption (DHYĀNĀnGA). The five hindrances are: (1) sensuous desire (KĀMACCHANDA), which hinders the constituent of one-pointedness of mind (EKĀGRATĀ); (2) malice (VYĀPĀDA), hindering physical rapture (PRĪTI); (3) sloth and torpor (STYĀNA-MIDDHA), hindering applied thought (VITARKA); (4) restlessness and worry (AUDDHATYA-KAUKṚTYA), hindering mental ease (SUKHA); and (5) skeptical doubt (VICIKITSĀ), hindering sustained thought (VICĀRA). These hindrances thus specifically obstruct one of the specific factors of absorption and, once they are allayed, the first level of the subtle-materiality dhyānas will be achieved. In the first dhyāna, all five constituents of dhyāna are present; as concentration deepens, these gradually fall away, so that in the second dhyāna, both types of thought vanish and only prīti, sukha, and ekāgratā remain; in the third dhyāna, only sukha and ekāgratā remain; and in the fourth dhyāna, concentration is now so rarified that only ekāgratā is left. Detailed correlations appear in meditation manuals describing specifically which of the five spiritual faculties (INDRIYA) and seven constituents of enlightenment (BODHYAnGA) serves as the antidote to which hindrance. Mastery of the fourth absorption of the realm of subtle materiality is required for the cultivation of the supranormal powers (ABHIJNĀ) and for the cultivation of the four ārupyāvacaradhyānas, or meditative absorptions of the immaterial realm. The immaterial absorptions themselves represent refinements of the fourth rupāvacaradhyāna, in which the "object" of meditation is gradually attenuated. The four immaterial absorptions instead are named after their respective objects: (1) the sphere of infinite space (ĀKĀsĀNANTYĀYATANA), (2) the sphere of infinite consciousness (VIJNĀNĀNANTYĀYATANA), (3) the sphere of nothingness (ĀKINCANYĀYATANA), and (4) the sphere of neither perception nor nonperception (NAIVASAMJNĀNĀSAMJYYATANA). Mastery of the subtle-materiality realm absorptions can also result in rebirth as a divinity (DEVA) in the subtle-materiality realm, and mastery of the immaterial absorptions can lead to rebirth as a divinity in the immaterial realm (see ANINJYAKARMAN). Dhyāna occurs in numerous lists of the constituents of the path, appearing, for example, as the fifth of the six perfections (PĀRAMITĀ). The term CHAN (J. zen), the name adopted by an important school of indigenous East Asian Buddhism, is the Chinese phonetic transcription of the Sanskrit term dhyāna. See also JHĀNA; SAMĀDHI; SAMĀPATTI.

Dhyana: Sanskrit for meditation or the full accord of thinker and thought without interference and without being merged as yet; the seventh of the eight stages of Yoga.

dhyana (sarup dhyan) ::: meditation with vision of rūpa.

Dhyana: (Skr.) Meditation or the full accord of thinker and thought without interference and without being merged as yet, the last but one stage in the attainment of the goals of Yoga (q.v.). -- K.F.L.

Dhyana (Skt.): Meditation, in the true sense of Thought-free Consciousness. Ch'an,

Dhyana ::: There are two words used in English to express the Indian idea of Dhyana, "meditation" and "contemplation". Meditation means properly the concentration of the mind on a single train of ideas which work out a single subject. Contemplation means regarding mentally a single object, image, idea so that the knowledge about the object, image or idea may arise naturally in the mind by force of the concentration. Both these things are forms of dhyana; for the principle of dhyana is mental concentration whether in thought, vision or knowledge. There are other forms of dhyana. There is a passage in which Vivekananda advises you to stand back from your thoughts, let them occur in your mind as they will and simply observe them & see what they are. This may be called concentration in self-observation. This form leads to another, the emptying of all thought out of the mind so as to leave it a sort of pure vigilant blank on which the divine knowledge may come and imprint itself, undisturbed by the inferior thoughts of the ordinary human mind and with the clearness of a writing in white chalk on a blackboard. You will find that the Gita speaks of this rejection of all mental thought as one of the methods of Yoga and even the method it seems to prefer. This may be called the dhyana of liberation, as it frees the mind from slavery to the mechanical process of thinking and allows it to think or not think as it pleases and when it pleases, or to choose its own thoughts or else to go beyond thought to the pure perception of Truth called in our philosophy Vijnana. Meditation is the easiest process for the human mind, but the narrowest in its results; contemplation more difficult, but greater; self-observation and liberation from the chains of Thought the most difficult of all, but the widest and greatest in its fruits. One can choose any of them according to one’s bent and capacity. The perfect method is to use them all, each in its own place and for its own object.
   Ref: CWSA Vol. 36, Page: 293-294


dhyana-yoga-paro nityam ::: [always resorting to the yoga of meditation]. [Gita 18.52]

Dhyani-bodhisattva (Sanskrit) Dhyāni-bodhisattva [from the verbal root dhyai to meditate, contemplate + bodhisattva he whose essence is bodhi (wisdom)] A bodhisattva of meditation or contemplation; the sixth in the descending series of the Hierarchy of Compassion, the mind-born sons of the dhyani-buddhas.

dhyānibuddha. In Sanskrit, "meditation buddhas"; a term used to refer to the five central buddhas of VAJRAYĀNA Buddhism: AKsOBHYA, AMITĀBHA, AMOGHASIDDHI, RATNASAMBHAVA, and VAIROCANA (see PANCATATHĀGATA). Although these five buddhas commonly appear as a group, the collective designation of them as dhyānibuddhas does not seem to be attested in a Buddhist textual source. The term first appears in the essays of BRIAN HOUGHTON HODGSON, British Resident at the Court of Nepal in the early nineteenth century, who may have learned the term from his Newari informant, the pundit Amṛtānanda. Hodgson distinguished these more celestial buddhas from the mānusibuddhas, or human buddhas, buddhas such as sĀKYAMUNI who appear on earth as the human manifestations of the dhyānibuddhas. Through Hodgson, the term was widely used in Europe in the nineteenth century, and was appropriated by HELENA PETROVNA BLAVATSKY, who explained in The Secret Doctrine that there are not five but seven dhyānibuddhas.

Dhyani-buddha (Sanskrit) Dhyāni-buddha [from the verbal root dhyai to meditate, contemplate + buddha awakened one] Buddhas of contemplation or meditation; the fifth in the descending series in the enumeration of the Hierarchy of Compassion. Two general hierarchies of spiritual beings brought forth our cosmos: the dhyani-buddhas or architects who in their aggregate form the higher and more spiritual side, and actually compose the line of the luminous arc; and the dhyani-chohans or the builders or constructors who form the lower and relatively more material side, the line (from this viewpoint only) of the shadowy arc. Often the term dhyani-chohans is used for both these lines of beings.

Dhyan(i)-Chohan(s) ::: A compound word meaning "lords of meditation" -- kosmic spirits or planetary spirits. There are threeclasses of dhyan-chohans, each of which is divided into seven subclasses. The dhyan-chohanscollectively are one division of that wondrous host of spiritual beings who are the full-blown flowers offormer world periods or manvantaras. This wondrous host are the men made perfect of those formerworld periods; and they guide the evolution of this planet in its present manvantara. They are our ownspiritual lords, leaders, and saviors. They supervise us now in our evolution here, and in our own presentcyclic pilgrimage we follow the path of the general evolution outlined by them.Man in his higher nature is an embryo dhyan-chohan, an embryo lord of meditation. It is his destiny, if herun the race successfully, to blossom forth at the end of the seventh round as a lord of meditation -- aplanetary spirit -- when this planetary manvantaric kalpa is ended, this Day of Brahma, which is theseven rounds, each round in seven stages.In one most important sense the dhyan-chohans are actually our own selves. We were born from them.We are the monads, we are the atoms, the souls, projected, sent forth, emanated, by the dhyanis.

Dhyani-chohans (Sanskrit-Tibetan) [from Sanskrit dhyāni contemplation + Tibetan chohan lord] Lords of meditation. In theosophical literature, dhyani-buddhas are the intellectual architects, the higher and more spiritual beings of the god-world. Dhyani-chohans, as a generalizing term, includes both the higher classes which take a self-conscious, active part in the architectural ideation of the universe, and the lower classes, some of which are self-conscious, but in their lower representations progressively less on on a descending scale. The lowest of these builders are little more than merely conscious or semi-conscious beings following almost servilely the ideation of the cosmic spirit transmitted to them by the higher class of the architects.

dhyeya. ::: object of meditation or worship; purpose behind action

Diẹu Nhan. (妙仁) (1042-1113). The only nun whose biography is recorded in the Vietnamese lineage history THIỀN UYỂN ṬP ANH. Diệu Nhan's personal name was Lý Ngọc Kièu. She came from Phù Đổng village, Tien Du prefecture in northern Vietnam, the eldest daughter of Lord Phụng Yét. She was raised in the imperial palace by King Lý Thánh Tông (r. 1054-72) and married a man named Le, a provincial governor. Upon his death, she vowed not to remarry and, moved by the Buddhist teaching on impermanence, decided to give away all her belongings and enter the Buddhist order. She studied under the monk Chan Không of Phù Đổng District who gave her the sobriquet Diệu Nhan. Diệu Nhan devoted herself to keeping the precepts and practicing meditation and was highly revered among nuns. Later, Chan Không appointed her head of the Hương Hải Convent.

Dil mgo mkhyen brtse. [alt. Ldil go] (Dilgo Kyentse) (1910-1991). One of the most highly revered twentieth-century teachers of the RNYING MA sect of Tibetan Buddhism, renowned both for his scholarship and meditative mastery of RDZOGS CHEN practices. His full name was Rab gsal zla ba gzhan dga'. Born in eastern Tibet, he was recognized at the age of twelve as the mind incarnation of the illustrious nineteenth-century savant 'JAM DBYANGS MKHYEN BRTSE DBANG PO and enthroned at ZHE CHEN monastery. He studied under a number of masters, including the fourth Zhe chen Rgyal tshabs and 'JAM DBYANGS MKHYEN BRTSE CHOS KYI BLO GROS, and then spent close to thirteen years in solitary meditation retreat. At the suggestion of his teachers, he married while in his mid-twenties and fathered several children. Escaping the Communist invasion of Tibet in 1959, he fled to Bhutan where he was invited to live as the spiritual master of the royal family. A prolific author, Dil mgo mkhyen brtse was recognized as a modern-day treasure revealer (GTER STON) and eventually served a period of time as the spiritual head of the Rnying ma. In the early 1980s he founded a new Zhe chen monastery in Kathmandu where his grandson, recognized as the monastery's throne holder, the seventh Rab 'byams incarnation, resides. On December 29, 1995, a young boy named O rgyan bstan 'dzin 'jigs med lhun grub (Orgyan Tendzin Jikme Lhundrup, b. 1993) was enthroned as Dil mgo mkhyen brtse's reincarnation in a ceremony at MĀRATIKA cave in eastern Nepal.

divyacaksus. (P. dibbacakkhu; T. lha'i mig; C. tianyan; J. tengen; K. ch'onan 天眼). In Sanskrit, lit. "divine eye," viz., "clairvoyance"; one of the five (or six) superknowledges (ABHIJNĀ) and one of the three "knowledges" (TRIVIDYĀ). The divine eye refers to the ability to observe things from afar, as well as to see the "mind-made bodies" (MANOMAYAKĀYA) that are the products of meditation or enlightenment. It also provides the ability to observe where beings will be reborn after they die (S. CYUTYUPAPĀDĀNUSMṚTI), the second of the TRIVIDYĀ. One who possesses this power sees the disappearance and arising of beings as low or noble, beautiful or ugly, etc., according to their wholesome and unwholesome deeds (KARMAN) in body, speech, and mind. Those who revile the noble ones (ĀRYAPUDGALA), hold perverse views (MITHYĀDṚstI), and act in accordance with perverse views are observed to be reborn in lower realms of existence, or in painful realms such as the hells. Those who honor the noble ones, hold right views, and act in accordance with right views are observed to be reborn in higher realms of existence, and in pleasant realms such as the heavens. On the night of his enlightenment, the Buddha gained the divine eye during the second watch of the night. This superknowledge is considered to be a mundane (LAUKIKA) achievement and is gained through refinement of the fourth stage of meditative absorption (DHYĀNA; RuPĀVACARADHYĀNA).

dkar po chig thub. (karpo chiktup). In Tibetan, "self-sufficient white [remedy]" or "white panacea"; in Tibetan pharmacology, a single remedy that has the ability to effect a cure by itself alone. In Tibetan Buddhism, the term was used as a metaphor to describe certain doctrines or methods said to be self-sufficient for bringing about awakening. Although found in various contexts, the term is best known from its use by members of the DWAGS PO BKA' BRGYUD, including SGAM PO PA BSOD NAMS RIN CHEN and his nephew's disciple BLA MA ZHANG. This method is often equated with the introduction to the nature of mind (sems kyi ngo sprod) or the direct realization of the mind's true nature, and is deeply rooted in the tradition of MAHĀMUDRĀ transmitted by Sgam po pa. In Sgam po pa's own words, "I value the realization of the nature of mind as better than excellent meditation." Some Tibetan scholars, most notably SA SKYA PAnDITA KUN DGA' RGYAL MTSHAN, rejected the notion that any single method or factor (even insight into suNYATĀ, or emptiness) could be soteriologically sufficient. He also argued that the fruit of mahāmudrā practice could never be gained through wholly nonconceptual means. Nor, he argued, could it be gained outside of strictly tantric practice, in contrast to Sgam po pa's tradition, which advocated both SuTRA and TANTRA forms of mahāmudrā. Such arguments often disparagingly associate dkar po chig thub with the subitism of MOHEYAN, the Chinese CHAN protagonist in the BSAM YAS DEBATE, who is known to have also used the metaphor.

dokusan. (C. ducan; K. tokch'am 獨參). In Japanese, lit. a "private consultation" between a ZEN student and master, which is conducted in the privacy of the master's room. This consultation is an important element of training in the Japanese RINZAISHu, and allows the master to check the progress of the student in his meditation, and the student to ask questions regarding his practice. Dokusan is also the formal occasion where the student is expected to express his understanding of a specific Zen koan (GONG'AN) so that the master can gauge his development (see J. JAKUGO; C. ZHUOYU).

Dol po pa Shes rab rgyal mtshan. (Dolpopa Sherap Gyaltsen) (1292-1361). An innovative and controversial Tibetan Buddhist scholar, who is regarded as an early master of the JO NANG lineage. He is best known for promulgating the view of extrinsic emptiness (GZHAN STONG), for his writings on the KĀLACAKRATANTRA, and for constructing a massive multiroom STuPA temple (SKU 'BUM) above JO NANG PHUN TSHOGS GLING monastery. He was born in the region of Dol po in present-day northwestern Nepal, from which his toponym (literally "the man from Dol po") is derived. Although his family was affiliated with the RNYING MA sect of Tibetan Buddhism, he formed an early connection with the SA SKYA teacher Skyi ston 'Jam dbyangs grags pa rgyal mtshan (Gyidon Jamyang Drakpa Gyaltsen, d.u.). As a seventeen-year-old novice monk, Dol po pa fled his home, against the wishes of his parents and without their knowledge, in order to study with this master. He arrived first in the nearby region of Mustang and in 1312 continued on to the Tibetan monastery of SA SKYA itself. He was a gifted student, mastering a broad range of MAHĀYĀNA subjects in a short period of time. His erudition was so great that while still in his early twenties he earned the title "omniscient" (kun mkhyen), an epithet by which he was known for the rest of his life. He was ordained as a BHIKsU in 1314, going on to study with leadings masters from various sects, including the third KARMA PA. He spent several years in strict meditation retreat, during which time he began to formulate his understanding of extrinsic emptiness. In 1326 he formally ascended the abbatial throne at Jo nang, dividing his time between meditative retreats and teaching the monastic community. In 1333, Dol po pa completed construction of the sku 'bum chen po stupa, one of the largest in Tibet. Dol po pa developed a rich new vocabulary for discussing his controversial notion of extrinsic emptiness. Public reaction was mixed, and many Sa skya scholars in particular appear to have felt betrayed by this new doctrine, which seemed to contradict their own. Among his major works written at this time was the Ri chos nges don rgya mtsho ("The Ocean of Definitive Meaning: A Mountain Dharma"). Another of Dol po pa's major projects was a revised translation and reinterpretation of the Kālacakratantra and VIMALAPRABHĀ, both important sources for his major doctrinal theories. In 1338, Dol po pa retired from his position at Jo nang, after which he remained in isolated retreat, in part to discreetly avoid an invitation to the court of the Mongol ruler Toghon Temür (r. 1333-1370). By the end of his life, Dol po pa ranked as one of the leading masters of his time. During a 1358 trip to LHA SA toward the end of his life, the halls in which he taught literally collapsed from the enormous size of the crowds in attendance. On his return to Jo nang, he visited the monastery of ZHWA LU, home of another leading scholar and Kālacakra expert of the day, BU STON RIN CHEN GRUB. According to several accounts, Bu ston declined the opportunity to debate, but Dol po pa uttered the opening exclamation for debate as he departed, which cracked the walls of Bu ston's residence. While Dol po pa's views were considered unorthodox, even heterodox, particularly in the DGE LUGS sect, his works made a lasting impression on the landscape of Buddhism in Tibet.

Dongshan famen. (J. Tozan homon; K. Tongsan pommun 東山法門). In Chinese, lit. "East Mountain Dharma Gate" or "East Mountain Teachings"; one of the principal early CHAN schools, which is associated with the putative fourth and fifth patriarchs of the tradition, DAOXIN (580-651) and HONGREN (602-675). The name of the school is a toponym for the location of Hongren's monastery, at Huangmei in Qizhou (present-day Hubei province). "East Mountain" refers to the easterly of the "twin peaks" of Mount Shuangfeng, where Hongren taught after the death of his master Daoxin, who had taught on the westerly peak; the term "East Mountain Teachings," however, is typically used to refer to the tradition associated with both masters. The designations Dongshan famen and Dongshan jingmen (East Mountain Pure Gate) first appear in the LENGQIE SHIZI JI ("Records of the Masters and Disciples of the Lankā[vatāra]") and were used in the Northern school of Chan (BEI ZONG) by SHENXIU (606?-706) and his successors to refer to the lineage and teachings that they had inherited from Daoxin and Hongren. ¶ Although later Chan lineage texts list Daoxin and Hongren as respectively the fourth and the fifth Chan patriarchs, succeeding BODHIDHARMA, HUIKE, and SENGCAN, the connection of the East Mountain lineage to these predecessors is tenuous at best and probably nonexistent. The earliest biography of Daoxin, recorded in the XU GAOSENG ZHUAN ("Supplementary Biographies of Eminent Monks"), not only does not posit any connection between Daoxin and the preceding three patriarchs, but does not even mention their names. This connection is first made explicit in the c. 713 CHUAN FABAO JI ("Annals of the Transmission of the Dharma-Jewel"), one of the earliest Chan "transmission of the lamplight" (CHUANDENG LU) lineage texts. Unlike many of the Chan "schools" that were associated with a single charismatic teacher, the "East Mountain Teachings" was unusual in that it had a single, enduring center in Huangmei, which attracted increasing numbers of students. Some five or six names of students who studied with Daoxin survive in the literature, with another twenty-five associated with Hongren. Although Hongren's biography in the Chuan fabao ji certainly exaggerates when it says that eight to nine out of every ten Buddhist practitioners in China studied under Hongren, there is no question that the number of students of the East Mountain Teachings grew significantly over two generations. ¶ The fundamental doctrines and practices of the East Mountain Teachings can be reconstructed on the basis of the two texts: the RUDAO ANXIN YAO FANGBIAN FAMEN ("Essentials of the Teachings of the Expedient Means of Entering the Path and Pacifying the Mind") and the XIUXIN YAO LUN ("Treatise on the Essentials of Cultivating the Mind"), ascribed respectively to Daoxin and Hongren. The Rudao anxin yao fangbian famen, which is included in the Lengqie shizi ji, employs the analogy of a mirror from the Banzhou sanmei jing (S. PRATYUTPANNABUDDHASAMMUKHĀVASTHITASAMĀDHISuTRA) to illustrate the insubstantiality of all phenomena, viz., one's sensory experiences are no more substantial than the reflections in a mirror. The text then presents the "single-practice SAMĀDHI" (YIXING SANMEI) as a practical means of accessing the path leading to NIRVĀnA, based on the Wenshushuo bore jing ("Perfection of Wisdom Sutra Spoken by MANJUsRĪ"). Single-practice samādhi here refers to sitting in meditation, the supreme practice that subsumes all other practices; it is not one samādhi among others, as it is portrayed in the MOHE ZHIGUAN ("Great Calming and Contemplation"). Single-practice samādhi means to contemplate every single aspect of one's mental and physical existence until one realizes they are all empty, just like the reflections in the mirror, and "to guard that one without deviation" (shouyi buyi). The Xiuxin yao lun, which is attributed to Hongren, stresses the importance of "guarding the mind" (SHOUXIN). Here, the relationship between the pure mind and the afflictions (KLEsA) is likened to that between the sun and clouds: the pure mind is obscured by afflictions, just as the sun is covered by layers of clouds, but if one can guard the mind so that it is kept free from false thoughts and delusions, the sun of NIRVĀnA will then appear. The text suggests two specific meditation techniques for realizing this goal: one is continuously to visualize the original, pure mind (viz., the sun) so that it shines without obscuration; the other is to concentrate on one's own deluded thoughts (the clouds) until they disappear. These two techniques purport to "guard the mind" so that delusion can never recur. The East Mountain Teachings laid a firm foundation for the doctrines and practices of later Chan traditions like the Northern school.

Dongshan Liangjie. (J. Tozan Ryokai; K. Tongsan Yanggae 洞山良价) (807-869). Chinese CHAN master of the Tang dynasty and reputed founder of the CAODONG lineage of Chan; also known as Xinfeng. Dongshan was a native of Yuezhou in present-day Zhejiang province. He left home at an early age and became the student of the Chan master Lingmo (747-818). Having received full monastic precepts from a certain VINAYA master Rui on SONGSHAN, Dongshan visited the Chan masters NANQUAN PUYUAN and GUISHAN LINGYOU and later continued his studies under Yunyan Tancheng (782-841). Dongshan is said to have attained awakening under Yunyan's guidance and eventually inherited his lineage. During the HUICHANG FANAN, Dongshan remained in hiding until the persecution ran its course, eventually reemerging at Xinfeng tong in Jiangxi province. With the support of his followers, Dongshan later established the monastery Guangfusi (later renamed Puli yuan) on Mt. Dong (Dongshan), whence he acquired his toponym. Among his many disciples, Yunju Daoying (d. 902) and CAOSHAN BENJI are most famous. Dongshan was renowned for his poetry and verse compositions and his teaching of the "five ranks" (WUWEI). His teachings are recorded in the Dongshan yulu ("The Record of Dongshan"), but the most famous of his works is the BAOJING SANMEI ("Jeweled-Mirror Samādhi"), a definitive verse on enlightenment and practice from the standpoint of the CAODONGZONG. The Baojing sanmei emphasizes the "original enlightenment" (BENJUE; cf. HONGAKU) of sentient beings and the futility of seeking that enlightenment through conscious thought. Instead, the song urges its audience to allow one's inherently pure, enlightened nature to "silently illuminate" itself through meditation (see MOZHAO CHAN), as the Buddha did under the BODHI TREE.

Dorje (Tibetan) rdo rje. Equivalent to the Sanskrit vajra, meaning both thunderbolt and diamond. As a thunderbolt, it is represented in the hands of some of the Tibetan gods, especially the dragshed — deities who protect human beings — and is thus equivalent to the weapons of Indra and Zeus. Dorje is the scepter of power, whether spiritual or temporal, and appears on the altars of the Gelukpas together with the bell and cymbals: “It is also a Mudra, a gesture and posture used in sitting for meditation. It is, in short, a symbol of power over invisible evil influences, whether as a posture or a talisman. The Bhons or Dugpas, however, having appropriated the symbol, misuse it for purposes of Black Magic. . . . With the Dugpas, it is like the double triangle reversed, the sign of sorcery” (VS 90).

Dpal spungs. (Palpung). A large fortress-like monastic compound located near SDE DGE in the eastern Tibetan region of Khams belonging to the BKA' BRGYUD sect of Tibetan Buddhism and serving as the seat of the TAI SI TU INCARNATION lineage; its full name is Dpal spungs thub brtan chos 'khor gling (Palpung Tupten Chokorling). The center was established in 1727 by the eighth Si tu CHOS KYI 'BYUNG GNAS, a great Bka' brgyud scholar, historian, and linguist, with support from Derge's ruler Bstan pa tshe ring (Tenpa Tsering, 1678-1738). Prior to this, the Si tu line mainly resided at the nearby Karma dgon monastery. Dpal spungs was also home to the nineteenth-century luminary 'JAM MGON KONG SPRUL BLO GROS MTHA' YAS and became one of the largest and most powerful Bka' brgyud institutions in eastern Tibet. An important monastic college (BSHAD GRWA) and several centers for practicing the traditional three-year meditation retreat are located nearby. Not far from Dpal spungs is one of the region's premier retreat locations, Tsa 'dra Rin chen brag-a locale reckoned to be equivalent in spiritual power to the famed region of TSĀ RI in southern Tibet. The founding of Dpal spungs coincides with the start of the so-called RIS MED (nonsectarian) movement in Khams.

duḥkha. (P. dukkha; T. sdug bsngal; C. ku; J. ku; K. ko 苦). In Sanskrit, "suffering" or "unsatisfactoriness"; the first of the FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS (CATVĀRY ĀRYASATYĀNI) of Buddhism and a concept foundational to Buddhism's worldview and religious practice. The emblematic description of duḥkha, as found in the first noble truth, is, "Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering. To be conjoined with what one dislikes is suffering and to be separated from what one likes is suffering. Not to get what one wants is suffering. In short, grasping at the five aggregates (SKANDHA) is suffering." Suffering thus not only includes the suffering that will invariably be associated with ordinary life, such as birth, aging, disease, and death, but also subsumes a full range of mental, emotional, and spiritual dissatisfactions, and ultimately is seen to be inherent to life itself. The teaching of suffering therefore seeks to change one's ordinary perspectives on the things of this world as objects worthy of pursuit, so that instead one realizes their nature of impermanence (ANITYA), suffering, and nonself (ANĀTMAN), viz., the three marks of existence (TRILAKsAnA). Through this sort of systematic attention (YONIsOMANASKĀRA), even the pleasures of life are ultimately realized to be "unsatisfactory," because, like all compounded things, they are impermanent and thus inevitably destined to pass away. This awareness of suffering produces a sense of the "dangers" (ĀDĪNAVA) inherent in this world and prompts the practitioner to turn away from this world and toward the radical nonattachment that is NIRVĀnA. ¶ Many types of duḥkha are enumerated in the literature, including forms specific to each of the six realms of rebirth (GATI). Most common are lists of three, four, and eight types of suffering. The three major categories of suffering are: (1) "misery caused by (physical and mental) suffering" (DUḤKHADUḤKHATĀ), viz., the full range of unpleasant or painful sensations (VEDANĀ) that are associated with either the physical body or the mind; (2) "misery caused by change" (VIPARInĀMADUḤKHATĀ), i.e., pleasant sensations may be a cause of suffering because they do not perdure and eventually turn into pain; (3) "misery caused by conditioning" (SAMSKĀRADUḤKHATĀ), i.e., sensations that are neither painful nor pleasant may still be a cause of suffering because they are impermanent and thus undependable; because of past KARMAN, suffering may always occur unexpectedly in the next moment. The four types of suffering are the suffering associated with birth (jātiduḥkha), senescence or aging (jarāduḥkha), sickness (vyādhiduḥkha), and death (maranāduḥkha); various sutras describe the Buddha's quest for enlightenment as motivated by the impulse to overcome these four types of sufferings. The eight types of suffering comprise the above four types plus an additional four: "the suffering of being separated from persons and things one likes" (priyaviprayogaduḥkha), "the suffering of being associated with persons and things one dislikes" (apriyasaMprayogaduḥkha), "the suffering of not getting what one wants" (yad api icchayā paryesamāno na labhate tad api duḥkhaM), and "the suffering inherent in the five aggregates that are objects of clinging" (saMksepena paNcopādānaskandhaduḥkha). In addition to these three typical categories of suffering, there are other lists, from the eighteen types of suffering listed in the sāriputrābhidharmasāstra (Shelifu apitan lun) to the one hundred and ten types enumerated in the YOGĀCĀRABHuMIsĀSTRA. NĀGĀRJUNA's SUHṚLLEKHA gives a list of six sufferings: uncertainty, insatiability, casting off bodies repeatedly, repeated rebirth, repeatedly descending from high to low, and having no companions when dying and being reborn. Tibetan sources stress the role that meditation on suffering plays in producing a feeling of disgust (NIRVEDA; T. nges 'byung), that is, the preliminary turning away from the things of this world and turning toward nirvāna.

Dunhuang. (J. Tonko; K. Tonhwang 敦煌). A northwest Chinese garrison town on the edge of the Taklamakan desert in Central Asia, first established in the Han dynasty and an important stop along the ancient SILK ROAD; still seen written also as Tun-huang, followed the older Wade-Giles transcription. Today an oasis town in China's Gansu province, Dunhuang is often used to refer to the nearby complex of approximately five hunded Buddhist caves, including the MOGAO KU (Peerless Caves) to the southeast of town and the QIANFO DONG (Caves of the Thousand Buddhas) about twenty miles to the west. Excavations to build the caves at the Mogao site began in the late-fourth century CE and continued into the mid-fourteenth century CE. Of the more than one thousand caves that were hewn from the cliff face, roughly half were decorated. Along with the cave sites of LONGMEN and YUNGANG further east and BEZEKLIK and KIZIL to the west, the Mogao grottoes contain some of the most spectacular examples of ancient Buddhist sculpture and wall painting to be found anywhere in the world. Legend has it that in 366 CE a wandering monk named Yuezun had a vision of a thousand golden buddhas at a site along some cliffs bordering a creek and excavated the first cave in the cliffs for his meditation practice. Soon afterward, additional caves were excavated and the first monasteries established to serve the needs of the monks and merchants traveling to and from China along the Silk Road. The caves were largely abandoned in the fourteenth century. In the early twentieth century, Wang Yuanlu (1849-1931), self-appointed guardian of the Dunhuang caves, discovered a large cache of ancient manuscripts and paintings in Cave 17, a side chamber of the larger Cave 16. As rumors of these manuscripts reached Europe, explorer-scholars such as SIR MARC AUREL STEIN and PAUL PELLIOT set out across Central Asia to obtain samples of ancient texts and artwork buried in the ruins of the Taklamakan desert. Inside were hundreds of paintings on silk and tens of thousands of manuscripts dating from the fifth to roughly the eleventh centuries CE, forming what has been described as the world's earliest and largest paper archive. The texts were written in more than a dozen languages, including Chinese, Tibetan, Sanskrit, Sogdian, Uighur, Khotanese, Tangut, and TOCHARIAN and consisted of paper scrolls, wooden tablets, and one of the world's earliest printed books (868 CE), a copy of the VAJRACCHEDIKĀPRAJNĀPĀRAMITĀSuTRA ("Diamond Sutra"). In the seventh-century, a Tibetan garrison was based at Dunhuang, and materials discovered in the library cave also include some of the earliest documents in the Tibetan language. This hidden library cave was apparently sealed in the eleventh century. As a result of the competition between European, American, and Japanese institutions to acquire documents from Dunhuang, the material was dispersed among collections world-wide, making access to all the manuscripts difficult. Many items have still not been properly catalogued or conserved and there are scholarly disputes over what quantity of the materials are modern forgeries. In 1944 the Dunhuang Academy was established to document and study the site and in 1980 the site was opened to the public. In 1987 the Dunhuang caves were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and today are being preserved through the efforts of both Chinese and international groups.

Dunwu rudao yaomen lun. (J. Tongo nyudo yomonron; K. Tono ipto yomun non 頓悟入道要門論). In Chinese, "Treatise on the Essential Gate of Entering the Way through Sudden Awakening," composed by the Tang dynasty CHAN master DAZHU HUIHAI (d.u.); also known as the Dunwu yaomen. The monk Miaoxie (d.u.) discovered this text in a box and published it in 1369 together with Dazhu's recorded sayings that he selectively culled from the JINGDE CHUANDENG LU. Miaoxie's edition is comprised of two rolls. The first roll contains Dazhu's text the Dunwu rudao yaomen lun, and the second contains his sayings, which Miaoxie entitled the Zhufang menren canwen yulu. A preface to this edition was prepared by the monk Chongyu (1304-1378). The Dunwu rudao yaomen lun focuses on the notion of "sudden awakening" (DUNWU) and attempts to explicate various doctrinal concepts, such as sĪLA, DHYĀNA, PRAJNĀ, TATHATĀ, BUDDHA-NATURE (FOXING), and "no-thought" (WUNIAN), from the perspective of sudden awakening. The text explains sudden awakening as the "sudden" (dun) eradication of deluded thoughts and "awakening" (WU) to nonattainment or the fundamental absence of anything that needs to be achieved. Citing such scriptures as the LAnKĀVATĀRASuTRA and VIMALAKĪRTINIRDEsA, the text also contends that the mind itself is the foundation of cultivation and practice. The primary method of cultivation discussed in the text is seated meditation (ZUOCHAN), which it describes as the nonarising of deluded thoughts and seeing one's own nature (JIANXING). The Dunwu rudao yaomen lun also contends that sudden awakening begins with the perfection of giving (DĀNAPĀRAMITĀ).

durangamā. (T. ring du song ba; C. yuanxing di; J. ongyoji; K. wonhaeng chi 遠行地). In Sanskrit, "gone afar," or "transcendent"; the seventh of the ten "stages" or "grounds" (BHuMI) of the bodhisattva path (MĀRGA). The name of this stage is interpreted to mean that the bodhisattva has here reached the culmination of moral discipline (sĪLA) and hereafter proceeds to focus more on meditation (SAMĀDHI) and wisdom (PRAJNĀ). This stage marks the bodhisattva's freedom from the four perverted views (VIPARYĀSA) and his mastery of the perfection of expedients (UPĀYAKAUsALYA), which he uses to help infinite numbers of sentient beings. Although at this stage the bodhisattva abides in signlessness (ĀNIMITTA), he does not negate the conventions that create signs, thereby upholding the conventional nature of phenomena. He remains at this stage until he is able to abide spontaneously and effortlessly in the signless state. According to CANDRAKĪRTI in his MADHYAMAKĀVĀTĀRA, at this stage the bodhisattva, in each and every moment, is able to enter into and withdraw from the equipoise of cessation (NIRODHASAMĀPATTI) in which all elaborations (PRAPANCA) cease. For Candrakīrti, at the conclusion of the seventh stage, the bodhisattva is liberated from rebirth, having destroyed all of the afflictive obstructions (KLEsĀVARAnA). The seventh stage is thus the last of the impure bhumis. The bodhisattva then proceeds to the three pure stages (the eighth, ninth, and tenth bhumis), over the course of which he abandons the obstructions to omniscience (JNEYĀVARAnA).

Dushun. (J. Tojun; K. Tusun 杜順) (557-640). Chinese monk thaumaturge, meditator, and exegete who is recognized by tradition as the founder and putative first patriarch of the HUAYAN ZONG of East Asian Buddhism; also known as Fashun. Dushun was a native of Wengzhou in present-day Shaanxi province. He became a monk at the age of seventeen and is said to have studied meditation under a certain Weichen (d.u.) at the monastery of Yinshengsi. Later, he retired to the monastery of Zhixiangsi on ZHONGNANSHAN, where he devoted himself to study of the AVATAMSAKASuTRA. The monk ZHIYAN (602-668) is presumed to have studied under Dushun at Zhixiangsi and subsequently came to be recognized as Dushun's formal successor. Some fourteen different works have been ascribed to Dushun at various points in history, but it is now presumed that only two of these can definitively be associated with him: the Huayan yisheng shixuan men ("The Ten Arcane Gates of the One Vehicle of the AvataMsaka"), which was composed by Dushun's successor, Zhiyan, supposedly from his teacher's oral teachings; and the HUAYAN FAJIE GUANMEN, one of the foundational texts of the nascent Huayan school. (Some scholars have proposed that this text may have been excerpted from FAZANG's Fa putixin zhang, and only later attributed to Dushun, but this hypothesis is not widely accepted.) Dushun is also portrayed as an advocate of various Sui- and Tang-dynasty cults associated with MANJUsRĪ and AMITĀBHA that were popular among the laity. Because of the sweeping scope of his religious career, Dushun is sometimes considered to be emblematic of the emerging "new Buddhism" of sixth- and seventh-century China, which sought to remake Buddhism into forms that would be more accessible to an indigenous audience.

Dzyan (Senzar) Closely similar to the Tibetan dzin (learning, knowledge). Although Blavatsky states that dzyan is “a corruption of the Sanskrit Dhyan and Jnana . . . Wisdom, divine knowledge” (TG 107), there is also a Chinese equivalent dan or jan-na, which in “modern Chinese and Tibetan phonetics ch’an, is the general term for the esoteric schools, and their literature. In the old books, the word Janna is defined as ‘to reform one’s self by meditation and knowledge,’ a second inner birth. Hence Dzan, Djan phonetically, the ‘Book of Dzyan’ ” (SD 1:xx). This term then is connected directly with the ancient mystery-language called Senzar, with Tibetan and Chinese mystical Buddhism mostly of the Mahayana schools, and thirdly with the Sanskrit dhyana of which indeed it was probably originally a corruption.

Ecstasy, Ecstasis (Greek) [from ekstasis displacement, standing out from the proper place, hence rising above] A transference of consciousness from the physical plane to another inner and superior plane, accompanied by awareness and memory of the experience. It is necessary to distinguish between an astral-psychic experience and a truly psychospiritual one. The former is delusive and fraught with harm; the latter is the state of illumination spoken of by Plotinus, resulting from the true asceticism of the disciple, and in its highest form is the same as the high stage of meditation of the Hindu yogi.

Eihei shingi. (永平清規). In Japanese, "Pure Rules for EIHEI(JI)"; a collection of essays on the ZEN monastic codes or "pure rules" (QINGGUI), composed by DoGEN KIGEN. The work is composed in two rolls, in six major sections. The Tenzo Kyokun section, composed while Dogen was still residing at Koshoji in 1237, discusses the duties of the cook. The BENDoHo details the daily duties at the monastery of Daibutsuji and the practices, such as meditation, carried out in the SAMGHA hall (see C. SENGTANG). The Fu shukuhanpo explains the proper method of preparing and consuming rice gruel. The Shuryo shingi of 1249 describes the proper deportment of monks in training at Eiheiji's shuryo. The Tai taiko goge jariho, composed in 1244, deals with the proper ritual decorum or means of respecting a master (ĀCĀRYA). The final section, the Chiji shingi, from 1246, details the duties of the officers of the monastery. In 1667, these essays were edited together and published by Kosho Chido (d. 1670), the thirtieth abbot of Eiheiji. The fiftieth abbot, Gento Sokuchu (1729-1807), republished Kosho's edited volume with minor corrections in 1794.

Ekagrata or Ekagratva(Sanskrit) ::: A term signifying "onepointedness" or "absolute intentness" in the mental contemplation of anobject of meditation. The perfect concentration of the percipient mind on a single point of thought, andthe holding of it there.

Ekagrata or Ekagratva (Sanskrit) Ekāgratā, Ekāgratva One-pointedness, absolute intentness in the contemplation of an object of meditation, holding the mind in perfect concentration on a single point of thought.

ekavīcika. (T. bar chad gcig pa; C. yijian; J. ikken; K. ilgan 一間). In Sanskrit, "one who has a single obstacle," a particular sort of SAKṚDĀGĀMIPHALASTHA who is one of the twenty members of the ĀRYASAMGHA (see VIMsATIPRABHEDASAMGHA). According to the ABHIDHARMAKOsABHĀsYA, these sorts of once-returners are those who have eliminated the seventh and eighth sets of afflictions (KLEsA) that cause rebirth in the sensuous realm (KĀMADHĀTU). These are impediments to the first DHYĀNA, which the mundane (LAUKIKA) path of meditation (BHĀVANĀMĀRGA) removes. They receive the name ekavīcika because they will take only one more rebirth in the sensuous realm before they become ARHATs. They are also ānupurvin (those who reach the four fruits of the noble path in a series), and ANĀGĀMIPHALAPRATIPANNAKA, because they will reach the third fruit of nonreturner before they reach the final fruit of arhat.

ershiwu yuantong. (J. nijugoenzu; K. isibo wont'ong 二十五圓通). In Chinese, "twenty-five kinds of consummate interpenetration." According to the *suRAMGAMASuTRA (Shoulengyan jing), twenty-five of the Buddha's disciples and bodhisattvas have each mastered a concentration (SAMĀDHI) pertaining to one of the twenty-five objects of meditation. The latter include the six sensory objects (liu chen; S. ĀLAMBANA), the six sensory faculties (liu gen; S. INDRIYA), the six sensory consciousnesses (liu shi; S. VIJNĀNA), and the seven primary elements (qi da). It is said that enlightenment is possible by accessing any of the twenty-five masteries even though the bodhisattva AVALOKITEsVARA's mastery over the "ear faculty," or auditory sense-base, has been singled out as a particularly efficacious method for practice.

Especially is this the case when the Stanzas refer to events and conditions of cosmic or human life of which mankind today has virtually lost all memory, except for the scattered fragments of archaic writings which have reached us out of the darkness of prehistory. Only deep meditation and contemplation upon the mystical symbols used will awaken the faculty to comprehend them:

extempore ::: adv. --> Without previous study or meditation; without preparation; on the spur of the moment; suddenly; extemporaneously; as, to write or speak extempore. ::: a. --> Done or performed extempore.

fanzhao. (J. hensho; K. panjo 返照). In Chinese, "tracing back the radiance," or "counter-illumination," a description used in the CHAN school for the underlying process governing a variety of different types of meditation, referring specifically to the process of introspection or "counter-illumination" that moves the mind away from its attachment to sensory objects and back toward its fundamental source, called variously the "numinous awareness" (LINGZHI), buddha-nature (BUDDHADHĀTU; C. FOXING), TATHĀGATAGARBHA, or the DHARMADHĀTU. "Tracing back the radiance" receives one of its most detailed treatments in the writings of the Korean Son adept POJO CHINUL (1158-1210). Chinul's Korean commentator Yondam Yuil (1720-1799), e.g., defines the term as follows: "To trace back the radiance means to trace the radiance back to the numinous awareness of one's own mind.... It is like seeing the radiance of the sun's rays and following it back until you see the orb of the sun itself." The original enlightenment (BENJUE) of the mind is naturally luminous, shining ever outward and allowing beings to experience their external world. This natural quality of luminosity is what is meant by "sentience," and the very fact that "sentient" beings are conscious is proof that they are inherently enlightened. If this meditator can turn this radiance emanating from his mind back to its source, he would rediscover that luminous core of the mind and be instantly enlightened. This inherent radiance of the mind does not merely shine over the sense realms; in addition, as the mind's natural brightness is restored through meditative introspection, it comes virtually to shine through objects, exposing their inherent emptiness (suNYATĀ). Hence, numinous awareness is the quality that constitutes sentient beings' ultimate capacity to attain enlightenment. It serves as both the inherent faculty that allows meditation to develop and the quality of mind perfected through that meditation. By starting at the sensory level of what is seen, heard, etc., the meditator then trains to trace these sensory experiences back to their perceptual source in the quality of sentience itself, just as if he were following the rays emanating from the sun back to the sun itself; the perception of that sentience then constitutes "seeing the buddha-nature" (JIANXING), or the "understanding awakening" (JIEWU). The term is also known by its expanded form "follow back the light and trace back the radiance" (HUIGUANG FANZHAO), and various other permutations.

forethought ::: a. --> Thought of, or planned, beforehand; aforethought; prepense; hence, deliberate. ::: n. --> A thinking or planning beforehand; prescience; premeditation; forecast; provident care.

Fukan zazengi. (普勸坐禪儀). In Japanese, "General Advice on the Principles of Seated Meditation," an important meditation manual composed by the eminent Japanese ZEN master DoGEN KIGEN. Although this treatise is traditionally dated to 1227, recent discoveries of a hitherto unknown copy of the Fukan zazengi suggest the date of 1233. The Fukan zazengi is a relatively short treatise on seated meditation (ZAZEN), which is also embedded in Dogen's magnum opus, the SHoBoGENZo. The treatise underscores the need to practice seated meditation as a corrective against excessive indulgence in "words and letters," viz., scholastic interpretations of Buddhist doctrine (cf. BULI WENZI). The explanation of how to perform seated meditation starts with preparing a quiet spot for practice and following a proper diet. The correct posture for meditation is then described. The actual practice of seated meditation begins with the regulation of breathing, which is followed by an injunction to stay aware of all thoughts that arise in the mind. The treatise then briefly explains the psychosomatic effects of meditation and the proper way to rise from seated meditation. The importance of seated meditation is reiterated at the end. Dogen's manual is in large part a revision of the Chinese Chan master CHANGLU ZONGZE's influential primer of meditation, the ZUOCHAN YI.

Fukeshu. (普化宗). In Japanese, "Puhua Sect"; a secondary sect of the Japanese ZEN school, founded by SHINCHI KAKUSHIN (1207-1298). While Kakushin was in China studying under WUMEN HUIKAI (1183-1260), he is said to have met a layman, the otherwise-unknown Zhang Can (J. Cho San; d.u.), who claimed to be a sixteenth-generation successor of the little-known Tang-dynasty monk Puhua (J. Fuke; d.u.), supposedly an eccentric friend of LINJI YIXUAN and a successor of MAZU DAOYI. Four lay disciples of Zhang's accompanied Kakushin when he returned to Japan, helping Kakushin to establish the sect. There is no evidence of the existence of a Puhua school in China apart from Kakushin's account, however, and the school seems to be a purely Japanese creation. During the Tokugawa era (1603-1867), in particular, the school attracted itinerant lay Zen practitioners, known as "clerics of emptiness" (kamuso), who played the bamboo flute (shakuhachi) as a form of meditation and wore a distinctive bamboo hat that covered their entire face as they traveled on pilgrimage around the country. Because masterless samurai (ronin) and bandits began adopting Fuke garb as a convenient disguise during the commission of their crimes, the Meiji government proscribed the school in 1871 and it vanished from the scene.

fusho Zen. (不生禪). In Japanese, "unborn Zen"; a form of ZEN meditation popularized by the RINZAISHu master BANKEI YoTAKU. The teaching of the "unborn" (fusho) functioned as the central theme of Bankei's vernacular sermons (kana hogo). According to Bankei, the unborn is none other than buddha-nature (FOXING), or buddha mind, itself. As such, he emphatically notes that there is little need actually to seek buddhahood, since everyone is already born with the innate, unborn buddha mind. Bankei's teaching of unborn Zen was harshly criticized by the fellow Rinzai Zen master HAKUIN EKAKU.

gāmavāsi. In Pāli, "town dweller"; in the THERAVĀDA tradition, a monk who lives in a village or town monastery and whose monastic vocation focuses on doctrinal study and teaching, or lit."book work" (P. GANTHADHURA); such a monk is often contrasted with a "forest dweller" (P. ARANNAVĀSI), who is principally dedicated to meditative training (P. VIPASSANĀDHURA). In Sri Lankan Buddhism, the emphases within the Buddhist order on study and meditation led to the evolution over time of these two major practice vocations. The gāmavāsi were involved in studying and teaching the dhamma, especially within the lay community of the village, and thus helped to disseminate Buddhism among the people and maintain the institutions and history of the order. Because of their active engagement in society, the gāmavāsi have thus historically enjoyed closer relations with the social elite. The araNNavāsi, by contrast, remained in solitude in the forest to focus principally on their meditative practice. The araNNavāsi were not necessarily hermits, but they lived a more secluded life than the gāmavāsi, devoting most of their time to meditation, either individually or in smaller groups, and keeping their contact with the laity to a minimum. These two vocations have a long history and have continued within the sangha (S. SAMGHA) into modern times. In a sense, the Buddha himself was an araNNavāsi for six years before he attained enlightenment; subsequently, he then passed much of his time as a gāmavāsi, teaching people the dharma and encouraging them to practice to bring an end to their suffering. See also PARIYATTI; PAtIPATTI.

Gangadvara (Sanskrit) Gaṅgādvāra [from gaṅgā the Ganges river + dvāra door] The door or opening of the Ganges; a town, now called Hardwar, at the foot of the Himalayas where legend says the sage Kapila sat in meditation for a number of years.

Gangs ri thod dkar. (Gangri Tokar). In Tibetan, lit. "White Skull Snow Mountain," a mountain and retreat hermitage above SHUG GSEB nunnery in central Tibet, near LHA SA. The central meditation cave, O rgyan rdzongs, was a primary residence of the RNYING MA master KLONG CHEN RAB 'BYAMS and is the location where he composed, edited, and redacted many of his works on the Rnying ma teachings of RDZOGS CHEN.

ganshijue. (J. kanshiketsu; K. konsigwol 乾屎撅). In Chinese, "dried shit stick," a CHAN expression attributed to LINJI YIXUAN (d. 867), who dismissed the buddha-nature, or FOXING (what he calls the "true man of no rank"; C. WUWEI ZHENREN), as being nothing more than a "dried shit stick," i.e., "useless." This expression becomes a famous meditative topic (HUATOU) used in Chan questioning meditation (see KANHUA CHAN). It also appears in a GONG'AN exchange attributed to the Tang-dynasty monk YUNMEN WENYAN (864-949): Once when Yunmen was asked, "What is the Buddha?," he replied, "A dried shit stick." This gong'an appears as case no. 21 in the WUMEN GUAN ("Gateless Checkpoint"). This phrase has sometimes been translated as "dried turd," but the term refers to the toilet utensil, not the excrement.

ganthadhura. In Pāli, lit. the "burden of book learning," often rendered as the "duty of study," a term used to describe the monastic vocation of scriptural study. The term is often paired with VIPASSANĀDHURA, the "burden of insight," referring to the vocation of meditation. Although each of these vocations may be pursued by a monk, in the THERAVĀDA tradition it has historically typically been the case that a monk chooses one over the other. In Sri Lanka, for example, the more scholarly pursuit of scriptural study is sometimes perceived as the more prestigious course to be undertaken by younger monks, while those who ordain late in life undertake the vocation of meditation. See also PARIYATTI.

Gaofeng heshang Chanyao. (J. Koho osho Zen'yo/Kobo osho Zen'yo; K. Kobong hwasang Sonyo 高峰和尚禪要). In Chinese, "Master Gaofeng's Essentials of CHAN," often known by its abbreviated title Chanyao (J. Zenyo; K. Sonyo), "Essentials of Chan." The text is best known for its exposition of the "three essentials" (SANYAO) of Chan questioning meditation (KANHUA CHAN): the great faculty of faith, great fury, and great doubt (YIQING). The text was republished in Korea in 1399, where it became widely read as a primer on the practice of GONG'AN meditation. Since the seventeenth century, Korean Buddhist seminaries (kangwon) have included the Chanyao/Sonyo as one of the four books in the SAJIP (Fourfold Collection), the core of the Korean monastic curriculum.

Gaofeng Yuanmiao. (J. Koho Genmyo; K. Kobong Wonmyo 高峰原妙) (1238-1295). Yuan-dynasty Chinese CHAN monk in the YANGQI PAI of the LINJI ZONG. Gaofeng was a native of Suzhou in present-day Jiangsu province. He was ordained at the age of fourteen and two years later began his studies of TIANTAI thought and practice under Fazhu (d.u.) at the monastery of Miyinsi. He later continued his studies under Chan master WUZHUN SHIFAN's disciples Duanqiao Miaolun (1201-1261) and Xueyan Zuqin (1215-1287). Gaofeng trained in Chan questioning meditation (KANHUA CHAN), and Xueyan Zuqin taught him the necessity of contemplating his meditative topic (HUATOU) not just while awake, but also during dreams, and even in dreamless sleep. (In his own instructions on GONG'AN practice, Gaofeng eventually used the same question Zuqin had asked him: "Do you have mastery of yourself even in dreamless sleep?") In 1266, Gaofeng went into retreat at Longxu in the Tianmu mountains of Linan (in present-day Zhejiang province) for five years, after which he is said to have had a great awakening when the sound of a falling pillow shattered his doubt (YIQING). In 1274, he began his residence at a hermitage on Shuangji peak in Wukang (present-day Zhejiang province), and in 1279 he began teaching at Shiziyan on the west peak of the Tianmu mountains. He subsequently established the monasteries of Shizisi and Dajuesi, where he attracted hundreds of disciples, including the prominent ZHONGFENG MINGBEN (1263-1323). He was given the posthumous title Chan Master Puming Guangji (Universal Radiance and Far-reaching Salvation). Gaofeng is most renowned for his instruction on the "three essentials" (SANYAO) of kanhua Chan practice: the great faculty of faith, great fury, and great doubt. Gaofeng's teachings are recorded in his discourse record, the Gaofeng dashi yulu, and his GAOFENG HESHANG CHANYAO, better known as simply the Chanyao ("Essentials of Chan"; K. Sonyo), which has been a principal text in Korean monastic seminaries since at least the seventeenth century. Gaofeng is also known for his famous gong'an: "Harnessing the moon, the muddy ox enters the sea."

Gassendi, Pierre: (1592-1655) Was a leading opponent of Cartesianism and of Scholastic Aristotelianism in the field of the physical sciences. Though he was a Catholic priest, with orthodox views in theology, he revived the materialistic atomism of Epicurus and Lucretius. Born in Provence, and at one time Canon of Dijon, he became a distinguished professor of mathematics at the Royal College of Paris in 1645. He seems to have been sincerely convinced that the Logic, Physics and Ethics of Epicureanism were superior to any other type of classical or modern philosophy. His objections to Descartes' Meditationes, with the Cartesian responses, are printed with the works of Descartes. His other philosophical works are Commentarius de vita moribus et placitis Epicuri (Amsterdam, 1659). Syntagma philosophiae Epicuri (Amsterdam, 1684). -- V.J.B.

gcod. (cho). A Tibetan term, from the verb "to cut" or "to sever;" a Tibetan tantric practice for severing attachment. The full name of the practice is bdud kyi gcod yul, or "the demon to be severed," and is a Tibetan tantric practice in which the meditator, through visualization, offers his or her body to an assembly of benevolent and malevolent deities as a means of accumulating merit and eliminating attachment to the body. The tradition of gcod, together with that of ZHI BYED or "pacification," is commonly classified among eight important tantric traditions and transmission lineages that spread throughout Tibet, the so-called "eight great conveyances that are lineages of achievement" (SGRUB BRGYUD SHING RTA CHEN PO BRGYAD). The practice was originally promulgated by the twelfth-century female adept MA GCIG LAB SGRON, who described it as a practice that severs (gcod) attachment to one's body, dualistic thinking, and conceptions of hope and fear. Although usually practiced by solitary meditators in isolated and frightening locations, gcod liturgies are also performed by monastic assemblies-both accompanied by the ritual music of the hand drum (see dAMARU) and the human leg-bone trumpet. The meditation, rooted in PRĀJNĀPĀRAMITĀ and MAHĀMUDRĀ, involves the visualized offering of the adept's body, flesh, blood, bones, and organs, as food for a vast assembly of beings, including local spirits and demons. It is also commonly used as a ritual for healing or protection.

genjo koan. (C. xiancheng gong'an; K. hyonsong kongan 現[見]成公案). In Japanese, lit. "presently manifest case," or "actualized case," deriving from a term in Chinese law for an "open and shut case," or someone "caught dead to rights." The term is sometimes used in the CHAN school to refer to the universality of buddhahood in all aspects of the mundane world and, for this reason, is occasionally interpreted (rather too freely) as the "koan of everyday life." Genjo koan is one of the seminal terms in the writings of DoGEN KIGEN (1200-1253), the putative founder of the SoToSHu of Japanese ZEN, and is the title of a treatise written in 1233 that was later anthologized as the first roll of the sixty- and the seventy-five-roll recensions of his magnum opus, the SHoBoGENZo ("Treasury of the True Dharma Eye"). The term seems to have first been used by the Tang Chan master Muzhou Daoming (780-877), and more often later by such Song Chan masters as HONGZHI ZHENGJUE (1091-1157) and YUANWU KEQIN (1063-1135). Dogen deploys the term to criticize the RINZAI (LINJI) usage of koan (C. GONG'AN) as a means of catalyzing a breakthrough into awakening, thus making genjo koan a polemical device for distinguishing his presentation of Zen thought and practice from rival schools. Although Dogen never directly defines it, in his usage, genjo koan indicates the way in which all things are constantly manifesting their inherent buddhahood in the here and now; thus, Buddhist cultivation entails simply performing a single practice, such as seated meditation (J. ZAZEN), so completely that the enlightenment inherent in that practice becomes "an open and shut case."

Gling ras pa Padma rdo rje. (Lingrepa Pema Dorje) (1128-1188). A Tibetan YOGIN venerated as a founder of the 'BRUG PA BKA' BRGYUD sect of Tibetan Buddhism; also known as Gling chen ras pa (Lingchen Repa) and Gling rje ras pa (Lingje Repa). He trained under the renowned BKA' BRGYUD master PHAG MO GRU PA RDO RJE RGYAL PO at GDAN SA MTHIL monastery and later spent numerous years in solitary meditation retreat. He consecrated the site upon which his principal disciple, GTSANG PA RGYA RAS YE SHES RDO RJE, founded the important 'BRUG PA monastery of RWA LUNG.

Goddard, Dwight. (1861-1939). American popularizer of Buddhism and author of the widely read A Buddhist Bible. He was born in Massachusetts and educated in both theology and mechanical engineering. Following the death of his first wife, he enrolled at Hartford Theological Seminary and was ordained as a minister in the Congregational Church. He went to China as a missionary and it was there that he visited his first Buddhist monastery. After holding pastoral positions in Massachusetts and Chicago, he left the ministry to become a mechanical engineer. An invention that he sold to the government made him independently wealthy and allowed him to retire in 1913. He traveled to China several times in the 1920s, where he met a Lutheran minister who was seeking to promote understanding between Buddhists and Christians. Goddard first learned of Zen Buddhism from a Japanese friend in New York in 1928 and later traveled to Japan where he met DAISETZ TEITARO SUZUKI and practiced ZAZEN for eight months in Kyoto. Upon his return to America, Goddard attempted in 1934 to form an American Buddhist community, called the Followers of the Buddha. With property in Vermont and California, the organization was to include a celibate monkhood, called the Homeless Brothers, supported by lay members. Goddard also published a Buddhist magazine, Zen, A Magazine of Self-Realization, before bringing out, with his own funds, what would become his most famous work, A Buddhist Bible, in 1932. The purpose of the anthology was to "show the unreality of all conceptions of the personal ego" and inspire readers to follow the path to buddhahood. It was Goddard's conviction that Buddhism was the religion most capable of meeting the problems of European civilization. Commercially published in 1938, the contents of A Buddhist Bible were organized by the language of a text's origins and contained works that had not been translated into English before. The works came mostly from Chinese, translated by the Chinese monk Wai-tao, in collaboration with Goddard. Tibetan selections were drawn from W. Y. EVANS-WENTZ. A Buddhist Bible is not without its eccentricities. For example, Goddard rearranged the VAJRACCHEDIKĀPRAJNĀPĀRAMITĀSuTRA ("Diamond Sutra") into a more "sensible" order, and he included in his anthology a classic of Chinese philosophy, the Daode jing (Tao te ching). Goddard also composed his own treatise to provide practical guidance in meditation, which he felt was difficult for Europeans and Americans. As one of the first anthologies of Buddhist texts widely available in the West, and especially because it was one of the few that included MAHĀYĀNA works, A Buddhist Bible remained widely read for decades after its publication.

gong'an. (J. koan; K. kongan 公案). In Chinese, "public case," or "precedent"; better known in the West by its Japanese pronunciation koan, a word that has now entered common English parlance as "koan." Gong'an was originally a legal term, referring to the magistrate's (gong) table (an), which by metonymy comes to refer to a legal precedent or an authoritative judgment; the term also comes to mean simply a "story" (gong'an in vernacular Chinese refers to the genre of detective stories). The term is widely used in the CHAN school in a way that conveys both denotations of a legal precedent and a story. The study of gong'an seems to have had its beginnings in the practice, probably dating from the late-Tang dynasty, of commenting on the exchanges or "ancient precedents" (guce) culled from Chan genealogical histories (e.g., JINGDE CHUANDENG LU) and the recorded sayings or discourse records (YULU) of the Chan masters of the past. Commenting on old cases (niangu), often using verses (SONGGU), seems to have become a well-established practice by the early Song dynasty, as more recorded sayings began to include separate sections known as nianggu and songgu. Perhaps one of the most famous collections of verse commentaries on old cases is the Chan master XUEDOU CHONGXIAN's Xuedou heshang baice songgu, which now exists only as part of a larger influential collection of gong'ans known as the BIYAN LU. Other famous gong'an collections, such as the CONGRONG LU and WUMEN GUAN, were compiled during the Song dynasty and thereafter. These collections often shared a similar format. Each case (bence), with some exceptions, begins with a pointer (CHUISHI), a short introductory paragraph. The actual case, often a short anecdote, is interspersed with interlinear notes known as "annotations" or "capping phrases" (C. zhuoyu/zhuyu; see J. JAKUGO). After the case, a prose commentary (pingchang), verse commentary (songgu), and subcommentary on the verse commentary follow. Traditionally, 1,700 specific gong'an are said to have been in circulation in the Chan school. Although this number does have antecedents within the tradition, there are no fixed numbers of cases included in Chan gong'an anthologies; for example, a late Qing-dynasty collection, the 1712 Zongjian falin, includes 2,720 gong'an, which were claimed to be all the gong'an then in active use within the tradition. Whatever the number, there seems not to have been any kind of systematic curriculum within the Chinese Chan or Korean Son traditions using this full panoply of gong'an. The creation of a pedagogical system of training involving mastery of a series of many different koans is commonly attributed to HAKUIN EKAKU (1685-1768) in the Japanese RINZAISHu of ZEN. The widespread reference to 1,700 gong'an in Western-language materials may derive from accounts of Japanese government attempts in 1627 to routinize the Rinzai monastic curriculum, by promulgating a regulation requiring all Zen abbots to master 1,700 cases as part of their training. ¶ The literary endeavor of studying old cases also gave rise to new forms of meditation. The Chan master DAHUI ZONGGAO in the YANGQI PAI of the LINJI ZONG systematized a practice in which one focuses on what he termed the "meditative topic" (HUATOU), which in some contexts refers to the "keyword," or "critical phrase" of a gong'an story. For instance, the famous huatou "WU" (no) that Dahui used as a meditative topic was derived from a popular gong'an attributed to ZHAOZHOU CONGSHEN: A student asked Zhaozhou, "Does a dog have buddha nature, or not?," to which Zhaozhou replied "wu" (no; lit., "it does not have it") (see WU GONG'AN; GOUZI WU FOXING). This new practice was called the "Chan of observing the meditative topic" or, more freely, "questioning meditation" (KANHUA CHAN). During the Song dynasty, students also began to seek private instruction on gong'an from Chan masters. These instructions often occurred in the abbot's quarters (FANGZHANG). ¶ The active study of gong'an in Korean SoN begins with POJO CHINUL and his disciple CHIN'GAK HYESIM, who learned of Dahui's kanhua Chan largely through the writings of their Chinese counterpart. Hyesim was also the first Korean Son monk to compile his own massive collection of cases, titled the SoNMUN YoMSONG CHIP. The use of cases was later transmitted to Japan by pilgrims and émigré monks, where koan study became emblematic of the Rinzaishu. Because rote memorization of capping phrases came to take precedence over skilled literary composition in classical Chinese, the Japanese compiled large collections of capping phrases, such as the ZENRIN KUSHu, to use in their training.

gouzi wu foxing. (J. kushi mubussho; K. kuja mu pulsong 狗子無佛性). In Chinese, "a dog has no buddha-nature"; a CHAN expression that becomes a famous meditative topic (HUATOU) and is used as the subject of a Chan "questioning meditation" (see KANHUA CHAN). This phrase refers to a GONG'AN exchange attributed to the Tang-dynasty monk ZHAOZHOU CONGSHEN (778-897): Once when Zhaochou was asked, "Does a dog have buddha-nature (FOXING), or not?" Zhaochou answered, "No" (lit. "It does not have it."). This gong'an exchange is the famous "no" (WU) huatou, the first case of the WUMEN GUAN ("Gateless Checkpoint"), which is often the initial meditation topic given to neophyte Chan monks in the LINJI ZONG and Linji-oriented traditions in China, Korea, and Japan.

guru meditation ::: (operating system, exception) The Amiga equivalent of Unix's panic (sometimes just called a guru or guru event). When the system crashes, a indicating what the problem was. An Amiga guru can figure things out from the numbers.In the earliest days of the Amiga, there was a device called a Joyboard which was basically a plastic board built onto a joystick-like device; it was sold concentrate on a solution while sitting cross-legged, balanced on a Joyboard, resembling a meditating guru. Sadly, the joke was removed in AmigaOS 2.04.The Jargon File claimed that a guru event had to be followed by a Vulcan nerve pinch but, according to a correspondent, a mouse click was enough to start a reboot.(2002-06-25)

guru meditation "operating system" The {Amiga} equivalent of {Unix}'s {panic} (sometimes just called a "guru" or "guru event"). When the system crashes, a cryptic message of the form "GURU MEDITATION

hatch ::: v. t. --> To cross with lines in a peculiar manner in drawing and engraving. See Hatching.
To cross; to spot; to stain; to steep.
To produce, as young, from an egg or eggs by incubation, or by artificial heat; to produce young from (eggs); as, the young when hatched.
To contrive or plot; to form by meditation, and bring into being; to originate and produce; to concoct; as, to hatch


Hence the ushnisha represents that radiant crown of buddhic fire that surrounds the head of initiates when they are in deep samadhi or meditation. The initiate’s head becomes surrounded with rays from the vital inner fire of the third eye, the spiritual organ of the brain, which likewise is the source from which radiates the spiritual, intellectual, and psychovital nimbus or aura surrounding the head — known to the iconographies of every religion. These rays thus form a glory around the head and sometimes even around the entire body. “They stream upwards from the back of the head, often symbolically represented in the buddha-iconography as one single, lambent flame soaring upwards from and over the top of the skull. In this case you may perhaps find that the ushnisha is missing, its place being taken by this flame issuing from the top of the head, a symbolic representation of the fire of the spirit and of the aroused and active buddhic faculty in which the man is at the time” (Fund 493).

impromptu ::: something that arises spontaneously or comes without previous preparation or premeditation. impromptus.

In each case, the name of the realm indicates the object of meditation of the beings reborn there. Hence, in the first, for example, the beings perceive only infinite space. Rebirth in these different spheres is based on mastery of the corresponding four immaterial meditative absorptions (ĀRuPYĀVACARADHYĀNA; ārupyasamāpatti) in the previous life. While the devas of the sensuous realm and the realm of subtle materiality come to have larger and ever more splendid bodies at the more advanced levels of their heavens, the devas of the immaterial realm do not have even the subtlest foundation in materiality; their existence is so refined that it is not even possible to posit exactly where they dwell spatially. In some schools, such as the Sarvāstivāda, the immaterial realm does not even exist as a discrete place: rather, when a being who has mastered the immaterial absorptions dies, he is reborn at the very same location where he passed away, except now he is "immaterial" or "formless" and thus invisible to coarser beings. According to the Theravāda, even a mind-made body (MANOMAYAKĀYA) is excluded from this realm, for the devas here possess only the mind base (MANĀYATANA), mental objects (P. dhammāyatana), the elements of mental consciousness (P. manoviNNānadhātu), and the element of mental objects (P. dhammadhātu), needing only three nutriments (ĀHĀRA) to survive-contact (P. phassa), mental cognition (P. manosaNcetana), and consciousness (P. viNNāna). The Buddha claims to have lived among the devas of the immaterial realm in certain of his previous lives, but without offering any detailed description of those existences. ¶ In all realms, devas are born apparitionally. In the sensuous realm, devas are born in their mother's lap, appearing as if they are already five to ten years old at birth; by contrast, devas of the subtle-materiality and immaterial realms appear not to need the aid of parents; those in the subtle-materiality realm appear fully grown, while those in the immaterial realm do not appear at all, because they have no form. It is also said that, when devas are reborn, they are aware of their prior existence and of the specific KARMAN that led to their rebirth in the heavenly realms. The different deva realms are also distinguished by differences in nutriment, sexuality, requisites, and life span. The devas of the lower heavens of the sensuous realm consume ordinary food; those in the upper spheres of the sensuous realm and the lower levels of the realm of subtle materiality feed only on sensory contact; the devas of the upper levels of the realm of subtle materiality feed only on contemplation; those in the immaterial realm feed on cognition alone. Sexual differentiation remains only in the sensuous realm: in the heaven of the four heavenly kings and the heaven of the thirty-three, the devas engage in physical copulation, the devas of the yāma heaven engage in sexual union by embracing one another, the devas of the tusita heaven by holding hands, those of the nirmānarati heaven by smiling at one another, and those of the paranirmitavasavartin heaven by exchanging a single glance. Clothes are said to be used in all deva worlds except in the immaterial realm. The life spans of devas in the sensuous realm range from five hundred years for the gods of the heaven of the four heavenly kings to one thousand years for the trāyastriMsa gods, two thousand years for the yāma gods, four thousand years for the tusita gods, eight thousand years for the nirmānarati gods, and sixteen thousand years for the paranirmitavasavartin gods. However, there is a range of opinion of what constitutes a year in these heavens. For example, it is said that in the tusita heaven, four hundred human years equal one day in the life of a god of that heaven. The life spans of devas in the realm of subtle materiality are measured in eons (KALPA). The life spans of devas in the immaterial realm may appear as essentially infinite, but even those divinities, like all devas, are subject to impermanence (ANITYA) and will eventually die and be subject to further rebirths once the salutary meditative deed that caused them to be reborn there has been exhausted. The sutras say that for a deva of the sensuous realm, there are five portents of his impending death: the garlands of flowers he wears begin to fade, his clothes become soiled and his palace dusty, he begins to perspire, his body becomes opaque and loses its luster, and his throne becomes uncomfortable. At that point, the deva experiences a vision of his next place of rebirth. This vision is said to be one of the most horrible sufferings in saMsāra, because of its marked contrast to the magnificence of his current life. There are also said to be four direct reasons why devas die: exhaustion of their life spans, their previous merit, their food, and the arising of anger. ¶ Rebirth as a deva is presumed to be the reward of virtuous karman performed in previous lives and is thus considered a salutary, if provisional, religious goal. In the "graduated discourse" (P. ANUPUBBIKATHĀ; S. ANUPuRVIKATHĀ) taught by the Buddha, for example, the Buddha uses the prospect of heavenly rebirth (svargakathā), and the pleasures accruing thereto, as a means of attracting laypersons to the religious life. Despite the many appealing attributes of these heavenly beings, such as their physical beauty, comfortable lives, and long life span, even heavenly existence is ultimately unsatisfactory because it does not offer a definitive escape from the continued cycle of birth and death (saMsāra). Since devas are merely enjoying the rewards of their previous good deeds rather than performing new wholesome karman, they are considered to be stagnating spiritually. This spiritual passivity explains why they must be reborn in lower levels of existence, and especially as human beings, in order to further their cultivation. For these reasons, Buddhist soteriological literature sometimes condemns religious practice performed solely for the goal of achieving rebirth as a deva. It is only certain higher level of devas, such as the devas belonging to the five pure abodes (suddhāvāsa), that are not subject to further rebirth, because they have already eliminated all the fetters (saMyojana) associated with that realm and are destined to achieve arhatship. Nevertheless, over the history of Buddhism, rebirth in heaven as a deva has been a more common goal for religious practice, especially among the laity, than the achievement of nirvāna. ¶ The sutras include frequent reference to "gods and men" (S. devamanusya; C. tianren) as the objects of the Buddha's teachings. Despite the fact that this is how most Buddhist traditions have chosen to translate the Sanskrit compound, "gods" here is probably meant to refer to the terrestrial divinities of "princes" or "kings," rather than heavenly beings; thus, the compound should be more properly (if, perhaps, pedantically) rendered "princes and peoples." Similarly, as the "divinities" of this world, buddhas, bodhisattvas, and arhats are also sometimes referred to as devas. See also DEVALOKA; DEVATĀ.

In order to appreciate fully the meaning of the universe, man must comprehend Reason. This can be done by "investigating things to the utmost" (ko wu), that is, by "investigating the Reason of things to the utmost (ch'iung li)." When sufficient effort is made, and understanding naturally comes, one's nature will be realized and his destiny will be fulfilled, since "the exhaustive investigation of Reason, the full realization of one's nature, and the fulfillment of destiny are simultaneous." When one understands Reason, he will find that "All people are brothers and sisters, and all things are my companions," because all men have the same Reason in them. Consequently one should not entertain any distinction between things and the ego. This is the foundation of the Neo-Confucian ethics of jen, true manhood, benevolence or love. Both the understanding of Reason and the practice of jen require sincerity (ch'eng) and seriousness (ching) which to the Neo-Confucians almost assumed religious significance. As a matter of fact these have a certain correspondence with the Buddhist dhyana and prajna or meditation and insight. Gradually the Neo-Confucian movement became an inward movement, the mind assuming more and more importance.

Insight Meditation ::: One of the two general categories of meditative practice described on this site. Refers to meditation that focuses on dissecting the moment with the mind in order to reveal fundamental insights into how reality is established through the Three Characteristics. Certain "stages" of insight emerge during this practice that are referred to as the vipassana jhanas. Discussion of the jhanas is beyond the scope of this site at this time. Also "Mindfulness Meditation" and "Vipassana", although there may be some tradition-specific differences with these terms.

INTEGRAL YOGA ::: This yoga accepts the value of cosmic existence and holds it to be a reality; its object is to enter into a higher Truth-Consciousness or Divine Supramental Consciousness in which action and creation are the expression not of ignorance and imperfection, but of the Truth, the Light, the Divine Ānanda. But for that, the surrender of the mortal mind, life and body to the Higher Consciousnessis indispensable, since it is too difficult for the mortal human being to pass by its own effort beyond mind to a Supramental Consciousness in which the dynamism is no longer mental but of quite another power. Only those who can accept the call to such a change should enter into this yoga.

Aim of the Integral Yoga ::: It is not merely to rise out of the ordinary ignorant world-consciousness into the divine consciousness, but to bring the supramental power of that divine consciousness down into the ignorance of mind, life and body, to transform them, to manifest the Divine here and create a divine life in Matter.

Conditions of the Integral Yoga ::: This yoga can only be done to the end by those who are in total earnest about it and ready to abolish their little human ego and its demands in order to find themselves in the Divine. It cannot be done in a spirit of levity or laxity; the work is too high and difficult, the adverse powers in the lower Nature too ready to take advantage of the least sanction or the smallest opening, the aspiration and tapasyā needed too constant and intense.

Method in the Integral Yoga ::: To concentrate, preferably in the heart and call the presence and power of the Mother to take up the being and by the workings of her force transform the consciousness. One can concentrate also in the head or between the eye-brows, but for many this is a too difficult opening. When the mind falls quiet and the concentration becomes strong and the aspiration intense, then there is the beginning of experience. The more the faith, the more rapid the result is likely to be. For the rest one must not depend on one’s own efforts only, but succeed in establishing a contact with the Divine and a receptivity to the Mother’s Power and Presence.

Integral method ::: The method we have to pursue is to put our whole conscious being into relation and contact with the Divine and to call Him in to transform Our entire being into His, so that in a sense God Himself, the real Person in us, becomes the sādhaka of the sādhana* as well as the Master of the Yoga by whom the lower personality is used as the centre of a divine transfiguration and the instrument of its own perfection. In effect, the pressure of the Tapas, the force of consciousness in us dwelling in the Idea of the divine Nature upon that which we are in our entirety, produces its own realisation. The divine and all-knowing and all-effecting descends upon the limited and obscure, progressively illumines and energises the whole lower nature and substitutes its own action for all the terms of the inferior human light and mortal activity.

In psychological fact this method translates itself into the progressive surrender of the ego with its whole field and all its apparatus to the Beyond-ego with its vast and incalculable but always inevitable workings. Certainly, this is no short cut or easy sādhana. It requires a colossal faith, an absolute courage and above all an unflinching patience. For it implies three stages of which only the last can be wholly blissful or rapid, - the attempt of the ego to enter into contact with the Divine, the wide, full and therefore laborious preparation of the whole lower Nature by the divine working to receive and become the higher Nature, and the eventual transformation. In fact, however, the divine strength, often unobserved and behind the veil, substitutes itself for the weakness and supports us through all our failings of faith, courage and patience. It” makes the blind to see and the lame to stride over the hills.” The intellect becomes aware of a Law that beneficently insists and a Succour that upholds; the heart speaks of a Master of all things and Friend of man or a universal Mother who upholds through all stumblings. Therefore this path is at once the most difficult imaginable and yet in comparison with the magnitude of its effort and object, the most easy and sure of all.

There are three outstanding features of this action of the higher when it works integrally on the lower nature. In the first place, it does not act according to a fixed system and succession as in the specialised methods of Yoga, but with a sort of free, scattered and yet gradually intensive and purposeful working determined by the temperament of the individual in whom it operates, the helpful materials which his nature offers and the obstacles which it presents to purification and perfection. In a sense, therefore, each man in this path has his own method of Yoga. Yet are there certain broad lines of working common to all which enable us to construct not indeed a routine system, but yet some kind of Shastra or scientific method of the synthetic Yoga.

Secondly, the process, being integral, accepts our nature such as it stands organised by our past evolution and without rejecting anything essential compels all to undergo a divine change. Everything in us is seized by the hands of a mighty Artificer and transformed into a clear image of that which it now seeks confusedly to present. In that ever-progressive experience we begin to perceive how this lower manifestation is constituted and that everything in it, however seemingly deformed or petty or vile, is the more or less distorted or imperfect figure of some elements or action in the harmony of the divine Nature. We begin to understand what the Vedic Rishis meant when they spoke of the human forefathers fashioning the gods as a smith forges the crude material in his smithy.

Thirdly, the divine Power in us uses all life as the means of this integral Yoga. Every experience and outer contact with our world-environment, however trifling or however disastrous, is used for the work, and every inner experience, even to the most repellent suffering or the most humiliating fall, becomes a step on the path to perfection. And we recognise in ourselves with opened eyes the method of God in the world, His purpose of light in the obscure, of might in the weak and fallen, of delight in what is grievous and miserable. We see the divine method to be the same in the lower and in the higher working; only in the one it is pursued tardily and obscurely through the subconscious in Nature, in the other it becomes swift and selfconscious and the instrument confesses the hand of the Master. All life is a Yoga of Nature seeking to manifest God within itself. Yoga marks the stage at which this effort becomes capable of self-awareness and therefore of right completion in the individual. It is a gathering up and concentration of the movements dispersed and loosely combined in the lower evolution.

Key-methods ::: The way to devotion and surrender. It is the psychic movement that brings the constant and pure devotion and the removal of the ego that makes it possible to surrender.

The way to knowledge. Meditation in the head by which there comes the opening above, the quietude or silence of the mind and the descent of peace etc. of the higher consciousness generally till it envelops the being and fills the body and begins to take up all the movements.
Yoga by works ::: Separation of the Purusha from the Prakriti, the inner silent being from the outer active one, so that one has two consciousnesses or a double consciousness, one behind watching and observing and finally controlling and changing the other which is active in front. The other way of beginning the yoga of works is by doing them for the Divine, for the Mother, and not for oneself, consecrating and dedicating them till one concretely feels the Divine Force taking up the activities and doing them for one.

Object of the Integral Yoga is to enter into and be possessed by the Divine Presence and Consciousness, to love the Divine for the Divine’s sake alone, to be tuned in our nature into the nature of the Divine, and in our will and works and life to be the instrument of the Divine.

Principle of the Integral Yoga ::: The whole principle of Integral Yoga is to give oneself entirely to the Divine alone and to nobody else, and to bring down into ourselves by union with the Divine Mother all the transcendent light, power, wideness, peace, purity, truth-consciousness and Ānanda of the Supramental Divine.

Central purpose of the Integral Yoga ::: Transformation of our superficial, narrow and fragmentary human way of thinking, seeing, feeling and being into a deep and wide spiritual consciousness and an integrated inner and outer existence and of our ordinary human living into the divine way of life.

Fundamental realisations of the Integral Yoga ::: The psychic change so that a complete devotion can be the main motive of the heart and the ruler of thought, life and action in constant union with the Mother and in her Presence. The descent of the Peace, Power, Light etc. of the Higher Consciousness through the head and heart into the whole being, occupying the very cells of the body. The perception of the One and Divine infinitely everywhere, the Mother everywhere and living in that infinite consciousness.

Results ::: First, an integral realisation of Divine Being; not only a realisation of the One in its indistinguishable unity, but also in its multitude of aspects which are also necessary to the complete knowledge of it by the relative consciousness; not only realisation of unity in the Self, but of unity in the infinite diversity of activities, worlds and creatures.

Therefore, also, an integral liberation. Not only the freedom born of unbroken contact of the individual being in all its parts with the Divine, sāyujya mukti, by which it becomes free even in its separation, even in the duality; not only the sālokya mukti by which the whole conscious existence dwells in the same status of being as the Divine, in the state of Sachchidananda ; but also the acquisition of the divine nature by the transformation of this lower being into the human image of the divine, sādharmya mukti, and the complete and final release of all, the liberation of the consciousness from the transitory mould of the ego and its unification with the One Being, universal both in the world and the individual and transcendentally one both in the world and beyond all universe.

By this integral realisation and liberation, the perfect harmony of the results of Knowledge, Love and Works. For there is attained the complete release from ego and identification in being with the One in all and beyond all. But since the attaining consciousness is not limited by its attainment, we win also the unity in Beatitude and the harmonised diversity in Love, so that all relations of the play remain possible to us even while we retain on the heights of our being the eternal oneness with the Beloved. And by a similar wideness, being capable of a freedom in spirit that embraces life and does not depend upon withdrawal from life, we are able to become without egoism, bondage or reaction the channel in our mind and body for a divine action poured out freely upon the world.

The divine existence is of the nature not only of freedom, but of purity, beatitude and perfection. In integral purity which shall enable on the one hand the perfect reflection of the divine Being in ourselves and on the other the perfect outpouring of its Truth and Law in us in the terms of life and through the right functioning of the complex instrument we are in our outer parts, is the condition of an integral liberty. Its result is an integral beatitude, in which there becomes possible at once the Ānanda of all that is in the world seen as symbols of the Divine and the Ānanda of that which is not-world. And it prepares the integral perfection of our humanity as a type of the Divine in the conditions of the human manifestation, a perfection founded on a certain free universality of being, of love and joy, of play of knowledge and of play of will in power and will in unegoistic action. This integrality also can be attained by the integral Yoga.

Sādhanā of the Integral Yoga does not proceed through any set mental teaching or prescribed forms of meditation, mantras or others, but by aspiration, by a self-concentration inwards or upwards, by a self-opening to an Influence, to the Divine Power above us and its workings, to the Divine Presence in the heart and by the rejection of all that is foreign to these things. It is only by faith, aspiration and surrender that this self-opening can come.

The yoga does not proceed by upadeśa but by inner influence.

Integral Yoga and Gita ::: The Gita’s Yoga consists in the offering of one’s work as a sacrifice to the Divine, the conquest of desire, egoless and desireless action, bhakti for the Divine, an entering into the cosmic consciousness, the sense of unity with all creatures, oneness with the Divine. This yoga adds the bringing down of the supramental Light and Force (its ultimate aim) and the transformation of the nature.

Our yoga is not identical with the yoga of the Gita although it contains all that is essential in the Gita’s yoga. In our yoga we begin with the idea, the will, the aspiration of the complete surrender; but at the same time we have to reject the lower nature, deliver our consciousness from it, deliver the self involved in the lower nature by the self rising to freedom in the higher nature. If we do not do this double movement, we are in danger of making a tamasic and therefore unreal surrender, making no effort, no tapas and therefore no progress ; or else we make a rajasic surrender not to the Divine but to some self-made false idea or image of the Divine which masks our rajasic ego or something still worse.

Integral Yoga, Gita and Tantra ::: The Gita follows the Vedantic tradition which leans entirely on the Ishvara aspect of the Divine and speaks little of the Divine Mother because its object is to draw back from world-nature and arrive at the supreme realisation beyond it.

The Tantric tradition leans on the Shakti or Ishvari aspect and makes all depend on the Divine Mother because its object is to possess and dominate the world-nature and arrive at the supreme realisation through it.

This yoga insists on both the aspects; the surrender to the Divine Mother is essential, for without it there is no fulfilment of the object of the yoga.

Integral Yoga and Hatha-Raja Yogas ::: For an integral yoga the special methods of Rajayoga and Hathayoga may be useful at times in certain stages of the progress, but are not indispensable. Their principal aims must be included in the integrality of the yoga; but they can be brought about by other means. For the methods of the integral yoga must be mainly spiritual, and dependence on physical methods or fixed psychic or psychophysical processes on a large scale would be the substitution of a lower for a higher action. Integral Yoga and Kundalini Yoga: There is a feeling of waves surging up, mounting to the head, which brings an outer unconsciousness and an inner waking. It is the ascending of the lower consciousness in the ādhāra to meet the greater consciousness above. It is a movement analogous to that on which so much stress is laid in the Tantric process, the awakening of the Kundalini, the Energy coiled up and latent in the body and its mounting through the spinal cord and the centres (cakras) and the Brahmarandhra to meet the Divine above. In our yoga it is not a specialised process, but a spontaneous upnish of the whole lower consciousness sometimes in currents or waves, sometimes in a less concrete motion, and on the other side a descent of the Divine Consciousness and its Force into the body.

Integral Yoga and other Yogas ::: The old yogas reach Sachchidananda through the spiritualised mind and depart into the eternally static oneness of Sachchidananda or rather pure Sat (Existence), absolute and eternal or else a pure Non-exist- ence, absolute and eternal. Ours having realised Sachchidananda in the spiritualised mind plane proceeds to realise it in the Supramcntal plane.

The suprcfhe supra-cosmic Sachchidananda is above all. Supermind may be described as its power of self-awareness and W’orld- awareness, the world being known as within itself and not out- side. So to live consciously in the supreme Sachchidananda one must pass through the Supermind.

Distinction ::: The realisation of Self and of the Cosmic being (without which the realisation of the Self is incomplete) are essential steps in our yoga ; it is the end of other yogas, but it is, as it were, the beginning of outs, that is to say, the point where its own characteristic realisation can commence.

It is new as compared with the old yogas (1) Because it aims not at a departure out of world and life into Heaven and Nir- vana, but at a change of life and existence, not as something subordinate or incidental, but as a distinct and central object.

If there is a descent in other yogas, yet it is only an incident on the way or resulting from the ascent — the ascent is the real thing. Here the ascent is the first step, but it is a means for the descent. It is the descent of the new coosdousness attain- ed by the ascent that is the stamp and seal of the sadhana. Even the Tantra and Vaishnavism end in the release from life ; here the object is the divine fulfilment of life.

(2) Because the object sought after is not an individual achievement of divine realisation for the sake of the individual, but something to be gained for the earth-consciousness here, a cosmic, not solely a supra-cosmic acbievement. The thing to be gained also is the bringing of a Power of consciousness (the Supramental) not yet organised or active directly in earth-nature, even in the spiritual life, but yet to be organised and made directly active.

(3) Because a method has been preconized for achieving this purpose which is as total and integral as the aim set before it, viz., the total and integral change of the consciousness and nature, taking up old methods, but only as a part action and present aid to others that are distinctive.

Integral Yoga and Patanjali Yoga ::: Cilia is the stuff of mixed mental-vital-physical consciousness out of which arise the movements of thought, emotion, sensation, impulse etc.

It is these that in the Patanjali system have to be stilled altogether so that the consciousness may be immobile and go into Samadhi.

Our yoga has a different function. The movements of the ordinary consciousness have to be quieted and into the quietude there has to be brought down a higher consciousness and its powers which will transform the nature.


In the Ideen and in later works, Husserl applied the epithet "transcendental" to consciousness as it is aside from its (valid and necessary) self-apperception as in a world. At the same time, he restricted the term "psychic" to subjectivity (personal subjects, their streams of consciousness, etc.) in its status as worldly, animal, human subjectivity. The contrast between transcendental subjectivity and worldly being is fundamental to Husserl's mature concept of pure phenomenology and to his concept of a universal phenomenological philosophy. In the Ideen, this pure phenomenology, defined as the eidetic science of transcendental subjectivity, was contrasted with psychology, defined as the empirical science of actual subjectivity in the world. Two antitheses are involved, however eidetic versus factual, and transcendental versus psychic. Rightly, they yield a four-fold classification, which Husserl subsequently made explicit, in his Formale und Transzendentale Logik (1929), Nachwort zu meinen Ideen (1930), and Meditations Cartesiennes (1931). In these works, he spoke of psychology as including all knowledge of worldly subjectivity while, within this science, he distinguished an empirical or matter-of-fact pure psychology and an eidetic pure psychology. The former is "pure" only in the way phenomenology, as explicitly conceived in the first edition of the Logische Untersuchungen, is pure: actual psychic subjectivity is abstracted as its exclusive theme, objects intended in the investigated psychic processes are taken only as the latter's noematic-intentional objects. Such an abstractive and self-restraining attitude, Husserl believed, is necessary, if one is to isohte the psychic in its purity and yet preserve it in its full intentionality. The instituting and maintaining of such an attitude is called "psychological epoche"; its effect on the objects of psychic consciousness is called "psychological reduction." As empiricism, this pure psychology describes the experienced typical structures of psychic processes and of the typical noematic objects belonging inseparably to the latter by virtue of their intrinsic intentionality. Description of typical personalities and of their habitually intended worlds also lies within its province. Having acquired empirical knowledge of the purely psychic, one may relax one's psychological epoche and inquire into the extrapsychic circumstances under which, e.g., psychic processes of a particulai type actually occur in the world. Thus an empirical pure intentional psychology would become part of a concrete empirical science of actual psychophysical organisms.

It is not meditation (thinking with the mind) but a concentra- tion or turning of the consciousness that is important, — and that can happen in work, in writing, in any kind of action as well as in sitting down to contemplate.

I was awestruck by this line many times even though Mother writes: “At every moment we must shake off the past like fading dust, that it may not soil the virgin path which, at every moment also, is opening before us.” Prayers and Meditations

Jhana ::: A Pali term describing an advanced meditative state of awareness. There are both vipassana jhanas and samatha jhanas. The former describes states of meditative insight that are found through progressing through the stages of mindfulness meditation and the latter describes states of advanced concentration whereupon the object of observation becomes increasingly prounounced in the locus of one's awareness (at least in the early states, in later states that object can drop away entirely). The jhanic states are genuinely preternatural to the mundane mind and are somewhat advanced, so a discussion of them will need to await further research and experience.

Jhana (Pali) Jhāna Meditation in wisdom, equivalent to Sanskrit dhyana. This experience was originally divided into four states: the mystic, with his mind free from sensuous and worldly ideas, concentrates his thoughts on some special subject such as the impermanence or mayavi character of all exterior things; uplifted above attention to externals and ordinary reasoning he experiences keen joy and quiet ease both of body and mind; the bliss passes away and he becomes suffused with a sense of inner completeness, in its higher stages approaching cosmic ranges; he becomes aware permanently of purest lucidity of intellect and perfect equanimity.

Kamea ::: A magical square of numbers used to generate names and sigils of power. It is also an object of meditation in its own right.

Kapilasthen, Kapilasthan [possibly Sanskrit Kapilasthāna] Kapila’s seat; the place where tradition says that Kapila sat in meditation for a number of years.

Karuna-bhavana (Sanskrit) Karuṇā-bhāvanā [from karuṇā compassion + the verbal root bhū to become] The act of causing meditation or compassion to come into being. The meditation or thought given to cultivating pity and compassion in yoga practices.

Kavanah ::: (Heb. intention). A mystical instrument of the Jewish kabbalists; a meditation that accompanies a ritual act, devotion, inner concentration during prayer.

Kedushah [&

Kempen, Thomas Hemerken van: (1380-1471) Also called Thomas a Kempis, was born at Kempen in Holland, received his early education and instruction in music at the monastery of the Brethren of the Common Life, at Deventer. He attended no university but attained a high degree of spiritual development. His Imitation of Christ is one of the most famous, and most used, books of Catholic spiritual meditation; it has been printed in nearly all languages and is found in innumerable editions. There seems to be no valid reason for questioning his authorship of the work. -- V.J.B.

Kierkegaard, Soren (1813-1855) ::: Christian philosopher; author of Fear and Trembling (1843); a meditation on the Binding of Isaac; Denmark.

kundaliniyoga ::: Kundalini Yoga A form of meditation used to awaken the energy of awareness (Kundalini), who is made to rise through the Chakras to the sahasrara (the thousand-petalled spiritual energy centre at the crown of the head) where the individual soul merges into the supreme Self to attain full awareness of the Soul.

Kwan, Kuan (Chinese) Taoist term equivalent to the Sanskrit dhyana (meditation). “Kuan means originally to ‘watch’ for omens, and in the dictionaries it is defined as ‘looking at unusual things,’ as opposed to ordinary seeing or looking. Hence, in accordance with the general ‘inward-turning’ of Chinese thought and vocabulary, it comes to mean ‘what one sees when one is in an abnormal state’; and in Taoist literature it is often practically equivalent to our own mystic world ‘Vision.’ The root from which dhyana comes has however nothing to do with ‘seeing’ but means simply ‘pondering, meditating’; and it was only because kuan already possessed a technical sense closely akin to that of dhyana that it was chosen as an equivalent, in preference to some such word as nien, or ssu, which are the natural equivalents” (Waley, The Way and Its Power 119-20).

Locus of Focus ::: Refers to the field and breadth of one's awareness. Most find in mundane consciousness that the mind is constantly jumping around and very broadly focused, but through practicing meditation (especially concentration meditation in this case) the locus of focus narrows so that some deeper mysteries of reality can be revealed and so that sense of self can be shaken off more easily.

lucubration ::: n. --> The act of lucubrating, or studying by candlelight; nocturnal study; meditation.
That which is composed by night; that which is produced by meditation in retirement; hence (loosely) any literary composition.


Mahasattipathana (Skt.): A Buddhist mode of meditation in which the mind is not restrained to a single object but is set to observe the flow of thoughts with the purpose of locating its source and analysing its nature.

Main works of Husserl: Philosophie der Anthmetik, 1891; Logische Untersuchungen, 1900; Ideen z. e. reinen Phänomenologie u. Phenomologische Philos., 1913; Vorlesungen z. Phanom. d. inneren Bewusstseine, 1928; Formale u. transz. Logik, 1929; Meditations Cartesiennes Introd. a la Phenomenologie, 1931; Die Krisis der europäischen Wissensch u.d. transz. Phanomenologie, I, 1936; Erfahrung u. Urteil. Untersuch. u. Genealogie der Logik, 1939. Hussism: The Reformatory views of John Hus (1370-1415). A popular agitator and finally martyr, Hus stood between Wycliffe and Luther in the line of continental Protestant Reformers. He rested authority upon Scripture and defied ecclesiastical bans. The Hussite wars (1419-1432) following his death epitomized the growing nationalism and desire for religious reform. -- V.F.

manana. ::: deep contemplation; subtle enquiry; hearing and profound reflection; meditation on the eternal verities; second of the three stages of vedantic realisation

Manasa-dhyanis (Sanskrit) Mānasa-dhyāni-s [from mānasa mental, intelligent from manas mind + dhyāni-s class of pitris from dhyāni meditation] The agnishvatta pitris, the givers of manas (mind) and intellectual consciousness to man; those solar and lunar pitris or dhyanis who incarnated by irradiation from themselves in the mentally senseless forms of semi-ethereal flesh of third root-race mankind. In the Puranas, considered the highest of the pitris (fathers of mankind). The agnishvattas or manasa-dhyanis are intimately connected evolutionally and in occult cosmology with the sun, and are hence often called the solar ancestors of mankind. They are, in fact, one of the several classes of monads springing directly from mahat who provided man with his intellect, mind, and sense of individual moral responsibility.

Manasaputras (Sanskrit) Mānasaputra-s [from mānasa intelligent from manas mind + putra son, child] Sons of mind. Mind manifesting in the universe is called mahat; when manifesting in particular entities it is called manas. Manasa signifies beings who are endowed with the fire of self-consciousness which enables them to carry on trains of self-conscious thought and meditation. Hence the manasaputras are children of cosmic mind, a race of dhyani-chohans particularly evolved along the lines of the manasic principle.

mandala ::: Mandala A sanskrit word meaning section, a mandala is a symmetrical design used for meditational, or spiritual purposes. Tibetan Buddhists are known for the mandalas they take months to make from coloured grains of sand, which, when complete, they blow away to demonstrate the impermanence of all things. See also glyph.

Manduka Yoga (Sanskrit) Maṇḍūka-yoga [from maṇḍūka frog] A “particular kind of abstract meditation in which an ascetic sits motionless like a frog” (Monier-Williams). However, all true yoga practice involves complete mental abstraction from exterior concerns and the outer environment, so that all yogis, while practicing yoga sit motionless “like a frog.” It is not a particularly high kind of yoga, in any case, for true spiritual yoga is the yoga of the inner man, implying intense intellectual and spiritual concentration on affairs and subjects of spiritual character, and need not necessarily involve any sitting in yoga whatsoever. The true disciple may be doing his master’s business and going about in pursuit of his duties from day to day, and yet be practicing this spiritual yoga without a moment’s intermission. All forms of yoga practice which involve postures, sittings or similar things in which the physical body is active or inactive, technically belong to one of the various kinds of hatha yoga and are to be discouraged.

mantra ::: Mantra A chanted sacred mystic syllable, word or verse used in meditation and japa (continuous chanting, i.e. repetition of a mantra) to still the mind, to balance the inner bodies, and to attain other desired aims. In her book Initiations and Initiates in Tibet, Alexandra David-Neel speaks briefly of the mystical use of the mantra, Aum mani padme hum! (The Jewel is in the Lotus!). Each of the six syllables refers us to a specific world or universe. As the practitioner breathes in while repeating the mantra, the worlds come into being within his body, an event he is to visualise. As he breathes out, they dissolve into nothingness.

Mantra: (Skr.) Pious thought couched in repeated prayerful utterances, for meditation or charm. Also the poetic portion of the Veda (q.v.). In Shaktism (q.v.) and elsewhere the holy syllables to which as manifestations of the eternal word or sound (cf. iabda, vac, aksara) is ascribed great mystic significance and power. -- K.F.L.

Marcus Aurelius: (121-180 A.D.) The Roman Emperor who as a Stoic endowed chairs in Athens for the four great philosophical schools of the Academy, the Lyceum, The Garden and the Stoa. Aurelius' Stoicism, tempered by his friend Fronto's humanism, held to a rational world-order and providence as well as to a notion of probable truth rather than of the Stoic infallibilism. In the famous 12 books of Meditations, the view is prominent that death was as natural as birth and development was the end of the individual and should elicit the fear of no one. His harsh treatment of the Christians did not coincide with his mild nature which may have reflected the changed character of Stoicism brought on by the decadence of Rome.

meditance ::: n. --> Meditation.

MEDITATION. ::: A process leading towards knowledge and through knowledge; it is a thing of the, head and not of the heart.

MEDITATION By meditating daily on desirable qualities man can acquire these in any percentage whatever. He will free himself of undesirable qualities by not attending to them and by meditating on their opposites. He will attain higher levels by meditating on the qualities of these higher levels. Without meditation, development is so slow that even after a hundred incarnations there is scarcely any noticeable progress. K 7.23.2

::: "Meditation, by the way, is a process leading towards knowledge and through knowledge, it is a thing of the head and not of the heart, so if you want dhyana , you can"t have an aversion to knowledge. Concentration in the heart is not meditation, it is a call on the Divine, on the Beloved.” Letters on Yoga

“Meditation, by the way, is a process leading towards knowledge and through knowledge, it is a thing of the head and not of the heart, so if you want dhyana , you can’t have an aversion to knowledge. Concentration in the heart is not meditation, it is a call on the Divine, on the Beloved.” Letters on Yoga

Meditation is the easiest process for the human mind, but the narrtyftest in its results ; contemplation more difficult, but greater; self-observation and liberation from the chains of Thought the most difficult of all, but the widest and greatest in its fruits.

Meditation ::: On this site it refers to two general categories of practice with the mind that lead to fundamental revelations about the nature of reality: samatha practice and insight practice.

Meditation school of Buddhism: See: Zen Buddhism.

Meditation The attempt to raise the self-conscious mind to the level of its spiritual counterpart, to unite manas with a ray from buddhi. It is a positive attitude of mind, a state of consciousness rather than a system or a time period of intensive thinking. It corresponds in its more perfect form to the ecstasy of Plotinus, which he defines as “the liberation of the mind from its finite consciousness, becoming one and identified with the Infinite.” It is silent prayer in one real sense, for the heart aspires upwards to become freed from all desire for personal benefit, and the mind frames no specific object, but both unite in the aspiration; not my will, but thine, be done. When engaged in at the outset of the day, or on retiring to sleep, it often takes the form of reflecting profoundly and impersonally on spiritual teachings, as well as self-examination, attuning of the mind and heart to calm and unselfish thought and feelings, as well as the endeavor to realize in consciousness one’s highest ideals of duty, purity, and truth, and inducing thereby a general harmonizing and one-pointed adjustment of the whole nature.

Meditation ::: What meditation exactly means. There are two words used in English to express the Indian idea of Dhyana, "meditation" and "contemplation". Meditation means properly the concentration of the mind on a single train of ideas which work out a single subject. Contemplation means regarding mentally a single object, image, idea so that the knowledge about the object, image or idea may arise naturally in the mind by force of the concentration. Both these things are forms of dhyana; for the principle of dhyanais mental concentration whether in thought, vision or knowledge.
   Ref: CWSA Vol. 36, Page: 293-294


meditatist ::: n. --> One who is given to meditation.

meditative ::: a. --> Disposed to meditate, or to meditation; as, a meditative man; a meditative mood.

mentally ::: adv. --> In the mind; in thought or meditation; intellectually; in idea.

Metta ::: Also "Loving-Kindness Meditation". A type of meditative practice that focuses on the quality of love and acceptance in relation to self and others. Metta can be a combination of samatha and insight practice and is traditionally focused around the Anahata Chakra and loosening the boundaries and fetters of self-identity.

Middle Pillar ::: The central pillar (column) on the Kabbalah according to the Three Pillars model. It represents the Sephiroth in the middle. Each of these three Sephiroth reflect a stable stage of conscious awareness (a layer of self) and each is a fulcrum upon which the active/passive dynamics of the Sephiroth on the Pillars of Mercy and Severity above it find balance. So the Sephiroth on the Middle Pillar are emergent Sephiroth resulting from the sum total of the dynamics of the superior (as in "above", not as in "better") Sephiroth on the two adjacent Pillars. Also refers to the preliminary rite of the same name that is used to raise energy before formal works of magic or meditation begin.

Moksha (Sanskrit) Mokṣa [from mokṣ to release, set free probably from the verbal root much] Freedom; freedom from sentient life for the reminder of a manvantara. Equivalent to nirvana, the absolute, mukti [from the verbal root much], the Palace of Love of the Zohar, the Gnostic Pleroma of Eternal Light, the Chinese nippang, and the Burmese neibban. “When a spirit, a monad, or a spiritual radical, has so grown in manifestation that it has first become a man, and is set free interiorly, inwardly, and from a man has become a planetary spirit or dhyan-chohan or lord of meditation, and has gone still higher to become interiorly a brahman, and from a brahman the Parabrahman for its hierarchy, then it is absolutely perfected, free, released: perfected for that great period of time which to us seems almost an eternity, so long is it, virtually incomputable by the human intellect. This is the Absolute: limited in comparison with things still more immense, still more sublime; but so far as we can think of it, ‘released’ or ‘freed’ from the chains or bonds of material existence” (Fund 183).

Moksha(Sanskrit) ::: This word comes from moksh, meaning "to release," "to set free," and is probably adesiderative of the root much, from which the word mukti also comes. The meaning of this word is thatwhen a spirit, a monad, or a spiritual radical, has so grown in evolution that it has first become a man,and is set free interiorly, inwardly, and from a man has become a planetary spirit or dhyan-chohan or lordof meditation, and has gone still higher, to become interiorly a Brahman, and from a Brahman theParabrahman for its hierarchy, then it is absolutely perfected, relatively speaking, free, released -perfected for that great period of time which to us seems almost an eternity so long is it, virtuallyincomputable by the human intellect. Now this also is the real meaning of the much abused wordAbsolute (q.v.), limited in comparison with things still more immense, still more sublime; but so far aswe can think of it, released or freed from the chains or bonds of material existence. One who is thusreleased or freed is called a jivanmukta. (See also Nirvana)

monological ::: A descriptor of any approach where an individual conducts a “monologue” with an object and apprehends their immediate experience of that object, usually without acknowledging or recognizing cultural embeddedness and intersubjectivity. Monological approaches, in themselves, are sometimes referred to as subscribing to the “myth of the given,” “the philosophy of the subject,” “the philosophy of consciousness,” or what Integral Theory would describe as the belief that the contents of the Upper-Left quadrant are given without being intertwined in the remaining three quadrants. Monological approaches are typically associated with phenomenology, empiricism, meditation, all experiential exercises and therapies, etc.

Mudra(Sanskrit) ::: A general name for certain intertwinings or positions of the fingers of the two hands, usedalone or together, in devotional yoga or exoteric religious worship, and these mudras or digital positionsare held by many Oriental mystics to have particular esoteric significance. They are found both in theBuddhist statues of northern Asia, especially those belonging to the Yogachara school, and also in Indiawhere they are perhaps particularly affected by the Hindu tantrikas. There is doubtless a good deal of hidefficacy in holding the fingers in proper position during meditation, but to the genuine occult student thesymbolic meaning of such mudras or digital positions is by far more useful and interesting. The subject istoo intricate, and of importance too small, to call for much detail of explanation here, or even to attempt afull exposition of the subject.

Mudra (Sanskrit) Mudrā A symbol of power over invisible evil influences, whether as a simple posture or a posture considered as a talisman. Applied to certain positions of the fingers practiced in devotion, meditation, or exoteric religious worship, thought by some to imitate ancient Sanskrit characters, and therefore to have magic efficacy and to have a particular esoteric significance. Used both in the Northern Buddhist Yogacharya school and by the Hindu Tantrikas, with both symbolic and practical meanings.

muraqaba :::   meditation practiced in solitude; watching over carefully

muse ::: n. 1. A state of abstraction or contemplation; reverie. 2. The goddess or the power regarded as inspiring a poet, artist, thinker, or the like. musings, musers. *v. 3. To be absorbed in one"s thoughts; engage in meditation. 4. To consider or say thoughtfully. mused, musing. adj. *mused. 5. Perplexed, bewildered, bemused. musing. 6. Being absorbed in thoughts; reflecting deeply; contemplating; engaged in meditation. muse-lipped.

mysticism ::: Mysticism The belief that one can rise above reason to achieve direct union with God or the Divine through meditation and intuition. In mystical practices, one attempts to merge with God or the Divine through a disciplined quest to achieve enlightenment. Some forms of mysticism include the Kabbalah, Sufism (Islam), Yoga, and Buddhism.

nididhyasana. :::constancy in the Self; ::: one-pointedness of the mind; cultivation of equanimity in the Self; unwavering, perpetual meditation; third of the three stages of vedantic realisation

NIYAMA. ::: Control ; ducipUoe of the mind by regular prac- tices of which the highest is meditation on the Divine Being, and their object is to create a sattwic calm, purity and preparation for concentration upon which the scoire permanence of the rest of the yoga can te founded.

Niyama: Sanskrit for restraint or self-culture; the second prerequisite in the study and practice of Yoga. The classic text Ha-thayogapradipika lists ten rules of inner control (niyamas), viz., penance, contentment, belief in God, charity, adoration of God, hearing discourses on the principles of religion, modesty, intellect, meditation, and sacrifice. (Cf. yama.)

Niyama (Sanskrit) Niyama [from ni the verbal root yam to hold back, curb] Restraining, checking, controlling, especially the wandering, erratic mind. The second of eight steps of meditation in Hindu yoga: restraint of the mind or religious observances of various kinds, such as watchings, fastings, prayings, penances, etc.

NLP ::: Neuro-Linguistic Programming. A self-developmental and psychotherapeutic paradigm that emphasizes achieving goals through reprogramming aspects of behavior and language. The view of this site is that this a muddier form of self-change than that which is learned through an initiatory journey and the skillful usage of magic and meditation.

Nyams ::: Strange experiences that occur during spiritual development practices and meditation. Feelings of cracking, vibrations, rushing noises, and other strange sensations and visions characterize nyam and should be ignored as one continues the particular meditation.

Objectivation: See Objectivize. Objective: (a) Possessing the character of a real object existing independently of the knowing mind in contrast to subjective. See Subjective. (b) In Scholastic terminology beginning with Duns Scotus and continuing into the 17th and 18th centuries, objective designated anything existing as idea or representation in the mind without independent existence, (cf. Descartes, Meditations, III; "Spinoza, Ethics, I, prop. 30; Berkeley's Siris, § 292.) The change from sense (b) to (a) was made by Baumgarten. See R. Eucken, Geschichte der Philosophischen Terminologie, p. 68. -- L.W.

Openness in work means the same thing as openness in the consciousness. The same Force that works in your consciousness in meditation and clears a%vay the .cloud and confusion when- ever you open to it, can also lake up your action and not only make you aware of the defects in it but keep you conscious of what is to be done and guide your mind and hands to do it.

Padmasana (Sanskrit) Padmāsana [from padma lotus + āsana seat, posture] The posture of a lotus; a yoga posture taken to develop concentration and religious meditation.

padmasana&

Paramahamsa: A Sanskrit word, denoting a high adept or master of esoteric science, or an ascetic who has subdued all his physical senses by abstract meditation.

Paramatman(Sanskrit) ::: The "primordial self" or the "self beyond," the permanent SELF, the Brahman or universalspirit-soul. A compound term meaning the highest or universal atman. Parama, "primordial," "supreme,"etc.; the root of atman is hardly known -- its origin is uncertain, but the general meaning is that of "self."Paramatman consequently means the "supreme self," or the summit or flower of a hierarchy, theroot-base or source of that kosmic self.Selflessness is the attribute of the paramatman, the universal self, where all personality vanishes.The universal self is the heart of the universe, for these two phrases are but two manners of expressingthe same thing; it is the source of our being; it is also the goal whither we are all marching, we and thehierarchies above us as well as the hierarchies and the entities which compose them inferior to us. Allcome from the same ineffable source, the heart of Being, the universal self, pass at one period of theirevolutionary journey through the stage of humanity, gaining thereby self-consciousness or the ego-self,the "I am I," and they find it, as they advance along this evolutionary path, expanding gradually intouniversal consciousness -- an expansion which never has an end, because the universal consciousness isendless, limitless, boundless.The paramatman is spiritually practically identical with what the theosophist has in mind when he speaksof the Absolute; and consequently paramatman, though possessing a wide range of meanings, is virtuallyidentical with Brahman. Of course when the human mind or consciousness ascends in meditation up therungs of the endless ladder of life and realizes that the paramatman of one hierarchy or kosmos is but oneof a multitude of other paramatmans of other kosmic hierarchies, the realization comes that even thevague term parabrahman may at certain moments of philosophical introspection be found to be thefrontierless paramatman of boundless space; but in this last usage of paramatman the word obviouslybecomes a sheer generalizing expression for boundless life, boundless consciousness, boundlesssubstance. This last use of the word, while correct enough, is hardly to be recommended because apt tointroduce confusion, especially in Occidental minds with our extraordinary tendency to takegeneralizations for concrete realities.

phenomenology ::: The study of consciousness as it immediately appears. A first-person approach to firstperson singular realities. Describing the inside view of the interior of an individual as it is (i.e., the inside view of a holon in the Upper-Left quadrant). Exemplary of a zone-

Pranava (Sanskrit) Praṇava [from pra-ṇu to utter a droning or humming sound, as during the proper pronunciation of the word Om or Aum] The mystical, sacred syllable Om or Aum, pronounced by Brahmins, Yogis, and others during meditation. In Vedanta philosophy and the Upanishads, used in another sense: “In one sense Pranava represents the macrocosm and in another sense the microcosm. . . . The reason why this Pranava is called Vach is this, that these four principles of the great cosmos correspond to these four forms of Vach” (N on G 25, 26) — vaikhari, madhyama, pasyanti, para. These are called the four matras of pranava.

Pranayama ::: Sanskrit, roughly, for "breath control". Refers to practices that utilize control of the breath for spiritual advancement and general wellness. Can also refer to a specific type of samatha (concentration) or insight (mindfulness) meditation where the practitioner follows the breath or uses awareness of the breath to dissect the moment.

Pranidhana (Sanskrit) Praṇidhāna [from pra-ni-dhā to place in front] Persevering ceaseless devotion, profound religious meditation. It refers to the processes which the mind follows in meditation, because then placing in front of itself the mental figurations or pictures of lofty spiritual and intellectual themes to be meditated upon or brooded over.

Prayer As usually understood in the West, prayer implies the existence — whether actually so in nature or not — of a divine entity, such as God, Christ, an angel or saint, to whom petitions may be addressed and by whose favor benefits may be obtained, a view of prayer held in nearly all exoteric religious systems. Yet even among those who believe in personal divinities, some take a higher view of prayer than that of asking for special favors, rather looking upon it as an act of resignation to the divine will: “Not my will, but thine, be done.” Theosophy speaks of this as the endeavor of the aspiring human mind to establish individual communion between the personal man and his spiritual counterpart or inner god, the true meaning of the injunction to pray to our Father which is in secret. Thus prayer takes the form of aspiration combined with deep meditation, as has been the case with mystics, Eastern and Western. This involves a laying aside of personal wishes and a conscious desire for intuitive perception of the truth and for the power to follow it. If a personal wish is present, precisely because all personal wishes in the last analysis are restricted, and hence either physically or spiritually selfish, the act becomes one of black magic, for the person is seeking to evoke interior powers in furtherance of his own purposes, which in such cases are usually founded in self-seeking of some kind. Also, a well-intentioned person, praying on behalf of another, may unwittingly exercise on that other an interference with the latter’s will, similar in many respects to that of hypnotism.

premeditation ::: n. --> The act of meditating or contriving beforehand; previous deliberation; forethought.

premeditately ::: adv. --> With premeditation.

Pryderi (Welsh) Anxiety, deep thought, meditation; son of Pwyll Pen Annwn. With Pwyll, a custodian of the cauldron of reincarnation (or initiation) in Caer Pedryfan in Annwn.

Purva-mimansa (Sanskrit) Pūrva-mīmāṃsā [from pūrva prior + mīmāṃsā profound or striving thought or meditation from the verbal root man to think] Inquiry into the first portion of the Veda — the matra portion; the fifth of the six Darsanas or schools of Hindu philosophy. The school of philosophy in our days considered to be chiefly concerned with the correct interpretation of the Vedic texts; hence sometimes called the First Vedantic School. Jaimini is reputed to be its founder, as well as the author of the Mimansa-darsana, the sutras or aphorisms which constitute its chief doctrinal authority. This school is also sometimes termed Karma-mimansa because of the doctrine advocated that by its teaching one can be more or less freed from the making of new karma.

Qi Gong ::: Translated as "the Way of Qi". An ancient Chinese system of holistic health focusing on coordinating breath and visualization with body posture, subtle movement, and meditation.

raja yoga. ::: the yoga of physical and mental control; often called the royal yoga, it offers a comprehensive method for controlling the waves of thought by turning mental and physical energy into spiritual energy through meditation and contemplation; one of the four paths of yoga

rapt ::: --> of Rap
imp. & p. p. of Rap, to snatch away. ::: a. --> Snatched away; hurried away or along.
Transported with love, admiration, delight, etc.; enraptured.
Wholly absorbed or engrossed, as in work or meditation.


reflection ::: n. --> The act of reflecting, or turning or sending back, or the state of being reflected.
The return of rays, beams, sound, or the like, from a surface. See Angle of reflection, below.
The reverting of the mind to that which has already occupied it; continued consideration; meditation; contemplation; hence, also, that operation or power of the mind by which it is conscious of its own acts or states; the capacity for judging rationally, especially


Representative Ideas, Theory of: Theory that the mind in perception, memory and other types of knowledge, does not know its objects directly but only through the mediation of ideas which represent them. The theory was advanced by Descartes and the expression, representative ideas, may have been suggested by his statement that our ideas more or less adequately "represent" their originals. See Meditations, III. Locke, Hobbes, Malebranche, Berkeley subscnbed to the theory in one form or another and the theory has supporters among contemporary epistemologists (e.g. Lovejoy and certain other Critical Reilists). The theory has been severely criticised ever since the time of Arnauld. (See Des vrais et de fausses idees) and has become one of reproach. See Epistemological Dualism. -- L.W.

Retreat: A period of withdrawal for special devotions or meditation, usually in a group under guidance of a teacher or adept; also the place reserved for such activity.

reverie ::: 1. A state of dreamy meditation or fanciful musing. 2. A daydream. reverie"s, reveries.

Riddhi-pada (Sanskrit) Ṛddhi-pāda [from ṛddhi supernormal power + pāda step, way, ray, beam of light] The way or steps to the attainment of supernormal powers; four steps being enumerated in raja yoga. These “are the four modes of controlling and finally of annihilating desire, memory, and finally meditation itself — so far as these are connected with any effort of the physical brain — meditation then becomes absolutely spiritual” (TG 324).

rumination ::: n. --> The act or process of ruminating, or chewing the cud; the habit of chewing the cud.
The state of being disposed to ruminate or ponder; deliberate meditation or reflection.
The regurgitation of food from the stomach after it has been swallowed, -- occasionally observed as a morbid phenomenon in man.


ruminative ::: a. --> Inclined to, or engaged in, rumination or meditation.

sadhak&

Sakti-kriya (Sanskrit) Śakti-kriyā [from śakti power + kriyā action] An inner power or force recognized and taught from immemorial time in India, embracing spiritual, intellectual, as well as psychic elements, which can be exercised by any adept, whether ascetic or layman, and said to be most efficient when accompanied by meditation or bhavana. Its reality depends on the inner merits of one’s character and on the intensity of one’s will, added to an absolute faith born of knowledge in one’s own powers. When applied to ceremonial or ritualistic practice, sakti-kriya is akin to a magic mantra.

Samadhana (Sanskrit) Samādhāna [from sam-ā-dhā to put together, restore] The collection of all the principles of a person’s constitution into a single unity, thus restoring the person as an entitative being to the wholeness of the atmic reality. “That state in which a Yogi can no longer diverge from the path of spiritual progress; when everything terrestrial, except the visible body, has ceased to exist for him” (TG 286). It is true religious meditation, and profound intellectual absorption into and contemplation of pure spirit.

Samadhindriya (Sanskrit) Samādhīndriya The root of meditation, the organ of meditation; “the fourth of the five roots called Pancha Indriyani, which are said in esoteric philosophy to be the agents in producing a highly moral life, leading to sanctity and liberation; when these are reached, the two spiritual roots lying latent in the body (Atma and Buddhi) will send out shoots and blossom. Samadhindriya is the organ of ecstatic meditation in Raj-yoga practices” (TG 286).

Samadhi(Sanskrit) ::: A compound word formed of sam, meaning "with" or "together"; a, meaning "towards"; andthe verbal root dha, signifying "to place," or "to bring"; hence samadhi, meaning "to direct towards,"generally signifies to combine the faculties of the mind with a direction towards an object. Hence, intensecontemplation or profound meditation, with the consciousness directed to the spiritual. It is the highestform of self-possession, in the sense of collecting all the faculties of the constitution towards reachingunion or quasi-union, long or short in time as the case may be, with the divine-spiritual. One whopossesses and is accustomed to use this power has complete, absolute control over all his faculties, andis, therefore, said to be "completely self- possessed." It is the highest state of yoga or "union."Samadhi, therefore, is a word of exceedingly mystical and profound significance implying the completeabstraction of the percipient consciousness from all worldly or exterior or even mental concerns orattributes, and its absorption into or, perhaps better, its becoming the pure unadulterate, undilutesuperconsciousness of the god within. In other words, samadhi is self-conscious union with the spiritualmonad of the human constitution. Samadhi is the eighth or final stage of genuine occult yoga, and can beattained at any time by the initiate without conscious recourse to the other phases or practices of yogaenumerated in Oriental works, and which other and inferior practices are often misleading, in some casesdistinctly injurious, and at the best mere props or aids in the attaining of complete mental abstractionfrom worldly concerns.The eight stages of yoga usually enumerated are the following: (1) yama, signifying "restraint" or"forbearance"; (2) niyama, religious observances of various kinds, such as watchings or fastings,prayings, penances, etc.; (3) asana (q.v.), postures of various kinds; (4) pranayama, various methods ofregulating the breath; (5) pratyahara, a word signifying "withdrawal," but technically and esoterically the"withdrawal" of the consciousness from sensual or sensuous concerns, or from external objects; (6)dharana (q.v.), firmness or steadiness or resolution in holding the mind set or concentrated on a topic orobject of thought, mental concentration; (7) dhyana (q.v.), abstract contemplation or meditation whenfreed from exterior distractions; and finally, (8) samadhi, complete collection of the consciousness and ofits faculties into oneness or union with the monadic essence.It may be observed, and should be carefully taken note of by the student, that when the initiate hasattained samadhi he becomes practically omniscient for the solar universe in which he dwells, becausehis consciousness is functioning at the time in the spiritual-causal worlds. All knowledge is then to himlike an open page because he is self-consciously conscious, to use a rather awkward phrase, of nature'sinner and spiritual realms, the reason being that his consciousness has become kosmic in its reaches.

Samadhi: Sanskrit for putting together. Profound meditation, absorption in the spirit. The final stage in the practice of Yoga, in which the individual becomes one with the object of meditation, thus attaining a condition of superconsciousness and unqualified blissfulness, which is called moksha.

Samadhi (Sanskrit) Samādhi [from sam with, together + ā towards + the verbal root dhā to place, bring] To direct towards; to combine the mental faculties towards an object. Self-consciousness union with the spiritual monad by intense and profound spiritual contemplation or meditation. It implies “the complete abstraction of the percipient consciousness from all worldly, or exterior, or even mental concerns or attributes, and its . . . becoming the pure unadulterate, undilute super-consciousness of the god within. . . . Samadhi is the eighth or final stage of genuine occult Yoga, and can be attained at any time by the initiate without conscious recourse to the other phases or practices of Yoga enumerated in Oriental works, and which other and inferior practices are often misleading, in some cases distinctly injurious, and at the best mere props or aids in the attaining of complete mental abstraction from worldly concerns” (OG 150-1). The seeker on attaining samadhi becomes practically omniscient for his solar universe because his consciousness is functioning in the cosmic spiritual and causal worlds.

Samadhi: (Skr.) The final stage in the practice of Yoga (q.v.) according to the Yogasutras (q.v.) in which individuality is given up while merging with the object of meditation; thus producing a state of unqualified blissfulness and unperturbed consciousness, which is moksa (q.v.). -- K.F.L.

SAMADHI (Skt contemplation). The highest stage in esoteric meditation, in which consciousness merges with the object of meditation.

True samadhi requires in the first place the ability to centre the monad-the self in the innermost crown chakra. In genuine samadhi the organism is fully active, directed by the lowest triad, while the monad, centred in one of the three units of the second triad, is active elsewhere, centred in one of the three worlds of the triad. K 7.11.11


samadhi. ::: transcendental awareness; the quiet state of blissful awareness; oneness; union with Brahman; the goal of all yogic practice, which is attained when the yogi constantly sees the supreme Self in his Heart; a direct but temporary absorption in the Self in which there is only the feeling "I am" and no thoughts; the state of superconsciousness where Reality is experienced attended with all-knowledge and joy &

Samapatti (Sanskrit) Samāpatti [from sam-ā-pad to progress to perfect fulfillment from the verbal root pad to go, progress] In Buddhism, a subdivision of the fourth stage of abstract meditation (there being eight samapattis); “perfect concentration” in the raja yoga system of occult training, a state of intellectual, spiritual, and psychic unfolding in which meditation becomes vision, and there ensues perfect indifference to things of this world. Said to be the final degree of development, upon reaching which the possibility of entering into samadhi is attained.

Sama, Saman (Sanskrit) Śama, Śāman [from the verbal root śam to be quiet, calm, resigned] Tranquility, calmness, equanimity, absence of passion, emancipation from all the illusions of existence; the fifth of the eight bhava-pushpas (flowers of being) of Buddhism: charity, self-restraint, impersonal affection, patience, resignation, selfless devotion, meditation, and veracity. Through the practice of the eight flowers, sama secures the conquest and final delivery from all kinds of mental and psychological agitation.

Samatha Meditation ::: One of the two general categories of meditative practice described on this site. Refers to concentration meditation where an object of focus is chosen and held onto with the mind. The object of focus can vary considerably, but enough attention consistently leads to the emergence and development of states called the samatha jhanas. Also Concentration Meditation.

samprajnata samadhi. ::: meditation with concepts; contemplation

samprajuata. ::: silent mind in meditation

Samyak-Samadhi (Sanskrit) Samyaksamādhi Perfect or complete meditation. As “Right Concentration,” one Path of the Holy Eightfold Path of Buddhism.

Samyama is a very technical word that can vary with meaning according to the school. It does include more, though, than merely “fixed attention, contemplation, and meditation,” i.e., the idea of the restraining or controlling or checking of the ever-active, volatile, uncertain, and fleeting activities of the mind.

Samyama (Sanskrit) Saṃyama [from sam together + the verbal root yam to hold, to sustain; self-restraint, self-control, forbearance] Samyama is explained in Patanjali’s Yoga Aphorisms as follows: “When this fixedness of attention [dhāraṇā], contemplation [dhyāna], and meditation [samādhi] are practiced with respect to one object, they together constitute what is called Samyama. By rendering Samyama — or the operation of fixed attention, contemplation, and meditation — natural and easy, an accurate discerning power is developed.” (Bk. III, śl. 4,5)

samyama. ::: the three disciplines of one-pointedness of mind, meditation and staying quiet in blissful awareness all practiced simultaneously; an all-complete condition of balance and repose

Sannyasin (Sanskrit) Saṃnyāsin [from sam together with + ni-as to reject, resign worldly life] One who abandons or sets aside worldly affairs and fixes his mind upon the attainment of mystic knowledge; more commonly, a devotee, ascetic, one who has renounced all worldly concerns and devotes himself to spiritual meditation and the study of the Upanishads, as also does a Brahmin in the fourth stage of his life. The sannyasin is one who practices sannyasas.

Satori: The Japanese Zen Buddhist term for “enlightenment,” as the culmination of meditation.

Science ::: A process through which knowledge is acquired. The scientific method conventionally begins with an observation and proceeds to formulate a hypothesis. From there a sound experiment is designed with appropriate variables to study and controls set to try to narrow the focus to the variable of study (i.e. whether the independent variable is causing a change in the dependent variable). If the results of the experiment align with the hypothesis then further experiments are designed and peer-reviewed to ensure validity. If the results do not align then the hypothesis may need to be reworked. This is a simplification of the process but is the primary method of knowledge acquisition in society today. Unfortunately the mental state of the experimenters and the subjects cannot be controlled adequately and there needs to be a rethinking of this method to truly understand and decipher the mystery of consciousness. The process of meditation is used to decipher the factors that give rise to conscious experience.

Self-Realization ::: The process through which one begins to unravel who they are, what they are, and why they are. Many grow into an idea of this that evolves as one's understanding matures and changes due to experiences. It is best complemented through a solid and consistent meditation practice. It is a journey of many flavors and stages that leads to revelations about the nature of self, the reasons for existing, and the purpose underlying one's particular path.

Siddhasana (Sanskrit) Siddhāsana [from siddha perfected + āsana seat] The sitting position for attaining siddhis (spiritual powers) in hatha yoga theory; a sedent posture in religious meditation, where the left heel is placed under the body and the right heel in front of it, the sight is fixed between the eyebrows, and the mind is directed on the syllable Om.

siddhis. :::supernatural powers attained through mantra, meditation, or other yogic practices; miracle

&

SOKRATEAN REALIZATION The realization that man cannot on his own (by self-taught clairvoyance, meditation, speculation) attain to knowledge of reality and life. That realization is the result of sufficient experience of mankind&

Sri Aurobindo: "Concentration is a gathering together of the consciousness and either centralising at one point or turning on a single object, e.g., the Divine; there can also be a gathered condition throughout the whole being, not at a point. In meditation it is not indispensable to gather like this, one can simply remain with a quiet mind thinking of one subject or observing what comes in the consciousness and dealing with it.” *Letters on Yoga

sruti. ::: "what is heard"; pitch; vedic text directly revealed in meditation to the vedic seers of Truth, comprising the central canon of hinduism and is one of the three main sources of dharma

study ::: v. i. --> A setting of the mind or thoughts upon a subject; hence, application of mind to books, arts, or science, or to any subject, for the purpose of acquiring knowledge.
Mental occupation; absorbed or thoughtful attention; meditation; contemplation.
Any particular branch of learning that is studied; any object of attentive consideration.
A building or apartment devoted to study or to literary


subtle body ::: The mass-energy support (or “body”) for such states of consciousness as meditation with form, savikalpa samadhi, the chonyid bardo, and the dreaming state. The term “subtle” technically refers only to this mass-energy but is sometimes broadly used to refer to states of consciousness supported by the subtle body. See gross body and causal body.

Tantra(s)(Sanskrit) ::: A word literally meaning a "loom" or the warp or threads in a loom, and, by extension ofmeaning, signifying a rule or ritual for ceremonial rites. The Hindu Tantras are numerous works orreligious treatises teaching mystical and magical formulae or formularies for the attainment of magical orquasi-magical powers, and for the worship of the gods. They are mostly composed in the form of dialogsbetween Siva and his divine consort Durga, these two divinities being the peculiar objects of theadoration of the Tantrins.In many parts of India the authority of the Tantras seems almost to have superseded the clean andpoetical hymns of the Vedas.Most tantric works are supposed to contain five different subjects: (1) the manifestation or evolution ofthe universe; (2) its destruction; (3) the worship or adoration of the divinities; (4) the achievement orattainment of desired objects and especially of six superhuman faculties; (5) modes or methods of union,usually enumerated as four, with the supreme divinity of the kosmos by means of contemplativemeditation.Unfortunately, while there is much of interest in the tantric works, their tendency for long ages has beendistinctly towards what in occultism is known as sorcery or black magic. Some of the rites or ceremoniespracticed have to do with revolting details connected with sex.Durga, the consort of Siva, his sakti or energy, is worshiped by the Tantrins as a distinct personifiedfemale power.The origin of the Tantras unquestionably goes back to a very remote antiquity, and there seems to belittle doubt that these works, or their originals, were heirlooms handed down from originally debased ordegenerate Atlantean racial offshoots. There is, of course, a certain amount of profoundly philosophicaland mystical thought running through the more important tantric works, but the tantric worship in manycases is highly licentious and immoral.

Tantras (Sanskrit) Tantra-s Loom, the warp or threads in a loom; a rule or ritual for ceremonial rites. Religious treatises teaching mystical and magical formulas for the attainment of magical powers, and for the worship of the gods; treating of the evolution of the universe and its destruction; the adoration of the divinities; the attainment of desired objects, especially of six superhuman faculties; and methods of union (usually given as four) with the supreme divinity by contemplative meditation. They are mostly composed in the form of dialogues between Siva and his divine consort or sakti Durga, who is worshiped as a personified female power.

Tantra: That body of Hindu religious literature which is stated to have been revealed by Shiva as the specific scripture of the Kali Yuga (the present age). The Tantras were the encyclopedias of esoteric knowledge of their time; the topics of a Tantra are: the creation of the universe, worship of the gods, spiritual exercise, rituals, the six magical powers, and meditation.

Tapasa-taru (Sanskrit) Tāpasa-taru [from tapas meditation + taru tree] The tree of ascetics, the Sesamum orientale or Terminalia catappa. This tree was “very sacred among the ancient ascetics of China and Tibet” (TG 320).

Tapas: Sanskrit for austerity, penance, meditation, intense application of Yoga.

Tapas (Sanskrit) Tapas Warmth, fire, heat; abstraction, meditation. To perform tapas is to sit for contemplation or undergo some special observance. Occultly the inner fire or spiritual flame aroused by intense abstraction of thought or meditation. The Laws of Manu says tapas with the Brahmins is sacred learning; with the Kshatriyas, protection of subjects; with the Vaisyas, giving alms to Brahmins; with the Sudras, service.

tarot ::: Tarot The earliest known extant specimens of Tarot cards are three decks of North Italian origin dating back to the early to mid-fifteenth century, and made for the then rulers of Milan, the Visconti family. The Tarot is a deck of 78 cards used for divination and meditation purposes, comprising the Major Arcana, consisting of twenty-two trump cards (or twenty-one plus 'The Fool'), and the Minor Arcana, consisting of fifty-six 'suit cards'. 'Arcana' is the plural form of the Latin word 'arcanum', its meaning being 'closed' or 'secret'. Like a standard deck of playing cards, there are four suits in the Minor Arcana, each consisting of ten cards numbered from Ace to ten, traditionally batons (wands), cups, swords and coins (pentacles) - forty cards in total. The difference between the Tarot and a normal deck of cards, apart from the Major Arcana, is that a Tarot deck has four court cards (or honours) in each suit. Instead of Jack, Queen and King we find Page, Knight, Queen and King, thus sixteen court cards as opposed to twelve.

thanatopsis ::: n. --> A view of death; a meditation on the subject of death.

The four heavenly kings of the first and lowest of the six heavens are DHṚTARĀstRA in the east, VIRudHAKA in the south, VIRuPĀKsA in the west, and VAIsRAVAnA in the north. There are many devas inhabiting this heaven: GANDHARVAs in the east, KUMBHĀndAs in the south, NĀGAs in the west, and YAKsAs in the north. As vassals of sAKRO DEVĀNĀM INDRAḤ (lit. "sakra, the lord of the gods"; see INDRA; sAKRA; DEVARĀJAN), the four heavenly kings serve as protectors of the dharma (DHARMAPĀLA) and of sentient beings who are devoted to the dharma. They dwell at the four gates in each direction at the midslope of the world's central axis, Mt. Sumeru. The thirty-three gods of the second heaven are the eight vāsava, two asvina, eleven rudra, and twelve āditya. They live on the summit of Mt. Sumeru and are arrayed around the city of Sudarsana, the capital of their lord sakra. sakra is also known as Indra, the war god of the Āryans, who became a devotee of the Buddha as well as a protector of the dharma. The remaining four heavens are located in the sky above Mt. Sumeru. At the highest level of the sensuous realm, the paranirmitavasavartin heaven, dwells MĀRA, the Evil One. The four heavenly kings and the thirty-three gods are called the "divinities residing on the ground" (bhumyavacaradeva) because they dwell on Mt. Sumeru, while the gods from the Yāma heaven up to the gods of the realm of subtle materiality are known as "divinities residing in the air" (antariksavāsin, antarīksadeva), because they reside in the sky above the mountain. The higher one ascends into the heavens of both the sensuous realm and the subsequent realm of subtle materiality, the larger and more splendid the bodies of those gods become and the longer their life spans. Related to the devas of the sensuous realm are the demigods or titans (S. ASURA), jealous gods whom Indra drove out of the heaven of the thirty-three; they now live in exile in the shadows of Mt. Sumeru. ¶ The heavens of the realm of subtle materiality (rupadhātu) consist of sixteen (according to the SARVĀSTIVĀDA school), seventeen (the SAUTRĀNTIKA school), or eighteen (the THERAVĀDA/STHAVIRANIKĀYA school) levels of devas. These levels, which are collectively called the BRAHMALOKA (world of the Brahmā gods), are subdivided into the four classes of the dhyāna or "concentration" heavens, and rebirth there is dependent on specific meditative attainments in previous lives. One of the most extensive accounts on these heavens appears in the ABHIDHARMAKOsABHĀsYA, which presents seventeen levels of the subtle-materiality devas. Whereas rebirth in the heavens of the sensuous realm are the result of a variety of virtuous deeds done in a previous life, rebirth in the heavens of the realm of subtle materiality or in the immaterial realm is the result of what is called a "nonfluctuating" or "unwavering" action (ANINJYAKARMAN). Here, the only cause that will produce rebirth in one of these heavens is the achievement of the level of meditative concentration or absorption of that particular heaven in the immediately preceding lifetime. Such meditation is called a "nonfluctuating deed" because it always produces the effect of that particular type of rebirth. The first set of dhyāna heavens, where those who practiced the first meditative absorption in the previous lifetime are born, is comprised of three levels:

The most strange development was Ch'an (Meditation, Zen, c. 500). It is basically a method of "direct intuition into the heart to find Buddha-nature," a method based, on the one hand, on the eightfold negation of production and extinction, annihilation and permanence, unity and diversity, and coming and departing, and, on the other hand, on the affirmation of the reality of the Buddha-nature in all things. Its sole reliance on meditation was most un-Chinese, but it imposed on the Chinese mind a severe mental and spiritual discipline which was invigorating as well as fascinating. For this reason, it exerted tremendous influence not only on Taoism which had much in common with it and imitated it in every way, but also on Neo-Confucianism, which stood in diametrical opposition to it.

The niyamas are equally a discipline of the mind by regular practices of which the highest -is meditation on the divine Being, and their object is to create a sattwic calm, purity and prepa- ration for concentration upon which the secure pursuance of the rest of the Yoga can be founded.

Then the result of meditation can come through the work itself.

theosophy ::: Theosophy A theory of philosophy which believes that humans are capable of intuitive insight into the nature of God, which involves meditation using Yoga to gain wisdom and self-knowledge. The modern Theosophical Society was established by Madame Blavatsky in 1875 and continued by her protg Annie Besant.

Thera (Pali) Thera A Buddhist priest, especially a bhikkhu of Gautama Buddha’s community; specifically a senior member. Three grades were distinguished: thera bhikkhu (a senior); majjhima bhikkhu (middle or secondary disciple); and nava bhikkhu (novice). Four characteristics are mentioned, however, making a man a thera: high character, knowing the essential doctrines by heart, practicing the four jhanas (stages of meditation), and being conscious of having attained at least relative freedom through the destruction of the mental intoxications. A senior woman was termed theri or therika.

There are several states leading to spiritual powers and perception. The eight stages of yoga usually enumerated are: 1) yama (restraint, forbearance); 2) niyama, religious observances such as fastings, prayer, penances; 3) asana, postures of various kinds; 4) pranayama, methods of regulating the breath; 5) pratyahara (withdrawal), withdrawal of the consciousness from external objects; 6) dharana (firmness, steadiness, resolution) mental concentration, holding the mind on an object of thought; 7) dhyana, abstract contemplation or meditation freed from exterior distractions; and 8) samadhi, complete collection of the consciousness and its faculties into union with the monadic essence.

There are two words used in English to express the Indian idea of dhyana, * meditation ’ and ‘ contemplation ’. Meditation means properly the concentration of the mind on a single train of ideas which work out a single subject. Contemplation means regarding mentally a single object, image, idea so that the know- ledge about the object, image or idea may arise naturally in the mind by force of the concentration. Both these things are forms of dhyana, for the principle of dh)ona is mental concentration whether in thought, vision or knowledge. There are other forms of dhyana. You stand back from your thoughts, let them occur in your mind as they will and simply observe them and see what they are. This may be called concentration in self-observation.

There should be full concentration in the work if it is to take the place of meditation.

The way to do this and the way to call down the higher powers is the same. It is to remain quiet at the time of meditation, not fighting with the mind or making mental efforts to pall down the Power or the Silence, but keeping only a .silent will and aspiration for them. If the mind is active, one has to learn to look at it, drawn back and not giving any sanction from within, until its habitual or mechanical activities begin to fall quiet for want of support from within. If it is too persistent, a steady rejection without strain or st/uggJe is the one thing to be done.

thoughtful ::: a. --> Full of thought; employed in meditation; contemplative; as, a man of thoughtful mind.
Attentive; careful; exercising the judgment; having the mind directed to an object; as, thoughtful of gain; thoughtful in seeking truth.
Anxious; solicitous; concerned.


To spend all the energy in japa or meditation is a strain which even those who arc accustomed to successful meditation find it difficult to maintain — unless in periods when there is an uninterrupted flow of experiences from above.

TRANCE The condition of unconsciousness resulting as the monads temporarily leaves the envelopes where it has its achieved waking consciousness. Trance may occur in mediumism or in meditation.

truth, by renuflcjation of all forms of egozstJc seeXaac, by absten- tion from injury to others, by purity, by constant meditation and inclination to the divine Purusha who is the true lord of the mental kingdom, a pure, glad, clear state of mind and heart is established.

unawares ::: adv. --> Without design or preparation; suddenly; without premeditation, unexpectedly.

^Vhen one tries to meditate, there is a pressure to go inside, lose the waking consciousness and wake inside, in a deeper inner consciousness. But at first the mind takes it for a pressure to go to sleep, since sleep is the only kind of inner consciousness to which it has been accustomed. In yoga by meditation, sleep is therefore often the first difficulty — but if one perseveres, then gradually the sleep changes to an inner conscious state.

Vikshepa (Sanskrit) Vikṣepa [from vi away, apart + kṣip to throw] The act of throwing away; dispersion, scattering; sometimes used as the opposite of samyama (contemplation or meditation) which collects or controls the activities and vagaries of the mind and rises above them; hence consequent bewilderment or perplexity bringing agitation.

Viprachitti (Sanskrit) Vipracitti [from vi-pra-cit to distinguish through meditation from the verbal root cit to think] The chief of the danavas or Hindu titans, giants said to have warred against the gods.

wedged 1. To be stuck, incapable of proceeding without help. This is different from having crashed. If the system has crashed, it has become totally non-functioning. If the system is wedged, it is trying to do something but cannot make progress; it may be capable of doing a few things, but not be fully operational. For example, a process may become wedged if it {deadlocks} with another (but not all instances of wedging are deadlocks). See also {gronk}, {locked up}, {hosed}. 2. Often refers to humans suffering misconceptions. "He's totally wedged - he's convinced that he can levitate through meditation." 3. [Unix] Specifically used to describe the state of a TTY left in a losing state by abort of a screen-oriented program or one that has messed with the line discipline in some obscure way. There is some dispute over the origin of this term. It is usually thought to derive from a common description of recto-cranial inversion; however, it may actually have originated with older "hot-press" printing technology in which physical type elements were locked into type frames with wedges driven in by mallets. Once this had been done, no changes in the typesetting for that page could be made. [{Jargon File}]

:::   "What do you call meditation? Shutting the eyes and concentrating? It is only one method for calling down the true consciousness. To join with the true consciousness or feel its descent is the only thing important and if it comes without the orthodox method, as it always did with me, so much the better. Meditation is only a means or device, the true movement is when even walking, working or speaking one is still in sadhana.” *Letters on Yoga

“What do you call meditation? Shutting the eyes and concentrating? It is only one method for calling down the true consciousness. To join with the true consciousness or feel its descent is the only thing important and if it comes without the orthodox method, as it always did with me, so much the better. Meditation is only a means or device, the true movement is when even walking, working or speaking one is still in sadhana.” Letters on Yoga

With Mahayana Buddhists alaya is both the universal soul and the spiritual self of an advanced sage. Aryasangha taught that “he who is strong in the Yoga can introduce at will his Alaya by means of meditation into the true Nature of Existence” (cf SD 1:49-51; also FSO 98n).

Work and meditation ::: Those who have an expansive creative vital or a vital made for action are usually at their best when the vital is not held back from its movement and they can deve- lop faster by it than by introspective meditation. All that is needed is that the action should be dedicated, so that they may grow by it more and more prepared to feel and follow the Divine

Work and consciousness ; The rememberance and conscious- ness in work have to come by degrees, you must not expect to have it all at once ; nobody can get it all at once. It comes in two ways ::: first, if one practises remembering the Mother and oUcring the work to her each time one docs something (not all the time one is doing, but at the beginning or whenever one can remember), then that slowly becomes easy and habitual to the nature. Secondly, by the meditation an inner consciousness begins to develop which, after a time, not at once or suddenly, becomes more and more auloraatically permanent. One feels this as a separate consciousness from that outer which works. At first this separate consciousness is not felt when one is not work- ing, but as soon as the work stops one feels it was there all the time watching from behind ; afterwards it begins to be felt during the work itself, as if there tverc'two parts of oneself ■— one watching and supporting from behind and remembering the

Work for the Mother done with the right concentration on her is as much a sadhana as meditation and inner experiences.

WORSHIP. ::: It can, if rightly done in the deepest rcBgwus spirit, prepare the mind and the heart to some extent but no more. But if worship is done as a part of meditation or with a true aspiration to the spiritual reality and the spiritual conscious- ness and with the yearning for contact with the Divine, then it can be spiritually effective.

yoga marg&

Yoga: Sanskrit for union. The development of the powers latent in man for achieving union with the Divine Spirit. It is defined as “the restraint of mental modifications.” Eight stages are enumerated, viz. moral restraint (yama), self-culture (niyama), posture (asana) breath-control (pranayama), control of the senses (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana), and a state of superconsciousness (samadhi). The techniques of Yoga are recognized and applied by all schools of occultism.

Yoga (Sanskrit) Yoga Union; one of the six Darsanas or schools of philosophy of India, founded by Patanjali, but said to have existed as a distinct teaching and system of life before that sage. Yajnavalkya, a famous and very ancient sage of pre-Mahabharatan times, to whom the White Yajur-Veda, the Satapatha-Brahmana, and the Brihadaranyaka are attributed, is credited with inculcating the positive duty of religious meditation and retirement into the forests, and therefore is believed to have originated the yoga doctrine. Patanjali’s yoga, however, is more definite and precise as a philosophy, and imbodies more of the occult sciences than any of the extant works attributed to Yajnavalkya.

Yoga: (Skr. "yoking") Restraining of the mind (see Manas), or, in Patanjali's (q.v.) phrase: citta vrtti nirodha, disciplining the activity of consciousness. The object of this universally recommended practice in India is the gaining of peace of mind and a deeper insight into the nature of reality. On psycho-physical assumptions, several aids are outlined in all works on Yoga, including moral preparation, breath-control, posture, and general toning up of the system. Karma or kriya Yoga is the attainment of Yoga ends primarily by doing, bhakti Yoga by devotion, jnana Yoga by mental or spiritual means. The Yogasutras (q.v.) teach eight paths: Moral restraint (see yama), self-culture (see niyama), posture (see asana), breath-control (see prandyama), control of the senses (see pratyahara), concentration (see dharana), meditation or complete surrender to the object of meditation (see samadhi). See Hathayoga. -- K.F.L.

yoga vasistha. ::: a classical treatise on yoga, containing the instructions of the rishi Vasistha to Lord Rama on meditation and spiritual life, which is divided into six parts &

Zen Buddhism: The Japanese “mediation school” of Buddhism, based on the theories of the “universality of Buddha-nature” and the possibility of “becoming a Buddha in this very body.” It teaches the way of attaining Buddhahood fundamentally by meditation.

zen "jargon" To figure out something by meditation or by a sudden flash of enlightenment. Originally applied to {bugs}, but occasionally applied to problems of life in general. "How'd you figure out the buffer allocation problem?" "Oh, I zenned it." Contrast {grok}, which connotes a time-extended version of zenning a system. Compare {hack mode}. See also {guru}. (1996-09-17)

zen ::: (jargon) To figure out something by meditation or by a sudden flash of enlightenment. Originally applied to bugs, but occasionally applied to problems of life in general. How'd you figure out the buffer allocation problem? Oh, I zenned it.Contrast grok, which connotes a time-extended version of zenning a system. Compare hack mode. See also guru. (1996-09-17)



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   30 The Mother
   29 Sri Aurobindo
   21 Sri Ramana Maharshi
   18 Sri Ramakrishna
   8 Sri Sarada Devi
   5 Sri Ramana Maharshi
   3 Swami Brahmananda
   3 MATA AMRITANANDAMAYI
   3 Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
   2 Thich Nhat Hanh
   2 Swami Vijnanananda
   2 Swami Sivananda Saraswati
   2 Swami Saradananda
   2 SWAMI PREMANANDA
   2 Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina
   2 Rupert Spira
   2 Ramakrishna
   2 Marcus Aurelius
   2 Manapurush Swami Shivananda
   2 ken-wilber
   2 Joseph Goldstein
   2 Buddhist Meditations from the Japanese
   2 Jetsun Milarepa
   1 Yamamoto Tsunetomo
   1 Unknown
   1 The Mother
   1 Tara Brach
   1 Tao Te Ching
   1 Taisen Deshimaru
   1 SWAMI VIRESWARANANDA
   1 Swami Virajananda
   1 SWAMI VIRAJANANDA
   1 Swami Vijnananada
   1 SWAMI RAMA
   1 SWAMI BRAHMANANDA
   1 Swami Adbhutananda
   1 Sri Ramakrishnan
   1 Sri Ramakrishna
   1 SRI ANANDAMAYI MA
   1 Sogyal Rinpoche
   1 Sheng yen
   1 Sant Rajinder Singh
   1 Saint Padre Pio
   1 Saint John of the Cross
   1 Saint Francis de Sales
   1 Ramana
   1 Pema Chodron
   1 Patanjali : Aphroisms.III. 9
   1 Patanjali : Aphroisms I. 30
   1 Owen Barfield
   1 Osho
   1 Nyogen Senzaki
   1 Manly P Hall
   1 Laws of Manu VI. 72
   1 Ken Wilber
   1 John Kabat-Zinn
   1 Jiddu Krishnamurti
   1 J. Goldstein "The Experience of Insight: A Simple & Direct Guide to Buddhist Meditation"
   1 Je Tsongkhapa
   1 Israel Regardie
   1 Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi
   1 Henri J M Nouwen
   1 Fo-shu-hing-tsan-king
   1 Fo-shu-hing-tsan king
   1 Fo-sho-hing-tsan-king
   1 For source & explanation see:
   1 Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
   1 Dudjom Rinpoche
   1 Dōgen Zenji
   1 Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche
   1 Dhammapada
   1 Dalai Lama
   1 Cicero
   1 Ching Hai
   1 Chamtrul Rinpoche
   1 Buddhist Texts
   1 Buddhist Meditations
   1 Blessed Cardinal Newman
   1 Bhagavad Gita XVIII. 51-53
   1 Anonymous
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   1 Swami Vivekananda
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  166 Frederick Lenz
  100 Rajneesh
   43 Amit Ray
   40 Sharon Salzberg
   39 Sri Aurobindo
   31 Pema Ch dr n
   28 Thich Nhat Hanh
   27 Sri Ramana Maharshi
   23 Deepak Chopra
   19 Jon Kabat Zinn
   17 Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
   17 Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
   17 Jiddu Krishnamurti
   16 Nhat Hanh
   16 Henepola Gunaratana
   16 Anonymous
   15 Sri Chinmoy
   15 Osho
   14 Jaggi Vasudev
   13 Sogyal Rinpoche

1:Sleep is the best meditation." ~ Dalai Lama,
2:In meditation, silently and serenely, all words are transcended. ~ Sheng yen,
3:Meditation: There is nothing to do. It is about undoing
   ~ Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche,
4:Meditation is your true nature. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
5:Through the study of books one seeks God; by meditation one finds him. ~ Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina,
6:Meditation lifts us above life's storm clouds into the radiant skies of the inner Light. ~ Sant Rajinder Singh,
7:Meditation and spiritual practices give you the power and the courage to smile at death. ~ MATA AMRITANANDAMAYI,
8:Concentration has to be made in the heart, which is cool and refreshing. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi
9:A little Japa and meditation will awaken Kundalini . Does it wake up on its own? Do Japa and meditation. ~ Sri Sarada Devi,
10:How can you achieve the goal without practicing Japa and meditation? One must practice these disciplines. ~ Sri Sarada Devi,
11:The mind, the forest, and the quiet place are the three places for meditation. ~ Sri Ramakrishna,
12:We try many ways to be awake, but our society still keeps us forgetful. Meditation is to help us remember.
   ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
13:Karma done unselfishly purifies the mind and helps to fix it in meditation. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
14:If you practise meditation and prayer it will make me happy. I look on you as my own. ~ Sri Ramakrishna,
15:Meditation on the Self, which is oneself, is the greatest of all meditations. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
16:The affairs of the world will go on forever, do not delay the practice of meditation. ~ Jetsun Milarepa,
17:Through the practice of meditation or invocation, the mind becomes one-pointed. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
18:Meditation is not a means to reach God, but an end. The purpose of meditation is to love God and neighbor. ~ Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina,
19:Seek in reading and thou shalt find in meditation; knock in prayer and it shall be opened in contemplation. ~ Saint John of the Cross, [T5],
20:Unless you are completely detached from everything, your meditation and prayer, work and learning will be of no avail. ~ Swami Vijnanananda,
21:In dwelling, be close to the land. In meditation, go deep in the heart. In dealing with others be gentle and kind. ~ Tao Te Ching, chapter 8,
22:Seeing the false as the false, is meditation. This must go on all the time. ~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj,
23:The depth of the heart, the retired corner, and the forest are the three places for meditation. ~ Sri Ramakrishna,
24:Meditation being on a single thought, the other thoughts are kept away. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Talks, 294, [T5],
25:When there are thoughts, it is distraction: when there are no thoughts, it is meditation. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
26:A little meditation is no good. God cannot be realized through such lukewarm moods. One must yearn deeply, one must become restless. ~ SWAMI PREMANANDA,
27:Meditation must be so intense that it does not give room even to the thought 'I am meditating'. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
28:By turning your eyes on God in meditation, your whole soul will be filled with God. Begin all your prayers in the presence of God. ~ Saint Francis de Sales,
29:You may talk of the vision of God or of meditation, but remember, the mind is everything. One gets everything when the mind becomes steady. ~ Sri Sarada Devi,
30:Relax and meditation will be easy. Keep your mind steady by gently warding off all intruding thoughts. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
31:Let him destroy by deep meditation the qualities that are opposed to the divine nature. ~ Laws of Manu VI. 72, the Eternal Wisdom
32:Do Japa and meditation as you like, provided you keep your mind steadfast in the Lord. You will attain to your goal in this way. Why do you worry? ~ Sri Sarada Devi,
33:Should I try meditation?

   It is not necessary if your work is a constant offering to the Divine.
   ~ The Mother, Words Of The Mother I,
34:Whether you can meditate properly or not, never give up the practice. Japa leads one to a state of meditation and meditation results in samadhi. ~ Swami Vijnanananda,
35:Meditation requires an object to meditate on, whereas in Self-enquiry there is only the subject and no object. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
36:Train yourself, your mind, with the meditation techniques you have received, and don't twist the techniques to protect your delusion. ~ Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche,
37:Yes, all kinds of thoughts arise in meditation. It is but right. Unless they rise up how can they be destroyed? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
38:To fix the mind on God is very difficult, in the beginning, unless one practices meditation in solitude.
   ~ Sri Ramakrishna, [T5],
39:The Bliss of Liberation in life is possible only to the mind made subtle and serene by long continued meditation. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
40:Thoughts appear wending like the waves of an ocean. As meditation on the Self rises higher, thoughts get destroyed. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
41:While repeating the Name of God, if one sees His form and becomes absorbed in Him, one's Japa stops. One gets everything when one succeeds in meditation. ~ Sri Sarada Devi,
42:To start, one should choose lonely places in which to concentrate the mind; otherwise, many things may distract the meditation. ~ Sri Ramakrishna,
43:The human mind becomes ruffled by breathing, hence the yogi concentrates his mind by regulating breath before meditation on God. ~ Sri Ramakrishna,
44:You have to undertake strenuous spiritual exercises. One is vouchsafed the divine mood when one's mind becomes purified through meditation on God. ~ Manapurush Swami Shivananda,
45:One has attained perfect meditation when, upon sitting down, one is surrounded with the Divine atmosphere and communion with God. ~ Sri Ramakrishna,
46:As in a house with a sound roof the lain cannot penetrate, so in a mind where meditation dwells passion cannot enter. ~ Dhammapada, the Eternal Wisdom
47:Try meditation in solitude. After constant practice, when the mind has been brought under control, you can meditate anywhere you chose. ~ Sri Ramakrishna,
48:When you sit in meditation, be wholly absorbed in God. During a perfect meditation one would not know if a bird were to perch upon one. ~ Sri Ramakrishna,
49:While repeating the Name of God, if one sees His form and becomes absorbed in Him, one's Japa stops. One gets everything when one succeeds in meditation. ~ Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi,
50:To keep constantly a concentrated and in-gathered attitude is more important than having fixed hours of meditation.
   ~ The Mother, Words Of The Mother II, [T5],
51:When I used to sit in meditation in the temple of Kali, little birds would perch upon my body and move about in sport. Everybody said so. ~ Sri Ramakrishna,
52:By meditation one comes to know that there is only one God, but by philosophical discussion, the sense of unity is displaced by diversity. ~ Sri Ramakrishna,
53:The chatuskoti, or the Fourfold Negation, (NOT THIS: NOT THAT: NOT BOTH: NOT NEITHER) is a principal tool in Buddhist contemplation and analytic meditation." ~ For source & explanation see:,
54:Called back her thoughts from speech to sit within
In a deep room in meditation's house. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, The Debate of Love and Death,
55:Enlightenment is making friendship with the whole existence." ~ Amit Ray, (b.1960) Indian author, and spiritual master, known for his teachings on meditation, yoga, peace and compassion, Wikipedia.,
56:Because you are with other thoughts, you call the continuity of a single thought meditation or dhyana. If that dhyana becomes effortless it will be found to be your real nature. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
57:The main factor in meditation is to keep the mind active in its own pursuit without taking in external impressions or thinking of other matters. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
58:By meditation the mind is further purified and it remains still without the least ripple. That calm expanse is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Maharshi's Gospel, B.1, Ch. 7,
59:Meditation is not a way to enlightenment, Nor is it a method of achieving anything at all. It is peace itself. It is the actualization of wisdom, The ultimate truth of the oneness of all things." ~ Dōgen Zenji,
60:The Guru's blessings help one in one's spiritual endeavor. By Mother's grace you have it already. Now dive deep into prayer, meditation, etc. Engage yourself in japa and meditation. ~ Manapurush Swami Shivananda,
61:Yes, all kinds of thought arise in meditation. That is only right; for what lies hidden in you is brought out. Unless it rises up, how can it be destroyed? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
62:Light in the world-
   World in the mind-
   Mind in the heart-
   Heart in the night.
  
   Pain in the day-
   Strength in the pain-
   Light in the strength-
   World in the light. ~ Owen Barfield, A Meditation, 1970,
63:Meditation and Japa appear dry in the beginning. But still you must engage the mind in the contemplation of the Deity, like swallowing a bitter medicine. Slowly spiritual joy will grow in you. ~ Swami Brahmananda,
64:Even if you are not apparently successful in your meditation, it is better to persist and to be more obstinate than the opposition of your lower nature.
   ~ The Mother, Words Of The Mother II,
65:Weak desires can be removed by introspection and meditation, but strong, deep-rooted ones must be fulfilled and their fruits, sweet or bitter, tasted. ~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj,
66:Wherever we are, we can train as a warrior. Our tools are sitting meditation, tonglen, slogan practice, and cultivating the four limitless qualities of loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. ~ Pema Chodron,
67:The mystics ask you to take nothing on mere belief. Rather, they give you a set of experiments to test in your own awareness and experience. The laboratory is your own mind, the experiment is meditation. ~ ken-wilber,
68:The object of meditation is to open to the Mother and grow through many progressive experiences into a higher consciousness in union with the Divine.
   ~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters On Yoga - II,
69:To enter into a deeper or higher consciousness or for that deeper or higher consciousness to descend into you-that is the true success of meditation.
   ~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters On Yoga - II,
70:A beginner shouldn't meditate and do japa excessively, foregoing sleep in the process. Meditation, japa, physical work and studying the scriptures should all be done gradually in a regulated way. ~ MATA AMRITANANDAMAYI,
71:Go on practicing Japa and meditation with great devotion, perseverance, and patience. Gradually the mind will become tranquil and meditation will deepen. You will find a craving for your meditation. ~ Swami Virajananda,
72:If you don't succeed in meditation, practice Japa. Japa leads to perfection. One attains perfection through Japa. If a meditative mood sets in well and good. If not, don't force your mind to meditate. ~ Sri Sarada Devi,
73:Make your meditation a continuous state of mind. A great worship is going on all the time, so nothing should be neglected or excluded from your constant meditative awareness. ~ Sri Ramakrishna,
74:Once longing awakens, one becomes absorbed in contemplating and meditating on God. Through constant contemplation and meditation, one begins having glimpses of the Truth, and these experiences strengthen his faith. ~ SWAMI RAMA,
75:The world is carried away in the torrent of desire, in its eddies there is no soil of safety. Wisdom alone is a solid raft and meditation a firm foothold. ~ Fo-shu-hing-tsan king, the Eternal Wisdom
76:Just as you practice much in order to sing, dance, and play on instruments, so one should practice the art of fixing the mind on God. One should practice regularly such disciplines as worship, japa, and meditation. ~ Sri Ramakrishnan,
77:Meditation in the core of the heart is advisable. But, my dear, how deep into the heart can you really enter? Our Master said meditation on his picture would be enough. Go on doing it with all your heart and soul. ~ Swami Vijnananada,
78:Watch whether you are stationary in the spiritual path, retrogressing, or advancing. If your Japa, meditation or Vedantic Vichara thickens your veil and fattens your egoism, it is not then a spiritual Sadhana. ~ Swami Sivananda Saraswati,
79:Do not be discouraged, but continue to practice meditation. You will soon succeed in freeing your mind from distractions. He who keeps his mind God, finds His grace, and through His grace becomes absorbed in meditation. ~ SWAMI PREMANANDA,
80:Give yourself up to deep meditation.
Throw away all other considerations of life.
The calculative life will not be crowned with spiritual success. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Conscious Immortality, Ch. 7,
81:Hold on to God even in gloom. Never miss meditation or forget to repeat the name of the Lord. Meditation is the anchorage of the soul. Meditation will purify your mind. Continue japa and meditation without losing heart. ~ Swami Saradananda,
82:At the time of Japa and meditation, we meditate on the Lord keeping our mind concentrated on Him, in the same way, if we learn to see the same Lord in every man, then we shall not forget God even in the midst of work. ~ SWAMI VIRESWARANANDA,
83:Do you meditate? Do you know what one feels in meditation? The mind becomes like a continuous flow of oil — it thinks of one object only, and that is God. It does not think of anything else. ~ Sri Ramakrishna,
84:If you have a glass full of liquid you can discourse forever on its qualities, discuss whether it is cold, warm, whether it is really and truly composed of H-2-O, or even mineral water, or saki. Meditation is Drinking it! ~ Taisen Deshimaru,
85:You must dwell on God uninterruptedly and be absorbed in the contemplation of His true nature. If you practice Japa and Meditation regularly, without break for some years, you will see for yourself what result comes to pass. ~ Swami Saradananda,
86:Meditate on the Lord alone, on Him, the Fountain of Goodness. Pray to Him; depend on Him. Try to give more time to japa and meditation. Surrender your mind at His Feet. Endeavor to sustain japa and meditation without a break. ~ SRI ANANDAMAYI MA,
87:The mind is by nature restless. Therefore at the outset to make the mind steady, one may practice meditation by regulating the breathing a little. That helps to steady the mind. But one must not overdo it. That heats the brain. ~ Sri Sarada Devi,
88:Increase the time and energy devoted to Japa and meditation slowly and gradually. If there be sincerity, depth of feeling and firmness of purpose, you will have everything you desire in the fullness of time, through His grace. ~ SWAMI VIRAJANANDA,
89:One who during his contemplation is entirely inconscient of all external things to such a point that if birds made a nest in his hair he would not know it, has acquired the perfection of meditation. ~ Sri Ramakrishna,
90:Be sincere in your practice, words and deeds. You will feel blessed! Practice meditation sincerely and you will understand His infinite grace. God wants sincerity, truthfulness and love. Outward verbal effusions do not touch Him. ~ Sri Sarada Devi,
91:The only way to live is by accepting each minute as an unrepeatable miracle." ~ Tara Brach, (b.1953), an American psychologist, proponent of Buddhist meditation, author and founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, D.C., Wikipedia.,
92:You dissipate your desire for the Self by undertaking all kinds of useless activities that waste your time and lead to attachments. You think that your life is endless and that you can put off meditation till a later date. ~ Annamalai Swami, Final Talks,
93:Meditation was invented as a way for the soul to venture inward, there ultimately to find supreme identity with Godhead. Whatever else it does, and it does many beneficial things, meditation is first and foremost a search for the God within. ~ ken-wilber,
94:If one concentrates on a thought or a word, one has to dwell on the essential idea contained in the word with the aspiration to feel the thing which it expresses. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters on Yoga - II, Concentration and Meditation,
95:Meditation is not something we do; it is something we cease to do. Thus, it could be called self-remembering or self-resting." ~ Rupert Spira, (b.1960) international teacher of the Advaita Vedanta. From his book "Being Aware of Being Aware, (2017), Wikipedia.,
96:If you, in a surge of initial enthusiasm, do japa and meditation indiscriminately for long hours, your head may get heated and many other problems may arise. That is why it is advised that one should learn these practices from a Satguru. ~ MATA AMRITANANDAMAYI,
97:Meditation will help you to find your bonds, loosen them, untie them and cast your moorings. When you are no longer attached to anything, you have done your share. The rest will be done for you. ~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj,
98:He who has love for other people has God in his heart. To serve God's children is to serve God." ~ Ching Hai, (b. 1950) Vietnamese author, entrepreneur, and teacher of the Quan Yin Method of meditation. Her followers refer to her as "Supreme Master," Wikipedia.,
99:The experience of emptiness is love, because emptiness means 'emptiness of self.' Where there is no self there is no other. . . there is a unity, a communion." ~ Joseph Goldstein, (b. 1944), U.S. vipassana meditation teacher, "The Experience of Insight,", (1987),
100:One who during his contemplation is entirely inconscient of all external things to such a point that if birds made a nest in his hair he would not know it, has acquired the perfection of meditation. ~ Ramakrishna, the Eternal Wisdom
101:Whenever sensations in the body are predominant [like pain] make them the objects of meditation. When they are no longer predominant, return to the breath." ~ Joseph Goldstein, (b. 1944), American vipassana meditation teacher, "The Experience of Insight,", (1987).,
102:Names and forms are nothing but the manifestations of the power of Prakriti. Whatever names and forms you see are nothing but the manifestations of the power of ChitŚakti. Everything is the power of ChitŚakti-even meditation and he who meditates. ~ Sri Ramakrishna,
103:When we render natural and easy to us perfect concentration (or the operation which consists in fixing attention, contemplation and meditation), a power of exact discernment develops. ~ Patanjali : Aphroisms.III. 9, the Eternal Wisdom
104:Whoever applies himself intelligently to profound meditation, soon finds joy in what is good; he becomes conscious that beauty and riches are transient things and wisdom the fairest ornament. ~ Fo-sho-hing-tsan-king, the Eternal Wisdom
105:Let the Sadhana be regular, continuous, unbroken, and earnest. Not only regularity, but also continuity in Sadhana and meditation is necessary if you want to attain Self-realization quickly. A spiritual stream once set going does not dry up. ~ Swami Sivananda Saraswati,
106:A calmness neared as of the approach of God,
A light of musing trance lit soil and sky
And an identity and ecstasy
Filled meditation's solitary heart. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, The Birth and Childhood of the Flame,
107:Being aware of being aware is the essence of meditation. It is the only form of meditation that does not require the directing, focusing or controlling of the mind." ~ Rupert Spira, (b.1960) international teacher of Advaita Vedanta. From "Being Aware of Being Aware, (2017).,
108:Meditation means cultivating a non-judging attitude toward what comes up in the mind, come what may." ~ John Kabat-Zinn, (b.1944) an American professor emeritus of medicine and the creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Wikipedia.,
109:Mental japa is very good. That helps meditation. Mind gets identified with the repetition and then you get to know what worship (puja) reall is - the losing of one's individuality in that which is worshipped. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Talks 31,
110:All kinds of thoughts arise in meditation. That is only right; for what lies hidden in you is brought out. Unless it rises up, how can it be destroyed? Thoughts rise up spontaneously but only to be extinguished in due course, thus strengthening the mind. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
111:You live in illusion and the appearance of things. There is a Reality, You are that Reality. When you understand this, you will see that you are nothing. and being nothing, you are everything. That is all." ~ Dudjom Rinpoche, (1904-1987) a Tibet's meditation master, Wikipedia,
112:(Examples of subjects for meditation)
   New birth.
   Birth to a new consciousness.
   The psychic consciousness.
   How to awaken in the body the aspiration for the Divine.
   The ill-effects of uncontrolled speech.
   ~ The Mother, Words Of The Mother II,
113:Keep your mind always in communion with God; then all depravity of the mind will vanish. Select a room for daily worship; every morning and evening retire there and sit on your Asanam; then perform Japam and Meditation and prayer regularly as long as you can. ~ Swami Brahmananda,
114:The Tibetans use an image I have found helpful… Make the mind like a big clear sky & let everything arise & vanish on its own. Then the mind stays balanced, relaxed, observing the flow." ~ J. Goldstein "The Experience of Insight: A Simple & Direct Guide to Buddhist Meditation",
115:The ocean is full of precious pearls,but you may not get them at the first dive. My boys, once again I enjoin you, have firm faith in the words of your Guru, & try to get absorbed in deep meditation. Be sure, sooner or later you will have a vision of the Lord. ~ SWAMI BRAHMANANDA,
116:Japa brings perfection & fulfillment, this is certainly true. When japa becomes very absorbing, meditation & holding the mind become spontaneous. Like an unbroken stream of oil, japa flows incessantly. Then the external japa comes to an end; japa continues within ~ Swami Adbhutananda,
117:It is certainly much better to remain silent and collected for a time after the meditation. It is a mistake to take the meditation lightly - by doing that one fails to receive or spills what is received or most of it.
   ~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters On Yoga - II,
118:Our mind doesn't know that if it goes to and run after the outside world there's nothing but suffering. It keeps running out in ignorance. When it gets the maturity, it will go inside by itself. Until then, it is our job to put it inside with effort (meditation). ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
119:If you could take the bliss and happiness that comes from meditation, and put it into a bottle, it would be the most popular drink in the world. Of course, this is not possible. But the good news is that it is free, it is good for your health, and it is always available. ~ Chamtrul Rinpoche,
120:To him who is perfect in meditation salvation is near" is an old saying. Do you know when a man is perfect in meditation? When as soon as he sits to meditate, he is surrounded with the divine atmosphere and his soul communes with the Ineffable. ~ Sri Ramakrishna,
121:Mother, I see that mosquitos are biting You in the evening during meditation. Would you allow me to drive them away with a fan? ... No, the movement of the fan would be even more bothersome than the mosquitos.
   ~ The Mother, More Answers From The Mother, 12 June 1939,
122:One should perform such worship as the Śiva Puja. Once the mind has become mature, one doesn't have to continue formal worship for long. The mind then always remains united with God; meditation and contemplation become a constant habit of mind. ~ Sri Ramakrishna,
123:Meditation is not an easy thing. Eat a bit more & your mind will not settle that day. When lust, anger, greed & the whole host of evil passions are kept under control, then alone does meditation become possible. If any one of these asserts itself, meditation will be impossible.~ Swami Brahmananda,
124:What is most important [in meditation] is the change of consciousness of which this feeling of oneness is a part. The going deep in meditation is only a means and it is not always necessary if the great experiences come easily without it.
   ~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters On Yoga - II,
125:The obstacles met by the seeker after concentration are illness, langour, doubt, negligence, idleness, the domination of the senses, false perception, impotence to attain and instability in a state of meditation once attained. ~ Patanjali : Aphroisms I. 30, the Eternal Wisdom
126:To him who is perfect in meditation salvation is near" is an old saying. Do you know when a man is perfect in meditation? When as soon as he sits to meditate, he is surrounded with the divine atmosphere and his soul communes with the Ineffable. ~ Ramakrishna, the Eternal Wisdom
127:On meditation's mounting edge of trance
Great stairs of thought climbed up to unborn heights
Where Time's last ridges touch eternity's skies
And Nature speaks to the spirit's absolute. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, The Kingdoms and Godheads of the Greater Mind,
128:Life is short and the time of death is uncertain; so apply yourself to meditation. Avoid doing evil, and acquire merit, to the best of your ability, even at the cost of life itself. In short: Act so that you have no cause to be ashamed of yourselves and hold fast to this rule. ~ Jetsun Milarepa,
129:47. When I was asleep in the Ignorance, I came to a place of meditation full of holy men and I found their company wearisome and the place a prison; when I awoke, God took me to a prison and turned it into a place of meditation and His trysting-ground.
   ~ Sri Aurobindo, Essays Divine And Human, Jnana,
130:When one devotes oneself to meditation, mental burdens, unnecessary worries, and wandering thoughts drop off one by one; life seems to run smoothly and pleasantly. A student may now depend on intuition to make decisions. As one acts on intuition, second thought, with its dualism, doubt and hesitation, does not arise. ~ Nyogen Senzaki,
131:There are so many ways of making the approach to meditation as joyful as possible. You can find the music that most exalts you and use it to open your heart and mind. You can collect pieces of poetry, or quotations of lines of teachings that over the years have moved you, and keep them always at hand to elevate your spirit. ~ Sogyal Rinpoche,
132:Shitposting, I claim, is a form of transcendental meditation through which the shitposter becomes an empty vessell - the shitposter's 'self' ceases to be, in the Lacanian sense, 'I' and instead becomes a 'creative nothing' which expands from an infantismal singularly of pure meme essence into the eternal void of post-ironic nihilism. ~ Unknown,
133:You are a Buddha, and so is everyone else. I didn't make that up. It was the Buddha himself who said so. He said that all beings had the potential to become awakened. To practice walking meditation is to practice living in mindfulness. Mindfulness and enlightenment are one. Enlightenment leads to mindfulness and mindfulness leads to enlightenment. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
134:Concentration, for our Yoga, means when the consciousness is fixed in a particular state (e.g. peace) or movement (e.g. aspiration, will, coming into contact with the Mother, taking the Mother's name); meditation is when the inner mind is looking at things to get the right knowledge.
   ~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters On Yoga - II, [concentration is:],
135:When you sit in meditation you must be as candid and simple as a child, not interfering by your external mind, expecting nothing, insisting on nothing. Once this condition is there, all the rest depends upon the aspiration deep within you. And if you call upon Divinity, then too you will have the answer.
   ~ The Mother, Questions And Answers 1929-1931,
136:D.: In the practice of meditation are there any signs of the nature of subjective experience or otherwise, which will indicate the aspirant's progress towards Self-Realisation
M.: The degree of freedom from unwanted thoughts and the degree of concentration on a single thought are the measure to gauge the progress.
~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Talks, 427,
137:Meditation here is not reflection or any other kind of discursive thinking. It is pure concentration: training the mind to dwell on an interior focus without wandering, until it becomes absorbed in the object of its contemplation. But absorption does not mean unconsciousness. The outside world may be forgotten, but meditation is a state of intense inner wakefulness. ~ Anonymous, The Upanishads,
138:If concentration is made with the brain, sensations of heat and even headache ensue.
Concentration has to be made in the heart, which is cool and refreshing.
Relax and your meditation will be easy.
Keep your mind steady by gently warding off all intruding thoughts, but without strain - soon you will succeed. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Guru Ramana II. XI,
139:When you give us a subject for meditation, what should we do about it? Keep thinking of it?
   Keep your thought focused upon it in a concentrated way.
   And when no subject is given, is it enough to concentrate on your Presence in the heart-centre? Should we avoid a formulated prayer?

   Yes, concentration on the Presence is enough.
   ~ The Mother, Words Of The Mother II,
140:You exist in time, but you belong to eternity. You are a penetration of eternity into the world of time. You are deathless, living in a body of death. Your consciousness knows no death, no birth, it is only your body that is born and dies, but you are not aware of your consciousness. You are not conscious of your consciousness, and that is the whole art of meditation; becoming conscious of consciousness itself. ~ Osho,
141:That which is known as "meditation" is the act of sustaining an object of meditation and specific subjective aspects by repeatedly focusing your mind upon a virtuous object of meditation. The purpose of this is as follows. From beginningless time you have been under the control of your mind; your mind has not been under your control. Furthermore, your mind tended to be obscured by the afflictions and so forth. ~ Je Tsongkhapa,
142:The white magician consecrates his life to study, meditation, and service, that he may know the law and may direct force to its appointed ends. He mods himself into the plan, becoming part of the divine rhythm by sacrificing himself and his wishes to the will of the Infinite, asking only to know wherein his duty lies and how he may be of the greatest service to the greatest number. ~ Manly P Hall, Magic: A Treatise on Esoteric Ethics,
143:The spiritual knowledge is then gained through meditation on the truths that are taught and it is made living and conscious by their realisation in the personal experience; the Yoga proceeds by the results of prescribed methods taught in a Scripture or a tradition and reinforced and illumined by the instructions of the Master.
   ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Yoga of Divine Works, The Four Aids,
144:These ideas have to be understood in studying dhyana, or meditation. We hear a sound. First there is the external vibration; second, the nerve motion that carries it to the mind; third, the reaction from the mind, along with which flashes the knowledgeof the object which was the external cause of these different changes, from the ethereal vibrations to the mental reaction.
   ~ Swami Vivekananda, Raja-Yoga, 84,
145:The methods advised by all these people have a startling resemblance to one another. They recommend virtue (of various kinds), solitude, absence of excitement, moderation in diet, and finally a practice which some call prayer and some call meditation. (The former four may turn out on examination to be merely conditions favourable to the last.)
   ~ Aleister Crowley, Liber ABA, Book 4, Magick, Part I, Preliminary Remarks,
146:If you ask me what you are to do in order to be perfect, I say, first--Do not lie in bed beyond the due time of rising; give your first thoughts to God; make a good visit to the Blessed Sacrament; say the Angelus devoutly; eat and drink to God's glory; say the Rosary well; be recollected; keep out bad thoughts; make your evening meditation well; examine yourself daily; go to bed in good time, and you are already perfect. ~ Blessed Cardinal Newman, Meditations and Devotions,
147: To make it more simple for general comprehension: after initiation, the mystic is merged in the occultist, for he has become a student of occult law; he has to work with matter, with its manipulation and uses, and he has to master and control all lower forms of manifestation, and learn the rules... yet he will still have to find the God within his own being, before he can safely venture on the path of occult law. ~ Alice Bailey, in Letters on Occult Meditation, p. 147, (1922)
148:Concentration is a gathering together of the consciousness and either centralising at one point or turning on a single object, e.g. the Divine-there can also be a gathered condition throughout the whole being, not at a point. In meditation it is not indispensable to gather like this, one can simply remain with a quiet mind thinking of one subject or observing what comes in the consciousness and dealing with it.
   ~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters On Yoga - II,
149:Sadhana is the practice of Yoga.
Tapasya is the concentration of the will to get the results of sadhana and to conquer the lower nature.
Aradhana is worship of the Divine, love, self-surrender, aspiration to the Divine, calling the name, prayer.
Dhyana is inner concentration of the consciousness, meditation, going inside in Samadhi.
Dhyana, tapasya and aradhana are all parts of sadhana. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters On Yoga - II, 215 [sadhana is:],
150:D.: Meditation is with mind and how can it kill the mind in order to reveal the Self?

M.: Meditation is sticking to one thought. That single thought keeps away other thoughts; distraction of mind is a sign of its weakness. By constant meditation it gains strength, i.e., to say, its weakness of fugitive thought gives place to the enduring background free from thoughts. This expanse devoid of thought is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Talks, 293,
151:Meditation means thinking on one subject in a concentrated way. In concentration proper there is not a series of thoughts, but the mind is silently fixed on one object, name, idea, place etc. There are other kinds of concentration, e.g. concentrating the whole consciousness in one place, as between the eyebrows, in the heart, etc. One can also concentrate to get rid of thought altogether and remain in a complete silence.
   ~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters On Yoga - II,
152:... The sadhana of inner concentration consists in:
(1) Fixing the consciousness in the heart and concentrating there on the idea, image or name of the Divine Mother, whichever comes easiest to you.
(2) A gradual and progressive quieting of the mind by this concentration in the heart.
(3) An aspiration for the Mother's presence in the heart and the control by her of mind, life and action. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters On Yoga - II, Combining Work, Meditation and Bhakti,
153:The sadhana of this Yoga does not proceed through any set mental teaching or prescribed forms of meditation, mantras or others, but by aspiration, by a self-concentration inwards or upwards, by self-opening to an Influence, to the Divine Power above us and its workings, to the Divine Presence in the heart, and by the rejection of all that is foreign to these things. It is only by faith, aspiration and surrender that this self-opening can come.
   ~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters On Yoga - II, [T3],
154:The 'Intelligence of Will' denotes that this is the path where each individual 'created being' is 'prepared' for the spiritual quest by being made aware of the higher and divine 'will' of the creatoR By spiritual preparation (prayer, meditation, visualization, and aspiration), the student becomes aware of the higher will and ultimately attains oneness with the Divine Self-fully immersed in the knowledge of 'the existence of the Primordial Wisdom.'
   ~ Israel Regardie, A Garden Of Pomegranates: Skrying On The Tree Of Life,
155:Help yourself during this troubled period by reading holy books. This reading provides excellent food for the soul and conduces to great progress along the path of perfection. By no means is it inferior to what we obtain through prayer and holy meditation. In prayer and meditation it is ourselves who speak to the Lord, while in holy reading it is God who speaks to us. Before beginning to read, raise your mind to the Lord and implore Him to guide your mind Himself, to speak to your heart and move your will. ~ Saint Padre Pio,
156:Meditation on inevitable death should be performed daily. Every day when one's body and mind are at peace, one should meditate upon being ripped apart by arrows, rifles, spears and swords, being carried away by surging waves, being thrown into the midst of a great fire, being struck by lightning, being shaken to death by a great earthquake, falling from thousand-foot cliffs, dying of disease or committing seppuku at the death of one's master. And every day without fail one should consider himself as dead ~ Yamamoto Tsunetomo,
157:The saintly disciple who applies himself in silence to right meditation, has surmounted covetousness, negligence, wrath, the inquietude of speculation and doubt; he contemplates and enlightens all beings friendly or hostile, with a limitless compassion, a limitless sympathy, a limitless serenity. He recognises that all internal phenomena are impermanent, subjected to sorrow and without substantial reality, and turning from these things he concentrates his mind on the permanent. ~ Buddhist Texts, the Eternal Wisdom
158:In union by a purified understanding, controlling himself by a firm perseverance, abandoning the objects of the senses, putting away from him all liking and disliking, when one resorts to solitude, lives on little, masters speech and mind and body, ever in meditation and fixed in withdrawal from the desires of the world, when he has loosened from him egoism and violence and pride and lust and wrath and possession, then calm and without thought of self, he is able to become one with the Eternal. ~ Bhagavad Gita XVIII. 51-53, the Eternal Wisdom
159:D.: Impurities of limitation, ignorance and desire (anava, mayika, and kamya) place obstacles in the way of meditation. How to conquer them?
M.: Not to be swayed by them.
D.: Grace is necessary.
M.: Yes, Grace is both the beginning and the end. Introversion is due to Grace: Perseverance is Grace; and Realisation is Grace. That is the reason for the statement: Mamekam saranam vraja (only surrender to Me). If one has entirely surrendered oneself is there any part left to ask for Grace? He is swallowed up by Grace. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Talks, 319,
160:(From a meditation written on the day after the Mother first saw Sri Aurobindo)
It matters little that there are thousands of beings plunged in the densest ignorance, He whom we saw yesterday is on earth; his presence is enough to prove that a day will come when darkness shall be transformed into light, and Thy reign shall be indeed established upon earth.
O Lord, Divine Builder of this marvel, my heart overflows with joy and gratitude when I think of it, and my hope has no bounds.
My adoration is beyond all words, my reverence is silent. 30 March 1914
~ The Mother,
161:If something wrong happens, at once repeat my name- "Ma" "Ma" ..... Indeed it is like a meditation. Whenever you repeat the name of the Divine, you must always feel that the Divine is in your heart -- there you can feel sweetness and peace. No doubt, sometimes you do not feel the Divine's presence and peace, it is because your consciousness is entangled in the mind full of illusions. But you must understand that the hostile forces are false and the divine Forces are true. You must also develop your consciousness towards the divine Light. ~ The Mother, MOTHER YOU SAID SO....., Huta,
162:The thing is somehow to unite the mind with God. You must not forget Him, not even once. Your thought of Him should be like the flow of oil, without any interruption. If you worship with love even a brick or stone as God, then through His grace you can see Him.

"Remember what I have just said to you. One should perform such worship as the Śiva Puja. Once the mind has become mature, one doesn't have to continue formal worship for long. The mind then always remains united with God; meditation and contemplation become a constant habit of mind." ~ Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Gospel of Ramakrishna,
163:823. Should you think of God only at the time of meditation and remain forgetful of Him at all other times? Have you not noticed how during Durga Puja a lamp is kept constantly burning near the image? It should never be allowed to go out. If ever it is extinguished, the house-holder meets with some mishap. Similarly, after installing the Deity on the lotus of your heart, you must keep the lamp of remembering Him ever burning. While engaged in the affairs of the world, you should constantly turn your gaze inwards and see whether the lamp is burning or not. ~ Sri Ramakrishna, Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna,
164:Arjuna and Krishna, this human and this divine, stand together not as seers in the peaceful hermitage of meditation, but as fighter and holder of the reins in the midst of the hurtling shafts, in the chariot of battle. The Teacher of the Gita is therefore not only the God in man who unveils himself in the word of knowledge, but the God in man who moves our whole world of action, by and for whom all our humanity exists and struggles and labours, towards whom all human life travels and progresses. He is the secret Master of works and sacrifice and the Friend of the human peoples.
   ~ Sri Aurobindo, Essays On The Gita,
165:How to open to the Mother? The following are the means:
(1) To remember You constantly or from time to time--
Good.
(2) By taking Your name through Japa [mantra; repeating the Mother's name]--
Helpful.
(3) With the help of meditation--
More difficult if one has not the habit of meditation.
(4) By conversation about You with those who love and respect You--
Risky because, when talking, often some nonsense or at least some useless things can be said.
(5) By reading Your books--
Good.
(6) By spending time in thoughts of You--
Very good.
(7) By sincere prayers--
Good. ~ The Mother, Words Of The Mother II,
166:DR. MANILAL: How can one succeed in meditation?

SRI AUROBINDO: By quietude of mind. There is not only the Infinite in itself, but also an infinite sea of peace, joy, light, power above the head. The golden Lid, Hiranmaya Patram, intervenes between the mind and what is above the mind. Once you break this lid ( making a movement of the hands above the head ) they can come down any time at your will. But for that, quietude is essential. Of course, there are people who can get them without first establishing the quietude, but it is very difficult. ( On 13-12-1938 ) ~ Sri Aurobindo, TALKS WITH SRI AUROBINDO VOLUME 1, BY NIRODBARAN (Page no.17),
167:Why do we go through the struggle to be educated? Is it merely in order to pass some examinations and get a job? Or is it the function of education to prepare us while we are young to understand the whole process of life?

And what does life mean? Is not life an extraordinary thing? The birds, the flowers, the flourishing trees, the heavens, the stars, the rivers and the fish therein-all this is life. Life is the poor and the rich; life is the constant battle between groups, races and nations; life is meditation; life is what we call religion, and it is also the subtle, hidden things of the mind-the envies, the ambitions, the passions, the fears, fulfilments and anxieties. All this and much more is life. ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti,
168:2. What should be the object or ideas for meditation?
   Whatever is most consonant with your nature and highest aspirations. But if you ask me for an absolute answer, then I must say that Brahman is always the best object for meditation or contemplation and the idea on which the mind should fix is that of God in all, all in God and all as God. It does not matter essentially whether it is the Impersonal or the Personal God, or subjectively, the One Self. But this is the idea I have found the best, because it is the highest and embraces all other truths, whether truths of this world or of the other worlds or beyond all phenomenal existence, - 'All this is the Brahman.'
   ~ Sri Aurobindo, Autobiographical Notes,
169:
   Mother, I would like to know from you if it is good for me to devote more time to meditation than I am doing at present. I spend about two hours, morning and evening together. I am as yet not quite successful in meditation. My physical mind disturbs me a lot. I pray to you that it may become quiet and my psychic being may come out. It is so painful to find the mind working like a mad machine and the heart sleeping like a stone. Mother, let me feel your presence within my heart always.


...

The increase of time given to meditation is not very useful unless the urge for meditation comes spontaneously from inside and not from any arbitrary decision of the mind.
   My help, love and blessings are always with you.
   ~ The Mother, Words Of The Mother II,
170:The principle of Bhakti Yoga is to utilise all the normal relations of human life into which emotion enters and apply them no longer to transient worldly relations, but to the joy of the All-Loving, the All-Beautiful and the All-Blissful. Worship and meditation aroused only for the preparation and increase of intensity of the divine relationship. And this Yoga is catholic in its use of all emotional relations, so that even enmity and opposition to God, considered as an intense, impatient and perverse form of Love, is conceived as a possible means of realisation and salvation. This path, too, as ordinarily practised, leads away from world-existence to an absorption, of another kind than the Monists, in the Transcendent and Supra-cosmic.
   ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga,
171:An integral approach is based on one basic idea: no human mind can be 100% wrong. Or, we might say, nobody is smart enough to be wrong all the time. And that means, when it comes to deciding which approaches, methodologies, epistemologies, or ways or knowing are "correct" the answer can only be, "All of them." That is, all of the numerous practices or paradigms of human inquiry - including physics, chemistry, hermeneutics, collaborative inquiry, meditation, neuroscience, vision quest, phenomenology, structuralism, subtle energy research, systems theory, shamanic voyaging, chaos theory, developmental psychology-all of those modes of inquiry have an important piece of the overall puzzle of a total existence that includes, among other many things, health and illness, doctors and patients, sickness and healing. ~ Ken Wilber,
172:It is the Divine in the inconscient who aspires for the Divine in the consciousness. That is to say, without the Divine there would be no aspiration; without the consciousness hidden in the inconscient, there would be no possibility of changing the inconscience to consciousness. But because at the very heart of the inconscient there is the divine Consciousness, you aspire, and necessarily - this is what he says - automatically, mechanically, the sacrifice is made. And this is why when one says, "It is not you who aspire, it is the Divine, it is not you who make progress, it is the Divine, it is not you who are conscious, it is the Divine" - these are not mere words, it is a fact. And it is simply your ignorance and your unconsciousness which prevent you from realising it. (Meditation) ~ The Mother, Questions And Answers 1956,
173:The usual sadhanas have for aim the union with the Supreme Consciousness (Sat-chit-ananda). And those who reach there are satisfied with their own liberation and leave the world to its unhappy plight. On the contrary, Sri Aurobindo's sadhana starts where the others end. Once the union with the Supreme is realised one must bring down that realisation to the exterior world and change the conditions of life upon the earth until a total transformation is accomplished. In accordance with this aim, the sadhaks of the integral yoga do not retire from the world to lead a life of contemplation and meditation. Each one must devote at least one third of his time to a useful work. All activities are represented in the Ashram and each one chooses the work most congenial to his nature, but must do it in a spirit of service and unselfishness, keeping always in view the aim of integral transformation. ~ The Mother, Words Of The Mother I,
174:There are two Paths to the Innermost: the Way of the Mystic, which is the way of devotion and meditation, a solitary and subjective path; and the way of the occultist, which is the way of the intellect, of concentration, and of trained will; upon this path the co-operation of fellow workers is required, firstly for the exchange of knowledge, and secondly because ritual magic plays an important part in this work, and for this the assistance of several is needed in most of the greater operations. The mystic derives his knowledge through the direct communion of his higher self with the Higher Powers; to him the wisdom of the occultist is foolishness, for his mind does not work in that way; but, on the other hand, to a more intellectual and extrovert type, the method of the mystic is impossible until long training has enabled him to transcend the planes of form. We must therefore recognize these two distinct types among those who seek the Way of Initiation, and remember that there is a path for each. ~ Dion Fortune, Esoteric Orders and Their Work and The Training and Work of the Initiate,
175:You are living today in countries where the Dharma has only just begun to take root, like a fragile new shoot in the ground. Only your sustained diligence will bring it to fruition. Depending on the effort you put into study, reflection and meditation, and to integrating what you have understood into your spiritual practice, accomplishment may be days, months, or years away. It is essential to remember that all your endeavors on the path are for the sake of others. Remain humble, and aware that your efforts are like child's play compared to the ocean-like activity of the great bodhisattvas. Be like a parent providing for much-loved children, never thinking that you have done too much for others - or even that you have done enough. If you finally managed, through your own efforts alone, to establish all beings in buddhahood, you would simply think that all your wishes had been fulfilled. Never have even a trace of hope for something in return. ~ Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, The Heart of Compassion, Instructions on Ngulchu Thogme's Thirty-Sevenfold Practice of a Bodhisattva – p 147, Padmakara Translation Group - Shechen Publications
176:The Profound Definitive Meaning :::
For the mind that masters view the emptiness dawns
In the content seen not even an atom exists
A seer and seen refined until they're gone
This way of realizing view, it works quite well

When meditation is clear light river flow
There is no need to confine it to sessions and breaks
Meditator and object refined until they're gone
This heart bone of meditation, it beats quite well

When you're sure that conducts work is luminous light
And you're sure that interdependence is emptiness
A doer and deed refined until they're gone
This way of working with conduct, it works quite well

When biased thinking has vanished into space
No phony facades, eight dharmas, nor hopes and fears,
A keeper and kept refined until they're gone
This way of keeping samaya, it works quite well

When you've finally discovered your mind is dharmakaya
And you're really doing yourself and others good
A winner and won refined until they're gone
This way of winning results, it works quite well. ~ Jetsun Milarepa,
177:January 1, 1914

To Thee, supreme Dispenser of all boons,
to Thee who givest life its justification, by making it pure, beautiful and good,
to Thee, Master of our destinies and goal of all our aspirations, was consecrated the first minute of this new year.

May it be completely glorified by this consecration; may those who hope for Thee, seek Thee in the right path; may those who seek Thee find Thee, and those who suffer, not knowing where the remedy lies, feel Thy life gradually piercing the hard crust of their obscure consciousness.

I bow down in deep devotion and in boundless gratitude before Thy beneficent splendour; in name of the earth I give Thee thanks for manifesting Thyself; in its name I implore Thee to manifest Thyself ever more fully, in an uninterrupted growth of Light and Love.

Be the sovereign Master of our thoughts, our feelings, our actions.

Thou art our reality, the only Reality.
Without Thee all is falsehood and illusion, all is dismol obscurity.
In Thee are life and light and joy.
In Thee is supreme Peace.
~ The Mother, Prayers and Meditation,
178:I think one of the most important thing is to know why one meditates; this is what gives the quality of the meditation and makes it of one order or another.
You may meditate to open yourself to the divine Force, you may meditate to reject the ordinary consciousness, you may meditate to enter the depths of your being, you may meditate to learn how to give yourself integrally; you may meditate for all kinds of things. You may meditate to enter into peace and calm and silence - this is what people generally do, but without much success. But you may also meditate to receive the Force of transformation, to discover the points to be transformed, to trace out the line of progress. And then you may also meditate for very practical reasons: when you have a difficulty to clear up, a solution to find, when you want help in some action or another. You may meditate for that too.
I think everyone has his own mode of meditation. But if one wants the meditation to be dynamic, one must have an aspiration for progress and the meditation must be done to help and fulfill this aspiration for progress. Then it becomes dynamic. ~ The Mother,
179:Meditation is a deliberate attempt to pierce into the higher states of consciousness and finally go beyond it. The art of meditation is the art of shifting the focus of attention to ever subtler levels, without losing one's grip on the levels left behind. In a way it is like having death under control. One begins with the lowest levels: social circumstances, customs and habits; physical surroundings, the posture and the breathing of the body, the senses, their sensation s and perceptions; the mind, its thoughts and feelings; until the entire mechanism of personality is grasped and firmly held. The final stage of meditation is reached when the sense of identity goes beyond the 'I-am-so-and-so', beyond 'so-l-am', beyond 'I-am-the-witness-only', beyond 'there-is', beyond all ideas into the impersonally personal pure being. But you must be energetic when you take to meditation. It is definitely not a part-time occupation. Limit your interests and activities to what is needed for you and your dependents' barest needs.
Save all your energies and time for breaking the wall your mind had built around you. Believe me, you will not regret. ~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj,
180:It is always better to try to concentrate in a centre, the centre of aspiration, one might say, the place where the flame of aspiration burns, to gather in all the energies there, at the solar plexus centre and, if possible, to obtain an attentive silence as though one wanted to listen to something extremely subtle, something that demands a complete attention, a complete concentration and a total silence. And then not to move at all. Not to think, not to stir, and make that movement of opening so as to receive all that can be received, but taking good care not to try to know what is happening while it is happening, for it one wants to understand or even to observe actively, it keeps up a sort of cerebral activity which is unfavourable to the fullness of the receptivity - to be silent, as totally silent as possible, in an attentive concentration, and then be still. If one succeeds in this, then, when everything is over, when one comes out of meditation, some time later - usually not immediately - from within the being something new emerges in the consciousness: a new understanding, a new appreciation of things, a new attitude in life - in short, a new way of being.
   ~ Sri Aurobindo, [where to concentrate?],
181:In your early struggles you may have found it difficult to conquer sleep; and you may have wandered so far from the object of your meditations without noticing it, that the meditation has really been broken; but much later on, when you feel that you are "getting quite good," you will be shocked to find a complete oblivion of yourself and your surroundings. You will say: "Good heavens! I must have been to sleep!" or else "What on earth was I meditating upon?" or even "What was I doing?" "Where am I?" "Who am I?" or a mere wordless bewilderment may daze you. This may alarm you, and your alarm will not be lessened when you come to full consciousness, and reflect that you have actually forgotten who you are and what you are doing! This is only one of many adventures that may come to you; but it is one of the most typical. By this time your hours of meditation will fill most of the day, and you will probably be constantly having presentiments that something is about to happen. You may also be terrified with the idea that your brain may be giving way; but you will have learnt the real symptoms of mental fatigue, and you will be careful to avoid them. They must be very carefully distinguished from idleness! ~ Aleister Crowley, Liber ABA,
182:And now what methods may be employed to safeguard the worker in the field of the world? What can be done to ensure his safety in the present strife, and in the greater strife of the coming centuries? 1. A realisation that purity of all the vehicles is the prime essential. If a Dark Brother gains control over any man, it but shows that that man has in his life some weak spot.... 2. The elimination of all fear. The forces of evolution vibrate more rapidly than those of involution, and in this fact lies a recognisable security. Fear causes weakness; weakness causes a disintegration; the weak spot breaks and a gap appears, and through that gap evil force may enter.... 3. A standing firm and unmoved, no matter what occurs. Your feet may be bathed in the mud of earth, but your head may be bathed in the sunshine of the higher regions... 4. A recognition of the use of common-sense, and the application of this common-sense to the matter in hand. Sleep much, and in sleeping, learn to render the body positive; keep busy on the emotional plane, and achieve the inner calm. Do naught to overtire the body physical, and play whenever possible. In hours of relaxation comes the adjustment that obviates later tension. ~ Alice A. Bailey, Letters on Occult Meditation p. 137/8, (1922)
183:But before entering into the details of I. A. O. as a magical formula it should be remarked that it is essentially the formula of Yoga or meditation; in fact, of elementary mysticism in all its branches. In beginning a meditation practice, there is always a quiet pleasure, a gentle natural growth; one takes a lively interest in the work; it seems easy; one is quite pleased to have started. This stage represents Isis. Sooner or later it is succeeded by depression-the Dark Night of the Soul, an infinite weariness and detestation of the work. The simplest and easiest acts become almost impossible to perform. Such impotence fills the mind with apprehension and despair. The intensity of this loathing can hardly be understood by any person who has not experienced it. This is the period of Apophis.
   It is followed by the arising not of Isis, but of Osiris. The ancient condition is not restored, but a new and superior condition is created, a condition only rendered possible by the process of death. The Alchemists themselves taught this same truth. The first matter of the work was base and primitive, though 'natural.' After passing through various stages the 'black dragon' appeared; but from this arose the pure and perfect gold
   ~ Aleister Crowley, Liber ABA, Book 4, Magick, Part 3, The Formula of I. A. O. [158-159],
184:Bhakti Yoga, the Path of Devotion; :::
   The path of Devotion aims at the enjoyment of the supreme Love and Bliss and utilses normally the conception of the supreme Lord in His personality as the divine Lover and enjoyer of the universe. The world is then realised as a a play of the Lord, with our human life as its final stages, pursued through the different phases of self-concealment and self-revealation. The principle of Bhakti Yoga is to utilise all the normal relations of human life into which emotion enters and apply them no longer to transient worldly relations, but to the joy of the All-Loving, the All-Beautiful and the All-Blissful. Worship and meditation are used only for the preparation and increase the intensity of the divine relationship. And this Yoga is catholic in its use of all emotional relations, so that even enmity and opposition to God, considered as an intense, impatient and perverse form of Love, is conceived as a possible means of realisation and salvation. ... We can see how this larger application of the Yoga of Devotion may be used as to lead to the elevation of the whole range of human emotion, sensation and aesthetic perception to the divine level, its spiritualisation and the justification of the cosmic labour towards love and joy in humanity.
   ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, Introduction - The Conditions of the Synthesis, The Systems of Yoga,
185:Integral Psychology presents a very complex picture of the individual. As he did previously in The Atman Project, at the back of the book Wilber has included numerous charts showing how his model relates to the work of a hundred or so different authors from East and West.57

57. Wilber compares the models of Huston Smith, Plotinus, Buddhism, Stan Grof, John Battista, kundalini yoga, the Great Chain of Being, James Mark Baldwin, Aurobindo, the Kabbalah, Vedanta, William Tiller, Leadbeater, Adi Da, Piaget, Commons and Richards, Kurt Fisher, Alexander, Pascual-Leone, Herb Koplowitz, Patricia Arlin, Gisela Labouvie-Vief, Jan Sinnot, Michael Basseches, Jane Loevinger, John Broughton, Sullivan, Grant and Grant, Jenny Wade, Michael Washburn, Erik Erikson, Neumann, Scheler, Karl Jaspers, Rudolf Steiner, Don Beck, Suzanne Cook-Greuter, Clare Graves, Robert Kegan, Kohlberg, Torbert, Blanchard-Fields, Kitchener and King, Deirdre Kramer, William Perry, Turner and Powell, Cheryl Armon, Peck, Howe, Rawls, Piaget, Selman, Gilligan, Hazrat Inayat Khan, mahamudra meditation, Fowler, Underhill, Helminiak, Funk, Daniel Brown, Muhyddin Ibn 'Arabi, St. Palamas, classical yoga, highest tantra yoga, St Teresa, Chirban, St Dionysius, Patanjali, St Gregory of Nyssa, transcendental meditation, Fortune, Maslow, Chinen, Benack, Gardner, Melvin Miller, Habermas, Jean Houston, G. Heard, Lenski, Jean Gebser, A. Taylor, Jay Early, Robert Bellah, and Duane Elgin. ~ Frank Visser, Ken Wilber Thought as Passion,
186:Inspiration is always a very uncertain thing; it comes when it chooses, stops suddenly before it has finished its work, refuses to descend when it is called. This is a well-known affliction, perhaps of all artists, but certainly of poets. There are some who can command it at will; those who, I think, are more full of an abundant poetic energy than careful for perfection; others who oblige it to come whenever they put pen to paper but with these the inspiration is either not of a high order or quite unequal in its levels. Again there are some who try to give it a habit of coming by always writing at the same time; Virgil with his nine lines first written, then perfected every morning, Milton with his fifty epic lines a day, are said to have succeeded in regularising their inspiration. It is, I suppose, the same principle which makes Gurus in India prescribe for their disciples a meditation at the same fixed hour every day. It succeeds partially of course, for some entirely, but not for everybody. For myself, when the inspiration did not come with a rush or in a stream,-for then there is no difficulty,-I had only one way, to allow a certain kind of incubation in which a large form of the thing to be done threw itself on the mind and then wait for the white heat in which the entire transcription could rapidly take place. But I think each poet has his own way of working and finds his own issue out of inspiration's incertitudes.
   ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Future Poetry, Inspiration and Effort - I,
187:AHA!"
There are seven keys to the great gate,
Being eight in one and one in eight.
First, let the body of thee be still,
Bound by the cerements of will,
Corpse-rigid; thus thou mayst abort
The fidget-babes that tense the thought.
Next, let the breath-rhythm be low,
Easy, regular, and slow;
So that thy being be in tune
With the great sea's Pacific swoon.
Third, let thy life be pure and calm
Swayed softly as a windless palm.
Fourth, let the will-to-live be bound
To the one love of the Profound.
Fifth, let the thought, divinely free
From sense, observe its entity.
Watch every thought that springs; enhance
Hour after hour thy vigilance!
Intense and keen, turned inward, miss
No atom of analysis!
Sixth, on one thought securely pinned
Still every whisper of the wind!
So like a flame straight and unstirred
Burn up thy being in one word!
Next, still that ecstasy, prolong
Thy meditation steep and strong,
Slaying even God, should He distract
Thy attention from the chosen act!
Last, all these things in one o'erpowered,
Time that the midnight blossom flowered!
The oneness is. Yet even in this,
My son, thou shalt not do amiss
If thou restrain the expression, shoot
Thy glance to rapture's darkling root,
Discarding name, form, sight, and stress
Even of this high consciousness;
Pierce to the heart! I leave thee here:
Thou art the Master. I revere
Thy radiance that rolls afar,
O Brother of the Silver Star! ~ Aleister Crowley,
188:The hours spent in meditation is no proof of spiritual progress. It is proof of your progress when you no longer have to make an effort to meditate. Then you have rather to make an effort to stop meditating: it becomes difficult to stop meditation, difficult to stop thinking of the Divine, difficult to come down to the ordinary consciousness. Then you are sure of progress, then you have made real progress when concentrating on the Divine is the necessity of your life, when you cannot do without it, when it continues naturally from morning to night whatever you may be engaged in doing. Whether you sit down to meditation or go about and do things and work, what is required of you is consciousness; that is the one need - to be constantly conscious of the Divine.
But is not sitting down to meditation an indispensable discipline, and does it not give a more intense and concentrated union with the Divine?
That may be. But a discipline in itself is not what we are seeking. What we are seeking is to be concentrated on the Divine in all that we do, at all times, in all our acts and in every movement. There are some here who have been told to meditate; but also there are others who have not been asked to do any meditation at all. But it must not be thought that they are not progressing. They too follow a discipline, but it is of another nature. To work, to act with devotion and an inner consecration is also a spiritual discipline. The final aim is to be in constant union with the Divine, not only in meditation but in all circumstances and in all the active life. ~ The Mother,
189:The whole history of mankind and especially the present condition of the world unite in showing that far from being merely hypothetical, the case supposed has always been actual and is actual to-day on a vaster scale than ever before. My contention is that while progress in some of the great matters of human concern has been long proceeding in accordance with the law of a rapidly increasing geometric progression, progress in the other matters of no less importance has advanced only at the rate of an arithmetical progression or at best at the rate of some geometric progression of relatively slow growth. To see it and to understand it we have to pay the small price of a little observation and a little meditation.
   Some technological invention is made, like that of a steam engine or a printing press, for example; or some discovery of scientific method, like that of analytical geometry or the infinitesimal calculus; or some discovery of natural law, like that of falling bodies or the Newtonian law of gravitation. What happens? What is the effect upon the progress of knowledge and invention? The effect is stimulation. Each invention leads to new inventions and each discovery to new discoveries; invention breeds invention, science begets science, the children of knowledge produce their kind in larger and larger families; the process goes on from decade to decade, from generation to generation, and the spectacle we behold is that of advancement in scientific knowledge and technological power according to the law and rate of a rapidly increasing geometric progression or logarithmic function. ~ Alfred Korzybski, Manhood of Humanity,
190:Yet this was only a foretaste of the intense experiences to come. The first glimpse of the Divine Mother made him the more eager for Her uninterrupted vision. He wanted to see Her both in meditation and with eyes open. But the Mother began to play a teasing game of hide-and-seek with him, intensifying both his joy and his suffering. Weeping bitterly during the moments of separation from Her, he would pass into a trance and then find Her standing before him, smiling, talking, consoling, bidding him be of good cheer, and instructing him. During this period of spiritual practice he had many uncommon experiences. When he sat to meditate, he would hear strange clicking sounds in the joints of his legs, as if someone were locking them up, one after the other, to keep him motionless; and at the conclusion of his meditation he would again hear the same sounds, this time unlocking them and leaving him free to move about. He would see flashes like a swarm of fire-flies floating before his eyes, or a sea of deep mist around him, with luminous waves of molten silver. Again, from a sea of translucent mist he would behold the Mother rising, first Her feet, then Her waist, body, face, and head, finally Her whole person; he would feel Her breath and hear Her voice. Worshipping in the temple, sometimes he would become exalted, sometimes he would remain motionless as stone, sometimes he would almost collapse from excessive emotion. Many of his actions, contrary to all tradition, seemed sacrilegious to the people. He would take a flower and touch it to his own head, body, and feet, and then offer it to the Goddess. ~ Sri Ramakrishna, Gospel,
191:The Song Of View, Practice, And Action :::
Oh, my Guru! The Exemplar of the View, Practice, and Action,
Pray vouchsafe me your grace, and enable me
To be absorbed in the realm of Self-nature!

For the View, Practice, Action, and Accomplishment
There are three Key-points you should know:

All the manifestation, the Universe itself, is contained in the mind;
The nature of Mind is the realm of illumination
Which can neither be conceived nor touched.
These are the Key-points of the View.

Errant thoughts are liberated in the Dharmakaya;
The awareness, the illumination, is always blissful;
Meditate in a manner of non-doing and non-effort.
These are the Key-points of Practice.

In the action of naturalness
The Ten Virtues spontaneously grow;
All the Ten Vices are thus purified.
By corrections or remedies
The Illuminating Void is ne'er disturbed.
These are the Key-points of Action.

There is no Nivana to attain beyond;
There is no Samsara here to renounce;
Truly to know the Self-mind
It is to be the Buddha Himself.
These are the Key-points of Accomplishment.

Reduce inwardly the Three Key-points to One.
This One is the Void Nature of Being,
Which only a wondrous Guru
Can clearly illustrate.

Much activity is of no avail;
If one sees the Simultaneously Born Wisdom,
He reaches the goal.

For all practioners of Dharma
The preaching is a precious gem;
It is my direct experience from yogic meditation.
Think carefully and bear it in your minds,
Oh, my children and disciples. ~ Jetsun Milarepa,
192:Song To The Rock Demoness :::
River, ripples, and waves, these three,
When emerging, arise from the ocean itself.
When disappearing, they disappear into the ocean itself.

Habitual thinking, love, and possessiveness, these three,
When arising, arise from the alaya consciousness itself.
When disappearing, they disappear into the alaya consciousness itself.

Self-awareness, self-illumination, self-liberation, these three,
When arising, arise from the mind itself.
When disappearing, they disappear into the mind itself.

The unborn, unceasing, and unexpressed, these three,
When emerging, arise from the nature of being itself.
When disappearing, they disappear into the nature of being itself.

The visions of demons, clinging to demons, and thoughts of demons,
When arising, arise from the Yogin himself.
When disappearing, they disappear into the Yogin himself.

Since demons are the phantoms of the mind,
If it is not understood by the Yogin that they are empty appearances,
And even if he thinks they are real, meditation is confused.

But the root of the delusion is in his own mind.
By observation of the nature of manifestations,
He realizes the identity of manifestation and void,
And by understanding, he knows that the two are not different.

Meditation and not meditation are not two but one,
The cause of all errors is to look upon the two things as different.
From the ultimate point of view, there is no view.

If you make comparison between the nature of the mind
And the nature of the heavens,
Then the true nature of being itself is penetrated.

See, now, that you look into the true meaning which is beyond thought.
Arrange to enter into undisturbed meditation.
And be mindful of the Unceasing Intuitive Sensation! ~ Jetsun Milarepa,
193:The most outward psychological form of these things is the mould or trend of the nature towards certain dominant tendencies, capacities, characteristics, form of active power, quality of the mind and inner life, cultural personality or type. The turn is often towards the predominance of the intellectual element and the capacities which make for the seeking and finding of knowledge and an intellectual creation or formativeness and a preoccupation with ideas and the study of ideas or of life and the information and development of the reflective intelligence. According to the grade of the development there is produced successively the make and character of the man of active, open, inquiring intelligence, then the intellectual and, last, the thinker, sage, great mind of knowledge. The soul-powers which make their appearance by a considerable development of this temperament, personality, soul-type, are a mind of light more and more open to all ideas and knowledge and incomings of Truth; a hunger and passion for knowledge, for its growth in ourselves, for its communication to others, for its reign in the world, the reign of reason and right and truth and justice and, on a higher level of the harmony of our greater being, the reign of the spirit and its universal unity and light and love; a power of this light in the mind and will which makes all the life subject to reason and its right and truth or to the spirit and spiritual right and truth and subdues the lower members to their greater law; a poise in the temperament turned from the first to patience, steady musing and calm, to reflection, to meditation, which dominates and quiets the turmoil of the will and passions and makes for high thinking and pure living, founds the self-governed sattwic mind, grows into a more and more mild, lofty, impersonalised and universalised personality. This is the ideal character and soul-power of the Brahmana, the priest of knowledge. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, 4:15 - Soul-Force and the Fourfold Personality
194:But usually the representative influence occupies a much larger place in the life of the sadhaka. If the Yoga is guided by a received written Shastra, - some Word from the past which embodies the experience of former Yogins, - it may be practised either by personal effort alone or with the aid of a Guru. The spiritual knowledge is then gained through meditation on the truths that are taught and it is made living and conscious by their realisation in the personal experience; the Yoga proceeds by the results of prescribed methods taught in a Scripture or a tradition and reinforced and illumined by the instructions of the Master. This is a narrower practice, but safe and effective within its limits, because it follows a well-beaten track to a long familiar goal.

For the sadhaka of the integral Yoga it is necessary to remember that no written Shastra, however great its authority or however large its spirit, can be more than a partial expression of the eternal Knowledge. He will use, but never bind himself even by the greatest Scripture. Where the Scripture is profound, wide, catholic, it may exercise upon him an influence for the highest good and of incalculable importance. It may be associated in his experience with his awakening to crowning verities and his realisation of the highest experiences. His Yoga may be governed for a long time by one Scripture or by several successively, - if it is in the line of the great Hindu tradition, by the Gita, for example, the Upanishads, the Veda. Or it may be a good part of his development to include in its material a richly varied experience of the truths of many Scriptures and make the future opulent with all that is best in the past. But in the end he must take his station, or better still, if he can, always and from the beginning he must live in his own soul beyond the limitations of the word that he uses. The Gita itself thus declares that the Yogin in his progress must pass beyond the written Truth, - sabdabrahmativartate - beyond all that he has heard and all that he has yet to hear, - srotavyasya srutasya ca. For he is not the sadhaka of a book or of many books; he is a sadhaka of the Infinite. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Four Aids,
195:In the Indian spiritual tradition, a heart's devotion to God, called Bhakti, is regarded as the easiest path to the Divine. What is Bhakti? Is it some extravagant religious sentimentalism? Is it inferior to the path of Knowledge? What is the nature of pure and complete spiritual devotion to God and how to realise it?

What Is Devotion?

...bhakti in its fullness is nothing but an entire self-giving. But then all meditation, all tapasya, all means of prayer or mantra must have that as its end... [SABCL, 23:799]

Devotion Is a State of the Heart and Soul

Bhakti is not an experience, it is a state of the heart and soul. It is a state which comes when the psychic being is awake and prominent. [SABCL, 23:776]

...Worship is only the first step on the path of devotion. Where external worship changes into the inner adoration, real Bhakti begins; that deepens into the intensity of divine love; that love leads to the joy of closeness in our relations with the Divine; the joy of closeness passes into the bliss of union. [SABCL, 21:525]

Devotion without Gratitude Is Incomplete

...there is another movement which should constantly accompany devotion. ... That kind of sense of gratitude that the Divine exists; that feeling of a marvelling thankfulness which truly fills you with a sublime joy at the fact that the Divine exists, that there is something in the universe which is the Divine, that it is not just the monstrosity we see, that there is the Divine, the Divine exists. And each time that the least thing puts you either directly or indirectly in contactwith this sublime Reality of divine existence, the heart is filled with so intense, so marvellous a joy, such a gratitude as of all things has the most delightful taste.

There is nothing which gives you a joy equal to that of gratitude. One hears a bird sing, sees a lovely flower, looks at a little child, observes an act of generosity, reads a beautiful sentence, looks at the setting sun, no matter what, suddenly this comes upon you, this kind of emotion-indeed so deep, so intense-that the world manifests the Divine, that there is something behind the world which is the Divine.

So I find that devotion without gratitude is quite incomplete, gratitude must come with devotion. ~ The Mother,
196:Self-Abuse by Drugs
Not a drop of alcohol is to be brought into this temple.
Master Bassui (1327-1387)1
(His dying instructions: first rule)
In swinging between liberal tolerance one moment and outraged repression the next,
modern societies seem chronically incapable of reaching consistent attitudes about
drugs.
Stephen Batchelor2
Drugs won't show you the truth. Drugs will only show you what it's like to be on drugs.
Brad Warner3

Implicit in the authentic Buddhist Path is sila. It is the time-honored practice
of exercising sensible restraints [Z:73-74]. Sila's ethical guidelines provide the
bedrock foundation for one's personal behavior in daily life. At the core of every
religion are some self-disciplined renunciations corresponding to sila. Yet, a profound irony has been reshaping the human condition in most cultures during the
last half century. It dates from the years when psychoactive drugs became readily
available. During this era, many naturally curious persons could try psychedelic
short-cuts and experience the way their consciousness might seem to ''expand.'' A
fortunate few of these experimenters would become motivated to follow the nondrug meditative route when they pursued various spiritual paths.
One fact is often overlooked. Meditation itself has many mind-expanding, psychedelic properties [Z:418-426]. These meditative experiences can also stimulate a
drug-free spiritual quest.
Meanwhile, we live in a drug culture. It is increasingly a drugged culture, for which overprescribing physicians must shoulder part of the blame. Do
drugs have any place along the spiritual path? This issue will always be hotly
debated.4
In Zen, the central issue is not whether each spiritual aspirant has the ''right''
to exercise their own curiosity, or the ''right'' to experiment on their own brains in
the name of freedom of religion. It is a free country. Drugs are out there. The real
questions are:
 Can you exercise the requisite self-discipline to follow the Zen Buddhist Path?
 Do you already have enough common sense to ask that seemingly naive question,

''What would Buddha do?'' (WWBD).
~ James Austin, Zen-Brain_Reflections,_Reviewing_Recent_Developments_in_Meditation_and_States_of_Consciousness,
197:34
D: What are the eight limbs of knowledge (jnana ashtanga)?
M: The eight limbs are those which have been already mentioned, viz., yama, niyama etc., but differently defined:
(1) Yama: This is controlling the aggregate of sense-organs, realizing the defects that are present in the world consisting of the body, etc.
(2) Niyama: This is maintaining a stream of mental modes that relate to the Self and rejecting the contrary modes. In other words, it means love that arises uninterruptedly for the Supreme Self.
(3) Asana: That with the help of which constant meditation on Brahman is made possible with ease is asana.
(4) Pranayama: Rechaka (exhalation) is removing the two unreal aspects of name and form from the objects constituting the world, the body etc., puraka (inhalation) is grasping the three real aspects, existence, consciousness and bliss, which are constant in those objects, and kumbhaka is retaining those aspects thus grasped.
(5) Pratyahara: This is preventing name and form which have been removed from re-entering the mind.
(6) Dharana: This is making the mind stay in the Heart, without straying outward, and realizing that one is the Self itself which is Existence-Consciousness-Bliss.
(7) Dhyana: This is meditation of the form 'I am only pure consciousness'. That is, after leaving aside the body which consists of five sheaths, one enquires 'Who am I?', and as a result of that, one stays as 'I' which shines as the Self.
(8) Samadhi: When the 'I-manifestation' also ceases, there is (subtle) direct experience. This is samadhi.
For pranayama, etc., detailed here, the disciplines such as asana, etc., mentioned in connection with yoga are not necessary.
The limbs of knowledge may be practised at all places and at all times. Of yoga and knowledge, one may follow whichever is pleasing to one, or both, according to circumstances. The great teachers say that forgetfulness is the root of all evil, and is death for those who seek release,10 so one should rest the mind in one's Self and should never forget the Self: this is the aim. If the mind is controlled, all else can be controlled. The distinction between yoga with eight limbs and knowledge with eight limbs has been set forth elaborately in the sacred texts; so only the substance of this teaching has been given here. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Self-Enquiry, 34,
198:What is the difference between meditation and concentration?
   Meditation is a purely mental activity, it interests only the mental being. One can concentrate while meditating but this is a mental concentration; one can get a silence but it is a purely mental silence, and the other parts of the being are kept immobile and inactive so as not to disturb the meditation. You may pass twenty hours of the day in meditation and for the remaining four hours you will be an altogether ordinary man because only the mind has been occupied-the rest of the being, the vital and the physical, is kept under pressure so that it may not disturb. In meditation nothing is directly done for the other parts of the being.
   Certainly this indirect action can have an effect, but... I have known in my life people whose capacity for meditation was remarkable but who, when not in meditation, were quite ordinary men, even at times ill-natured people, who would become furious if their meditation was disturbed. For they had learnt to master only their mind, not the rest of their being.
   Concentration is a more active state. You may concentrate mentally, you may concentrate vitally, psychically, physically, and you may concentrate integrally. Concentration or the capacity to gather oneself at one point is more difficult than meditation. You may gather together one portion of your being or consciousness or you may gather together the whole of your consciousness or even fragments of it, that is, the concentration may be partial, total or integral, and in each case the result will be different.
   If you have the capacity to concentrate, your meditation will be more interesting and easieR But one can meditate without concentrating. Many follow a chain of ideas in their meditation - it is meditation, not concentration.
   Is it possible to distinguish the moment when one attains perfect concentration from the moment when, starting from this concentration, one opens oneself to the universal Energy?
   Yes. You concentrate on something or simply you gather yourself together as much as is possible for you and when you attain a kind of perfection in concentration, if you can sustain this perfection for a sufficiently long time, then a door opens and you pass beyond the limit of your ordinary consciousness-you enter into a deeper and higher knowledge. Or you go within. Then you may experience a kind of dazzling light, an inner wonder, a beatitude, a complete knowledge, a total silence. There are, of course, many possibilities but the phenomenon is always the same.
   To have this experience all depends upon your capacity to maintain your concentration sufficiently long at its highest point of perfection. ~ The Mother,
199:The preliminary movement of Rajayoga is careful self-discipline by which good habits of mind are substituted for the lawless movements that indulge the lower nervous being. By the practice of truth, by renunciation of all forms of egoistic seeking, by abstention from injury to others, by purity, by constant meditation and inclination to the divine Purusha who is the true lord of the mental kingdom, a pure, clear state of mind and heart is established.
   This is the first step only. Afterwards, the ordinary activities of the mind and sense must be entirely quieted in order that the soul may be free to ascend to higher states of consciousness and acquire the foundation for a perfect freedom and self-mastery. But Rajayoga does not forget that the disabilities of the ordinary mind proceed largely from its subjection to the reactions of the nervous system and the body. It adopts therefore from the Hathayogic system its devices of asana and pranayama, but reduces their multiple and elaborate forms in each case to one simplest and most directly effective process sufficient for its own immediate object. Thus it gets rid of the Hathayogic complexity and cumbrousness while it utilises the swift and powerful efficacy of its methods for the control of the body and the vital functions and for the awakening of that internal dynamism, full of a latent supernormal faculty, typified in Yogic terminology by the kundalini, the coiled and sleeping serpent of Energy within. This done, the system proceeds to the perfect quieting of the restless mind and its elevation to a higher plane through concentration of mental force by the successive stages which lead to the utmost inner concentration or ingathered state of the consciousness which is called Samadhi.
   By Samadhi, in which the mind acquires the capacity of withdrawing from its limited waking activities into freer and higher states of consciousness, Rajayoga serves a double purpose. It compasses a pure mental action liberated from the confusions of the outer consciousness and passes thence to the higher supra-mental planes on which the individual soul enters into its true spiritual existence. But also it acquires the capacity of that free and concentrated energising of consciousness on its object which our philosophy asserts as the primary cosmic energy and the method of divine action upon the world. By this capacity the Yogin, already possessed of the highest supracosmic knowledge and experience in the state of trance, is able in the waking state to acquire directly whatever knowledge and exercise whatever mastery may be useful or necessary to his activities in the objective world.
   ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Conditions of the Synthesis, The Systems of Yoga, 36,
200:the process of unification, the perfecting our one's instrumental being, the help one needs to reach the goal :::
If we truly want to progress and acquire the capacity of knowing the truth of our being, that is to say, what we are truly created for, what we can call our mission upon earth, then we must, in a very regular and constant manner, reject from us or eliminate in us whatever contradicts the truth of our existence, whatever is opposed to it. In this way, little by little, all the parts, all the elements of our being can be organised into a homogeneous whole around our psychic centre. This work of unification requires much time to be brought to some degree of perfection. Therefore, in order to accomplish it, we must arm ourselves with patience and endurance, with a determination to prolong our life as long as necessary for the success of our endeavor.
   As you pursue this labor of purification and unification, you must at the same time take great care to perfect the external and instrumental part of your being. When the higher truth manifests, it must find in you a mind that is supple and rich enough to be able to give the idea that seeks to express itself a form of thought which preserves its force and clarity. This thought, again, when it seeks to clothe itself in words, must find in you a sufficient power of expression so that the words reveal the thought and do not deform it. And the formula in which you embody the truth should be manifested in all your feelings, all your acts of will, all your actions, in all movements of your being. Finally, these movements themselves should, by constant effort, attain their highest perfection. ... It is therefore of capital importance to become conscious of its presence in us [the psychic being], to concentrate on this presence until it becomes a living fact for us and we can identify ourselves with it.
   In various times and places many methods have been prescribed for attaining this perfection and ultimately achieving this identification. Some methods are psychological, some religious, some even mechanical. In reality, everyone has to find the one which suits him best, and if one has an ardent and steadfast aspiration, a persistent and dynamic will, one is sure to meet, in one way or another - outwardly through reading and study, inwardly through concentration, meditation, revelation and experience - the help one needs to reach the goal. Only one thing is absolutely indispensable: the will to discover and to realize. This discovery and realization should be the primary preoccupation of our being, the pearl of great price which we must acquire at any cost. Whatever you do, whatever your occupations and activities, the will to find the truth of your being and to unite with it must be always living and present behind all that you do, all that you feel, all that you think.
   ~ The Mother, On Education, [T1],
201:How can one awaken his Yoga-shakti?

It depends on this: when one thinks that it is the most important thing in his life. That's all.

Some people sit in meditation, concentrate on the base of the vertebral column and want it very much to awake, but that's not enough. It is when truly it becomes the most important thing in one's life, when all the rest seems to have lost all taste, all interest, all importance, when one feels within that one is born for this, that one is here upon earth for this, and that it is the only thing that truly counts, then that's enough.

One can concentrate on the different centres; but sometimes one concentrates for so long, with so much effort, and has no result. And then one day something shakes you, you feel that you are going to lose your footing, you have to cling on to something; then you cling within yourself to the idea of union with the Divine, the idea of the divine Presence, the idea of the transformation of the consciousness, and you aspire, you want, you try to organise your feelings, movements, impulses around this. And it comes.

Some people have recommended all kinds of methods; probably these were methods which had succeeded in their case; but to tell the truth, one must find one's own method, it is only after having done the thing that one knows how it should be done, not before.

If one knows it beforehand, one makes a mental construction and risks greatly living in his mental construction, which is an illusion; because when the mind builds certain conditions and then they are realised, there are many chances of there being mostly pure mental construction which is not the experience itself but its image. So for all these truly spiritual experiences I think it is wiser to have them before knowing them. If one knows them, one imitates them, one doesn't have them, one imagines oneself having them; whereas if one knows nothing - how things are and how they ought to happen, what should happen and how it will come about - if one knows nothing about all this, then by keeping very still and making a kind of inner sorting out within one's being, one can suddenly have the experience, and then later knows what one has had. It is over, and one knows how it has to be done when one has done it - afterwards. Like that it is sure.

One may obviously make use of his imagination, imagine the Kundalini and try to pull it upwards. But one can also tell himself tales like this. I have had so many instances of people who described their experiences to me exactly as they are described in books, knowing all the words and putting down all the details, and then I asked them just a little question like that, casually: that if they had had the experience they should have known or felt a certain thing, and as this was not in the books, they could not answer.~ The Mother, Questions And Answers 1955, 211-212,
202:Concentration is a gathering together of the consciousness and either centralising at one point or turning on a single object, e.g., the Divine; there can be also be a gathered condition throughout the whole being, not at a point. In meditation it is not indispensable to gather like this, one can simply remain with a quiet mind thinking of one subject or observing what comes in the consciousness and dealing with it. ... Of this true consciousness other than the superficial there are two main centres, one in the heart (not the physical heart, but the cardiac centre in the middle of the chest), one in the head. The concentration in the heart opens within and by following this inward opening and going deep one becomes aware of the soul or psychic being, the divine element in the individual. This being unveiled begins to come forward, to govern the nature, to turn it and all its movements towards the Truth, towards the Divine, and to call down into it all that is above. It brings the consciousness of the Presence, the dedication of the being to the Highest and invites the descent into our nature of a greater Force and Consciousness which is waiting above us. To concentrate in the heart centre with the offering of oneself to the Divine and the aspiration for this inward opening and for the Presence in the heart is the first way and, if it can be done, the natural beginning; for its result once obtained makes the spiritual path far more easy and safe than if one begins the other ways.
   That other way is the concentration in the head, in the mental centre. This, if it brings about the silence of the surface mind, opens up an inner, larger, deeper mind within which is more capable of receiving spiritual experience and spiritual knowledge. But once concentrated here one must open the silent mental consciousness upward and in the end it rises beyond the lid which has so long kept it tied in the body and finds a centre above the head where it is liberated into the Infinite. There it begins to come into contact with the universal Self, the Divine Peace, Light, Power, Knowledge, Bliss, to enter into that and become that, to feel the descent of these things into the nature. To concentrate in the head with the aspiration for quietude in the mind and the realisation of the Self and Divine above is the second way of concentration. It is important, however, to remember that the concentration of the consciousness in the head in only a preparation for its rising to the centre above; otherwise, one may get shut up in one's own mind and its experiences or at best attain only to a reflection of the Truth above instead of rising into the spiritual transcendence to live there. For some the mental concentration is easier, for some the concentration in the heart centre; some are capable of doing both alternatively - but to begin with the heart centre, if one can do it, is the most desirable.
   ~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters On Yoga - II,
203:3. Conditions internal and external that are most essential for meditation. There are no essential external conditions, but solitude and seculsion at the time of meditation as well as stillness of the body are helpful, sometimes almost necessary to the beginning. But one should not be bound by external conditions. Once the habit of meditation is formed, it should be made possible to do it in all circumstances, lying, sitting, walking, alone, in company, in silence or in the midst of noise etc.
   The first internal condition necessary is concentration of the will against the obstacles to meditation, i.e. wandering of the mind, forgetfulness, sleep, physical and nervous impatience and restlessness etc. If the difficulty in meditation is that thoughts of all kinds come in, that is not due to hostile forces but to the ordinary nature of the human mind. All sadhaks have this difficulty and with many it lasts for a very long time. There are several was of getting rid of it. One of them is to look at the thoughts and observe what is the nature of the human mind as they show it but not to give any sanction and to let them run down till they come to a standstill - this is a way recommended by Vivekananda in his Rajayoga. Another is to look at the thoughts as not one's own, to stand back as the witness Purusha and refuse the sanction - the thoughts are regarded as things coming from outside, from Prakriti, and they must be felt as if they were passers-by crossing the mind-space with whom one has no connection and in whom one takes no interest. In this way it usually happens that after the time the mind divides into two, a part which is the mental witness watching and perfectly undisturbed and quiet and a part in which the thoughts cross or wander. Afterwards one can proceed to silence or quiet the Prakriti part also. There is a third, an active method by which one looks to see where the thoughts come from and finds they come not from oneself, but from outside the head as it were; if one can detect them coming, then, before enter, they have to be thrown away altogether. This is perhaps the most difficult way and not all can do it, but if it can be done it is the shortest and most powerful road to silence. It is not easy to get into the Silence. That is only possible by throwing out all mental-vital activities. It is easier to let the Silence descend into you, i.e., to open yourself and let it descend. The way to do this and the way to call down the higher powers is the same. It is to remain quiet at the time of efforts to pull down the Power or the Silence but keeping only a silent will and aspiration for them. If the mind is active one has to learn to look at it, drawn back and not giving sanction from within, until its habitual or mechanical activities begin to fall quiet for want of support from within. if it is too persistent, a steady rejection without strain or struggle is the one thing to be done.
   ~ Sri Aurobindo, Autobiographical Notes,
204::::
   As an inner equality increases and with it the sense of the true vital being waiting for the greater direction it has to serve, as the psychic call too increases in all the members of our nature, That to which the call is addressed begins to reveal itself, descends to take possession of the life and its energies and fills them with the height, intimacy, vastness of its presence and its purpose. In many, if not most, it manifests something of itself even before the equality and the open psychic urge or guidance are there. A call of the veiled psychic element oppressed by the mass of the outer ignorance and crying for deliverance, a stress of eager meditation and seeking for knowledge, a longing of the heart, a passionate will ignorant yet but sincere may break the lid that shuts off that Higher from this Lower Nature and open the floodgates. A little of the Divine Person may reveal itself or some Light, Power, Bliss, Love out of the Infinite. This may be a momentary revelation, a flash or a brief-lived gleam that soon withdraws and waits for the preparation of the nature; but also it may repeat itself, grow, endure. A long and large and comprehensive working will then have begun, sometimes luminous or intense, sometimes slow and obscure. A Divine Power comes in front at times and leads and compels or instructs and enlightens; at others it withdraws into the background and seems to leave the being to its own resources. All that is ignorant, obscure, perverted or simply imperfect and inferior in the being is raised up, perhaps brought to its acme, dealt with, corrected, exhausted, shown its own disastrous results, compelled to call for its own cessation or transformation or expelled as worthless or incorrigible from the nature. This cannot be a smooth and even process; alternations there are of day and night, illumination and darkness, calm and construction or battle and upheaval, the presence of the growing Divine Consciousness and its absence, heights of hope and abysses of despair, the clasp of the Beloved and the anguish of its absence, the overwhelming invasion, the compelling deceit, the fierce opposition, the disabling mockery of hostile Powers or the help and comfort and communion of the Gods and the Divine Messengers. A great and long revolution and churning of the ocean of Life with strong emergences of its nectar and its poison is enforced till all is ready and the increasing Descent finds a being, a nature prepared and conditioned for its complete rule and its all-encompassing presence. But if the equality and the psychic light and will are already there, then this process, though it cannot be dispensed with, can still be much lightened and facilitated: it will be rid of its worst dangers; an inner calm, happiness, confidence will support the steps through all the difficulties and trials of the transformation and the growing Force profiting by the full assent of the nature will rapidly diminish and eliminate the power of the opposing forces. A sure guidance and protection will be present throughout, sometimes standing in front, sometimes working behind the veil, and the power of the end will be already there even in the beginning and in the long middle stages of the great endeavour. For at all times the seeker will be aware of the Divine Guide and Protector or the working of the supreme Mother-Force; he will know that all is done for the best, the progress assured, the victory inevitable. In either case the process is the same and unavoidable, a taking up of the whole nature, of the whole life, of the internal and of the external, to reveal and handle and transform its forces and their movements under the pressure of a diviner Life from above, until all here has been possessed by greater spiritual powers and made an instrumentation of a spiritual action and a divine purpose. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Ascent of the Sacrifice - 2, 179,
205:To arrive then at this settled divine status must be the object of our concentration. The first step in concentration must be always to accustom the discursive mind to a settled unwavering pursuit of a single course of connected thought on a single subject and this it must do undistracted by all lures and alien calls on its attention. Such concentration is common enough in our ordinary life, but it becomes more difficult when we have to do it inwardly without any outward object or action on which to keep the mind; yet this inward concentration is what the seeker of knowledge must effect. Nor must it be merely the consecutive thought of the intellectual thinker, whose only object is to conceive and intellectually link together his conceptions. It is not, except perhaps at first, a process of reasoning that is wanted so much as a dwelling so far as possible on the fruitful essence of the idea which by the insistence of the soul's will upon it must yield up all the facets of its truth. Thus if it be the divine Love that is the subject of concentration, it is on the essence of the idea of God as Love that the mind should concentrate in such a way that the various manifestation of the divine Love should arise luminously, not only to the thought, but in the heart and being and vision of the Sadhaka. The thought may come first and the experience afterwards, but equally the experience may come first and the knowledge arise out of the experience. Afterwards the thing attained has to be dwelt on and more and more held till it becomes a constant experience and finally the Dharma or law of the being.
   This is the process of concentrated meditation; but a more strenuous method is the fixing of the whole mind in concentration on the essence of the idea only, so as to reach not the thought-knowledge or the psychological experience of the subject, but the very essence of the thing behind the idea. In this process thought ceases and passes into the absorbed or ecstatic contemplation of the object or by a merging into it m an inner Samadhi. If this be the process followed, then subsequently the state into which we rise must still be called down to take possession of the lower being, to shed its light, power and bliss on our ordinary consciousness. For otherwise we may possess it, as many do, in the elevated condition or in the inward Samadhi, but we shall lose our hold of it when we awake or descend into the contacts of the world; and this truncated possession is not the aim of an integral Yoga.
   A third process is neither at first to concentrate in a strenuous meditation on the one subject nor in a strenuous contemplation of the one object of thought-vision, but first to still the mind altogether. This may be done by various ways; one is to stand back from the mental action altogether not participating in but simply watching it until, tired of its unsanctioned leaping and running, it falls into an increasing and finally an absolute quiet. Another is to reject the thought-suggestions, to cast them away from the mind whenever they come and firmly hold to the peace of the being which really and always exists behind the trouble and riot of the mind. When this secret peace is unveiled, a great calm settles on the being and there comes usually with it the perception and experience of the all-pervading silent Brahman, everything else at first seeming to be mere form and eidolon. On the basis of this calm everything else may be built up in the knowledge and experience no longer of the external phenomena of things but of the deeper truth of the divine manifestation.
   Ordinarily, once this state is obtained, strenuous concentration will be found no longer necessary. A free concentration of will using thought merely for suggestion and the giving of light to the lower members will take its place. This Will will then insist on the physical being, the vital existence, the heart and the mind remoulding themselves in the forms of the Divine which reveal themselves out of the silent Brahman. By swifter or slower degrees according to the previous preparation and purification of the members, they will be obliged with more or less struggle to obey the law of the will and its thought-suggestion, so that eventually the knowledge of the Divine takes possession of our consciousness on all its planes and the image of the Divine is formed in our human existence even as it was done by the old Vedic Sadhakas. For the integral Yoga this is the most direct and powerful discipline.
   ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Yoga of Integral Knowledge, Concentration,
206:GURU YOGA
   Guru yoga is an essential practice in all schools of Tibetan Buddhism and Bon. This is true in sutra, tantra, and Dzogchen. It develops the heart connection with the masteR By continually strengthening our devotion, we come to the place of pure devotion in ourselves, which is the unshakeable, powerful base of the practice. The essence of guru yoga is to merge the practitioner's mind with the mind of the master.
   What is the true master? It is the formless, fundamental nature of mind, the primordial awareness of the base of everything, but because we exist in dualism, it is helpful for us to visualize this in a form. Doing so makes skillful use of the dualisms of the conceptual mind, to further strengthen devotion and help us stay directed toward practice and the generation of positive qualities.
   In the Bon tradition, we often visualize either Tapihritsa* as the master, or the Buddha ShenlaOdker*, who represents the union of all the masters. If you are already a practitioner, you may have another deity to visualize, like Guru Rinpoche or a yidam or dakini. While it is important to work with a lineage with which you have a connection, you should understand that the master you visualize is the embodiment of all the masters with whom you are connected, all the teachers with whom you have studied, all the deities to whom you have commitments. The master in guru yoga is not just one individual, but the essence of enlightenment, the primordial awareness that is your true nature.
   The master is also the teacher from whom you receive the teachings. In the Tibetan tradition, we say the master is more important than the Buddha. Why? Because the master is the immediate messenger of the teachings, the one who brings the Buddha's wisdom to the student. Without the master we could not find our way to the Buddha. So we should feel as much devotion to the master as we would to the Buddha if the Buddha suddenly appeared in front of us.
   Guru yoga is not just about generating some feeling toward a visualized image. It is done to find the fundamental mind in yourself that is the same as the fundamental mind of all your teachers, and of all the Buddhas and realized beings that have ever lived. When you merge with the guru, you merge with your pristine true nature, which is the real guide and masteR But this should not be an abstract practice. When you do guru yoga, try to feel such intense devotion that the hair stands upon your neck, tears start down your face, and your heart opens and fills with great love. Let yourself merge in union with the guru's mind, which is your enlightened Buddha-nature. This is the way to practice guru yoga.
  
The Practice
   After the nine breaths, still seated in meditation posture, visualize the master above and in front of you. This should not be a flat, two dimensional picture-let a real being exist there, in three dimensions, made of light, pure, and with a strong presence that affects the feeling in your body,your energy, and your mind. Generate strong devotion and reflect on the great gift of the teachings and the tremendous good fortune you enjoy in having made a connection to them. Offer a sincere prayer, asking that your negativities and obscurations be removed, that your positive qualities develop, and that you accomplish dream yoga.
   Then imagine receiving blessings from the master in the form of three colored lights that stream from his or her three wisdom doors- of body, speech, and mind-into yours. The lights should be transmitted in the following sequence: White light streams from the master's brow chakra into yours, purifying and relaxing your entire body and physical dimension. Then red light streams from the master's throat chakra into yours, purifying and relaxing your energetic dimension. Finally, blue light streams from the master's heart chakra into yours, purifying and relaxing your mind.
   When the lights enter your body, feel them. Let your body, energy, and mind relax, suffused inwisdom light. Use your imagination to make the blessing real in your full experience, in your body and energy as well as in the images in your mind.
   After receiving the blessing, imagine the master dissolving into light that enters your heart and resides there as your innermost essence. Imagine that you dissolve into that light, and remain inpure awareness, rigpa.
   There are more elaborate instructions for guru yoga that can involve prostrations, offerings, gestures, mantras, and more complicated visualizations, but the essence of the practice is mingling your mind with the mind of the master, which is pure, non-dual awareness. Guru yoga can be done any time during the day; the more often the better. Many masters say that of all the practices it is guru yoga that is the most important. It confers the blessings of the lineage and can open and soften the heart and quiet the unruly mind. To completely accomplish guru yoga is to accomplish the path.
   ~ Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, The Tibetan Yogas Of Dream And Sleep, [T3],
207:This, in short, is the demand made on us, that we should turn our whole life into a conscious sacrifice. Every moment and every movement of our being is to be resolved into a continuous and a devoted self-giving to the Eternal. All our actions, not less the smallest and most ordinary and trifling than the greatest and most uncommon and noble, must be performed as consecrated acts. Our individualised nature must live in the single consciousness of an inner and outer movement dedicated to Something that is beyond us and greater than our ego. No matter what the gift or to whom it is presented by us, there must be a consciousness in the act that we are presenting it to the one divine Being in all beings. Our commonest or most grossly material actions must assume this sublimated character; when we eat, we should be conscious that we are giving our food to that Presence in us; it must be a sacred offering in a temple and the sense of a mere physical need or self-gratification must pass away from us. In any great labour, in any high discipline, in any difficult or noble enterprise, whether undertaken for ourselves, for others or for the race, it will no longer be possible to stop short at the idea of the race, of ourselves or of others. The thing we are doing must be consciously offered as a sacrifice of works, not to these, but either through them or directly to the One Godhead; the Divine Inhabitant who was hidden by these figures must be no longer hidden but ever present to our soul, our mind, our sense. The workings and results of our acts must be put in the hands of that One in the feeling that that Presence is the Infinite and Most High by whom alone our labour and our aspiration are possible. For in his being all takes place; for him all labour and aspiration are taken from us by Nature and offered on his altar. Even in those things in which Nature is herself very plainly the worker and we only the witnesses of her working and its containers and supporters, there should be the same constant memory and insistent consciousness of a work and of its divine Master. Our very inspiration and respiration, our very heart-beats can and must be made conscious in us as the living rhythm of the universal sacrifice.
   It is clear that a conception of this kind and its effective practice must carry in them three results that are of a central importance for our spiritual ideal. It is evident, to begin with, that, even if such a discipline is begun without devotion, it leads straight and inevitably towards the highest devotion possible; for it must deepen naturally into the completest adoration imaginable, the most profound God-love. There is bound up with it a growing sense of the Divine in all things, a deepening communion with the Divine in all our thought, will and action and at every moment of our lives, a more and more moved consecration to the Divine of the totality of our being. Now these implications of the Yoga of works are also of the very essence of an integral and absolute Bhakti. The seeker who puts them into living practice makes in himself continually a constant, active and effective representation of the very spirit of self-devotion, and it is inevitable that out of it there should emerge the most engrossing worship of the Highest to whom is given this service. An absorbing love for the Divine Presence to whom he feels an always more intimate closeness, grows upon the consecrated worker. And with it is born or in it is contained a universal love too for all these beings, living forms and creatures that are habitations of the Divine - not the brief restless grasping emotions of division, but the settled selfless love that is the deeper vibration of oneness. In all the seeker begins to meet the one Object of his adoration and service. The way of works turns by this road of sacrifice to meet the path of Devotion; it can be itself a devotion as complete, as absorbing, as integral as any the desire of the heart can ask for or the passion of the mind can imagine.
   Next, the practice of this Yoga demands a constant inward remembrance of the one central liberating knowledge, and a constant active externalising of it in works comes in too to intensify the remembrance. In all is the one Self, the one Divine is all; all are in the Divine, all are the Divine and there is nothing else in the universe, - this thought or this faith is the whole background until it becomes the whole substance of the consciousness of the worker. A memory, a self-dynamising meditation of this kind, must and does in its end turn into a profound and uninterrupted vision and a vivid and all-embracing consciousness of that which we so powerfully remember or on which we so constantly meditate. For it compels a constant reference at each moment to the Origin of all being and will and action and there is at once an embracing and exceeding of all particular forms and appearances in That which is their cause and upholder. This way cannot go to its end without a seeing vivid and vital, as concrete in its way as physical sight, of the works of the universal Spirit everywhere. On its summits it rises into a constant living and thinking and willing and acting in the presence of the Supramental, the Transcendent. Whatever we see and hear, whatever we touch and sense, all of which we are conscious, has to be known and felt by us as That which we worship and serve; all has to be turned into an image of the Divinity, perceived as a dwelling-place of his Godhead, enveloped with the eternal Omnipresence. In its close, if not long before it, this way of works turns by communion with the Divine Presence, Will and Force into a way of Knowledge more complete and integral than any the mere creature intelligence can construct or the search of the intellect can discover.
   Lastly, the practice of this Yoga of sacrifice compels us to renounce all the inner supports of egoism, casting them out of our mind and will and actions, and to eliminate its seed, its presence, its influence out of our nature. All must be done for the Divine; all must be directed towards the Divine. Nothing must be attempted for ourselves as a separate existence; nothing done for others, whether neighbours, friends, family, country or mankind or other creatures merely because they are connected with our personal life and thought and sentiment or because the ego takes a preferential interest in their welfare. In this way of doing and seeing all works and all life become only a daily dynamic worship and service of the Divine in the unbounded temple of his own vast cosmic existence. Life becomes more and more the sacrifice of the eternal in the individual constantly self-offered to the eternal Transcendence. It is offered in the wide sacrificial ground of the field of the eternal cosmic Spirit; and the Force too that offers it is the eternal Force, the omnipresent Mother. Therefore is this way a way of union and communion by acts and by the spirit and knowledge in the act as complete and integral as any our Godward will can hope for or our soul's strength execute.
   It has all the power of a way of works integral and absolute, but because of its law of sacrifice and self-giving to the Divine Self and Master, it is accompanied on its one side by the whole power of the path of Love and on the other by the whole power of the path of Knowledge. At its end all these three divine Powers work together, fused, united, completed, perfected by each other.
   ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Yoga of Divine Works, The Sacrifice, the Triune Path and the Lord of the Sacrifice [111-114],
208:How to Meditate
Deep meditation is a mental procedure that utilizes the nature of the mind to systematically bring the mind to rest. If the mind is given the opportunity, it will go to rest with no effort. That is how the mind works.
Indeed, effort is opposed to the natural process of deep meditation. The mind always seeks the path of least resistance to express itself. Most of the time this is by making more and more thoughts. But it is also possible to create a situation in the mind that turns the path of least resistance into one leading to fewer and fewer thoughts. And, very soon, no thoughts at all. This is done by using a particular thought in a particular way. The thought is called a mantra.
For our practice of deep meditation, we will use the thought - I AM. This will be our mantra.
It is for the sound that we will use I AM, not for the meaning of it.
The meaning has an obvious significance in English, and I AM has a religious meaning in the English Bible as well. But we will not use I AM for the meaning - only for the sound. We can also spell it AYAM. No meaning there, is there? Only the sound. That is what we want. If your first language is not English, you may spell the sound phonetically in your own language if you wish. No matter how we spell it, it will be the same sound. The power of the sound ...I AM... is great when thought inside. But only if we use a particular procedure. Knowing this procedure is the key to successful meditation. It is very simple. So simple that we will devote many pages here to discussing how to keep it simple, because we all have a tendency to make things more complicated. Maintaining simplicity is the key to right meditation.
Here is the procedure of deep meditation: While sitting comfortably with eyes closed, we'll just relax. We will notice thoughts, streams of thoughts. That is fine. We just let them go by without minding them. After about a minute, we gently introduce the mantra, ...I AM...
We think the mantra in a repetition very easily inside. The speed of repetition may vary, and we do not mind it. We do not intone the mantra out loud. We do not deliberately locate the mantra in any particular part of the body. Whenever we realize we are not thinking the mantra inside anymore, we come back to it easily. This may happen many times in a sitting, or only once or twice. It doesn't matter. We follow this procedure of easily coming back to the mantra when we realize we are off it for the predetermined time of our meditation session. That's it.
Very simple.
Typically, the way we will find ourselves off the mantra will be in a stream of other thoughts. This is normal. The mind is a thought machine, remember? Making thoughts is what it does. But, if we are meditating, as soon as we realize we are off into a stream of thoughts, no matter how mundane or profound, we just easily go back to the mantra.
Like that. We don't make a struggle of it. The idea is not that we have to be on the mantra all the time. That is not the objective. The objective is to easily go back to it when we realize we are off it. We just favor the mantra with our attention when we notice we are not thinking it. If we are back into a stream of other thoughts five seconds later, we don't try and force the thoughts out. Thoughts are a normal part of the deep meditation process. We just ease back to the mantra again. We favor it.
Deep meditation is a going toward, not a pushing away from. We do that every single time with the mantra when we realize we are off it - just easily favoring it. It is a gentle persuasion. No struggle. No fuss. No iron willpower or mental heroics are necessary for this practice. All such efforts are away from the simplicity of deep meditation and will reduce its effectiveness.
As we do this simple process of deep meditation, we will at some point notice a change in the character of our inner experience. The mantra may become very refined and fuzzy. This is normal. It is perfectly all right to think the mantra in a very refined and fuzzy way if this is the easiest. It should always be easy - never a struggle. Other times, we may lose track of where we are for a while, having no mantra, or stream of thoughts either. This is fine too. When we realize we have been off somewhere, we just ease back to the mantra again. If we have been very settled with the mantra being barely recognizable, we can go back to that fuzzy level of it, if it is the easiest. As the mantra refines, we are riding it inward with our attention to progressively deeper levels of inner silence in the mind. So it is normal for the mantra to become very faint and fuzzy. We cannot force this to happen. It will happen naturally as our nervous system goes through its many cycles ofinner purification stimulated by deep meditation. When the mantra refines, we just go with it. And when the mantra does not refine, we just be with it at whatever level is easy. No struggle. There is no objective to attain, except to continue the simple procedure we are describing here.

When and Where to Meditate
How long and how often do we meditate? For most people, twenty minutes is the best duration for a meditation session. It is done twice per day, once before the morning meal and day's activity, and then again before the evening meal and evening's activity.
Try to avoid meditating right after eating or right before bed.
Before meal and activity is the ideal time. It will be most effective and refreshing then. Deep meditation is a preparation for activity, and our results over time will be best if we are active between our meditation sessions. Also, meditation is not a substitute for sleep. The ideal situation is a good balance between meditation, daily activity and normal sleep at night. If we do this, our inner experience will grow naturally over time, and our outer life will become enriched by our growing inner silence.
A word on how to sit in meditation: The first priority is comfort. It is not desirable to sit in a way that distracts us from the easy procedure of meditation. So sitting in a comfortable chair with back support is a good way to meditate. Later on, or if we are already familiar, there can be an advantage to sitting with legs crossed, also with back support. But always with comfort and least distraction being the priority. If, for whatever reason, crossed legs are not feasible for us, we will do just fine meditating in our comfortable chair. There will be no loss of the benefits.
Due to commitments we may have, the ideal routine of meditation sessions will not always be possible. That is okay. Do the best you can and do not stress over it. Due to circumstances beyond our control, sometimes the only time we will have to meditate will be right after a meal, or even later in the evening near bedtime. If meditating at these times causes a little disruption in our system, we will know it soon enough and make the necessary adjustments. The main thing is that we do our best to do two meditations every day, even if it is only a short session between our commitments. Later on, we will look at the options we have to make adjustments to address varying outer circumstances, as well as inner experiences that can come up.
Before we go on, you should try a meditation. Find a comfortable place to sit where you are not likely to be interrupted and do a short meditation, say ten minutes, and see how it goes. It is a toe in the water.
Make sure to take a couple of minutes at the end sitting easily without doing the procedure of meditation. Then open your eyes slowly. Then read on here.
As you will see, the simple procedure of deep meditation and it's resulting experiences will raise some questions. We will cover many of them here.
So, now we will move into the practical aspects of deep meditation - your own experiences and initial symptoms of the growth of your own inner silence. ~ Yogani, Deep Meditation,
209:The Science of Living

To know oneself and to control oneself

AN AIMLESS life is always a miserable life.

Every one of you should have an aim. But do not forget that on the quality of your aim will depend the quality of your life.

   Your aim should be high and wide, generous and disinterested; this will make your life precious to yourself and to others.

   But whatever your ideal, it cannot be perfectly realised unless you have realised perfection in yourself.

   To work for your perfection, the first step is to become conscious of yourself, of the different parts of your being and their respective activities. You must learn to distinguish these different parts one from another, so that you may become clearly aware of the origin of the movements that occur in you, the many impulses, reactions and conflicting wills that drive you to action. It is an assiduous study which demands much perseverance and sincerity. For man's nature, especially his mental nature, has a spontaneous tendency to give a favourable explanation for everything he thinks, feels, says and does. It is only by observing these movements with great care, by bringing them, as it were, before the tribunal of our highest ideal, with a sincere will to submit to its judgment, that we can hope to form in ourselves a discernment that never errs. For if we truly want to progress and acquire the capacity of knowing the truth of our being, that is to say, what we are truly created for, what we can call our mission upon earth, then we must, in a very regular and constant manner, reject from us or eliminate in us whatever contradicts the truth of our existence, whatever is opposed to it. In this way, little by little, all the parts, all the elements of our being can be organised into a homogeneous whole around our psychic centre. This work of unification requires much time to be brought to some degree of perfection. Therefore, in order to accomplish it, we must arm ourselves with patience and endurance, with a determination to prolong our life as long as necessary for the success of our endeavour.

   As you pursue this labour of purification and unification, you must at the same time take great care to perfect the external and instrumental part of your being. When the higher truth manifests, it must find in you a mind that is supple and rich enough to be able to give the idea that seeks to express itself a form of thought which preserves its force and clarity. This thought, again, when it seeks to clothe itself in words, must find in you a sufficient power of expression so that the words reveal the thought and do not deform it. And the formula in which you embody the truth should be manifested in all your feelings, all your acts of will, all your actions, in all the movements of your being. Finally, these movements themselves should, by constant effort, attain their highest perfection.

   All this can be realised by means of a fourfold discipline, the general outline of which is given here. The four aspects of the discipline do not exclude each other, and can be followed at the same time; indeed, this is preferable. The starting-point is what can be called the psychic discipline. We give the name "psychic" to the psychological centre of our being, the seat within us of the highest truth of our existence, that which can know this truth and set it in movement. It is therefore of capital importance to become conscious of its presence in us, to concentrate on this presence until it becomes a living fact for us and we can identify ourselves with it.

   In various times and places many methods have been prescribed for attaining this perception and ultimately achieving this identification. Some methods are psychological, some religious, some even mechanical. In reality, everyone has to find the one which suits him best, and if one has an ardent and steadfast aspiration, a persistent and dynamic will, one is sure to meet, in one way or another - outwardly through reading and study, inwardly through concentration, meditation, revelation and experience - the help one needs to reach the goal. Only one thing is absolutely indispensable: the will to discover and to realise. This discovery and realisation should be the primary preoccupation of our being, the pearl of great price which we must acquire at any cost. Whatever you do, whatever your occupations and activities, the will to find the truth of your being and to unite with it must be always living and present behind all that you do, all that you feel, all that you think.

   To complement this movement of inner discovery, it would be good not to neglect the development of the mind. For the mental instrument can equally be a great help or a great hindrance. In its natural state the human mind is always limited in its vision, narrow in its understanding, rigid in its conceptions, and a constant effort is therefore needed to widen it, to make it more supple and profound. So it is very necessary to consider everything from as many points of view as possible. Towards this end, there is an exercise which gives great suppleness and elevation to the thought. It is as follows: a clearly formulated thesis is set; against it is opposed its antithesis, formulated with the same precision. Then by careful reflection the problem must be widened or transcended until a synthesis is found which unites the two contraries in a larger, higher and more comprehensive idea.

   Many other exercises of the same kind can be undertaken; some have a beneficial effect on the character and so possess a double advantage: that of educating the mind and that of establishing control over the feelings and their consequences. For example, you must never allow your mind to judge things and people, for the mind is not an instrument of knowledge; it is incapable of finding knowledge, but it must be moved by knowledge. Knowledge belongs to a much higher domain than that of the human mind, far above the region of pure ideas. The mind has to be silent and attentive to receive knowledge from above and manifest it. For it is an instrument of formation, of organisation and action, and it is in these functions that it attains its full value and real usefulness.

   There is another practice which can be very helpful to the progress of the consciousness. Whenever there is a disagreement on any matter, such as a decision to be taken, or an action to be carried out, one must never remain closed up in one's own conception or point of view. On the contrary, one must make an effort to understand the other's point of view, to put oneself in his place and, instead of quarrelling or even fighting, find the solution which can reasonably satisfy both parties; there always is one for men of goodwill.

   Here we must mention the discipline of the vital. The vital being in us is the seat of impulses and desires, of enthusiasm and violence, of dynamic energy and desperate depressions, of passions and revolts. It can set everything in motion, build and realise; but it can also destroy and mar everything. Thus it may be the most difficult part to discipline in the human being. It is a long and exacting labour requiring great patience and perfect sincerity, for without sincerity you will deceive yourself from the very outset, and all endeavour for progress will be in vain. With the collaboration of the vital no realisation seems impossible, no transformation impracticable. But the difficulty lies in securing this constant collaboration. The vital is a good worker, but most often it seeks its own satisfaction. If that is refused, totally or even partially, the vital gets vexed, sulks and goes on strike. Its energy disappears more or less completely and in its place leaves disgust for people and things, discouragement or revolt, depression and dissatisfaction. At such moments it is good to remain quiet and refuse to act; for these are the times when one does stupid things and in a few moments one can destroy or spoil the progress that has been made during months of regular effort. These crises are shorter and less dangerous for those who have established a contact with their psychic being which is sufficient to keep alive in them the flame of aspiration and the consciousness of the ideal to be realised. They can, with the help of this consciousness, deal with their vital as one deals with a rebellious child, with patience and perseverance, showing it the truth and light, endeavouring to convince it and awaken in it the goodwill which has been veiled for a time. By means of such patient intervention each crisis can be turned into a new progress, into one more step towards the goal. Progress may be slow, relapses may be frequent, but if a courageous will is maintained, one is sure to triumph one day and see all difficulties melt and vanish before the radiance of the truth-consciousness.

   Lastly, by means of a rational and discerning physical education, we must make our body strong and supple enough to become a fit instrument in the material world for the truth-force which wants to manifest through us.

   In fact, the body must not rule, it must obey. By its very nature it is a docile and faithful servant. Unfortunately, it rarely has the capacity of discernment it ought to have with regard to its masters, the mind and the vital. It obeys them blindly, at the cost of its own well-being. The mind with its dogmas, its rigid and arbitrary principles, the vital with its passions, its excesses and dissipations soon destroy the natural balance of the body and create in it fatigue, exhaustion and disease. It must be freed from this tyranny and this can be done only through a constant union with the psychic centre of the being. The body has a wonderful capacity of adaptation and endurance. It is able to do so many more things than one usually imagines. If, instead of the ignorant and despotic masters that now govern it, it is ruled by the central truth of the being, you will be amazed at what it is capable of doing. Calm and quiet, strong and poised, at every minute it will be able to put forth the effort that is demanded of it, for it will have learnt to find rest in action and to recuperate, through contact with the universal forces, the energies it expends consciously and usefully. In this sound and balanced life a new harmony will manifest in the body, reflecting the harmony of the higher regions, which will give it perfect proportions and ideal beauty of form. And this harmony will be progressive, for the truth of the being is never static; it is a perpetual unfolding of a growing perfection that is more and more total and comprehensive. As soon as the body has learnt to follow this movement of progressive harmony, it will be possible for it to escape, through a continuous process of transformation, from the necessity of disintegration and destruction. Thus the irrevocable law of death will no longer have any reason to exist.

   When we reach this degree of perfection which is our goal, we shall perceive that the truth we seek is made up of four major aspects: Love, Knowledge, Power and Beauty. These four attributes of the Truth will express themselves spontaneously in our being. The psychic will be the vehicle of true and pure love, the mind will be the vehicle of infallible knowledge, the vital will manifest an invincible power and strength and the body will be the expression of a perfect beauty and harmony.

   Bulletin, November 1950

   ~ The Mother, On Education,
210:It does not matter if you do not understand it - Savitri, read it always. You will see that every time you read it, something new will be revealed to you. Each time you will get a new glimpse, each time a new experience; things which were not there, things you did not understand arise and suddenly become clear. Always an unexpected vision comes up through the words and lines. Every time you try to read and understand, you will see that something is added, something which was hidden behind is revealed clearly and vividly. I tell you the very verses you have read once before, will appear to you in a different light each time you re-read them. This is what happens invariably. Always your experience is enriched, it is a revelation at each step.

But you must not read it as you read other books or newspapers. You must read with an empty head, a blank and vacant mind, without there being any other thought; you must concentrate much, remain empty, calm and open; then the words, rhythms, vibrations will penetrate directly to this white page, will put their stamp upon the brain, will explain themselves without your making any effort.

Savitri alone is sufficient to make you climb to the highest peaks. If truly one knows how to meditate on Savitri, one will receive all the help one needs. For him who wishes to follow this path, it is a concrete help as though the Lord himself were taking you by the hand and leading you to the destined goal. And then, every question, however personal it may be, has its answer here, every difficulty finds its solution herein; indeed there is everything that is necessary for doing the Yoga.

*He has crammed the whole universe in a single book.* It is a marvellous work, magnificent and of an incomparable perfection.

You know, before writing Savitri Sri Aurobindo said to me, *I am impelled to launch on a new adventure; I was hesitant in the beginning, but now I am decided. Still, I do not know how far I shall succeed. I pray for help.* And you know what it was? It was - before beginning, I warn you in advance - it was His way of speaking, so full of divine humility and modesty. He never... *asserted Himself*. And the day He actually began it, He told me: *I have launched myself in a rudderless boat upon the vastness of the Infinite.* And once having started, He wrote page after page without intermission, as though it were a thing already complete up there and He had only to transcribe it in ink down here on these pages.

In truth, the entire form of Savitri has descended "en masse" from the highest region and Sri Aurobindo with His genius only arranged the lines - in a superb and magnificent style. Sometimes entire lines were revealed and He has left them intact; He worked hard, untiringly, so that the inspiration could come from the highest possible summit. And what a work He has created! Yes, it is a true creation in itself. It is an unequalled work. Everything is there, and it is put in such a simple, such a clear form; verses perfectly harmonious, limpid and eternally true. My child, I have read so many things, but I have never come across anything which could be compared with Savitri. I have studied the best works in Greek, Latin, English and of course French literature, also in German and all the great creations of the West and the East, including the great epics; but I repeat it, I have not found anywhere anything comparable with Savitri. All these literary works seems to me empty, flat, hollow, without any deep reality - apart from a few rare exceptions, and these too represent only a small fraction of what Savitri is. What grandeur, what amplitude, what reality: it is something immortal and eternal He has created. I tell you once again there is nothing like in it the whole world. Even if one puts aside the vision of the reality, that is, the essential substance which is the heart of the inspiration, and considers only the lines in themselves, one will find them unique, of the highest classical kind. What He has created is something man cannot imagine. For, everything is there, everything.

It may then be said that Savitri is a revelation, it is a meditation, it is a quest of the Infinite, the Eternal. If it is read with this aspiration for Immortality, the reading itself will serve as a guide to Immortality. To read Savitri is indeed to practice Yoga, spiritual concentration; one can find there all that is needed to realise the Divine. Each step of Yoga is noted here, including the secret of all other Yogas. Surely, if one sincerely follows what is revealed here in each line one will reach finally the transformation of the Supramental Yoga. It is truly the infallible guide who never abandons you; its support is always there for him who wants to follow the path. Each verse of Savitri is like a revealed Mantra which surpasses all that man possessed by way of knowledge, and I repeat this, the words are expressed and arranged in such a way that the sonority of the rhythm leads you to the origin of sound, which is OM.

My child, yes, everything is there: mysticism, occultism, philosophy, the history of evolution, the history of man, of the gods, of creation, of Nature. How the universe was created, why, for what purpose, what destiny - all is there. You can find all the answers to all your questions there. Everything is explained, even the future of man and of the evolution, all that nobody yet knows. He has described it all in beautiful and clear words so that spiritual adventurers who wish to solve the mysteries of the world may understand it more easily. But this mystery is well hidden behind the words and lines and one must rise to the required level of true consciousness to discover it. All prophesies, all that is going to come is presented with the precise and wonderful clarity. Sri Aurobindo gives you here the key to find the Truth, to discover the Consciousness, to solve the problem of what the universe is. He has also indicated how to open the door of the Inconscience so that the light may penetrate there and transform it. He has shown the path, the way to liberate oneself from the ignorance and climb up to the superconscience; each stage, each plane of consciousness, how they can be scaled, how one can cross even the barrier of death and attain immortality. You will find the whole journey in detail, and as you go forward you can discover things altogether unknown to man. That is Savitri and much more yet. It is a real experience - reading Savitri. All the secrets that man possessed, He has revealed, - as well as all that awaits him in the future; all this is found in the depth of Savitri. But one must have the knowledge to discover it all, the experience of the planes of consciousness, the experience of the Supermind, even the experience of the conquest of Death. He has noted all the stages, marked each step in order to advance integrally in the integral Yoga.

All this is His own experience, and what is most surprising is that it is my own experience also. It is my sadhana which He has worked out. Each object, each event, each realisation, all the descriptions, even the colours are exactly what I saw and the words, phrases are also exactly what I heard. And all this before having read the book. I read Savitri many times afterwards, but earlier, when He was writing He used to read it to me. Every morning I used to hear Him read Savitri. During the night He would write and in the morning read it to me. And I observed something curious, that day after day the experiences He read out to me in the morning were those I had had the previous night, word by word. Yes, all the descriptions, the colours, the pictures I had seen, the words I had heard, all, all, I heard it all, put by Him into poetry, into miraculous poetry. Yes, they were exactly my experiences of the previous night which He read out to me the following morning. And it was not just one day by chance, but for days and days together. And every time I used to compare what He said with my previous experiences and they were always the same. I repeat, it was not that I had told Him my experiences and that He had noted them down afterwards, no, He knew already what I had seen. It is my experiences He has presented at length and they were His experiences also. It is, moreover, the picture of Our joint adventure into the unknown or rather into the Supermind.

These are experiences lived by Him, realities, supracosmic truths. He experienced all these as one experiences joy or sorrow, physically. He walked in the darkness of inconscience, even in the neighborhood of death, endured the sufferings of perdition, and emerged from the mud, the world-misery to breathe the sovereign plenitude and enter the supreme Ananda. He crossed all these realms, went through the consequences, suffered and endured physically what one cannot imagine. Nobody till today has suffered like Him. He accepted suffering to transform suffering into the joy of union with the Supreme. It is something unique and incomparable in the history of the world. It is something that has never happened before, He is the first to have traced the path in the Unknown, so that we may be able to walk with certitude towards the Supermind. He has made the work easy for us. Savitri is His whole Yoga of transformation, and this Yoga appears now for the first time in the earth-consciousness.

And I think that man is not yet ready to receive it. It is too high and too vast for him. He cannot understand it, grasp it, for it is not by the mind that one can understand Savitri. One needs spiritual experiences in order to understand and assimilate it. The farther one advances on the path of Yoga, the more does one assimilate and the better. No, it is something which will be appreciated only in the future, it is the poetry of tomorrow of which He has spoken in The Future Poetry. It is too subtle, too refined, - it is not in the mind or through the mind, it is in meditation that Savitri is revealed.

And men have the audacity to compare it with the work of Virgil or Homer and to find it inferior. They do not understand, they cannot understand. What do they know? Nothing at all. And it is useless to try to make them understand. Men will know what it is, but in a distant future. It is only the new race with a new consciousness which will be able to understand. I assure you there is nothing under the blue sky to compare with Savitri. It is the mystery of mysteries. It is a *super-epic,* it is super-literature, super-poetry, super-vision, it is a super-work even if one considers the number of lines He has written. No, these human words are not adequate to describe Savitri. Yes, one needs superlatives, hyperboles to describe it. It is a hyper-epic. No, words express nothing of what Savitri is, at least I do not find them. It is of immense value - spiritual value and all other values; it is eternal in its subject, and infinite in its appeal, miraculous in its mode and power of execution; it is a unique thing, the more you come into contact with it, the higher will you be uplifted. Ah, truly it is something! It is the most beautiful thing He has left for man, the highest possible. What is it? When will man know it? When is he going to lead a life of truth? When is he going to accept this in his life? This yet remains to be seen.

My child, every day you are going to read Savitri; read properly, with the right attitude, concentrating a little before opening the pages and trying to keep the mind as empty as possible, absolutely without a thought. The direct road is through the heart. I tell you, if you try to really concentrate with this aspiration you can light the flame, the psychic flame, the flame of purification in a very short time, perhaps in a few days. What you cannot do normally, you can do with the help of Savitri. Try and you will see how very different it is, how new, if you read with this attitude, with this something at the back of your consciousness; as though it were an offering to Sri Aurobindo. You know it is charged, fully charged with consciousness; as if Savitri were a being, a real guide. I tell you, whoever, wanting to practice Yoga, tries sincerely and feels the necessity for it, will be able to climb with the help of Savitri to the highest rung of the ladder of Yoga, will be able to find the secret that Savitri represents. And this without the help of a Guru. And he will be able to practice it anywhere. For him Savitri alone will be the guide, for all that he needs he will find Savitri. If he remains very quiet when before a difficulty, or when he does not know where to turn to go forward and how to overcome obstacles, for all these hesitations and incertitudes which overwhelm us at every moment, he will have the necessary indications, and the necessary concrete help. If he remains very calm, open, if he aspires sincerely, always he will be as if lead by the hand. If he has faith, the will to give himself and essential sincerity he will reach the final goal.

Indeed, Savitri is something concrete, living, it is all replete, packed with consciousness, it is the supreme knowledge above all human philosophies and religions. It is the spiritual path, it is Yoga, Tapasya, Sadhana, in its single body. Savitri has an extraordinary power, it gives out vibrations for him who can receive them, the true vibrations of each stage of consciousness. It is incomparable, it is truth in its plenitude, the Truth Sri Aurobindo brought down on the earth. My child, one must try to find the secret that Savitri represents, the prophetic message Sri Aurobindo reveals there for us. This is the work before you, it is hard but it is worth the trouble. - 5 November 1967

~ The Mother, Sweet Mother, The Mother to Mona Sarkar, [T0],

*** WISDOM TROVE ***

1:Meditation is culture. ~ benjamin-disraeli, @wisdomtrove
2:Don't preach about meditation. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
3:Meditation stops the sound-loving mind. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
4:Meditation speaks. It speaks in silence. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
5:Meditation is a dress rehearsal for death. ~ adyashanti, @wisdomtrove
6:Meditation is the action of silence. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
7:The flowering of love is meditation. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
8:Meditation is listening to the divine within ~ edgar-cayce, @wisdomtrove
9:In deep meditation we see nothing but purity. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
10:Meditation is an act of befriending your mind. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
11:meditation vs prayer = listening vs talking ~ elizabeth-gilbert, @wisdomtrove
12:I no longer teach meditation, only software design. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
13:The only bad meditation is when you don't meditate. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
14:The greatest help to spiritual life is meditation. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove
15:In meditation we can watch the itch instead of scratching it. ~ ram-das, @wisdomtrove
16:This is love: the flowering of love is meditation. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
17:Become yourself the object of your meditation. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove
18:Smiling is one of the highest forms of meditation. ~ mata-amritanandamayi, @wisdomtrove
19:True meditation is letting go of manipulating our experience. ~ adyashanti, @wisdomtrove
20:We do not depend upon any external help in meditation. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove
21:Holy meditation helps to burn out all mental impurities. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove
22:I don't do meditation. That's not for me. It's not my thing. ~ caroline-myss, @wisdomtrove
23:Meditation is silence. Silence is God In His Infinity's Smile. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
24:Labor, but slight not meditation; meditate, but slight not labor. ~ confucius, @wisdomtrove
25:Illness could be considered a Western form of meditation. ~ rachel-naomi-remen, @wisdomtrove
26:Meditation is the process of understanding your own mind. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
27:Through prayer we speak to God. In meditation, God speaks to us. ~ edgar-cayce, @wisdomtrove
28:Meditation is humility - the absence of thought, doubt, and ego. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
29:Meditation is my soul's soundless conversation with my inner pilot. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
30:No amount of prayer or meditation can do what helping others can do. ~ meher-baba, @wisdomtrove
31:I don't do meditation. That's not for me. It's not my thing. ~ norman-vincent-peale, @wisdomtrove
32:Meditation is listening the inner song. The song of Love, Peace and Light ~ amit-ray, @wisdomtrove
33:Meditation is a way for nourishing and blossoming the divinity within you. ~ amit-ray, @wisdomtrove
34:Om is the pointed piece and Dhy√¢na (meditation) is the friction. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove
35:Meditation is realizing and expanding your inner beauty in every direction. ~ amit-ray, @wisdomtrove
36:Meditation is simply about being yourself and know about who that is. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
37:Meditation means awareness. Whatsoever you do with awareness is meditation. ~ rajneesh, @wisdomtrove
38:Photography is an immediate reaction, drawing is a meditation. ~ henri-cartier-bresson, @wisdomtrove
39:Every path, every street in the world is your walking meditation path. ~ thich-nhat-hanh, @wisdomtrove
40:Crying to God for five minutes is equal to one hour of meditation. ~ mata-amritanandamayi, @wisdomtrove
41:Meditation is not a means to an end. It is both the means and the end. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
42:Meditation is offering your genuine presence to yourself in every moment. ~ thich-nhat-hanh, @wisdomtrove
43:Meditation is one of the ways in which the spiritual man keeps himself awake. ~ thomas-merton, @wisdomtrove
44:Even now when I am answering a question I am at the height of my own meditation. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
45:Meditation is the means of unification of the subject and object. Meditate. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove
46:Reading makes a full man, meditation a profound man, discourse a clear man. ~ benjamin-franklin, @wisdomtrove
47:To be alone and to be drunk with your own aloneness is what meditation is all about. ~ rajneesh, @wisdomtrove
48:Embrace silence since meditation is the only way to truly come to know your Source. ~ wayne-dyer, @wisdomtrove
49:I deepen my experience of God through prayer, meditation, and forgiveness. ~ marianne-williamson, @wisdomtrove
50:The emphasis in tantra is not what you find yourself doing, it's on meditation. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
51:Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in eternal awareness or pure consciousness. ~ sivananda, @wisdomtrove
52:Vipassana meditation is not just seeing the things inside. It is also seeing the seer. ~ amit-ray, @wisdomtrove
53:Real meditation is not about mastering a technique; it's about letting go of control. ~ adyashanti, @wisdomtrove
54:Dropping the mask and bringing out your original face is the whole alchemy of meditation. ~ rajneesh, @wisdomtrove
55:Meditation is not about feeling a certain way. It's about feeling the way you feel. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
56:Meditation is not an escape from life... but preparation for really being in life. ~ thich-nhat-hanh, @wisdomtrove
57:One evening you may learn about enlightenment, koans, meditation and personal power. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
58:Our whole life is a meditation of our last decision - the only decision that matters. ~ thomas-merton, @wisdomtrove
59:Practiced regularly (twice a day), relaxation or meditation prevents angry arousal. ~ martin-seligman, @wisdomtrove
60:Just be. Just being in the moment in this place is the deepest practice of meditation. ~ thich-nhat-hanh, @wisdomtrove
61:Skill in concentrating and steadying the mind is the basis for all types of meditation. ~ jack-kornfield, @wisdomtrove
62:Zen is meditation, the actual experience of life directly, immediately with no buffers. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
63:True meditation has no direction or goal. It is pure wordless surrender, pure silent prayer. ~ adyashanti, @wisdomtrove
64:In a way, empathy is a kind of mindfulness meditation focused on someone else’s inner world. ~ rick-hanson, @wisdomtrove
65:Meditation means to look deeply, to touch deeply, so we can realize we are already home. ~ thich-nhat-hanh, @wisdomtrove
66:We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection.   ~ dalai-lama, @wisdomtrove
67:Chi is developed through meditation, through studying with one who has a great deal of it. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
68:Practice meditation regularly. Meditation leads to eternal bliss. Therefore meditate, meditate. ~ sivananda, @wisdomtrove
69:Meditation is painful in the beginning but it bestows immortal Bliss and supreme joy in the end. ~ sivananda, @wisdomtrove
70:In tantra, samsara is viewed as the same thing as nirvana. Eating a hamburger is meditation. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
71:Meditation is the discovery that the point of life is always arrived at in the immediate moment. ~ alan-watts, @wisdomtrove
72:I don't think most people know how to meditate - they fall asleep and they call it meditation. ~ caroline-myss, @wisdomtrove
73:Meditation is a valuable exercise, but eventually you have to open up your eyes and look around. ~ dan-millman, @wisdomtrove
74:An interval of meditation, serious and grateful, was the best corrective of everything dangerous. ~ jane-austen, @wisdomtrove
75:Meditation is not a withdrawal from life. Meditation is a process of understanding oneself. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
76:Meditation is something artificially put on; it does not belong to the native activity of the mind. ~ d-t-suzuki, @wisdomtrove
77:Formal meditation, however, is no substitute for bringing space consciousness into everyday life. ~ eckhart-tolle, @wisdomtrove
78:Suffering is due to our disconnection with the inner soul. Meditation is establishing that connection. ~ amit-ray, @wisdomtrove
79:My favorite thing to do is ride a bicycle. I ride road bikes. And for me, it's mobile meditation. ~ robin-williams, @wisdomtrove
80:From the perspective of meditation, every state is a special state, every moment a special moment. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
81:In advanced meditation you become light. You transcend self, ego, time, space, and dimensionality. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
82:Meditation is a vehicle for opening to the truth of this impermanence on deeper and deeper levels. ~ jack-kornfield, @wisdomtrove
83:Meditation is really just quieting yourself enough so you can get in touch with your own inner wisdom. ~ louise-hay, @wisdomtrove
84:Breathing meditation can quiet the mind, open the body, and develop a great power of concentration. ~ jack-kornfield, @wisdomtrove
85:You have to steal back yourself. You have to steal back your own mind. Meditation helps in that area. ~ alice-walker, @wisdomtrove
86:Deliberate in their thoughts and behaviors through prayer, meditation, or simply by setting intentions; ~ brene-brown, @wisdomtrove
87:I don't think most people know how to meditate - they fall asleep and they call it meditation. ~ norman-vincent-peale, @wisdomtrove
88:In meditation practice, the best way to get somewhere is to let go of trying to get anywhere at all. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
89:Life is a mystery- mystery of beauty, bliss and divinity. Meditation is the art of unfolding that mystery. ~ amit-ray, @wisdomtrove
90:In meditation... the power of God begins to reflect in the clear waters of your consciousness. ~ paramahansa-yogananda, @wisdomtrove
91:Life is a mystery - mystery of beauty, bliss and divinity. Meditation is the art of unfolding that mystery. ~ amit-ray, @wisdomtrove
92:Zen is the path that focuses the most upon meditation. It is almost exclusively a path of meditation. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
93:Meditation is really a non-doing. It is the only human endeavor I know of being where you already are. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
94:Meditation is silence, energising and fulfilling. Silent is the eloquent expression of the inexpressible. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
95:Meditation is the way to stop the very idea of time as flux. Meditation is a total stillness. Nothing moves. ~ rajneesh, @wisdomtrove
96:Next to meditation is music, soulful music, the music that stirs and elevates our aspiring consciousness. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
97:To understand ourselves and our life is the point of insight meditation: to understand and to be free. ~ jack-kornfield, @wisdomtrove
98:Sex is a means of escaping our little self or ego. It is many peoples' only experience of meditation.    ~ deepak-chopra, @wisdomtrove
99:Intelligence comes from meditation, intelligence comes from rebellion, intelligence does not come from memory. ~ rajneesh, @wisdomtrove
100:So, in meditation practice, the best way to get somewhere is to let go of trying to get anywhere at all. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
101:The beauty of meditation is that you never know where you are, where you are going, what the end is. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
102:Use the previous techniques in rotation. It will prevent your meditation experience from becoming stale. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
103:We live life in the marketplace and then we go off to the cave or to the meditation mat to replenish ourselves. ~ ram-das, @wisdomtrove
104:Don't be surprised if in the 21st century lectures on meditation appear in university catalogues for physics. ~ gary-zukav, @wisdomtrove
105:When you practice meditation, the meditator becomes all-important and not the movement of meditation. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
106:If there is no meditation, then you are like a blind man in a world of great beauty, light and colour. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
107:Meditation is re-discovering the inner Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God lies in our understandings and wisdom. ~ amit-ray, @wisdomtrove
108:You can make any human activity into meditation simply by being completely with it and doing it just to do it. ~ alan-watts, @wisdomtrove
109:In Buddhist practice, the outward and inward aspects of taking the one seat meet on our meditation cushion. ~ jack-kornfield, @wisdomtrove
110:Learn not to judge your meditation. Just meditate, do your best, set a minimum period of time and meditate. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
111:Meditation is the eye that sees the Truth, the heart that feels the Truth and the soul that realises the Truth. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
112:Meditation is not to get out of society, to escape from society, but to prepare for a reentery into society. ~ thich-nhat-hanh, @wisdomtrove
113:Meditation is to be aware of what is going on in your body, in your feelings, in your mind, and in the world. ~ thich-nhat-hanh, @wisdomtrove
114:Meditation tells you only one thing: God is. Meditation reveals to you only one truth: yours is the vision of God. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
115:Next to meditation itself, I really can't think of anything more important than the development of your career. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
116:By the practice of meditation, you will find that you are carrying within your heart a portable paradise. ~ paramahansa-yogananda, @wisdomtrove
117:In silence and in meditation on the eternal truths, I hear the voice of God which excites our hearts to greater love. ~ c-s-lewis, @wisdomtrove
118:Peace is not a product of an intellectual exercise. It is an inner blossoming that occurs with meditation. ~ mata-amritanandamayi, @wisdomtrove
119:If you set out to meditate, it will not be meditation. If you set out to be good, goodness will never flower. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
120:In meditation, when your mind becomes perfectly still and calm, you will experience the golden light of eternity. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
121:Mindfulness meditation is the embrace of any and all mind states in awareness, without preferring one to another. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
122:We have to change this world by celebrating, by dancing, by singing, by music, by meditation, by love, not by struggle. ~ rajneesh, @wisdomtrove
123:You are the Golden Witnessing Screen. Meditation is the effortless effort to keep that screen clean, clear and perfect. ~ amit-ray, @wisdomtrove
124:He who is persistent will realize God. So try your best to make meditation a regular experience in your life. ~ paramahansa-yogananda, @wisdomtrove
125:Is there a meditation that is not the ego trying to become? Is meditation conscious if every effort implies time? ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
126:Meditation is the pathway to enlightenment. Move the ego aside and be still, open, clear, bright and fully conscious. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
127:Meditation is to get insight, to get understanding and compassion, and when you have them, you are compelled to act. ~ thich-nhat-hanh, @wisdomtrove
128:The first stage of meditation is simply to ignore thought; to become conscious that there is something beyond thought. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
129:Meditation is a deliberate attempt to pierce into the higher states of consciousness and finally go beyond it. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove
130:Meditation practice is neither holding on nor avoiding; it is a settling back into the moment, opening to what is there. ~ jack-kornfield, @wisdomtrove
131:A time comes when you don't have to use meditation techniques anymore. You just sit down and you are nonexistence itself. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
132:Meditation is not following any system; it is not constant repetition and imitation. Meditation is not concentration. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
133:Meditation, then, is a state of mind in which the &
134:Before you begin your day: Take a moment of silence and meditation, and give yourself permission to have all that you desire. ~ debbie-ford, @wisdomtrove
135:Love means the art of being with others. Meditation means the art of being with yourself. Both are two aspects of the same coin. ~ rajneesh, @wisdomtrove
136:Only when there are no impressions of others clouding our mind, can we sit and practice the glorious practice of meditation. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
137:Every day work on your humility through your meditation, giving more of yourself, giving those things you don't want to give. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
138:Meditation will bring back the powers and awareness from the past; more importantly, it will expand your consciousness today. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
139:We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and private: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship. ~ c-s-lewis, @wisdomtrove
140:A man, doubtful of his dinner, or trembling at a creditor, is not much disposed to abstracted meditation, or remote enquiries. ~ samuel-johnson, @wisdomtrove
141:My meditation is simple. It does not require any complex practices. It is simple. It is singing. It is dancing. It is sitting silently ~ rajneesh, @wisdomtrove
142:A critical part of Tantric Buddhism is a process of turning of the activities and experiences in your daily life into meditation. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
143:The focusing of attention on the breath is perhaps the most universal of the many hundreds of meditation subjects used worldwide. ~ jack-kornfield, @wisdomtrove
144:There is no yawning gulf between man and God. Through his aspiration and meditation, Man can become conscious of his oneness with God. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
145:A person who undertakes the study of Zen and learns concentration and meditation is like a gymnast. You become a gymnast of the mind. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
146:If you can bring earnestness to your meditation, you will find that happiness is something that will run through your life constantly. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
147:Meditation is the way in which we come to feel our basic inseparability from the whole universe, and what that requires is that we shut up. ~ alan-watts, @wisdomtrove
148:The presence of awareness becomes increasingly our natural condition, until there is no longer a distinction between meditation and life. ~ rupert-spira, @wisdomtrove
149:In Zen the emphasis is on meditation and developing your body, mind and spirit to find inner peace, strength, clarity and enlightenment. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
150:When, by meditation, we withdraw restless thoughts from the lake of the mind, we behold our soul, a perfect reflection of Spirit. ~ paramahansa-yogananda, @wisdomtrove
151:In mindfulness one is not only restful and happy, but alert and awake. Meditation is not evasion; it is a serene encounter with reality. ~ thich-nhat-hanh, @wisdomtrove
152:Thought ceases in meditation; even the mind's elements are quite quiet. Blood circulation stops. His breath stops, but he is not dead. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove
153:Eventually you will go into samadhi. Samadhi is a very advanced meditation. You dissolve into the clear light of eternity again and again. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
154:If I ever write an autobiography about teaching meditation in the West, I'll call it "Pissing In the Wind - Teaching Buddhism in America". ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
155:I have found that meditation has helped me with my academic career and has given me insights into musical composition and software design. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
156:Thoughts naturally arise. The point of meditation is not to banish thoughts but to make peace with them by realizing their lack of substance. ~ dan-millman, @wisdomtrove
157:Meditation is the movement of love. It isn't the love of the one or of the many. It is like water that anyone can drink out of any jar. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
158:Two qualities are at the root of all meditation development: right effort and right aim‚îarousing effort to aim the mind toward the object. ~ jack-kornfield, @wisdomtrove
159:Petting, scratching, and cuddling a dog could be as soothing to the mind and heart as deep meditation and almost as good for the soul as prayer. ~ dean-koontz, @wisdomtrove
160:The greatest help to spiritual life is meditation. In meditation we divest ourselves of all material condition and feel our divine nature. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove
161:What is meditation? Meditation is our conscious awareness of something vast and infinite within us. Meditation grants us Peace, Light and Bliss. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
162:Breathing is central to every aspect of meditation training. It's a wonderful place to focus in training the mind to be calm and concentrated. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
163:I believe that ultimately it all comes down to whether we seek conscious contact with God on a daily basis through prayer and meditation. ~ marianne-williamson, @wisdomtrove
164:The study of law, medicine and the arts, in each of these instances, the developed mindset is very helpful to one who is practicing meditation. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
165:Through the practice of meditation and the auric empowerments and guidance of an enlightened master, you can totally change your karmic destiny. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
166:Meditation means learning how to get out of this current, sit by its bank and listen to it, learn from it, and then use its energies to guide us. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
167:Meditation is the way the mind is. That's why in Zen they call it the natural state, which means you don't have to go and do anything to meditate. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
168:Our mind is a constant traffic of thoughts, and it is always rush hour, day in, day out. Meditation means to watch the movement of thoughts in the mind. ~ rajneesh, @wisdomtrove
169:Meditation and prayer have withstood the test of time. They work today as perfectly as they did for those who first practised and perfected them. ~ michael-beckwith, @wisdomtrove
170:Meditation can help us embrace our worries, our fear, our anger; and that is very healing. We let our own natural capacity of healing do the work. ~ thich-nhat-hanh, @wisdomtrove
171:Meditation is one of the greatest arts in life - perhaps the greatest, and one cannot possibly learn it from anybody, that is the beauty of it. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
172:Meditation demands an astonishingly alert mind; it is the understanding of the totality of life in which every form of fragmentation has ceased. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
173:Backbends are to be felt more than expressed. The other postures can be expressed and then felt. Like in meditation each person has to feel backbends. ~ b-k-s-iyengar, @wisdomtrove
174:Do a strong work meditation all day. You won't be as exhausted as everyone else because you have been gaining a kind of internal power from your work. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
175:In sitting on the meditation cushion and assuming the meditation posture, we connect ourselves with the present moment in this body and on this earth. ~ jack-kornfield, @wisdomtrove
176:Meditation is like farming... the right soil is required to grow anything, nothing will grow if the soil is polluted by striving or pushing too hard. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
177:Whose meditation is real and effective? Who can really surrender to the will of God? Only the person whose mind has been purified by selfless work. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove
178:Words like meditation, karma, samskaras, they're just words. You can get into the jargon, you can speak it, but that doesn't mean you'll be any freer. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
179:I liked my teacher very much and after some years of mediation, I began to teach meditation, referring all things that I didn't know to my own teacher. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
180:Many of us worry about the situation of the world . . . We need to remain calm, to see clearly. Meditation is a means to be aware, and to try to help. ~ thich-nhat-hanh, @wisdomtrove
181:Meditation is acceptance. It is the acceptance of life within us, without us and all around us. Acceptance of life is the beginning of human satisfaction. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
182:To understand what is right meditation there must be an awareness of the operation of one's own consciousness, and then there is complete attention. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
183:I don't pray enough, but I pray more now. Every morning at six o'clock have a half hour of meditation before the Blessed Sacrament. I pray with others too. ~ henri-nouwen, @wisdomtrove
184:Meditation is the royal road to the attainment of freedom, a mysterious ladder that reaches from earth to heaven, darkness to light, mortality to Immortality. ~ sivananda, @wisdomtrove
185:Sometimes you won't feel pleasant during a meditation session; it seems like an uphill run. But when you get to the top, the view is rather breathtaking. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
186:Vipassana meditation is an ongoing creative purification process. Observation of the moment-to-moment experience cleanses the mental layers, one after another. ~ amit-ray, @wisdomtrove
187:Advanced meditation is facing the immensity of eternity, embracing that which terrifies you and frightens you and loving it because it's God. You are God. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
188:Music without words means leaving behind the mind. And leaving behind the mind is meditation. Meditation returns you to the source. And the source of all is sound. ~ kabir, @wisdomtrove
189:I've tried Buddhism, Scientology, Numerology, Transcendental Meditation, Qabbala, t'ai chi, feng shui and Deepak Chopra but I find straight gin works best. ~ phyllis-diller, @wisdomtrove
190:We are going to alter the structure of our beings and also totally change what we are. This is the possibility and inevitability that meditation offers us. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
191:Meditation is the process by which we go about deepening our attention and awareness, refining them, and putting them to greater practical use in our lives. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
192:There is a way beyond this life and beyond death, the path of liberation. In order to be liberated, you have to enter into the world of advanced meditation. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
193:The trick to keeping your meditation practice alive, not simply consistent but wonderful, is you need to bring a certain will or force into every meditation. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
194:In True Meditation, we're in the body as a means to transcend it. It is paradoxical that the greatest doorway to the transcendence of form is through form itself. ~ adyashanti, @wisdomtrove
195:Meditation is not a technique to master; it is the highest form of prayer,  a naked act of love and effortless surrender into the silent abyss beyond all knowing" ~ adyashanti, @wisdomtrove
196:Rae Chorze Fwaz was a mystery school. A mystery school is an occult order comprised of people who study meditation, enlightenment and psychic and occult arts. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
197:With the happiness, ecstasy and power you gain from meditation, you can gradually remove your mind from the things it has become hooked to that cause it pain. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
198:I'm not suggesting that everyone should meditate, far from it. Meditation is for very few individuals. I'm speaking of something that is a powerful experience. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
199:Meditation is a process in which we're essentially, at first, breathing out. We're exhaling existence, taking it out of the mind, and the mind out of the mind. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
200:Not going anywhere is meditation, just being where you are; there is no other "where" - just being there where you are, just occupying only that space where you are. ~ rajneesh, @wisdomtrove
201:There are those who feel that meditation is unrealistic or takes them out of the world, and if that was your experience with mediation, you weren't meditating. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
202:You give up not meditating. It's called meditation action. There's no way out of it. Meditation means to be constantly extricating yourself from the clinging of mind. ~ ram-das, @wisdomtrove
203:For a seeker for reality there is only one meditation - the rigorous refusal to harbour thoughts. To be free from thoughts is itself meditation. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove
204:Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in Eternal awareness or Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity. ~ sivananda, @wisdomtrove
205:Weak desires can be removed by introspection and meditation, but strong, deep-rooted ones must be fulfilled and their fruits, sweet or bitter, tasted. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove
206:Zen is a very quick path. Zen is the path of meditation. The word Zen means emptiness or fullness, meditation. Meditation is the quickest path to enlightenment. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
207:The emphasis is on meditation in Tantric Zen. The experience of meditation in formal practice, zazen, where you're sitting down and meditating and concentrating. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
208:Try to read books about meditation, but not so many different viewpoints that they get confusing. There is no best way. It's just what works for you at the time. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
209:It's like having... you know, your phone has a charger, right? It's like having a charger for your whole body and mind. That's what Transcendental Meditation is! ~ jerry-seinfeld, @wisdomtrove
210:You gain power through practicing meditation and concentration. You gain power by doing anything you like that makes you feel good. You gain power by being happy. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
211:Be mindful, which is more of a passive meditation practice. It is passive when you are active. Then there is active meditation, when you are passive, sitting still. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
212:If you are going to experience the ecstasy of enlightenment, it is not just going to be a phrase. You've got to work during meditation. So back to the navel center! ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
213:Children, meditation is not just sitting with our eyes closed. We should take every action as worship. We should be able to experience His presence everywhere. ~ mata-amritanandamayi, @wisdomtrove
214:You should always feel, no matter how many times you've meditated before, that this is your first meditation. You have no idea what will happen or what won't happen. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
215:The habit of spending nearly every waking moment lost in thought leaves us at the mercy of whatever our thoughts happen to be. Meditation is a way of breaking this spell. ~ sam-harris, @wisdomtrove
216:Meditation is not passive sitting in silence. It is sitting in awareness, free from distraction, and realizing the clear understanding that arises from concentration. ~ thich-nhat-hanh, @wisdomtrove
217:During the age of Atlantis, the low population density and the resulting purity of the earth's aura, made conditions ideal for discovering secret meditation techniques. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
218:Higher meditation is not taught through techniques or words. The real meditation experience is taught inwardly. You shift a person through different dimensional planes. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
219:Seeing occurs, of course, through stopping thought. Thought is the fog. When thought stops in meditation, at any point, when there's no thought, we see the other shore. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
220:The way advanced meditation is taught, the way I teach it, the way all enlightened people teach it, is through transference. We transfer light and power to someone else. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
221:I think everyone is equally psychic. But through the practice of meditation, you learn to make your thoughts quiet and become more aware of your innate psychic abilities. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
222:Meditation is like the breeze that comes in when you leave the window open; but if you deliberately keep it open, deliberately invite it to come, it will never appear. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
223:Of our thinking it is but the upper surface that we shape into articulate thought; underneath the region of argument and conscious discourse lies the region of meditation. ~ thomas-carlyle, @wisdomtrove
224:The advanced student of meditation takes an active part in supporting the work of their teacher. They happily work more hours or do whatever is necessary to help out more. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
225:Work for god, love god alone, and be wise with god. When an ordinary man puts the necessary rime and enthusiasm into meditation and prayer, he becomes a divine man. ~ paramahansa-yogananda, @wisdomtrove
226:How do you end a meditation session? It's nice to chant a mantra again. Maybe repeat it a few times. It seals the meditation. Do your best and then just give it to eternity. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
227:I have been sought out by a number of people who would have felt uncomfortable coming to a large public meditation. They don't want people to come up and ask for autographs. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
228:Meditation means learning how to get out of this current, sit by its bank and listen to it, learn from it, and then use its energies to guide us rather than to tyrannize us. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
229:Meditation is not an escape. Meditation is the acceptance of life in its totality, with a view to transforming it for the highest manifestation of the divine Truth here on earth ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
230:Meditation is the process of transformation and beautification of soul from a leaf-eating caterpillar to a nectar-sipping butterfly. It grows with the wings of love and compassion. ~ amit-ray, @wisdomtrove
231:Meditation means to be free from all phenomena and calmness means to be internally unperturbed. There will be calmness when one is free from external objects and is not perturbed. ~ bruce-lee, @wisdomtrove
232:Make your meditation a continuous state of mind. A great worship is going on all the time, so nothing should be neglected or excluded from your constant meditative awareness. ~ sri-ramakrishna, @wisdomtrove
233:Meditation is a sort of prayer and prayer is meditation. The highest meditation is to think of nothing. If you can remain one moment without thought, great power will come. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove
234:Meditation is the short path to happiness. Meditation takes you beyond the desire-aversion operating system that offers very limited happiness and a great deal of frustration. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
235:My feeling is that drugs and alcohol take away from the pure experience of meditation. That does not mean that occasionally, a person couldn't have a glass of wine or a drink. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
236:My teacher sent me all over the world to talk about meditation - Europe, all over America, Canada. I would drive thousands of miles, travel, all at my own expense, to do this. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
237:There's no risk in doing a lousy meditation or not meditating at all. There's no risk in being convenient and comfortable. There's a lot of risk in the world of enlightenment. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
238:In meditation all the fake dull thoughts that you think, all the ridiculous philosophies, the necessities, all the things that won't matter a bit when you are dead - fade away. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
239:I recommend computer science to people who practice meditation. The mental structures that are used in computer science are very similar exercises done in Buddhist monasteries. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
240:There are many good forms of meditation practice. A good meditation practice is any one that develops awareness or mindfulness of our body and our sense, of our mind and heart. ~ jack-kornfield, @wisdomtrove
241:One way to look at meditation is as a kind of intrapsychic technology that's been developed over thousands of years by traditions that know a lot about the mind/body connection. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
242:The tremendous population increase has made meditation and psychic perception, things that come naturally to spiritually evolved people, difficult to practice and participate in. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
243:Be mindful 24 hours a day, not just during the one hour you may allot for formal meditation or reading scripture and reciting prayers. Each act must be carried out in mindfulness. ~ thich-nhat-hanh, @wisdomtrove
244:... to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life-daily and hourly. Our answer must consist, not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. ~ viktor-frankl, @wisdomtrove
245:If you get in a battle with someone, you don't get their power if you win. Power is something that you have to acquire yourself, through self-inquiry and the practice of meditation. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
246:Meditation is purely being in the body in a continuous state of surrender, the surrender of yourself. .. This surrender has to be done now. The only time that it can ever be done is now. ~ barry-long, @wisdomtrove
247:The way we gain wisdom in meditation is not by explanation. If you go into the planes of light, you will come out of the meditation knowing things ... things that are inexpressible. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
248:When even one virtue becomes our nature, the mind becomes clean and tranquil. Then there is no need to practice meditation; we will automatically be meditating always. ~ swami-satchidananda-saraswati, @wisdomtrove
249:All of the previously described techniques can be practiced with your eyes open and closed. Most people find that it is easier initially to practice meditation with their eyes closed. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
250:Meditation is like the cloak of the good thief. You find a corner or somewhere where you can actually entertain your own self and your own soul, and understand what your work [is] here. ~ alice-walker, @wisdomtrove
251:The complexity and efficiency of the physicist’s technical apparatus is matched, if not surpassed, by that of the mystic’s consciousness—both physical and spiritual—in deep meditation. ~ fritjof-capra, @wisdomtrove
252:During deep meditation it is possible to dispel time, to see simultaneously all the past, present, and future, and then everything is good, everything is perfect, everything is Brahman. ~ hermann-hesse, @wisdomtrove
253:Meditation is the only intentional, systematic human activity which at bottom is about not trying to improve yourself or get anywhere else, but simply to realize where you already are. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
254:The training was rigorous, hundreds and thousands of hours of meditation, self-giving. But it was easy. I loved it. I would merge again and again with the superconscious in meditation. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
255:Just as you wouldn't leave the house without taking a shower, you shouldn't start the day without at least 10 minutes of sacred practice: prayer, meditation, inspirational reading. ~ marianne-williamson, @wisdomtrove
256:Meditation is not a way to enlightenment, Nor is it a method of achieving anything at all. It is peace itself. It is the actualization of wisdom, The ultimate truth of the oneness of all things. ~ dogen, @wisdomtrove
257:Spiritual dignity says that I don't have to compete with anyone; I don't have to do what my friends do. All I have to do is be myself and be dignified in my meditation and my lifestyle. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
258:It is necessary to learn how to do a systems analysis of your life, to learn about the effects of places, people, jobs. There are millions of things that go into the study of meditation. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
259:To commune daily with God in deep meditation, and to carry His love and guidance with you into all your dutiful activities, is the way that leads to permanent peace and happiness. ~ paramahansa-yogananda, @wisdomtrove
260:In real meditation you forget the body. You may be cut to pieces and not feel it at all. You feel such pleasure in it. You become so light. This perfect rest we will get in meditation. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove
261:We see a lot of people who decide to go out and teach meditation. They become so wrapped up in it that they stop progressing themselves and they really don't have that much more to teach. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
262:You can take the kundalini from the crown center and bring it down. You can bring it up or you can stabilize them both. When you stop breathing in meditation, the kundalini is stabilized. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
263:Each time you meditate you have the possibility of completely changing your life in one meditation. If you meditate with your whole heart and your whole soul, you will become light itself. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
264:Everyone in advanced meditation practice should be involved with the economic support of the spread of the dharma. We live in a material world, and it's very expensive to teach meditation. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
265:In meditation the mind stops, thought ceases. When thought stops, the world stops. When the world stops, perception stops. When perception stops, the sense of "I" as a perceiver falls away. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
266:Throughout the course of my life, I have been very fortunate to have had excellent teachers - not just in meditation, but in martial arts, music, scuba diving, and in my academic education. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
267:True Meditation is the space in which everything gets revealed, everything gets seen, everything gets experienced. And as such, it lets go of itself. We don't even let go. It lets go of itself. ~ adyashanti, @wisdomtrove
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269:I do a lot of reflection. I do. I spend a lot of time in reflection and contemplation. I guess the way the old mystics used to do. I don't do meditation. That's not for me. It's not my thing. ~ caroline-myss, @wisdomtrove
270:Along with my spiritual practices of meditation, affirmative prayer, and visioning, what catalyzes my sense of aliveness is putting those practices into action by being of service to others. ~ michael-beckwith, @wisdomtrove
271:During those years the past life recollections began. Psychic powers developed, my meditation increased and I found myself changing, over and over again, becoming someone new almost every day. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
272:To learn to concentrate we must choose a prayer or meditation and follow this path with commitment and steadiness, a willingness to work with our practice day after day, no matter what arises. ~ jack-kornfield, @wisdomtrove
273:I teach meditation and the pathway to enlightenment because I know that there are other people who, like i did a long time ago and continue to, want to climb that mountain to the highest light. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
274:Meditation is not so concerned with how much thinking is going on as it is with how much room you are making for it to take place within the field of your awareness from one moment to the next. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
275:Meditation means the mind is turned back upon itself. The mind stops all the thought-waves and the world stops. Your consciousness expands. Every time you meditate you will keep your growth. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove
276:No amount of meditation, yoga, diet, and reflection will make all of our problems go away, but we can transform our difficulties into our practice until little by little they guide us on our way. ~ jack-kornfield, @wisdomtrove
277:Selfless-giving burns away the layers of the onion. Purity and humility keep meditation and selfless-giving clear. Love radiates through the entire practice because we do all of it only for love. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
278:Even if you are focusing on a chakra, you don't want to do that for the whole period of meditation. There should be a point where you let go. Settle down. Get off the train of thought for a while. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
279:It is necessary to go through all the daily tasks and bring perfection to them, to learn to be perfect in your meditation, and to win in all your endeavors so that one day you will complete again. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
280:Meditation is like giving a hug to our ourselves, getting in touch whith that awesome reality in us. While meditating we feel a deep sense of intimacy with God, a love that is inexplicable. ~ paramahansa-yogananda, @wisdomtrove
281:This is something called walking meditation. The goal is to learn to be aware of each and every movement and feeling. I know it seems ridiculous, but it does change the way you experience walking. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
282:I do a lot of reflection. I do. I spend a lot of time in reflection and contemplation. I guess the way the old mystics used to do. I don't do meditation. That's not for me. It's not my thing. ~ norman-vincent-peale, @wisdomtrove
283:If there is no order in your relationship with your wife, with your husband, with your children, with your neighbour - whether that neighbour is near or very far away - forget about meditation. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
284:If we know the divine art of concentration, if we know the divine art of meditation, if we know the divine art of contemplation, easily and consciously we can unite the inner world and the outer world. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
285:What is important in meditation is the quality of the mind and the heart.It is not what you achieve, or what you say you attain, but rather the quality of a mind that is innocent and vulnerable. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
286:Just behind the darkness of closed eyes shines the light of God. When you behold that light in meditation, hold onto it with devotional zeal. Feel yourself inside it: That is where God dwells. ~ paramahansa-yogananda, @wisdomtrove
287:The mystics ask you to take nothing on mere belief. Rather, they give you a set of experiments to test in your own awareness and experience. The laboratory is your own mind, the experiment is meditation. ~ ken-wilber, @wisdomtrove
288:Meditation is a practice of detaching and then stopping ourselves from thinking; our thoughts are interruptions in the flow of awareness. Consciousness, in its highest aspect, is perfect and formless. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
289:Regular meditation opens the avenues of intuitional knowledge,  makes the mind calm and steady,  awakens an ecstatic feeling,  and brings the practitioner in contact  with the source of his/her very being. ~ sivananda, @wisdomtrove
290:Some people are drawn to meditation without knowing why. Their inner being realizes that they've totally fouled up their life so far, and now it's just going to drag them to the local meditation hall. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
291:Sit in meditation ! But do not think ! Look only at your mind ! You will see thoughts coming into it ! Before they can enter, throw these away from your mind till your mind is capable of entire silence. ~ sri-aurobindo, @wisdomtrove
292:Although meditation may seem at first to be an activity that the mind undertakes in order to achieve some new state or experience, it is later understood to be the very nature or essence of the mind itself. ~ rupert-spira, @wisdomtrove
293:Real winning and losing all takes place at the meditation table. This is where the battles are. Winning is stopping thought. Losing is sitting there and being subjected to all kinds of ridiculous thoughts ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
294:The first thing to realize in meditation is that there is no authority, that the mind must be completely free to examine, to observe, to learn. And so there is no following, no accepting, no obedience. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
295:The force that drives the green fuse, as Dylan Thomas said, cannot be understood. So self-discovery is to accept your daily meditation, to observe yourself meditating and not be concerned with the results. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
296:Brahman is beyond mind and speech, beyond concentration and meditation, beyond the knower, the known and knowledge, beyond even the conception of the real and unreal. In short, It is beyond all relativity. ~ sri-ramakrishna, @wisdomtrove
297:Master Fwap, who told me that snowboarding, or any activity could be improved by the practice of meditation. Since I had had previously some training in Korean martial arts, I was somewhat open to the idea. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
298:Zen perceives and feels, and does not abstract and meditate. Zen penetrates and is finally lost in the immersion. Meditation, on the other hand, is outspokenly dualistic and consequently inevitably superficial. ~ d-t-suzuki, @wisdomtrove
299:Meditation is not to escape from society, but to come back to ourselves and see what is going on. Once there is seeing, there must be acting. With mindfulness, we know what to do and what not to do to help. ~ thich-nhat-hanh, @wisdomtrove
300:Meditation is the language of God. If we want to know what God's Will is in our life, if we want God to guide us, mould us and fulfil Himself in and through us, then meditation is the language that we must use. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
301:The person who practices advanced meditation is usually not married, some are. They usually don't have children, some do. But chances are they will not marry or have children because it demands to much time. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
302:The high priests and priestesses taught the children the secret meditation techniques, along with methods and ways of living that would increase their pranic levels and help them develop their psychic skills. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
303:Above all, meditation is about letting the mind be as it is and knowing something about how it is in this moment. It’s not about getting somewhere else, but about allowing yourself to be where you already are. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
304:If we are engaged in actions that cause pain and conflict to ourselves and others, it is impossible for the mind to become settled, collected, and focused in meditation; it is impossible for the heart to open. ~ jack-kornfield, @wisdomtrove
305:Mindfulness is often spoken of as the heart of Buddhist meditation. It's not about Buddhism, but about paying attention. That's what all meditation is, no matter what tradition or particular technique is used. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
306:What Is Meditation? It is not musing, not daydreaming; but as ye find you bodies made up of the physical, mental and spiritual, it is the attuning of the mental body and the physical body to its spiritual source. ~ edgar-cayce, @wisdomtrove
307:As gold purified in a furnace loses its impurities and achieves its own true nature, the mind gets rid of the impurities of the attributes of delusion, attachment and purity through meditation and attains Reality. ~ adi-shankara, @wisdomtrove
308:See here, how fresh is the air, there is the Ganga, and the Sadhus (holy men) are practising meditation, and holding lofty talks! While the moment you will go to Calcutta, you will be thinking of nasty stuff. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove
309:So when we make contact with the domain of being in the meditation practice, we are already, in a profound sense, beyond the scarring, beyond the isolation and fragmentation and suffering we may be experiencing. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
310:I am a man of prayer and meditation. I feel inspiration is of paramount importance. If I can inspire someone, and if that person also can inspire me, then we can do many good things for the betterment of this world. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
311:Real meditation is not done by us. It is done by our Inner Pilot, the Supreme, who is constantly meditating in and through us. We are just the vessel, and we are allowing Him to fill us with His whole Consciousness. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
312:Your technology is the inner practice of meditation, which will stimulate the link between your brain and ignite your innate desire to know your True Self. Trust yourself in a deeper way & reap the rewards! ~ michael-beckwith, @wisdomtrove
313:If you want to simplify your life, meditation is the answer. If you want to fulfil your life, meditation is the answer. If you want to have joy and offer joy to the world at large, then meditation is the only answer. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
314:Some people harbor the idea or belief that all teachers should teach for free. Obviously these people have never been teachers, particularly in the twentieth century. Teaching meditation is a very expensive hobby. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
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316:I have brought myself, by long meditation, to the conviction that a human being with a settled purpose must accomplish it, and that nothing can resist a will which will stake even existence upon its fulfillment. ~ benjamin-disraeli, @wisdomtrove
317:I'd love to find some people to teach advanced meditation to. I've been looking for many years. There are a few around. Once in a while I run into another one. It's a very limited league at this time, in this world. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
318:They wanted to preserve and protect the mystical knowledge gained from their meditation practices and pass it on to future civilizations they clairvoyantly saw were going to be born after the destruction of Atlantis ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
319:Power comes from doing meditation, leading a controlled life, being conservative, not wasting all your energy on drugs, alcohol and sex and other pastimes. The guideline for all experience is how you feel afterwards. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
320:Eating mindfully is a most important practice of meditation. We can eat in a way that we restore the cookie of our childhood. The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it. ~ thich-nhat-hanh, @wisdomtrove
321:If you meditate regularly, even when you don't feel like it, you will make great gains, for it will allow you to see how your thoughts impose limits on you. Your resistances to meditation are your mental prisons in miniature. ~ ram-das, @wisdomtrove
322:I have often discussed the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path in talks I have given about meditation. But, since I also teach Hindu, Buddhist, and Taoist mediation, I have a very eclectic approach to the subject. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
323:Whenever you aren’t manipulating your experience, you’re meditating. As soon as you meditate because you think you should, you’re controlling your experience again, and you’ve squeezed all the value out of your meditation. ~ adyashanti, @wisdomtrove
324:In advanced meditation there are methods and formations of joining the mind with the various aggregate aspects of the universe, fusing it, dissolving it, sometimes thousands of times in a microsecond or outside of time. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
325:Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand. Anyone may gather it and no limit is set. Everyone can reach this love through meditation, spirit of prayer, and sacrifice, by an intense inner life. ~ mother-teresa, @wisdomtrove
326:The ending of sorrow is the beginning of wisdom. Knowledge is always within the shadow of ignorance. Meditation is freedom from thought and a movement in the ecstasy of truth. Meditation is explosion of intelligence. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
327:Combine meditation with career as a yoga. You will find that your practice will not be any less powerful than a person who lives in a monastery. You might even excel because practice in a monastery can get very one-sided. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
328:Studies by Andrew Newberg and others have shown that long-term practice of meditation produces significant alterations in cerebral blood flow in parts of the brain related to attention, emotion, and some autonomic functions. ~ oliver-sacks, @wisdomtrove
329:Meditation without selfless giving is not enough. You may go into very high states of consciousness but the rough edges will still be there - there may be lots of selfish motives lurking within the self - that you don't see. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
330:When I sit with my students and meditate with them, I channel the kundalini directly into them. I bring them to plane after plane of consciousness. What they would do in 100 years of meditation, I can do in an hour with them. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
331:When we take the one seat on our meditation cushion we become our own monastery. We create the compassionate space that allows for the arising of all things: sorrows, loneliness, shame, desire, regret, frustration, happiness. ~ jack-kornfield, @wisdomtrove
332:Meditation gives us peace of mind without a tranquilizer. And unlike a tranquilizer, the peace of mind that we get from meditation does not fade away. It lasts for good in some corner of the inmost recesses of our aspiring heart. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
333:Meditation is listening to the song of the inner Soul, seeing the beauty of the inner Self, smelling the fragrance of the inner Spirit, experiencing the touch of the inner energies and tasting the intense sweetness of the inner God. ~ amit-ray, @wisdomtrove
334:If every day you practice walking and sitting meditation and generate the energy of mindfulness and concentration and peace, you are a cell in the body of the new Buddha. This is not a dream but is possible today and tomorrow. ~ thich-nhat-hanh, @wisdomtrove
335:When we go deep within, into the deepest recesses of our hearts, we commune with God through meditation. It is through meditation that we can know that God is both with form and without form, with attributes and without attributes. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
336:When you look at the sun during your walking meditation, the mindfulness of the body helps you to see that the sun is in you; without the sun there is no life at all and suddenly you get in touch with the sun in a different way. ~ thich-nhat-hanh, @wisdomtrove
337:Meditation simplifies our outer life and energizes our inner life. Meditation gives us a natural and spontaneous life, a life that becomes so natural and spontaneous that we cannot breathe without being conscious of our own divinity. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
338:Meditation is, first of all, a tool for surveying our territory so we can know what is going on. With the energy of mindfulness, we can calm things down, understand them, and bring harmony back to the conflicting elements inside us. ~ thich-nhat-hanh, @wisdomtrove
339:Meditation is listening to the song of the inner Soul, seeing the beauty of the inner Self, smelling the fragrance of the inner Spirit, experiencing the touch of the Divine inner energies and tasting the intense sweetness of the inner God. ~ amit-ray, @wisdomtrove
340:Meditation is a way of being, not a technique. Meditation is not about trying to get anywhere else. It is about allowing yourself to be exactly where you are and as you are, and the world to be exactly as it is in this moment, as well. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
341:In the space which thought creates around itself there is no love. This space divides man from man, and in it is all the becoming, the battle of life, the agony and fear. Meditation is the ending of this space, the ending of the me. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
342:Meditation was invented as a way for the soul to venture inward, there ultimately to find supreme identity with Godhead. Whatever else it does, and it does many beneficial things, meditation is first and foremost a search for the God within. ~ ken-wilber, @wisdomtrove
343:The soul loves to meditate, for in contact with the Spirit lies its greatest joy. If, then you experience mental resistance during meditation, remember that reluctance to meditate comes from the ego; it doesn't belong to the soul. ~ paramahansa-yogananda, @wisdomtrove
344:To one given to day-dreaming, and fond of losing himself in reveries, a sea-voyage is full of subjects for meditation; but then they are the wonders of the deep and of the air, and rather tend to abstract the mind from worldly themes. ~ washington-irving, @wisdomtrove
345:Meditation, you know, comes by a process imagination. You go through all these processes purification of the elements - making the one melt the other, that into the next higher, that into mind, that into spirit, and then you are spirit. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove
346:To use an analogy from the Thai meditation master Ajahn Chah: if getting upset about something unpleasant is like being bitten by a snake, grasping for what’s pleasant is like grabbing the snake’s tail; sooner or later, it will still bite you. ~ rick-hanson, @wisdomtrove
347:Meditation puts into question more or less everything you tend to do in your search for happiness. But if you lose sight of this, it can become just another strategy for seeking happiness - a more refined version of the problem you already have. ~ sam-harris, @wisdomtrove
348:The real meditation practice is how we live our lives from moment to moment to moment. Meditation is neither shutting things out nor off. It is seeing things clearly, and deliberately positioning yourself differently in relationship to them. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
349:First, meditation should be of a negative nature. Think away everything. Analyse everything that comes in the mind by the sheer action of the will. Next, assert what we really are-existence, knowledge, and bliss-being, knowing, and loving. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove
350:Meditation does not mean just sitting quietly for five or ten minutes. It requires conscious effort. The mind has to be made calm and quiet; at the same time, it has to be vigilant so as not to allow any distracting thoughts or desires to enter. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
351:As far as miracles are concerned, I'm not aware that I perform miracles. After many years and lifetimes of meditation, I am able to use the kundalini energy to alter other people's awareness and aid them in their search for light and certainty. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
352:I believe that reading and writing are the most nourishing forms of meditation anyone has so far found. By reading the writings of the most interesting minds in history, we meditate with our own minds and theirs as well. This to me is a miracle. ~ kurt-vonnegut, @wisdomtrove
353:I think cosmopolitan spirituality is the best, where we go beyond "My teacher is better than yours" or "My meditation form is better than yours." It's not Ford versus Chevy. But it's rather the transition of our limited awareness into eternity. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
354:Meditation ... puts into question more or less everything you tend to do in your search for happiness. But if you lose sight of this, it can become just another strategy for seeking happiness a more refined version of the problem you already have. ~ sam-harris, @wisdomtrove
355:Chakras are mystical energy centers that exist within the human aura. Tremendous occult power resides in a person's chakras. Siddha masters draw upon that power during meditation, store it within themselves, and later use it to perform miracles. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
356:When we dance, the journey itself is the point, as when we play music the playing itself is the point. And exactly the same thing is true in meditation. Meditation is the discovery that the point of life is always arrived at in the immediate moment. ~ alan-watts, @wisdomtrove
357:The best of modern therapy is much like a process of shared meditation, where therapist and client sit together, learning to pay close attention to those aspects and dimensions of the self that the client may be unable to touch on his or her own. ~ jack-kornfield, @wisdomtrove
358:I will make a list of all my desires. I will carry this list with me wherever I go. I will look at this list before I go into my silence and meditation. I will look at it before I go to sleep at night. I will look at it when I wake up in the morning. ~ deepak-chopra, @wisdomtrove
359:Let the mind be empty, and not filled with the things of the mind. Then there is only meditation, and not a meditor who is meditating . . . The mind must be clear, without movement, and in the light of that clarity the timeless will be revealed. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
360:It is not advisable for persons who are in the early stages of meditation to mediate on the two lower chakras. You will unleash powers and forces that will throw you into very powerful altered state of consciousness that might not be pleasant at all. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
361:In meditation what you are trying to do is simply get rid of your own junk. You are trying to move all the confusion out of your mind, all the heaviness, all the emotional upsets, all the impressions that you have picked up since your last meditation. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
362:By the definite science of meditation known for millenniums to the yogis and sages of India, and to Jesus, any seeker of God can enlarge the caliber of his consciousness to omniscience to receive within himself the Universal Intelligence of God. ~ paramahansa-yogananda, @wisdomtrove
363:Happiness comes from the dissolution of the mind, not from external objects. Through meditation we can achieve everything including bliss, health, strength, intelligence and vitality. But it should be practiced properly in solitude and with care. ~ mata-amritanandamayi, @wisdomtrove
364:I am a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Aren't we all? I teach meditation to many different types of people, you mentioned celebrities. I also teach meditation to many people who are not famous, but are, in my eyes, very important. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
365:There are thousands upon thousands of students who have practiced meditation and obtained its fruits. Do not doubt its possibilities because of the simplicity of the method. If you can not find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it? ~ dogen, @wisdomtrove
366:If a person sets out to practice meditation in this lifetime and they have a little bit of spiritual evolution behind them and they're quite dedicated, it really is not at all an impossible task to enter into salvakalpa samadhi in this particular lifetime. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
367:When you drive, you are doing several things at once. You are using your eyes, ears, hands, your mind. If you have meditated for many years and have reached a lofty height in your meditation, as I have, you can meditate while running and cycling and painting. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
368:The final stage of meditation is reached when the sense of identity goes beyond the &
369:Try to spend at least 2 or 3 days every month in an ashram. Just breathing the pure air there will purify and strengthen our bodies and minds. Like recharging the batteries, even after returning home we will be able to continue our meditation and japa. ~ mata-amritanandamayi, @wisdomtrove
370:Group Meditation is a castle that protects the new spiritual aspirants as well as the veteran meditators. Meditating together increases the degree of Self-realization of each member of the group by the law of invisible vibratory exchange of group magnetism. ~ paramahansa-yogananda, @wisdomtrove
371:Why do we meditate? We meditate precisely because this world of ours has disappointed us and because failure looms large in our day-to-day life. We want fulfillment. We want joy, peace, bliss and perfection within and without. Meditation is the answer, the only answer. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
372:As you go into light for longer and longer periods, as you progress in your meditation practice, you transform, you become illumined, you overcome all limitation, all sorrow, and all pain. You learn not to be bound by desire, and eventually you transcend death itself. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
373:Meditation increases your vitality and strengthens your intelligence... your mental clarity and health improve. You acquire the patience and fortitude to face any problem in life. So, meditate! Only through meditation will you find the treasure you are seeking. ~ mata-amritanandamayi, @wisdomtrove
374:Meditation is to be aware of every thought and of every feeling, never to say it is right or wrong, but just to watch it and move with it. In that watching, you begin to understand the whole movement of thought and feeling. And out of this awareness comes silence. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
375:Meditation means conscious self-expansion. Meditation means one's conscious awareness of the transcendental Reality. Meditation means the recognition or the discovery of one's own true self. It is through meditation that we transcend limitation, bondage and imperfection. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
376:Meditation is not the pursuit of an invisible path leading to some imaginal bliss. The meditative mind is seeing, watching, listening, without the word, without comment, without opinion, attentive to the movement of life in all its relationships throughout the day. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
377:The best thing that you can do to deal with these high speed times is to slow down, inwardly, to take a little more time for meditation, a little more time to enjoy your morning cup of coffee or tea, and to look around at the people in your life with a little more love. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
378:It is virtually impossible, and senseless anyway, to commit yourself to a daily meditation practice without some view of why you are doing it, what its value might be in your life, a sense of why this might be your way and not just another tilting at imaginary windmills. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
379:Inward spiritual practices such as meditation, breathing techniques and self-analysis generate insights and enhance abilities, but none are so useful as learning to live harmoniously in a committed relationship, being a skillful parent, or juggling the demands of daily life. ~ dan-millman, @wisdomtrove
380:Meditation is a state of mind which looks at everything with complete attention, totally, not just parts of it. And no one can teach you how to be attentive. If any system teaches you how to be attentive, then you are attentive to the system, and that is not attention. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
381:Meditation is not thinking about the image of a person of the past. It is more about focusing and channelizing the power of your emotions and imagination for fulfilling a bigger dream - the dream that will bring more life, energy peace, happiness and meaning to you and the society. ~ amit-ray, @wisdomtrove
382:Often we make time for our family or other loved ones, but we neglect ourselves. Schedule time for yourself, doing something you love doing by yourself. For me, that’s reading and running, but others might like crafts or meditation or yoga or going on hikes or surfing or whatever. ~ leo-babauta, @wisdomtrove
383:Children, everyone should try to wake up before five in the morning. The ideal time for spiritual practices like meditation and chanting is Brahma Muhurta. During this period, sattvic qualities are predominant in nature. Moreover, the mind will be clear and body energetic. ~ mata-amritanandamayi, @wisdomtrove
384:To realize the spirit as spirit is practical religion. Everything else is good so far as it leads to this one grand idea. That realization is to be attained by renunciation, by meditation-renunciation of all the senses, cutting the knots, the chains that bind us down to matter. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove
385:We are sick with fascination for the useful tools of names and numbers, of symbols, signs, conceptions and ideas. Meditation is therefore the art of suspending verbal and symbolic thinking for a time, somewhat as a courteous audience will stop talking when a concert is about to begin. ~ alan-watts, @wisdomtrove
386:One day I was meditating on a cliff overlooking the ocean in Southern California and I was absorbed in a state of high meditation. As I came out of the meditation and became aware of the sense world the world around me I knew that I had a new name. And the name, of course, was Rama. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
387:Meditation, then, is not so much a part of this or that particular religion, but rather part of the universal spiritual culture of all humankind&
388:To achieve that state of lasting happiness and absolute peace, we must first know how to calm the mind, to concentrate and go beyond the mind. By turning the mind's concentration inward, upon the self, we can deepen that experience of perfect concentration. This is the state of Meditation. ~ sivananda, @wisdomtrove
389:I meditated on my own for some time, read spiritual books, became a vegetarian and had incredible experiences every day, every meditation, where I was just thrown into the infinite - never realizing that other people didn't necessarily have those experiences in meditation that quickly. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
390:Learn how to meditate on paper. Drawing and writing are forms of meditation. Learn how to contemplate works of art. Learn how to pray in the streets or in the country. Know how to meditate not only when you have a book in your hand but when you are waiting for a bus or riding in a train. ~ thomas-merton, @wisdomtrove
391:Prayer and meditation are my inner secret and my outer secret. My muscles are next to nothing compared to the muscles of the professional bodybuilders and weightlifters. It is because of the strength of my prayer-life and meditation-life that I am able to accomplish these feats of strength. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
392:There are several different kinds of painful feelings that we might experience, and learning to distinguish and relate to these feelings of discomfort or pain is an important part of meditation practice, because it is one of the very first things that we open to as our practice develops. ~ jack-kornfield, @wisdomtrove
393:Meditation means to be constantly extricating yourself from the clinging of mind. By letting go of even the thought &
394:Meditation increases our vitality and strengthens our intelligence. Our beauty is enhanced and our mental accuracy and health are improved. We gain the mental fortitude and patience to face life's problems. Meditate! Only through meditation can we find the treasure we're looking for. ~ mata-amritanandamayi, @wisdomtrove
395:It's very important as a beginner that you understand right from the start that meditation is about befriending your thinking, about holding it gently in awareness, no matter what is on your mind in a particular moment. It is not about shutting off your thoughts or changing them in any way. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
396:I viewed the thinking mind as an ‘enemy’ that I needed to subdue. But I don’t approach meditation like that these days. Now I’m much kinder to myself. I simply allow things to be as they are. If my mind is agitated, I let it rage until it’s spent. When my mind becomes still, I treasure the calm. ~ tim-freke, @wisdomtrove
397:The moment you die consciously, in meditation, God is born - because you disappear as an ego. Then what is left? A stillness, a tremendously potential stillness, a silence that is pregnant - pregnant with the whole. When you disappear, boundaries disappear. You melt and merge with everybody else. ~ rajneesh, @wisdomtrove
398:Meditation means to be constantly extricating yourself from the clinging of mind. By letting go of even the thought &
399:Real meditation we get from within or from a spiritual Master. We can never get it from books. From books we can get inspiration or an inner approach to the fulfilment of our outer life. But in order to have true meditation we have to go deep within or follow the guidance of a spiritual Master. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
400:Meditation upon the unknown Thought He thought was real meditation. No, meditation is not and cannot be On any thought. Meditation is a conscious withdrawal From the thought-world. Meditation is the place Where Reality, Divinity and Immortality Can each claim their own Perennial existence-light. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
401:I like extreme athletics, extreme meditation and extremely beautiful women. Perhaps I'm an extreme person, or it's simply my Karma. But I must tell you, as if you hadn't read about me in a newspaper or seen me on a magazine format television show, there are extreme risks involved with all three. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove
402:Meditation is not a process of learning how to meditate; it is the very inquiry into what is meditation. To inquire into what is meditation, the mind must free itself from what it has learnt about meditation, and the freeing of the mind from what it has learnt is the beginning of meditation. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
403:Meditation is a journey to know yourself. Knowing yourself has many layers. Start knowing your bodily discomforts. Know your success, know your failures. Know your fears. Know your irritations. Know your pleasures, joy and happiness. Know your mental wounds. Go deeper and examine every feeling you have. ~ amit-ray, @wisdomtrove
404:Meditation is not meant to help us avoid problems or run away from difficulties. It is meant to allow positive healing to take place. To meditate is to learn how to stop—to stop being carried away by our regrets about the past, our anger or despair in the present, or our worries about the future. ~ thich-nhat-hanh, @wisdomtrove
405:At one point I learned transcendental meditation. This was 30-something years ago. It took me back to the way that I naturally was as a child growing up way in the country, rarely seeing people. I was in that state of oneness with creation and it was as if I didn't exist except as a part of everything. ~ alice-walker, @wisdomtrove
406:If we confine ourselves to a general and distant reflection on the ills of human life, that can have no effect to prepare us for them. If by close and intense meditation we render them present and intimate to us, that is the true secret for poisoning all our pleasures, and rendering us perpetually miserable. ~ david-hume, @wisdomtrove
407:You can just imagine if everyone on earth did have one day where we just put all our minds together regardless where the force is, as long as it's positive, and just meditate for even a hour that day. And just live nice with them nice meditation. I mean, now, the climate would be nice, the smog would a leave ~ bob-marley, @wisdomtrove
408:True meditation can never be done with the mind. Very often we make a mistake when we say that we are meditating in the mind and utilising the mind. Real meditation is done in the psychic being and in the soul. It goes hand in hand with flaming aspiration, the burning flame that wants to climb up to the Highest. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
409:Try a little harder, and meditation comes. You do not feel the body or anything else. When you come out of it after the hour, you have had the most beautiful rest you ever had in your life. That is the only way you ever give rest to your system. Not even the deepest sleep will give you such a rest as that. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove
410:The one and only thing required is to free oneself from the bondage of mind and body alike, putting the Buddha's own seal upon yourself. If you do this as you sit in ecstatic meditation, the whole universe itself scattered through the infinity of space turns into enlightenment. This is what I mean by the Buddha's seal. ~ dogen, @wisdomtrove
411:The meditation I am talking about is not a meditation on something. If you light a lamp and remove all the objects surrounding it, the lamp will still go on giving light. In the same way, if you remove all objects from your consciousness, all thoughts, all imagination, what will happen? – only consciousness will remain. ~ rajneesh, @wisdomtrove
412:I think the greatest gift we can give our children is the experience of deep quiet. If we don’t help our children cultivate contemplation, reflection, prayer, meditation, or whatever other practice of mindfulness, then they’re likely to be completely spun out of their center by the time they’re in grade school. ~ marianne-williamson, @wisdomtrove
413:Not even the deepest sleep will give you such a rest as meditation can. The mind goes on jumping even in deepest sleep. Just those few moments in meditation your brain has almost stopped. ... You forget the body. ... You feel such pleasure in it. You become so light. This perfect rest we will get in meditation. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove
414:Meditation speaks. It speaks in silence. It reveals. It reveals to the aspirant that matter and spirit are one, quantity and quality are one, the immanent and the transcendent are one. It reveals that life can never be the mere existence of seventy or eighty years between birth and death, but is, rather, Eternity itself. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
415:We've all had at least a fleeting experience of a deep connection with the Divine in a meditation, in a moment of realization, or at a time when we felt blessed by the universe because everything was going our way. When we look through divine eyes, there is no judgment, no need to be righteous or to make ourselves wrong. ~ debbie-ford, @wisdomtrove
416:Before practicing meditation, we see that mountains are mountains. When we start to practice, we see that mountains are no longer mountains. After practicing a while, we see that mountains are again mountains. Now the mountains are very free. Our mind is still with the mountains, but it is no longer bound to anything. ~ thich-nhat-hanh, @wisdomtrove
417:Meditation is not aimed at developing a fine philosophy of life or mind. It is not about thinking at all. It is about keeping things simple. Right now, in this moment, do you see? Do you hear? This seeing, this hearing, when unadorned, is the recovery of original mind, free from all concepts, including “original mind.” ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
418:Most people think that aging is irreversible and we know that there are mechanisms even in the human machinery that allow for the reversal of aging, through correction of diet, through anti- oxidants, through removal of toxins from the body, through exercise, through yoga and breathing techniques, and through meditation.    ~ deepak-chopra, @wisdomtrove
419:If we get away from the lazy and fuzzy thinking that is like a poison in our society - if we get away from all the bad television that we tend to watch - and begin to take up serious meditation and other sacred exercises, we will have a real revolution of consciousness. If that happens, the world will change by itself. ~ marianne-williamson, @wisdomtrove
420:Meditation is a teaching which offers you the possibility of breaking free of this egoic state of consciousness and coming into a whole new realization of who and what you truly are. And all this starts with the willingness to question. To pause for just a moment and realize that maybe you aren't who you imagine yourself to be. ~ adyashanti, @wisdomtrove
421:The power of meditation gets us everything. If you want to get power over nature, [you can have it through meditation]. It is through the power of meditation all scientific facts are discovered today. They study the subject and forget everything, their own identity and everything, and then the great fact comes like a flash. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove
422:Breathing is important in the practice of meditation because it is the faculty in us that is simultaneously voluntary and involuntary. You can feel that you are breathing, and equally you can feel that it is breathing you. So it is a sort of bridge between the voluntary world and the involuntary world — a place where they are one. ~ alan-watts, @wisdomtrove
423:Thich Nhat Hanh, the venerable and highly respected Vietnamese meditation teacher, poet, and peace activist, uses the image of cloudy apple juice settling in a glass to describe meditation. You just sit with whatever is present, even discomfort, anxiety, or confusion, with whatever is present, and the mind settles all by itself. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
424:I'll take transformational change any way it comes. One way to look at meditation is as a kind of intrapsychic technology that's been developed over thousands of years by traditions that know a lot about the mind/body connection. To call what happens &
425:Meditation takes discipline, just like learning how to play piano. If you want to learn how to play the piano, it takes more than a few minutes a day, once a while, here and there. If you really want to learn any important skill, whether it is playing piano or meditation, it grows with perseverance, patience, and systematic training. ~ jack-kornfield, @wisdomtrove
426:The Witness is a huge step forward, and it is a necessary and important step in meditation, but it is not ultimate. When the Witness or the soul is finally undone, then the Witness dissolves into everything that is witnessed.  The subject/object duality collapses and there is only pure nondual awareness, which is very simple, very obvious. ~ ken-wilber, @wisdomtrove
427:What is meditation?... It is fleeing from the self, it is a short escape of the agony of being a self, it is a short numbing of the senses against the pain and the pointlessness of life. The same escape, the same short numbing is what the driver of an ox-cart finds in the inn, drinking a few bowls of rice wine or fermented coconut-milk. ~ hermann-hesse, @wisdomtrove
428:The way to freedom is through service to others. The way to happiness is through meditation and being in tune with God... break the barriers of your ego, shed selfishness, free yourself from the consciousness of the body, forget yourself, do away with this prison house of incarnations, melt your heart in all, be one with creation. ~ paramahansa-yogananda, @wisdomtrove
429:in stillness, I watched myselfget eaten by mosquitoes... the itch was maddening at first but eventually it just melded into a general burning feeling and i rode that heat to a mld euphoria. I allowed the pain to lose its specific associations and become pure sensation... and that eventually lifted me out of myself and into meditation. ~ elizabeth-gilbert, @wisdomtrove
430:Meditation does not involve trying to change your thinking by thinking some more. It involves watching thought itself. The watching is the holding. By watching your thoughts without being drawn into them, you can learn something profoundly liberating about thinking itself, which may help you to be less of a prisoner of those thought patterns. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
431:Meditation is not something restricted to times of formal seated meditation; it is most fundamentally an attitude of being-a resting in and as being. Once you get the feel of it, you will be able to tune into it more and more often during your daily life. Eventually, in the state of liberation, meditation will simply become your natural condition. ~ adyashanti, @wisdomtrove
432:Meditation means learning how to get out of this current, sit by its bank and listen to it, learn from it, and then use its energies to guide us rather than to tyrannize us. This process doesn’t magically happen by itself. It takes energy. We call the effort to cultivate our ability to be in the present moment “practice” or “meditation practice." ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
433:Perception without the word, which is without thought, is one of the strangest phenomena. Then the perception is much more acute, not only with the brain, but also with all the senses. Such perception is not the fragmentary perception of the intellect nor the affair of the emotions. It can be called a total perception, and it is part of meditation. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
434:Another way to look at meditation is to view the process of thinking itself as a waterfall, a continual cascading of thought. In cultivating mindfulness we are going beyond or behind our thinking, much the way you might find a vantagepoint in a cave or depression in a rock behind a waterfall. We still see and hear the water, but we are out of the torrent. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
435:To concentrate is not to meditate, even though that is what most of you do, calling it meditation. And if concentration is not meditation, then what is? Surely, meditation is to understand every thought that comes into being, and not to dwell upon one particular thought; it is to invite all thoughts so that you understand the whole process of thinking. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
436:When we raise ourselves through meditation to what unites us with the spirit, we quicken something within us that is eternal and unlimited by birth and death. Once we have experienced this eternal part in us, we can no longer doubt its existence. Meditation is thus the way to knowing and beholding the eternal, indestructible, essential centre of our being. ~ rudolf-steiner, @wisdomtrove
437:No external activity can reach the inner self; worship and prayers remain on the surface only; to go deeper meditation is essential, the striving to go beyond the states of sleep, dream and waking. In the beginning the attempts are irregular, then they recur more often, become regular, then continuous and intense, until all obstacles are conquered. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove
438:When we cultivate mystical awareness or transcendent identity&
439:Along with faith comes the requirement for dogged persistence. At first meditation may bring you mild highs or some relief from suffering. But there may come a time - just as there does in the development of any skill - when there will be a plateau. You may be bored, discouraged, or even negative and cynical. This is when you will need not only faith, but persistence. ~ ram-das, @wisdomtrove
440:Mindful sitting meditation is not an attempt to escape from problems or difficulties into some cut-off meditative state of absorption or denial. On the contrary, it is a willingness to go nose to nose with pain, confusion, and loss, if that is what is dominating the present moment, and to stay with the observing over a sustained period of time, beyond thinking. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
441:By work alone, men may get to where Buddha got largely by meditation or Christ by prayer. Buddha was a working Jnani, Christ was a Bhakta, but the same goal was reached by both of them. Good motives, sincerity, and infinite love can conquer the world. One single soul possessed of these virtues can destroy the dark designs of millions of hypocrites and brutes. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove
442:The name that no human research can discover&
443:If you believe in love, do you manifest it or just talk a lot? If you believe in compassion, in non-harming, in kindness, in wisdom, in generosity, in calmness, in solitude, in non-doing, in being even-handed and clear, do you manifest these qualities in your daily life? This is the level of intentionality which is required to keep your meditation practice vital. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
444:The soil in which the meditative mind can begin is the soil of everyday life, the strife, the pain, and the fleeting joy. It must begin there, and bring order, and from there move endlessly. .. You must take a plunge into the water, not knowing how to swim. And the beauty of meditation is that you never know where you are, where you are going, what the end is. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
445:The meditation that gives you immediate joy or continuous joy is the best meditation for you. Everyone will not have the same meditation. Your meditation will not suit me, my meditation will not suit you. You like a certain food, I don't like it. You are right in your own way I am right in my own way. But once you know what your best meditation is, please stick to it. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
446:It takes a long time-many incarnations of right action, good company, help of the guru, self-awakening, wisdom, and meditation-for man to regain his soul consciousness of immortality. To reach this state of Self-realization, each man must practice meditation to transfer his consciousness from the limited body to the unlimited sphere of joy felt in meditation. ~ paramahansa-yogananda, @wisdomtrove
447:Q: All teachers advise to meditate. What is the purpose of meditation?   M: We know the outer world of sensations and actions, but of our inner world of thoughts and feelings we know very little. The primary purpose of meditation is to become conscious of, and familiar with, our inner life. The ultimate purpose is to reach the source of life and consciousness. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove
448:Remember one thing: meditation means awareness. Whatsoever you do with awareness is meditation. Action is not the question, but the quality that you bring to your action. Walking can be a meditation if you walk alertly. Sitting can be a meditation if you listen with awareness. Just listening to the inner noise of your mind can be a meditation if you remain alert and watchful. ~ rajneesh, @wisdomtrove
449:When I tried this morning, after an hour or so of unhappy thinking, to dip back into my meditation, I took a new idea with me: compassion. I asked my heart if it could please infuse my soul with a more generous perspective on my mind's workings. Instead of thinking that I was a failure, could I perhaps accept that I am only a human being&
450:When I tried this morning, after an hour or so of unhappy thinking, to dip back into my meditation, I took a new idea with me: compassion. I asked my heart if it could please infuse my soul with a more generous perspective on my mind's workings. Instead of thinking that I was a failure, could I perhaps accept that I am only a human being&
451:We in America should see that no man is ever given, no matter how gradually or how noble and excellent the man, the power to put this country into a war which is now being prepared and brought closer each day with all the pre-meditation of a long planned murder. For when you give power to an executive you do not know who will be filling that position when the time of crisis comes. ~ ernest-hemingway, @wisdomtrove
452:It is more than probable that I am not understood; but I fear, indeed, that it is in no manner possible to convey to the mind of the merely general reader, an adequate idea of that nervous intensity of interest with which, in my case, the powers of meditation (not to speak technically) busied and buried themselves, in the contemplation of even the most ordinary objects of the universe. ~ edgar-allan-poe, @wisdomtrove
453:Meditation is not the pursuit of pleasure and the search for happiness. Meditation, on the contrary, is a state of mind in which there is no concept or formula, and therefore total freedom. It is only to such a mind that this bliss comes unsought and uninvited. Once it is there, though you may live in the world with all its noise, pleasure and brutality, they will not touch that mind. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
454:Meditation is simply about being yourself and knowing something about who that is. It is about coming to realize that you are on a path whether you like it or not, namely, the path that is your life. Meditation may help us see that this path we call our life has direction; that it is always unfolding, moment by moment; and that what happens now, in this moment, influences what happens next. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
455:Zen purposes to discipline the mind itself, to make it its own master, through an insight into its proper nature. This getting into the real nature of one's own mind or soul is the fundamental object of Zen Buddhism. Zen, therefore, is more than meditation and Dhyana in its ordinary sense. The discipline of Zen consists in opening the mental eye in order to look into the very reason of existence. ~ d-t-suzuki, @wisdomtrove
456:The greatest help to spiritual life is meditation. In meditation we divest ourselves of all material conditions and feel our divine nature. We do not depend upon any external help in meditation. The touch of the soul can paint the brightest color even in the dingiest places; it can cast a fragrance over the vilest thing; it can make the wicked divine-and all enmity, all selfishness is effaced. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove
457:Samadhi is the journey from individual to collective consciousness. The steps of Samadhi are the steps towards reaching the collective consciousness. In meditation, the more we radiate love, compassion, peace, harmony and tranquility, the more is our contribution towards the collective consciousness. The more we positively contribute towards the collective consciousness the more is our progress in Samadhi. ~ amit-ray, @wisdomtrove
458:It is a good practice to write at least on page of mantra daily. Many people get better concentration by writing than by chanting. Try also to inculcate in children the habit of chanting and neatly writing the mantra. This will help to improve their handwriting, too. The book in which the mantra is written should not be thrown around; it should be carefully kept in our meditation or shrine room. ~ mata-amritanandamayi, @wisdomtrove
459:Whether we meditate individually or collectively, there is one thing we absolutely must do: we have to meditate consciously. Making an unconscious effort is like forcing oneself to play football in spite of one's utmost unwillingness. One plays, but gets no joy. Conscious effort is like playing football most willingly. One gets real joy. Similarly, conscious meditation gives us inner Delight from the soul. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
460:The most important thing in life is your inner energy. If you’re always tired and never enthused, then life is no fun. But if you’re always inspired and filled with energy, then every minute of every day is an exciting experience. Learn to work with these things. Through meditation, through awareness and willful efforts, you can learn to keep your centers open. You do this by just relaxing and releasing. ~ michael-singer, @wisdomtrove
461:There are four great events in history, the siege of Troy, the life and crucifixion of Christ, the exile of Krishna in Brindaban and the colloquy on the field of Kurukshetra. The siege of Troy created Hellas, the exile in Brindaban created devotional religion, (for before there was only meditation and worship), Christ from his cross humanized Europe, the colloquy at Kurukshetra will yet liberate humanity. ~ sri-aurobindo, @wisdomtrove
462:When a caterpillar spins its cocoon, it goes through a transformative process and then emerges as a butterfly. Similarly, when we go through a practice of meditation and prayer, we loosen our egoic grip on a sense of self that is separate from the Whole and become vehicles of the emergent evolutionary paradigm of love, peace , compassion, wisdom, harmony and oneness that seeks expression on the planet. ~ michael-beckwith, @wisdomtrove
463:The universe is wired with the electricity of God, & each of us is a lamp. It doesn't matter the size or shape of the lamp; it only matters that the lamp is plugged in. With every prayer, every thought of forgiveness, every meditation, every act of love, we plug in. The more of us who plug in, to more the darkness of the world will be cast from our midst. Today, let's all increase love's wattage! ~ marianne-williamson, @wisdomtrove
464:Since World War II, Japan has spawned enormous numbers of new religions featuring the supernatural... . In Thailand, diseases are treated with pills manufactured from pulverized sacred Scripture. Witches are today being burned in South Africa... . The worldwide TM [Transcendental Meditation] organization has an estimated valuation of $3 billion. For a fee, they promise to make you invisible, to enable you to fly. ~ carl-sagan, @wisdomtrove
465:What I wish to show by these feats of strength is that prayer and meditation can definitely increase one's outer capacities. I hope that by doing this I will be able to inspire many people to pray and meditate sincerely as part of their regular daily routine. my message is that if one needs strength, then uncovering one's inner strength through prayer and meditation is the fastest and most effective way to get it. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
466:I loved meditation. I love it because that's where you find what your voice is. You cannot really find it easily in this culture. This culture is the noisiest culture ever, ever. I think the damage that it has done to people is in that realm of silencing them. They are overwhelmed by gadgets. They don't know what to think because they're so heavily programmed about what it is that they should want and should think. ~ alice-walker, @wisdomtrove
467:In Savasana or in meditation, the light of the eyes is drawn towards the lotus of the heart, so that the seat of the intelligence of the head is brought into contact with the seat of the intelligence of the heart, which is called the mind. Thus one passes from the individualistic state of consciousness to the universal state of consciousness. It is the merging of the intellect of the brain with the intellect of the soul. ~ b-k-s-iyengar, @wisdomtrove
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469:Instead of &
470:Slowly I discovered the secret of my art. It consists of a meditation on nature, on the expression of a dream which is always inspired by reality. With more involvement and regularity, I learned to push each study in a certain direction. Little by little the notion that painting is a means of expression asserted itself, and that one can express the same thing in several ways. Exactitude is not truth, Delacroix liked to say. ~ henri-matisse, @wisdomtrove
471:In true meditation the emphasis is on being awareness; not on being aware of objects, but on resting as primordial awareness itself. Primordial awareness is the source in which all objects arise and subside. As you gently relax into awareness, into listening, the mind's compulsive contraction around objects will fade. Awareness naturally returns to its non-state of absolute unmanifest potential, the silent abyss beyond all knowing. ~ adyashanti, @wisdomtrove
472:You must try to combine in your life immense idealism with immense practicality. You must be prepared to go into deep meditation now, and the next moment you must be ready to go and cultivate the fields. You must be prepared to explain the intricacies of the scriptures now, and the next moment to go and sell the produce of the fields in the market... .The true man is he who is strong as strength itself and yet possesses a woman's heart. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove
473:LOVE is essentially self-communicative: those who do not have it catch it from those who have it... . No amount of rites, rituals, ceremonies, worship, meditation, penance and remembrance can produce love in themselves. None of these is necessarily a sign of love. On the contrary, those who sigh loudly and weep and wail have yet to experience love. Love sets on fire the one who finds it. At the same time it seals his lips so that no smoke comes out ~ meher-baba, @wisdomtrove
474:Psychedelic experience is only a glimpse of genuine mystical insight, but a glimpse which can be matured and deepened by the various ways of meditation in which drugs are no longer necessary or useful. If you get the message, hang up the phone. For psychedelic drugs are simply instruments, like microscopes, telescopes, and telephones. The biologist does not sit with eye permanently glued to the microscope, he goes away and works on what he has seen. ~ alan-watts, @wisdomtrove
475:It only take a few minutes of meditation to directly realize we are a river of sensations, feelings, thoughts, perceptions. How can we navigate this evanescent river of life wisely? With mindful awareness and love it becomes clear. You can fight against the river of change, or use its wisdom to teach you how to graciously move and create and flow with the full measure of joy and sorrow, gain and loss, praise and blame that make up every human incarnation. ~ jack-kornfield, @wisdomtrove
476:Meditation is the only way to overcome fear. There is no other way. Why does meditation help us overcome fear? In meditation we identify ourselves with the vast, with the Absolute. When we are afraid of someone or something, it is because we do not feel that particular person or thing is a part of us. When we have established conscious oneness with the Absolute, with the Infinite Vast, the everything there is part of us. And how can we be afraid of ourselves? ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
477:I don't think most people know how to meditate - they fall asleep and they call it meditation. I prefer a kind of sweet, deep, rich prayer in which a person goes in and says, Take me down deep into the reason you gave me life. Take me down deep. It silences the chaos in me. Take me away from my sense. I need to go away now, because I'm in chaos - take me down deep. Hover over me, because I need grace. I say that a lot, many times a day. So that's my practice. ~ caroline-myss, @wisdomtrove
478:I don't think most people know how to meditate - they fall asleep and they call it meditation. I prefer a kind of sweet, deep, rich prayer in which a person goes in and says, Take me down deep into the reason you gave me life. Take me down deep. It silences the chaos in me. Take me away from my sense. I need to go away now, because I'm in chaos - take me down deep. Hover over me, because I need grace. I say that a lot, many times a day. So that's my practice. ~ norman-vincent-peale, @wisdomtrove
479:So, to meditate is to purge the mind of its self-centered activity. And if you have come this far in meditation, you will find there is silence, a total emptiness. The mind is uncontaminated by society; it is no longer subject to any influence, to the pressure of any desire. It is completely alone, and being alone, untouched it is innocent. Therefore there is a possibility for that which is timeless, eternal, to come into being. This whole process is meditation. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
480:It is only through meditation that we can get lasting peace, divine peace. If we meditate soulfully in the morning and receive peace for only one minute, that one minute of peace will permeate our whole day. And when we have a meditation of the highest order, then we really get abiding peace, light and delight. We need meditation because we want to grow in light and fulfill ourselves in light. If this is our aspiration, if this is our thirst, then meditation is the only way. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
481:Why shouldn't you strengthen your own vibrations through fellowship with people seeking Self-realization, and by group meditation with them? This practice will fortify your own spiritual convictions you will find that many seemingly insuperable barriers in your life will crumble and dissolve in the waters of meditation. Your devotion and love for God will commingle with the devotion and love of others. Divine bliss will radiate from you, helping all persons you meet. ~ paramahansa-yogananda, @wisdomtrove
482:What meaning has such meditation? There is no meaning; there is no utility. But in that meditation there is a movement of great ecstasy which is not to be confounded with pleasure. It is this ecstasy which gives to the eye, to the brain and to the heart, the quality of innocency. Without seeing life as something totally new, it is a routine, a boredom, a meaningless affair. So meditation is of the greatest importance. It opens the door to the incalculable, to the measureless. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
483:It did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life—daily and hourly. Our answer must consist, not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual. ~ viktor-frankl, @wisdomtrove
484:Silence is the warrior’s art — and meditation is his sword. With it, you’ll cut through your illusions. But understand this: the sword’s usefulness depends upon the swordsman. If you don’t know how to use the weapon properly, it can become a dangerous, deluding, or useless tool. Meditation can initially help you to relax. You may put your ‘sword’ on display, proudly show it to friends. The gleam of this sword distracts many meditators until they abandon it to seek other esoteric techniques. ~ dan-millman, @wisdomtrove
485:In its outward manifestation, meditation appears to involve either stopping, by parking the body in a stillness that suspends activity, or giving oneself over to flowing movement. In either case, it is an embodiment of wise attention, an inward gesture undertaken for the most part in silence, a shift from doing to simply being. It is an act that may at first seem artificial but that we soon discover, if we keep at it, is ultimately one of pure love for the life unfolding within us and around us. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
486:Real meditation is not about mastering a technique; it’s about letting go of control. This is meditation. Anything else is actually a form of concentration. Meditation and concentration are two different things. Concentration is a discipline; concentration is a way in which we are actually directing or guiding or controlling our experience. Meditation is letting go of control, letting go of guiding our experience in any way whatsoever. The foundation of True Meditation is that we are letting go of control. ~ adyashanti, @wisdomtrove
487:The zazen I speak of is not learning meditation. It is simply the Dharma gate of repose and bliss, the practice-realization of totally culminated enlightenment. It is the manifestation of ultimate reality. Traps and snares can never reach it. Once its heart is grasped, you are like the dragon when he gains the water, like the tiger when she enters the mountain. For you must know that just there (in zazen) the right Dharma is manifesting itself and that, from the first, dullness and distraction are struck aside. ~ dogen, @wisdomtrove
488:No matter who causes you grief, take your complaints to the meditation room, where your real friend is. In addition to your husband or wife, you should have a friend - and that friend should be God. Even if your husband or wife makes you unhappy, tell that to God, and not to anyone else. If your neighbor picks a fight with you, go to the meditation room and complain, &
489:One day Mara, the Buddhist god of ignorance and evil, was traveling through the villages of India with his attendants. He saw a man doing walking meditation whose face was lit up in wonder. The man had just discovered something on the ground in front of him. Mara's attendants asked what that was and Mara replied, "A piece of truth." "Doesn't this bother you when someone finds a piece of the truth, O evil one?" his attendants asked. "No," Mara replied. "Right after this they usually make a belief out of it." ~ jack-kornfield, @wisdomtrove
490:Perception without the perceiver in meditation is to commune with the height and depth of the immense. This perception is entirely different from seeing an object without an observer, because in the perception of meditation there is no object and therefore no experience. can, however, take place when the eyes are open and one is surrounded by objects of every kind. But then these objects have no importance at all. One sees them but there is no process of recognition, which means there is no experiencing. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
491:Meditation is the emptying of the mind of all the things that the mind has put together. If you do that -perhaps you won't, but it doesn't matter, just listen to this- you will find that there is an extraordinary space in the mind, and that space is freedom. So you must demand freedom at the very beginning, and not just wait, hoping to have it at the end. You must seek out the significance of freedom in your work, in your relationships, in everything that you do. Then you will find that meditation is creation. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove
492:How do we meditate silently? Just by not talking, just by not using outer words, we are not doing silent meditation. Silent meditation is totally different. When we start meditating in silence, right from the beginning we feel the bottom of a sea within us and without. The life of activity movement and restlessness is on the surface, but deep below, underneath our human life, there is poise and silence. So, either we shall imagine this sea of silence within us or we shall feel that we are nothing but a sea of poise itself. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove
493:As Eastern thought has begun to interest a significant number of people, and meditation is no longer viewed with ridicule or suspicion, mysticism is being token seriously even within the scientific community An increasing number of scientists are aware that mystical thought provides a consistent and relevant philosophical back ground to the theories of Contemporary science, a conception of the world in which the scientific discoveries of men and women can be in perfect harmony with their SpirItual aims and religious beliefs. ~ fritjof-capra, @wisdomtrove
494:For, as has been indicated from the innate experience as well as from the longings within, a home - home - with all its deeper, inner meanings, is a portion of the entity's desire; to know, to experience, to have the "feel" of, to have the surroundings of that implied by the word home! Is it any wonder then that in all of thy meditation, Ohm-O-h-m-mmmmm has ever been, is ever a portion of that which raises self to the highest influence and the highest vibrations throughout its whole being that may be experienced by the entity? ~ edgar-cayce, @wisdomtrove
495:The divine within you is stronger than anything that is without you. Therefore, be not afraid of anything. Rely on your own Inner Self, the Divinity within you. Tap the source through looking within. Improve yourself. Build your character. Purify the heart. Develop the divine virtues. Eradicate evil traits. Conquer all that is base in you. Endeavor to attain all that is worthy and noble. Make the lower nature the servant of the higher through discipline, Tapas, self-restraint and meditation. This is the beginning of your freedom. ~ sivananda, @wisdomtrove
496:When we let go of wanting something else to happen in this moment, we are taking a profound step toward being able to encounter what is here now. If we hope to go anywhere or develop ourselves in any way, we can only step from where we are standing. If we don't really know where we are standing‚ knowing that comes directly from the cultivation of mindfulness‚ we may only go in circles, for all our efforts and expectations. So, in meditation practice, the best way to get somewhere is to let go of trying to get anywhere at all. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove
497:represented within awareness are highly variable, but the representational capacities themselves—the basis of the subjective experience of awareness—are generally very stable. Consequently, resting as awareness brings a beautiful sense of inner clarity and peace. These feelings are generally deepest in meditation, but you can cultivate a greater sense of abiding as awareness throughout the day. Use routine events—such as the phone ringing, going to the bathroom, or drinking water—as temple bells to return you to a sense of centeredness. ~ rick-hanson, @wisdomtrove
498:Offer it up personally,then. Right now. I thought of how many people go to their graves unforgiven and unforgiving. I thought of how many people have had siblings or friends or children or lovers disappear from their lives before precious words of clemency or absolution could be passed along. How do the survivors of terminated relationships ever endure the pain of unfinished business? From that place of meditation, I found the answer-you can finish the business yourself, from within yourself. It's not only possible, it's essential. ~ elizabeth-gilbert, @wisdomtrove
499:The most important thing in life is your inner energy. If you’re always tired and never enthused, then life is no fun. But if you’re always inspired and filled with energy, then every minute of every day is an exciting experience. Learn to work with these things. Through meditation, through awareness and willful efforts, you can learn to keep your centers open. You do this by just relaxing and releasing. You do this by not buying into the concept that there is anything worth closing over. Remember, if you love life, nothing is worth closing over. ~ michael-singer, @wisdomtrove
500:Why are we such tortured human beings, with tears in our eyes and false laughter on our lips? If you could walk alone among those hills or in the woods or along the long, white, bleached sands, in that solitude you would know what meditation is. The ecstasy of solitude comes when you are not frightened to be alone no longer belonging to the world or attached to anything. Then, like that dawn that came up this morning, it comes silently, and makes a golden path in the very stillness, which was at the beginning, which is now, and which will be always there. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove

*** NEWFULLDB 2.4M ***

1:Meditation helps. ~ Isabel Allende,
2:Mindfulness Meditation ~ Russ Harris,
3:Meditation is culture. ~ Benjamin Disraeli,
4:Sleep is the best meditation. ~ Dalai Lama,
5:Meditation has changed my life ~ Hugh Jackman,
6:Meditation is waiting on God. ~ Mahatma Gandhi,
7:Mind only thinks, meditation lives. ~ Rajneesh,
8:My workout is my meditation. ~ Kyle MacLachlan,
9:Don't preach about meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
10:Movement for me is meditation. ~ Conor McGregor,
11:COOKING WAS a form of meditation ~ John Sandford,
12:You cannot fail at meditation. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
13:For me, painting is like meditation. ~ Janet Fish,
14:"Serenity" is the flavor of meditation. ~ Rajneesh,
15:Meditation is mind’s vacation! ~ Mehmet Murat ildan,
16:Meditation is not about doing something ~ Joko Beck,
17:Real Buddhism is about meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
18:Regular meditation opens the avenues of ~ Sivananda,
19:Without meditation, Id probably be dead. ~ Mike Love,
20:Group meditation according to Jon Kabat ~ Howard Zinn,
21:Meditation is your true nature. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
22:Meditation stops the sound-loving mind. ~ Sri Chinmoy,
23:Movement is meditation. Move to win. ~ Conor McGregor,
24:You can't fight evil with meditation. ~ Richelle Mead,
25:Meditation is not a technique to master; ~ Adyashanti,
26:Meditation speaks. It speaks in silence. ~ Sri Chinmoy,
27:1. Running with the Mind of Meditation ~ Sakyong Mipham,
28:In maiden meditation, fancy free. ~ William Shakespeare,
29:Meditation is a doorway to the soul. ~ James Van Praagh,
30:Meditation is a dress rehearsal for death. ~ Adyashanti,
31:Meditation is bringing the mind home. ~ Sogyal Rinpoche,
32:Pain is what gives rise to meditation ~ Haruki Murakami,
33:The greatest meditation is a mind that lets go. ~ Atisa,
34:Meditation changes your character. ~ Henepola Gunaratana,
35:Meditation is the journey to happiness. ~ Frederick Lenz,
36:Meditation is massage for the mind. ~ Mokokoma Mokhonoana,
37:Meditation is the action of silence. ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti,
38:Peak performance is meditation in motion. ~ Greg Louganis,
39:The flowering of love is meditation. ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti,
40:Meditation is listening to the divine within ~ Edgar Cayce,
41:Meditation results in marvels. ~ Tirumalai Krishnamacharya,
42:The act of meditation is being spacious. ~ Sogyal Rinpoche,
43:Make your life a prayer. Live your meditation. ~ Reba Riley,
44:Meditation and water are wedded for ever. ~ Herman Melville,
45:Meditation is a tool to shake yourself awake. ~ Geneen Roth,
46:Not abandoning obscurations to meditation ~ Ch gyam Trungpa,
47:Sitting meditation begins with good posture. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
48:This listening is the art of meditation, ~ Joel S Goldsmith,
49:Meditation can change the flavor of the season. ~ Tara Brach,
50:Meditation is the nourishment for flowering. ~ Jaggi Vasudev,
51:Meditation means ultimate freedom within you. ~ Jaggi Vasudev,
52:Meditation raises the question: Who are we really? ~ Ram Dass,
53:No meditation, no life.
Know meditation, know life. ~ Osho,
54:Solve all your problems through meditation. ~ Lahiri Mahasaya,
55:The ultimate meditation is: surrender to reality. ~ Rajneesh,
56:Use #‎ meditation as a tool to get quiet. ~ Sonia Choquette,
57:Working out, for me, is sort of a meditation. ~ Nicole Eggert,
58:For in meditation, debate has no place. ~ Alcoholics Anonymous,
59:Happiness is found principally in meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
60:In deep meditation we see nothing but purity. ~ Frederick Lenz,
61:Meditation creates more time than it takes. ~ Peter McWilliams,
62:Meditation is a huge part of my life. And prayer. ~ A J McLean,
63:Meditation is a science, not a superstition. Meditation ~ Osho,
64:No meditation, no life. Know meditation, know life. ~ Rajneesh,
65:People think meditation is a huge undertaking. ~ Deepak Chopra,
66:Relax and your meditation will be easy. ~ Sri Ramana Maharishi,
67:Sow love, reap peace. Sow meditation, reap wisdom. ~ Sivananda,
68:Meditation is a flower, and compassion is its fragrance. ~ Osho,
69:Meditation is a way of being, not a technique. ~ Jon Kabat Zinn,
70:Meditation is experiencing the self in million ways. ~ Amit Ray,
71:Meditation... never leave the body without it! ~ Frederick Lenz,
72:meditation vs prayer = listening vs talking ~ Elizabeth Gilbert,
73:The real meditation is how you live your life. ~ Jon Kabat Zinn,
74:Meditation applies the brakes to the mind. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
75:Truth is the offspring of silence and meditation. ~ Isaac Newton,
76:When you sit in meditation, feel the joy in your soul. ~ Ma Jaya,
77:Love is the highest form of meditation. ~ Eric Micha el Leventhal,
78:Meditation helps you do less and accomplish more. ~ Deepak Chopra,
79:One conscious breathe in and out is a meditation. ~ Eckhart Tolle,
80:Playing 'Tetris' for 15 minutes is like meditation. ~ Ezra Koenig,
81:A mind in the present moment is meditation. ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,
82:Meditation essentially means having a great time. ~ Frederick Lenz,
83:Meditation is a flower and compassion is its fragrance. ~ Rajneesh,
84:Meditation is all about the pursuit of nothingness. ~ Hugh Jackman,
85:Meditation is like an oven that forces the truth out. ~ Adyashanti,
86:Meditation is the quickest path to enlightenment. ~ Frederick Lenz,
87:Those who miss meditation miss the whole dance of life. ~ Rajneesh,
88:Any action in which you can be total becomes meditation. ~ Rajneesh,
89:A soft woman
is simply a wolf
caught in meditation. ~ Pavana,
90:Every teacher of Transcendental Meditation is a hero. ~ David Lynch,
91:Meditation is a kind of grooving with the eternal now. ~ Alan Watts,
92:Meditation is THE fundamental practice of the Quest. ~ Paul Brunton,
93:I no longer teach meditation, only software design. ~ Frederick Lenz,
94:I think we should do meditation and yoga at work. ~ Mark T Bertolini,
95:Meditation has really helped with keeping my center. ~ Nikki DeLoach,
96:Meditation is enough. Everything else follows on its own. ~ Rajneesh,
97:Once you have tasted meditation, it is impossible for you ~ Rajneesh,
98:The only bad meditation is when you don't meditate. ~ Frederick Lenz,
99:Meditation is perhaps the master key for all our problems. ~ Rajneesh,
100:Meditation is the golden key to all the mysteries of life. ~ Rajneesh,
101:Meditation means to awaken new dimensions within you. ~ Jaggi Vasudev,
102:meditation must follow hearing and precede prayer. ~ Donald S Whitney,
103:To me a man of meditation is bound to be immensely loving. ~ Rajneesh,
104:Meditation If prayer is speaking, meditating is listening. ~ Kyle Gray,
105:The getting lost and recovering - that is the meditation. ~ Dan Harris,
106:The goal of meditation is awareness, not relaxation. ~ Eknath Easwaran,
107:The greatest help to spiritual life is meditation. ~ Swami Vivekananda,
108:Transcendental Meditation gives me an island of calm ~ Paul McCartney,
109:You enter meditation to enjoy the experience of meditation. ~ Amit Ray,
110:Everything can be used as an invitation to meditation ~ Sogyal Rinpoche,
111:I hope the fans will take up meditation instead of drugs. ~ Ringo Starr,
112:Integrated meditation practice is like a healthy diet ~ B Alan Wallace,
113:meditation “a reboot for your brain and your soul. ~ Arianna Huffington,
114:Meditation is not growth of the ego, it is death of the ego. ~ Rajneesh,
115:Meditation is the artwork of awakening the divine within you ~ Amit Ray,
116:Meditation is the best means of elongating life ~ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,
117:Meditation is the delicate art of doing nothing. ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,
118:Training attention through meditation opens our eyes. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
119:YOU ARE THE ONLY FLOWER OF MEDITATION IN THE WILDERNESS. ~ Blake Crouch,
120:All of life is a meditation, most of it unintentional. ~ Joseph Campbell,
121:However you try to define meditation, it’s not that. ~ Swami Brahmananda,
122:In meditation we can watch the itch instead of scratching it. ~ Ram Dass,
123:Meditation is nothing but taking a mental shower. ~ Harbhajan Singh Yogi,
124:Meditation is the way we realize the nature of the mind. ~ Thubten Yeshe,
125:My whole teaching consists of two words, meditation and love. ~ Rajneesh,
126:Someone once said that life is a meditation on death. I ~ Peter Grainger,
127:Simple ideas become obsessions, almost like a meditation. ~ Mary Heilmann,
128:Smiling is one of the highest forms of meditation. ~ Mata Amritanandamayi,
129:To be here and now, you have to be in meditation, beyond mind. ~ Rajneesh,
130:Cats know everything there is to know about meditation. ~ Veronique Vienne,
131:Meditation is simply getting to know your mind. ~ Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche,
132:Meditation is wondering. It is both wondering and wonder. ~ Frederick Lenz,
133:The thing about meditation is: you become more and more you. ~ David Lynch,
134:True meditation is letting go of manipulating our experience. ~ Adyashanti,
135:We do not depend upon any external help in meditation. ~ Swami Vivekananda,
136:The purpose of meditation is personal transformation. ~ Henepola Gunaratana,
137:Daily meditation has been shown to cure insomnia in rats. ~ Ottessa Moshfegh,
138:every one knows, meditation and water are wedded for ever. ~ Herman Melville,
139:Holy meditation helps to burn out all mental impurities. ~ Swami Vivekananda,
140:I don't do meditation. That's not for me. It's not my thing. ~ Caroline Myss,
141:In meditation, silently and serenely, all words are transcended. ~ Sheng yen,
142:Meditation is a totally nonviolent, nonaggressive occupation. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
143:Meditation is silence. Silence is God In His Infinity's Smile. ~ Sri Chinmoy,
144:Meditation is the way to secure your future without struggle. ~ Bill Winston,
145:Captain, your fecal aroma is disturbing our meditation.” “I ~ Lindsay Buroker,
146:Each meditation should last hours - three, four, six hours. ~ Samael Aun Weor,
147:In meditation, silently and serenely, all words are transcended. ~ Sheng yen,
148:Labor, but slight not meditation; meditate, but slight not labor. ~ Confucius,
149:Meditation is a way to take us to a deeper level of awareness. ~ Tenzin Palmo,
150:Meditation works in many layers. It works in our genes, in our DNA ~ Amit Ray,
151:Nobody matures past his or her need for prayer and meditation. ~ Andy Stanley,
152:Meditation betters not only the mind but also the brain. ~ Mokokoma Mokhonoana,
153:Meditation is the process of understanding your own mind. ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti,
154:Mindfulness has been called the heart of Buddhist meditation. ~ Jon Kabat Zinn,
155:Through prayer we speak to God. In meditation, God speaks to us. ~ Edgar Cayce,
156:Want to get more done? Keep meditation #1 on your to-do list. ~ Waylon H Lewis,
157:Every time you have a chance, go within and do your meditation. ~ Dharma Mittra,
158:I believe there is a time for meditation in cathedrals of our own. ~ Billy Joel,
159:Illiness could be considered a Western form of meditation. ~ Rachel Naomi Remen,
160:In dwelling, be close to the land. In meditation, go deep in the heart. ~ Laozi,
161:Meditation is a skilful letting go: gently but with resolution. ~ Ajahn Sumedho,
162:Meditation means to go beyond the limitations of body and mind. ~ Jaggi Vasudev,
163:Prayer is asking for guidance. Meditation is listening to it. ~ Sonia Choquette,
164:Through Transcendental Meditation, the human brain can ~ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,
165:I discovered the secret of the sea in meditation upon a dewdrop. ~ Khalil Gibran,
166:Meditation is a balancing act between attention and relaxation. ~ B Alan Wallace,
167:Meditation is a skillful letting go: gently but with resolution. ~ Ajahn Sumedho,
168:Meditation is evolution's strategy to bring out our full potential. ~ Tara Brach,
169:The world can come to a harmony if meditation is spread far and wide. ~ Rajneesh,
170:I love fishing. It's transcendental meditation with a punchline. ~ Billy Connolly,
171:In our prayer and meditation we hope for fulfilling ordinary life. ~ Thomas Moore,
172:Meditation is humility - the absence of thought, doubt, and ego. ~ Frederick Lenz,
173:Meditation is my soul's soundless conversation with my inner pilot. ~ Sri Chinmoy,
174:No amount of prayer or meditation can do what helping others can do. ~ Meher Baba,
175:There is actually a genetic signature associated with meditation. ~ Deepak Chopra,
176:this meditation practice is as helpful for you as it has been for me. ~ Anonymous,
177:With meditation I found a ledge above the waterfall of my thoughts. ~ Mary Pipher,
178:Daydreaming with pencil and paper is a respectable form of meditation. ~ John Howe,
179:Every path, every street in the world is your walking meditation path. ~ Nhat Hanh,
180:I actually really do meditation and then I spend my morning reading. ~ Jen Kirkman,
181:In meditation, whatever happens is bound to be expressed in creativity. ~ Rajneesh,
182:"Meditation is a skillful letting go: gently but with resolution." ~ Ajahn Sumedho,
183:Meditation is to understand that one breath, which connects all beings. ~ Amit Ray,
184:Vigilant and absorbed in meditation One attains abundant happiness. ~ Gil Fronsdal,
185:An essay is an impulsive meditation, not science reporting. ~ Nassim Nicholas Taleb,
186:In meditation we are continuously discovering who and what we are. ~ Sakyong Mipham,
187:Meditation is not evasion; it is a serene encounter with reality. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
188:meditation isn’t about getting rid of thoughts—you’ll think forever. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
189:Meditation is to leave the noise and to meet with the silence. ~ Mehmet Murat ildan,
190:Yes, as everyone knows, meditation and water are wedded for ever. ~ Herman Melville,
191:Let go, and move closer to existence in silence and peace, in meditation. ~ Rajneesh,
192:Meditation is listening the inner song. The song of Love, Peace and Light ~ Amit Ray,
193:Meditation will drop all the masks. It is a search for the original face. ~ Rajneesh,
194:Om is the pointed piece and Dhyâna (meditation) is the friction. ~ Swami Vivekananda,
195:Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious ~ Alcoholics Anonymous,
196:True religion is not a meditation on death, but a meditation on life. ~ Ga tan Soucy,
197:Within the stillness of meditation we see the unreality of thought. ~ Jack Kornfield,
198:Yes, as every one knows, meditation and water are wedded for ever. ~ Herman Melville,
199:I call myself a meditation teacher rather than a spiritual teacher. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
200:Meditation is a half-way house between thinking and contemplating. ~ Evelyn Underhill,
201:Meditation is a way for nourishing and blossoming the divinity within you. ~ Amit Ray,
202:Meditation is a way to be narcissistic without hurting anyone ~ Nassim Nicholas Taleb,
203:Meditation is essential because meditation opens the mind to itself. ~ Frederick Lenz,
204:Meditation is offering your genuine presence to yourself in every moment. ~ Nhat Hanh,
205:Meditation is the art removing the weeds from the garden of possibilities. ~ Amit Ray,
206:Meditation practice is also a kind of food because it nourishes us. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
207:"Meditation. There is nothing to do. It is about undoing." ~ Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche,
208:Meditation: There is nothing to do. It is about undoing
   ~ Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche,
209:Prayer and meditation help us affirm that our Higher Power cares for ~ Melody Beattie,
210:You want a love which is born out of meditation, not born out of the mind. ~ Rajneesh,
211:Meditation is realizing and expanding your inner beauty in every direction. ~ Amit Ray,
212:Meditation is simply about being yourself and know about who that is. ~ Jon Kabat Zinn,
213:Meditation is the way to individuality. It makes you a light unto yourself. ~ Rajneesh,
214:Photography is an immediate reaction, drawing is a meditation. ~ Henri Cartier Bresson,
215:Change only takes place through action, not through meditation and prayer. ~ Dalai Lama,
216:Meditation has been defined as the cessation of active eternal thought. ~ H P Blavatsky,
217:Meditation means the recognition or the discovery of one's own true self. ~ Sri Chinmoy,
218:perhaps there's no sharper spur to meditation than answered prayer. ~ Hortense Calisher,
219:The whole life of a philosopher is the meditation of his death. ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero,
220:Meditation makes the entire nervous system go into a field of coherence. ~ Deepak Chopra,
221:Yes, as every one knows, meditation and water are wedded for ever. But ~ Herman Melville,
222:Crying to God for five minutes is equal to one hour of meditation. ~ Mata Amritanandamayi,
223:If you learn nothing else from meditation, you will learn patience. ~ Henepola Gunaratana,
224:Meditation is the art of using one kind of energy to transform another. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
225:Meditation is very important to me. I feel off-balance when I skip a day. ~ Melissa Rauch,
226:Prayer and meditation help us affirm that our Higher Power cares for us. ~ Melody Beattie,
227:The most effective way to live in the flow of the timeless is meditation. ~ Deepak Chopra,
228:There are techniques of Buddhism, such as meditation, that anyone can adopt. ~ Dalai Lama,
229:Any daily activity can be used as an opportunity for meditation. ~ Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche,
230:Buddhist mindfulness meditation called vipassana, which means “to see clearly ~ Tara Brach,
231:Dhyana or meditation, means to be beyond the limitations of your body and mind. ~ Sadhguru,
232:Every blow of his sword carries with it centuries of wisdom and meditation. ~ Paulo Coelho,
233:Forget the dancer, the center of the ego; become the dance. That is meditation. ~ Rajneesh,
234:I got really involved in science research and the science of meditation. ~ Matthieu Ricard,
235:Meditation is just gently coming back again and again to what's right here. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
236:"Meditation is not a means to an end. It is both the means and the end." ~ J. Krishnamurti,
237:Surely the principles of Christianity lead to action as well as meditation. ~ William Pitt,
238:This is to be a landscape meditation about America’s place in the world. ~ Robert D Kaplan,
239:Why is meditation essential? By meditating we take our garbage out. ~ Harbhajan Singh Yogi,
240:Creativity means enjoying any work as meditation; doing any work with deep love. ~ Rajneesh,
241:Meditation is not a means to an end. It is both the means and the end. ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti,
242:Meditation is offering your genuine presence to yourself in every moment. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
243:Remember, meditation cannot be result-oriented; you simply meditate, that's all. ~ Rajneesh,
244:Through the study of books one seeks God; by meditation one finds him. ~ Pio of Pietrelcina,
245:A little rest and meditation often saves a lot of riding over rough country. ~ Louis L Amour,
246:Beloved Renegade is a meditation on Walt Whitman, on tenderness, on dying. ~ Robert Gottlieb,
247:First, meditation, and then out of meditation comes creativity of its own accord. ~ Rajneesh,
248:In deep meditation the flow of concentration is continuous like the flow of oil. ~ Patanjali,
249:I start my day with a mind, body, soul practice - yoga, pilates or meditation. ~ Donna Karan,
250:Meditation is just simple brain exercise. I exercise and this made sense to me. ~ Dan Harris,
251:Meditation means to be constantly extricating yourself from the clinging of mind. ~ Ram Dass,
252:Meditation trains the mind the way physical exercise strengthens the body. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
253:Meditation utilises concentration in its highest form. Concentration ~ Paramahansa Yogananda,
254:Mind is madness. Only when you go beyond the mind, there will be meditation. ~ Jaggi Vasudev,
255:Real Martial Arts is Mathematics, Physics, Poetry; Meditation in Action ~ Soke Behzad Ahmadi,
256:The first recipe for happiness is: avoid too lengthy meditation on the past. ~ Andre Maurois,
257:Don't worry. These poses have nothing to do with meditation or enlightenment. ~ Dharma Mittra,
258:Happily, the benefits of training in meditation arrive long before mastery does. ~ Sam Harris,
259:If we practice walking meditation, we walk just for walking, not to arrive. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
260:Meditation in action is endlessly more important than meditation in stillness. ~ Hakuin Ekaku,
261:Meditation is experiencing the life not just from the surface but from the source. ~ Amit Ray,
262:Meditation is one of the ways in which the spiritual man keeps himself awake. ~ Thomas Merton,
263:This is the central principle of meditation: we become what we meditate on. ~ Eknath Easwaran,
264:To be choiceless is to be in meditation. To be choiceless is to enter the eternal. ~ Rajneesh,
265:Vipassana meditation is not an intellectual journey but an experiential awakening. ~ Amit Ray,
266:We tend to think of meditation in only one way. But life itself is a meditation. ~ Raul Julia,
267:What we learn in meditation, we can apply to all other realms of our lives. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
268:Even now when I am answering a question I am at the height of my own meditation. ~ Sri Chinmoy,
269:heart rate variability (HRV) training, meditation, and a number of deep work ~ Timothy Ferriss,
270:I don't have a routine, but I have used meditation to just decompress and focus. ~ Mike Colter,
271:I think meditation has been the single biggest reason for whatever success Ive had ~ Ray Dalio,
272:Meditation is a means to discover all the glories of the ocean of mind ~ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,
273:Meditation is not an escape from life... but preparation for really being in life. ~ Nhat Hanh,
274:meditation was now increasingly being viewed as a software upgrade for the brain. ~ Dan Harris,
275:Prayer is talking to God. Meditation is letting God talk to you.” —Yogi Bhajan ~ Maria Shriver,
276:I always try meditation. Meditation means always keeping one mind, not-moving mind. ~ Seungsahn,
277:In meditation you are not unconscious, you are conscious - more conscious than ever. ~ Rajneesh,
278:Meditation is a lot like doing reps at a gym. It strengthens your attention muscle. ~ S J Scott,
279:Meditation is not 'going somewhere;' it's diving deep here, this moment. ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,
280:Meditation is the means of unification of the subject and object. Meditate. ~ Swami Vivekananda,
281:Modern man is too impatient and wants to master the art of meditation immediately. ~ Rama Swami,
282:Reading makes a full man, meditation a profound man, discourse a clear man. ~ Benjamin Franklin,
283:Remember what people used to say about meditation? Now everyone is doing it. ~ Shirley MacLaine,
284:The goal of this meditation is beautiful silence, stillness, and clarity of mind. ~ Ajahn Brahm,
285:The simplicity of meditation means just experiencing the ape instinct of ego. ~ Chogyam Trungpa,
286:We took blood samples and we can predict if someone is doing meditation or not. ~ Deepak Chopra,
287:Yoga, like meditation, offers a method for coming together after you've come apart. ~ Cyndi Lee,
288:Embrace silence since meditation is the only way to truly come to know your Source. ~ Wayne Dyer,
289:Enjoy simple things with total intensity. Just a cup of tea can be a deep meditation. ~ Rajneesh,
290:I deepen my experience of God through prayer, meditation, and forgiveness. ~ Marianne Williamson,
291:If you haven't cried deeply a number of times, your meditation hasn't really begun. ~ Ajahn Chah,
292:In the light of Buddhist meditation, love is impossible without understanding. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
293:Meditation is a cyclical process that defies analysis, but demands acceptance. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
294:Meditation is not about feeling a certain way. It’s about feeling the way you feel. ~ Dan Harris,
295:Meditation, perhaps, is the only alchemy that can transform a beggar into an emperor. ~ Rajneesh,
296:My earliest experiences in meditation were in a context of intensive retreats. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
297:Prayer is speaking to God. Meditation is listening to God. Trust tranquility. ~ Shirley MacLaine,
298:The emphasis in tantra is not what you find yourself doing, it's on meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
299:I find that deep breathing and meditation help me handle practically any situation. ~ Nathan East,
300:Karma done unselfishly purifies the mind and helps to fix it in meditation. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
301:Meditation gives clear understanding about body and brain interface with consciousness ~ Amit Ray,
302:Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in eternal awareness or pure consciousness. ~ Sivananda,
303:Meditation on Savitri, July 17 2018 TuesdayA mould of body’s early mind was made. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
304:Prayer is you speaking to God. Meditation is allowing the spirit to speak to you. ~ Deepak Chopra,
305:That's the source of the meditation on death I've carried in my heart all my life. ~ Susan Sontag,
306:The affairs of the world will go on forever, do not delay the practice of meditation. ~ Milarepa,
307:"The affairs of the world will go on forever.Do not delay the practice of meditation." ~ Milarepa,
308:The first time a meditation teacher encouraged me to practice mindfulness—which ~ Sharon Salzberg,
309:There's No Such Thing as a Bad Meditation. Any Time you Spend in Silence is Valuable ~ Wayne Dyer,
310:Vipassana meditation is not just seeing the things inside. It is also seeing the seer. ~ Amit Ray,
311:Where there is peace and meditation, there is neither anxiety nor doubt. ~ Saint Francis de Sales,
312:Embrace silence since meditation is the only way to truly come to know your Source. ~ Wayne W Dyer,
313:Meditation makes the man Divine and brings the Divine to the world of man. ~ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,
314:Meditation, more than any other factor, has been the reason for what success I've had. ~ Ray Dalio,
315:Meditation while walking has a long, noble history in ancient spiritual disciplines. ~ Andrew Weil,
316:Real meditation is not about mastering a technique; it's about letting go of control. ~ Adyashanti,
317:There is only one meditation - the rigorous refusal to harbor thoughts. ~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj,
318:The supreme bliss that pulsates in the wake of meditation is your pure essence. ~ Swami Muktananda,
319:When meditation releases energy in you, it will find all sorts of ways to be expressed. ~ Rajneesh,
320:Decide if a poem is a question or a declaration, a meditation or an outcry. ~ Lawrence Ferlinghetti,
321:for few men's courage is proof against protracted meditation unrelieved by action ~ Herman Melville,
322:It can be said, without fear of error, that our meditation is as good as our faith. ~ Thomas Merton,
323:It is only in silence that the Voice of God can be heard. ~ Sant Rajinder Singh sos.org #meditation,
324:Meditation is about cultivating constructive emotions, like altruism, compassion. ~ Matthieu Ricard,
325:Meditation is a vital way to purify and quiet the mind, thus rejuvenating the body. ~ Deepak Chopra,
326:Meditation is spending time with the self. It is the time to be intimated with the soul. ~ Amit Ray,
327:Meditation on the Self, which is oneself, is the greatest of all meditations. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
328:Meditation, yoga, and walks are all ways to regulate our stress and reconnect. ~ Arianna Huffington,
329:My meditation is a method of being aware - of whatever you are doing, thinking, feeling. ~ Rajneesh,
330:To me the greatest problem with humanity is that they don't know anything of meditation. ~ Rajneesh,
331:When it comes to meditation, though, the goal and the journey are the same thing. ~ Andy Puddicombe,
332:14†Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, ~ Anonymous,
333:~ Brecht durch die Kraft der Meditation durch die Illusionen der Welt.Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj,
334:Delight in meditation and solitude. Compose yourself, be happy. You are a seeker. ~ Gautama Buddha,
335:Holmes’s mental journeying goes by many names, but most commonly it is called meditation ~ Anonymous,
336:How does one practice mindfulness? Sit in meditation. Be aware of only your breath. ~ Gautama Buddha,
337:Meditation is not about feeling a certain way. It's about feeling the way you feel. ~ Jon Kabat Zinn,
338:Meditation is the freeing of ourselves from all mental states and concepts of self. ~ Frederick Lenz,
339:Meditation means to look deeply, to touch deeply, so we can realize we are already home. ~ Nhat Hanh,
340:(See C. S. Lewis’ essay “Meditation in a Toolshed” for this crucial distinction.) The ~ Peter Kreeft,
341:The human propensity to cling is the problem; meditation is designed to solve it. ~ Shaila Catherine,
342:The key to meditation is focusing on specific symbols. The symbols are the chakras. ~ Frederick Lenz,
343:The most powerful benefits of meditation come from having a regular, daily practice. ~ Deepak Chopra,
344:What is meditation? When you empty yourself and let the universe come in you. ~ Harbhajan Singh Yogi,
345:Without meditation life is a brief candle, with deep meditation life is an eternal light. ~ Amit Ray,
346:As the meditation evolves, you attention passes into higher realms of consciousness. ~ Frederick Lenz,
347:One evening you may learn about enlightenment, koans, meditation and personal power. ~ Frederick Lenz,
348:Our whole life is a meditation of our last decision - the only decision that matters. ~ Thomas Merton,
349:Singing is a form of meditation... apparently the only one that I have command over. ~ Brandi Carlile,
350:the object of Buddha's meditation and his teachings was to free humanity from sufferings. ~ Anonymous,
351:The very purpose of meditation is to discipline the mind and reduce afflictive emotions. ~ Dalai Lama,
352:Through the practice of meditation or invocation, the mind becomes one-pointed. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
353:Ah. but that is the best form of meditation: to live simply in the moment and enjoy it. ~ Kim Fielding,
354:Bow and offer your meditation to Eternity, as you would offer a Flower to your lover. ~ Frederick Lenz,
355:How does the Word memorized become the Word applied? It happens through meditation. ~ Donald S Whitney,
356:If you need a bit of guidance and instruction, try a guided meditation app like Headspace. ~ S J Scott,
357:If you want to evolve, meditation and making positive lifestyle choices are important. ~ Deepak Chopra,
358:In meditation, we activate synchronistic support and connection to the Universe. ~ Gabrielle Bernstein,
359:Meditation is such a more substantial reality than what we normally take to be reality. ~ Richard Gere,
360:One of the regular intervals of meditation in my life, believe it or not, is in my car. ~ Ed Begley Jr,
361:Through meditation, you can calm the mind and develop what is important to you. ~ Harbhajan Singh Yogi,
362:All methods of meditation are nothing but methods to help you to remember the art of let-go. ~ Rajneesh,
363:Daring to me is having courage; it's a daily meditation to take breath and find strength. ~ Uma Thurman,
364:I'm also good at meditation. It involves doing nothing and everything at the same time. ~ Mike Oldfield,
365:Meditation alone cannot heal the world, but it can and does speed up the healing process. ~ Darren Main,
366:Meditation isn't to disappear into the light. Meditation is to see all of what we are. ~ Stephen Levine,
367:Meditation stills the wandering mind and establishes us forever in a state of peace. ~ Swami Muktananda,
368:The real meditation practice is how we live our lives from moment to moment to moment. ~ Jon Kabat Zinn,
369:Consciousness and meditation are methods where you can actually obtain GOD perception. ~ George Harrison,
370:Essentially, insight meditation is a practice of investigative personal discovery. ~ Henepola Gunaratana,
371:He sat thus, lost in meditation, thinking Om, his soul as the arrow directed at Brahman. ~ Hermann Hesse,
372:If you practise meditation and prayer it will make me happy. I look on you as my own. ~ Sri Ramakrishna,
373:Meditation is a silent heart, a peaceful mind which can make life more lovable, more livable. ~ Rajneesh,
374:Meditation is making every breath; a kind breath, a compassionate breath and a loving breath. ~ Amit Ray,
375:Meditation on Savitri, September 18, 2018 TuesdayA slowly changing order binds our will. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
376:Mindfulness is both a state of being and a daily spiritual practice, a form of meditation. ~ David Richo,
377:Reading and writing are the most nourishing forms of meditation anyone has so far found. ~ Kurt Vonnegut,
378:Skill in concentrating and steadying the mind is the basis for all types of meditation. ~ Jack Kornfield,
379:Through the study of books one seeks God; by meditation one finds him. ~ Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina,
380:"Use every distraction as an object of meditation and they cease to be distractions." ~ Mingyur Rinpoche,
381:We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection. ~ Dalai Lama,
382:What harrowing is after sowing, the same is meditation after hearing--it hides the word. ~ Matthew Henry,
383:Writing at least is a silent meditation even though you’re going a hundred miles an hour. ~ Jack Kerouac,
384:Zen is meditation, the actual experience of life directly, immediately with no buffers. ~ Frederick Lenz,
385:Be true to yourself. Don't take no for an answer. And start your Transcendental Meditation. ~ David Lynch,
386:Everything else goes away except the gun and the target. It's like really loud meditation. ~ Katie Ruggle,
387:Meditation isn’t about what’s happening; it’s about how you relate to what’s happening. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
388:Meditation is to find out if there is a field not already contaminated by the known. ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti,
389:Meditation means to look deeply, to touch deeply so we can realize we are already home. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
390:Meditation on Savitri, July 29 2018 SundayThat strange observing Power imposed its sight. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
391:Meditation on Savitri, September 21, 2018 FridayThen only ends this dream of nether life. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
392:Mind is the absence of meditation. The moment meditation arises in you, mind is found nowhere. ~ Rajneesh,
393:Pain is what gives rise to meditation. It has nothing to do with age, let alone beards. ~ Haruki Murakami,
394:Practiced regularly (twice a day), relaxation or meditation prevents angry arousal. ~ Martin E P Seligman,
395:The affairs of the world will go on forever, do not delay the practice of meditation. ~ Jetsun Milarepa,
396:True meditation has no direction or goal. It is pure wordless surrender, pure silent prayer. ~ Adyashanti,
397:When sitting in meditation, say, "That's not my business!" with every thought that comes by. ~ Ajahn Chah,
398:Every word you speak is a prayer, or meditation of reinforcement which creates permanence. ~ Bryant McGill,
399:I begin and end each day with prayer, meditation, and thoughts about what I am grateful for. ~ Nathan East,
400:I was a typical teen growing up in the 1960s, when everybody was into gurus and meditation. ~ David Suchet,
401:Making one’s life into a meditation is different from using meditation to escape from life. ~ Mark Epstein,
402:Meditation on Savitri, September 6, 2018, ThursdayAll by their influence is enacted there. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
403:Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
404:Mind concentrates: it acts out of the past. Meditation acts in the present, out of the present. ~ Rajneesh,
405:The novel is a meditation on existence as seen through the medium of imaginary characters. ~ Milan Kundera,
406:This is Buddhist meditation-to penetrate, to be one with, in order to really understand. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
407:Through meditation we come to know that we are dying & being reborn in every moment. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
408:When sitting in meditation, say, "That's not my business!" with every thought that comes by.^ ~ Ajahn Chah,
409:When you walk 10 hours, 11 hours a day by yourself, you are doing a walking meditation. ~ Shirley MacLaine,
410:Chi is developed through meditation, through studying with one who has a great deal of it. ~ Frederick Lenz,
411:Love is seeing God in the person next to us, and meditation is seeing God within us. ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,
412:Meditation in the midst of activity is a thousand times superior to meditation in stillness. ~ Hakuin Ekaku,
413:Meditation is as important as lifting weights and being out here on the field for practice. ~ Russell Okung,
414:Meditation on Savitri, October 16, 2018 TuesdayInfant self-feeling grew and birth was born. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
415:Music used to be a lot more about angst for me. Now it's the only form of meditation I do. ~ Vikram Chatwal,
416:One should practise Japa and meditation at regular times, giving up idleness. ~ Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi,
417:Practice meditation regularly. Meditation leads to eternal bliss. Therefore meditate, meditate. ~ Sivananda,
418:true fidelity consists in never neglecting prayer, study, meditation and fasting. ~ Omraam Mikha l A vanhov,
419:"When sitting in meditation, say, "That's not my business!" with every thought that comes by." ~ Ajahn Chah,
420:When you practice Transcendental Meditation you are given a key to the deepest level of life. ~ David Lynch,
421:A willingness to embrace and work with what is lies at the core of all meditation practice. ~ Jon Kabat Zinn,
422:“Be patient when you sit in the dark. The dawn is coming.” ~ Jalaluddin Rumi #meditation#art: @BuddhaDoodles,
423:By its very nature, a writer’s mind is a monkey mind — and meditation, alas, kills the monkey. ~ Mara Altman,
424:I try to do a lot of yoga and meditation. I think now it's creating things in times of waiting. ~ Emma Stone,
425:Learning to focus attention and concentration is very useful; meditation can help you do that. ~ Andrew Weil,
426:Listening to classical music is a journey not a state; it's an activity not a meditation. ~ Armando Iannucci,
427:Meditation... dissolves the mind. It erases itself. Throws the ego out on its big brittle ass. ~ Tom Robbins,
428:Meditation is like a gym in which you develop the powerful mental muscles of calm and insight. ~ Ajahn Brahm,
429:Meditation is one of the rare occasions when we're not doing anything. ~ Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche,
430:Meditation is painful in the beginning but it bestows immortal Bliss and supreme joy in the end. ~ Sivananda,
431:Meditation is the ultimate mobile device; you can use it anywhere, anytime, unobtrusively. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
432:"Meditation means to look deeply, to touch deeply so we can realize we are already home." ~ Thich Nhat Hanhº,
433:Seek a suitable time for thy meditation, and think frequently of the mercies of God to thee. ~ Thomas Kempis,
434:The Secret of Meditation is radiating blessings from your heart outward to all the world. ~ Swami Kriyananda,
435:We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection. ~ Dalai Lama XIV,
436:What should we "do" with the mind in meditation? Nothing. Just leave it, simply, as it is. ~ Sogyal Rinpoche,
437:Whenever and wherever you put yourself in touch with GOD, that is the state of meditation. ~ Sathya Sai Baba,
438:A Christian without meditation is like a soldier without weapons, or a workman without tools. ~ Thomas Watson,
439:art is a meditation upon external reality rather than a representation of external reality ~ Donald Barthelme,
440:As we practice meditation we are bringing forth ease, presence, compassion, wisdom & trust. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
441:In tantra, samsara is viewed as the same thing as nirvana. Eating a hamburger is meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
442:Let him destroy by deep meditation the qualities that are opposed to the divine nature. ~ Laws of Manu VI. 72,
443:Meditation is a powerful and full study as can effectually taste and employ themselves. ~ Michel de Montaigne,
444:Meditation is neither of the body nor of the mind, but belongs to the third within you—your being. ~ Rajneesh,
445:Meditation is the discovery that the point of life is always arrived at in the immediate moment. ~ Alan Watts,
446:Meditation more than anything in my life was the biggest ingredient of whatever success I've had. ~ Ray Dalio,
447:Meditation on Savitri, September 19, 2018 WednesdayThis is our doom until our souls are free. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
448:Meditation on Savitri, September 28, 2018 FridayBeing was an inert substance driven by Force. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
449:There are many meditation techniques, and it's important to find one that resonates with you. ~ Deepak Chopra,
450:Yoga calms me down. It's a therapy session, a workout and meditation all at the same time! ~ Jennifer Aniston,
451:I don't think most people know how to meditate - they fall asleep and they call it meditation. ~ Caroline Myss,
452:if the ocean can calm itself so can you. we are both salt water mixed with air. – meditation ~ Nayyirah Waheed,
453:IN practicing meditation, we’re not trying to live up to some kind of ideal—quite the opposite. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
454:Meditation is a violent act of separation from mass consciousness and direct access to power. ~ Frederick Lenz,
455:Meditation is the only means to the harmonious development of the body, mind and soul. ~ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,
456:Meditation lifts us above life's storm clouds into the radiant skies of the inner Light. ~ Sant Rajinder Singh,
457:More than 80% of the interviewees have some form of daily mindfulness or meditation practice ~ Timothy Ferriss,
458:Sitting in meditation is nourishment for your spirit and nourishment for your body, as well. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
459:The guy that helped me learn this stuff suggested prayer and meditation. So I took up smoking. ~ Larry Correia,
460:The man of meditation is the man who wastes no time, scatters no energy, misses no opportunity. ~ Annie Besant,
461:What you learn about pain in formal meditation can help you relate to it in your daily life. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
462:You have to be whole: rich in the body, rich in science; rich in meditation, rich in consciousness. ~ Rajneesh,
463:An interval of meditation, serious and grateful, was the best corrective of everything dangerous. ~ Jane Austen,
464:If you have no time for prayer and meditation, you will have lots of time for sickness and trouble. ~ Emmet Fox,
465:Kring is the mantra of power. "Kring" should only be repeated when you are in deep meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
466:Meditation is not about what's happening, it is about how we're relating to what's happening. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
467:The key to creating a home meditation practice is to create a space where the busyness stops. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
468:The true practice to meditation is to sit as if you where drinking water when you are thirsty. ~ Shunryu Suzuki,
469:When there are thoughts, it is distraction: when there are no thoughts, it is meditation. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
470:you cannot remain on your meditation cushion forever. You must go out and explore life as well. ~ Ming Dao Deng,
471:Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, The Myth of Freedom and the Way of Meditation. Shambhala: Boston, 1976, ~ Stephen Cope,
472:Mediation - Before you learn how to meditate, you must unlearn what you think meditation might be. ~ Idries Shah,
473:Meditation being on a single thought, the other thoughts are kept away. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Talks, 294, [T5],
474:Meditation is doing what you are doing - whether you are doing formal meditation or child care. ~ Norman Fischer,
475:Meditation is not a withdrawal from life. Meditation is a process of understanding oneself. ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti,
476:Meditation means seeing God within you, and love is seeing God in the person next to you. ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,
477:Running is my meditation, mind flush, cosmic telephone, mood elevator and spiritual communion. ~ Lorraine Moller,
478:Since inner peace is the source of all happiness, we can see how important meditation is. ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso,
479:That is the conviction we must come to in our meditation, that the darkness cannot quench the light. ~ John Main,
480:Through meditation and gentle cooperation, the body will heal itself with little or no effort. ~ Bryant H McGill,
481:When you walk, arrive with every step. That is walking meditation. There’s nothing else to it. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
482:Does not one find some kind of peace while in meditation? That peace will lead to the goal. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
483:Exercise is like meditation for me, and I'm giving myself that time... I can't live without it now. ~ Minka Kelly,
484:It is as important to monitor your mind constantly as it is to sit down and practice meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
485:Meditation - Before you learn how to meditate, you must unlearn what you think meditation might be. ~ Idries Shah,
486:Meditation helps us to get out of our thoughts about the future and really be in the present moment. ~ Tara Brach,
487:Meditation is the means through which the Soul dictates and guides the mind for all good. ~ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,
488:Novels begin, not on the page, but in meditation and day-dreaming - In thinking, not writing. ~ Joyce Carol Oates,
489:Perhaps one of the greatest rewards of meditation and prayer is the sense of belonging that comes to us. ~ Bill W,
490:Suffering is due to our disconnection with the inner soul. Meditation is establishing that connection. ~ Amit Ray,
491:The depth of the heart, the retired corner, and the forest are the three places for meditation. ~ Sri Ramakrishna,
492:Watching birds has become part of my daily meditation affirming my connection to the earth body. ~ Carol P Christ,
493:"You say that you are too busy to meditate. Do you have time to breathe? Meditation is your breath." ~ Ajahn Chah,
494:Civilization changes man on the outside. Meditation softens him within, through and through. ~ Henepola Gunaratana,
495:Even though the meditator may leave the meditation, the meditation will not leave the meditator. ~ Sogyal Rinpoche,
496:Life is both dreadful and wonderful. To practice meditation is to be in touch with both aspects. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
497:Meditation is the process of quieting one's mind, and letting go of the worries and stress of life. ~ Tim McCarthy,
498:Meditation is witnessing. To meditate means to become a witness. Meditation is not a technique at all! This ~ Osho,
499:Meditation, simply defined, is a way of being aware. It is the happy marriage of doing and being. ~ Lama Surya Das,
500:My favorite thing to do is ride a bicycle. I ride road bikes. And for me, it's mobile meditation. ~ Robin Williams,
501:My meditation is not something separate from life, it is something that has to be spread all over life. ~ Rajneesh,
502:No great work has ever been produced except after a long interval of still and musing meditation. ~ Walter Bagehot,
503:Religion has only one answer and that answer is meditation. And meditation means how to empty yourself. ~ Rajneesh,
504:The depth of the heart, the retired corner, and the forest are the three places for meditation. ~ Sri Ramakrishna,
505:The last of these wholesome actions is meditation, the development of tranquillity and insight. ~ Joseph Goldstein,
506:To foster inner awareness, introspection, and reasoning is more efficient than meditation and prayer. ~ Dalai Lama,
507:What I’ve learned through my meditation is a sense of equanimity, a sense of all things being equal. ~ Goldie Hawn,
508:All meditation ends at last with the thinker, and he finds he is what he, himself, has conceived. ~ Neville Goddard,
509:By practicing meditation we establish love, compassion, sympathetic joy & equanimity as our home. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
510:From the perspective of meditation, every state is a special state, every moment a special moment. ~ Jon Kabat Zinn,
511:I have amethyst geodes by my meditation - yoga room and large rose quartz throughout my back garden. ~ Miranda Kerr,
512:In advanced meditation you become light. You transcend self, ego, time, space, and dimensionality. ~ Frederick Lenz,
513:In meditation, we are going back into the light. All our pain will be taken away, our frustration. ~ Frederick Lenz,
514:Meditation is a vehicle for opening to the truth of this impermanence on deeper and deeper levels. ~ Jack Kornfield,
515:Meditation is really just quieting yourself enough so you can get in touch with your own inner wisdom. ~ Louise Hay,
516:See what helps you to keep away all other thoughts and adopt that method for your meditation. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
517:The most important principle to understand about meditation is this: we meditate to know ourselves. ~ Sally Kempton,
518:There are different things one can do to establish and hasten the peace process. Meditation is one way. ~ Mike Love,
519:You can go through hundreds of lifetimes in one, and it all starts with daily meditation practice. ~ Frederick Lenz,
520:A person trying to meditate is doing something that's impossible since meditation is not an action. ~ Frederick Lenz,
521:Breathing meditation can quiet the mind, open the body, and develop a great power of concentration. ~ Jack Kornfield,
522:For the whole life of a philosopher is, as the same philosopher says, a meditation on death. ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero,
523:I believe that painting should come through the avenues of meditation rather than the canals of action. ~ Mark Tobey,
524:Intelligence comes from meditation, intelligence comes from rebellion, intelligence does not come from memory ~ Osho,
525:Language alone protects us from the scariness of things with no names. Language alone is meditation. ~ Toni Morrison,
526:"Life is both dreadful and wonderful. To practice meditation is to be in touch with both aspects." ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
527:Meditation is a tool for helping us accept the profound fact that everything changes all the time. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
528:Meditation is not a process of getting rid of something, but one of opening and understanding. When ~ Jack Kornfield,
529:The execution of any thing considerable implies in the first place previous persevering meditation. ~ William Godwin,
530:The path of meditation and the path of our lives altogether ha to do with curiosity, inquisitiveness. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
531:You have to steal back yourself. You have to steal back your own mind. Meditation helps in that area. ~ Alice Walker,
532:Everything can become a meditation if you live it totally and intensely. And then your life becomes whole. ~ Rajneesh,
533:If you are doing mindfulness meditation, you are doing it with your ability to attend to the moment. ~ Daniel Goleman,
534:in meditation practice, the best way to get somewhere is to let go of trying to get anywhere at all. ~ Jon Kabat Zinn,
535:In meditation...the power of God begins to reflect in the clear waters of your consciousness. ~ Paramahansa Yogananda,
536:Life is a mystery- mystery of beauty, bliss and divinity. Meditation is the art of unfolding that mystery. ~ Amit Ray,
537:Meditation allows us to directly participate in our lives instead of living life as an afterthought. ~ Stephen Levine,
538:Meditation has been an anchor throughout my life - it helps me feel balance, connected and at peace. ~ Mallika Chopra,
539:Meditation is a rich and powerful method of study for anyone who knows how to examine his mind. ~ Michel de Montaigne,
540:Meditation means cultivating a non-judging attitude toward what comes up in the mind, come what may. ~ Jon Kabat Zinn,
541:Meditation must be so intense that it does not give room even to the thought 'I am meditating’. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
542:Why would a happily married man isolate himself this way, standing in meditation through the night? ~ Lesley Hazleton,
543:But,” he said, “this is what meditation is: Sitting and doing nothing – not with your body, not with your mind. ~ Osho,
544:Every man must take time daily for quiet and meditation. In daily meditation lies the secret of power. ~ H Emilie Cady,
545:I smoke weed, of course. That's like meditation for me. Watching movies is a really good escape as well. ~ Wiz Khalifa,
546:Life is a mystery - mystery of beauty, bliss and divinity. Meditation is the art of unfolding that mystery. ~ Amit Ray,
547:Meditation calms the mind, and when the mind is in a state of restful awareness, the body relaxes too. ~ Deepak Chopra,
548:Meditation cannot be taught, it can only be caught. I am meditation. If you are available you can catch it. ~ Rajneesh,
549:Meditation is the antidote to all the poisons of your life. It is the nourishment of your authentic nature. ~ Rajneesh,
550:The philosophies behind meditation are very current today and are a way of finding some sort of peace. ~ Orlando Bloom,
551:The readings described prayer as talking to God and meditation as listening to the divine within. A ~ Kevin J Todeschi,
552:Training our mind through meditation does not mean forcibly subjugating it or beating it into shape. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
553:We try many ways to be awake, but our society still keeps us forgetful. Meditation is to help us remember. ~ Nhat Hanh,
554:Zen is the path that focuses the most upon meditation. It is almost exclusively a path of meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
555:By practicing meditation we establish love, compassion, sympathetic joy & equanimity as our home. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
556:Concentration has to be made in the heart, which is cool and refreshing. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi #Meditation #SelfInquiry,
557:Do not let pleasure distract you from meditation, from the way. Free yourself from pleasure and pain. ~ Gautama Buddha,
558:In Sunday's 10am ET hour, join a timeless #meditation with #SantRajinderSingh ~ #spiritchat twitter.com/SOSmeditate/st…,
559:Meditation doesn’t lead to enlightenment because in meditation the ego is trying to destroy the ego. ~ Donald O Donovan,
560:Meditation is a way of moving into the unlimited dimension of who you are - it is the ultimate freedom. ~ Jaggi Vasudev,
561:Meditation is really a non-doing. It is the only human endeavor I know of being where you already are. ~ Jon Kabat Zinn,
562:Meditation is silence, energising and fulfilling. Silent is the eloquent expression of the inexpressible. ~ Sri Chinmoy,
563:Next to meditation is music, soulful music, the music that stirs and elevates our aspiring consciousness. ~ Sri Chinmoy,
564:"Of course there are dozens of meditation techniques, but it all comes down to this – just let it all be." ~ Ajahn Chah,
565:People ask me, “Why do you do walking meditation?” The best answer I can give is, “Because I like it. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
566:"The mind is definitely something that can be transformed, and meditation is a means to transform it." ~ Dalai Lama XIV,
567:The nature of the mind is to jump all over the place, and it does, that's why meditation is so important. ~ Maya Tiwari,
568:The way to reunite with bodhichitta is to lighten up in your practice and in your whole life. Meditation ~ Pema Ch dr n,
569:This is why I suck at meditation. I have the attention span of a flea that forgot to take his ADHD meds. ~ Eliza Gordon,
570:Through the practice of meditation and Buddhism, as you experience light, it immediately delights you. ~ Frederick Lenz,
571:To understand ourselves and our life is the point of insight meditation: to understand and to be free. ~ Jack Kornfield,
572:Transcendental meditation is like a car, a vehicle that allows you to go within. It's a mental technique. ~ David Lynch,
573:When I was in retreat I just did my meditation sessions and, in-between, reading and things I had to do. ~ Tenzin Palmo,
574:Will is developed in meditation. It is refined. It is within you, but you don't know how to get to it. ~ Frederick Lenz,
575:Divine wisdom is to be got by devotion, meditation, and chastity ~ Swami Vivekananda from Inspired Talks (July 10, 1895),
576:During meditation your metabolism and your breath rate go down to a level of rest, twice that of deep sleep. ~ Mike Love,
577:Happiness has to do with how quickly you vibrate. Meditation is a process of speeding up the vibration. ~ Frederick Lenz,
578:I'm in full support of that technique [meditation] , and what David Lynch is doing. It's very important. ~ James Redford,
579:Intelligence comes from meditation, intelligence comes from rebellion, intelligence does not come from memory ~ Rajneesh,
580:Meditation is an opportunity to move into a dimension where there is no such thing as stress within you. ~ Jaggi Vasudev,
581:Meditation is not to get out of society, to escape from society, but to prepare for a reentery into society. ~ Nhat Hanh,
582:Meditation is to get out of your psychosis and to get out of your neurosis; it is simply to slip out of them. ~ Rajneesh,
583:Spend some of your quiet meditation time visualizing a tiny spark of awareness glowing within your being. ~ Wayne W Dyer,
584:A free man thinks of death least of all things, and his wisdom is a meditation not of death but of life. ~ Baruch Spinoza,
585:Concentration is the act of building focus and meditation is the art of retaining it without losing awareness. ~ Om Swami,
586:Half an hour’s meditation each day is essential, except when you are busy. Then a full hour is needed. ~ Francis de Sales,
587:If you are silent through meditation, utterly silent, suddenly you feel a tremendous urge to create something. ~ Rajneesh,
588:I gave up drinking lots of whiskey and began to practice yoga and meditation. As a result I am not dead. ~ Billy Childish,
589:Meditation is to be aware of what is going on in your body, in your feelings, in your mind, and in the world. ~ Nhat Hanh,
590:Meditation, or samadhi, is connected with the idea of overcoming the constant search for entertainment. ~ Ch gyam Trungpa,
591:Meditation really helps create not only a sense of balance... but serenity and kind of a calm state of mind. ~ Eva Mendes,
592:Open Awareness The Angle of Vision Leadership Openness Getting Out of The Way Possibilities MEDITATION: ~ Sharon Salzberg,
593:People seek escape in myth by any means at their disposal, including drugs, alcohol, meditation, and lies. ~ Jean Cocteau,
594:Reading and writing are the most nourishing forms of meditation anyone has so far found.” - Kurt Vonnegut ~ Kurt Vonnegut,
595:So, in meditation practice, the best way to get somewhere is to let go of trying to get anywhere at all. ~ Jon Kabat Zinn,
596:The beauty of meditation is that you never know where you are, where you are going, what the end is. ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti,
597:The man whose whole activity is diverted to inner meditation becomes insensible to all his surroundings. ~ Emile Durkheim,
598:There is no greater luxury than meditation. Meditation is the last luxury, because it is the ultimate love affair. ~ Osho,
599:Use the previous techniques in rotation. It will prevent your meditation experience from becoming stale. ~ Frederick Lenz,
600:You can just sit and space out. A lot of people do that and think they are doing a wonderful meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
601:A free man thinks of nothing less than of death; and his wisdom is a meditation not on death but on life. ~ Baruch Spinoza,
602:Don't be surprised if in the 21st century lectures on meditation appear in university catalogues for physics. ~ Gary Zukav,
603:If there were no world, no time, no space, no condition, if none of us existed, that would be meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
604:Imagine a hot tub for the mind. That is what meditation is; it can bathe your mind in relaxing thoughts. ~ Eknath Easwaran,
605:I’ve heard it said that prayer is the act of talking to God, while meditation is the act of listening. ~ Elizabeth Gilbert,
606:Make of the Silence your to-do tasks, of the compassion your wealth and of the meditation your beggar's bowl. ~ Guru Nanak,
607:Meditation does not mean you have to grin every moment of your life, but to learn to let your bones smile. ~ Jaggi Vasudev,
608:Meditation has to become your heartbeat; even when you are asleep the meditation continues like an undercurrent ~ Rajneesh,
609:Meditation is an invitation to notice when we reach our limit and to not get carried away by hope and fear. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
610:[M]editation is the life of of most other duties; and the view of heaven is the life of meditation (559). ~ Richard Baxter,
611:Practice of [meditation] leads to self-enquiry which consists in sifting the reality from unreality. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
612:The best form of meditation is the sitting meditation. But work is next. Work is a great way to meditate. ~ Frederick Lenz,
613:There's no wrong way to meditate. And meditation should never be a difficult practice that leads to self criticism. ~ Moby,
614:We are forever full. Meditation is reaching that fullness. There are thousand one paths to reach that fullness. ~ Amit Ray,
615:We live life in the marketplace and then we go off to the cave or to the meditation mat to replenish ourselves. ~ Ram Dass,
616:When I composed the first sonic meditation, I realized that I was composing the direction of attention. ~ Pauline Oliveros,
617:When you practice meditation, the meditator becomes all-important and not the movement of meditation. ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti,
618:All the great spiritual traditions have placed major emphasis upon meditation as a path to personal growth. ~ David Fontana,
619:Faith is the subject of the head. Devotion is the subject of the heart and meditation connects both. ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,
620:If there is no meditation, then you are like a blind man in a world of great beauty, light and colour. ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti,
621:Meditation goes in. Prayer goes out. But they both aim for the same place of union between you and the devine. ~ Lisa Jones,
622:Meditation helps you to meet your edge; it’s where you actually come up against it and you start to lose it. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
623:Meditation is for you to realise that the deepest nature of your existence is beyond thoughts and emotions, ~ Tenzin Palmo,
624:Meditation is re-discovering the inner Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God lies in our understandings and wisdom. ~ Amit Ray,
625:She had tried yoga, meditation, running, and swimming. So far, nothing cleansed the soul better than a Snickers ~ Mike Omer,
626:"The expectation that you bring to your meditation are often the greatest obstacles you will encounter." ~ Mingyur Rinpoche,
627:You can make any human activity into meditation simply by being completely with it and doing it just to do it. ~ Alan Watts,
628:A free man thinks of nothing less than of death, and his wisdom is a meditation, not on death, but on life. ~ Baruch Spinoza,
629:Buddha first taught metta meditation as an antidote: as a way of surmounting terrible fear when it arises. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
630:In Buddhist practice, the outward and inward aspects of taking the one seat meet on our meditation cushion. ~ Jack Kornfield,
631:In deep meditation, all of the things that we call life, all of the combinations of experiences, fall away. ~ Frederick Lenz,
632:Learn not to judge your meditation. Just meditate, do your best, set a minimum period of time and meditate. ~ Frederick Lenz,
633:Making one’s life into a meditation is different from using meditation to escape from life. ~ Mark Epstein, Advice Not Given,
634:MEDITATION is not to get out of society, to escape from society, but to prepare for a reentry into society ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
635:Offer Christ your heart in meditation and personal prayer which is the foundation of the spiritual life. ~ Pope John Paul II,
636:Prayer is the wing wherewith the soul flies to heaven, and meditation the eye wherewith we see God. ~ Saint Ambrose of Milan,
637:Relax and meditation will be easy. Keep your mind steady by gently warding off all intruding thoughts. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
638:Service brings merit, merit allows you to go deeper in meditation, meditation brings back your smile. ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,
639:There are no impediments to meditation. The very thought of such obstacles is the greatest impediment. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
640:We try many ways to be awake, but our society still keeps us forgetful. Meditation is to help us remember. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
641:All the mental skills needed in meditation are innate abilities we can selectively choose to cultivate. ~ Culadasa John Yates,
642:A man in his own secret meditation / Is lost amid the labyrinth that he has made / In art or politics. ~ William Butler Yeats,
643:I meditate but not regularly. I wish I did more meditation. It's always my New Year's resolution to do more. ~ Natalie Dormer,
644:Meditation, education and beauty are the three transforming powers that can change individual and the whole world. ~ Amit Ray,
645:Meditation is a glorious link to connect and harmonize the two ends of life - material and spiritual. ~ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,
646:Meditation is not doing anything directly to your violence, not doing anything to your jealousy, to your hate. It ~ Rajneesh,
647:Meditation is the calm in the chaos, the fastest way to settle down and get in touch with the stillness within. ~ Donna Karan,
648:Meditation is the eye that sees the Truth, the heart that feels the Truth and the soul that realises the Truth. ~ Sri Chinmoy,
649:Mindful meditation has been discovered to foster the ability to inhibit those very quick emotional impulses. ~ Daniel Goleman,
650:Prayer lets you speak to God; meditation lets God speak to you. Both are essential to becoming a friend of God. ~ Rick Warren,
651:Render unto meditation the things that are meditation’s, and unto medication the things that are medication’s. ~ Barry Graham,
652:We call the effort to cultivate our ability to be in the present moment ‘practice’ or ‘meditation practice.’ ~ Jon Kabat Zinn,
653:And I still believe, to the core of my being, that when you pay attention, cooking becomes a kind of meditation. ~ Ruth Reichl,
654:Don't be afraid to experiement with your life and with your heart, your meditation and your being. Just love. ~ Frederick Lenz,
655:If one is steady in meditation, one will clearly see the Lord in one's Heart and hear His voice. ~ Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi,
656:I think [Transcendental Meditation] is what people need. They don't need high minded talk, they need results. ~ Paul McCartney,
657:Meditation practice is not about later, when you get it all together and you’re this person you really respect. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
658:[M]ental peace is not meditation. Meditation is the flight beyond the mind. It has nothing to do with mental peace. ~ Rajneesh,
659:Only meditation, only silence, only transcending beyond your mind is going to give you contentment and fulfillment. ~ Rajneesh,
660:...there is an intense delight in abandoning faulty states of mind and in cultivating helpful ones in meditation. ~ Dalai Lama,
661:Altogether, the idea of meditation is not to create states of ecstasy or absorption, but to experience being. ~ Ch gyam Trungpa,
662:Even one who inquires after the practice of meditation rises above those who simply perform rituals. ~ Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa,
663:Half an hour's meditation each day is essential, except when you are busy. Then a full hour is needed. ~ Saint Francis de Sales,
664:Half an hour’s meditation each day is essential, except when you are busy. Then a full hour is needed. ~ Saint Francis de Sales,
665:Imagination is my meditation, when I am not creative my mind simply becomes a nuisance of irrelevant thoughts. ~ Zachary Koukol,
666:I've started doing yoga and meditation, but I'm not very good at that kind of thing and turning my brain off. ~ Cara Delevingne,
667:Just sit down, be one with your thoughts, observe them, and then, ignore them. Thatš all there is to meditation ~ Darius Foroux,
668:Meditate. A few minutes of deep meditation will connect you with the ocean of intuition deep within you. ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,
669:Meditation is focused attention and the more we practise focusing our brains the more connections we build up. ~ Philippa Perry,
670:Meditation is the sharp tool to dig out the great treasure hidden within everybody's inner personality. ~ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,
671:We try many ways to be awake, but our society still keeps us forgetful. Meditation is to help us remember.
   ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
672:A mantra is a thought. Use a mantra to help you still your mind initially and then move into silent meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
673:Be Here Now, a guide to meditation and the wonders of psychedelic drugs by Baba Ram Dass, born Richard Alpert. ~ Walter Isaacson,
674:Increase your service to Him as well as your Japa and meditation, and read books about the Master. ~ Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi,
675:"Life is both dreadful and wonderful. To practice meditation is to be in touch with both aspects." ~ Thich Nhat Hanh #meditation,
676:May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. ~ Anonymous,
677:Meditation is not a way of making your mind quiet. It’s a way of entering into the quiet that’s already there—buried ~ S J Scott,
678:Meditation is the breath of your soul. Just as breathing is the life of the body, meditation is the life of the soul. ~ Rajneesh,
679:Meditation is the straight flight of the mind to the Kingdom of Heaven present in the heart of everyone. ~ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,
680:Meditation is to be aware of what is going on: in your body, in your feelings, in your mind, and in the world. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
681:Meditation is to get insight, to get understanding and compassion, and when you have them, you are compelled to act. ~ Nhat Hanh,
682:Meditation tells you only one thing: God is. Meditation reveals to you only one truth: yours is the vision of God. ~ Sri Chinmoy,
683:Next to meditation itself, I really can't think of anything more important than the development of your career. ~ Frederick Lenz,
684:The expectations you bring to meditation practice are often the greatest obstacles you will encounter. ~ Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche,
685:The meditation session divides into three—preparatory practices, the main practice, and the concluding practice. ~ Thupten Jinpa,
686:The spiritual space we’re trying to find and maintain in meditation practice is the sacred place in each of us. ~ Melody Beattie,
687:By the practice of meditation, you will find that you are carrying within your heart a portable paradise. ~ Paramahansa Yogananda,
688:I don't believe in hours and hours of meditation. The mind gets tired and starts to fold in on itself. ~ Dolores Ashcroft Nowicki,
689:In silence and in meditation on the eternal truths, I hear the voice of God which excites our hearts to greater love. ~ C S Lewis,
690:Life can be pleasant or miserable. To lead a fruitful life, and to make it positive, practice analytical meditation. ~ Dalai Lama,
691:Meditation is a great way to keep my body well-centered while juggling shooting schedules and recording sessions. ~ Ariana Grande,
692:Meditation makes you innocent, it makes you childlike. In that state, miracles are possible. That state is pure magic. ~ Rajneesh,
693:Peace is not a product of an intellectual exercise. It is an inner blossoming that occurs with meditation. ~ Mata Amritanandamayi,
694:Seek in reading and you will find in meditation; knock in prayer and it will be opened to you in contemplation. ~ Juan de la Cruz,
695:Sitting meditation gives us a way to move closer to our thoughts and emotions and to get in touch with our bodies. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
696:Sitting meditation gives us a way to move closer to our thoughts and emotions and to get in touch with our bodies. ~ Pema Chodron,
697:The means to Liberation is bhakti (devotion) in the form of continuous or prolonged meditation on the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
698:When mind knows, we call it knowledge. When heart knows, we call it love. And when being knows, we call it meditation. ~ Rajneesh,
699:While we are sitting in meditation, we are simply exploring humanity and all of creation in the form of ourselves. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
700:While we are sitting in meditation, we are simply exploring humanity and all of creation in the form of ourselves. ~ Pema Chodron,
701:And meditation is nothing but enjoying your beautiful aloneness. Celebrating yourself; that’s what meditation is all about. ~ Osho,
702:Any school would gain, if the students began the day with meditation, cleared their heads and got themselves centered. ~ Pico Iyer,
703:As in a house with a sound roof the lain cannot penetrate, so in a mind where meditation dwells passion cannot enter. ~ Dhammapada,
704:A very sensitive person in this stupid world is bound to become mad.... Only meditation can save him from becoming mad. ~ Rajneesh,
705:If you don’t have 20 minutes to delve into yourself through meditation, then that means you really need 2 hours. ~ Timothy Ferriss,
706:If you set out to meditate, it will not be meditation. If you set out to be good, goodness will never flower. ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti,
707:In meditation, when your mind becomes perfectly still and calm, you will experience the golden light of eternity. ~ Frederick Lenz,
708:In the meditation, of course, the question is repeated and repeated until you run out of answers - or so I hear. ~ Quentin S Crisp,
709:Meditation could be said to be the Art of Simplicity: simply sitting, simply breathing and simply being. ~ Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche,
710:"Meditation is not imitation. It is creation. Meditators who only imitate their instructors can only go so far." ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
711:Meditation is preparing one hand for blessing the world and preparing the other hand for doing well-being of the world. ~ Amit Ray,
712:Mindfulness meditation is the embrace of any and all mind states in awareness, without preferring one to another. ~ Jon Kabat Zinn,
713:Real meditation engenders humility and purity, always. Yet I don't really think it demands any kind of lifestyle. ~ Frederick Lenz,
714:the desert, more than anything else, opens the human mind to observation, meditation, and initiation into meaning. ~ Tariq Ramadan,
715:The period of meditation is a time when we go back to the source. We go back to what we were before we were born. ~ Frederick Lenz,
716:We need something that encourages us to work, we need an intimate aid. This is only possible through meditation. ~ Samael Aun Weor,
717:Whenever you step out of the noise of thinking, that is meditation, and a different state of consciousness arises. ~ Eckhart Tolle,
718:You are the Golden Witnessing Screen. Meditation is the effortless effort to keep that screen clean, clear and perfect. ~ Amit Ray,
719:Ambient music” is the term used today for “atmospheric” background music usually intended for relaxation or meditation. ~ Anonymous,
720:During meditation, our breathing slows, our blood pressure and heart rate decrease, and stress hormone levels fall. ~ Deepak Chopra,
721:If every 8 year old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation ~ Dalai Lama,
722:In meditation, you learn how to get out of your own way long enough for there to be room for your wisdom to manifest ~ Pema Chodron,
723:In sitting meditation, our practice is to watch our thoughts arise, label them "thinking", and return to the breath. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
724:Meditate every day, as your mind is yet immature. Constant meditation will make the mind one-pointed. ~ Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi,
725:Meditation helps concentration of the mind. Then the mind is free from thoughts and is in the meditated form. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
726:The you that goes in one side of the meditation experience is not the same you that comes out the other side. ~ Henepola Gunaratana,
727:We don’t sit in meditation to become good meditators. We sit in meditation so that we’ll be more awake in our lives. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
728:We don’t sit in meditation to become good meditators. We sit in meditation so that we’ll be more awake in our lives. ~ Pema Chodron,
729:Wisdom happens through meditation, and bliss also happens through meditation. Both the flowers bloom on the same branch. ~ Rajneesh,
730:Yoga introduced me to a style of meditation. The only meditation I would have done before would be in the writing of songs. ~ Sting,
731:Create a gap of no-mind in which you are highly alert and aware but not thinking. This is the essence of meditation. ~ Eckhart Tolle,
732:Golf is a search for perfection, for balance. It's about meditation and concentration. You have to use hand and brain. ~ Celine Dion,
733:If we get too caught up in the rhetoric of meditation, we will miss the point. The point was to go beyond rhetoric. ~ Frederick Lenz,
734:Meditation is not about stopping thoughts, but recognizing that we are more than our thoughts and our feelings. ~ Arianna Huffington,
735:Meditation is when we go beyond incarnation, beyond all cycles, to immortality, to something that is not transient. ~ Frederick Lenz,
736:Meditation requires an object to meditate on, whereas in Self-enquiry there is only the subject and no object. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
737:Meditation, then, is a state of mind in which the 'me' is absent. And therefore that very absence brings order. ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti,
738:Mind is something unnatural; it never becomes your natural state. But meditation is a natural state - which we have lost. ~ Rajneesh,
739:The third stage is no thought. No thought is not the end of meditation. It is the beginning of higher meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
740:To be alone and to be drunk with your own aloneness is what meditation is all about. Be in the world, but don't be of it. ~ Rajneesh,
741:At the end of meditation period we always bow and we touch our head to the floor and say "Buddha's name be praised." ~ Frederick Lenz,
742:Eating tofu led to all kinds of degenerate practices, like yoga and meditation, and God forbid, art appreciation. She’d ~ Lexi George,
743:He who is persistent will realize God. So try your best to make meditation a regular experience in your life. ~ Paramahansa Yogananda,
744:Increase your service to the Lord as well as your Japa and meditation, and read books about the Master. ~ Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi,
745:Meditation is not an act, it is a quality. Meditation is not something that you do - it is something that you become. ~ Jaggi Vasudev,
746:Meditation practice is simply moving from a life of hurting myself and others to a life of not hurting myself and others. ~ Joko Beck,
747:Meditation simplifies us, simplifies us to the point where we can receive the fullness of truth and the fullness of love. ~ John Main,
748:Meditation takes time and dedication, but, for me, it's actually just about closing your eyes and being in that moment. ~ Hannah Peel,
749:Seek in reading and thou shalt find in meditation; knock in prayer and it shall be opened in contemplation. ~ Saint John of the Cross,
750:The spirit of meditation is the combating of self-willed thinking-it is a combat against the weight of one's feelings. ~ Hakuin Ekaku,
751:We sit in meditation and cry to God, we cry to the light, as little children, knowing God will do everything for us. ~ Frederick Lenz,
752:Yes, all kinds of thoughts arise in meditation. It is but right. Unless they rise up how can they be destroyed? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
753:A little Japa and meditation will awaken Kundalini . Does it wake up on its own? Do Japa and meditation. ~ Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi,
754:And meditation is nothing but enjoying your beautiful aloneness. Celebrating yourself; that's what meditation is all about. ~ Rajneesh,
755:Concentration is the creation of the instrument; meditation is the right use of it; contemplation transcends it. ~ Christmas Humphreys,
756:Doing a show is very similar to what meditation is supposed to be: being there and being present in that space and time. ~ Gift of Gab,
757:I do a little bit of yoga-style meditation. Relaxing and breathing even just one minute a day makes a big difference. ~ Dolph Lundgren,
758:Is there a meditation that is not the ego trying to become? Is meditation conscious if every effort implies time? ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti,
759:Meditation is not what you do in the morning, that's practice. Meditation is the daily result of that practice. ~ Harbhajan Singh Yogi,
760:Meditation is the pathway to enlightenment. Move the ego aside and be still, open, clear, bright and fully conscious. ~ Frederick Lenz,
761:Sannyas is only a declaration. The work is meditation. In one single word, my religion is complete, and that is meditation. ~ Rajneesh,
762:Someone who is seriously interested in meditation should not expect any feedback or promises from the practice. Most ~ Ch gyam Trungpa,
763:Your love will deepen as your meditation deepens, and vice-versa: as your meditation blossoms, your love will also blossom. ~ Rajneesh,
764:A sketch book freezes time. It is an instantaneous form of meditation focusing us on the worth of every passing moment. ~ Julia Cameron,
765:As Leonard Cohen once said about the benefits of many years of meditation, “The less there was of me, the happier I got. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
766:In deep meditation, when the thought disappears, ego vanishes the supreme arises. Nothing has changed except the references. ~ Amit Ray,
767:In vocal prayer we go to God on foot. In meditation we go to God on horseback. In contemplation we go to God in a jet. ~ Fulton J Sheen,
768:I've spent quite a bit of my life as a meditation teacher and writer commending the strengths of love and compassion. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
769:Meditation on the chance which led to the meeting of my mother and father is even more salutary than meditation on death. ~ Simone Weil,
770:Meditation practice is relevant because in meditation our conceptual mind relaxes and we can feel who we are at heart. ~ Sakyong Mipham,
771:No matter what meditation technique you use, just let the mind slow down and begin to explore its internal surroundings. ~ Tim McCarthy,
772:Surely the principles as well as the practice of Christianity are simple and lead not to meditation only, but to action. ~ Eric Metaxas,
773:The Bliss of Liberation in life is possible only to the mind made subtle and serene by long continued meditation. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
774:The first stage of meditation is simply to ignore thought; to become conscious that there is something beyond thought. ~ Frederick Lenz,
775:The reason we come away so cold from reading the word is because we do not warm ourselves at the fire of meditation. ~ Donald S Whitney,
776:"Walking meditation is not a practice, it is an enjoyment. We don't force it, but we enjoy it. It is an act of love." ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
777:We can use meditation as a way to experiment with new ways of relating to ourselves, even our uncomfortable thoughts. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
778:What is prayer but meditation? What is a demon but a fear that lives inside us, one we cannot easily conquer on our own? ~ John Searles,
779:With meditation, you become a sensitized superhero, completely in control, with endless possibilities at your fingertips. ~ Tara Stiles,
780:14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer. ~ Anonymous,
781:A stunning meditation on the power of escape, and on the cat-and-mouse contest the self plays to deflect its own guilt. ~ Ethan Gilsdorf,
782:Change is one of the only constants in Buddhism; as meditation became the way I breathed in the days, this became apparent. ~ Nick Flynn,
783:Hence my insistence that music and meditation should go together. That adds a new dimension to both. Both are enriched by it. ~ Rajneesh,
784:I'd say a little over a year ago I started doing TM [Transcendental Meditation] and that's really changed everything. ~ Jennifer Aniston,
785:Meditation may also be thought of as a technique by which we diminish the force of old thought habits and develop new ones. ~ Dalai Lama,
786:Reading seeks for the sweetness of a blessed life, meditation perceives it, prayer asks for it, contemplation tastes it. ~ Leonard Sweet,
787:Tis calm indeed! so calm, that it disturbs
And vexes meditation with its strange
And extreme silentness. ~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge,
788:Ultimately, meditation can allow us to have happiness independent of conditions and that is one heck of an awesome claim ~ Shinzen Young,
789:Walk aimlessly in the streets; this is a good meditation! Walk aimlessly in the forests; this is a good meditation! ~ Mehmet Murat ildan,
790:In deep meditation, individual consciousness merged with the cosmic consciousness. In the absence of doer, the lotus blossoms. ~ Amit Ray,
791:Meditation is a journey from negative-mindset to positive-mindset. It is a means to stay positive and radiate positive energy. ~ Amit Ray,
792:Meditation means to be in non-doing. Meditation is not a doing but a state of being. It is a state of being in one's own self. ~ Rajneesh,
793:Meditation practice is neither holding on nor avoiding; it is a settling back into the moment, opening to what is there. ~ Jack Kornfield,
794:Seek in reading and you will find in meditation; knock in prayer and it will be opened to you in contemplation. ~ Saint John of the Cross,
795:Simply put, meditation is the path to clarity, compassion, and a path of wisdom leading to the eradication of suffering. ~ Jon Kabat Zinn,
796:That’s the interesting thing with meditation. It’s a reflection of the way in which you relate to the world around you. ~ Andy Puddicombe,
797:Thoughts appear wending like the waves of an ocean. As meditation on the Self rises higher, thoughts get destroyed. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
798:Whatever you focus on, you become. That is the key line, you know. Meditation is the bow and concentration is the arrow. ~ Frederick Lenz,
799:After a few years of meditation practice we can even learn how to occasionally ignore ourselves. And what relief that can be! ~ Wes Nisker,
800:A time comes when you don't have to use meditation techniques anymore. You just sit down and you are nonexistence itself. ~ Frederick Lenz,
801:Compulsive reading relieves the anxiety that comes from tramping through the forest of meditation in search of clearings. ~ Sylvain Tesson,
802:It's the same thing, I think, whether it's breathing or meditation or yoga. And running is a great way of doing it. ~ Benedict Cumberbatch,
803:Om meditation eliminates rigid and fixed views about the world. It creates a spacious, flexible and open views about the world. ~ Amit Ray,
804:Practice looking at all beings with the eyes of compassion: this is the meditation called “the meditation on compassion. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
805:There are many different ways to practice meditation; it's good to experiment until you find one that seems to suit you. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
806:Through meditation and by giving full attention to one thing at a time, we can learn to direct attention where we choose. ~ Timber Hawkeye,
807:When you are happy time appears shorter, when you are sad time appears longer. And in meditation we transcend time! ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,
808:You are not what you seem to be. You are one of God's endless dreams in search of wakefulness. Meditation is wakefulness. ~ Frederick Lenz,
809:Before you begin your day: Take a moment of silence and meditation, and give yourself permission to have all that you desire. ~ Debbie Ford,
810:I can't say it strongly enough; to integrate meditation in action is the whole ground and point and purpose of meditation ~ Sogyal Rinpoche,
811:In the inner stillness where meditation leads, the Spirit secretly anoints the soul and heals our deepest wounds. ~ Saint John of the Cross,
812:Love means the art of being with others. Meditation means the art of being with yourself. Both are two aspects of the same coin. ~ Rajneesh,
813:Meditation is not a means of forgetting the ego; it is a method of using the ego to observe and tame its own manifestations. ~ Mark Epstein,
814:Meditation is the direct means of eradicating the very cause of the majority of diseases, both mental and physical. ~ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,
815:One can progress through meditation, but through work provided it is done in the right spirit, one can progress ten times more ~ The Mother,
816:Only one thing is going to remain with you: that is your witnessing, that is your watchfulness. This watchfulness is meditation. ~ Rajneesh,
817:Real pradakshina is the meditation that thousands of universes are revolving around the unmoving center of all forms. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
818:The logical and extralogical exercises you do in meditation are very similar to advanced systems analysis and programming. ~ Frederick Lenz,
819:Through meditation and by giving full attention to one thing at a time, we can learn to direct attention where we choose. ~ Eknath Easwaran,
820:Through silence, through meditation, and through non-judgment, you will access the first law, the Law of Pure Potentiality. ~ Deepak Chopra,
821:To fix the mind on God is very difficult, in the beginning, unless one practices meditation in solitude.
   ~ Sri Ramakrishna, [T5], #index,
822:True meditation gives us, as it were, wings for flight to a higher realm and thus detaches us from terrestrial fetters. ~ Swami Paramananda,
823:When your mind is tranquil and at peace with the universe, when it has become void of all thought - you become meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
824:You receive the light through what you read, through what you hear in meditation, or through some spiritual practice. ~ Marianne Williamson,
825:Frustration is out of expectation; expectation is our projection. All kinds of love frustrate unless love is based in meditation. ~ Rajneesh,
826:had spent many hours in that upper room in the temple by himself in prayer and meditation. ~ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints,
827:I see martial arts as moving forms of meditation. When you're sparring or drilling techniques, you can't think of anything else. ~ Joe Rogan,
828:Meditation is hard. You are constantly trying to focus on one thing, usually your breath, and your mind is going to go berserk. ~ Dan Harris,
829:Meditation is like a giant broom for sweeping away any stagnant or blocked energy that you may have buried deep in your body. ~ Deborah King,
830:meditation is not just about creating states of well-being; it is about destroying the belief in an inherently existent self. ~ Mark Epstein,
831:Seek in reading and thou shalt find in meditation; knock in prayer and it shall be opened in contemplation. ~ Saint John of the Cross, [T5],
832:Should I try meditation?

   It is not necessary if your work is a constant offering to the Divine.
   ~ The Mother, Words Of The Mother I,
833:The more intense the nature of a man, the more readily will he find meditation, and the more successfully will he practice it. ~ James Allen,
834:The power of spiritual knowledge gives you centeredness, which brings out passion in work & dispassion in meditation. ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,
835:"There is only one way you'll ever know if meditation is worth it. Learn to do it right, and do it. See for yourself." ~ Henepola Gunaratana,
836:What the self-imagined mystic seeks only in his meditation is visible to the Sufi on every street corner and in every alleyway ~ Idries Shah,
837:A creativity that comes out of meditative innocence, of meditative purity. And a real creator is possible only through meditation. ~ Rajneesh,
838:Leonard Cohen once said about the benefits of many years of meditation, “The less there was of me, the happier I got.” Letting ~ Pema Ch dr n,
839:May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Ps. 19:14) ~ Beth Moore,
840:Meditation is a microcosm, a model, a mirror. The skills we practice when we sit are transferable to the rest of our lives. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
841:My meditation is simple. It does not require any complex practices. It is simple. It is singing. It is dancing. It is sitting silently ~ Osho,
842:Only when there are no impressions of others clouding our mind, can we sit and practice the glorious practice of meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
843:The purpose of meditation is to stop thinking for a time, wait for the fog of thought to thin, and glimpse the spirit within. ~ Deepak Chopra,
844:Today at 11amET, Join this wonderful meditation and lecture with #SantRainderSingh ~ #FF @SOSmeditate #spiritchat twitter.com/SOSmeditate/st…,
845:We owe much to the fruitful meditation of our sages, but a sane view of life is, after all, elaborated mainly in the kitchen. ~ Joseph Conrad,
846:Every day work on your humility through your meditation, giving more of yourself, giving those things you don't want to give. ~ Frederick Lenz,
847:"In a natural state of rest, all the time and in any situation, let your meditation be like the continuous flow of a river." ~ Patrul Rinpoche,
848:Meditation is not just blissing out under a mango tree. It completely changes your brain and therefore changes what you are. ~ Matthieu Ricard,
849:Meditation is the pathway to enlightenment, and I would encourage you to follow that pathway as far as you can, into ecstasy. ~ Frederick Lenz,
850:Meditation will bring back the powers and awareness from the past; more importantly, it will expand your consciousness today. ~ Frederick Lenz,
851:The whole of meditation practice can be essentialized into these 3 crucial points: Bring your mind home. Release. And relax! ~ Sogyal Rinpoche,
852:Vipassan meditation is the best way to unlearn old habits of basal ganglia and amygdala, and strengthen the neocortex of the brain. ~ Amit Ray,
853:We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and privacy, and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship. ~ C S Lewis,
854:We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and private: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship. ~ C S Lewis,
855:Without meditation there is no peace, and without peace, where is the hope for happiness? ~ Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja,
856:14May the words of my mouth         and the meditation of my heart     be pleasing to you,         O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. ~ Anonymous,
857:A man, doubtful of his dinner, or trembling at a creditor, is not much disposed to abstracted meditation, or remote enquiries. ~ Samuel Johnson,
858:If resistance to meditation is a common feature of your practice, then you should suspect some subtle error in your basic attitude. ~ Anonymous,
859:If you don't succeed in meditation, practice Japa. Japa leads to perfection. One attains perfection through Japa. ~ Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi,
860:In meditation have a complete focus on light, brightness, spiritual oneness, God, infinity, eternity. You know - silly things. ~ Frederick Lenz,
861:I think it was the lavatory to which I retired- a perfect place for quiet meditation, where no one could possibly pursue you. ~ Agatha Christie,
862:Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart           be acceptable to you,           O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. ~ Anonymous,
863:Meditation is the journey from sound to silence, from movement to stillness, from a limited identity to unlimited space. ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,
864:Prayer is when you talk to God. Meditation is when you're listening. Playing the piano allows you to do both at the same time. ~ Kelsey Grammer,
865:Simple things relieve eyes; simple things ease mind, simple things create meditation, simple things are simply miraculous! ~ Mehmet Murat ildan,
866:After a few years of meditation practice we can even learn how to occasionally ignore ourselves. And what relief that can be! ~ Wes Scoop Nisker,
867:Artists strive to free this true and spontaneous self in their work. Creativity, meditation are ways of freeing an inner voice. ~ Gloria Steinem,
868:Don't read the sutras - practice meditation. Don't take up the broom - practice meditation. Don't plant tea seeds - practice meditation. ~ Ikkyu,
869:For many in the modern world, carving out time for both traditional seated meditation and exercise has become close to impossible. ~ Andrew Weil,
870:If you cultivate your body, your mind, your emotions, and your energies to a certain level of maturity, meditation will blossom. ~ Jaggi Vasudev,
871:It's helpful to remind yourself that meditation is about opening and relaxing with whatever arises, without picking and choosing. ~ Pema Chodron,
872:Meditation on Savitri, October 12, 2018 FridayIslands of living dotted lifeless spaceAnd germs of living formed in formless air. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
873:The meditation technique itself cultivate precision, gentleness, and the ability to let go - qualities that are innate within us. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
874:The whole existence is a temple...the trees are continously in worship, the clouds are in prayer and the mountains are in meditation. ~ Rajneesh,
875:Through the practice of meditation, when the mind is quieted and the emotions are calmed, the Soul shines forth in all of its glory. ~ Genevieve,
876:When it came to producing a state of focus, quiet contentment, and inner peace, Zen meditation ran a very distant second to caffeine. ~ Joe Hill,
877:With the practice of meditation we can develop this ability to more fully love ourselves and to more consistently love others. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
878:Following this, I set up residence in the palace of silver parasols and spent my time pursuing study, reflection, and meditation. ~ Thupten Jinpa,
879:If you want to possess things—money; if you want to possess yourself—meditation. And if you possess yourself, money loses all meaning. ~ Rajneesh,
880:It may sound lovey-dovey, but there's research showing the positive effect of meditation on parts of the brain that control emotion. ~ Tara Brach,
881:Meditation is the use of symbols, not abstractions. A symbol is something alive. It is a hyphen between one reality and another. ~ Frederick Lenz,
882:Movement helps keep me centered. I am a disaster, for instance, at sitting meditation, but I'm pretty decent at walking meditation. ~ Pam Houston,
883:My meditation is simple. It does not require any complex practices. It is simple. It is singing. It is dancing. It is sitting silently ~ Rajneesh,
884:PSA19.14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. ~ Anonymous,
885:That's what you need for your writing - to learn how to be present, learn how to be calm. So take that nap, do that meditation. ~ Sandra Cisneros,
886:The study of modern mindfulness meditation and emotional intelligence is deeply rooted in the ancient Vipassana meditation techniques. ~ Amit Ray,
887:You are the Golden Witnessing Screen. Meditation is the effortless effort to keep that screen clean, clear and perfect. - Sri Amit Ray ~ Amit Ray,
888:You can set your intention to better understand your soul, your spirit, through daily practices like prayer, yoga and meditation, etc. ~ Rob Bell,
889:You have planted many seeds in the garden of possibilities. Meditation is the art removing the weeds from the garden of possibilities. ~ Amit Ray,
890:14Let the words of my mouth and athe meditation of my heart† Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, bmy rock and my cRedeemer. ~ John F MacArthur Jr,
891:A critical part of Tantric Buddhism is a process of turning of the activities and experiences in your daily life into meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
892:All meditation must begin with arousing deep compassion. Whatever one does must emerge from an attitude of love and benefitting others. ~ Milarepa,
893:Grief, which disposes gentle natures to retirement, to inaction, and to meditation, only makes restless spirits more restless. ~ Thomas B Macaulay,
894:If we sit deep in meditation, the glow within the body will brighten, and will expand and spread outside. That is Devi Puja ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,
895:I've always understood that meditation had to be part of - or was part of the natural path and so I've always sort of dabbled in it. ~ Anne Lamott,
896:Meditation is a gift confined to unknown philosophers and cows. Others don't begin to think till they begin to talk or write. ~ Finley Peter Dunne,
897:Meditation is the art of life. Meditation is not simply a practice. It is an experience, awareness, and a way of perceiving life. ~ Frederick Lenz,
898:Meditation is the most significant because it opens the door for all other significant things: love, prayer, God, light, music, poetry. ~ Rajneesh,
899:Meditation on Savitri, October 2, 2018 TuesdayThus has been made this real impossible world,An obvious miracle or convincing show. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
900:The focusing of attention on the breath is perhaps the most universal of the many hundreds of meditation subjects used worldwide. ~ Jack Kornfield,
901:Try taking five minutes for meditation. Close your eyes and in your mind picture Jesus. Watch Him turn, look at you and hear Him... ~ Kyle Idleman,
902:What makes us happy is to have a spiritual experience ... that experience of ecstasy in the deepest meditation; that's happiness. ~ Frederick Lenz,
903:As we practice meditation, we get used to stillness and eventually are able to make friends with the quietness of our sensations. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
904:Called back her thoughts from speech to sit within
In a deep room in meditation’s house. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, The Debate of Love and Death,
905:CHANGE 1: MEDITATE THE CHANGE: Find a quiet place and sit for 2 minutes, focusing on your breathing. is is a simple form of meditation. ~ Anonymous,
906:I do transcendental meditation, which is, I suppose, derived from Vedic or Ayurvedic principles, which is sort of Hindu principles. ~ Russell Brand,
907:Learning to look at each second as if it were the first and only second in the universe is essential in vipassana meditation. ~ Henepola Gunaratana,
908:Only art as meditation reminds people so that they will never forget that the most beautiful thing a potter produces is...the potter. ~ Matthew Fox,
909:Passing through the fire of meditation, everything that is not your authentic reality, everything that is borrowed, will be burned away. ~ Rajneesh,
910:Without absorption of the water of God's Word, there's no quenching our spiritual thirst. Meditation is the means of absorption. ~ Donald S Whitney,
911:All I had to do was tell myself: if it doesn’t work, I only need the grit to start again—just like when my mind wandered in meditation. ~ Dan Harris,
912:But recently I've, the past few years, I'm more focused on meditation. It's not a physical part. It's more mental part, to understand life. ~ Jet Li,
913:In meditation, as you go into the causal dimensions, the planes of light, you will be purified, energized and you will become wise. ~ Frederick Lenz,
914:In mindfulness one is not only restful and happy, but alert and awake. Meditation is not evasion; it is a serene encounter with reality. ~ Nhat Hanh,
915:In the same way that rain breaks into a house with a bad roof, desire breaks into the mind that has not been practising meditation. ~ Gautama Buddha,
916:"Listening to talks about the dharma, or the teachings of Buddha, or practicing meditation is nothing other than studying ourselves." ~ Pema Chödrön,
917:May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14) ~ Lysa TerKeurst,
918:Meditation is the only way to freedom from stress as it is a dimension beyond the mind. All the stress and struggle are of the mind. ~ Jaggi Vasudev,
919:Meditation on Savitri, July 13 2018 FridayOnly was lit some heat of the flame of Life,Some joy to be, some rapturous leaps of sense. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
920:Meditation requires courage. It requires the basic integrity, sincerity, respect towards your own being. At least don't deceive yourself. ~ Rajneesh,
921:meditation simply says how to go withinward: whether there is a soul or not doesn’t matter; whether there is a God or not doesn’t matter. One ~ Osho,
922:The Psalms are the prayer book of the Bible, but it is noteworthy that the first Psalm is not a prayer per se but a meditation—in ~ Timothy J Keller,
923:There is no yawning gulf between man and God. Through his aspiration and meditation, Man can become conscious of his oneness with God. ~ Sri Chinmoy,
924:With the practice of meditation we can develop this ability to more fully love
ourselves and to more consistently love others. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
925:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart         be acceptable in your sight,         O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. ~ Anonymous,
926:"Be in Zen meditation whether you are working or sitting; be essentially at peace whether you are speaking, silent, active or still." ~ Dahui Zonggao,
927:Enlightenment, meditation is really a shift in perception. It's not a thing that you go and do or become, since you're already that. ~ Frederick Lenz,
928:Increase your service to Him ( ~ Sri Ramakrishna) as well as your Japa and meditation, and read books about the Master. ~ Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi,
929:I've always felt running is a form of meditation. Running enables us to stop our lives, to go out and find a safe place for ourselves. ~ Nina Kuscsik,
930:Meditation is a very powerful time and you are very psychic. It is most important to not allow your attention, your mind, to wander. ~ Frederick Lenz,
931:Meditation practice isn't about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It's about befriending who we are already. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
932:Meditation practice isn't about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It's about befriending who we are already. ~ Pema Chodron,
933:People turn to meditation because they want to make good decisions, break bad habits & bounce back better from disappointments. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
934:Practice meditation. Become a seeker. Walk the path of the seeker. You will get the best of everything the world has to offer. ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,
935:A person who undertakes the study of Zen and learns concentration and meditation is like a gymnast. You become a gymnast of the mind. ~ Frederick Lenz,
936:As we practice meditation, we get used to stillness and eventually are able to make
friends with the quietness of our sensations. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
937:Beginning again and again is the actual practice, not a problem to be overcome so that one day we can come to the "real" meditation. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
938:Here are a few of our favorite meditation apps that are available for both iPhone/iPad and Android devices:  Headspace Omvana Simply Being ~ Hal Elrod,
939:It's helpful to always remind yourself that meditation is about opening and relaxing withwhatever arises, without picking and choosing. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
940:I was raised Presbyterian, but I'm not really going to church. I think the experience in meditation is pretty much where it's at for me. ~ David Lynch,
941:Meditation is not about getting out of ourselves or achieving something better. It is about getting in touch with what you already are. ~ Pema Chodron,
942:Mindfulness meditation should be more than just watching what you are doing. What you really need to watch is your motivation. ~ Thubten Zopa Rinpoche,
943:Remember always that the ultimate value is meditation, so anything you do, do meditatively; and all things can be done in a meditative way. ~ Rajneesh,
944:There is no necessity for a technique or formula for meditation. Inner feeling, or inner knowing, is the silent voice of inspiration. ~ Walter Russell,
945:Each opportunity to interrupt the onslaught of thoughts and return to the object of meditation is, in fact, a moment of enlightenment ~ Sharon Salzberg,
946:If you can bring earnestness to your meditation, you will find that happiness is something that will run through your life constantly. ~ Frederick Lenz,
947:In meditation practice, we build the energy of awareness until it grows powerful enough to see entirely different levels of reality. ~ Joseph Goldstein,
948:I obtain my center by remembering to breathe when in a difficult situation. My daily routine includes prayer, workouts, and meditation. ~ Ruthie Foster,
949:Meditation clarifies our minds and opens our hearts, and brings us to unusual depth and stability of happiness, whatever life brings. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
950:Meditation means to know life beyond the sphere of the physical; to know and experience life not just at the surface but at the source. ~ Jaggi Vasudev,
951:Meditation on Savitri, October 17, 2018 WednesdayA godhead woke but lay with dreaming limbs;Her house refused to open its sealed doors. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
952:"Meditation practice isn't about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It's about befriending who we are already." ~ Pema Chödrön,
953:Regular meditation not only restores our inner harmony and vital energy, but provides us with an actual experience of the peace we seek. ~ Diane Dreher,
954:The Dalai Lama would say that meditation is something that can help everyone. But he's aware that it can be misused or things can go wrong. ~ Pico Iyer,
955:The end goal of meditation is to do whatever helps slow your mind down, in order to achieve a peaceful, positive state of mind and body. ~ Tim McCarthy,
956:The lively phraseology of Montesquieu was the result of long meditation. His words, as light as wings, bear on them grave reflections. ~ Joseph Joubert,
957:The practice of meditation is represented by the three monkeys, who cover their eyes, ears and mouths so as to avoid the phenomenal world. ~ Wei Wu Wei,
958:There are few greater temptations on earth than to stay permanently at Oxford in meditation, and to read all the books in the Bodlean. ~ Hilaire Belloc,
959:I'm quite a neurotic thinker, quite an adrenalized person. But after meditation, I felt this beautiful serenity and selfless connection. ~ Russell Brand,
960:Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart         be acceptable in your sight,         O LORD, my  j rock and my  k redeemer. ~ Anonymous,
961:Meditation is like taking a shower. You are going to wash all the dirt off that you have picked up since your last shower and be clean. ~ Frederick Lenz,
962:Meditation is not a task to perform but allowing the thinking engine to take rest. In the restfulness of the thinking engine eternity arises. ~ Amit Ray,
963:Meditation is not to be on the surface of a thing or underneath it or above it, but it is to be in everywhere and to be in nowhere! ~ Mehmet Murat ildan,
964:Meditation is the ultimate selfless act, because when you meditate you are sacrificing your puny personality for the universal reality. ~ Frederick Lenz,
965:Meditation is the way in which we come to feel our basic inseparability from the whole universe, and what that requires is that we shut up. ~ Alan Watts,
966:Meditation on Savitri, August 22, 2018 Wednesday.A little light in a great darkness born,Life knew not where it went nor whence it came. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
967:Meditation on the breath is not a breathing exercise. We are simply using the breath as a point of focus to cultivate mindfulness. ~ Henepola Gunaratana,
968:"Meditation practice isn't about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It's about befriending who we are already."| ~ Pema Chödrön,
969:The fruit of meditation is not the absence of thoughts, but the fact that thoughts cease to harm us. Once enemies, they become friends. ~ Bokar Rinpoche,
970:[The small camera] taught me energy and decisiveness and immediacy ... The large camera taught me reverence, patience, and meditation. ~ Joel Meyerowitz,
971:To me, the relationship between meditation and running is natural, for one is a training of the mind and one is a training of the body. ~ Sakyong Mipham,
972:Vipassana meditation is a process by which that concept is dissolved. Little by little, you chip away at it, just by observing it. ~ Henepola Gunaratana,
973:Being in touch with oneself is the meaning of meditation, to be aware of what is going on in your body, in your feelings, in your mind. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
974:In Zen the emphasis is on meditation and developing your body, mind and spirit to find inner peace, strength, clarity and enlightenment. ~ Frederick Lenz,
975:Meditation changes your character by a process of sensitization, by making you deeply aware of your own thoughts, words, and deeds. ~ Henepola Gunaratana,
976:Meditation on Savitri, August 9, 2020, Sunday.Even a greater miracle was done. ~ Sri Aurobindo, (1993). Savitri, Puducherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, p. 241,
977:Meditation on Savitri, October 9, 2018 TuesdayThen stirred the Spirit’s mute immobile sleep;The Force concealed broke dumbly, slowly out. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
978:The highest art one can learn is the art of loving, and that the ultimate creativity and the highest art are born out of a knack - meditation. ~ Rajneesh,
979:When, by meditation, we withdraw restless thoughts from the lake of the mind, we behold our soul, a perfect reflection of Spirit. ~ Paramahansa Yogananda,
980:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer. ~ Anonymous,
981:A garment that is double dyed, dipped again and again, will retain the color a great while; so a truth which is the subject of meditation. ~ Matthew Henry,
982:But in this meditation technique, we are with the out-breath; there's no particular instruction about what to do until the next out-breath. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
983:But meditation is a life’s work. You cease to sit and meditate in this life when the last breath runs out of your body on your deathbed. ~ Ch gyam Trungpa,
984:If you seek the realms of light, the best thing to do is to meditate with love and the gentle aliveness. Meditation should not be forced. ~ Frederick Lenz,
985:I love being outside with trees and water, lying down somewhere or walking. I do transcendental meditation, which keeps me calm and steady. ~ Naomi Watts,
986:In mindfulness one is not only restful and happy, but alert and awake. Meditation is not evasion; it is a serene encounter with reality. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
987:Knowledge is better than practice;
meditation is better
than knowledge; and best of all
is surrender, which soon brings peace. ~ Stephen Mitchell,
988:Meditation is simply a strange surgical method that cuts you away from all that is not yours and saves only that which is your authentic being. ~ Rajneesh,
989:"Meditation is the way in which we come to feel our basic inseparability from the whole universe, and what that requires is that we shut up." ~ Alan Watts,
990:Nobody would have ever guessed-I wouldn't have guessed-the extraordinary degree to which you can reduce social violence through meditation. ~ John Hagelin,
991:One does not practice meditation to become a great meditator. We meditate to wake up and live, to become skilled at the art of living. ~ Elizabeth Lesser,
992:Our subconscious thought patterns collapses the quantum wave function and generates the reality. Meditation is streamline the thought patterns. ~ Amit Ray,
993:PlayStation 3 is another form of meditation. Come on, when you're on set, all day? That's what I do in my trailer, I just play PlayStation 3. ~ Steve Zahn,
994:Rather than trying to immediately focus on the object of meditation, give your mind time to settle, to relax a little. What’s the hurry? ~ Andy Puddicombe,
995:"The fruit of meditation is not the absence of thoughts, but the fact that thoughts cease to harm us. Once enemies, they become friends." ~ Bokar Rinpoche,
996:The meditation traditions I started and have continued practicing have all emphasized inclusivity: anyone can do this who is interested. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
997:Thought ceases in meditation; even the mind's elements are quite quiet. Blood circulation stops. His breath stops, but he is not dead. ~ Swami Vivekananda,
998:You cannot force meditation, you can only create the situation. And if the situation is created rightly, then meditation happens automatically. ~ Rajneesh,
999:Alas! I have nor hope nor health, Nor peace within nor calm around, Nor that content surpassing wealth The sage in meditation found. ~ Percy Bysshe Shelley,
1000:By turning your eyes on God in meditation, your whole soul will be filled with God. Begin all your prayers in the presence of God. ~ Saint Francis de Sales,
1001:Eventually you will go into samadhi. Samadhi is a very advanced meditation. You dissolve into the clear light of eternity again and again. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1002:If I ever write an autobiography about teaching meditation in the West, I'll call it "Pissing In the Wind - Teaching Buddhism in America". ~ Frederick Lenz,
1003:I have found that meditation has helped me with my academic career and has given me insights into musical composition and software design. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1004:Meditation is a social and political act. Listening and not-doing are actions far more powerful than most of us have yet begun to realize. ~ Joan Tollifson,
1005:Meditation on Savitri, September 9, 2018 SundayHere too these godlings drive our human hearts,Our nature’s twilight is their lurking place. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
1006:People like me spend years learning the techniques of meditation. But you're a poet, and poets are born knowing the language of angels. ~ Madeleine L Engle,
1007:Studying texts and stiff meditation can make you lose your Original Mind.
A solitary tune by a fisherman, though, can be an invaluable treasure. ~ Ikkyu,
1008:there are qualities of devotion, and celebration, and meditation, qualities that are necessary concomitants to a life worth living. Ginza-yu ~ Barry Eisler,
1009:Two qualities are at the root of all meditation development: right effort and right aim—arousing effort to aim the mind toward the object. ~ Jack Kornfield,
1010:In Buddhism, we talk of meditation as an act of awakening, to be awake to the fact that the earth is in danger and living species are in danger. ~ Nhat Hanh,
1011:I recommended meditation to every person as a foundation for living healthier, being a more loving person, and leading a less stressful life! ~ Tim McCarthy,
1012:I write, or used to write, to explain to myself situations I couldn't otherwise solve or understand. Meditation comes very naturally to me. ~ Anne Stevenson,
1013:Meditation is the direct means of enjoying the greatest happiness and is the only means to quench the thirst for happiness on earth. ~ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,
1014:Meditation is the movement of love. It isn't the love of the one or of the many. It is like water that anyone can drink out of any jar. ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti,
1015:Our current perception is very cloudy and all screwed up. As our perception increases through meditation, we're seeing life more correctly. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1016:The practice of meditation is an ancient practice. It's been practiced in many lands, for many lifetimes. You may have practiced it before. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1017:There is nectar in your soul. Meditation is the art of discovering that nectar, enriching it and distributing it for the welfare of the humanity. ~ Amit Ray,
1018:To see a priest making his meditation before Mass does more for an altar boy's vocation than a thousand pieces of inspirational literature. ~ Fulton J Sheen,
1019:Deliberate attempt to meditate is not meditation. It must happen. […] Only be aware of what you are thinking and doing and nothing else. ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti,
1020:Eastern meditation is an attempt to empty the mind; Christian meditation is an attempt to fill the mind. The two ideas are quite different ~ Richard J Foster,
1021:In sitting meditation, we train in mindfulness and unconditional friendliness: in being steadfast with our bodies, our emotions, our thoughts. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
1022:Meditation develops the capacity to question your mind. Without it, you are at the mercy of every thought, every desire, every wave of emotion. ~ Geneen Roth,
1023:Meditation, in all its forms and traditions, is an invitation to listen, to open, to quietly enlist the courage to be touched and formed by life. ~ Mark Nepo,
1024:Meditation is a process of liquefying the self temporarily and then allowing the self to rebind. The ice melts and then it comes back again. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1025:Meditation is a technique to integrate one's personality, to be able to live and enjoy full life of all glories - worldly and divine. ~ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,
1026:meditation is simply exercise for your brain. It’s a proven technique for preventing the voice in your head from leading you around by the nose. ~ Dan Harris,
1027:No yoga exercise, no meditation in a chapel filled with music will rid you of your blues better than the humble task of making your own bread. ~ M F K Fisher,
1028:[T]hat is the true function of meditation: to create a space in you where you can be rich, infinitely rich, utterly peaceful, absolutely ecstatic. ~ Rajneesh,
1029:The highest type of meditation is done in silence. In silence there are no mantras. Mantras are not essential, but they can be very helpful. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1030:The meditation you do on the cushion is your homework. The rest of your life is your fieldwork. To practice mindfulness, you need both. ~ Henepola Gunaratana,
1031:The practice of meditation is emptying the mind. When the mind is empty, completely empty, it's perfect meditation. It's really that simple. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1032:To me, meditation sounds a whole lot like doing nothing. I don’t do nothing. I pack every second of every day with something that can get done. ~ Lisa Genova,
1033:Walking my dogs twice a day provides me with an opening and closing of my day, and I've learned to use those walks for a walking meditation. ~ Patrick Fabian,
1034:Children can be taught meditation more easily because they are not yet spoiled. When you have been spoiled the hard work is to help you to unlearn. ~ Rajneesh,
1035:Meditation can help us embrace our worries, our fear, our anger; and that is very healing. We let our own natural capacity of healing do the work. ~ Nhat Hanh,
1036:Meditation is the only way you can transcend the negative thoughts, and then positive thoughts will come spontaneously & automatically. ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,
1037:Om meditation makes the mind spacious. It gives the freedom for focus and divergent thinking. Divergent thinking is the center of human creativity. ~ Amit Ray,
1038:People focus on things that vibrate very slowly during meditation and because they are so open they make themselves really sick, psychically. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1039:Petting, scratching, and cuddling a dog could be as soothing to the mind and heart as deep meditation and almost as good for the soul as prayer. ~ Dean Koontz,
1040:PTSD and ADHD happen due to excessive unconscious access to the pain body. You can come out of that by accessing the bliss body through meditation. ~ Amit Ray,
1041:she had never known who she was at all, except sometimes for a moment in meditation, when her I am became It is, and she breathed the stars ~ Ursula K Le Guin,
1042:There is no end to the petals of the inner rose. Continue to unfold set after set of petals until you have completed your meditation session. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1043:Total relaxation is the secret to enjoying sitting meditation. I sit with my spine upright, but not rigid; and I relax all the muscles in my body. ~ Nhat Hanh,
1044:Trees are the largest and most spiritually advanced plants on Earth. They are constantly in meditation. Subtle energy is their natural language. ~ Mantak Chia,
1045:What is meditation? Meditation is our conscious awareness of something vast and infinite within us. Meditation grants us Peace, Light and Bliss. ~ Sri Chinmoy,
1046:Breathing is central to every aspect of meditation training. It's a wonderful place to focus in training the mind to be calm and concentrated. ~ Jon Kabat Zinn,
1047:Gain control of the mind and make it still, initially just during periods of meditation, but then throughout the day and throughout the night. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1048:I believe that ultimately it all comes down to whether we seek conscious contact with God on a daily basis through prayer and meditation. ~ Marianne Williamson,
1049:If your intent is that athletics and sports are tools or devices to reach higher levels of mind, then your workout sessions become meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1050:I get energy from meditation practice and from eating healthy fresh food, only one cup of espresso in the morning, and not drinking too much. ~ Richard Simmons,
1051:In meditation, we have to give ourselves totally, with no holding back. Whatever meditation subject we have chosen, we must become immersed in it; ~ Ayya Khema,
1052:In meditation we research the field without time and space and activity, and yet produce a useful effect while conducting the research. ~ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,
1053:In meditation you can erase the conditioning. But still, you have to fight the description of the world that everyone else is carrying around. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1054:Love is the flowering of meditation. Meditation brings many treasures; perhaps love is the greatest roseflower that grows on the bush of meditation. ~ Rajneesh,
1055:Meditation is that dimension of science which focuses on creating the right kind of interior, so that you can live a peaceful and joyous life. ~ Jaggi Vasudev,
1056:One of the main discoveries of meditation is seeing how we continually run away from the present moment, how we avoid being here just as we are. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
1057:The greatest help to spiritual life is meditation. In meditation we divest ourselves of all material condition and feel our divine nature. ~ Swami Vivekananda,
1058:Through meditation one has to achieve a dreamless sleep with full alertness. Once this happens, the drop falls into the ocean and becomes the ocean. ~ Rajneesh,
1059:What is really happening in meditation is that we are developing the ability to think when we want to, and to not think when we don’t want to. ~ Sakyong Mipham,
1060:"Without an understanding of nontheism and the motivation to benefit others, meditation practice can degenerate into self-absorption and escapism." ~ Judy Lief,
1061:Bird leaves the land to enjoy the freedom; man leaves his thoughts to enjoy the silence. Meditation is man’s flying to the land of silence. ~ Mehmet Murat ildan,
1062:Meditation here may think down hours to moments. Here the heart may give a useful lesson to the head and learning wiser grow without his books. ~ William Cowper,
1063:Meditation needs no results. Meditation can have itself as an end, I meditate without words and on nothingness. What tangles my life is writing. ~ Helene Cixous,
1064:Meditation needs no results. Meditation can have itself as an end, I meditate without words and on nothingness. What tangles my life is writing. ~ H l ne Cixous,
1065:Meditation practice is regarded as a good and in fact excellent way to overcome warfare in the world: our own warfare as well as greater warfare. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
1066:"Once I asked a Sri Lankan meditation master to teach me the essence of Buddhism. He just laughed and said three times, 'No self, no problem.'" ~ Jack Kornfield,
1067:The second thing I did was always to put in a time of meditation as a transitional discipline between my Bible reading and my time of prayer. ~ Timothy J Keller,
1068:The study of law, medicine and the arts, in each of these instances, the developed mindset is very helpful to one who is practicing meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1069:A half-hour, stolen from the day’s activities or the night’s rest, set apart for meditation in his own house, will in the end yield a good result. ~ Paul Brunton,
1070:I am a karmayogi-someone who becomes conscious of herself and the Divine through work, not through meditation in some ashram or saying Hail Marys ~ Kelly Cutrone,
1071:I meditate. I do transcendental meditation and I have been doing that for a long time and that does just clear the mind. I am not religious at all. ~ Naomi Watts,
1072:In compassion meditation, instead of focusing on negativity, focus on positive transformation - transformation of the inner world and the outer world. ~ Amit Ray,
1073:Meditation is a journey without movement. In the external world you have to move in order to go ahead, in meditation you don't move, yet you attain. ~ Rama Swami,
1074:Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Meditation is essential for our survival. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
1075:Mindfulness is the capacity to shine the light of awareness onto what’s going on here and now. Mindfulness is the heart of meditation practice. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
1076:Rae Chorze-Fwaz has preserved and passed on their secret meditation techniques in oral tradition from the time of Atlantis until he present day. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1077:Spiritual meditation is the pathway to Divinity. It is a mystic ladder which reaches from earth to heaven, from error to Truth, from pain to peace. ~ James Allen,
1078:The main aspect of meditation is, as you become more meditative, you become the boss, your mind becomes the slave, and that is how it should always be. ~ Sadguru,
1079:Through meditation we can train our minds in such a way that negative qualities are abandoned and positive qualities are generated and enhanced. ~ Dalai Lama XIV,
1080:Through the practice of meditation and the auric empowerments and guidance of an enlightened master, you can totally change your karmic destiny. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1081:To keep constantly a concentrated and in-gathered attitude is more important than having fixed hours of meditation.
   ~ The Mother, Words Of The Mother II, [T5],
1082:Any of the exercises that you start out with will get the kundalini moving. You don't have to stay with them for the entire period of meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1083:At the end of the day, I can end up just totally wacky, because I've made mountains out of molehills. With meditation, I can keep them as molehills. ~ Ringo Starr,
1084:Life is like that short visit on the road. Prayer is for those who wish to talk to God. Meditation is for those who only want to listen to him. ~ Christopher Pike,
1085:Many of us worry about the situation of the world . . . We need to remain calm, to see clearly. Meditation is a means to be aware, and to try to help. ~ Nhat Hanh,
1086:Meditation helped me to access the same thing my writing did: my intelligence and my instincts beyond the turmoil that inhabited the forefront of my mind. ~ Jewel,
1087:Meditation is a surrender, it is not a demand. It is not forcing existence your way, it is relaxing into the way existence wants you to be. It is a let-go. ~ Osho,
1088:Meditation is the alchemy of transforming. The unconscious into the conscious. It gives you a tremendous power, Far greater than anger, greed and lust. ~ Rajneesh,
1089:Meditation means learning how to get out of this current, sit by its bank and listen to it, learn from it, and then use its energies to guide us. ~ Jon Kabat Zinn,
1090:Meditation on Savitri, July 22, 2020, Wednesday.Above was an ardent white tranquillity. ~ Sri Aurobindo, (1993). Savitri, Puducherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, p. 239,
1091:Once we've achieved perfect meditation, we're terribly trapped because that's an illusion...any enlightenment that seems ultimate is an illusion. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1092:There are those who want to revolutionize the world with meditation. I really don't think that is necessary. The world is already revolutionized. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1093:When meditating, do not expect something to happen. Otherwise, you are meditating on your expectation, and you are not doing the Meditation itself. ~ Choa Kok Sui,
1094:14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable and pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my [firm, immovable] rock and my Redeemer. ~ Anonymous,
1095:All happiness is inside your own mind. Chances are, you have not discovered that. Meditation is about experiencing the happiness inside your mind. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1096:And also those who are free, through the powers of meditation and yoga, percieve established in themselves like reflections in a mirror. ~ Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa,
1097:But if we see ourselves as connected to God, or as reconnecting to our Source through meditation, then we can attract anything we want into our lives. ~ Wayne Dyer,
1098:Meditation has only one meaning, and that is going beyond the mind and becoming a witness. In your witnessing is the miracle - the whole mystery of life ~ Rajneesh,
1099:Meditation is warm-up exercise for the mind, so that you can jog through the rest of the day without getting agitated or spraining your patience. ~ Eknath Easwaran,
1100:Meditation practice is regarded as a good and in fact excellent way to overcome warfare in the world; our own warfare as well as greater warfare. ~ Chogyam Trungpa,
1101:meditation simply helps you channel drive toward the few things that matter, rather than every moving target and imaginary opponent that pops up. ~ Timothy Ferriss,
1102:Meditation suffers from a towering PR problem, largely because its most prominent proponents talk as if they have a perpetual pan flute accompaniment. ~ Dan Harris,
1103:Real happiness is something most people never know. What we experience in deep meditation, that ecstasy is beyond what human beings call happiness ~ Frederick Lenz,
1104:So it is that a new politics centers around the arousal of that power, using prayer and meditation to create a force field of transformation. ~ Marianne Williamson,
1105:The discovery of truth, by slow progressive meditation, is wisdom. - Intuition of truth, not preceded by perceptible meditation, is genius. ~ Johann Kaspar Lavater,
1106:The masters say if you create an auspicious condition in your body and your environment then meditation and realization will automatically arise. ~ Sogyal Rinpoche,
1107:This is something that can happen again and again via meditation: accepting, even embracing, an unpleasant feeling can give you a critical distance ~ Robert Wright,
1108:You have to do your own work; Enlightened Ones will only show the way. Those who practise meditation will free themselves from the chains of death ~ Gautama Buddha,
1109:If you want to experience the unalloyed ecstasy of life, you can accomplish this through the twin Buddhist practices of meditation and mindfulness. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1110:I have lived with several Zen masters — all of them cats. Even ducks have taught me important spiritual lessons. Just watching them is a meditation. ~ Eckhart Tolle,
1111:Keeping the mind open to new ideas, not being too anxious about success, putting 100% effort and meditation is the formula for entrepreneurs. ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,
1112:Meditation and prayer have withstood the test of time. They work today as perfectly as they did for those who first practised and perfected them. ~ Michael Beckwith,
1113:Meditation is one of the greatest arts in life - perhaps the greatest, and one cannot possibly learn it from anybody, that is the beauty of it. ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti,
1114:Meditation is the only magic that can help you to be free from the mind, can help you to be free from yourself, your past and all the burden of the past. ~ Rajneesh,
1115:Meditation is the way the mind is. That's why in Zen they call it the natural state, which means you don't have to go and do anything to meditate. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1116:Seek God, not happiness - this is the fundamental rule of all meditation. If you seek God alone, you will gain happiness: that is its promise. ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer,
1117:To develop our real selves, we need time alone for thought and meditation. To be always giving out and never pumping in, the well runs dry. ~ Elizabeth Cady Stanton,
1118:Your mind is a constant traffic of thoughts, and it is always rush hour, day in, day out. Meditation means to watch the movement of thoughts in the mind. ~ Rajneesh,
1119:I think to say that meditation is helpful to artists is true and it's great, but it's also essentially helpful to any kind of process of, just, life. ~ Amanda Palmer,
1120:It is easier to develop the mind through meditation than it is just through athletic practice. If you put the two together, it will be unbelievable. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1121:Love is the shortcut to meditation. Above thought is love, and within and below thought is love. Love is a ladder that we can climb through thought. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1122:Meditation is like a bath for the mind; it clears and refreshes our windows of perception, allowing more light, love, and happiness to flow into lives. ~ David Simon,
1123:Meditation teaches us to focus and to pay clear attention to our experiences and responses as they arise, and to observe them without judging them. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
1124:Mindfulness, also called wise attention, helps us see what we’re adding to our experiences, not only during meditation sessions but also elsewhere. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
1125:Philosophic meditation is an accomplishment by which I attain Being and my own self, not impartial thinking which studies a subject with indifference. ~ Karl Jaspers,
1126:We do meditation, spiritual practices in this temporary body. Though this body is temporary, you have to use temporary things to realize the Truth. ~ Sathya Sai Baba,
1127:When meditation makes you realize that you have so many limitations of your own and they are all created by you, the longing to break them will come. ~ Jaggi Vasudev,
1128:Whether you're keeping a journal or writing as a meditation, it's the same thing. What's important is you're having a relationship with your mind. ~ Natalie Goldberg,
1129:Backbends are to be felt more than expressed. The other postures can be expressed and then felt. Like in meditation each person has to feel backbends. ~ B K S Iyengar,
1130:I've always said that I think one of the best and cheapest ways to become healthier and happier is through mindfulness exercises like meditation. ~ Arianna Huffington,
1131:Let the truth be in your hearts, as it will be if you practise meditation, and you will see clearly what love we are bound to have for our neighbors. ~ Teresa of vila,
1132:Looking deeply into the wrong perceptions, ideas, and notions that are at the base of our suffering is the most important practice in Buddhist meditation. ~ Nhat Hanh,
1133:Meditation is all about connecting with your soul. Part of maintaining your well-being is taking the time to disconnect from the outside to go within. ~ Deepak Chopra,
1134:Meditation is a surrender, it is not a demand. It is not forcing existence your way, it is relaxing into the way existence wants you to be. It is a let-go. ~ Rajneesh,
1135:Meditation is like farming... the right soil is required to grow anything, nothing will grow if the soil is polluted by striving or pushing too hard. ~ Jon Kabat Zinn,
1136:Meditation is not something that you can “do”; it is something that has to happen spontaneously, only when the practice has been perfected. However, ~ Sogyal Rinpoche,
1137:Mind is a door that leads you outside in the world; meditation is the door that leads you to your interiority - to the very innermost shrine of your being. ~ Rajneesh,
1138:One of the best ways to blast past the noise in our brains and discover what’s going on underneath is through meditation. Sitting in purposeful silence. ~ Jen Sincero,
1139:The main factor in meditation is to keep the mind active in its own pursuit without taking in external impressions or thinking of other matters. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
1140:There is no greater magic than meditation. To transform the negative into the positive. To transform darkness into light-that is the miracle of meditation. ~ Rajneesh,
1141:There’s no doubt that meditation training has allowed some people to become essentially indifferent to what otherwise would have been unbearable pain. ~ Robert Wright,
1142:Your ecstasy is a movement towards the height and your meditation is a movement towards the depth. And once you have both, your life becomes a celebration. ~ Rajneesh,
1143:As we go deeper and deeper into the world of meditation, we are able to travel along the luminous bands, just like you travel along a highway or road. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1144:Do a strong work meditation all day. You won't be as exhausted as everyone else because you have been gaining a kind of internal power from your work. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1145:Do Japa and meditation. The practice of meditation will lead your mind to such one-pointedness that you won't like to give up meditation. ~ Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi,
1146:Each day when you meditate, you should devote the first few minutes of your meditation to concentration. This will develop the power of the intellect. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1147:In practicing meditation, we're not trying to live up to some kind of ideal -- quite the opposite. We're just being with our experience, whatever it is. ~ Pema Chodron,
1148:In sitting on the meditation cushion and assuming the meditation posture, we connect ourselves with the present moment in this body and on this earth. ~ Jack Kornfield,
1149:Maybe getting to know a child wasn't entirely unlike meditation. You kept going at it from all different angles, and once in a while something clicked. ~ Jean Thompson,
1150:Meditation depends upon the strength of mind. It must be unceasing even when one is engaged in work. Particular time for it is meant for novices. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
1151:Meditation on Savitri, September 25, 2020, FridayThence sprang the burning vision of Desire. ~ Sri Aurobindo, (1993). Savitri, Puducherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, p. 247,
1152:Patience is the key. Patience. If you learn nothing else from meditation, you will learn patience. Patience is essential for any profound change. ~ Henepola Gunaratana,
1153:The main factor in meditation is to keep the mind active in its own pursuit without taking in external impressions or thinking of other matters. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
1154:The practice of forgiveness is very much like the practice of meditation. You have to do it often and persist at it in order to be any good. ~ Katerina Stoykova Klemer,
1155:Train yourself, your mind, with the meditation techniques you have received, and don't twist the techniques to protect your delusion. ~ Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche,
1156:Transcendental Meditation opens the awareness to the infinite reservoir of energy, creativity, and intelligence that lies deep within everyone. ~ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,
1157:What we have to learn, in both meditation and in life, is to be free of attachment to the good experiences and free of aversion to the negative ones. ~ Sogyal Rinpoche,
1158:Whose meditation is real and effective? Who can really surrender to the will of God? Only the person whose mind has been purified by selfless work. ~ Swami Vivekananda,
1159:Words like meditation, karma, samskaras, they're just words. You can get into the jargon, you can speak it, but that doesn't mean you'll be any freer. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1160:write down this quote from Jon Kabat-Zinn and put it up on your wall: “Meditation is not about feeling a certain way. It’s about feeling the way you feel. ~ Dan Harris,
1161:I do yoga daily as well. I need to start the day with some sort of physical activity. That combined with the meditation clears my mind and energizes me. ~ Melissa Rauch,
1162:I liked my teacher very much and after some years of mediation, I began to teach meditation, referring all things that I didn't know to my own teacher. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1163:In this Sunday 10amET hour on #InternationalYogaDay join a special online #meditation event with #SantRajinderSinghJiMaharaj ~ ~ #SpiritChat twitter.com/SOSmeditate/st…,
1164:Meditation is a great way to stay centered and I think inversions are great for aging. Specifically, I think the Kundalini yoga is really a life changer. ~ Miranda Kerr,
1165:Meditation on Savitri, September 27, 2020, SundayIt burns all breasts with an ambiguous fire. ~ Sri Aurobindo, (1993). Savitri, Puducherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, p. 247,
1166:Meditation on Savitri, September 9, 2020, WednesdayA dwarf three-bodied trinity was her serf. ~ Sri Aurobindo, (1993). Savitri, Puducherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, p. 245,
1167:Money was spiritual indemnity against some unspecifiable future loss. It existed in purest form in his mind, my money, a reinforcing source of meditation. ~ Don DeLillo,
1168:There are five stages of meditation, each one leading gradually into the next: concentration, meditation, contemplation, illumination, and inspiration. ~ Benjamin Creme,
1169:There are two means by which we may be led into the higher forms of prayer. One is Meditation, the other is Meditative Reading. ~ Jeanne Marie Bouvier de la Motte Guyon,
1170:What we have to learn, in both meditation and in life, is to be free of attachment to the good experiences, and free of aversion to the negative ones. ~ Sogyal Rinpoche,
1171:As the Dalai Lama had said, even ten minutes of meditation on the well-being of others can help one to feel joyful for the whole day—even before coffee. ~ Dalai Lama XIV,
1172:K. Rich.  Because that, like a Jack, thou keep’st the stroke
Betwixt thy begging and my meditation.
I am not in the giving vein to-day.   125 ~ William Shakespeare,
1173:Meditation is acceptance. It is the acceptance of life within us, without us and all around us. Acceptance of life is the beginning of human satisfaction. ~ Sri Chinmoy,
1174:There’s nothing mystical about it. Meditation is simply a technique to provide you with the optimum conditions for practicing the skill of mindfulness. ~ Andy Puddicombe,
1175:This is a world of unhappy beings. They don't understand how simple it is to be happy. You just have to practice meditation. To meditate is to be happy. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1176:Tonight in Yoga

I realized I have been afraid of meditation
my whole life, which is to say,

I have been afraid of myself my whole life ~ Sierra DeMulder,
1177:To understand what is right meditation there must be an awareness of the operation of one's own consciousness, and then there is complete attention. ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti,
1178:Try the meditation of the trail, just walk along looking at the trail at your feet and don’t look about and just fall into a trance as the ground zips by. ~ Jack Kerouac,
1179:You remember, you are drawn back to the pathway to enlightenment, to meditation, and when you begin to meditate your past life knowledge returns to you. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1180:anise tea. “Meditation turns us on,” Sandy says. He has a shaved head and the kind of cherubic face usually seen in newspaper photographs of mass murderers. ~ Joan Didion,
1181:Drop all ideas of achieving in meditation, just do it naturally; what happens happens on its own. One day, effortlessly, everything starts happening by itself. ~ Rajneesh,
1182:Every day, I walked. It was not a meditation, but survival, one foot in the front of the other, with my eyes focused down, trying to stay steady. ~ Terry Tempest Williams,
1183:Gnostics should practice meditation for at least 4 to 6 hours per day; practicing in the morning, the afternoon and almost the whole night until dawn... ~ Samael Aun Weor,
1184:Had a powerful meditation just now - caused an earthquake in Southern California. Was meditating on Shiva mantra & earth began to shake. Sorry about that. ~ Deepak Chopra,
1185:I don't pray enough, but I pray more now. Every morning at six o'clock have a half hour of meditation before the Blessed Sacrament. I pray with others too. ~ Henri Nouwen,
1186:I don't teach vegetarianism; it is a by-product of meditation. Wherever meditation has happened, people have become vegetarian, always, for thousands of years. ~ Rajneesh,
1187:I think meditation is great, I really believe that at some point you need to just sit with a cup of tea in a café and just stare at the sky and be grateful. ~ Jeremy Vine,
1188:Meditation is the royal road to the attainment of freedom, a mysterious ladder that reaches from earth to heaven, darkness to light, mortality to Immortality. ~ Sivananda,
1189:Meditation on Savitri, August 24, 2018 FridayA fixed and narrow power with rigid forms,He saw the empire of the little life,An unhappy corner in eternity. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
1190:Meditation transports one from the transient world of matter to the real world of dreamings, visions, and imaginings where idea is and concepts are born. ~ Walter Russell,
1191:Sometimes you won't feel pleasant during a meditation session; it seems like an uphill run. But when you get to the top, the view is rather breathtaking. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1192:The next step in meditation is not just to focus, but to stop thought completely without having to focus; you gain a tremendous amount of personal power. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1193:The two most popular forms of this are the Oriental form of ignoring real physical evils by creating a mystical inner paradise through yoga and meditation, ~ Peter Kreeft,
1194:Vipassana meditation is an ongoing creative purification process. Observation of the moment-to-moment experience cleanses the mental layers, one after another. ~ Amit Ray,
1195:Advanced meditation is facing the immensity of eternity, embracing that which terrifies you and frightens you and loving it because it's God. You are God. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1196:At Google, engineers were offered a class called “Neural Self-Hacking.” An article in Wired magazine referred to meditation as the tech world’s “new caffeine. ~ Dan Harris,
1197:Because truth is exceedingly subtle and serene, the bliss of the Self can manifest only in a mind rendered subtle and steady by assiduous meditation. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
1198:buy a book on healthy eating or meditation and that’ll be enough, I will use the social tool of ‘consumerism’ to satiate a need and leave the matter there. ~ Russell Brand,
1199:Don't give yourself to negligence,
Don't devote yourself to sensual pleasure,
Vigilant and absorbed in meditation
One attains abundant happiness. ~ Gautama Buddha,
1200:Every heart has a divine intelligence and natural guidance system. With every prayer, every meditation and every thought of love, we tune in to ours. ~ Marianne Williamson,
1201:In this world people love to talk and be active. Everyone wants to express their opinion. Listen in meditation, not to your thoughts but to your feelings. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1202:Meditation is neither shutting things out nor off. It is seeing things clearly, and deliberately positioning yourself differently in relationship to them. ~ Jon Kabat Zinn,
1203:Meditation is not emptiness. That is a way of trying to talk about something that is impossible to put into words. It is a world of fullness, if anything. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1204:Meditation simply means a state of no-thought, awareness without the process of thought, just pure, mirror-like awareness, with no thoughts passing in the mind. ~ Rajneesh,
1205:Simple techniques for meditation can involve repetition of spiritually focused words, thoughts or ideas that help one feel at peace mentally and physically. ~ Tim McCarthy,
1206:The man of understanding, meditation, is not a man of control—just the opposite. He is a watcher. And if you want to watch, you have to be absolutely nonjudgmental. ~ Osho,
1207:Transcendental meditation is something that can be defined as a means to do what one wants to do in a better way, a right way, for maximum results. ~ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,
1208:What we have to learn, in both meditation and in life, is to be free of
attachment to the good experiences, and free of aversion to the negative ones. ~ Sogyal Rinpoche,
1209:“When I am silent I fall into that place where everything is music.” ~ Jalaluddin Rumi#poetry #mysticpoetry#silence #meditation#SpiritChat (A1) twitter.com/AjmaniK/status…,
1210:As meditation flowers, you find that on one hand truth has revealed to you all its mysteries and on the other blissfulness is showering all its treasures on you. ~ Rajneesh,
1211:Every day I try to do breathing exercises, meditation, and yoga. These things sound awfully cliche, but they help me slow down and try to point to a truth. ~ David Duchovny,
1212:I've tried Buddhism, Scientology, Numerology, Transcendental Meditation, Qabbala, t'ai chi, feng shui and Deepak Chopra but I find straight gin works best. ~ Phyllis Diller,
1213:Meditation is a bright, hopeful practice in which we learn to make our mind quiet so that the infinite, perfect light of enlightenment can flow through us. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1214:Meditation may be done in silence & stillness, by using voice & sound, or by engaging the body in movement. All forms emphasize the training of attention. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
1215:The mantra that you're given in Transcendental Meditation you keep to yourself. The reason being, true happiness is not out there, true happiness lies within. ~ David Lynch,
1216:There is no meditation without wisdom, and there is no wisdom without meditation. When a man has both meditation and wisdom, he is indeed close to nirvana. ~ Gautama Buddha,
1217:The West is concentration of the mind: the East is meditation of the mind. The West is thinking: the East is non-thinking. The West is mind: the East is no-mind. ~ Rajneesh,
1218:To meditate with humility, consider existence. It is infinite. You are finite. You are a finite portion of infinite existence. Let this be your meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1219:We are going to alter the structure of our beings and also totally change what we are. This is the possibility and inevitability that meditation offers us. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1220:Winning has to do with gaining personal power through the practice of meditation and mindfulness; not draining your energy on ridiculous things and people. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1221:Breathing is meditation; life is a meditation. You have to breathe in order to live, so breathing is how you get in touch with the sacred space of your heart. ~ Willow Smith,
1222:I just have to do prayers and meditation and affirmations to myself as I go throughout the day, and that's the only way I'm able to make it through some days. ~ Valerie June,
1223:I like to write on airplanes... that forced meditation time when you have nothing else to do, so your mind is allowed to go to places it wouldn't otherwise go. ~ Jon Foreman,
1224:Meditation is not impractical or unrealistic, nor is it difficult to integrate with any lifestyle or age, in that it's timeless, although it occurs in time. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1225:Meditation, otherwise known as sitting still and thinking about nothing, is one of those things that can be just as stupidly simple as it is surprisingly hard. ~ Jen Sincero,
1226:Mindfulness is passive meditation. It is passive because your energy and your attention are divided between your actions and your practice, your meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1227:Sound when stretched is music. Movement when stretched is dance. Mind when stretched is meditation. Life when stretched is celebration. Shri Ravishankar Jee ~ Steve Chandler,
1228:There is a way beyond this life and beyond death, the path of liberation. In order to be liberated, you have to enter into the world of advanced meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1229:This Dewdrop World is a beautiful, courageous, intimate film about love and loss. It may also be the deepest meditation on climate change that I've ever seen. ~ Jeff Goodell,
1230:An enlightened teacher has personal power. Sitting and meditating with an enlightened teacher in a meditation hall or at a power spot can change you forever. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1231:But this morning in meditation, after I heard the lion roar YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW STRONG MY LOVE IS, I came out of that meditation cave like worrior queen. ~ Elizabeth Gilbert,
1232:If you can become a mirror you have become a meditator. Meditation is nothing but skill in mirroring. And now, no word moves inside you so there is no distraction. ~ Rajneesh,
1233:Meditation is the most effective form of relaxation. It not only relaxes the body and mind but also feeds them with vital energy, peace and happiness. ~ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,
1234:Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It’s about befriending who we are already. ~ Pema Chodron, The Pocket Pema Chodron,
1235:one of the greatest lessons that comes from meditation is that a relaxed curiosity about life and sleepwalking through it are two radically different choices ~ Ethan Nichtern,
1236:Real meditation means: don’t avoid the inner madhouse; enter into it, face it, encounter it, be watchful, because it is through watchfulness that you will overcome it. ~ Osho,
1237:The trick to keeping your meditation practice alive, not simply consistent but wonderful, is you need to bring a certain will or force into every meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1238:Those who are already adept at some disciplines of the body will find that the study of Zen and meditation will give you much more control than you now have. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1239:Through yoga, meditation and other spiritual practices, we can learn the ways of personal equanimity. We can also learn how to use language in beneficial ways. ~ Satish Kumar,
1240:Well, when you're relaxed, your mind takes you to the whole reality. There's no such thing as time when you're really relaxed. That's why meditation works. ~ Shirley MacLaine,
1241:All you need to do is follow the instructions: Sit down, shut up, watch, and don’t get involved. Gradually, the meditation experience will open up all by itself. ~ Ajahn Brahm,
1242:Finding a calm place inside myself through meditation kind of helped me to get over a lot of mental illness ... it's just been a really great thing in my life. ~ Roseanne Barr,
1243:I find the practice of yoga very spiritual and taking the time to just be and to reflect through meditation and chanting helps me to connect to a higher energy. ~ Miranda Kerr,
1244:In fact everything can become a sort of meditation, because in everything there are two dimensions - just as there are in the first breath: the outer and the inner. ~ Rajneesh,
1245:In True Meditation, we're in the body as a means to transcend it. It is paradoxical that the greatest doorway to the transcendence of form is through form itself. ~ Adyashanti,
1246:meditation is taking the truth down into our hearts until it catches fire there and begins to melt and shape our reactions to God, ourselves, and the world. ~ Timothy J Keller,
1247:Meditation provides a way of learning how to let go. As we sit, the self we've been trying to construct and make into a nice, neat package continues to unravel. ~ John Welwood,
1248:Rae Chorze Fwaz was a mystery school. A mystery school is an occult order comprised of people who study meditation, enlightenment and psychic and occult arts. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1249:Sports and athletics can be a path in Zen, in concordance with daily practice of zazen meditation. You need to move with your spirit, not just with your body. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1250:We're here to get to know and study ourselves. The path, the way to do that, our main vehicle, is going to be meditation, and some sense of general wakefulness. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
1251:With the happiness, ecstasy and power you gain from meditation, you can gradually remove your mind from the things it has become hooked to that cause it pain. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1252:Do japa and meditation as you like, provided you keep your mind steadfast in the Lord. You will attain to your goal in this way. Why do you worry? ~ Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi,
1253:For years we practice meditation, like any art, and we get better at it each day. In the beginning it's just enough for us to sit down and focus our attention. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1254:I'm not suggesting that everyone should meditate, far from it. Meditation is for very few individuals. I'm speaking of something that is a powerful experience. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1255:Kundalini is generated through cultivating humility, purity, through meditation, selfless giving, and by studying with an advanced teacher on a personal level. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1256:Meditation gives you the wherewithal to pause, observe how easily the mind can exaggerate the severity of a setback, and resist getting drawn into the abyss. ~ Richard Davidson,
1257:Meditation is a process in which we're essentially, at first, breathing out. We're exhaling existence, taking it out of the mind, and the mind out of the mind. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1258:Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in Eternal awareness or Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity. ~ Voltaire,
1259:Meditation on Savitri, August 23, 2020, Sunday.In those bright realms are Mind's first forward steps. ~ Sri Aurobindo, (1993). Savitri, Puducherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, p. 243,
1260:Meditation on Savitri, July 28 2018 SaturdayIt lit the impulse of the half-sentient flood,Even an illusion gave of fixityAs if a sea could serve as a firm soil. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
1261:Meditation will change your life for the better, enhance your physical health, improve your sleep, and help you achieve your goals, both material and spiritual. ~ Deepak Chopra,
1262:Peace can be reached through meditation on the knowledge which dreams give. Peace can also be reached through concentration upon that which is dearest to the heart. ~ Patanjali,
1263:The light is not quantifiable. You experience it in meditation when thought stops. When you go beyond the limitations of the ego, the light is waiting for you. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1264:There are those who feel that meditation is unrealistic or takes them out of the world, and if that was your experience with mediation, you weren't meditating. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1265:"We're here to get to know and study ourselves. The path, the way to do that, our main vehicle,is going to be meditation, and some sense of general wakefulness." ~ Pema Chödrön,
1266:Basically when I'm walking I'm not consciously writing or intending anything. In the manner I have learned from meditation practice, I let things unfold. ~ Stephen Vincent Benet,
1267:By meditation the mind is further purified and it remains still without the least ripple. That calm expanse is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Maharshi's Gospel, B.1, Ch. 7,
1268:Meditation erases conditioning. It allows a person to channel the kundalini energy through their subtle physical body and reach enlightened states of awareness. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1269:Meditation is blossoming of the prefrontal cortex to overcome the momentum of the nature. It is coming out of the loops of memories, patterns,fears, dreams and anger. ~ Amit Ray,
1270:Meditation isn't really about getting rid of thoughts, it's about changing the pattern of grasping on to things, which in our everyday experience is our thoughts. ~ Pema Chodron,
1271:Meditation or religion is a totally different world: it is relaxation, it is let-go - it is not concentration at all. It is not one-pointedness, it is no-pointedness. ~ Rajneesh,
1272:We are not really separate beings of light. That's a dream we are having, the dream of multiplicity. Meditation takes us beyond the moment to eternal awareness. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1273:Yes, all kinds of thought arise in meditation. That is only right; for what lies hidden in you is brought out. Unless it rises up, how can it be destroyed? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
1274:Yoga is a philosophy of discipline and meditation that transforms the spirit and makes the individual a better person in thought, action, knowledge and devotion. ~ Narendra Modi,
1275:You give up not meditating. It's called meditation action. There's no way out of it. Meditation means to be constantly extricating yourself from the clinging of mind. ~ Ram Dass,
1276:Zen is a very quick path. Zen is the path of meditation. The word Zen means emptiness or fullness, meditation. Meditation is the quickest path to enlightenment. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1277:Zen Master Doc The says that when sitting in meditation, one should sit upright, giving birth to this thought, “Sitting here is like sitting on the Bodhi spot. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
1278:Give yourself to prayer, to reading and meditation on divine truths: strive to penetrate to the bottom of them and never be content with a superficial knowledge. ~ David Brainerd,
1279:I found this book simple but very deep, some chapters on the heavy side but well worth reading for the new comers and also for the veteran in the field of meditation ~ Muktananda,
1280:It's like having... you know, your phone has a charger, right? It's like having a charger for your whole body and mind. That's what Transcendental Meditation is! ~ Jerry Seinfeld,
1281:Meditation is not passive sitting in silence. It is sitting in awareness, free from distraction, and realizing the clear understanding that arises from concentration. ~ Nhat Hanh,
1282:Meditation on Savitri, July 23 2018 MondayIt flowed emerging into upper lightFrom the deep pool of its subliminal birthTo reach some high existence still unknown. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
1283:Mindfulness meditation doesn't change life. Life remains as fragile and unpredictable as ever. Meditation changes the heart's capacity to accept life as it is. ~ Sylvia Boorstein,
1284:The emphasis is on meditation in Tantric Zen. The experience of meditation in formal practice, zazen, where you're sitting down and meditating and concentrating. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1285:The focus and the concentration and the attention to detail that flying takes is a kind of meditation. I find it restful and engaging, and other things slip away. ~ Harrison Ford,
1286:The second stage of meditation begins when you can successfully stop thought for long periods of time. At this point you move beyond the awareness of this world. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1287:The world is carried away in the torrent of desire, in its eddies there is no soil of safety. Wisdom alone is a solid raft and meditation a firm foothold. ~ Fo-shu-hing-tsan king,
1288:Try to read books about meditation, but not so many different viewpoints that they get confusing. There is no best way. It's just what works for you at the time. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1289:And through his eyes, I saw this. I saw the deepest meditation of a lover for whom all time stops as his beloved simply turns her head to the side or takes a step. ~ Erec Stebbins,
1290:draw consciousness away from mind activity and create a gap of no-mind in which you are highly alert and aware but not thinking. This is the essence of meditation. ~ Eckhart Tolle,
1291:Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom. ~ Gautama Buddha,
1292:One aristocratic leader's club was known for, "an atmosphere of solemn tranquility, in which reading, dozing, and meditation took precedence over conversation. ~ Barbara W Tuchman,
1293:You gain power through practicing meditation and concentration. You gain power by doing anything you like that makes you feel good. You gain power by being happy. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1294:A lot of people have realized that a good spiritual practice and a good meditation practice have real benefit. It’s not just something nice to do to make the universe happy. ~ Moby,
1295:Ever wonder how to pray? The Rosary offers a complete way of prayer that includes the three forms of prayer: vocal prayer, meditation, and even contemplation. The ~ Michael Gaitley,
1296:It has not yet been recorded that any human being has gained a very large or permanent contentment from meditation upon the fact that he is better off than others. ~ Sinclair Lewis,
1297:Meditation is like the moon: it transforms the energy of lust into love, anger into compassion, greed into sharing, aggressiveness into receptivity, ego into humbleness. ~ Rajneesh,
1298:Meditation may be done in silence & stillness, by using voice & sound, or by engaging the body in movement. All forms emphasize the training of attention. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
1299:VIPASSANA MEDITATION is something of a mental balancing act. You are going to be cultivating two separate qualities of the mind—mindfulness and concentration. ~ Henepola Gunaratana,
1300:Walking is the great adventure, the first meditation, a practice of heartiness and soul primary to humankind. Walking is the exact balance beween spirit and humility. ~ Gary Snyder,
1301:As you progress, you will discover a profound truth: in life, as in meditation, physical pain is unavoidable, but suffering of every kind is entirely optional. ~ Culadasa John Yates,
1302:At the end, the meditator arrives at the true goal of Buddhist meditation: to see that the “self” that we take to be the ridgepole of our lives is actually an illusion. ~ Dan Harris,
1303:Be mindful, which is more of a passive meditation practice. It is passive when you are active. Then there is active meditation, when you are passive, sitting still. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1304:Happiness is found principally in meditation. Let your mind flow out into eternity. You have to exert some effort. Then you will notice a subtle smile on your face. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1305:If you are going to experience the ecstasy of enlightenment, it is not just going to be a phrase. You've got to work during meditation. So back to the navel center! ~ Frederick Lenz,
1306:I've been practicing modalities of Eastern philosophy since about 1972. What I've learned through my meditation is a sense of equanimity, a sense of all things being equal. ~ Goldie,
1307:Meditation suffers from a towering PR problem.… If you can get past the cultural baggage, though, what you’ll find is that meditation is simply exercise for your brain. ~ Dan Harris,
1308:Punk rock meditation, that's what keeps it going. That's how I let go, you know. It's exactly what I do, I blast it and run around crazy banging my head on the wall. ~ Saul Williams,
1309:Stealth Meditation If you start to feel overwhelmed, take a quick, centering moment—as short as following three breaths—to connect with a deeper sense of yourself. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
1310:The master never counseled slavish belief. ‘Words are only shells,’ he said. ‘Win conviction of God’s presence through your own joyous contact in meditation. ~ Paramahansa Yogananda,
1311:Ultimately, it's not about meditation or belief in some scripture or religion, it's about flowing with the river of life, it's about living with compassion and gratitude. ~ Om Swami,
1312:Calmly contemplating these dimensions and bringing them into the service of compassion and kindness is the right way to make rapid gains in meditation as well as in life. ~ Hsing Yun,
1313:Children, meditation is not just sitting with our eyes closed. We should take every action as worship. We should be able to experience His presence everywhere. ~ Mata Amritanandamayi,
1314:If you feel you are the body type, then running can be very beautiful for you: a four, five mile run every day. And make it a meditation. It will transform you completely. ~ Rajneesh,
1315:In the Buddha's life story we see the three stages of practice: Morality comes first, then concentrated meditation, and then wisdom. And we see that the path takes time. ~ Dalai Lama,
1316:Meditation is interacting with truth inside and scientific research is interacting with truth outside. Both are required for human evolution, emancipation and empowerment. ~ Amit Ray,
1317:Meditation on Savitri, August 20, 2018 Monday.There were no vast perspectives of the spirit,No swift invasions of unknown delight,No golden distances of wide release. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
1318:The practice of meditation is a way of continuing one's confusion, chaos, aggression, and passion—but working with it, seeing it from the enlightened point of view. ~ Chogyam Trungpa,
1319:We can experience joy in adverse circumstances by holding God's benefits in such esteem that the recognition of them and meditation upon them shall overcome all sorrow. ~ John Calvin,
1320:You should always feel, no matter how many times you've meditated before, that this is your first meditation. You have no idea what will happen or what won't happen. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1321:At the beginning of a meditation session your thoughts will be relatively earthbound. You will think about yourself, your world, problems, difficulties and anxieties. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1322:Help me, Lord, to remember that religion is not to be confined to the church... nor exercised only in prayer and meditation, but that every where I am in Thy Presence ~ Susanna Wesley,
1323:If world peace is to be established, peace in the individual must be established first. Transcendental Meditation directly brings peace in the individual life. ~ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,
1324:I get clarity through quiet time, reflection, reading, and meditation. Finding the space between thoughts gives me the energy to take on new challenges with enthusiasm. ~ Jaime Murray,
1325:In Buddhist practice a great deal of time is spent practicing mandala meditation. You learn to visualize and hold simultaneous concepts in the mind during meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1326:In fact, scientists have shown that the better your DNA, your genetic machinery is at healing itself, the longer you live. That's how meditation lowers biological age. ~ Deepak Chopra,
1327:In meditation, placing our attention on the breathing takes the mind from daydreaming, worrying, thinking, and fantasizing. It gives our mind something healthy to do. ~ Sakyong Mipham,
1328:Like meditation, psychotherapy has the potential to reveal how much of our thinking is an artificial construaction designed to help us cope with an unpredictable world. ~ Mark Epstein,
1329:Meditation has become an ingrained part of my everyday life that helps me feel so much more centered, patient and compassionate. It even gives me great physical energy. ~ Tim McCarthy,
1330:Meditation on Savitri, September 25, 2018 TuesdayThere was none there to see and none to feel;Only the miraculous Inconscient,A subtle wizard skilled, was at its task. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
1331:The best part of all is that no matter how long you practice, or what method you use, every technique of Buddhist meditation ultimately generates compassion. ~ Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche,
1332:The habit of spending nearly every waking moment lost in thought leaves us at the mercy of whatever our thoughts happen to be. Meditation is a way of breaking this spell. ~ Sam Harris,
1333:While repeating the Name of God, if one sees His form and becomes absorbed in Him, one's Japa stops. One gets everything when one succeeds in meditation. ~ Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi,
1334:A meditation center, for example, is only a form. In our daily life we need forms, but we do not need to cling to them. We can study and practice meditation anywhere. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
1335:He is not admiring the colours of the earth and sky, the marks of the wind on the sea, the gilded clouds of twilight; they are the objects of his meditation. ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry,
1336:In meditation, healing can happen. When the mind is calm, alert and totally contented, then it is like a laser beam - it is very powerful and healing can happen. ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,
1337:In New York the acoustics are good for laughter, for life is all external, all action, no thought, no meditation, no dreaming, no reflection, only the exuberance of action. ~ Anais Nin,
1338:Meditation deals with levels of consciousness that lie deeper than conceptual thought. Therefore, some of the experiences of meditation just won’t fit into words. ~ Henepola Gunaratana,
1339:Meditation is cultivating the potential to transcend your limited self, limited beliefs and limited existence. It is stepping into the exciting territory of limitlessness. ~ Banani Ray,
1340:We don't have to be harsh with ourselves when we think, sitting here, that our meditation or our oryoki or the way we are in the world is in the category of worst horse. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
1341:You have thousands of selves inside you. Meditation is a process of peeling back the layers of the self. We start with peeling back the personality from this lifetime. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1342:an internal form of acting, a meditation, a meditation that consciously reconnects you to all life everywhere. It is what the Taoists say: The way to do is to be. ~ Drunvalo Melchizedek,
1343:During the age of Atlantis, the low population density and the resulting purity of the earth's aura, made conditions ideal for discovering secret meditation techniques. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1344:Higher meditation is not taught through techniques or words. The real meditation experience is taught inwardly. You shift a person through different dimensional planes. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1345:I mean the whole thing about meditation and yoga is about connecting to the higher part of yourself, and then seeing that every living thing is connected in some way. ~ Gillian Anderson,
1346:In our world, in our pre-World War III condition, meditation is considered a cult activity and people who practice self-discovery are actually persecuted and ridiculed. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1347:I think they paid attention to their lives and became wise. For those of us who don’t arrive at wisdom naturally, meditation is one way to get there through practice. ~ Sylvia Boorstein,
1348:Meditation puts the telescope to the eye, and enables us to see Jesus after a better sort than we could have seen Him if we had lived in the days of His flesh. ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon,
1349:Nirvikalpa Samadhi means you are sitting in meditation and you go beyond the planes of light to nirvana. Then you come back and here you are "back in the saddle again". ~ Frederick Lenz,
1350:Seeing occurs, of course, through stopping thought. Thought is the fog. When thought stops in meditation, at any point, when there's no thought, we see the other shore. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1351:up to five hundred genes change their output when a person makes positive lifestyle changes, such as improved diet, moderate exercise, meditation, and stress management. ~ Deepak Chopra,
1352:You can continue your practice, you can exercise kindness, you can practice meditation whether you're in a prison or a millionaire's house, whether you're in India or Tibet. ~ Pico Iyer,
1353:By the time the Egyptian civilization had begun to flourish, the earth's aura had already become so dense it was impossible to discover the secret meditation techniques. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1354:Drop dreaming and you are there where you have really been always, but you were never aware. All meditation techniques are just antidream efforts, just dream-negating devices. ~ Rajneesh,
1355:Letting go does not mean not caring about things. It means caring for them in a flexible and wise way. In meditation, we pay attention to our body with care and respect. ~ Jack Kornfield,
1356:Meditation is the one thing I do every day - meditate, pray. I do reading in the morning and try to center myself. I play music every day because that is very centering. ~ Mason Jennings,
1357:Meditation on Savitri, August 18, 2018 Saturday.Out of a slow confused embroiled self-searchMind grew to a clarity cut out, precise,A gleam enclosed in a stone ignorance. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
1358:Meditation practice is regarded as a good and in fact excellent way to overcome warfare in the world: our own warfare as well as greater warfare. —CHÖGYAM TRUNGPA RINPOCHE ~ Pema Ch dr n,
1359:People who are drawn to meditation have had lots of incarnation in the world of experience, and we know the score. We know that experience is great, but it's not enough. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1360:Tantric Zen is all about the practice of zazen meditation. If you meditate well, you'll be in very powerful states of mind and then it really doesn't matter what you do. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1361:The best meditation I ever had, I haven't had yet. It's in the future, which as anyone knows doesn't exist - anyone who meditates knows. But yet, I will have it someday. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1362:The inner experience of meditation can be had without any kind of forced discipline. The outer trappings - how one sits, breathes, dresses, and so forth - are irrelevant. ~ Deepak Chopra,
1363:The master never counseled slavish belief. ‘Words are only shells,’ he said. ‘Win conviction of God’s presence through your own joyous contact in meditation.’ “No ~ Paramahansa Yogananda,
1364:The way advanced meditation is taught, the way I teach it, the way all enlightened people teach it, is through transference. We transfer light and power to someone else. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1365:You go often into the silence, but have you developed anubhava?” He was reminding me to love God more than meditation. “Do not mistake the technique for the Goal. ~ Paramahansa Yogananda,
1366:You need energy and life force to see and feel what you need to do. Otherwise you are in a dark room and you can't tell what's going on. You need to practice meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1367:All forms of meditation strengthen & direct our attention through the cultivation of three key skills: concentration, mindfulness & compassion or lovingkindness. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
1368:Every morning and evening perform Japa and meditation with a cool brain. It is not an easy task. Compared to meditation, it is easier to till a plot of land. ~ Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi,
1369:In Samadhi, that very deep state of meditation, you are given energy and long-lasting bliss. It carries you higher and higher until your very presence radiates love ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,
1370:I think everyone is equally psychic. But through the practice of meditation, you learn to make your thoughts quiet and become more aware of your innate psychic abilities. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1371:Like everyone else, I get swept along just trying to keep up with that endlessly growing to-do list, but I do my best to treat the day as one big meditation or symphony. ~ Tohoru Masamune,
1372:Nothing has ever opened my eyes like transcendental meditation has. It makes me calm and happy, and, well, it gives me some peace and quiet in what’s a pretty chaotic life! ~ Hugh Jackman,
1373:The master never counselled slavish belief. ‘Words are only shells,’ he said. ‘Win conviction of God’s presence through your own joyous contact in meditation.’ “No ~ Paramahansa Yogananda,
1374:The path of the bodhisattva-warrior WHEREVER we are, we can train as a warrior. The practices of meditation, loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity are our tools. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
1375:The quiet of the morning offers a perfect time to do a meditation and yoga practice. It also allows time to be creative or to contemplate before the business of the day. ~ Kandyse McClure,
1376:Deliberate in their thoughts and behaviors through prayer, meditation, or simply setting their intentions; Inspired to make new and different choices; Going. They take action. ~ Bren Brown,
1377:I get into certain yoga positions at times, when Im working out and for exercises. I use a little of it in some of my meditation, but I chant now and that sort of replaced it. ~ John Astin,
1378:In between sessions of meditation, it is important to restrain your senses, to eat a moderate amount of food, and to maintain conscientious introspection of body and mind. ~ Dalai Lama XIV,
1379:Meditation is a tool to shake yourself awake. A way to discover what you love. A practice to return yourself to your body when the mind medleys threaten to usurp your sanity. ~ Geneen Roth,
1380:Meditation is like the breeze that comes in when you leave the window open; but if you deliberately keep it open, deliberately invite it to come, it will never appear. ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti,
1381:Meditation is one of the most direct and powerful ways to awaken to who we really are and to experience happiness as a state of consciousness that already exists within us. ~ Deepak Chopra,
1382:Of our thinking it is but the upper surface that we shape into articulate thought; underneath the region of argument and conscious discourse lies the region of meditation. ~ Thomas Carlyle,
1383:Raja yoga is the mental practice and incorporates meditation, pranayama, and mudra. What are the benefits of having a raja yoga practice? The benefit is spirituality. ~ Rajashree Choudhury,
1384:The advanced student of meditation takes an active part in supporting the work of their teacher. They happily work more hours or do whatever is necessary to help out more. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1385:Using sophisticated brain-mapping techniques they discovered that the reduction in gray matter that typically comes with aging had actually been offset by the meditation. ~ Andy Puddicombe,
1386:Work for god, love god alone, and be wise with god. When an ordinary man puts the necessary rime and enthusiasm into meditation and prayer, he becomes a divine man. ~ Paramahansa Yogananda,
1387:If we didn't spend so much time reacting to things, we would spend less time feeling bothered. We would be able to relax in our lives the way our mind relaxes in meditation. ~ Angelina Love,
1388:In meditation, when your thoughts are stopped, you become empty. When you are empty, your mind folds back on itself and you see through the illusions of the material world. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1389:Meditation is essentially training our attention so that we can be more aware— not only of our own inner workings but also of what’s happening around us in the here & now. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
1390:Meditation on Savitri, August 4, 2018 Saturday.A little ordered world broke into viewWhere being had prison-room for act and sight,A floor to walk, a clear but scanty range. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
1391:Meditation on Savitri, September 20, 2018 ThursdayA mighty Hand then rolls mind’s firmaments back,Infinity takes up the finite’s actsAnd Nature steps into the eternal Light. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
1392:My mom lived on an ashram on the early eighties. She turned me on to kundalini yoga and chanting and Transcendental Meditation. That was the first time I ever knew real peace. ~ Taylor Dane,
1393:The purpose of meditation is personal transformation. The “you” that goes in one side of the meditation experience is not the same “you” that comes out the other side. ~ Henepola Gunaratana,
1394:He laughed. “I mean a pension of fathomless peace — a reward for many years of deep meditation. I never crave money now. My few material needs are amply provided for. ~ Paramahansa Yogananda,
1395:How do you end a meditation session? It's nice to chant a mantra again. Maybe repeat it a few times. It seals the meditation. Do your best and then just give it to eternity. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1396:I am calling attention just to the main points of these tremendously important matters, which can be understood better by pious meditation than explained by human language. ~ Martin Chemnitz,
1397:I believe in meditation - it's a good tool to centre yourself, but unfortunately, I'm too lazy to do it. It's very hard work, and I prefer to watch 'Nothing To Declare' on TV! ~ Helen Mirren,
1398:I have been sought out by a number of people who would have felt uncomfortable coming to a large public meditation. They don't want people to come up and ask for autographs. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1399:In fact most people on the Disc were currently in a state of mind normally achievable only by a lifetime of dedicated meditation or about thirty seconds of illegal herbage. ~ Terry Pratchett,
1400:In their intense meditation the hidden sound of things approaching reaches them and they listen reverently while in the street outside the people hear nothing at all. ~ Nassim Nicholas Taleb,
1401:I still practice Transcendental Meditation and I think it's great. Marharishi only ever did good for us, and although I have not been with him physically, I never left him. ~ George Harrison,
1402:It is not simply a transient happiness that you experience in meditation that creates balance; it is a transformative light. Inner light is the most powerful thing there is. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1403:Medicine heals the body, meditation heals the soul. Medicine is outwardly, meditation is inwardly. And man is whole only when medicine and meditation are together in deep harmony. ~ Rajneesh,
1404:Meditation is a simple yet powerful tool that takes us to a state of profound relaxation that dissolves fatigue and the accumulated stress that accelerates the aging process. ~ Deepak Chopra,
1405:Meditation on Savitri, July 12 2018 ThursdayOnly she had beaten out sparks of ignorance;Only the life could think and not the mind,Only the sense could feel and not the soul. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
1406:Practice meditation sincerely and you will understand His infinite grace. God wants sincerity, truthfulness and love. Outward verbal effusions do not touch Him. ~ Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi,
1407:research on meditation does indicate that staying in a compassionate mode toward one’s self removes brain activity from zones that trigger flight, fight, and frenzied eating. ~ Martha N Beck,
1408:The object of meditation is to open to the Mother and grow through many progressive experiences into a higher consciousness in union with the Divine.
   ~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters On Yoga - II,
1409:To enter into a deeper or higher consciousness or for that deeper or higher consciousness to descend into you-that is the true success of meditation.
   ~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters On Yoga - II,
1410:Yesterday I talked about cultivating precision, gentleness, and openess, and described how the meditation technique helps us to remember the qualities that we already possess. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
1411:Be mindful 24 hours a day, not just during the one hour you may allot for formal meditation or reading scripture and reciting prayers. Each act must be carried out in mindfulness. ~ Nhat Hanh,
1412:Meditation is about seeing clearly the body that we have, the mind that we have, the domestic situation that we have, the job that we have, and the people who are in our lives. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
1413:Meditation is not an escape. Meditation is the acceptance of life in its totality, with a view to transforming it for the highest manifestation of the divine Truth here on earth ~ Sri Chinmoy,
1414:Meditation is the process of transformation and beautification of soul from a leaf-eating caterpillar to a nectar-sipping butterfly. It grows with the wings of love and compassion. ~ Amit Ray,
1415:Meditation means to be free from all phenomena and calmness means to be internally unperturbed. There will be calmness when one is free from external objects and is not perturbed. ~ Bruce Lee,
1416:Meditation stabilizes us in our inherent power as humans. It introduces the possibility of living our lives in a continually conscious, confident, and balanced state of mind. ~ Sakyong Mipham,
1417:My CD Tuning In: Listening to the Voice of Your Soul— this will teach you to go within to access your own wisdom using a 10-, 20-, and 30-minute guided-meditation process. ~ Cheryl Richardson,
1418:These are the qualities of meditation: a really meditative person is playful; life is fun for him, life is a leela, a play. He enjoys it tremendously. He is not serious. He is relaxed. ~ Osho,
1419:Try to find a teacher of meditation and meditate at least once a week in a group with people who meditate a little better than you do. It will inspire you to keep meditating. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1420:After deep prayer and meditation the devotee is in touch with his divine consciousness; there is no greater power than that inward protection."
—Paramhansa Yogananda ~ Paramahansa Yogananda,
1421:After long years of solitary meditation, Jenny had come to accept that, for her, magic was a depth and a stillness rather than the moving brilliance that it was for the great. ~ Barbara Hambly,
1422:After meditation, it is a good idea to bow and offer your meditation to god, to that stillness and perfection that is existence. Feel that you are giving your meditation away. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1423:Even if you are not apparently successful in your meditation, it is better to persist and to be more obstinate than the opposition of your lower nature.
   ~ The Mother, Words Of The Mother II,
1424:I feel like someone who's meditating could possibly benefit their meditation practice and their well-being just by sitting down and thinking about things that they love for ten minutes. ~ Moby,
1425:It is not a good idea to continually repeat a mantra during meditation. Repeating a mantra throughout your mediation causes you to fixate on a specific level of consciousness. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1426:Make your meditation a continuous state of mind. A great worship is going on all the time, so nothing should be neglected or excluded from your constant meditative awareness. ~ Sri Ramakrishna,
1427:Meditation is a sort of prayer and prayer is meditation. The highest meditation is to think of nothing. If you can remain one moment without thought, great power will come. ~ Swami Vivekananda,
1428:Meditation is the short path to happiness. Meditation takes you beyond the desire-aversion operating system that offers very limited happiness and a great deal of frustration. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1429:Meditation refreshes our mind and helps us let go of old patterns. We spend less time dwelling on the past or worrying about the future; instead, we are focused on the present. ~ Deepak Chopra,
1430:My feeling is that drugs and alcohol take away from the pure experience of meditation. That does not mean that occasionally, a person couldn't have a glass of wine or a drink. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1431:My teacher sent me all over the world to talk about meditation - Europe, all over America, Canada. I would drive thousands of miles, travel, all at my own expense, to do this. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1432:Of course there are dozens of meditation techniques, but it all comes down to this - just let it all be. Step over here where it is cool, out of the battle. Why not give it a try? ~ Ajahn Chah,
1433:There's no risk in doing a lousy meditation or not meditating at all. There's no risk in being convenient and comfortable. There's a lot of risk in the world of enlightenment. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1434:We must experience the Truth in a direct, practical and real way; this is only possible in the stillness and silence of the mind, and this is achieved by means of meditation. ~ Samael Aun Weor,
1435:Having come to realize in the first stage of meditation that we are not our bodies, in the second stage we make an even more astounding discovery; we are not our minds either. ~ Eknath Easwaran,
1436:In meditation all the fake dull thoughts that you think, all the ridiculous philosophies, the necessities, all the things that won't matter a bit when you are dead - fade away. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1437:In order to work with difficult outer circumstances, we need to gather our inner strength. If even ten or twenty minutes of meditation a day helps us to do this, let's go for it! ~ Pema Ch dr n,
1438:I recommend computer science to people who practice meditation. The mental structures that are used in computer science are very similar exercises done in Buddhist monasteries. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1439:Make your meditation a continuous state of mind. A great worship is going on all the time, so nothing should be neglected or excluded from your constant meditative awareness. ~ Sri Ramakrishna,
1440:Meditation is essentially training our attention so that we can be more aware— not only of our own inner workings but also of what’s happening around us in the here & now. ~ Sharon Salzberg,
1441:Meditation on Savitri, September 11 2018 TuesdayIt speaks to us with the voices of the Night:Our darkened lives to greater darkness move;Our seekings listen to calamitous hopes. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
1442:Meditation state is a place of deep relaxation where you can pinpoint the things you do and to set a paradigm switch from effect to cause. So how to be a cause in your own life. ~ Roseanne Barr,
1443:Programming will aid a person in developing their mind and will aid their meditation. I find that people who have pursued programming are doing much better in their meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1444:The primary purpose of meditation is to become conscious of, and familiar with, our inner life. The ultimate purpose is to reach the source of life and consciousness. ~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj,
1445:There are many good forms of meditation practice. A good meditation practice is any one that develops awareness or mindfulness of our body and our sense, of our mind and heart. ~ Jack Kornfield,
1446:To be a criminal needs great unconsciousness. Meditation destroys your unconsciousness, opens the doors of light and suddenly what you were doing in the darkness starts disappearing. ~ Rajneesh,
1447:What we're working with in basic meditation practice—and more explicitly in tonglen practice—is the middle ground between acting out and repressing. ~ Pema Chodron, Comfortable With Uncertainty,
1448:Build the raft of meditation and self-discipline, to carry you across the river. There will be no ocean, and no rising tides to stop you; this is how comfortable your path shall be. ~ Guru Nanak,
1449:Dissolving the name is awareness. Dissolving the form is meditation. The world is name and form. Bliss transcends name and form. Bangalore Ashram, India September 24, 1997 ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,
1450:If the world does not shine brightly, even just the physical, sensual perception after meditation, you have not meditated. You have sat and thought of things that were not real. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1451:In maiden meditation, fancy-free.
Yet marked I where the bolt of Cupid fell.
It fell upon a little western flower,
Before milk-white, now purple with love’s wound. ~ William Shakespeare,
1452:Meditation is a refocusing on symbols. It's not emptiness. We are using symbols, doorways to step from one world to another, from darkness into light, from death to immortality. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1453:meditation is not supposed to be the fabrication or the reinforcement of some particular state, but simply the cultivation of the awareness of whatever is arising in the mind. ~ Thrangu Rinpoche,
1454:One way to look at meditation is as a kind of intrapsychic technology that's been developed over thousands of years by traditions that know a lot about the mind/body connection. ~ Jon Kabat Zinn,
1455:There are planes that are not light. There are planes that are shadowy. But that is not our interest in meditation. We want brightness, ecstasy, brilliance beyond comprehension. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1456:If you are going to focus on a teacher, you have to be focused on the teacher and not peripheral vibrations that might be around them or it will totally screw up your meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1457:That was at the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival in about 1989. There were 6,000 women there, and they were out in a meadow, and I offered the tuning meditation and they did it. ~ Pauline Oliveros,
1458:The study of meditation is the entrance into the world of Wonderland. It has nothing to do with how you'd like it. You want a nice neat little study that's easily understandable. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1459:The tremendous population increase has made meditation and psychic perception, things that come naturally to spiritually evolved people, difficult to practice and participate in. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1460:Towards the end of your meditation session, or when you feel your meditation is deep, chant "Kring" seven times. Repeat it with sharp intensity, without elongating the syllables. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1461:When even one virtue becomes our nature, the mind becomes clean and tranquil. Then there is no need to practice meditation; we will automatically be meditating always. (151) ~ Swami Satchidananda,
1462:I hate having to do small talk. I'd rather talk about deep subjects. I'd rather talk about meditation, or the world, or the trees or animals, than small, inane, you know, banter. ~ Ellen DeGeneres,
1463:In order to succeed in it (prayer), it should be done when we first awaken, when our whole being is calm and recollected. We need to make our meditation before anything else. ~ Peter Julian Eymard,
1464:Many Yogis are blindly attentive to their particular system of meditation, ignoring their own background of Consciousness or Beingness... that they forget about the goal, the Self. ~ SantataGamana,
1465:Meditation is not to avoid society; it is to look deep to have the kind of insight you need to take action. To think that it is just to sit down and enjoy the calm and peace, is wrong. ~ Nhat Hanh,
1466:Meditation is sticking to one thought. That single thought keeps away other thoughts; distraction of mind is a sign of its weakness; by constant meditation it gains strength. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,
1467:Mindfulness is an ancient meditation mode in which we let go of our fears, our attachments to control and being right, our expectations and entitlements, and our judgments of others. ~ David Richo,
1468:Never expect anything from a particular meditation. Once you have gotten started, different methods get you into the stream, let the meditation take you wherever it would like to. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1469:Working with these distractions, steadying the canoe, letting the waves pass by, and coming back again and again in a quiet and collected way, is at the heart of meditation. After ~ Jack Kornfield,
1470:And yet,’ Gamache continued in a pleasant voice, ‘isn’t that what’s often taught in meditation? Not the absence of emotion, or swallowing them, but not allowing them to run the show? ~ Louise Penny,
1471:Discipline is most important, and without it no serious meditation will ever be possible. But it should be one’s own discipline, not a routine mechanically imposed from the outside. ~ Thomas Merton,
1472:I wish for you constantly for I want to talk about everybody and everything. I can't go up to a stranger & say 'your manners &looks have stirred me to this profound meditation'- ~ W B Yeats,
1473:Many people, including Buddhist monks, spend thousands of hours sitting in what they call meditation. In reality, what they're doing is thinking and ruminating upon their problems. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1474:Meditation cannot be purchased and no one can give it to you. You have to achieve it. It is not something outer, it is something inner, a growth, and that growth comes through awareness. ~ Rajneesh,
1475:Meditation is a process of lightening up, of trusting the basic goodness of what we have and who we are, and of realizing that any wisdom that exists, exists in what we already have. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
1476:Meditation on Savitri, September 23, 2018 SundayIn this whirl and sprawl through infinite vacancyThe Spirit became Matter and lay in the whirl,A body sleeping without sense or soul. ~ Sri Aurobindo,
1477:Meditation on Savitri, September 23, 2020, WednesdayA fiery spirit came, next of the three. ~ Sri Aurobindo, (1993). Savitri, Puducherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, p. 247. instagram.com/p/CFcviA-H0M0/…,
1478:The spirit is something to be enjoyed. It is not a harsh discipline. And I think people should take some time everyday for some kind of moving meditation, like Qigong or Tai Chi. ~ Shirley MacLaine,
1479:Whenever we practise meditation, whether or not our meditation is clear, we are performing a virtuous mental action that is a cause of our future happiness and peace of mind. ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso,
1480:When your entire world is unraveling, you tend to crave order, and I found it in knitting. In fact, I’ve even read that knitting can lower stress more effectively than meditation. ~ Debbie Macomber,
1481:If you get in a battle with someone, you don't get their power if you win. Power is something that you have to acquire yourself, through self-inquiry and the practice of meditation. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1482:Meditation is not a way of making your mind quiet. It is a way of entering into the quiet that is already there - buried under the 50,000 thoughts the average person thinks every day ~ Deepak Chopra,
1483:Meditation is offering your genuine presence to yourself in every moment. It’s the capacity to recognize clearly that every moment is a gift of life, a gift from the Earth and sky. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh,
1484:Meditation is the key to open the door, the door of absolute contentment. Mind is always discontented., hence meditation means creating a state of no-mind. That space is always contented. ~ Rajneesh,
1485:Published findings indicate that meditation and various contemplative practices may improve immune response by stimulating the vagus nerve in such a way that inflammation is reduced. ~ Deepak Chopra,
1486:The way we gain wisdom in meditation is not by explanation. If you go into the planes of light, you will come out of the meditation knowing things ... things that are inexpressible. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1487:This is a standard meditation instruction that you can embody in the entirety of your life: do not act out and do not repress. See what happens if you don’t do either of those things. ~ Pema Ch dr n,
1488:...to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life-daily and hourly. Our answer must consist, not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. ~ Viktor E Frankl,
1489:You have to learn how to help a wounded child while still practicing mindful breathing. You should not allow yourself to get lost in action. Action should be meditation at the same time. ~ Nhat Hanh,
1490:Because you have created so much tension in your life, now you are meditating. But this is the opposite of tension, not real meditation. You are so tense that meditation has become attractive. ~ Osho,
1491:If we are able to meet these two requirements - regularity in meditation and leading a good life in society, day-to-day a good life - then nothing would be unattainable by us. ~ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,
1492:In deep meditation it is possible to eliminate time, to see all past, all present, all developing life as coexisting, and everything is good, everything perfect, everything is Brahma. ~ Hermann Hesse,
1493:I practice Transcendental Meditation and I had enough exercise. I am one who thinks that not only need to have patience, we must persevere. If you do it right you'll see results. ~ Juan Manuel Santos,
1494:I've seen so many cases where lives have been transformed for the good and heard so many stories about this. The technique of Transcendental Meditation really works for the human being. ~ David Lynch,
1495:When people say that meditation makes them calm, they are often referring to this stability of the mind. A stable mind creates the foundation for a happier and more contented person. ~ Sakyong Mipham,
1496:All of the previously described techniques can be practiced with your eyes open and closed. Most people find that it is easier initially to practice meditation with their eyes closed. ~ Frederick Lenz,
1497:At the museum a troubled woman destroys a sand painting meticulously created over days by Tibetan monks. The monks are not disturbed. The work is a meditation. They simply begin again. ~ Susan Griffin,
1498:Continue practice into everyday life with a single meditation, always keeping in mind the intention to help others in all activities, eating, dressing, sleeping, walking, or sitting. ~ Jamgon Kongtrul,
1499:It's not just self defense, it's about...self control, body discipline, and mind discipline...and breath techniques. It involves yoga. It involves meditation. It's an art, not a sport. ~ Elvis Presley,
1500:Meditation is like hearing a voice on the telephone: there might be slight delays if the line is not perfect, but it is otherwise direct and requires no effort other than listening ~ Sumangali Morhall,

IN CHAPTERS [150/1191]



  741 Integral Yoga
   92 Yoga
   77 Poetry
   51 Occultism
   18 Philosophy
   17 Psychology
   17 Hinduism
   12 Mysticism
   10 Buddhism
   7 Fiction
   6 Sufism
   4 Education
   4 Christianity
   4 Baha i Faith
   3 Zen
   3 Theosophy
   1 Thelema
   1 Mythology
   1 Integral Theory
   1 Alchemy


  609 The Mother
  209 Satprem
  134 Sri Aurobindo
   60 Nolini Kanta Gupta
   47 Sri Ramakrishna
   26 Swami Krishnananda
   26 Aleister Crowley
   18 Carl Jung
   16 A B Purani
   13 William Wordsworth
   13 Swami Vivekananda
   11 Saint Teresa of Avila
   10 Vyasa
   9 Saint John of Climacus
   9 Franz Bardon
   7 Swami Sivananda Saraswati
   7 Sri Ramana Maharshi
   7 Nirodbaran
   7 Aldous Huxley
   6 Lalla
   5 William Butler Yeats
   5 Thubten Chodron
   5 Jetsun Milarepa
   4 Walt Whitman
   4 Symeon the New Theologian
   4 Rabindranath Tagore
   4 Percy Bysshe Shelley
   4 Kabir
   4 Bokar Rinpoche
   4 Baha u llah
   3 Taigu Ryokan
   3 Rudolf Steiner
   3 Plotinus
   3 Patanjali
   3 H P Lovecraft
   3 Alice Bailey
   3 Al-Ghazali
   2 Rabbi Abraham Abulafia
   2 Plato
   2 Peter J Carroll
   2 Mahendranath Gupta
   2 Ken Wilber
   2 Henry David Thoreau
   2 George Van Vrekhem


  315 Prayers And Meditations
   46 The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
   28 Agenda Vol 01
   26 The Study and Practice of Yoga
   24 The Synthesis Of Yoga
   22 Questions And Answers 1957-1958
   22 Letters On Yoga II
   20 Agenda Vol 04
   18 Agenda Vol 08
   18 Agenda Vol 03
   17 Liber ABA
   17 Agenda Vol 11
   16 Letters On Yoga IV
   16 Evening Talks With Sri Aurobindo
   16 Agenda Vol 02
   15 Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 03
   13 Wordsworth - Poems
   13 Questions And Answers 1956
   13 Questions And Answers 1950-1951
   13 Agenda Vol 13
   13 Agenda Vol 10
   13 Agenda Vol 05
   12 Talks
   12 Letters On Yoga III
   12 Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 04
   12 Agenda Vol 09
   12 Agenda Vol 07
   11 Questions And Answers 1955
   11 Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 05
   10 Vishnu Purana
   10 Agenda Vol 06
   9 The Ladder of Divine Ascent
   9 Questions And Answers 1953
   9 Magick Without Tears
   9 Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 07
   8 The Mother With Letters On The Mother
   8 Savitri
   8 On the Way to Supermanhood
   7 Twelve Years With Sri Aurobindo
   7 The Perennial Philosophy
   7 The Interior Castle or The Mansions
   7 Sri Aurobindo or the Adventure of Consciousness
   7 Some Answers From The Mother
   7 Raja-Yoga
   7 Questions And Answers 1954
   7 Mysterium Coniunctionis
   7 A Garden of Pomegranates - An Outline of the Qabalah
   6 Questions And Answers 1929-1931
   6 Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 08
   6 Amrita Gita
   5 Yeats - Poems
   5 The Practice of Magical Evocation
   5 Milarepa - Poems
   5 Letters On Poetry And Art
   5 How to Free Your Mind - Tara the Liberator
   4 Words Of The Mother II
   4 Words Of Long Ago
   4 Whitman - Poems
   4 The Way of Perfection
   4 The Secret Doctrine
   4 The Practice of Psycho therapy
   4 The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious
   4 Tara - The Feminine Divine
   4 Tagore - Poems
   4 Shelley - Poems
   4 On Education
   4 Letters On Yoga I
   4 Initiation Into Hermetics
   4 Essays On The Gita
   4 Dark Night of the Soul
   4 Collected Poems
   4 Agenda Vol 12
   3 Words Of The Mother I
   3 Vedic and Philological Studies
   3 The Lotus Sutra
   3 The Blue Cliff Records
   3 The Alchemy of Happiness
   3 Songs of Kabir
   3 Ryokan - Poems
   3 Patanjali Yoga Sutras
   3 Lovecraft - Poems
   3 Knowledge of the Higher Worlds
   3 Hymns to the Mystic Fire
   3 Essays In Philosophy And Yoga
   3 Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 06
   3 Bhakti-Yoga
   3 A Treatise on Cosmic Fire
   3 Aion
   2 Writings In Bengali and Sanskrit
   2 Walden
   2 The Book of Certitude
   2 Sex Ecology Spirituality
   2 Preparing for the Miraculous
   2 On Thoughts And Aphorisms
   2 Liber Null
   2 Isha Upanishad
   2 Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01


00.01 - The Mother on Savitri, #Sweet Mother - Harmonies of Light, #unset, #Zen
  It may then be said that Savitri is a revelation, it is a meditation, it is a quest of the Infinite, the Eternal. If it is read with this aspiration for Immortality, the reading itself will serve as a guide to Immortality. To read Savitri is indeed to practice Yoga, spiritual concentration; one can find there all that is needed to realise the Divine. Each step of Yoga is noted here, including the secret of all other Yogas. Surely, if one sincerely follows what is revealed here in each line one will reach finally the transformation of the Supramental Yoga. It is truly the infallible guide who never abandons you; its support is always there for him who wants to follow the path. Each verse of Savitri is like a revealed Mantra which surpasses all that man possessed by way of knowledge, and I repeat this, the words are expressed and arranged in such a way that the sonority of the rhythm leads you to the origin of sound, which is OM.
  My child, yes, everything is there: mysticism, occultism, philosophy, the history of evolution, the history of man, of the gods, of creation, of Nature. How the universe was created, why, for what purpose, what destiny - all is there. You can find all the answers to all your questions there. Everything is explained, even the future of man and of the evolution, all that nobody yet knows. He has described it all in beautiful and clear words so that spiritual adventurers who wish to solve the mysteries of the world may understand it more easily. But this mystery is well hidden behind the words and lines and one must rise to the required level of true consciousness to discover it. All prophesies, all that is going to come is presented with the precise and wonderful clarity. Sri Aurobindo gives you here the key to find the Truth, to discover the Consciousness, to solve the problem of what the universe is. He has also indicated how to open the door of the Inconscience so that the light may penetrate there and transform it. He has shown the path, the way to liberate oneself from the ignorance and climb up to the superconscience; each stage, each plane of consciousness, how they can be scaled, how one can cross even the barrier of death and attain immortality. You will find the whole journey in detail, and as you go forward you can discover things altogether unknown to man. That is Savitri and much more yet. It is a real experience - reading Savitri. All the secrets that man possessed, He has revealed, - as well as all that awaits him in the future; all this is found in the depth of Savitri. But one must have the knowledge to discover it all, the experience of the planes of consciousness, the experience of the Supermind, even the experience of the conquest of Death. He has noted all the stages, marked each step in order to advance integrally in the integral Yoga.
  --
  And I think that man is not yet ready to receive it. It is too high and too vast for him. He cannot understand it, grasp it, for it is not by the mind that one can understand Savitri. One needs spiritual experiences in order to understand and assimilate it. The farther one advances on the path of Yoga, the more does one assimilate and the better. No, it is something which will be appreciated only in the future, it is the poetry of tomorrow of which He has spoken in The Future Poetry. It is too subtle, too refined, - it is not in the mind or through the mind, it is in meditation that Savitri is revealed.
  And men have the audacity to compare it with the work of Virgil or Homer and to find it inferior. They do not understand, they cannot understand. What do they know? Nothing at all. And it is useless to try to make them understand. Men will know what it is, but in a distant future. It is only the new race with a new consciousness which will be able to understand. I assure you there is nothing under the blue sky to compare with Savitri. It is the mystery of mysteries. It is a *super-epic,* it is super-literature, super-poetry, super-vision, it is a super-work even if one considers the number of lines He has written. No, these human words are not adequate to describe Savitri. Yes, one needs superlatives, hyperboles to describe it. It is a hyper-epic. No, words express nothing of what Savitri is, at least I do not find them. It is of immense value - spiritual value and all other values; it is eternal in its subject, and infinite in its appeal, miraculous in its mode and power of execution; it is a unique thing, the more you come into contact with it, the higher will you be uplifted. Ah, truly it is something! It is the most beautiful thing He has left for man, the highest possible. What is it? When will man know it? When is he going to lead a life of truth? When is he going to accept this in his life? This yet remains to be seen.

0.00a - Introduction, #A Garden of Pomegranates - An Outline of the Qabalah, #Israel Regardie, #Occultism
  At this juncture let me call attention to one set of attri butions by Rittangelius usually found as an appendix attached to the Sepher Yetzirah. It lists a series of "Intelligences" for each one of the ten Sephiros and the twenty-two Paths of the Tree of Life. It seems to me, after prolonged meditation, that the common attri butions of these Intelligences is altogether arbitrary and lacking in serious meaning.
  For example, Keser is called "The Admirable or the Hidden Intelligence; it is the Primal Glory, for no created being can attain to its essence." This seems perfectly all right; the meaning at first sight seems to fit the significance of Keser as the first emanation from Ain Soph. But there are half a dozen other similar attri butions that would have served equally well. For instance, it could have been called the "Occult Intelligence" usually attri buted to the seventh Path or Sephirah, for surely Keser is secret in a way to be said of no other Sephirah. And what about the "Absolute or Perfect Intelligence." That would have been even more explicit and appropriate, being applicable to Keser far more than to any other of the Paths. Similarly, there is one attri buted to the 16th Path and called "The Eternal or Triumphant Intelligence," so-called because it is the pleasure of the Glory, beyond which is no Glory like to it, and it is called also the Paradise prepared for the Righteous." Any of these several would have done equally well. Much is true of so many of the other attri butions in this particular area-that is the so-called Intelligences of the Sepher Yetzirah. I do not think that their use or current arbitrary usage stands up to serious examination or criticism.

0.00 - INTRODUCTION, #The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, #Sri Ramakrishna, #Hinduism
  About his parents Sri Ramakrishna once said: "My mother was the personification of rectitude and gentleness. She did not know much about the ways of the world; innocent of the art of concealment, she would say what was in her mind. People loved her for her open-heartedness. My father, an orthodox brahmin, never accepted gifts from the sudras. He spent much of his time in worship and meditation, and in repeating God's name and chanting His glories. Whenever in his daily prayers he invoked the Goddess Gayatri, his chest flushed and tears rolled down his cheeks. He spent his leisure hours making garlands for the Family Deity, Raghuvir."
  Khudiram Chattopadhyaya and Chandra Devi, the parents of Sri Ramakrishna, were married in 1799. At that time Khudiram was living in his ancestral village of Dereypore, not far from Kamarpukur. Their first son, Ramkumar, was born in 1805, and their first daughter, Katyayani, in 1810. In 1814 Khudiram was ordered by his landlord to bear false witness in court against a neighbour. When he refused to do so, the landlord brought a false case against him and deprived him of his ancestral property. Thus dispossessed, he arrived, at the invitation of another landlord, in the quiet village of Kamarpukur, where he was given a dwelling and about an acre of fertile land. The crops from this little property were enough to meet his family's simple needs. Here he lived in simplicity, dignity, and contentment.
  --
   served them in various ways. Meanwhile, he was observing their meditation and worship.
   At the age of nine Gadadhar was invested with the sacred thread. This ceremony conferred upon him the privileges of his brahmin lineage, including the worship of the Family Deity, Raghuvir, and imposed upon him the many strict disciplines of a brahmin's life. During the ceremony of investiture he shocked his relatives by accepting a meal cooked by his nurse, a sudra woman. His father would never have dreamt of doing such a thing But in a playful mood Gadadhar had once promised this woman that he would eat her food, and now he fulfilled his plighted word. The woman had piety and religious sincerity, and these were more important to the boy than the conventions of society.
   Gadadhar was now permitted to worship Raghuvir. Thus began his first training in meditation. He so gave his heart and soul to the worship that the stone image very soon appeared to him as the living Lord of the Universe. His tendency to lose himself in contemplation was first noticed at this time. Behind his boyish light-heartedness was seen a deepening of his spiritual nature.
   About this time, on the Sivaratri night, consecrated to the worship of Siva, a dramatic performance was arranged. The principal actor, who was to play the part of Siva, suddenly fell ill, and Gadadhar was persuaded to act in his place. While friends were dressing him for the role of Siva — smearing his body with ashes, matting his locks, placing a trident in his hand and a string of rudraksha beads around his neck — the boy appeared to become absent-minded. He approached the stage with slow and measured step, supported by his friends. He looked the living image of Siva. The audience loudly applauded what it took to be his skill as an actor, but it was soon discovered that he was really lost in meditation. His countenance was radiant and tears flowed from his eyes. He was lost to the outer world. The effect of this scene on the audience was tremendous. The people felt blessed as by a vision of Siva Himself. The performance had to be stopped, and the boy's mood lasted till the following morning.
   Gadadhar himself now organized a dramatic company with his young friends. The stage was set in the mango orchard. The themes were selected from the stories of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Gadadhar knew by heart almost all the roles, having heard them from professional actors. His favourite theme was the Vrindavan episode of Krishna's life, depicting those exquisite love-stories of Krishna and the milkmaids and the cowherd boys. Gadadhar would play the parts of Radha or Krishna and would often lose himself in the character he was portraying. His natural feminine grace heightened the dramatic effect. The mango orchard would ring with the loud kirtan of the boys. Lost in song and merry-making, Gadadhar became indifferent to the routine of school.
  --
   Born in an orthodox brahmin family, Sri Ramakrishna knew the formalities of worship, its rites and rituals. The innumerable gods and goddesses of the Hindu religion are the human aspects of the indescribable and incomprehensible Spirit, as conceived by the finite human mind. They understand and appreciate human love and emotion, help men to realize their secular and spiritual ideals, and ultimately enable men to attain liberation from the miseries of phenomenal life. The Source of light, intelligence, wisdom, and strength is the One alone from whom comes the fulfilment of desire. Yet, as long as a man is bound by his human limitations, he cannot but worship God through human forms. He must use human symbols. Therefore Hinduism asks the devotees to look on God as the ideal father, the ideal mother, the ideal husband, the ideal son, or the ideal friend. But the name ultimately leads to the Nameless, the form to the Formless, the word to the Silence, the emotion to the serene realization of Peace in Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute. The gods gradually merge in the one God. But until that realization is achieved, the devotee cannot dissociate human factors from his worship. Therefore the Deity is bathed and clothed and decked with ornaments. He is fed and put to sleep. He is propitiated with hymns, songs, and prayers. And there are appropriate rites connected with all these functions. For instance, to secure for himself external purity, the priest bathes himself in holy water and puts on a holy cloth. He purifies the mind and the sense-organs by appropriate meditations. He fortifies the place of worship against evil forces by drawing around it circles of fire and water. He awakens the different spiritual centres of the body and invokes the Supreme Spirit in his heart. Then he transfers the Supreme Spirit to the image before him and worships the image, regarding it no longer as clay or stone, but as the embodiment of Spirit, throbbing with Life and Consciousness. After the worship the Supreme Spirit is recalled from the image to Its true sanctuary, the heart of the priest. The real devotee knows the absurdity of worshipping the Transcendental Reality with material articles — clothing That which pervades the whole universe and the beyond, putting on a pedestal That which cannot be limited by space, feeding That which is disembodied and incorporeal, singing before That whose glory the music of the spheres tries vainly to proclaim. But through these rites the devotee aspires to go ultimately beyond rites and rituals, forms and names, words and praise, and to realize God as the All-pervading Consciousness.
   Hindu priests are thoroughly acquainted with the rites of worship, but few of them are aware of their underlying significance. They move their hands and limbs mechanically, in obedience to the letter of the scriptures, and repeat the holy mantras like parrots. But from the very beginning the inner meaning of these rites was revealed to Sri Ramakrishna. As he sat facing the image, a strange transformation came over his mind. While going through the prescribed ceremonies, he would actually find himself encircled by a wall of fire protecting him and the place of worship from unspiritual vibrations, or he would feel the rising of the mystic Kundalini through the different centres of the body. The glow on his face, his deep absorption, and the intense atmosphere of the temple impressed everyone who saw him worship the Deity.
  --
   The worship in the temple intensified Sri Ramakrishna's yearning for a living vision of the Mother of the Universe. He began to spend in meditation the time not actually employed in the temple service; and for this purpose he selected an extremely solitary place. A deep jungle, thick with underbrush and prickly plants, lay to the north of the temples. Used at one time as a burial ground, it was shunned by people even during the day-time for fear of ghosts. There Sri Ramakrishna began to spend the whole night in meditation, returning to his room only in the morning with eyes swollen as though from much weeping. While meditating, he would lay aside his cloth and his brahminical thread. Explaining this strange conduct, he once said to Hriday: "Don't you know that when one thinks of God one should be freed from all ties? From our very birth we have the eight fetters of hatred, shame, lineage, pride of good conduct, fear, secretiveness, caste, and grief. The sacred thread reminds me that I am a brahmin and therefore superior to all. When calling on the Mother one has to set aside all such ideas." Hriday thought his uncle was becoming insane.
   As his love for God deepened, he began either to forget or to drop the formalities of worship. Sitting before the image, he would spend hours singing the devotional songs of great devotees of the Mother, such as Kamalakanta and Ramprasad. Those rhapsodical songs, describing the direct vision of God, only intensified Sri Ramakrishna's longing. He felt the pangs of a child separated from its mother. Sometimes, in agony, he would rub his face against the ground and weep so bitterly that people, thinking he had lost his earthly mother, would sympathize with him in his grief. Sometimes, in moments of scepticism, he would cry: "Art Thou true, Mother, or is it all fiction — mere poetry without any reality? If Thou dost exist, why do I not see Thee? Is religion a mere fantasy and art Thou only a figment of man's imagination?" Sometimes he would sit on the prayer carpet for two hours like an inert object. He began to behave in an abnormal manner
  --
   Yet this was only a foretaste of the intense experiences to come. The first glimpse of the Divine Mother made him the more eager for Her uninterrupted vision. He wanted to see Her both in meditation and with eyes open. But the Mother began to play a teasing game of hide-and-seek with him, intensifying both his joy and his suffering. Weeping bitterly during the moments of separation from Her, he would pass into a trance and then find Her standing before him, smiling, talking, consoling, bidding him be of good cheer, and instructing him. During this period of spiritual practice he had many uncommon experiences. When he sat to meditate, he would hear strange clicking sounds in the joints of his legs, as if someone were locking them up, one after the other, to keep him motionless; and at the conclusion of his meditation he would again hear the same sounds, this time unlocking them and leaving him free to move about. He would see flashes like a swarm of fire-flies floating before his eyes, or a sea of deep mist around him, with luminous waves of molten silver. Again, from a sea of translucent mist he would behold the Mother rising, first Her feet, then Her waist, body, face, and head, finally Her whole person; he would feel Her breath and hear Her voice. Worshipping in the temple, sometimes he would become exalted, sometimes he would remain motionless as stone, sometimes he would almost collapse from excessive emotion. Many of his actions, contrary to all tradition, seemed sacrilegious to the people. He would take a flower and touch it to his own head, body, and feet, and then offer it to the Goddess. Or, like a drunkard, he would reel to the throne of the Mother, touch Her chin by way of showing his affection for Her, and sing, talk, joke, laugh, and dance. Or he would take a morsel of food from the plate and hold it to Her mouth, begging Her to eat it, and would not be satisfied till he was convinced that She had really eaten. After the Mother had been put to sleep at night, from his own room he would hear Her ascending to the upper storey of the temple with the light steps of a happy girl, Her anklets jingling. Then he would discover Her standing with flowing hair. Her black form silhouetted against the sky of the night, looking at the Ganges or at the distant lights of Calcutta.
   Naturally the temple officials took him for an insane person. His worldly well-wishers brought him to skilled physicians; but no-medicine could cure his malady. Many a time he doubted his sanity himself. For he had been sailing across an uncharted sea, with no earthly guide to direct him. His only haven of security was the Divine Mother Herself. To Her he would pray: "I do not know what these things are. I am ignorant of mantras and the scriptures. Teach me, Mother, how to realize Thee. Who else can help me? Art Thou not my only refuge and guide?" And the sustaining presence of the Mother never failed him in his distress or doubt. Even those who criticized his conduct were greatly impressed with his purity, guilelessness, truthfulness, integrity, and holiness. They felt an uplifting influence in his presence.
   It is said that samadhi, or trance, no more than opens the portal of the spiritual realm. Sri Ramakrishna felt an unquenchable desire to enjoy God in various ways. For his meditation he built a place in the northern wooded section of the temple garden. With Hriday's help he planted there five sacred trees. The spot, known as the Panchavati, became the scene of many of his visions.
   As his spiritual mood deepened he more and more felt himself to be a child of the Divine Mother. He learnt to surrender himself completely to Her will and let Her direct him.
  --
   A garbled report of Sri Ramakrishna's failing health, indifference to worldly life, and various abnormal activities reached Kamarpukur and filled the heart of his poor mother with anguish. At her repeated request he returned to his village for a change of air. But his boyhood friends did not interest him any more. A divine fever was consuming him. He spent a great part of the day and night in one of the cremation grounds, in meditation. The place reminded him of the impermanence of the human body, of human hopes and achievements. It also reminded him of Kali, the Goddess of destruction.
   --- MARRIAGE AND AFTER
  --
   Hardly had he crossed the threshold of the Kali temple when he found himself again in the whirlwind. His madness reappeared tenfold. The same meditation and prayer, the same ecstatic moods, the same burning sensation, the same weeping, the same sleeplessness, the same indifference to the body and the outside world, the same divine delirium. He subjected himself to fresh disciplines in order to eradicate greed and lust, the two great impediments to spiritual progress. With a rupee in one hand and some earth in the other, he would reflect on the comparative value of these two for the realization of God, and finding them equally worthless he would toss them, with equal indifference, into the Ganges. Women he regarded as the manifestations of the Divine Mother. Never even in a dream did he feel the impulses of lust. And to root out of his mind the idea of caste superiority, he cleaned a pariahs house with his long and neglected hair. When he would sit in meditation, birds would perch on his head and peck in his hair for grains of food. Snakes would crawl over his body, and neither would be aware of the other. Sleep left him altogether. Day and night, visions flitted before him. He saw the sannyasi who had previously killed the "sinner" in him again coming out of his body, threatening him with the trident, and ordering him to concentrate on God. Or the same sannyasi would visit distant places, following a luminous path, and bring him reports of what was happening there. Sri Ramakrishna used to say later that in the case of an advanced devotee the mind itself becomes the guru, living and moving like an embodied being.
   Rani Rasmani, the foundress of the temple garden, passed away in 1861. After her death her son-in-law Mathur became the sole executor of the estate. He placed himself and his resources at the disposal of Sri Ramakrishna and began to look after his physical comfort. Sri Ramakrishna later spoke of him as one of his five "suppliers of stores" appointed by the Divine Mother. Whenever a desire arose in his mind, Mathur fulfilled it without hesitation.
  --
   Very soon a tender relationship sprang up between Sri Ramakrishna and the Brahmani, she looking upon him as the Baby Krishna, and he upon her as mother. Day after day she watched his ecstasy during the kirtan and meditation, his samadhi, his mad yearning; and she recognized in him a power to transmit spirituality to others. She came to the conclusion that such things were not possible for an ordinary devotee, not even for a highly developed soul. Only an Incarnation of God was capable of such spiritual manifestations. She proclaimed openly that Sri Ramakrishna, like Sri Chaitanya, was an Incarnation of God.
   When Sri Ramakrishna told Mathur what the Brahmani had said about him, Mathur shook his head in doubt. He was reluctant to accept him as an Incarnation of God, an Avatar comparable to Rama, Krishna, Buddha, and Chaitanya, though he admitted Sri Ramakrishna's extraordinary spirituality. Whereupon the Brahmani asked Mathur to arrange a conference of scholars who should discuss the matter with her. He agreed to the proposal and the meeting was arranged. It was to be held in the natmandir in front of the Kali temple.
  --
   For the achievement of this goal the Vedanta prescribes an austere negative method of discrimination and renunciation, which can be followed by only a few individuals endowed with sharp intelligence and unshakable will-power. But Tantra takes into consideration the natural weakness of human beings, their lower appetites, and their love for the concrete. It combines philosophy with rituals, meditation with ceremonies, renunciation with enjoyment. The underlying purpose is gradually to train the aspirant to meditate on his identity with the Ultimate.
   The average man wishes to enjoy the material objects of the world. Tantra bids him enjoy these, but at the same time discover in them the presence of God. Mystical rites are prescribed by which, slowly, the sense-objects become spiritualized and sense attraction is transformed into a love of God. So the very "bonds" of man are turned into "releasers". The very poison that kills is transmuted into the elixir of life. Outward renunciation is not necessary. Thus the aim of Tantra is to sublimate bhoga, or enjoyment into yoga, or union with Consciousness. For, according to this philosophy, the world with all its manifestations is nothing but the sport of Siva and Sakti, the Absolute and Its inscrutable Power.
  --
   According to the Tantra, Sakti is the active creative force in the universe. Siva, the Absolute, is a more or less passive principle. Further, Sakti is as inseparable from Siva as fire's power to burn is from fire itself. Sakti, the Creative Power, contains in Its womb the universe, and therefore is the Divine Mother. All women are Her symbols. Kali is one of Her several forms. The meditation on Kali, the Creative Power, is the central discipline of the Tantra. While meditating, the aspirant at first regards himself as one with the Absolute and then thinks that out of that Impersonal Consciousness emerge two entities, namely, his own self and the living form of the Goddess. He then projects the Goddess into the tangible image before him and worships it as the Divine Mother.
   Sri Ramakrishna set himself to the task of practising the disciplines of Tantra; and at the bidding of the Divine Mother Herself he accepted the Brahmani as his guru. He performed profound and delicate ceremonies in the Panchavati and under the bel-tree at the northern extremity of the temple compound. He practised all the disciplines of the sixty-four principal Tantra books, and it took him never more than three days to achieve the result promised in any one of them. After the observance of a few preliminary rites, he would be overwhelmed with a strange divine fervour and would go into samadhi, where his mind would dwell in exaltation. Evil ceased to exist for him. The word "carnal" lost its meaning. The whole world and everything in it appeared as the lila, the sport, of Siva and Sakti. He beheld held everywhere manifest the power and beauty of the Mother; the whole world, animate and inanimate, appeared to him as pervaded with Chit, Consciousness, and with Ananda, Bliss.
  --
   The teacher and the disciple repaired to the meditation room near by. Totapuri began to impart to Sri Ramakrishna the great truths of Vedanta.
   "Brahman", he said, "is the only Reality, ever pure, ever illumined, ever free, beyond the limits of time, space, and causation. Though apparently divided by names and forms through the inscrutable power of maya, that enchantress who makes the impossible possible, Brahman is really One and undivided. When a seeker merges in the beatitude of samadhi, he does not perceive time and space or name and form, the offspring of maya. Whatever is within the domain of maya is unreal. Give it up. Destroy the prison-house of name and form and rush out of it with the strength of a lion. Dive deep in search of the Self and realize It through samadhi. You will find the world of name and form vanishing into void, and the puny ego dissolving in Brahman-Consciousness. You will realize your identity with Brahman, Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute." Quoting the Upanishad, Totapuri said: "That knowledge is shallow by which one sees or hears or knows another
  --
   "Sri Ramakrishna had not read books, yet he possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of religions and religious philosophies. This he acquired from his contacts with innumerable holy men and scholars. He had a unique power of assimilation; through meditation he made this knowledge a part of his being. Once, when he was asked by a disciple about the source of his seemingly inexhaustible knowledge, he replied; "I have not read; but I have heard the learned. I have made a garland of their knowledge, wearing it round my neck, and I have given it as an offering at the feet of the Mother."
   Sri Ramakrishna used to say that when the flower blooms the bees come to it for honey of their own accord. Now many souls began to visit Dakshineswar to satisfy their spiritual hunger. He, the devotee and aspirant, became the Master. Gauri, the great scholar who had been one of the first to proclaim Sri Ramakrishna an Incarnation of God, paid the Master a visit in 1870 and with the Master's blessings renounced the world. Narayan Shastri, another great pundit, who had mastered the six systems of Hindu philosophy and had been offered a lucrative post by the Maharaja of Jaipur, met the Master and recognized in him one who had realized in life those ideals which he himself had encountered merely in books. Sri Ramakrishna initiated Narayan Shastri, at his earnest request, into the life of sannyas. Pundit Padmalochan, the court pundit of the Maharaja of Burdwan, well known for his scholarship in both the Vedanta and the Nyaya systems of philosophy, accepted the Master as an Incarnation of God. Krishnakishore, a Vedantist scholar, became devoted to the Master. And there arrived Viswanath Upadhyaya, who was to become a favourite devotee; Sri Ramakrishna always addressed him as "Captain". He was a high officer of the King of Nepal and had received the title of Colonel in recognition of his merit. A scholar of the Gita, the Bhagavata, and the Vedanta philosophy, he daily performed the worship of his Chosen Deity with great devotion. "I have read the Vedas and the other scriptures", he said. "I have also met a good many monks and devotees in different places. But it is in Sri Ramakrishna's presence that my spiritual yearnings have been fulfilled. To me he seems to be the embodiment of the truths of the scriptures."
  --
   From Vrindavan the Master had brought a handful of dust. Part of this he scattered in the Panchavati; the rest he buried in the little hut where he had practised meditation. "Now this place", he said, "is as sacred as Vrindavan."
   In 1870 the Master went on a pilgrimage to Nadia, the birth-place of Sri Chaitanya. As the boat by which he travelled approached the sand-bank close to Nadia, Sri Ramakrishna had a vision of the "two brothers", Sri Chaitanya and his companion Nityananda, "bright as molten gold" and with haloes, rushing to greet him with uplifted hands. "There they come! There they come!" he cried. They entered his body and he went into a deep trance.
  --
   The Master took up the duty of instructing his young wife, and this included everything from housekeeping to the Knowledge of Brahman. He taught her how to trim a lamp, how to behave toward people according to their differing temperaments, and how to conduct herself before visitors. He instructed her in the mysteries of spiritual life — prayer, meditation, japa, deep contemplation, and samadhi. The first lesson that Sarada Devi received was: "God is everybody's Beloved, just as the moon is dear to every child. Everyone has the same right to pray to Him. Out of His grace He reveals Himself to all who call upon Him. You too will see Him if you but pray to Him."
   Totapuri, coming to know of the Master's marriage, had once remarked: "What does it matter? He alone is firmly established in the Knowledge of Brahman who can adhere to his spirit of discrimination and renunciation even while living with his wife. He alone has attained the supreme illumination who can look on man and woman alike as Brahman. A man with the idea of sex may be a good aspirant, but he is still far from the goal." Sri Ramakrishna and his wife lived together at Dakshineswar, but their minds always soared above the worldly plane. A few months after Sarada Devi's arrival Sri Ramakrishna arranged, on an auspicious day, a special worship of Kali, the Divine Mother. Instead of an image of the Deity, he placed on the seat the living image, Sarada Devi herself. The worshipper and the worshipped went into deep samadhi and in the transcendental plane their souls were united. After several hours Sri Ramakrishna came down again to the relative plane, sang a hymn to the Great Goddess, and surrendered, at the feet of the living image, himself, his rosary, and the fruit of his life-long sadhana. This is known in Tantra as the Shorasi Puja, the "Adoration of Woman". Sri Ramakrishna realized the significance of the great statement of the Upanishad: "O Lord, Thou art the woman. Thou art the man; Thou art the boy. Thou art the girl; Thou art the old, tottering on their crutches. Thou pervadest the universe in its multiple forms."
  --
   For the householders Sri Ramakrishna did not prescribe the hard path of total renunciation. He wanted them to discharge their obligations to their families. Their renunciation was to be mental. Spiritual life could not be acquired by flying away from responsibilities. A married couple should live like brother and sister after the birth of one or two children, devoting their time to spiritual talk and contemplation. He encouraged the householders, saying that their life was, in a way, easier than that of the monk, since it was more advantageous to fight the enemy from inside a fortress than in an open field. He insisted, however, on their repairing into solitude every now and then to strengthen their devotion and faith in God through prayer, japa, and meditation. He prescribed for them the companionship of sadhus. He asked them to perform their worldly duties with one hand, while holding to God with the other, and to pray to God to make their duties fewer and fewer so that in the end they might cling to Him with both hands. He would discourage in both the householders and the celibate youths any lukewarmness in their spiritual struggles. He would not ask them to follow indiscriminately the ideal of non-resistance, which ultimately makes a coward of the unwary.
   --- FUTURE MONKS
  --
   Harish, a young man in affluent circumstances, renounced his family and took shelter with the Master, who loved him for his sincerity, singleness of purpose, and quiet nature. He spent his leisure time in prayer and meditation, turning a deaf ear to the entreaties and threats of his relatives. Referring to his undisturbed peace of mind, the Master would say: "Real men are dead to the world though living. Look at Harish. He is an example." When one day the Master asked him to be a little kind to his wife, Harish said: "You must excuse me on this point. This is not the place to show kindness. If I try to be sympathetic to her, there is a possibility of my forgetting the ideal and becoming entangled in the world."
   --- BHAVANATH
  --
   Balaram Bose came of a wealthy Vaishnava family. From his youth he had shown a deep religious temperament and had devoted his time to meditation, prayer, and the study of the Vaishnava scriptures. He was very much impressed by Sri Ramakrishna even at their first meeting. He asked Sri Ramakrishna whether God really existed and, if so, whether a man could realize Him. The Master said: "God reveals Himself to the devotee who thinks of Him as his nearest and dearest. Because you do not draw response by praying to Him once, you must not conclude that He does not exist. Pray to God, thinking of Him as dearer than your very self. He is much attached to His devotees. He comes to a man even before He is sought. There is none more intimate and affectionate than God." Balaram had never before heard God spoken of in such forceful words; every one of the words seemed true to him. Under the Master's influence he outgrew the conventions of the Vaishnava worship and became one of the most beloved of the disciples. It was at his home that the Master slept whenever he spent a night in Calcutta.
   --- MAHENDRA OR M.
  --
   One day Girish felt depressed because he was unable to submit to any routine of spiritual discipline. In an exalted mood the Master said to him: "All right, give me your power of attorney. Henceforth I assume responsibility for you. You need not do anything." Girish heaved a sigh of relief. He felt happy to think that Sri Ramakrishna had assumed his spiritual responsibilities. But poor Girish could not then realize that He also, on his part, had to give up his freedom and make of himself a puppet in Sri Ramakrishna's hands. The Master began to discipline him according to this new attitude. One day Girish said about a trifling matter, "Yes, I shall do this." "No, no!" the Master corrected him. "You must not speak in that egotistic manner. You should say, 'God willing, I shall do it.'" Girish understood. Thenceforth he tried to give up all idea of personal responsibility and surrender himself to the Divine Will. His mind began to dwell constantly on Sri Ramakrishna. This unconscious meditation in time chastened his turbulent spirit.
   The householder devotees generally visited Sri Ramakrishna on Sunday afternoons and other holidays. Thus a brotherhood was gradually formed, and the Master encouraged their fraternal feeling. Now and then he would accept an invitation to a devotee's home, where other devotees would also be invited. Kirtan would be arranged and they would spend hours in dance and devotional music. The Master would go into trances or open his heart in religious discourses and in the narration of his own spiritual experiences. Many people who could not go to Dakshineswar participated in these meetings and felt blessed. Such an occasion would be concluded with a sumptuous feast.
  --
   Pratap Hazra, a middle-aged man, hailed from a village near Kamarpukur. He was not altogether unresponsive to religious feelings. On a moment's impulse he had left his home, aged mother, wife, and children, and had found shelter in the temple garden at Dakshineswar, where he intended to lead a spiritual life. He loved to argue, and the Master often pointed him out as an example of barren argumentation. He was hypercritical of others and cherished an exaggerated notion of his own spiritual advancement. He was mischievous and often tried to upset the minds of the Master's young disciples, criticizing them for their happy and joyous life and asking them to devote their time to meditation. The Master teasingly compared Hazra to Jatila and Kutila, the two women who always created obstructions in Krishna's sport with the gopis, and said that Hazra lived at Dakshineswar to "thicken the plot" by adding complications.
   --- SOME NOTED MEN
  --
   The first of these young men to come to the Master was Latu. Born of obscure parents, in Behar, he came to Calcutta in search of work and was engaged by Ramchandra Dutta as house-boy. Learning of the saintly Sri Ramakrishna, he visited the Master at Dakshineswar and was deeply touched by his cordiality. When he was about to leave, the Master asked him to take some money and return home in a boat or carriage. But Latu declared he had a few pennies and jingled the coins in his pocket. Sri Ramakrishna later requested Ram to allow Latu to stay with him permanently. Under Sri Ramakrishna's guidance Latu made great progress in meditation and was blessed with ecstatic visions, but all the efforts of the Master to give him a smattering of education failed. Latu was very fond of kirtan and other devotional songs but remained all his life illiterate.
   --- RAKHAL
  --
   Gopal Sur of Sinthi came to Dakshineswar at a rather advanced age and was called the elder Gopal. He had lost his wife, and the Master assuaged his grief. Soon he renounced the world and devoted himself fully to meditation and prayer. Some years later Gopal gave the Master the ochre cloths with which the latter initiated several of his disciples into monastic life.
   --- NARENDRA
   To spread his message to the four corners of the earth Sri Ramakrishna needed a strong instrument. With his frail body and delicate limbs he could not make great journeys across wide spaces. And such an instrument was found in Narendranath Dutta, his beloved Naren, later known to the world as Swami Vivekananda. Even before meeting Narendranath, the Master had seen him in a vision as a sage, immersed in the meditation of the Absolute, who at Sri Ramakrishna's request had agreed to take human birth to assist him in his work.
   Narendra was born in Calcutta on January 12, 1863, of an aristocratic kayastha family. His mother was steeped in the great Hindu epics, and his father, a distinguished attorney of the Calcutta High Court, was an agnostic about religion, a friend of the poor, and a mocker at social conventions. Even in his boyhood and youth Narendra possessed great physical courage and presence of mind, a vivid imagination, deep power of thought, keen intelligence, an extraordinary memory, a love of truth, a passion for purity, a spirit of independence, and a tender heart. An expert musician, he also acquired proficiency in physics, astronomy, mathematics, philosophy, history, and literature. He grew up into an extremely handsome young man. Even as a child he practised meditation and showed great power of concentration. Though free and passionate in word and action, he took the vow of austere religious chastity and never allowed the fire of purity to be extinguished by the slightest defilement of body or soul.
   As he read in college the rationalistic Western philosophers of the nineteenth century, his boyhood faith in God and religion was unsettled. He would not accept religion on mere faith; he wanted demonstration of God. But very soon his passionate nature discovered that mere Universal Reason was cold and bloodless. His emotional nature, dissatisfied with a mere abstraction, required a concrete support to help him in the hours of temptation. He wanted an external power, a guru, who by embodying perfection in the flesh would still the commotion of his soul. Attracted by the magnetic personality of Keshab, he joined the Brahmo Samaj and became a singer in its choir. But in the Samaj he did not find the guru who could say that he had seen God.
  --
   Others destined to be monastic disciples of Sri Ramakrishna came to Dakshineswar. Taraknath Ghoshal had felt from his boyhood the noble desire to realize God. Keshab and the Brahmo Samaj had attracted him but proved inadequate. In 1882 he first met the Master at Ramchandra's house and was astonished to hear him talk about samadhi, a subject which always fascinated his mind. And that evening he actually saw a manifestation of that superconscious state in the Master. Tarak became a frequent visitor at Dakshineswar and received the Master's grace in abundance. The young boy often felt ecstatic fervour in meditation. He also wept profusely while meditating on God. Sri Ramakrishna said to him: "God favours those who can weep for Him. Tears shed for God wash away the sins of former births."
   --- BABURAM
  --
   Jogindranath came of an aristocratic brahmin family of Dakshineswar. His father and relatives shared the popular mistrust of Sri Ramakrishna's sanity. At a very early age the boy developed religious tendencies, spending two or three hours daily in meditation, and his meeting with Sri Ramakrishna deepened his desire for the realization of God. He had a perfect horror of marriage. But at the earnest request of his mother he had had to yield, and he now believed that his spiritual future was doomed. So he kept himself away from the Master.
   Sri Ramakrishna employed a ruse to bring Jogindra to him. As soon as the disciple entered the room, the Master rushed forward to meet the young man. Catching hold of the disciple's hand, he said: "What if you have married? Haven't I too married? What is there to be afraid of in that?" Touching his own chest he said: "If this [meaning himself] is propitious, then even a hundred thousand marriages cannot injure you. If you desire to lead a householder's life, then bring your wife here one day, and I shall see that she becomes a real companion in your spiritual progress. But if you want to lead a monastic life, then I shall eat up your attachment to the world." Jogin was dumbfounded at these words. He received new strength, and his spirit of renunciation was re-established.
  --
   Kaliprasad visited the Master toward the end of 1883. Given to the practice of meditation and the study of the scriptures. Kali was particularly interested in yoga. Feeling the need of a guru in spiritual life, he came to the Master and was accepted as a disciple. The young boy possessed a rational mind and often felt sceptical about the Personal God. The Master said to him: "Your doubts will soon disappear. Others, too, have passed through such a state of mind. Look at Naren. He now weeps at the names of Radha and Krishna." Kali began to see visions of gods and goddesses. Very soon these disappeared and in meditation he experienced vastness, infinity, and the other attributes of the Impersonal Brahman.
   --- SUBODH
  --
   It took the group only a few days to become adjusted to the new environment. The Holy Mother, assisted by Sri Ramakrishna's niece, Lakshmi Devi, and a few woman devotees, took charge of the cooking for the Master and his attendants. Surendra willingly bore the major portion of the expenses, other householders contributing according to their means. Twelve disciples were constant attendants of the Master: Narendra, Rakhal, Baburam, Niranjan, Jogin, Latu, Tarak, the-elder Gopal, Kali, Sashi, Sarat, and the younger Gopal. Sarada, Harish, Hari, Gangadhar, and Tulasi visited the Master from time to time and practised sadhana at home. Narendra, preparing for his law examination, brought his books to the garden house in order to continue his studies during the infrequent spare moments. He encouraged his brother disciples to intensify their meditation, scriptural studies, and other spiritual disciplines. They all forgot their relatives and their
   worldly duties.
   Among the attendants Sashi was the embodiment of service. He did not practise meditation, japa, or any of the other disciplines followed by his brother devotees. He was convinced that service to the guru was the only religion for him. He forgot food and rest and was ever ready at the Master's bedside.
   Pundit Shashadhar one day suggested to the Master that the latter could remove the illness by concentrating his mind on the throat, the scriptures having declared that yogis had power to cure themselves in that way. The Master rebuked the pundit. "For a scholar like you to make such a proposal!" he said. "How can I withdraw the mind from the Lotus Feet of God and turn it to this worthless cage of flesh and blood?" "For our sake at least", begged Narendra and the other disciples. "But", replied Sri Ramakrishna, do you think I enjoy this suffering? I wish to recover, but that depends on the Mother."
  --
   One day when Narendra was on the ground floor, meditating, the Master was lying awake in his bed upstairs. In the depths of his meditation Narendra felt as though a lamp were burning at the back of his head. Suddenly he lost consciousness. It was the yearned-for, all-effacing experience of nirvikalpa samadhi, when the embodied soul realizes its unity with the Absolute. After a very long time he regained partial consciousness but was unable to find his body. He could see only his head. "Where is my body?" he cried. The elder Gopal entered the room and said, "Why, it is here, Naren!" But Narendra could not find it. Gopal, frightened, ran upstairs to the Master. Sri Ramakrishna only said: "Let him stay that way for a time. He has worried me long enough."
   After another long period Narendra regained full consciousness. Bathed in peace, he went to the Master, who said: "Now the Mother has shown you everything. But this revelation will remain under lock and key, and I shall keep the key. When you have accomplished the Mother's work you will find the treasure again."

0.00 - The Book of Lies Text, #The Book of Lies, #Aleister Crowley, #Philosophy
     In the common practice of meditation the idea is to
    reject all impressions, but here is an opposite practice,

0.00 - THE GOSPEL PREFACE, #The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, #Sri Ramakrishna, #Hinduism
  Though his children received proper attention from him, his real family, both during the Master's lifetime and after, consisted of saints, devotees, Sannysins and spiritual aspirants. His life exemplifies the Master's teaching that an ideal householder must be like a good maidservant of a family, loving and caring properly for the children of the house, but knowing always that her real home and children are elsewhere. During the Master's lifetime he spent all his Sundays and other holidays with him and his devotees, and besides listening to the holy talks and devotional music, practised meditation both on the Personal and the Impersonal aspects of God under the direct guidance of the Master. In the pages of the Gospel the reader gets a picture of M.'s spiritual relationship with the Master how from a hazy belief in the Impersonal God of the Brahmos, he was step by step brought to accept both Personality and Impersonality as the two aspects of the same Non-dual Being, how he was convinced of the manifestation of that Being as Gods, Goddesses and as Incarnations, and how he was established in a life that was both of a Jnni and of a Bhakta. This Jnni-Bhakta outlook and way of living became so dominant a feature of his life that Swami Raghavananda, who was very closely associated with him during his last six years, remarks: "Among those who lived with M. in latter days, some felt that he always lived in this constant and conscious union with God even with open eyes (i.e., even in waking consciousness)." (Swami Raghavananda's article on M. in Prabuddha Bharata vol. XXXVII. P. 442.)
  Besides undergoing spiritual disciplines at the feet of the Master, M. used to go to holy places during the Master's lifetime itself and afterwards too as a part of his Sdhan.
  --
  M. spent his weekends and holidays with the monastic brethren who, after the Master's demise, had formed themselves into an Order with a Math at Baranagore, and participated in the intense life of devotion and meditation that they followed. At other times he would retire to Dakshineswar or some garden in the city and spend several days in spiritual practice taking simple self-cooked food. In order to feel that he was one with all mankind he often used to go out of his home at dead of night, and like a wandering Sannysin, sleep with the waifs on some open verandah or footpath on the road.
  After the Master's demise, M. went on pilgrimage several times. He visited Banras, Vrindvan, Ayodhy and other places. At Banras he visited the famous Trailinga Swmi and fed him with sweets, and he had long conversations with Swami Bhaskarananda, one of the noted saintly and scholarly Sannysins of the time. In 1912 he went with the Holy Mother to Banras, and spent about a year in the company of Sannysins at Banras, Vrindvan, Hardwar, Hrishikesh and Swargashram. But he returned to Calcutta, as that city offered him the unique opportunity of associating himself with the places hallowed by the Master in his lifetime. Afterwards he does not seem to have gone to any far-off place, but stayed on in his room in the Morton School carrying on his spiritual ministry, speaking on the Master and his teachings to the large number of people who flocked to him after having read his famous Kathmrita known to English readers as The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna.

0.02 - Letters to a Sadhak, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
  Extract from the Mother's Prayers and meditations, 18 June 1913.
  It is good sometimes to look backwards for a confirmation of
  --
  Prayers and meditations, 11 January 1914.
  Series Two - To a Sadhak in the Building Department
  --
  Prayers and meditations,: paragraph one, 29 November 1913; two, 7 January 1914;
  four, 8 March 1914; five, 7 April 1914 and 18 April 1914.
  --
  Prayers and meditations,: first phrases, 16 August 1913; last phrase, 17 August 1913.
  Series Two - To a Sadhak in the Building Department
  --
  Prayers and meditations, 29 January 1914.
  which led to a subdued revolt in me and consequent
  --
  Prayers and meditations, 19 June 1914.
  No true and constant control is established in that part as yet.
  --
  he suffers still more, for no amount of meditation can replace
  sincerity in the service of the Divine.
  --
  Prayers and meditations, 15 June 1914.
  Joy lies in having absolute trust in the Divine.
  --
  Prayers and meditations, 7 March 1914. The sadhak has substituted "my" for "our".
  X has just written that he has recognised his mistake in having

0.03 - III - The Evening Sittings, #Evening Talks With Sri Aurobindo, #unset, #Zen
   But, over and above newcomers, some local people and the few inmates of the house used to have informal talks with Sri Aurobindo in the evening. In the beginning the inmates used to go out for playing football, and during their absence known local individuals would come in and wait for Sri Aurobindo. Afterwards regular meditations began at about 4 p.m. in which practically all the inmates participated. After the meditation all of the members and those who were permitted shared in the evening sitting. This was a very informal gathering depending entirely upon Sri Aurobindo's leisure.
   When Sri Aurobindo and the Mother moved to No. 9 Rue de la Marine in 1922 the same routine of informal evening sittings after meditation continued. I came to Pondicherry for Sadhana in the beginning of 1923. I kept notes of the important talks I had with the four or five disciples who were already there. Besides, I used to take detailed notes of the Evening Talks which we all had with the Master. They were not intended by him to be noted down. I took them down because of the importance I felt about everything connected with him, no matter how insignificant to the outer view. I also felt that everything he did would acquire for those who would come to know his mission a very great significance.
   As years passed the evening sittings went on changing their time and often those disciples who came from outside for a temporary stay for Sadhana were allowed to join them. And, as the number of sadhaks practising the Yoga increased, the evening sittings also became more full, and the small verandah upstairs in the main building was found insufficient. Members of the household would gather every day at the fixed time with some sense of expectancy and start chatting in low tones. Sri Aurobindo used to come last and it was after his coming that the session would really commence.
  --
   From 1922 to 1926, No. 9, Rue de la Marine, where he and the Mother had shifted, was the place where the sittings were held. There, also upstairs, was a less broad verandah than at the Guest House, a little bigger table in front of the central door out of three, and a broad Japanese chair, the table covered with a better cloth than the one in the Guest House, a small flower vase, an ash-tray, a block calendar indicating the date and an ordinary time-piece, and a number of chairs in front in a line. The evening sittings used to be after meditation at 4 or 4.30 p.m. After 24 November 1926, the sittings began to get later and later, till the limit of 1 o'clock at night was reached. Then the curtain fell. Sri Aurobindo retired completely after December 1926, and the evening sittings came to a close.
   On 8 February 1927, Sri Aurobindo and the Mother moved to No. 28, Rue Franois Martin, a house on the north-east of the same block as No. 9, Rue de la Marine.

0.03 - Letters to My little smile, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
  pressure I was putting on you in meditation to calm the restlessness of your mind and vital, I thought that it might relieve you
  to tell me the cause of your sorrow, and when you didn't reply,

0.04 - The Systems of Yoga, #The Synthesis Of Yoga, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
   the powers of disorder. The preliminary movement of Rajayoga is a careful self-discipline by which good habits of mind are substituted for the lawless movements that indulge the lower nervous being. By the practice of truth, by renunciation of all forms of egoistic seeking, by abstention from injury to others, by purity, by constant meditation and inclination to the divine
  Purusha who is the true lord of the mental kingdom, a pure, glad, clear state of mind and heart is established.
  --
  Lord, with our human life as its final stage, pursued through the different phases of self-concealment and self-revelation. The principle of Bhakti Yoga is to utilise all the normal relations of human life into which emotion enters and apply them no longer to transient worldly relations, but to the joy of the All-Loving, the All-Beautiful and the All-Blissful. Worship and meditation are used only for the preparation and increase of intensity of the divine relationship. And this Yoga is catholic in its use of all emotional relations, so that even enmity and opposition to God, considered as an intense, impatient and perverse form of Love, is conceived as a possible means of realisation and salvation.
  This path, too, as ordinarily practised, leads away from worldexistence to an absorption, of another kind than the Monist's, in the Transcendent and Supra-cosmic.

0.06 - INTRODUCTION, #Dark Night of the Soul, #Saint John of the Cross, #Christianity
  where the soul may abandon discursive meditation and enter the contemplation
  which belongs to loving and simple faith.

0.06 - Letters to a Young Sadhak, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
  one increase the time of meditation?
  Concentration does not mean meditation; on the contrary, concentration is a state one must be in continuously, whatever the
  outer activity. By concentration I mean that all the energy, all the
  --
  more important than having fixed hours of meditation.
  It would have been better to have sat in my chair and
  --
  good as meditation.
  Perhaps I am mistaken in believing that I shall find myself close to you more rapidly by dissolving my being

0.08 - Letters to a Young Captain, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
  But if through meditation or concentration we turn inward
  or upward, we can bring down into ourselves or raise up from
  --
  Why does meditation in front of different photos of
  you give different experiences?

0.10 - Letters to a Young Captain, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
  ceremonies. X stands in meditation in front of the body
  and pronounces the phrase, "Sri Aurobindo sharanam
  --
  It is not a dream, but the result of the preceding meditation and
  of your aspiration.
  --
  that this ten minutes' meditation has become merely mechanical. I want a dynamic meditation, but how to have
  it?
  --
  There are moments during meditation when I feel
  that something in me wants to soar aloft and enjoy full
  --
  one tries during meditation, the thought that one must
  not think of anything is always there.
  It is not during meditation that one must learn to be silent,
  because the very fact of trying makes a noise.
  --
  Often after a long meditation (an effort to meditate),
  I feel very tired and want to rest. Why is this and how
  --
  So long as you are making an effort, it is not meditation and
  there is not much use in prolonging this state.
  --
  manage to enter into the heart. I feel during meditation
  that my consciousness is flying around an impenetrable
  --
  case, what place does meditation have?
  Work does not go on twenty-four hours a day.
  --
  When one sits for meditation, one can sometimes succeed
  in establishing mental silence. But how can one fix this as

0.11 - Letters to a Sadhak, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
  The Mother, Prayers and meditations, 24 August 1914.
  This is how I understand the Purusha:
  --
  The Mother, Prayers and meditations, 17 May 1914.
  Series Eleven - To a Sadhak

0.14 - Letters to a Sadhak, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
  It is a subject for contemplative meditation.
  18 March 1972

0 1955-04-04, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   By continuing this daily little ant-like struggle and by having to confront the same desires, the same distractions every day, it seems to me I am wasting my energy in vain. Sri Aurobindos Yoga, which is meant to include life, is so difficult that one should come to it only after having already established the solid base of a concrete divine realization. That is why I want to ask you if I should not withdraw for a certain time, to Almora,3 for example, to Brewsters place,4 to live in solitude, silence, meditation, far away from people, work and temptations, until a beginning of Light and Realization is concretized in me. Once this solid base is acquired, it would be easier for me to resume my work and the struggle here for the true transformation of the outer being. But to want to transform this outer being without having fully illumined the inner being seems to me to be putting the cart before the horse, or at least condemning myself to a pitiless and endless battle in which the best of my forces are fruitlessly consumed.
   In all sincerity, I must say that when I was at Brewsters place in Almora, I felt very near to that state in which the Light must surge forth. I quite understand the imperfection of this process, which involves fleeing from difficulties, but this would only be a stage, a strategic retreat, as it were.

0 1956-02-29 - First Supramental Manifestation - The Golden Hammer, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   (During the common meditation on Wednesday the 29th February 1956)
   This evening the Divine Presence, concrete and material, was there present amongst you. I had a form of living gold, bigger than the universe, and I was facing a huge and massive golden door which separated the world from the Divine.

0 1956-03-20, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   Mother appeared on her balcony daily at about 6 a.m. to give a few moments of meditation to her disciples before the beginning of the day's work.
   ***

0 1956-04-23, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   Mother takes a passage from Prayers and meditations of September 25, 1914:
   The Lord hast willed, and Thou dost execute;

0 1957-07-03, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   And now you understand why I had thought it would be useful to have a few meditations in common, to work at creating a common atmosphere a bit more organized than my big hotel of last night!
   So, the best way to use these meditations (and they are going to increase, since we are now also going to replace the distributions with short meditations) is to go deep within yourselves, as far as you can, and find the place where you can feel, perceive and perhaps even create an atmosphere of oneness wherein a force of order and organization can put each element in its true place, and out of the chaos existing at this hour, make a new, harmonious world surge forth.
   The Supramental Manifestation, (Cent. Ed. XVI, pp. 33-36.)

0 1958-05-11 - the ship that said OM, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   Something quite curious took place during a recent meditation. I no longer recall when exactly, but it was at a time when there were many visitors, for the courtyard was full. After perhaps no more than a few minutes, I suddenly heard a distinct voice, coming from my right, say OM, like that. And then a second time, OM. What an impact it had upon me! I felt an emotion here (gesture towards the heart) as I have not felt for years and years and years. And all, all, all was filled with light, with forceit was absolutely marvelous. It was an invocation, and during the whole meditation the Presence was resplendent.
   I said to myself, Who could have done that? I was not sure if only I had heard it, so I asked. The reply was, But it was the ship leaving! There was actually a ship which had left during the night3that is in support of those who said it was a ship. But for me, it was SOMEONE because I felt someone there and I thought, Oh! If someone, in the ardor of his soul, said that in this what I could call an atheistic silence. Because people here are so afraid of following tradition, of being the slaves of the old things, that they cast out anything closely or remotely resembling religion.
  --
   And then I wondered, If we were to repeat the mantra we heard the other day4 (Om Namo Bhagavateh) during the half-hour meditation, what would happen?
   What would happen?

0 1958-07-06, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   You see, this is how it happened: theres this Ganesh2 We had a meditation (this was more than thirty years ago) in the room where Prosperity3 is now distributed. There were eight or ten of us, I believe. We used to make sentences with flowers; I arranged the flowers, and each one made a sentence with the different flowers I had put there. And one day when the subject of prosperity or wealth came up, I thought (they always say that Ganesh is the god of money, of fortune, of the worlds wealth), I thought, Isnt this whole story of the god with an elephant trunk merely a lot of human imagination? Thereupon, we meditated. And who should I see walk in and park himself in front of me but a living being, absolutely alive and luminous, with a trunk that long and smiling! So then, in my meditation, I said, Ah! So its true that you exist!Of course I exist! And you may ask me for whatever you wish, from a monetary standpoint, of course, and I will give it to you!
   So I asked. And for about ten years, it poured in, like this (gesture of torrents). It was incredible. I would ask, and at the next Darshan, or a month or several days later, depending, there it was.
  --
   But yesterday, in fact, I was looking (with all these mantras and these prayers and this whole vibration that has descended into the atmosphere, creating a state of constant calling in the atmosphere), and I remembered the old movements and how everything now has changed! I was also thinking of the old disciplines, one of which is to say, I am That.7 People were told to sit in meditation and repeat, I am That, to reach an identification. And it all seemed to me so obsolete, so childish, but at the same time a part of the whole. I looked, and it seemed so absurd to sit in meditation and say, I am That! I, what is this I who is That; what is this I, where is it? I was trying to find it, and I saw a tiny, microscopic point (to see it would almost require some gigantic instrument), a tiny, obscure point in an im-men-sity of Light, and that little point was the body. At the same timeit was absolutely simultaneous I saw the Presence of the Supreme as a very, very, very, VERY immense Being, within which was I in an attitude of (I was only a sensation, you see), an attitude (gesture of surrender) like this. There were no limits, yet at the same time, one felt the joy of being permeated, enveloped and of being able to widen, widen, widen indefinitelyto widen the whole being, from the highest consciousness to the most material consciousness. And then, at the same time, to look at this body and to see every cell, every atom vibrating with a divine, radiant Presence with all its Consciousness, all its Power, all its Will, all its Loveall, all, really and a joy! An extraordinary joy. And one did not disturb the other, nothing was contradictory and everything was felt at the same time. That was when I said, But truly! This body had to have the training it has had for more than seventy years to be able to bear all that without starting to cry out or dance or leap up or whatever it might be! No, it was calm (it was exultant, but it was very calm), and it remained in control of its movements and its words. In spite of the fact that it was really living in another world, it could apparently act normal due to this strenuous training in self-control by the REASONby the reasonover the whole being, which has tamed it and given it such a great cohesive power that I can BE in the experience, I can LIVE this experience, and at the same time respond with the most amiable of smiles to the most idiotic questions!
   And then, it always ends in the same way, by a canticle to the action of the grace: O, Lord! You are truly marvelous! All the experiences I have needed to pass through You have given to me, all the things I needed to do to make this body ready You have made me do, and always with the feeling that it was You who was making me do itand with the universal disapproval of all the right-minded humanity!

0 1958-08-29, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   (Note written by Mother after an experience She had during a playground meditation when Swami J.J. was present. It was this swami with whom Satprem journeyed in the Himalayas to receive tantric initiation.)
   [Satprem would later part company with this Swami and follow a thorough tantric discipline with another guru who will henceforth be called X in the Agenda.]
  --
   At the Thursday evening meditation, he appeared as the Guru of Tantric Initiation, magnified and seated upon a symbolic representation of the forces and riches of material Nature (in the middle of the playground, to my left), and he put into my hand something sufficiently material for me to feel the vibrations physically, and it had a great realizing power. It was a kind of luminous and very vibrant globe which I held in my hands during the whole meditation.
   S, who was sitting in front of me, spontaneously asked me afterwards what I had been holding in my hands during the meditation, and she described it thus: It was round, very soft and luminous like the moon.
   The Swami brought back various objects and souvenirs from the Himalayas which he presented to Mother.

0 1958-09-16 - OM NAMO BHAGAVATEH, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   As soon as I sit for meditation, as soon as I have a quiet minute to concentrate, it always begins with this mantra, and there is a response in the body, in the cells of the body: they all start vibrating.
   This is how it happened: Y had just returned, and he brought back a trunk full of things which he then proceeded to show me, and his excitement made tight, tight little waves in the atmosphere, making my head ache; it made anyway, it was unpleasant. When I left, just after that had happened, I sat down and went like this (gesture of sweeping out) to make it stop, and immediately the mantra began.
   It rose up from here (Mother indicates the solar plexus), like this: Om Namo Bhagavateh OM NAMO BHAGAVATEH OM NAMO BHAGAVATEH. It was formidable. For the entire quarter of an hour that the meditation lasted, everything was filled with Light! In the deeper tones it was of golden bronze (at the throat level it was almost red) and in the higher tones it was a kind of opaline white light: OM NAMO BHAGAVATEH, OM NAMO BHAGAVATEH, OM NAMO BHAGAVATEH.
   The other day (I was in my bathroom upstairs), it came; it took hold of the entire body. It rose up in the same way, and all the cells were trembling. And with such a power! So I stopped everything, all movement, and I let the thing grow. The vibration went on expanding, ever widening, as the sound itself was expanding, expanding, and all the cells of the body were seized with an intensity of aspiration as if the entire body were swellingit became overwhelming. I felt that it would all burst.

0 1958-11-02, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   Last night, I thought, My god! If I have to Individually, with this one or that one, by selecting the best, I could get somewhere, but this this mass.1 Swami had told me sohe told me immediately after his first meditation (collective meditation at the Ashram playground), he told me, The stuff is not good! (Mother laughs)
   I didnt press the matter.

0 1958-11-04 - Myths are True and Gods exist - mental formation and occult faculties - exteriorization - work in dreams, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   It was only a film story, but anyway, the goddesses, the three wives of the Trimurti that is, the consort of Brahma, the consort of Vishnu and the consort of Shivajoined forces (!) and tried all kinds of things to foil Narada. I no longer recall the details of the story Oh yes, the story begins like this: one of the three I believe it was Shivas consort, Parvati (she was the worst one, by the way!)was doing her puja. Shiva was in meditation, and she began doing her puja in front of him; she was using an oil lamp for the puja, and the lamp fell down and burned her foot. She cried out because she had burned her foot. So Shiva at once came out of his meditation and said to her, What is it, Devi? (laughter) She answered, I burned my foot! Then Narada said, Arent you ashamed of what you have done?to make Shiva come out of his meditation simply because you have a little burn on your foot, which cannot even hurt you since you are immortal! She became furious and snapped at him, Show me that it can be otherwise! Narada replied, I am going to show you what it is to really love ones husbandyou dont know anything about it!
   Then comes the story of Anusuya and her husb and (who is truly a husb and a very good man, but well, not a god, after all!), who was sleeping with his head resting upon Anusuyas knees. They had finished their puja (both of them were worshippers of Shiva), and after their puja he was resting, sleeping, with his head on Anusuyas knees. Meanwhile, the gods had descended upon earth, particularly this Parvati, and they saw Anusuya like that. Then Parvati exclaimed, This is a good occasion! Not very far away a cooking fire was burning. With her power, she sent the fire rolling down onto Anusuyas feetwhich startled her because it hurt. It began to burn; not one cry, not one movement, nothing because she didnt want to awaken her husband. But she began invoking Shiva (Shiva was there). And because she invoked Shiva (it is lovely in the story), because she invoked Shiva, Shivas foot began burning! (Mother laughs) Then Narada showed Shiva to Parvati: Look what you are doing; you are burning your husbands foot! So Parvati made the opposite gesture and the fire was put out.

0 1958-11-08, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   It lasted for quite some time, for the rest of the meditation.
   It seemed to contain a whole wealth of possibilities, and all this that was formless had the power to become form.
  --
   Yes, it was not a willed experience, for I had not decided I would do this. It did not correspond to an inner attitude. In a meditation, one can decide, I will meditate on this or on that or on something else I will do this or that. For meditations, I usually have a kind of inner (or higher) perception of what has to be done, and I do it. But it was not that way. I had decided: nothing, to decide nothing, to be like that (gesture of turning upwards).
   And then it happened.
  --
   And I was not imagining nor objectifying it; I was living it with easewith a great ease. And it lasted until the end of the meditation. When it gradually began fading, I stopped the meditation and left.
   Later, after I returned (to the Ashram), I wondered, What was that? What does it signify? Then I understood.

0 1958 12 - Floor 1, young girl, we shall kill the young princess - black tent, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   Mother withdrew on December 9. In fact, She had been unwell for already more than a month before withdrawing. On November 26, the last 'Wednesday class' took place at the playground; on November 28 the last 'Friday class', on December 6, the last 'Translation class'; on December 1, the end of Mother's tennis and the last visit to the playground. On December 9, She again went down for the meditation around the Samadhi. From December 10, Mother remained in her room for one month. A great period had come to an end. Henceforth, She would only go out of the Ashram building on rare occasions.
   A disciple

0 1959-01-06, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   And it happened just as I was despairing of ever getting out of it. I seemed to be touching a kind of fundamental bedrock, so painful, so suffering, and full of revolt because of too much suffering. And I saw that all my efforts, all the meditations, aspirations, mantras, were only covering up this suffering bedrock without touching it. I saw this fundamental thing in me very clearly, a poignant knot, ever ready for an absolute negation. I saw it and I said to you, Mother, only your grace can remove this. I said this to you in the temple that morning, in total despair. And then, the knot was undone. Xs action contri buted a lot, with your grace acting through him. But truly, I have traversed a veritable hell this last while.
   X continues his work on me daily; it is to last 41 days in all. He told me that he wants to undo the things of several births. When it is over, he will explain it all to me. I do not know how to tell you how luminous and good this man is, he is a very great soul. He is also giving me Sanskrit lessons, and little by little, each evening, speaks to me of the Tantra.

0 1959-04-23, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   I hope you wrote to X that it is agreed, that we expect him with his family early in the morning of the 30th, and that I am looking forward to our daily morning meditation during his stay.
   Do tell him that all is well, that we are awaiting his arrival and that I am looking forward to these meditations.
   With you always, with love and care.

0 1959-05-19 - Ascending and Descending paths, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   In fact, you can immediately see the difference between those who have a mantra and those who dont. With those who have no mantra, even if they have a strong habit of meditation or concentration, something around them remains hazy and vague. Whereas the japa imparts to those who practice it a kind of precision, a kind of solidity: an armature. They become galvanized, as it were.
   Original English.

0 1959-06-03, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   For you, I fully approve of what he told you. Fervently, and with all my love, I pray that he will succeed in what he wants to do during these 45 days of meditation. This is really what I was counting on.
   For what occurred here, I can say only one thing: when the Supreme Lord wants to save someone, He clothes his will in every appearance necessary.

0 1960-01-31, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   When I began the readings from the Dhammapada, I had hoped that my listeners would take enough interest in the practical spiritual side for me to read only one verse at a time. But quite quickly, I saw they found this very boring and were making no effort to benefit from the meditation. The only solution then was to treat the matter as an intellectual study, which is why I started reading chapter by chapter.
   ***

0 1960-05-16, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   In the early part of the century, I wrote Prayers and meditations, and I too spoke of Him; but I wrote that with all my aspiration, all my sincerity (at least with all the sincerity of the conscious parts of my being) and I locked it up in a drawer so that no one would see it. It was Sri Aurobindo who later asked me to publish it, for it could be useful If I knew then, fifty years ago, what I know now, I would have been crushed! All this shame, all this unworthiness
   After all, its good to know gradually, good to have some illusionsnot for the sake of illusions but as a necessary step along the way.

0 1960-05-24 - supramental flood, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   This experience last night also enabled me to understand what X had felt during one of our meditations. He had explained his experience by way of saying that I was this mystic tree whose roots plunge into the Supreme and whose branches spread forth over the world,3 and he said that one of these branches had entered into himand it had been a unique experience. He had said, this is the Mother.
   And now I understand that what he had seen and translated by this Vedic image was that kind of perpetual flood.

0 1960-06-07, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   But just now You see, when I am in contact with younot when were sitting together, but at the balcony or at the meditation or at any time at allthis contact is very good, very good, very luminous and clear. I wrote you that, and its getting more and more tangible. But when were HERE together, it feels as though it doesnt move Something is preventing it from taking place HERE. So when you spoke (it was when you made a face), I looked.
   It gives me the impression of something like Yes, thats it, like a cavemanOh (Mother speaks mockingly), surely one of the cave artists or poets or writers! The intellectual life of the caves, I mean! But the cave happens to be low and when youre in it, you are like this (Mother stoops over), but the whole time you want to stand up straight. That makes you furious. Thats exactly the feeling it gives menot a cave meant for a man standing on his two feet; its a cave for a lion or for for any four-legged animal.
  --
   The disciple means in meditationto imagine Mother in her physical form or to use her physical form as an 'object' of meditation. In fact, he was very afraid of getting caught.
   ***

0 1960-09-20, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   When Amrita,5 seized with zeal, wanted to make him understand what we were doing here and what Sri Aurobindo had wanted, it almost erupted into an unpleasant situation. So after that, I decided to identify myself with him to see I had never done this, because normally I only do it when I am responsible for someone, in order to truly help someone, and Ive never felt any responsibility in regard to X. So I wanted to see his inner situation, what could and could not be done. That was the day you saw him coming down from our meditation in an ecstatic state, when he told you that all separation between him and me had dropped awayit was to be expected, I anticipated as much!
   But when I did that, I saw what X wanted to do for me. As a matter of fact, I recalled that when we first met I had told him that everything was all right up to this point (Mother indicates the region above the head), but below that, in the outer being, I wanted to hasten the transformation, and things there were difficult to handle.
  --
   Later on, when Sri Aurobindo left his body, I said to myself, If only I knew what he had known, it would be easier! So when Swami and later X came, I thought, I am going to take advantage of this opportunity. I had written to Swami that I was working on transforming the cells of the body and that I had noticed the work was going faster with Xs influence. So it was understood that X would help when he came thats how things began, and this idea has remained with X. But I have raced on I dont wait. Ive raced on, Ive gone like wildfire. And now the situation is reversed. What I wanted to find out, I found out. I experienced what I wanted to experience, but he is still He is very kind, actually, he wants really to help me. So, when I identified with him the other day during our meditation, I realized that he wanted to give silence, control and perfect peace to the physical mind. My own trick, if you will, is to have as little relationship with the physical mind as possible, to go up above and stay therethis (Mother indicates her forehead), silent, motionless, turned upwards, while That (gesture above the head) sees, acts, knows, decidesall is done from there. Only there can you feel at ease.
   Along the way, I once went down into this physical mind for awhile to try to set it right, to organize it a little (it was done rather quickly, I didnt stay there long). So when I went inside X, I saw It was rather curious, for its the opposite of the method we follow. In his material consciousness (physical and vital), he has trained himself to be impersonal, open, limitless, in communication with all the universal forces. In the physical mind, silence, immobility. But in the speculative mind, the one there at the very top of the head what an organization, phew! All the tradition in its most superb organization, but such a ri-gi-dity! And it had a pretty quality of light, a silver blueVERY pretty. Oh, it was very calm, wonderfully calm and quiet and still. But what a ceiling it had!the outer form resembled rigid cubes. Everything inside was beautiful, but that There was a very large cube right at the top, I recall, bordered by a purple line, which is a line of powerall this was quite luminous. It looked like a pyramid; the smaller cubes formed a kind of base, the lower part of which faded into something cloudy, and then this passed imperceptibly downwards to a more material realm, or in other words, the physical mind. The cube on top was the largest and most luminous, and the least yieldingeven inflexible, you could say. The others were somewhat less defined, and at the bottom it was very blurred. But up at the top!thats where I wanted to go, right to the top.
  --
   I felt better that night because I was concentrated, but my head was still hurting a little. Then the following day I said to myself, or rather I told him inwardly, Whether you like it or not, I am bringing down whats up above; it is the only way I can feel comfortable! And I told you what happenedas soon as I sat down I was so surprised, for he didnt start doing what he had done the day before; I myself did the same thing, I participated, so to speak, in his will (so as to find out), but with the resolve to remain consciously in contact with the highest consciousness, as always, and to bring it down. And it came in a marvelous flood. He was quite happy, he did not protest! All the pain was gone, there was nothing left, it was perfect. Only towards the end of the meditation did he again want to start doing his little trick of enclosing my physical mind in this construction, but it didnt last I watched all this from above.
   And he isnt aware of this, actually, he isnt aware at all. If he were told, he would absolutely deny it for him, its an opening onto Infinity! But in fact, its always like that, we are always shut in, each of useach one is enclosed inside certain limits which he doesnt feel, for should he feel it, he would get out! Oh, I know this feeling very well, for when I was with Sri Aurobindo I was open in this way (gesture towards the heights), and I always had this feeling of Yes, my child He tolerated me the way I was and waited for it to change. Thats truly how things are, you know. And now I feel my limits, which are the limits of the world as it is at present, but beyond that theres an unmanifested immensity, eternity and infinityto which we are closed. It merely seeps init is not the great opening. What I am trying to bring about is the great opening. Only when it has opened wide will there really be the (how should I put it?) the irreducible thing, and all the worlds resistance, all its inertia, even its obscurity will be unable to swallow it up the determining and transforming thing I dont know when it will come.

0 1960-10-22, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   (After the meditation)
   Im going to tell you what I sawits very interesting. First, emanating from here (Mother indicates the chest), a florescence of every color like a peacocks tail spread wide; but it was made of light, and it was very, very delicate, very fine, like this (gesture). Then it rose up and formed what truly seemed like a luminous peacock, up above, and it remained like that. Then, from here (the chest), what looked like a sword of white light climbed straight up. It went up very high and formed a kind of expanse, a very vast expanse, which was like a callthis lasted the longest. And then, in response, a veritable rain, like (no, it was much finer than drops) a golden lightwhite and goldenwith various shades, at times more towards white, at times more golden, at times with a tinge of pink. And all this was descending, descending into you. And here (the chest), it changed into this same deep blue light, with a powdering of green light inside itemerald green. And at that moment, when it reached here (the level of the heart), a number of little divinities of living golda deep, living goldcame, like this, and then looked at you. And just as they looked at you, there was the image of the Mother right at the very center of younot as she is commonly portrayed but as she is in the Indian consciousness Very serene and pure and luminous. And then that changed into a temple, and inside the temple there seemed to be an image of Sri Aurobindo and an image of me but living images in a powdering of light. Then it grew into a magnificent edifice and settled in with an extraordinary power. And it remained motionless.

0 1960-10-30, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   (After a meditation with Mother on the occasion of the disciple's birthday. At the outset of the conversation, Mother had given the disciple a small leather wallet with an Egyptian fresco depicted on it.)
   Let me see the wallet (Mother looks at it) Ah, so that has nothing to do with it!
   As soon as the meditation began, I started seeing quite familiar scenes from ancient Egypt. And you, you looked a little different, but quite similar all the same The first thing I saw was their god with a head like this (gesture of a muzzle), with a sun above his head. A dark animal head with I know it VERY WELL, but I dont remember exactly which animal it is. One is a hawk,1 but the other has a head like (Mother makes the same gesture)
   Like a jackal?
  --
   But I found this interesting, so I began looking, and I LIVED the scene, all kinds of scenes of initiation, worship, etc., for quite some time. When that lifted, a light much stronger than the last time (during the last meditation) came down, in a wonderful silence. (I might add that the first thing I did, at the beginning, was to try to establish a silence around you, to insulate you from other things so as to keep your mind quiet; it kept jumping a little, but once this light came down ) And it came down with a very hieratic quality and (how can I put this?) Egyptian in charactervery occult, very occult, very, very distinct, very specific, like this (gesture indicating a block of silence descending).
   And then there came a long moment of absolutely motionless contemplation with something that now escapes meit may come back.
  --
   But its still not luminous in the dark. What is normally luminous in the dark is something else I had that when I was working with Theon (after returning to France, we had group meditationsthough he didnt call it meditation, he called it repose, and we used to do this in a darkened room), and there was it was like phosphorescence, exactly the color of phosphorescent light, like certain fish in the water at night. It would come out [of the body], spread forth, move about. But that is the vital, it originates in the vital. It is a force from above, but what manifests is vital. Whereas now it is absolutely, clearly the golden supramental light in an extraordinary pulsation, vibrant in intensity But probably it still lacks a what Theon used to call density, an agent that enables it to be seen in the dark and then it would be visibly gold, not phosphorescent.
   But it is very, very concrete, very material.
  --
   And the experience just now (during meditation) was somehow mixed with what I usually see at night (it was not a combinationor maybe it was a combination ), for it had that same light It was a kind of powdering, even finer than tiny dotsa powdering like an atomic dust, but with an EXTREMELY intense vibration but without any shifting of place. And yet its in constant motion Something shifting about within something that vibrates on the same spot without moving (something does move, but its subtler, like a current of tremendous power which passes through a milieu that doesnt move at all: rather, it vibrates on the same spot with an extreme intensity). But I dont exactly know how it is different from the present experience It becomes less golden at night, the gold is less visible, whereas the other colorswhite, blue and a sort of pinkare much more visible.
   Oh, now I remember! It was PINK during the second phase, just afterwards, after Egypt! Oh, it was like like at the end of a sunrise when it gets very clear and luminous. A magnificent color. And it kept coming down and down, in a flood that part was new. Its something I see very rarely. It was not there at all the last time we meditated together. And it came filled with such a joy! Oh! It was absolutely ecstatic. It lasted quite a long time. And from there I went into this trance where I saw (laughing) that man congratulating you! I heard him say (his voice is what roused me from my trance, and then I saw him), Congratulations, its a great success! (Mother laughs)
   Its good. Well have these little meditations from time to time. For me, its pleasant, for I have neither to restrict nor contain nor veil myself. Its nice.
   And I see whats coming down; its good.

0 1960-11-26, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   Your force cured me in one hour in a spectacular way. I would understand if you had merely cured my flu, for thats something more general, and with a good general vibration it can be removed; but the force acted with an astonishing precision and accuracy: first it wiped out my flu, then it touched a toothache thats been hurting for the last three days, and in five minutes that was gone. Finally, I had a pulled ligament which for three or four years now has periodically given me pain (a thigh ligament where it joins the pelvis, to be precise) and this last week it was hurting so much that I found it difficult to sit cross-legged for meditation. And then I felt the force come and touch just there, exactly at this point, and the pain vanished. And yet the problem was of an organic nature, not some general illness!
   (Mother remains silent a moment, then says:)

0 1960-12-13, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   Now X is coming, and these days of meditation with him.2 What is going to happen? By the way, he no longer writes that hes coming to help the Ashram. He wrote to Amrita that hes coming to have the opportunity (I cant exactly remember his words) anyway, to take advantage of his meditations with me so that he can make the necessary transformations! Quite a changed attitude. I had several visions concerning him which Ill tell you later.
   Later, Mother added the following: 'In this regard I don't know where, but somewhereSri Aurobindo spoke of this physical mind, and he said that there was nothing you could do with it; it must only be destroyed.'
  --
   The tantric guru. During his periodic visits to the Ashram, Mother used to give him almost daily meditations.
   ***

0 1960-12-23, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   (Mother arrives from a meditation with X, the tantric guru)
   I come empty-handed
  --
   I sat down shortly before ten oclock for meditation. I was in my normal state and I was interested to see if there would be any difference from earlier times. And really, at first there was no difference at all. Then slowly, slowly, I felt this type of smiling and serene peace that I live in entering into the body. The cells are still not always conscious of it (sometimes they feel a sort of tension of life I dont know what to call it). Theyre conscious of their existence and of what it means and of the Energy that is acting (yes, conscious of the Action and the Energy that acts), but during the meditation THAT descended and there was an extraordinary relaxation. Not the relaxation that comes with surrender,1 which I normally feel before sleeping, but the relaxation that comes from a kind of serene, immutable and eternal joy. At that moment the body felt it could remain like that forever! Oh, how nice I feel! it said. And as a matter of fact, Im not sure but I think he felt the meditation was over, whereas I was still I felt him stirring, so I stopped.
   There was a marked difference.
  --
   I came here in that state directly after the meditation, and when I sat down You see, I didnt even have the (naturally there is no question of idea) I dont know, not even the instinct to pick up a flower for you, you understand? And when I sat down here, the consciousness of the column of Light started coming. There was no more personality, no more individuality: there was only a column of Light descending right into the very cells of the body and thats all.
   Then it gradually became conscious of itself, conscious of BEING this column of Light. And then the ordinary consciousness slowly returned.
  --
   Its interesting for me to come here soon after the meditation, for its as if I were objectivizing my experience. Otherwise Id be within, like that (gesture), and theres no longer any (you see, I say Ibut at that moment it doesnt exist!) and even THE BODY feels this way, a kind of immutable and beatific eternity, and thats all.
   I tell you, not even When I arrived, I said to you, My hands are empty; merely the contact with your atmosphere made me say it. But otherwise the my, the handsnone of it had any meaning.

0 1960-12-31, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
   X seemed happy about his visit this time. We had long meditations of half an hourhe never seemed to want to leave at all! There was above all a kind of extremely calm universalization. An absolute and universal calm in all the cells of the body. I dont know if it was only me, but it seemed he was in the same stateunable to move, quite content, smiling. Once I heard the clock chime, and as I thought it was time and that perhaps he was ready to leave, I looked; he had removed the mala3 that he wears around his neck and I found him doing japa. As soon as he saw me looking, he quickly put it back on!
   But whats most surprising is that with me, not a word, nothing, neither he nor I. And it seems to be just as comfortable for him as it is for me!

0 1961-01-12, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   Saraswati represents the universal Mother's aspect of Knowledge and artistic creativity. On this occasion, Mother would go down to the meditation Hall and the disciples would silently pass in front of her to receive a message. This year they would receive a folder containing five photographs of Mother.
   Savitri, Vol. 29, XI.I.702.

0 1961-03-21, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   Before that experience, as part of the attack, I also got a sore throat. I didnt believe it would manifest, but around 9:30 this morning when I came downstairs for meditation with X,2 it did. Its nothing at all, though. The whole time I was with X (and even before, when I was waiting for him), it was halted completelyeverything in that room came to a halt. It started up again only after he left and I came here. But its nothing.
   X told me he has been doing something for me in his puja3since December, it seemsso this morning I thought he should know about the experience and I sent Amrita to tell him. He replied to Amrita that this confirmed his certainty that Z has been making black magic against me since December. He had been told that Z was practicing black magic in Kashmir. Could this be the same person I saw before [during the December 1958 attack]? Since it was someone who concealed his identity, I cant say but this form was robed as a sannyasi. Perhaps its he, I dont know. I reserve my judgment because I dont know personally. But this is what X said, and hes going to redouble his efforts.
  --
   When I came down this morning I didnt want my cold to disturb the meditation with X, and this immobility came (Mother brings down her fists, showing a solid mass descending). Its what he uses for healing and I must say that the same thing happens to me, even when it doesnt come from him: a Force that seizes everything, stops everythingno more vibrations, an immobility.
   I had told N. to knock at the door when he arrived with X, but he didnt do itluckily I heard the door opening. I stood up, still in that state and almost fell over! X must have thought I was having a spell of weakness or something, because I was holding onto the arms of the chair, and when I took his flowers, my hands were trembling I wasnt in my body. And afterwards, ah, what a concentration! We remained in it for about thirty-five minutes. It was SOLIDan extraordinary solidity! I didnt want to waste time waiting for it to subside before coming here, and you must have seen how I was when I arrived: like a sleepwalker! I said to the people I passed in the corridor, Im coming back, Im coming back! Thats all I could say, like an idiot.

0 1961-03-25, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   (On the previous day, Satprem had written a letter to Mother complaining of never having any concrete experiences. After a meditation together, this is what Mother replied.)
   [This letter has disappeared.]
  --
   Strangely enough, Ive received the same complaint from S. He says, I dont have any experiences. What kind of experience do you have? I asked. He replied, I sit in meditation and what comes is peace, peace, peace its always the same thing!(Some people would be very happy with that, but him.) I asked him, What experience do you want? To be conscious, he told me, to be conscious of the Divine, conscious of the divine Presence! And I always answer him, Its because your mind is barricaded. (Mother forms a geometrical figure) He is so convinced that he knows! He tells me, No! Its not that. He doesnt believe me!
   At any rate, I have had no results with him, nor with X.

0 1961-03-27, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   (Mother brings along a note she had written the same morning concerning a meditation with X, the tantric 'guru':)
   The extreme subjectivity of experiences is very disconcerting.
  --
   For a long time X has said nothing about his meditations with me, but just yesterday he told N. that he had some difficulty at the start of the meditation due to the presence of an adverse force, and it took him five minutes to overcome it!
   Evidently he was in a completely different state of consciousness.
  --
   You know he said someone has been doing black magic against me; but I have never felt anything of the sort in the room where we meditate, because I make a point of coming half an hour early and this of course clears the atmosphere: everything is always ready when he arrives, in silence, in perfect peace. Hasnt he always told you that when he comes into that room he enters another world, like Kailas?1 And thats the way it has always been. If there has been a change, its that now its even more like thatbecause (how to put it?) its more stable. Before, it fluctuated a bit: it came, went, came. But now its like a tranquil mass (Mother lowers her arms) that doesnt stir. Yesterday in particular, this was the experience: I felt him coming (when he is about to come in, I always sense something drawing me outward a little so that I wont be completely in trance and can stand up), and this prayer came so spontaneously, oh! And then (laughing) in the afternoon N. tells me, Oh, X said he had some difficulty at the start of todays meditationa hostile force was present and it took him five minutes to clarify the atmosphere!
   It gave me the impression you get in outer life: all the pieces more or less dovetail but with no inner unitytheres not ONE thing, not one, that is true, essentially and always true. We know it is like that outwardly, of course; but I have always felt that with people who have an inner life, one could attain a kind of identity of vibration and knowledge but no!
  --
   My bodys consciousness has changed that much I know. Not totally, of course, but enough to feel that theres no separation, that vibrations are unpartitioned there are no partitions! And I felt this very strongly with X: that when we were face to face in meditation there was no longer any difference between us, that this Vibration I was feelingthis Vibration of a strong and very solid, very balanced peacewas the same for him as for me. I didnt feel that I was here and he was there. I had only to shut my eyes and there was no difference between us. (This doesnt happen just with him: I feel it with everyone; but I am aware of how it is with others, I can sense why they dont feel it.) But I was under the impression that he, at least, would have felt it I must have been mistaken! This incident came to tell me I was mistaken.
   Still, it surprises me. Because sitting in that room, one has the feeling (I say one, its probably I dont know what it is), I thought he had the same feeling I did: oh, it could last an eternity! Its like that: tranquil, tranquil, peaceful, balanced, strong. On other occasions there was a kind of movement: it came, went, came, went; but this time (Mother stretches forth her arms as if time had stopped) and I am like that (not the I here, the I above), I see it like that. Then just as the clock is about to strike, when the half-hour is finished, something comes and tells my body, Now! A tiny shock, and two or three seconds later the clock strikes. I always feel beforehand, Now its over. Otherwise there would be no reason for it to endits so peaceful! And not something diluted, as it were, but strong, compact. Compact. Then that tiny shock and the body comes to attention: Ah, Im going to have to move! And always after about two seconds, the clock strikes. I open my eyes, look at X and wait. Three or four seconds later, or after a minute or two, he opens his eyes, bows to me and gets up. Then I get up. Its always the same. So I dont know why. I dont understand what goes on in his consciousness. I no longer understand.
  --
   He doesnt speak about these things with N. Perhaps N. has confused two different times or. Because Xs way of expressing himself can seem very vague when you dont know him well, especially when it concerns time and place. This attack may not have occurred during the meditation with you, but beforeh and or elsewhere.
   I dont know, because N. said quite categorically: X told me that on arriving for this mornings meditation he had some difficulties and it took him five minutes to get over it; an adverse force was present. N. was quite positive and I even made him repeat it. Are you sure, I asked him, that it didnt happen when X came to you? No, N. replied, X met that force THERE. He said THERE! Yet that it could have been there, with all the force, light and peace that descended is incomprehensible to me. Because the first thing I do when I sit down is to make a thorough cleaning.
   It ruffles me because its like a negation of my power. Till yesterday I had never experienced anything of the kind! On the 29th, you know, it will be forty-seven years since I first came here3thats not exactly yesterday! And ever since I began working with Sri Aurobindo, I have had the sense of this Power, it has never left me; so. It is disconcerting to have this kind of episode come up after such a long time.

0 1961-04-12, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   I had another cat named Kiki. He had a wonderful color and was just like velvet. We used to have meditations and he would come, get up on a chair and go into trance; he would make the brusque movements of trance during the meditation. And I had to rouse him out of it, otherwise he wouldnt wake up!
   Once this cat was stung by a scorpion. A foolhardy youngster, he used to play with scorpions. I had to rescue him one day; I came onto the verandah just when he was playing with a big scorpion. I caught the cat, put him on my shoulder and killed the scorpion. But another time I wasnt there, and he was stung. He came inside, done for. I clearly saw the signs that he had been poisoned by a scorpion. I put him on a table and went to call Sri Aurobindo. Kiki has been stung by a scorpion, I said. (He was dying, almost in a coma.) Sri Aurobindo pulled up a chair, sat down facing the table and began to gaze at Kiki. This lasted about twenty or twenty-five minutes. Then suddenly the cat relaxed completely and fell asleep. When he woke up, he was entirely cured.

0 1961-06-02, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   I know why I gave no explanations as I was speaking: because of the intensity of the experience. There is something like it in Prayers and meditations. I remember an experience I had in Japan which is noted there. (Mother looks through Prayers and meditations and reads a passage dated November 25, 1917:)2
   Thou art the sure friend who never fails,
  --
   With the exception of the second asterisked passage, which was not included in his English version of selected Prayers and meditations, the following translations are Sri Aurobindo's.
   'Homage' is used in the original text.

0 1961-06-17, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   So far, the meditations with X are much better than last time. Today especially it was very good.
   Its a contemplation going right up to the Supreme, with a constant, continuous Descent: something which doesnt waver the whole time (doesnt waver I mean doesnt vary), during the whole meditation. But if I ask him what happened, hell tell me a little story!
   Yesterday I saw N. and he told me, Oh! X had an experience during the meditation with you this morning. Ah! I said to myself, This is going to be interesting. (I was wrong to think so, by the way, even for a quarter of a second.) Yes, he told me, he saw what seemed to be a transparent golden veil descending over you; and by your side were flowers like roses, or colored like roses, with the feet of a child upon them.
   All the psychics tell you such stories!

0 1961-06-20, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   (Following a meditation with X.)
   Weve been having these meditations for four days now and this is the fourth day of total silencemotionless, soundless (I dont know if there is sound outside or not; I dont know anything). A complete immobility right to the end.
   When all is immobile like that and nothing seems to happen, is something happening?
  --
   It was the dress I wear when I go out. Why? It must have had a meaning, although I must say I didnt exert myself to understand! I simply saw, smiled (it made me smile), and that was all. It was just before the meditation ended.
   At any rate, its the fourth day of this same silence (Mother clenches her fists, as if to show a compact mass). Not only silenceimmobility (same compact gesture), WITHOUT TENSION, without tension, effortless, without anything; like a kind of eternityin the body.

0 1961-06-24, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   He might do this work in sleep, or sometimes in meditation, or in a kind of trance he enters intoit depends on the case.
   I will give you a concrete example, then youll understand. When I.B. was killed, I had to gather up all his states of being and activities, which had been dispersed by the violence of the accident2it was terrible, he was in a dreadful state of dispersion. For two or two and a half days the doctors fought in the hope of reviving him, but it was impossible. During those two days I gathered up all his consciousness, all of it; I collected it over his body, to the point where, when it had come and formed itself there, such vitality, such life was coming back into his body that after some hours the doctors believed he would be saved. But it couldnt last (it wasnt possiblea part of the brain had come out). Well, when not only his soul but his mental being, his vital being, and all the rest had been properly collected and organized over his body and had realized that the body had become quite unusable, it was overthey gave up the body and it was over.

0 1961-08-02, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   I had a VERY interesting experienceit was last year or the year before, I dont recall, but after I retired to my room upstairs.6 You know that during pujas these goddesses come all the timethey dont enter the body and tie themselves to it, but they do come and manifest. Well, this time I think it must have been for last years pujaDurga came (she always arrives a few days in advance and remains in the atmosphere; she is present, like thisgesture as if Durga were walking up and down with Mother). I was in touch with her during my meditations upstairs, and this new Power in the body was in me then as it is in me now, and (how to put it?) I made her participate in this concept of surrender. What an experience she had, mon petit! An extraordinary experience of the joy of being connected with That. And she declared, From now on, I am a bhakta of the Lord.
   It was beautiful.
  --
   I knew how it was with her because I remember the days when Sri Aurobindo was here and I used to go downstairs to give meditations to the people assembled in the hall. Theres a ledge above the pillars there, where all the gods used to sitShiva, Krishna, Lakshmi, the Trimurti, all of them the little ones, the big ones, they all used to come regularly, every day, to attend these meditations. It was a lovely sight. But they didnt have this kind of adoration for the Supreme. They had no use for that concepteach one, in his own mode of being, was fully aware of his own eternal divinity; and each one knew as well that he could represent all the others (such was the basis of popular worship,7 and they knew it). They felt they were a kind of community, but they had none of those qualities that the psychic life gives: no deep love, no deep sympathy, no sense of union. They had only the sense of their OWN divinity. They had certain very particular movements, but not this adoration for the Supreme nor the feeling of being instruments: they felt they were representing the Supreme, and so each one was perfectly satisfied with his particular representation.
   Except for Krishna. In 1926, I had begun a sort of overmental creation, that is, I had brought the Overmind down into matter, here on earth (miracles and all kinds of things were beginning to happen). I asked all these gods to incarnate, to identify themselves with a body (some of them absolutely refused). Well, with my very own eyes I saw Krishna, who had always been in rapport with Sri Aurobindo, consent to come down into his body. It was on November 24th, and it was the beginning of Mother.8
  --
   After a while, I too began having meditations with people. I had begun a sort of overmental creation, to make each god descend into a beingthere was an extraordinary upward curve! Well, I was in contact with these beings and I told Krishna (because I was always seeing him around Sri Aurobindo), This is all very fine, but what I want now is a creation on earthyou must incarnate. He said Yes. Then I saw him I saw him with my own eyes (inner eyes, of course), join himself to Sri Aurobindo.
   Then I went into Sri Aurobindos room and told him, Heres what I have seen. Yes, I know! he replied (Mother laughs) Thats fine; I have decided to retire to my room, and you will take charge of the people. You take charge. (There were about thirty people at the time.) Then he called everyone together for one last meeting. He sat down, had me sit next to him, and said, I called you here to tell you that, as of today, I am withdrawing for purposes of sadhana, and Mother will now take charge of everyone; you should address yourselves to her; she will represent me and she will do all the work. (He hadnt mentioned this to me!Mother bursts into laughter)

0 1961-08-05, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   It was during this period that I used to go out of my body every night and do the work Ive spoken of in Prayers and meditations (I only mentioned it in passing).8 Every night at the same hour, when the whole house was very quiet, I would go out of my body and have all kinds of experiences. And then my body gradually became a sleepwalker (that is, the consciousness of the form became more and more conscious, while the link remained very solidly established). I got into the habit of getting up but not like an ordinary sleepwalker: I would get up, open my desk, take out a piece of paper and write poems. Yes, poems I, who had nothing of the poet in me! I would jot things down, then very consciously put everything back into the drawer, lock everything up again very carefully and go back to bed. One night, for some reason or other, I forgot and left it open. My mother came in (in France the windows are covered with heavy curtains and in the morning my mother would come in and violently throw open the curtains, waking me up, brrm!, without any warning; but I was used to it and would already be prepared to wake upotherwise it would have been most unpleasant!). Anyway, my mother came in, calling me with unquestionable authority, and then she found the open desk and the piece of paper: Whats that?! She grabbed it. What have you been up to? I dont know what I replied, but she went to the doctor: My daughter has become a sleepwalker! You have to give her a drug.
   It wasnt easy.

0 1961-08-08, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   X has written expressing his gratitude for all the revelations OF THE SUPREME he has had during his meditations with me.
   This is something new he has accepted, because the Supreme doesnt usually appear in tantrism they are in contact with the Shakti and dont bother about the Supreme. But here he has come to accept it.

0 1961-08-25, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   Three or four years ago I had to make a little effort to meditate or give a meditation to someone in a very bad condition. But now absolutely no more effort. No effort at all. And I dont notice a bit when X is having difficulty, not a bit. I prepare myself as usual before he comes and as soon as he arrives, all I have to do is call (although generally thats not necessary); I call, and then I become blissful. And I havent found more difficulties in certain cases than in others I DONT FEEL THE RESISTANCE, neither in the atmosphere nor in people. The Force is imperative. Thats why I was so astounded those other times when he began to say he needed at least ten minutes to put himself into meditationit seemed fantastic to me! He said so himself, otherwise I would never have believed it.3
   Well, we shall see.

0 1961-11-05, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   Ever since Ive known that Sri Aurobindo attached importance to this book, I have been doing a great deal of looking. I told you what I saw the other day, didnt I? You asked my advice in choosing the photos and you had picked the one of him in meditation [Sri Aurobindo on his bed after he left his body]. Earlier, I had seen the photo of him young; and while I was looking at it, Sri Aurobindo was there and he suddenly took me thousands of years into the future Ive told you about thisand said to me, The beginning of the legend. Then I understood that this was the right photo for the book.
   Evidently he is making your book the starting point for all that will be thought and said and done upon earth on the intellectual plane. And I assure you that I am helping you and he is helping you!

0 1961-12-20, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   But between these two meetings he participated in a whole series of experiences, experiences of gradually growing awareness. This is partly noted in Prayers and meditations (I have cut out all the personal segments). But there was one experience I didnt speak of there (that is, I didnt describe it, I put only the conclusion)the experience where I say Since the man refused I was offering participation in the universal work and the new creation and the man didnt want it, he refused, and so I now offer it to God.6
   I dont know, Im putting it poorly, but this experience was concrete to the point of being physical. It happened in a Japanese country-house where we were living, near a lake. There was a whole series of circumstances, events, all kinds of thingsa long, long story, like a novel. But one day I was alone in meditation (I have never had very profound meditations, only concentrations of consciousness Mother makes an abrupt gesture showing a sudden ingathering of the entire being); and I was seeing. You know that I had taken on the conversion of the Lord of Falsehood: I tried to do it through an emanation incarnated in a physical being [Richard]7, and the greatest effort was made during those four years in Japan. The four years were coming to an end with an absolute inner certainty that there was nothing to be done that it was impossible, impossible to do it this way. There was nothing to be done. And I was intensely concentrated, asking the Lord, Well, I made You a vow to do this, I had said, Even if its necessary to descend into hell, I will descend into hell to do it. Now tell me, what must I do?The Power was plainly there: suddenly everything in me became still; the whole external being was completely immobilized and I had a vision of the Supreme more beautiful than that of the Gita. A vision of the Supreme.8 And this vision literally gathered me into its arms; it turned towards the West, towards India, and offered meand there at the other end I saw Sri Aurobindo. It was I felt it physically. I saw, sawmy eyes were closed but I saw (twice I have had this vision of the Supremeonce here, much later but this was the first time) ineffable. It was as if this Immensity had reduced itself to a rather gigantic Being who lifted me up like a wisp of straw and offered me. Not a word, nothing else, only that.
   Then everything vanished.
  --
   Mother is probably alluding to this passage in Prayers and meditations (September 3, 1919): 'Since the man refused the meal I had prepared with so much love and care, I invoke the God to take it.'
   See conversation of November 5, 1961.
   Perhaps Mother is alluding to this passage from Prayers and meditations (October 10, 1918): 'My Father smiled at me and gathered me into his powerful arms....'
   ***

0 1961-12-23, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   And in the experience there was no difference between my physical and my inner being (actually, its that way more and more for me); even physically, externally, there was a kind of love full of adoration, and so spontaneousnot even any sense of wonder! And there was such a formidable Power in it, formidable from the standpoint of the entire earth. It lasted one hour. After an hour, the experience slowly began to fade (it had to fade for purely practical reasons). But it left me so confident of a radical changenot a total change, for it wasnt permanent but so radical that even outwardly, way down below in me, something was saying, Ah, how will the meditations with X be now? I caught Myself not thinking, not myself: someone thought like that, somewhere way down below. This pulled me out of the experience and I wondered, Thats strange, whos thinking like that? It was one of the personalities4 (in terms of work, its the one that gives each action its proper place), someone way down below, spontaneously feeling: But thats going to change the meditations! What will they be like now? When I returned and began to look at things with the usual discernment, I told myself that perhaps there actually will be a change.
   But truly, EVERYTHING was changed at that moment: something was achieved. It was the perception of Power the Power that comes from Love (what Love is to the Supreme Consciousness, which has nothing to do with what we usually mean by the word love). And it was it was simple! None of those complications resulting from thought, intellect, understandingall that was gone, all gone. A formidable Power! And it made me understand one thing, that the state I had been put in (by the Lord of Yoga, in fact) was for obtaining the particular power that comes through an identity with all material things, a power possessed by certain personsnot always yogis, certain mediums, for instance. I saw it with Madame Theon: she would will a thing to come to her instead of going to the thing herself; instead of going to get her sandals when she wanted them, she made the sandals come to her. She did this through a capacity to radiate her mattershe exercised a will over her matterher central will acted upon matter anywhere, since she WAS THERE. With her, then, I saw this power in a methodical, organized way, not as something accidental or spasmodic (as it is with mediums), but as an organization of Matter. And so I began to understand: With this comes the power to put each thing in its place! provided one is universal enough.

0 1962-02-03, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   Japa, like meditation, is a procedureapparently the most active and effective procedure for joining, as much as possible, the Divine Presence to the bodily substance. It is the magic of sound, you see.
   Naturally, if theres also an awareness of the idea behind it, if one does japa as a very active CONSCIOUS invocation, then its effects are greatly multiplied. But the basis is the magic of sound. This is a fact of experience, and its absolutely true. The sound OM, for instance, awakens very special vibrations (there are other such sounds as well, but of course that one is the most powerful of all).
  --
   And if one adds to this, as I do, a mantric program, that is, a sort of prayer or invocation, a program for both personal development and helping the collective, then it becomes a truly active work. Then theres also what I call external work: contact with others, reading and answering letters, seeing and speaking to people, and finally all the activities having to do with the organization and running of the Ashram (in meditation this work becomes worldwide, but physically, materially, it is limited for the moment to the Ashram).
   In the course of my observation, I also saw the position of X and people like him, who practically spend their lives doing japa, plus meditation, puja,4 ceremonies (I am talking only about sincere people, not fakers). Well, thats their way of working for the world, of serving the Divine, and it seems the best way to themperhaps even the only way but its a question of mental belief. In any case, its obvious that even a bit of not exactly puja, but some sort of ceremony that you set yourself to dohabitual gestures symbolizing and expressing a particular inner statecan also be a help and a way of offering yourself and relating to the Divine and thus serving the Divine. I feel its important looked at in this waynot from the traditional viewpoint, I cant stand that traditional viewpoint; I understand it, but it seems to me like putting a brake on true self-giving to the Divine. I am speaking of SELF-IMPOSED japa and rules (or, if someone gives you the japa, rules you accept with all your heart and adhere to). These self-imposed rules should be followed as a gesture of love, as a way of saying to the Divine, I love You. Do you see what I mean? Like arranging flowers in a certain way, burning incense, dozens of little things like that, made beautiful because of what is put into themit is a form of self-giving.
   Now, I think that doing japa with the will and the idea of getting something out of it spoils it a little. You spoil it. I dont much like it when somebody says, Do this and you will get that. Its trueits true, but its a bit like baiting a fish. I dont much like it.

0 1962-05-27, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   But the reason behind the idea was my physical condition. I hadnt thought of Sujata at first; I simply saw I dont know. Im tired all the time, its true. My reserves are all used up. Anything extra exhausts me. And on top of it, theres also a discouraging psychological state. For one thing, my nights are totally unconscious the mind turns round and round and I cant sleep. My meditations are always the same. You know, the feeling of nothing, nothing, nothing. So I think the cause of all this lies in the kind of physical life I lead.2
   A lack of vitality.
  --
   But whats behind my totally unconscious nights? Behind the total absence of anything at all in my meditations?
   (After a silence) Thats something you have to sense for yourself, isnt it?
  --
   And this blockage in my meditationsis it also due to this special work? I have a sort of feeling that Ive already had those yogic realizations, you see
   Yes, of course!

0 1962-05-29, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   I was given a similar experience with the sea. In the house where I distribute prosperity1 theres a veranda with a little nook, and set in the nook is a window (not a window, actuallyan opening), and through the opening you can glimpse a patch of sea, no bigger than this (gesture). And at that time too the body was feeling closed in, a little weary and confined. I used to give meditations to about twenty people on the veranda (afterwards I would always tell Sri Aurobindo what had gone on). And one day, as I am walking across the veranda to give the meditation, I turn my eye and I see the sea. And suddenly it was all oceanic immensity and with a sense of free sailing, from one place to another. The sea breeze, the taste of the sea, and the sense of immensity, vastness, freedom something limitless. It lasted a quarter of an hour, twenty minutes. My body came out of it refreshed, as if I had gone for a long sail.
   I want to emphasize that the effect is PHYSICAL: the experience is concrete and has a physical effect. Thats what I would like to give you.
  --
   But dont get into a meditation posture! And dont tense up; just let yourself go, as if you simply wanted to rest but not in an empty hole. To rest in a mass of infinite force a supple solidity.
   ( meditation)

0 1962-05-31, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   Did our meditation have any effect?
   Did you feel anything?

0 1962-06-06, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   It must give a sort of woolly effect to someone not used to it. You know, when you want to draw your consciousness withinwhat people call concentrating for meditation, for instance, or japa, well, to the sharp-edged surface consciousness the movement of interiorization is like entering something not exactly smoky, because it isnt dark, but woolly: the feeling of something with no angles, no precise demarcations. Dont you have that impression when you concentrate?
   I dont see anything when I concentrate.

0 1962-07-14, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   And simultaneously there is an automatic perception of timeclock timewhich is rather curious (everything is regulated by the comings and goings of the people around me, you see: such a thing at this time, such a thing at that time), I dont need to hear the clock I am warned just before it strikes. I repeat one part of the japa in a particular way while lying down, because the Power is greater (these arent meditations, they are actions), and another part while walking. So I stay stretched out for a certain time, I walk for a certain time, and at a fixed hour this one goes, another comes, and so on. But none of them are people; I dont tell them so, but theyre not people: they are movements of the Lord. And its extremely interestingone of the Lords movements will have this particular character, another movement will have a different type of vibration, and they all harmonize very nicely into a whole. But I know what time it is just before the clock strikes: six oclock, 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, like that. Not with the words six, seven, but: its time, its time, its time. And along with thisthis clockwork precision I have that other notion of time which is quite different, its. Although its a very rigid convention, our time is a living formation with its own living power here in the world of action. The other time is the rhythm of consciousness. So according to the intensity of the Presence (theres a concentration and an expansion, I mean), according to this pulsationwhich can vary, its not regular and mechanicalwalking around the room takes either no time at all, or else an ENORMOUS amount of time. But this doesnt interfere with the other time, theres no contradiction. Our time is on a different plane, something far more external; but it has its usefulness and its own law, and the one doesnt hinder the other.4
   And its gradually becoming foreseeable that.5

0 1962-07-25, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   But then what is this consciousness we feel like a force inside us? For instance, sometimes in meditation it rises, then descends; its not fixed anywhere. What is this consciousness?
   The Shakti!
   Some receive it from above; for others, it rises from below (gesture to the base of the spine). As I once told you, the old system always proceeds from below upwards, while Sri Aurobindo pulls from above downwards. This becomes very clear in meditation (well, in yoga, in yogic experience): for those who follow the old system, its invariably the kundalini at the base [of the spine] rising from center to center, center to center, until the lotus (in an ironic tone) bursts open here gesture at the crown of the head). With Sri Aurobindo, it comes like this (gesture of descending Force) and then settles here (above the head); it enters, and from there it comes down, down, down, everywhere, to the very bottom, and even below the feet the subconscientand lower still, the inconscient.
   Its the Shakti. He said, you know (I am still translating it), that the shakti drawn up from below (this is what happens in the individual process) is already what could be called a veiled shakti (it has power, but it is veiled). While the Shakti drawn down from above is a PURE Shakti; and if it can be brought down carefully and slowly enough so that it isnt (how shall I put it?) polluted or, in any case, obscured as it enters matter, then the result is immediately much better. As he has explained, if you start out with this feeling of a great power in yourself (because its always a great power no matter where it awakens), theres inevitably a danger of the ego meddling in. But if it comes pure and you are very careful to keep it pure, not to rush the movement but let it purify as it descends, then half the work is done.

0 1962-07-28, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   The dates I am no good at dates! And I dont have any papers left to give me precise details. But the realization of the inner Divine must have been in 1911, because thats when I started writing my meditations.3 But since my earliest childhood, you know, this presence was always there, with an initial emphasis on consciousness, then on the vital and aesthetics, then on the mind and culminating here, in 1920, with action.
   From 1911 or 12, up to 1914, there was the whole series of inner experiences, psychic experiences, preparing me to meet Sri Aurobindo (so this ran parallel to my mental development).
  --
   The first Prayers and meditations date from November 1912, but there may have been earlier ones among the numerous texts Mother destroyed.
   ***

0 1962-08-18, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   (Then Mother speaks of the collective meditation held on August 15, Sri Aurobindos ninetieth birthday.)
   Mon petit, we had a meditation here on the 15th, at ten oclock.2 At a quarter to ten, I was sitting here at the table in a total silence. And then I cant say Sri Aurobindo came, for he is always here, but he manifested in a special way. Concretely, in the subtle physical, he became so tall that, sitting cross-legged as they do here, he covered the whole compoundeven extended a bit beyond it! He was literally sitting upon the compound; so to the extent that the people meditating were not closed, they were all inside him. He was sitting like that (not on their heads!), and I could feel (I was here, you see) the FRICTION of his presence in the subtle physicalan utterly physical friction! And I saw him (as you well know, I am not shut up in here [the body]), I saw him sitting there, very tall and perfectly proportioned; and then he started gently, gently descendingthis descent is what caused the frictiongently, very gently, so as not to give people a shock. Then he settled there and stayed for a little more than half an hour, a few minutes more, like that, absolutely still, but fully concentrated on all the people they were inside him.
   I was sitting here smiling, almost almost laughing, really; you could feel him like that everywhere (Mother touches her whole body), everywhere. And with such peace! Such peace, such force, such power. And a sense of eternity, immensity, and absoluteness. A sense of absoluteness, as if all were fulfilled, so to speak, and one lived in Eternity.
  --
   One thing, though (he didnt inform me he was going to do it!)when I was told that people would be gathering for a half hour of meditation, at once something in me took it quite seriously: Very well. So I arranged everything for the meditation, and at about 9:45 I sat down at the table then it began. It took about five minutes to take shape. Ah! Then I understood.
   He has given us a beautiful gift.
  --
   Ive asked no one, Ive told no one, I havent said anything about it, not a word; youre the first. When Pavitra came yesterday I smilingly asked him if hed had a good meditation, thats all. He said yes. So I told him, Well, Sri Aurobindo was sitting on you! (Mother laughs) I was sitting below, in Sri Aurobindos room, he replied. He was there too! I said (Mother laughs).
   Personally I was immobilized. I had the experience of being completely immobilized.

0 1962-09-08, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   He came yesterday. The meditation was good in that it was very concentrated and silent, and he had an ascent like this (gesture of an upright triangle), with a point that was supreme (for him) and a descent of light. Very calm, very silent.
   The doctor says he has the flumaybe he gave it to me I dont know.

0 1962-09-15, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   I dont want English. I dont want English! And more and more, I dont want English. For instance, the English translation of Prayers and meditations is out of print and they wanted to reprint it. I said no: If you want, you can reprint what Sri Aurobindo HIMSELF translated (theres not much, just a thin volume). That, yes, because Sri Aurobindo translated it. But even at that, its not the same thing as my textits Sri Aurobindos, not mine.
   Prayers and meditations came to me, you knowit was dictated each time. I would write at the end of my concentration, and it didnt pass through the mind, it just came and it obviously came from someone interested in beautiful form. I used to keep it under lock and key so nobody would see it. But when I came here Sri Aurobindo asked about it, so I showed him a few pages and then he wanted to see the rest. Otherwise I would have always kept it locked away. I destroyed whatever was leftthere were five thick volumes in which I had written every single day (there was some repetition, of course): the outcome of my concentrations. So I chose which parts would be published (Sri Aurobindo helped in the choice), copied them out, and then I cut the pages up and had the rest burned.
   Thats a shame!

0 1962-09-18, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   I dont have far to go on my translation of The Synthesis of Yoga (its going very quickly), and I have found what Ill do next. It will be something like those notebooks [Prayers and meditations]. I am going to take the whole section of Savitri (to start with, Ill see later) from The Debate of Love and Death to the point where the Supreme Lord makes his prophecy about the earths future; its longseveral pages long. This is for my own satisfaction.
   I am going to translate it line by line (not word by wordline by line), leaving a space between each line; and when Ive finished I will try to recapture it in French (gesture of pulling down from above).

0 1962-10-20, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   (Mother goes into a long meditation, then suddenly comes out of it)
   Its going well.

0 1962-10-24, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   (After listening to Satprem read his manuscript Mother enters into a long meditation.)
   He always comes here when you read. And such peace is created when hes here, such peace; something so solid. Dont you feel it?

0 1962-10-27, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   But what I play isnt music, I dont try to play music: its simply a sort of meditation with sound.
   I constantly hear something like great waves of music. I just have to withdraw a little, and there it is; I hear it. It is always there. It is music, but without sound! Great waves of music. And whenever I hear those waves, my hands get the urge to play. So I am going to make some experiments: be completely passive, hands inert, and try to transcribe it.

0 1962-10-30, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   Its like that famous Nirvanayou can find it behind everything. Theres a psychic nirvana, a mental nirvana, even a vital nirvana. I think I already told you about the experience I had with Tagore in Japan. Tagore always used to say that as soon as he started meditating he entered Nirvana, and he asked me to meditate with him. We sat together in meditation. I was expecting to make a very steep ascent, but he simply went into his MIND, and there (what I do, you see, is tune in to the person I am meditating with, identify with him thats how I know what happens). Well, he started meditating, and everything quite rapidly came to a halt, became absolutely immobile (this he did very well), and from there he sort of fell backwards, and it was Nothingness. And he could remain in that state indefinitely! We did in fact stay like that for a rather long time; I dont remember how long, three quarters of an hour or an hour, but anyway it was long enough. I was keeping alert the whole time to see if, by chance, he would go on into something else, but there he stayedhe stayed there nice and calm, without stirring. Then he came back, his mind started up again, and that was that.
   I said nothing to him.
  --
   But I dont understand whats so great about Nirvana. I dont know whether I go into Nirvana, but when I sit in meditation and everything becomes still, wellso what? Nothings there any more! If thats what they call Nirvana, I dont see whats so great about it.
   Do you remain conscious of yourself?
  --
   But I tell you, it also has an EXTRAORDINARY utility: it automatically renews all the energies. Actually, thats the true reason for sleep: to be able to enter that state. And thats why those who can enter it consciously in meditation need much less sleep. Much less. Its what enables the body to last: Sat. And whenever I have meditated with you, Ive always had a feeling of entering that state.
   Pure existence, outside of the Manifestation. It is wonderfully luminous, immobile, tranquil, and a sort of bliss devoid of any vibration, beyond vibration.

0 1962-11-07, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   In fact, the aim of meditation is to catch hold of that. And any path whatsoever is good, since youre sure to catch hold of it: it is HERE. You dont have to go far to look for itit is right here.
   It has become a kind of habit: I am eating a meal, for example, and swallow the wrong way or whatever (not even something violent, just a slightly uneasy sensation in the throat), I do this (gesture of drawing back) for one second, and its finished. Or I am speaking to someone and the right word doesnt come automatically: I just have to do this (same gesture), and there it is. It works for everything. It puts things back in order.
   And thats what you have in your meditations. Only (laughing), you wont be happy unless you get out of itunless something dramatic happens! (Mother laughs and laughs) Thats why you complain! Some people work years and years and years to have it just once.
   Thats all, mon petit.
  --
   "This state is clearly outside time and space, that's certain. So you go from the state in time and space to the state where you're outside time and space, and NOT by a change of place ... something! It's something that happens inside, instantaneously. It's not a long passage like the long and gradual movement you experience in meditation, for instance; the passage into Sat isn't a gradual transition from one state to another: it is sudden, like an immediate reversal. But as I just said, there are no words for it; 'reversal' is infinitely too violent for expressing it."
   ***

0 1962-11-27, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   Did you come to the meditation on the 24th?1 What did you feel? Nothing special?
   The big difference compared to my meditations at home is that immediately theres complete immobility and with no difficulty. Its truly immobile.
   I myself had an experience lasting the full half hour of the meditation.
   Nothing was left but an immensity, without beginning, without end, neither in space nor in timeoutside time. Outside time and space: an immensity of light. It was something of the same nature as light, but not lightfar brighter, far not bright: far more intense than light. It was white, but not our physical white; it was a white at the time I couldnt define it. Afterwards, looking at it again in my consciousness, it seemed to be the light of a gold turned white, you understand: like when you bring something to white heat. Well, it was like gold becoming white through its intensity. It was ABSOLUTELY immobile that is, I had the feeling you get in Sat.2 Yet that immobility contained (how shall I put it?) yes, it actively containedalthough its action wasnt perceptiblea sort of infinite Power, which could be the creative Power. And directed by an unmanifest Consciousness. If you can make anything out of this, good for you!

0 1963-01-09, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   You see how far we are from those romantic transformations where people emerge from their meditation rejuvenated, transfigured, luminousoh, dear me! That will be mere childs play. At the end, it will be nothing: well just have to do this (Mother blows one puff in the air), and it will be there.
   Its the rest that is difficult.

0 1963-01-14, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   February 2 is C.s birthday, so Ill give him a meditation, because these are people who still believe in meditation! (Mother laughs)
   It has become quite an entertaining little field of experiences, by the way. Because nowadays I send people cards, and I have lots of cards, innumerable kinds of cards2 (C. spends his time preparing them), and automatically, whenever I have to write a card for someone, it isnt as I decided beforeh and (because sometimes I decide beforehand), the choice is made at the last minute: THIS is the card I must send and THIS is what I must say. I neednt worry about it, it comes just in time. Then I only have to get up, go find the card, write, and its all over. People will tell me (precisely those who lead a spiritual life), What! You make such a trifle the object of a spiritual experience! And its the same with ALL small things: what object to be used, what perfume to put on, what bath salts, all manner of futile, frivolous, unimportant thingsHow shocking! I dont even make an effort to find out or to (think, thank God I dont think!), it just comes: this, that, that. Not saidKNOWN. It isnt even said, I am not told, Do this, never. Its KNOWN: Ah, here we are, thats it! And I choose and do itvery comfortable!

0 1963-01-30, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   In my case it was from the age of twenty to thirty that I was concerned with French (before twenty I was more involved in vision: painting; and sound: music), but as regards language, literature, language sounds (written or spoken), it was approximately from twenty to thirty. The Prayers and meditations were written spontaneously with that rhythm. If I stayed in an ordinary consciousness I would get the knack of that rhythm but now it doesnt work that way, it wont do!
   Yesterday, after my translation, I was surprised at that sense a sense of absolute: THATS HOW IT IS. Then I tried to enter into the literary mind and wondered, What would be its various suggestions? And suddenly, I saw somehow (somehow, somewhere there) a host of suggestions for every line! Ohh! No doubt, I thought, it IS an absolute! The words came like that, without any room for discussion or anything. To give you an example: when he says the clamour of the human plane, clameur exists in French, its a very nice wordhe didnt want it, he said No, without any discussion. It wasnt an answer to a discussion, he just said, Not clameur: vacarme.1 It isnt as though he was weighing one word against another, it wasnt a matter of words but the THOUGHT of the word, the SENSE of the word: No, not clameur, its vacarme.

0 1963-02-15, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   The 21st, well have a meditation at 10 A.M., then at 6:15 P.M. I will go out on the terracecan you see me from your house? But it seems you can hear the music.
   Yes, we can.

0 1963-03-09, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   It was the same thing when I made that overmental formation (we were heading for miracles!). One day Sri Aurobindo told me I had brought down into Amrita6 a force of the creative Brahma (its the creative Word, the Word that realizes itself automatically). And I dont know what happened something, I cant recall what, that showed me it was working very well. Then a sort of idea occurred to me: Why, we could try this power on mosquitoes: let mosquitoes cease to exist! What would happen? (We were pestered by mosquitoes at the time.) Before doing it (the meditation was over, it would have been for the next time), I said to Sri Aurobindo, Well, what if we tried with that force which responds; if we said, Let mosquitoes cease to exist, we could at least get rid of them within a certain field of action, a certain field of influence, couldnt we? So he looked at me (with a smile), kept silent, and, after a moment, turned to me and said, You are in full Overmind. That is not the Truth we want to manifest. I told you the story. It was on that occasion.
   We could have done things of that sort.
  --
   Interestingly there was nothing mental about it: I didnt know the existence of those things, I didnt know what meditation was I meditated without the least idea of what it was. I knew nothing, absolutely nothing, my mother had kept it all completely taboo: those matters are not to be touched, they drive you crazy!
   Later, the memories came back.
  --
   It was suggested to me in the form of a vision: I was sitting on a somewhat high chair downstairs, on the ground floor (in the meditation hall where I went in 1960), while people filed past me. But then there should be some sort of distribution, and I am more in favor of something printed than a material object. A material object I am much too poor, in the first place. Something printed.
   Its vaguenot vague but incomplete. The details are precise, what I see is precise, but everything isnt there. Only certain points here and there its incomplete.

0 1963-03-19, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   After a meditation with Mother:
   When you meditate, are you conscious of going from one state to another? No?

0 1963-03-23, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   One thing, though: suddenly I read (yesterday or the day before) a sermon delivered in the U.S.A. by an American (who is a rabbi, a pastor and even a Catholic priest all at the same time!). He heads a group, a group for the unity of religions. A fairly young man, and a preacher. He gives a sermon every week, I think. He came here with some other Americans, stayed for two days and went back. But then, he sent us the sermons he had given since his return, and in one of them he recounts his spiritual journey, as he calls it (a spiritual journey through China, Japan, Indochina, Malaysia, Indonesia, and so on up to India). What shocked him most in India was the povertyit was an almost unbearable experience for him (thats also what prompted the two persons who were with him to leave, and he left with them): poverty. Personally, I dont know because Ive seen poverty everywhere; I saw it wherever I went, but it seems Americans find it very shocking. Anyway, they came here, and in his sermon he gives his impression of the Ashram. I read it almost with astonishment. That man says that the minute he entered this place, he felt a peace, a calm, a stability he had never felt ANYWHERE else in his life. He met a man (he doesnt say who, he doesnt name him and I couldnt find out), who he says was such a monument of divine peace and quietude that I only wished to sit silently at his side. Who it is, I dont know (theres only Nolini who might, possibly, give that impression). He attended the meditationhe says he had never felt anything so wonderful anywhere. And he left with the feeling this was a unique place in the world from the point of view of the realization of divine Peace. I read that almost with surprise. And hes a man who, intellectually, is unable to understand or follow Sri Aurobindo (the horizon is quite narrow, he hasnt got beyond the unity of religions, thats the utmost he can conceive of). Well, in spite of that Those who already know all of Sri Aurobindo, who come here thinking they will see and who feel that Peace, I can understand. But thats not the case: he was enthralled at once!
   Its the same with people who get cured. That I know, to some extent: the Power acts so forcefully that it is almost miraculousat a distance. The Power I am very conscious of the Power. But, I must say, I find it doesnt act here so well as it does far away. On government or national matters, on the terrestrial atmosphere, on great movements, also as inspirations on the level of thought (in certain people, to realize certain things), the Power is very clear. Also to save people or cure themit acts very strongly. But much more at a distance than here! (Although the receptivity has increased since I withdrew because, necessarily, it gave people the urge to find inside something they no longer had outside.) But here, the response is very erratic. And to distinguish between the proportion that comes from faith, sincerity, simplicity, and what comes from the Power Some people I am able to save (naturally, in my view, its because they COULD be saved), this is something that for a very long time I have been able to foresee. But now I dont try to know: it comes like this (gesture like a flash). If, for instance, I am told, So and so has fallen ill, well, immediately I know if he will recover (first if its nothing, some passing trouble), if he will recover, if it will take some time and struggle and difficulties, or if its fatalautomatically. And without trying to know, without even trying: the two things come together.2 This capacity has developed, first because I have more peace, and because, having more peace, things follow a more normal course. But there were two or three little instances where I said to the Lord (gesture of presenting something, palms open upward), I asked Him to do a certain thing, and then (not very often, it doesnt happen to me often; at times it comes as a necessity, a necessity to present the thing with a commentfrom morning to evening and evening to morning I present everything constantly, thats my movement [same gesture of presenting something] but here, there is a comment, as if I were asking, Couldnt this be done?), and then the result: yes, immediately. But I am not the one who presents the thing, you see: its just the way it is, it just happens that way, like everything else.3 So my conclusion is that its part of the Plan, I mean, a certain vibration is necessary, enters [into Mother], intervenes, and No stories to tell, mon petit! Nothing to fill people with enthusiasm or give them trust, nothing.
  --
   These last few days, while walking in meditation, I said to the Lord, What do I have? I have no certainty, no foreknowledge, no absolute power, I have nothing. (I dont mean I, I mean the bodythis body.) The body was saying: Do you see my condition? I am still full of (it was complaining bitterly), oh, full of the silliest movements. Petty movements of apprehension, petty movements of uncertainty, petty movements of anxiety, petty movements of all kinds of very, very petty thingsthose who live a normal life dont take any notice, they dont know, but when you observe whats going on deep down with that discernment oh, mon petit! Its so petty, so petty, so petty.
   Only one thing (which is not even absolute): a sort of equality that has come into the bodynot an equality of soul (laughing): an equality in the cells! It has come into the body. There is no longer that clash of joy and painalways and for everything, every minute, every reaction, You, Lord, to You, Lord. As though the cells were chanting, To You Lord, to You Lord, to You Lord. And well, thats how it is.

0 1963-04-20, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   Ive known several people, especially I., who worked with Dilip (she used to have visions, she danced also): when she went into meditation, it was all over; even when she tried to come back and move, she couldnt. Dilip had to come and pull her hands, disengage her fingers and move her body, till she began coming around. But you understand, that sort of thing wont do at all.
   Better be more on this side than on that side.
  --
   In meditation?
   No, not in meditation: at night.
   In my case, I found out I had that capacity because it made me prone to faintingnot too often, but off and on it happened. When I was a child and didnt know a thing, I fainted a couple of times; the fainting, as it happened, wasnt unconsciousit was consciousand after a bit of practice (not the practice of fainting!), of occult practice, when I fainted I would see myself. Even before that, I had seen myself but without knowing what it all meant, I couldnt make head or tail of it. But I would see myself. And afterwards, whenever I would faint, the first thing I did was to see my body lying down in a ridiculous position. So I would rush back into it vigorously, and it would be all over.
  --
   But are my meditations
   Oh, mon petit, theyre excellent, dont speak ill of your meditations, theyre perfect! I have rarely seen such peace. Because I have seen many meditations with some peace, but generally a very tamasic, heavy peace. But this kind of peace that rises and turns into a white bliss, thats very rare. Very rare. And its the same every time: regular, automatic, effortless; its your natural state. I dont know if you had it before coming here, I cant say.
   No, with you it becomes very concrete. When Im alone, the perception is more vague; with you, I almost seem to see.

0 1963-05-03, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   But during the morning meditation, I was at a loss. Is it the symbol of a clinging to the past? Possible. But then there are plenty of people like that in the world, who cling to the past, plenty.
   (silence)

0 1963-05-11, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   Mother later clarified: "'Glory to You, O Lord' isn't MY mantra, it's something I ADDED to itmy mantra is something else altogether, that's not it. When I say that my mantra has the power of immortality, I mean the other, the one I don't speak of! I have never given the words.... You see, at the end of my walk, a kind of enthusiasm rises, and with that enthusiasm, the 'Glory to You' came to me, but it's part of the prayer I had written in Prayers and meditations: 'Glory to You, O Lord, all-triumphant Supreme' etc. (it's a long prayer). It came back suddenly, and as it came back spontaneously, I kept it. Moreover, when Sri Aurobindo read this prayer in Prayers and meditations, he told me it was very strong. So I added this phrase as a kind of tail to my japa. But 'Glory to You, O Lord' isn't my spontaneous mantrait came spontaneously, but it was something written very long ago. The two things are different."
   Such is the case, for example, of Anandamayi-M, who was said to be hysterical because of the strange gestures she made during her meditations, until it turned out that they were ritual asanas and mudras which she performed spontaneously.
   As long as Nature lasts, he too is there; For this is sure that he and she are one.

0 1963-06-26b, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   I was on a staircase that looked like the one leading to the meditation room. Two Ashram girls, about sixteen or seventeen years old, were there, waiting to go upstairs to see mother. When I heard that, I was seized by a sense of great danger. Because I KNEW that You werent there. So I began to give instructions to the two girls, whom I knew, in fact, one especially. I dont remember what I told them but it was a matter of willof life and death. The girl who knew me well promised she would do as I said, the other didnt seem to understand, and time was running out. In fact, the first girl had hardly had time to understand when the door opened and the mother was there to receive us. I had a glimpse of her. She was shorter than You in size, but her face resembled yours, though not the look. Also she had all over her round black spots (not jet black, rather brownish black). But for that, she was white.
   After that glimpse, I turned and went back, because, Little Mother, I felt that if that false Mother could lay her hands on me once, I would never come out alive. Whereas if I could go out of that place, I might find a way to save the life of at least one of the girls. So before my absence was noticed, I started downstairs. The staircase has become narrow. The door is shut and a dark-looking guard is there. He is surprised to see me and does not want to let me out. I insist that he must open the door. He asks whether I saw the Mother. I answer yes. He doesnt seem convinced. I add that she is covered with black spots. He is obliged to let me out but thinks that the second guard farther on may stop me. I go downstairs; I see the second guard but go another way; then there are closed doors everywhere, and I open some doors which, according to them, I should not have been able to open. Finally I come to a courtyard, with the last door closed behind me. I still had to cross the courtyard unseen and climb over the high walls that surrounded the house. At that point, I was awakened by servants before I knew whether or not I was able to get out.

0 1963-07-20, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   Simply what they think. Otherwise, his arrival, his stay, his meditations, his departure: absolutely neutral. In other words, I noticed neither increased difficulties nor improved conditions. Things carry on in their own sweet way without any difference. The two atmospheres mingle without anything changing.
   I had decided I would study the thing very carefully, absolutely objectively, in order to be surebecause I had around me all the waves of all the impressions, well-disposed as well as ill-disposed, and I found all that whirl ridiculous. I conducted my observation in a most scientific and objective way: the whole, entire effect is purely mental. The whole whirlmental.
  --
   The end of December. The Force, the Power may act, mind youonly, X as an instrument is barely conscious. It may pass through him I dont say it wont. Because the remarkable point in the meditations (I took a good look this time) is that at the moment of his best, most complete receptivity, I had to come down to Xs most material form to find a formall the rest, there was no more form. Which means the inner being isnt individualized: its identified, merged. And thats precisely what Sri Aurobindo explains so well: the difference between one who identifies with the Supreme through self-annihilation and one who can express the Supreme (gesture of pulling downward) in a perfected being and everywhere. Thats what makes the whole difference. Of X there remained only the outer husk, so to say (a coarse enough husk, besides, thick and heavy, with very heavy vibrations), it was there, sitting in front of me and empty: the consciousness was gone (gesture showing the consciousness spread out or dissolved in the Infinite). So his power acts in an almost mediumistic manner, which means that when it is X who speaks, its something quite ordinary, but the Force can come through him.
   But curiously enough, that yantram seems to exasperate the physical mind.

0 1963-08-03, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   (Shortly afterwards, Mother goes into meditation and Satprem follows her:)
   Do you still have a sensation of descent? A descent of force?
  --
   It [the meditation] was very good, very still and luminous, without any disturbance. Very good.
   But the consciousness doesnt seem to be progressing the consciousness, you understand.

0 1963-08-10, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   But the question arose for this body [Mothers], just to see, you know. And I saw all kinds of things, and finally the answer was always the same (you see, the problem was presented to me to enable me to understand the situation in all its aspects and see the necessities), that naturally everything would be for the best! (Laughing) Without a doubt. But I mean it was presented very concretely and, I could say, very personally to make me understand the problem. And there was that old thing I was told the other day (old, that is, a few days old! i: I was told that THE CELLS THEMSELVES would be given a free choice. So the conclusion of all that meditation was that there must be a new element in the consciousness of the cellular aggregatesa new element a new experience that must be in progress. The result: last night, I had a series of fantastic cellular experiences, which I cannot even explain and which must be the beginning of a new revelation.
   When the experience began, there was something looking on (you know, there is always in me something looking on somewhat ironically, always amused) which said, Very well! If that happened to someone else, he would think he was quite sick! (laughing) Or half mad. So I stayed very quiet and thought, All right, let it be, Ill watch, Ill see Ill see soon enough! It has started, so it will have to end! Indescribable! Indescribable (the experience will have to recur several times before I can understand), fantastic! It started at 8:30 and went on till 2:30 in the morning; that is to say, not for a second did I lose consciousness, I was there watching the most extraordinary things for six hours.
  --
   During all that period of concentration and meditation on what happens in a body after death (I am speaking of the bodys experience after what is now called death), well, several times the same kind of vision came to me. I had been told (shown and told) of certain saints whose bodies did not decompose (theres one here, there was one in Goafantastic stories). Naturally, people always romanticize those things, but there remains the material fact of a saint who died in Goa, left his body in Goa, but whose body didnt decompose.5 I dont know the story in all its details, but the body was removed from India, taken away to China and remained buried there, in Hong-Kong, I believe (or somewhere in that region) for a time; then it was taken out, brought back here, buried again. For ten or twelve years it stayed buried in those two places: it didnt decompose. It dried out, became mummified (dried out, that is, dehydrated), but it remained preserved. Well, this fact was presented to me several times as ONE of the possibilities.
   Which means, to tell the truth, that everything is possible.

0 1963-09-04, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   After a meditation with Satprem:
   I again saw a square shape, like last time, in front of you, but this time it was different: there was a bright golden light, and that square shape was here (gesture between the throat and the solar plexus), in front of you, then it rose and rose and rose like that, slowly, very slowly, above your head, and there it spread out into a great light a very quiet light.
   I think its the symbol of your meditation. A squarea perfect square, I mean, about this size, from there to there (from the top of the head to the solar plexus): thats you when you meditate. Its quite established, like something firmly established, and then slowly, very slowly, it rose and rose and rose above your head, and there not violently, of course, it didnt burst out, but it spread out into an Immensity of light.
   The symbol of your consciousness.
  --
   Is it the symbol of your meditation or the symbol of your consciousness?The symbol of your consciousness.
   Did you feel, towards the middle of your meditation, a kind of sudden relaxing, an inner well-being?
   Yes, I felt it.

0 1963-10-16, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   Here is what happened: I do my usual bath of the Lord and it is arranged that, after a time, Champaklal opens the doorwhich signals to me the end of the visit. So I looked at X, just to see (I had looked at him several times before, but there was nothing particular), I looked at him and saw in front of him a sort of mass of substance, not material but responsive to a mental formation, which means that mental thought and will can make this substance take different shapes I know it (Mother makes a gesture of fingering the substance), its very like the sort of substance mediums use for their apparitions (less material, more mental, but anyway the same kind). There was a sort of mass in front of him, which was hiding him; it wasnt luminous, not black either, but dark enough. So I looked at it, STARED at it to see what it was, and as I was staring, I saw that there was a will or an effort to give that mass of substance a shape. It was exactly in front of Xs head and shoulders. And there was a will to give it a shape (gesture of molding). As I stared very carefully, it took the shape of Sri Aurobindos head as it appears in newspapers and magazines (what I call the popular Sri Aurobindo, as he is shown in books), the substance took that form. Immediately I thought (ironic tone), Oh, its the popular form, that doesnt resemble him! And instantly, the substance rearranged itself and took the form of Cartier-Bressons Sri Aurobindo1 (the three-quarter face photo, where he is seated in his armchair). That was better! (Mother holds back a chuckle) It wasnt yet quite good, but anyway it was better (although, mind you, it had neither light nor life: it was mattera subtle matter, of courseput into shape by a mental will). So I began to wonder: Whatever is this?! Does he want me to believe that Sri Aurobindo is in him, or what? Because Xs head and shoulders had completely disappeared, there was nothing left but that. And I thought (not a strong thought, just a reflection): No, its not very good, really not very lifelike! (Mother laughs) Then there was a last attempt and it became very like the photo that was taken when he left his body (that photo which we stood on end and called meditation), it was very like the photo, (in an ironic tone) a very good likeness. And it stayed. So I thought, Oh yes! This is the photo.
   Then I concentrated just a little and thought, Lets see, now. Whom is he trying to delude? And instantly, everything vanished. And I saw X, his head.
  --
   Very, very long ago, when I was still downstairs (not last year, the year before), one day I dont remember the details, but I know he made a sort of cinema show during the meditation: he showed himself as this god, that god, this or thatthere was a whole swarm of gods and beings who came and threw themselves onto him like this (Mother lays one hand flat on the other), and Sri Aurobindo was there too, among the crowd! I took it as a demonstration of his powers I didnt attach any importance to it. Naturally, I saw what it was; none of those beings was actually there, it was only their image. But I didnt attach any importance to it because to me it was (laughing) like someone giving me a show!
   But this time

0 1963-11-20, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   But you cant imagine, its wonderful! Immediately there comesclear, simple, effortlessly, without seeking for itexactly what has to be done or said or written: the whole tension stops, its over. And then, if you need paper, the paper is there; if you need a fountain pen, you find just the one you need; if you need (theres no seeking: above all dont seek, dont try to seek, youll just make another mess)its there. And thats a fact of EVERY MINUTE. You have the field of experience every second. For instance, youre dealing with a servant who doesnt do things properly or as you think they should be done, or youre dealing with a stomach that doesnt work the way youd like it to and it hurts: its the same method, there is no other. You know, at times situations get so tense that you feel as if youre about to faint, the body cant stand it any more, its so tense; or else theres a pain, something wrong, things arent sorting themselves out, and theres a tension; so immediately you stop everything: Lord, You, its up to You. At first there comes a peace, as if you were entirely outside existence, and then its gone the pain goes, the dizziness disappears. And what is to happen happens automatically. And, you see, its not in meditation, not in actions of terrestrial importance: its the field of experience you have ALL the time, without interruptionwhen you know how to put it to use. And for everything: when something hurts, for instance, when things resist or grate or howl inside there, instead of your saying, Oh, how it hurts! you call the Lord in there: Come in here, and then you stay calm, not thinking of anythingyou simply stay still in your sensation. And more than a thousand times, you know, I was almost bewildered: Look! The pain is gone! You didnt even notice how it went. So people who want to lead a special life or have a special organization to have experiences, thats quite silly the greatest possible diversity of experiences is at your disposal every minute, every minute. Only you must learn not to have a mental ambition for great things. Just the other day, I was shown in such a clear way a very small thing I had done (I, its the body speaking), a very small things that had been done by the Lord in this body (thats a long sentence!), and I was shown the terrestrial consequence of that very small thingit was visible, I mean, as my hand is visible to my eyesand the terrestrial correspondence. Then I understood.
   We are given everythingEVERYTHING. All the difficulties that have to be overcome, all of them (and the more capable we are, that is, the more complex the instrument is, the more numerous the difficulties are), all the difficulties, all the opportunities to overcome them, all the possible experiences, and limited in time and space so they can be innumerable. And it has repercussions and consequences all over the earth (I am not concerned with what goes on in the universe because, for the time being, that isnt my work). But it is certain (because it has been said so and I know it) that what goes on on the earth has repercussions throughout the universe. Sitting there, you live the everyday life with its usual insignificance, its unimportance, its lack of interest and its a WONDERFUL field of experiences, of innumerable experiences, not only innumerable but as varied as can be, from the most subtle to the most material, without leaving your body. Only, you should have RETURNED to it. You cannot have authority over your body without having left it.

0 1963-11-30, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   (After a meditation with Mother)
   Do you believe in Muses?

0 1963-12-07 - supramental ship, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   There have been many efforts, concentrations, meditations, prayers to bring about the clarification and control of all those semiconscious reflexes that govern individualsa great concentration on that point. And this experience seems to be the outcome.
   There are lots of things which people dont even take notice of in life (when they live an ordinary life, they dont take any notice), theres a whole field of things that are absolutely not quite unconscious, but certainly not conscious; they are reflexesreflexes, reactions to stimuli, and so on and also the response (a semiconscious, barely conscious response) to the pressure exerted from above by the Force, which people are totally unconscious of. It is the study of this question which is now in the works; I am very much occupied with it. A study of every second. You see, there are different ways for the Lord to be present, its very interesting (the difference isnt for Him, its for us!), and it depends precisely on the amount of habitual reflex movements that take place almost outside our observation (generally completely outside it) And this question preoccupied me very, very much: the ways of feeling the Lords Presence the different ways. There is a way in which you feel it as something vague, but of which you are sureyou are always sure but the sensation is vague and a bit blurred and at other times it is an acute Presence2 (Mother touches her face), very precise, in all that you do, all that you feel, all that you are. There is an entire range. And then if we follow the movement (gesture in stages, moving away), there are those who are so far away, so far, that they dont feel anything at all.

0 1963-12-11, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   There was in the Subconscient a frightful battle in the night from the 8th to the 9thoh! It was like a return of the attack on me when you went to Rameswaram (long ago1); X said it was a Tantric who had made that formation (it happened on December 9 too and I was very sick, I didnt go out). Well, it was an attack of that kind. I dont know if it comes from the same I cant say person, but from the same origin of forces. And very violent, during the night. It went on during the meditation on the 9th: for the first time during those meditations, there was a tremendous battle, in the Subconscient. And the body was in a state a not too happy state. It stops the heart, you see, so it was unpleasant.
   But afterwards, I saw that it did dislodge something, it wasnt useless. It dislodged something. But its forces with a radical ill will: they are not merely ignoranta radical ill will.
  --
   Anyway, things went back to normal fairly quickly at the time. But the other day, the 9th, there was a return of that attack, as though that ill will hadnt been completely eliminated, completely defeated there was a return. It didnt have the same effect, but it was painful. A curious feeling, as if (I was sitting at the table, as I always do on mornings when there is meditation), then at the beginning, in some parts of the body, the cells seemed to be grating. I concentrated, I called, and I saw there was a battlea formidable battle being waged down below. It was grating, its curious. A kind of grating of things that arent smooth. And I wondered, When will it be able to relax? Then spasms here, at the solar plexus. And on those days, the doctor and P. always stay here for the meditation; but I was in trance, in my battle, when suddenly I felt a pressure on my pulse (laughing): it was the doctor, who had got up from his meditation (I must have been making some strange noises!) and was feeling my pulseit seems my pulse was fading! But I didnt come out of my trance (I was conscious, but I didnt come out of it), I stayed like that till the end of the meditation, even a little afterwards. Then when the grating diminished, I came out of the trance and saw them both standing in front of me. I gave them a nice smile and told them, Its all right. And I lay down. Then I went into a deep trance, completely out of the body, and everything returned to normal.
   Afterwards I took a look. I wasnt too happy: To do that during the meditation! And I was told that it could be done only during the meditation and not at any other time, in activity or even in concentration, because its not the same thing: it could be done only in deep meditation. So I said, Very well. And I was also shown that there was a concrete result, a kind of partial victory over that type of ill willa very, very aggressive ill will, extremely aggressive, which belongs to another age: its something that no longer has the right to exist on the earth. It must go.
   Its the same thing, moreover, which brought about Kennedys assassination. And I suppose thats why I had to intervene. Because Kennedys assassination has upset many things from the point of view of the general work. And it was the same thing, because as soon as I had news of the assassination, I saw the same kind of vibration, the same black forcevery, very black and spontaneously, I said (it isnt I who said it), Oh, that may mean war. In other words, a victory of that force over the one that tries to follow more harmonious paths. But I have been protesting and working since then, and what happened on the 9th is the outcome of it.
  --
   The other state, the state in which there is me and other people, is becoming unpleasant; it brings things the consciousness disapproves of, reactions the consciousness disapproves of: Still this? Still this smallness, still this limitation, still this incomprehension, still this darkness? All the time like that. So, immediately, something within goes like this (gesture of inner reversal), and it becomes the other way. And the other way is so soft, oh! So soft, so smooth, without clashes, without friction, without unpleasant reactions thats what happened when there was that very painful grating during the meditation on the 9th it was because the individual reactions of the cells were not in accord with the general harmony.
   Its becoming a little interesting. Its a little new.

0 1964-01-04, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   It was the same thing with you I saw that. He regards you like this (gesture of looking down on Satprem), and then, youre not a pundit (!), you havent had the religious education of the countryhe regards you as a beginner, he isnt at all conscious of where your mind is, of where your mind can reach. I told him, but even that he doesnt quite understand. But once, I saw (it was at the time when I was giving him meditations downstairs), he had made a remark that was quite preposterous on the fact that people here meditated with eyes closed and that I, too, had my eyes closed when I meditated. It was reported to me. That was long ago, years ago. He was going to come and see me the next morning, so I said, Wait, my friend, Ill show you! And the next day, I meditated with my eyes open (Mother laughs)the poor man! When he went downstairs, he said, Mother meditated with her eyes open, she was like a lion!
   Thats it, you understand, theres a gap.
  --
   No, I am not imagining things: I know! He said that thing (had Sri Aurobindo been here, he would have had a good laugh!), Oh, the gods, she should let me look after them, I know better than she does! You understand, when I was giving meditations in the hall downstairs, they were all thereadd: Shiva, Krishna, all the gods of the Indian pantheon were there, seated like this (gesture in a circle) to follow the meditation.
   Krishna sometimes I walked with him for hours in conversation. At night, when I was very tired from my work, he would come and sit on the edge of my bed, I would put my head on his shoulder and fall asleep. And it lasted for years and years and years, you knownot just once by chance.

0 1964-03-04, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   During the meditation on the 29th, I noticed (I looked), I noticed that for about two days, the atmosphere had been full of a sparkling of white stars, like dusta twinkling dust of white stars.2 I saw it had been there for three days. And at the time of the meditation, it became extremely intense. But it was widespread, it was everywhere.
   There seemed to be nothing but sparkling dotsdots that glittered like diamonds. It was like sparkling diamonds everywhere, absolutely everywhere. And it had a tendency to come from above downward. It lasted not just hours, but days; others saw it (yet I didnt say anything to anyone), others saw it and asked me what it was.
  --
   (long silence then meditation)
   The feeling that the cells of the body are constantly subjected to a sort of poundingits ceaseless, night and day. Since I told you about it last time, its been like that all the time.

0 1964-03-28, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   I see the problem very clearly, because all these experiences (if you reread Prayers and meditations, you will see), I had them in the mind, even in the vital, and at the time, naturally, what I said was very clear, it made perfect sense; but the body didnt participate: it obeyed. When its perfectly docile, it obeys, and it didnt stand in the way. But whats happening now is that all this, all these living experiences are taking place in the body itself; and unless one has them HERE, all my explanations of vibrations are meaningless
   Its only when the experience becomes mental and psychological that people understand it.
  --
   Only, I am in a transitional period in which I cannot actively look after people, that is, see them, talk to them, receive them, give them meditations I cant, its impossible, the body is unable to do both things. And it is clearly more important for it to attract as much Truth-Force as it can and work like this in silence (radiating gesture) than to help one, two, or three, or ten or a hundred people to progress.
   Later on, I cant say. If a power of ANOTHER ORDER descends into the body, and if it recovers from the wear and tear of effort, then things may be different, but for the moment

0 1964-04-08, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   I simply know that there is something else, and then I do what I have to do [japa, meditation], but whats happening, where I am, where Im going, what Im doingl have no idea: I understand nothing at all. I have no perception of where I stand.
   If its any consolation to you, its just like that for me!
  --
   Thats just what I was looking at now [during the meditation].
   And this poor body says to the Lord, Tell me! Tell me. If I am to last, if I am to live, thats fine, but tell me so I may endure. I dont care about suffering and I am ready to suffer, as long as this suffering isnt a sign given me that I should prepare to go. Thats how it is, thats how the body is. Of course, it could be expressed with other words, but thats it. When you suffer, for instance, when the body suffers, it wonders why, it asks, Is there something I have to endure and overcome in order to be ready to continue my work, or is it a more or less roundabout way to tell me that I am coming undone and I am going to disappear? Because it rightly says, My attitude would be differentif I am to go, well, Ill completely stop bothering about myself, or about whats going on or anything; if I am to stay, I will have courage and endurance, I wont budge.

0 1964-04-25, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   Yesterday, the 24th, there was a meditation.2 It was intense and formulated itself thus:
   Suffocated by the shallowness of the human

0 1964-07-18, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   He is the person who suddenly appeared before Mother during a meditation with Satprem (see Agenda I, October 30, 1960, p. 459).
   ***

0 1964-10-17, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   (Mother goes into a deep meditation)
   The next day, October 16, the Chinese exploded their first atomic bomb.

0 1964-10-24a, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   On the 18th, I had an interesting experience. It was the doctors birthday and I gave him a meditation, and after the meditation, he asked me to write for him what I had seen during the meditation. I had no intention of doing so, but an hour later, that is, at lunch time
   To be clear, I should tell the whole story from the beginning.
   Before the meditation, I told him, You will let me know when you have finished I dont want to let you know. So I finished what I had to do, then I took a look and said to myself, Lets see now, lets try. And I simply made a formation and put it on him, saying, Now, its over. Then I didnt move, I stayed very quiet. It took about half a minute, even less; he opened his eyes, and then it was over. But when I saw him again at lunchtime, I asked him, When you indicated to me it was over, what did you feel? He told me, I felt (Mother laughs) the Force was going, so I thought it was over Well, his answer showed me the exact difference. He should hew felt. Mother is calling me, Mother is telling me its over, but he felt the Force was going.
   Then, as he saw I was talking to him, he took the opportunity to ask me, I would really like to have visions. I answered him all that had to be answered, and I told him that, in the last analysis, its only the Lord who decides when we should have visions, when we shouldnt have them, when we are making progress, when we arent, and so on. Then, in the most hypocritical tone (laughing), like someone who says something to be polite but doesnt believe a word of it, he said, Oh, then we are indeed fortunate, because we have the Lord among us. I pretended to believe he was sincere, and I answered him, No, no, no! You cant say that, its not possible I AM NOT the Lord! And I explained a little the consciousness I have of the Lord, I said, You shouldnt think I am the Lord (in my thought, it was: I am not the Lord as YOU imagine Him), because if I were the Lord (Mother smiles, amused), you would have visions and you would be cured.

0 1964-10-28, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   (Mother goes into meditation)
   ***

0 1964-11-04, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   (Mother goes into a deep meditation that will last forty-five minutes, then she speaks:)
   Time passes like a second!
  --
   And now, during the whole meditation, the presence was there, that presence was there, but so concrete! So concrete, so powerful. Maybe it is maybe there is a will to make me see the supramental form? Its possible. It was PHYSICALit was physical. And there was that CONTACT, the physical contact. But the contact, I have it all the timeas soon as I stop, there is a massive contact, and weightless at the same time.
   Didnt you feel anything particular?
  --
   It was so brief that I didnt intend to talk about it, because words Youre always afraid of adding to the experience. But this presence was so concrete just now, during the meditation, and time passed so extraordinarily quickly, like a flash. And I had the same feeling, oh, such a fullness!
   He said (it was translated into words: I heard them, in what language I dont know, but I understood very well), I heard the words and he said to me: Through you, I am charging. I am charging, as if he were launching into a battle against the worlds Falsehood. Through you, I am charging, thats perfectly clear, and it was against I saw little aggregates of black dots being scattered.

0 1964-11-07, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   (Mother goes into a meditation, looking for the real cause)
   I dont understand.

0 1964-11-12, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   There is something interesting (not the faintings!). You know that Z has started a yoga in the body (I didnt ask her to do anything, she did it spontaneously); she wrote to me her first experiences, and there were observations quite similar to those I had made and with an accuracy that interested me I have encouraged her. She is going on. I dont have the time to read her letters: theyre piling up there. But what I found very interesting is that yesterday I was read a letter from an English writer (a lady): she has a little group there, they meditate together, and they had a sort of Indian guru (I dont know who) who was teaching them meditation. Then they came across Sri Aurobindos writings, and they began to study and follow his indications and try to understand. As it happened (about a year ago now), during their meditation, instead of their making an effort of ascent to awaken the Kundalini and rise towards the heights, all of a sudden the Force the Power, the Shaktibegan to descend from above downward. They informed their guru, who told them, Very bad! Very dangerous, stop it, terrible things are going to happen to you! That was about a year ago. They werent quite sure that the gentleman was right and they went on, with very good results. Then, yesterday, that lady wrote, giving a detailed notation of their experiencesalmost the SAME WORDS as Z! Now thats beginning to be interesting. Because it represents an impersonalization of the Action, in other words it doesnt express itself subjectively according to each individual: it has a WAY of acting.
   I was very happy, I wrote her a note to congratulate her.

0 1964-11-25, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   (The following conversation is about the collective meditation of the day before, November 24, a darshan day.)
   So, what about you? Whats new? Nothing new?and whats old?! (laughter)
  --
   Yesterday, during the meditation, I dont know what happened, but when they rang the gong for the end, I absolutely had the feeling it had just started!
   As soon as the meditation started, something descended: a stillness, but a very comfortable stillness, extraordinarily comfortable, and then finished, nothing, blankcompletely blank. I was like that all the time at the table,1 when suddenly (the gong rang) bong! bong! it was over.
   Time passed outside time.
   Its the first time, because even when I have an experience, even the first time, I remember, when we began collective meditations and Sri Aurobindo came down and literally sat on the [Ashram] compound, it was very interesting, of course, and very compelling,2 but I was conscious of time. And this time There have been ups and downs, good experiences and bad ones, all kinds of things, but I have always been conscious of time, while yesterday I myself was astounded. I heard the gong and I had the feeling it had just started. There was even something in the body that was jubilant like a child: Its going to last half an hour, its going to be like this for half an hour (it was funny, you know) ah, the true life at last! That was the bodys feeling, and it was going to last half an hour. Bong! bong! As if it had been robbed of its joy!
   Its curious.
   It started in a strange way: I have a beeswax candle, which smells of honey when it burns, a big candle I was sent from Switzerland. I have already burned half of it: I light it for the meditations. But there was a defect in the wick, it was carbonized, and yesterday it refused to burn. We lighted itlighted it twice just before and it went out just at the start of the meditation when they rang the gong. So the body consciousness said, O Lord, we are so impure that we cannot even burn in front of You! It was full of spontaneous simplicity: O Lord, we are so impure And immediately, the answer (gesture of massive descent): everything stopped.
   Perhaps it was that very childlike, but very spontaneous and very simple movement of the body, conscious of Matters imperfection, We are so impure that we cannot even burn in front of You!perhaps thats what provoked that answer.
  --
   Mother remains seated in front of her table during the meditations.
   See Agenda III, August 18, 1962.

0 1965-05-05, #Agenda Vol 06, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   (Mother goes into meditation)
   I have a feeling that only one thing exists: making contactputting the divine Vibration in contact with Matter. And this is the only thing which is REAL. Things seem to have clarified these past few days, since the 30th; and this morning when I got up, it was so strong that it was really the only thing existing. To such a point that there was a spontaneous perception that whatever thought clothes this thing in, or whatever the organization of life, its totally unimportantits only men who attach importance to that, but from the standpoint of the Work, only this matters: being in this state I am in (which is a very particular state), in which the vibration, the vibration of Matter is put in contact, unitedunitedwith the divine Vibration.
  --
   (long meditation)
   It can go on like that indefinitely.
  --
   The rest of the conversation is interspersed with long, vanishing meditations, like great stretches of Alaska in the snow.
   The vibration that doesn't move is the supramental Vibration.

0 1965-06-05, #Agenda Vol 06, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   You can classify this one in the subjects for meditation (!) on the Governments manners.
   Sometimes, for someone or other, Ill write a sentence in that way, but I wont send it, Ill keep it; then, after a week or two weeks or a month, the person tells me he had an experience and that I told him such and such a thing the very thing I had written. Its a very good method.

0 1965-06-23, #Agenda Vol 06, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   So in that park I had seen the Pavilion of Love (but I dont like to use that word because men have turned it into something ludicrous); I am referring to the principle of divine Love. But it has been changed: it will be the Pavilion of the Mother; but not this (Mother points to herself): the Mother, the true Mother, the principle of the Mother. (I say Mother because Sri Aurobindo used the word, otherwise I would have put something else I would have put creative principle or realizing principle or something of that sort.) And it will be a small building, not a big one, with just a meditation room downstairs, with columns and probably a circular shape (I say probably because I am leaving it for R. to decide). Upstairs, the top floor will be a room, and the roof will be a covered terrace. Do you know the old Indian Mogul miniatures with palaces in which there are terraces and small roofs supported by columns? Do you know those old miniatures? Ive had hundreds of them in my hands. But this pavilion is very, very lovely: a small pavilion like this, with a roof over a terrace, and low walls against which there will be divans where people can sit and meditate in the open air in the evening or at night. And downstairs, at the very bottom, on the ground floor, simply a meditation rooma place with nothing in it. There would probably be, at the far end, something that would be a living light (perhaps the symbol2 made of living light), a constant light. Otherwise, a very calm, very silent place.
   Adjoining it would be a small dwelling (well, a dwelling that would still have three floors), but not of large dimensions, and it would be the house of H., who would act as keepershe would be the keeper of the pavilion (she wrote me a very nice letter, but she didnt understand all this, of course).
  --
   H. hopes so! (Mother laughs) I didnt say either yes or no to her, I told her, The Lord will decide. It depends on my health. Moving from hereno: I am here because of the Samadhi, I remain here, thats quite certain; but I can go there on a visit (its not so far away, it takes five minutes by car). Only, H. wants to be in peace, silence, far from the world, and its quite possible in her park with a road around it and someone to stop people from enteringone can be really in peace but if I am there, thats an end to it! There will be collective meditations and so on. So if I have signs (physical signs, first), then the inner comm and to go out, I will go there in a car and spend an hour in the afternoon I can do it from time to time. We still have time, because it will take years before everything is ready.
   You mean the disciples will remain here.

0 1965-07-21, #Agenda Vol 06, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   Isnt it! I am quite astonished. I noticed it yesterday or the day before. I wasnt well, anyway things werent pleasant, and all of a sudden, here was all this mind saying a prayer. A prayer you know how I used to say prayers before, in Prayers and meditations: it was the Mind saying prayers; it would have experiences and say prayers; well, here we are, now its the experience of all the cells: an intense aspiration, and suddenly all this starts expressing it in words.
   I noted it.
  --
   Everything that was mental I remember very clearly the state I was in when I wrote those Prayers and meditations, especially when I wrote them here (all those I wrote here in 1914): it seems to me cold and dry yes, dry, lifeless. Its luminous, its lovely, pleasant, but its cold, lifeless. Whereas this aspiration here [in the cellular mind], oh, it has a powera power of realizationquite an extraordinary power. If this becomes organized, it will be possible to do something. There is an accumulated power there.
   (silence)

0 1965-08-18, #Agenda Vol 06, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   He [C.] must have something, but I dont feel anything! (Mother makes a gesture as thin as cigarette paper.) Its something without force. But K., too, when she was in America, was quite under his thumb. And she said she had marvelous meditations with him! But I wrote to K., because he gave her advice on her life and on what she should and should not do; so she wrote to ask me, How much am I to believe? I answered, Nothing! He had forbidden her to come to the Ashram; he had told her that it wasnt the place for her, that she was much too grown-up to come here! The Ashram is good for those who have nothing in them, who need to be kept well in hand, while someone with a capacity must live independently.
   Thats how he catches them.

0 1965-10-27, #Agenda Vol 06, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   I have something interesting to tell you. Sri Aurobindo has come out of meditation and has started playing.
   I arrived where I always go to find him, in the subtle physical, last night around 2: 30, and what a crowd there was! Thousands of people. When I arrived there, before going in I met someone, who must have been one of the former politicians, from the time of the revolution, when Sri Aurobindo was involved in politics; he is dead, naturally, but he was there and he told me (he was quite jubilant), he told me (in English), Sri Aurobindo has come out of meditation, he has started playing! And there was indeed a feeling that everyone was playing, playing. I crossed the courtyard (I even crossed a room where some people were still in meditation, and they looked surprised to see me come in like that, I told them, Dont worry, I dont want to disturb you!), then I found Sri Aurobindo, who was playingvery young and strong and amused and joyful, and he was playing. He was playing with something that cannot be described, and he was playing and playing. And then, the same gentleman whom I had seen at the entrance came and told me in my ear, He has played with that a lot it is worn-out, its a bit damaged, a bit worn-out. So I drew near, and Sri Aurobindo, who had heard, told me, Yes, it is worn-out, take it and bring me another. And he handed it to me I cant describe it, it didnt look like anything, it was something there was something black moving inside something and it did look a little broken down. So I left, I went back downstairs; and the symbol of the physical body was a pair of shoes I put my shoes on again and left.
   There were lots of details; it began after two-thirty, and it lasted till about four-thirty.

0 1965-11-27, #Agenda Vol 06, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   And then, the Flame When the Flame lights up, everything becomes different. But this Flame is something totally different; its totally different from religious feeling, religious aspiration, religious worship (all that is very fine, its the summit of what man can do and its very fine, its excellent for humanity), but this Flame, the Flame of transformation, is something else. Oh, I remember now that Sri Aurobindo reminded me of something I had written in Japan (which is printed in Prayers and meditations), and I had never understood what I had written. I always tried to understand and asked myself, What the devil did I mean? I have no idea. It had come like that and I had written it directly. It was about a child and it read, Do not come too near him because you will get burnt. (I dont remember the words at all.) And I always wondered, Whats this child I am referring to? And why should one take care not to come too near him??5 And suddenly, only yesterday or the day before, I understood; suddenly he showed me, he told me, Its this: the child is the beginning of the new creation, it is still in its infancy, so dont touch it if you dont want to be burntbecause it burns.
   (silence)
  --
   Prayers and meditations, March 27, 1917: "...You see it in your own heart, this triumphant hearth; you alone can bear it without its being destructive. If others touched it, they would be consumed. Do not therefore let them come too near it. The child must know that he must not touch the bright flame that attracts him so much...."
   ***

0 1965-12-04, #Agenda Vol 06, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   (Satprem persuades Mother not to worklong meditation)
   I can remain like this indefinitely.
  --
   Because as for me, I have no reason to get out of it [the meditation]. This way I feel the world is fine at last! When I get out of it, the grating starts. When I am there, the world and everything is quite fine!
   (Mother takes up her first lines of Savitri)
  --
   This is my great remedy. Yesterday I stayed like that [in meditation] for most of the day. Everybody thought I was asleep (!) and they took great care not to wake me up (so much the better, that was kind). This way, its all right, everything is fine. And the body too is better, its the only cure; for me, its the only cure: bringing down that Peace, that Lighta vast, vast light, and calm, calm then the cells get used to being a little more harmonious.
   Otherwise, everything goes wrong.

0 1965-12-07, #Agenda Vol 06, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   It was what people call black magic I dont call it black magic, but it was an adverse formation, which I saw in all its details exactly on December 5. On the 5th itself I saw it, and afterwards I understood. It was extremely interesting, but its impossible to repeat. On the 5th, at the meditation, I knew what it was (the day after you came). Extremely interesting. Maybe one day I will tell it, but its very, very private.
   On the afternoon of the 5th, after I had understood clearly and seen everything and done everything, suddenly (you know how Sri Aurobindo used to take away illnesses: it was like a hand that came and took away the disease), it went away just like that, it was taken away, literally taken away like that, and the body was INSTANTLY fine. Oh, you know, I am still flabbergasted.

0 1965-12-15, #Agenda Vol 06, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   But this king1 is a remarkable man. He has a remarkable history, but it would be too long to tell. I was in contact with him before (gesture of mental communication), and I had said, I wont speak and I didnt speak. When he came he looked at me, then suddenly (he was standing), he remained standing in meditation, he closed his eyes and remained motionless. And then he asked me his questions mentally I received them. And the answer came from up above, magnificent. An answer with a golden, superb force, and a power telling him that he had a great role to play and had to be strong and so on.
   A very, very intelligent man.

0 1966-03-30, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   It lasted about fifteen to twenty minutes in complete stability and I continued doing my normal activities (it was during the time of my toilet I wash my mouth and gargle), purposely it comes at that time to show that it is absolutely independent from the activity. And it comes more often at that time than when I sit in meditation. When I sit in meditation generally begins a kind of all-around-the-earth activity or even universal activity, it becomes conscious of that, but this bodys experiences are not thereto have the body experience you must live in your body! It is why the ancient sages or saints didnt know what to do with the body, because they went out of it and sat, and then the body is no more concerned. But when you remain active, then its the body that has the experience.
   That is the secret.

0 1966-04-06, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   What about keeping quiet a little [in meditation]? It will do me good.
   These people, I cant exactly say they tire me, but the cells feel a sort of pressure of confusion that hurts them. Its like being caught in a stranglehold of confusion, and it hurts. And every day its the same thing. I tell themthey dont believe me. They think its blackmail! So then I go through a very difficult little moment, very difficult. Afterwards, it gets better again.

0 1966-05-07, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   For instance, there are passages I wrote in those Prayers and meditations, some of which have been publishedpassages I wrote in Japan, and when I wrote them, I didnt at all know what they meant. For a very long time I didnt know. And very recently, one of those things that had always remained mysterious cleared up, I said, There! Its crystal clear, thats what it means.
   In other words, a prophetic little spirit without knowing it!

0 1966-06-25, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   Yet I never go to sleep just anyhow, I always go to sleep after a meditation.
   Yes, thats why you come to me and I see you and all that. But then that is missing: a small connection.

0 1966-08-10, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   How about you, how are you? What do we do? Like last time [= meditation]? But thats dangerous! I no longer knew what the time was or anything at all.
   What did you feel, last time?

0 1966-08-17, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   After a meditation:
   How is the book coming along?2
  --
   Just now again, while we were meditating, the same phenomenon took place. When it came, I stopped the meditation. I was in a perfectly silent contemplation, and then it started all of a sudden (Mother laughs), so I stopped.
   "Truth cannot be formulated in words, but it can be lived, provided one is pure and plastic enough."

0 1966-08-24, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   Thats something else. Possibly, I cant say. But last night or the night before, I suddenly felt as if someone were telling me, The best way to help him isnt meditation but music. And then I seemed to create harmonies and send them to you for your book.
   (To Sujata:) When was your dream?

0 1966-09-30, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   Oddly, these last few days again, this has been the subject of my meditations (not willed ones: they are imposed from above). Because in all the transition from plant to animal and from animal to man (especially from animal to man), the differences of form are, ultimately, minor: the true transformation is the intervention of another agent of consciousness. All the differences between the life of the animal and the life of man stem from the intervention of the Mind; but the substance is essentially the same and it obeys the same laws of formation and construction. There isnt much difference, for instance, between the calf being formed in a cows womb and the child being formed in its mothers womb. There is one difference: that of the Minds intervention. But if we envisage a PHYSICAL being, that is, as visible as the physical now is and with the same density, for instance a body that wouldnt need blood circulation and bones (especially these two things: the skeleton and blood circulation) its very hard to imagine. And as long as it is like this, with this blood circulation, this functioning of the heart, we could imaginewe can imagine the renewal of strength, of energy through a power of the Spirit, through other means than food. Its conceivable. But the rigidity, the solidity of the body, how is it possible without a skeleton? So it would be an infinitely greater transformation than that from animal to man; it would be a transition from man to a being that would no longer be built in the same way, that would no longer function in the same way, that would be like a densification or concretization of something. Up till now, it doesnt correspond to anything we have seen physically, unless the scientists have found something I am not aware of.
   We may conceive of a new light or force giving the cells a sort of spontaneous life, a spontaneous strength.

0 1966-10-05, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   About the financial situation, I have a little story to tell you, which took place on Sunday or Monday. I told you that the situation was quite to ordinary consciousnesses, it was critical. And there was a payment to be made. I dont remember the material details, but something had to be paid very urgently (I think it was to the workers: they were hungry and hadnt been given their money). And I needed a certain amountwhich I didnt have: I had nothing. Then a sort of compassion came into me for those people who didnt have any money. I saw it wasnt right, and I couldnt do anything because there was none. So, in the evening while I was walking (I have an hour of meditation and quiet, of concentration), I presented it all like this (gesture upward), and with an almost childlike attitude I said to the Lord (He was there, of course, I was with Him) something that can be translated (I dont know, I dont speak but it could be translated into words) roughly like this: I know You are with me and behind everything I do and everywhere, but Id like to know whether what I do, the work I do, interests You or not! (Mother laughs) And if it does interest You, well, I must have this money.
   It came like that, in a quite childlike form, but very, very pure. And two days later, when it was necessary for the money to come, for me to have money, just as everything seemed quite impossible, Amrita suddenly came in, telling me, Here, so-and-so has sent a cheque for such-and-such an amount.Exactly the amount needed. And I think it was the first time that person had sent money. It was quite unexpected, absolutely a miraclea miracle for children. The required amount, just at the required time, and absolutely unexpected. Then I had a good laugh. And I said to myself, How silly we can be! We dont know that everything happens exactly as it has to.

0 1966-10-12, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   (After a meditation with Mother)
   Even now, as soon as I remain quiet with you when you are here, there is always a sort of limitless immensity, with such a pure, tranquil light. And its white, but a white that might have some blue in it, but so pale that its white. Thon gave a name to this region (he had special names for all those regions), I dont remember, but above it, there were only the regions he called pathetism (quite a barbarous name), which were regions belonging to the unmanifested divine Love. I myself experienced the passage through all these regions, and this one [the region of white light in which the meditation took place] was the very last belonging to the light I dont recall, he used to put together all the regions of light, and then, beyond them, the regions basically, they were regions of divine Love, but unmanifested, that is to say, not manifested as it is on earth. Those were the last regions before reaching the Supreme. And this one [in the meditation] was the last one belonging to the essence of light, that is, Knowledge. And it is oh, theres such peace, such tranquillity and such LIMPIDITY in itespecially that sense of limpidity and transparency. A tranquillity thats more than peace, but it isnt inert immobility, I dont know how to express it. It absolutely gives the sense of a vibration of extreme intensity, but ab-so-lute-ly tranquil, tranquil, luminous, without almost with a sense of motionlessness. And so limpid, so transparent!
   Whenever I remain outside action like that and you are here, thats always what comes, always. Last time also, when I saw those two curves of your being the curve of the past and the curve of the future meeting on your birthdaywell, it was again in this light.

0 1966-11-15, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   It called to mind certain experiences of long ago (right at the beginning, at least two years before coming here for the first time). I didnt know Sri Aurobindo, but I knew the Cosmic and was studying, working earnestly at occultism (I didnt yet know Thon, either). I was deep in my own experiences. That was in Paris. I used to go about by bus or by the metro, and there were people (it didnt happen just once but quite a few times), for instance a woman with her child: the child would abruptly leave his mother (three- or four-year-old children, very young, just beginning to run) and come to me. It happened several times. As for me, I was simply in my meditation, unaware of anything or anyone. All of a sudden a child would tear himself away from his mother and come, poff! and cling to me like that, clutching my knees. Then the mother would beg my pardon, thinking (Mother laughs) it was quite ill-mannered! But I would say, No, thats quite all right!
   I remember, it happened several times. And my impression was that when I was tranquil, something (which wasnt human at all) was there, quietly acting through me (I wasnt even occupied with it) and doing it. That was my very clear impression. I even did some experiments at that time. For instance, once, in a bus, there was a man who was tense and weeping; you could see he was utterly wretched. Then without stirring, unnoticed, I saw that Force going out towards that man, and little by little, his face relaxed, everything calmed down, he grew quiet. This also happened several times. And thats how I knew Because at the time I wasnt very well informed yet; I always felt the Power up above, but didnt know what it wasthere was a Force that would come like that and act quietly. Its the same thing now, but fully conscious. Its the same thing: something that takes hold of the body. The body participates (meaning that it doesnt at all feel its acting, it almost doesnt feel itself), its only aware of a oh, so warm, so sweet a vibration, and at the same time so ter-ri-bly powerful! It comes like that, and the body doesnt need to want or try or anything: it doesnt think, doesnt strive, doesnt stir (Mother makes a gesture of bathing wholly in the Lord): its spontaneous and natural.

0 1966-12-31, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   Then, the other day (yesterday or the day before), I said to Him, All right, that will do! Now Id like to go into silence and peace and a luminous immensity (you remember, like during that meditation we once had here; thats far more pleasant!). Then it calmed down.
   ***

0 1967-02-04, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   (Mother goes into meditation, then suddenly breaks off)
   Why? Theres a purple V in front of you. A purple Vnot purple: dark mauve, the colour of the vital. A V for victory.
  --
   (Mother resumes her meditation)
   ***

0 1967-02-25, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   These are things (those seconds) that happen very often, and without any relationship whatever to outer circumstances. Which means that if one were all aloneall alone, immobile, in meditationit would be more radical and definitive. But its mixed in with the movement of life, with outer circumstances, and because of the necessities of those outer circumstances it goes more or less unnoticed. So the result is less complete, only partial, and so it recurs again and again, its renewed. It stretches over a considerable time.
   (silence)

0 1967-03-04, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   That was precisely the subject of (can we call it meditation?) of this mornings work. It came so clearly. But the experiences arent literary, they cant be expressed.1
   (Mother goes into contemplation)

0 1967-03-11, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   There is a question of terminology. I would like to put a note at the beginning of the third volume of Questions and Answers, in which I say: We found it fitting to begin this new volume with the Talk of February 29, 1956, because on that day, during the meditation that followed the class, there took place What? The first descent of the supramental forces into the Inconscient?
   (Mother shakes her head) It was: Light-Force and Power. And it wasnt into the Inconscient, it was into the earth atmosphere.

0 1967-04-27, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   How was the 24th? Did you stay at home for the meditation?
   No, I always come.
  --
   The pressure went away after the meditation, but the effect has remained, and when, out of the old habit, I got up afterwards to take something on the table over there, I nearly fell! The body no longer knew how to walk! I had to concentrate, then it came back.
   Something still remained (but not as strong as that), something remained when I went to the balcony (in the afternoon of the 24th). At the balcony I was different from what I usually am. I dont exactly know what it was. But then, the photographs are very different; there is something in the photographs that isnt there usually. There was a special atmosphere.
  --
   A gong sounds to mark the end of the meditations.
   ***

0 1967-05-06, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   I had a very pleasant, very good meditation. I felt the Power, but
   Yes, the meditation gave the sense of something very charming.
   And a constant insistence on Harmony, Harmony, Harmony. An harmonious balance: an harmonious balance of nations, an harmonious balance of people, an harmonious balance of inner faculties, an harmonious balance like that.

0 1967-05-10, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   (Mother goes into a meditation)
   ***
   After the meditation, Mother tells what she has seen:
   It was the symbol of the road opening wide, easynot easy: its dangerous in itself, but quite easy, one travelled on it easily. It was like riding in a car (but these are images), and it went with dizzying speed, as if it was a powera power nothing could stop.

0 1967-05-17, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   At the time when I had gatherings in Paris and followed Thons system (he didnt call them meditations but repose: having repose together), during our gatherings a kind of vibration of light would flow from my fingers (it was visible to the naked eye), and it was like electricity. But that was a concentrated vital force. It was visible as a vibration of light flowing from my fingers.
   It must be the same thing.

0 1967-05-27, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   He lived for a time in that house at the corner, which has become the Auroville Office, and the roof of that house is uneven (one part is at a certain height, and without warning, it suddenly drops down half a story). Once while he was walking on the roof in meditation, he fell; it seems he had just taken his meal, and he had a blockage. And he claimed he cured himself with an hour of concentration. It may be
   He was very childlike, very enthusiastic, and very boastful at the same time, but with a fervour which was rather fine. A sort of very young enthusiasm. Now he must be rather old. And I always see him in the middle of a large crowd. He knows how to comm and attention. He isnt quite indifferent. But I didnt work to send him away from here: he had quarrelled with someone or other, then started openly receiving a large number of disciples; I said, It would be better if you saw your disciples elsewhere. Then he left.
  --
   Soon afterwards, Mother goes into a long meditation
   I saw a series of roses, this big (about 25 cm), coming one after the othermagnificent! All kinds of colours, which certainly had a significance: they would come and present themselves, as if giving a little bow, and then go away, and then another arrivedroses this big. Because I had complained just before!2 It was just in front of you (gesture on the heart level), magnificent roses of a perfect shape, and all kinds of colours.
  --
   (Mother puts away the papers she had taken out and prepares to resume the meditation)
   No, no! Im quite rested.

0 1967-05-30, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   Mother goes into a long meditation
   This morning at 4:30, I was discussing something with you! On the best way to express something. And I woke up uttering a sentence (Ive forgotten now). I was saying to you, Its better to put it this way. At four-thirty!

0 1967-06-30, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   (Mother goes into a long meditation lasting almost the duration of the interview)
   It could go on indefinitely!
  --
   So thats what was being done (last night and during the whole meditation). And its a seemingly endless work.
   I remember, for nearly an hour this morning, I had a demonstration in my own body of how to do it. A demonstration. But it cant be explained. And it began again just now, but instead of being me alone, it was what I might call a collective demonstration (gesture between Mother and Satprem), I mean it had to do more particularly with you.

0 1967-07-08, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   You know that I burned all those notebooks. For how many years?over at least four or five years, every day I used to write Prayers and meditations (I had several big notebooks, big like this). Then, when Sri Aurobindo told me to make a book out of them (naturally, as it was written every day, there were some repetitions), so I made my selection; I selected and extracted all those he wanted (I kept a few, which I extracted and distributed), and as for the rest It was a long, long time ago, I was still living over there.1 The last time that I wrote, was after my return from Japan, that is, in 1920. In 1920 I still wrote a little, then stopped. Then Sri Aurobindo chanced upon it, and he told me it had to be published. I said all right, I made a selection, and what to do with the rest? So I burned it.
   Oh, what didnt I hear!

0 1967-07-15, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   Two or three days ago (this is part of the same field), I saw a baby girl who was born in America just while we were having the meditation here of 4.5.67. That child was born in America (of an Indian mother and an Indian father; the father was here, the mother there), and they brought her to me: a baby no bigger than this, microscopic! Her eyes were closed, a tiny thing: a little over two months old. The child was sleeping in her mothers arms, carried by her mother, her eyes closed, naturally. Andplop!they put her in my lap without warninga tiny little thing like this. At first I stayed put, giving her time to adapt to the new vibration. She began stirring as if something was waking her up, probably the difference in the atmosphere. Then (gesture of descent) I immediately put the consciousness: the Consciousness, the Presence. And the child opened her two arms like this (gesture like a Christ with arms outstretched), she opened her eyes and lookedsuch eyes! Magnificent with light, with consciousness, it was magnificent! It lasted maybe a minute, not more, not even that long. Then she seemed to give a start, so I withdrew the Force because (laughing) I became wary. And she started wriggling and But that look and that gesturea gesture of (same gesture like a Christ), with such aspiration, such light! It was magnificent.
   I dont know who is there? Well know one day. It gave me the impression of being a force or a principle rather than a person; it didnt have that that cramped character of personality.

0 1967-08-02, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   A little later, following a meditation:
   Thats how it is. Day after day, almost hour after hour, as the Power comes back You remember, I once said it had gone completely,1 and that was true, it had gone completely in order to leave the body absolutely to itself, for its conversion, we could say; but once there had been in this body consciousness the same aspiration and the same ardour of consciousness (with a far greater steadiness than in any other part of the being; there are no fluctuations as there are in the vital and mind, its very steady), once that was established (through kinds of pulsations, not distant from one another, first on one detail, then spreading out and becoming generalized), since then the Power has been I can say it has been coming back. But at each stage of that return, all the old difficulties appear to be waking up again,2 they seem to spring up again (they had completely fallen asleep, you understand), and each time, this body consciousness feels a sort of surprise, at once astonished and distressed that the presence of the divine Power, the divine Consciousness, the Truth-Consciousness, should give rise to all those difficulties, which are essentially difficulties of ignorance and inertia the incapacity to receive. And it comes back as memories, like that (gesture from below), like a snake rearing its head. And every time, everything in the physical consciousness has the same call, Why? How can these things be when You are there! Thats the astonishing thing: Since You are there, how can these things be?

0 1967-08-16, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   What did you feel at the darshan yesterdaynot the darshan, at the meditation? Anything special?
   No, Sweet Mother. It was fine, but I dont know.
  --
   Do you know, I sat down, when it was nearly time, maybe half a minute before, and instantly, without warning like that, like a staggering blow: such a powerful descent (I was completely immobilised) of something. At the same time, it was as if Sri Aurobindo was telling me (because the definition came along with the thingit was a vision which wasnt a vision, which was absolutely concrete), and the word was: golden peace. But so strong! And it didnt budge at all. For the entire half-hour it didnt budge. Never before Its something new, I had never felt that before. I cant say. It was perceived, but not like an objective vision. And other people spontaneously told me that as soon as they sat down for the meditation (gesture of a massive descent), something came with a tremendous power and immobilised everything, with a sense of peace as they had never felt before in their life.
   Golden peace
  --
   It came and then withdrew. It came for the meditation, then withdrew. For more than half an hour: thirty-five minutes.
   Golden peace.
  --
   No, I was inside and looking through the window, because the street was full of people. But Sweet Mother, how is it that I always perceive the same thing? There are differences of intensity, but its ALWAYS the same thing. I am not complaining because its admirably peaceful, powerful, tranquil, but its always the same thing; I cant say that one meditation is very different from the other: whether I am with you or whether I am at the darshan, its the same state.
   But the minute (really the minuteit wasnt even a state in time, it really was the minute), the minute I made contact with what I call the Supreme, that is, the part that looks after the earth, throughout the years it has always been i-den-ti-cal-ly the same thing.

0 1967-09-30, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   And it explains the manner in which he received P. when he went there. P. (an Indian disciple), as you know, paid him a visit; he was taken there by an Italian who had come here (a very nice boy who showed him around Italy and took him to the Pope). The Pope gave him a private audience, and after talking to him, asking questions, replying (it was a whole conversation), he said to P. with a smile, And now what are you going to give me? (They spoke in French.) Then P. said, I have only one thing, which I always keep with me and is infinitely precious to me, but I will give it to you, and he gave him Prayers and meditations. And the Pope answered, I am going to read them.
   So it all fits together.
  --
   (After a long meditation, Mother, still deep within and half in trance, starts speaking:)
   Did you feel anything special? Because the last two or three days, but especially last night and this morning, it was the body learning, the cells have learnt I told you that the work till now has been the change the transferfrom acting out of habit and reaction to letting the divine Consciousness act. And this morning, for a part of the night and the whole morning until people started coming, with every action, every movement, every gesture, all the tiny little things (when, for instance, a problem is put by someone or a decision has to be taken, since years the answer comes from above), but now with all material movements, also the inner movements, with the attitude of the body, the attitude of the cells, the absolutely material consciousness, with everything, everything the old method was gone.

0 1967-10-19, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   Not this year, but it says there will be a terrible battle before the second coming of Christ. I know nothing about that myself! But a lady disciple in Holland has written a letter: it seems everyone there is terror-stricken, theres panic all over the country (!) and they say its the year of the battle. And here in India (not concertedly, of course), astrologers have said that September and October are months of a terrible battle (maybe not a war, but a battle) between Truth and Falsehood. There in Holland, it seems its like in the year 1000: they gather for meditations, entreaties, collective prayers. Well. And here, its the same thing, they are panic-stricken.
   But battle there is. You cant move a finger without waging a battle.
  --
   And I saw Yesterday was the doctors birthday, I gave him a meditation (he had asked for one). Before the meditation, he asked me very sweetly, Oh, I would like peace in my whole body, my body doesnt have peace. I put Peace. For a quarter of an hour he was blissful, then there suddenly came (gesture floating in the atmosphere at a rather low level) something like a cloud, and he had a kind of unconsciousness: miserable, miserable, so miserablehe was appalled. So I had to stop the meditation. And it wasnt him: it didnt come from him, you understand, I saw it (same floating gesture). As for me, I see it, so it doesnt matter I see it, I even see the nature of it, the suggestions it gives and so on. It comes with such power that I am compelled to see it I see. So there is only ONE solution (so far): the absolute stillness of the supreme Force but no retaliation, simply like this (inflexible, still gesture). Then, after a time, it exhausts itself and falls away. But one must hold out, and few people are able to hold outits hard. Its hardits nasty, mean, like that (gesture at ground level), and VERY MATERIAL, very material: it touches the cells, disturbs the order. The body starts feeling ill at ease, uneasy: Whats the matter? Ill at ease. And its like that in everyone; when they ask me what it is, I tell them, Keep stillpeace, peace, peace, peace, like that.
   If you try to reply, its much stronger than you: it comes in, and then the disorder is inside and you fall ill. Or you fall to the ground like the doctor.

0 1967-10-25, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
   (The rest of the time is spent in meditation. Towards the end, Satprem feels a little guilty that he hasnt made Mother speak:)
   I rarely ask you questions because I dont make my mind work too much.

WORDNET



--- Overview of noun meditation

The noun meditation has 2 senses (first 1 from tagged texts)
                  
1. (1) meditation, speculation ::: (continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature; "the habit of meditation is the basis for all real knowledge")
2. meditation ::: ((religion) contemplation of spiritual matters (usually on religious or philosophical subjects))


--- Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun meditation

2 senses of meditation                        

Sense 1
meditation, speculation
   => contemplation, reflection, reflexion, rumination, musing, thoughtfulness
     => consideration
       => thinking, thought, thought process, cerebration, intellection, mentation
         => higher cognitive process
           => process, cognitive process, mental process, operation, cognitive operation
             => cognition, knowledge, noesis
               => psychological feature
                 => abstraction, abstract entity
                   => entity

Sense 2
meditation
   => contemplation, reflection, reflexion, rumination, musing, thoughtfulness
     => consideration
       => thinking, thought, thought process, cerebration, intellection, mentation
         => higher cognitive process
           => process, cognitive process, mental process, operation, cognitive operation
             => cognition, knowledge, noesis
               => psychological feature
                 => abstraction, abstract entity
                   => entity


--- Hyponyms of noun meditation
                                    


--- Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun meditation

2 senses of meditation                        

Sense 1
meditation, speculation
   => contemplation, reflection, reflexion, rumination, musing, thoughtfulness

Sense 2
meditation
   => contemplation, reflection, reflexion, rumination, musing, thoughtfulness




--- Coordinate Terms (sisters) of noun meditation

2 senses of meditation                        

Sense 1
meditation, speculation
  -> contemplation, reflection, reflexion, rumination, musing, thoughtfulness
   => cogitation, study
   => meditation, speculation
   => meditation
   => introspection, self-contemplation, self-examination
   => retrospect

Sense 2
meditation
  -> contemplation, reflection, reflexion, rumination, musing, thoughtfulness
   => cogitation, study
   => meditation, speculation
   => meditation
   => introspection, self-contemplation, self-examination
   => retrospect




--- Grep of noun meditation
meditation
premeditation



IN WEBGEN [10000/777]

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https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Introduction_to_meditation4_by_Ajahn_Jayasaro
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Introduction_to_meditation5_by_Ajahn_Jayasaro
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Introduction_to_meditation6_by_Ajahn_Jayasaro
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Introduction_to_meditation7_by_Ajahn_Jayasaro
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Introduction_to_meditation8_by_Ajahn_Jayasaro
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Introduction_to_meditation9_by_Ajahn_Jayasaro
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Jhana_guided_meditation_1-2
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Kasina_meditation_by_Ven._Mettiko
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Life_meditation
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Mahamudra#Mahamudra_meditation
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_2_by_Sister_Dipankara
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_3_by_Sister_Dipankara
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_4_by_Sister_Dipankara
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_5_by_Sister_Dipankara
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_6_by_Sister_Dipankara
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_by_Sister_Dipankara
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_by_Ven._Cattamalo
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_by_Ven._Dhammika_1/5
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_by_Ven._Dhammika_2/5
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_by_Ven._Dhammika_3/5
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_by_Ven._Dhammika_4/5
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_by_Ven._Dhammika_5/5
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_by_Ven._Dr._Gunaratana
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_experienes_by_Rodney
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_for_beginners_by_Jack_Kornfield
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_instructions_by_Bhante_Vimalaramsi
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_leads_to_peace
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_on_death_by_Ven._Cattamalo
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_on_the_Dhamma
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_posture_by_Ven._Hye
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_postures
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_practice_2_by_Sister_Dipankara
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_retreat_2_by_Sister_Dipankara
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_retreat_3_by_Sister_Dipankara
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_retreat_4_by_Sister_Dipankara
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_retreat_6_by_Sister_Dipankara
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Meditation_retreat_with_Pa_Auk_Sayadaw_by_Sister_Dipankara
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Metta_meditation
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Metta_meditation_2_by_Sister_Dipankara
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Metta_meditation_by_Sister_Dipankara
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Metta_meditation_video
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Metta_meditation_video_2
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/New_Kadampa_Tradition#Kadampa_Meditation_Centers
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Noble_Eightfold_Path#Sam.C4.81dhi:_Mental_Discipline.2C_Concentration.2C_Meditation
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Outline_of_Buddhism#Buddhist_meditation
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Outline_of_Buddhism#Theravada_meditation_practices
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Outline_of_Buddhism#Vajrayana_meditation_practices
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Outline_of_Buddhism#Vipassan.C4.81_.E2.80.94_Insight_meditation
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Outline_of_Buddhism#Zen_meditation_practices
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Power_of_meditation_by_Ven._Dhammavuddho
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Progress_in_meditation
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Psychonaut#Meditation
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Rosary_(Christian_Orthodox_point_of_view)#Meditations
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Sera-Je#Meditation
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Starting_meditation_practice_by_Sister_Dipankara
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Study_&_meditation_by_Sister_Sonam
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Sutra_of_Meditation_on_the_Bodhisattva_Universal_Virtue
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Talk:Buddhism/Revised#Meditation
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Talk:Meditation
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Talk:Theravada_Meditation
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Theravada_Meditation
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Thich_Nhat_Hanh_breathing_meditation
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Thich_Nhat_Hanh_walking_meditation
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Thinking_in_meditation_by_Ven._Mettiko
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Types_of_correct_and_incorrect_meditations_by_Madawela_Punnaji
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Walking_meditation
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Walking_meditation_by_Ajahn_Gavesako
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Why_meditation_by_Ayya_Khema
http://malankazlev.com/kheper/praxis/meditation/meditation.htm -- 0
Kheper - meditation -- 23
Kheper - active_vs_passive -- 20
Kheper - Buddhist_meditation -- 8
Kheper - Confucian_meditation -- 5
Kheper - meditation index -- 32
Kheper - inner_smile -- 12
Kheper - Jain_meditation -- 5
Kheper - Kabbalistic -- 12
Kheper - maharishi_effect -- 4
Kheper - meditation -- 23
Kheper - Satipatthana -- 10
Kheper - Taoist_meditation -- 4
Kheper - Upanishads -- 8
Kheper - who_are_you -- 14
Kheper - world_meditation -- 22
Kheper - meditation -- 21
http://malankazlev.com/topics/meditation/meditation.htm -- 0
auromere - types-of-meditation
auromere - types-of-meditation
auromere - types-of-meditation
auromere - meditation-techniques-from-the-yoga-upanishads
auromere - meditation-techniques-from-the-yoga-upanishads
auromere - meditation
auromere - stabilizing-the-body-before-meditation
auromere - physical-culture
auromere - distinguishing-between-stilling-the-mind-and-dynamizing-meditation
auromere - meditation
auromere - stages-of-meditation
auromere - meditation
auromere - on-collective-prayer-and-meditation
auromere - meditation
auromere - unpleasant-images-and-negative-thoughts-during-meditation
auromere - subconscient
auromere - meditation
auromere - pranayama
auromere - unpleasant-images-and-negative-thoughts-during-meditation
auromere - meditation
auromere - meditation
auromere - pranayama
auromere - meditation
auromere - unpleasant-images-and-negative-thoughts-during-meditation
Integral World - Ken Wilber on Meditation: A Baffling Babbling of Unending Nonsense, Jim Andrews
Integral World - Geometric Meditations on the AQAL: A Pythagorean Integralism, Joe Corbett
Integral World - A Meditation on Spirit-In-Action, Joe Corbett
Integral World - Tod Wiedergeburt und Meditation, Ken Wilber
Integral World - The Science of Going Within, Part I: Exploring the Neurobiological Basis of Shabd Yoga Meditation, Andrea Diem-Lane and David Lane
Integral World - The Future of Meditation, How Technological Augmentation Will Advance Interior Exploration, David Lane and Andrea Diem-Lane
Integral World - The Netflix of Consciousness, How Understanding Evolution and Neuroscience Can Help in Deep Meditation, David Lane
Integral World - The Evolution of Meditation, Why Understanding the Mind-Brain and its Permutations is Helpful, David Lane
Integral World - Consciousness, meditation, and a higher state, David Lane
Integral World - The Physics of Going Within, Further Notes on the Technical Mechanics of Shabd Yoga Meditation, David Lane and Andrea Diem-Lane
Integral World - Meditation Notes from the Writings of Ken Wilber
Integral World - The Buddha In Your Body, Is The Meditation Establishment Preventing Your Enlightenment?, Barclay Powers
Integral World - Does the Buddha Pill Really Work?, Seven Myths About Meditation, Barclay Powers
Integral World - The Sword of Zen, Meditation/Brain Training for Functional Combat Cognition, Barclay Powers
Integral World - The Convergence of Contemplative Neuroscience and the Original Goal of Inner Alchemical Meditation, Barclay Powers
Integral World - True Meditation, Evolution's Tool for Ego-Transcendence, Brad Reynolds
Integral World - A Critique of Perennialism: Problems with Enlightenment, Gurus, and Meditation, Gary Stogsdill
Integral World - Can Meditation Change the World?, Steve Taylor
Integral World - Integrative Relationship Meditation, Lawrence Wollersheim
Basic Meditation Instructions
Death, Rebirth, and Meditation
Empty Spaces: Liberation Upon Hearing
Essential Meditations: Shamatha and Vipashyana
The Fourth Turning: Integral Zen Meditations
Meditation for Militants
Meditation Garden
Meditation for the Love of It: Enjoying Your Own Deepest Experience
Perfection Meditation
Sutras: A Musical Meditation
The Embodied Success Shift: A Simple Meditation to Cut Through the Hustle and Cure Your Burnout
Unlocking the Power of Meditation
selforum - meditation f schuon and sri aurobindo
selforum - meditation society of australia
selforum - as if meditation were debt
selforum - sri aurobindo society noida meditation
https://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.com/2012/07/jewish-meditation.html
https://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.com/2012/10/meditation.html
https://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.com/2012/10/sufi-meditationazeemia.html
https://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.com/2013/10/meditation-and-neurofeedback.html
https://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.com/2014/10/edgar-cayce-on-meditation.html
https://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.com/2015/12/meditation-from-rational-wiki.html
dedroidify.blogspot - no-nonsense-guide-to-meditation-no
dedroidify.blogspot - russell-simmons-on-meditation
dedroidify.blogspot - basic-meditation-tutorial-from
dedroidify.blogspot - star-trek-meditations
dedroidify.blogspot - naruto-meditation-mushrooms
dedroidify.blogspot - pandaren-monk-meditation
dedroidify.blogspot - meditation-of-life
dedroidify.blogspot - meditations-on-yoga
dedroidify.blogspot - meditation
dedroidify.blogspot - western-eastern-meditation
dedroidify.blogspot - meditation
dedroidify.blogspot - steve-jobs-on-meditation
dedroidify.blogspot - fck-that-guided-meditation
https://esotericotherworlds.blogspot.com/2012/11/auras-in-meditation-spiritual-healing.html
https://esotericotherworlds.blogspot.com/2013/09/signs-of-progress-on-path-of-meditation.html
https://esotericotherworlds.blogspot.com/2013/10/merkaba-meditation.html
https://esotericotherworlds.blogspot.com/2013/11/transcendental-meditation-technique.html
wiki.auroville - Meditations_on_Savitri
wiki.auroville - Prayers_and_Meditations
wiki.auroville - Ritam_"Meditation_and_Painting:_A_Research_Project"
Dharmapedia - Category:Meditation
Dharmapedia - Meditation
Dharmapedia - Transcendental_Meditation
Dharmapedia - Transcendental_Meditation_technique
Psychology Wiki - Buddhist_meditation
Psychology Wiki - Category:Buddhist_meditation
Psychology Wiki - Category:Meditation
Psychology Wiki - File:Jain_meditation.jpg
Psychology Wiki - File:Walking_meditation.jpg
Psychology Wiki - Meditation
Psychology Wiki - Meditation#Acoustic_and_photic
Psychology Wiki - Meditation#Active.2FDynamic_Meditation
Psychology Wiki - Meditation#Bah.C3.A1.27.C3.AD_Faith
Psychology Wiki - Meditation#Buddhism
Psychology Wiki - Meditation#Christianity
Psychology Wiki - Meditation#Frequency_and_duration
Psychology Wiki - Meditation#Hinduism
Psychology Wiki - Meditation#Islam
Psychology Wiki - Meditation#Jainism
Psychology Wiki - Meditation#Judaism
Psychology Wiki - Meditation#Meditation_in_context
Psychology Wiki - Meditation#New_Age
Psychology Wiki - Meditation#Notes
Psychology Wiki - Meditation#Overview
Psychology Wiki - Meditation#Physical_postures
Psychology Wiki - Meditation#Purposes_and_effects_of_meditation
Psychology Wiki - Meditation#References
Psychology Wiki - Meditation#Secular
Psychology Wiki - Meditation#See_also
Psychology Wiki - Meditation#Sikhism
Psychology Wiki - Meditation#Taoism
Psychology Wiki - Meditation#Types_of_meditation
Psychology Wiki - NSR_Meditation
Psychology Wiki - Transcendental_Meditation
Psychology Wiki - Transcendental_meditation
Psychology Wiki - Transpersonal:_Meditation
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MeditationPowerup
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/File:Pagan_meditation.jpg
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Meditation
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Meditations_on_First_Philosophy
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Untimely_Meditations
Down and Out in Beverly Hills(1986) - Beverly Hills couple Barbara and Dave Whiteman are very rich but not happy Dave is a hard working business man, his wife is only interested in yoga, aerobics and other meditation classes, and he sleeps with the house maid. Their teenage son is confused about his sexuality and their daughter is suffe...
Nowhere(1997) - Described by director Gregg Araki as "A Beverly Hills 90210 episode on acid" (with no suggestions of what it might be cut with), Nowhere is a companion piece with Araki's previous meditations on youth gone wild in the 1990s, Totally F***ed Up and The Doom Generation Araki's self-described "teen a...
Feast Of Love(2007) - A meditation on love and its various incarnations, set within a community of friends in Oregon. and is described as an exploration of the magical, mysterious and sometimes painful incarnations of love.
Grave of the Fireflies(1988) - A devastating meditation on the human cost of war, this animated tale follows Seita (Tsutomu Tatsumi/J. Robert Spencer/Adam Gibbs), a teenager charged with the care of his younger sister, Setsuko (Ayano Shiraishi/Rhoda Chrosite/Emily Neves), after an American firebombing during World War II separate...
Oceans(2009) - An ecological drama/documentary, filmed throughout the globe. Part thriller, part meditation on the vanishing wonders of the sub-aquatic world.
Feast of Love (2007) ::: 6.6/10 -- R | 1h 37min | Drama, Romance | 28 September 2007 (USA) -- A meditation on love and its various incarnations, set within a community of friends in Oregon. and is described as an exploration of the magical, mysterious and sometimes painful incarnations of love. Director: Robert Benton Writers:
Meditation, Creativity, Peace (2012) ::: 6.8/10 -- 1h 11min | Documentary | 2012 (USA) -- This documentary is an exhilarating, inspiring round-up of questions and answers from David Lynch's European and Middle East tours of 2007-2009, when he visited 16 countries to meet film ... S Writer: David Lynch Star: David Lynch
The Yacoubian Building (2006) ::: 7.5/10 -- Omaret yakobean (original title) -- The Yacoubian Building Poster Meditations on corruption, fundamentalism, prostitution, homosexuality, and drugs in central Cairo. Director: Marwan Hamed Writers: Alaa' Al-Aswany (novel), Wahid Hamed (as Wahid Hamid) Stars:
https://meditation.fandom.com/
https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Meditation
https://deathinparadise.fandom.com/wiki/A_Meditation_on_Murder
https://diablo.fandom.com/wiki/Meditation
https://diablo.fandom.com/wiki/Meditation_(Paladin)
https://diablo.fandom.com/wiki/Meditations_on_My_Redemption
https://dnd4.fandom.com/wiki/Purifying_Meditation
https://domo.fandom.com/wiki/Meditation
https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Meditations_on_the_Words_of_Power
https://elona.fandom.com/wiki/Meditation
https://eq2.fandom.com/wiki/Akheva_Meditation_Tools
https://eq2.fandom.com/wiki/Divine_Meditation
https://eq2.fandom.com/wiki/Faris'_Disk_of_Meditation
https://fanfiction.fandom.com/wiki/Moon_Crystal_Meditation
https://ffxiclopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Nature's_Meditation
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Mediations_and_Meditations
https://jedipedia.fandom.com/wiki/Meditation
https://jedipedia.fandom.com/wiki/Zeffo-Meditationsrelikt
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Albeni_meditation_crystal
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Meditation
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Meditation_lamp
https://mtg.fandom.com/wiki/Meditation_Plane
https://mtg.fandom.com/wiki/Meditation_Realm
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Battle_meditation
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Darth_Vader's_meditation_chamber
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Darth_Vader's_meditation_chamber/Legends
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Meditation
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Meditation_chamber
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Meditation_chamber/Legends
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Meditation/Legends
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Ship_(Sith_Meditation_Sphere)
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Sith_Meditation_Sphere
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/The_Unending_Stars:_Meditations_on_an_Ilum_Pilgrimage
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Unidentified_female_Jedi_Master_(meditation)
https://starwarslegion.fandom.com/wiki/Battle_Meditation
https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Bors_(The_Doctor's_Meditation)
https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/The_Doctor's_Meditation_(theatrical_film)
https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/The_Doctor's_Meditation_(TV_story)
https://tipitaka.fandom.com/wiki/Buddhism_FAQ6_Meditation
https://tipitaka.fandom.com/wiki/Satipattana_Way_of_Meditation
https://wowwiki-archive.fandom.com/wiki/Cave_of_Meditation
https://wowwiki-archive.fandom.com/wiki/Premeditation
https://wowwiki-archive.fandom.com/wiki/Zen_Meditation
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Meditation
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Pious_brathings_-_being_the_meditations_of_St._Augustine,_his_treatise_of_the_Love_of_God,_Soliloquies_and_manual;_to_which_are_added,_select_contemplations_from_St._Anselm_and_St._Bernard_(1720)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:034_Buddha_in_Meditation_1_(35022670242).jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:035_Buddha_in_Meditation_2_(34343100544).jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1550_Parr_Prayers_or_Meditations.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bonaventura_-_Meditationes_vitae_Christi,_circa_1478_-_3864620_ib00915500_Scan00004.tif
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bronze_figure_of_Kashmiri_in_Meditation_by_Malvina_Hoffman_Wellcome_M0005215.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Delta_Beta_Tau_Pledge_Class_2018_meditation.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hon_President_of_India_unveils_the_World's_largest_meditation_hall.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Insight_Meditation_Center_main_room.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Meditationes_de_prima_philosophia_1641.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shake_Meditation_Yogi_Nils.ogv
9 1/2 Psychedelic Meditations on British Wrestling of the 1970s & Early '80s
Affective Meditation
Aspects of Christian meditation
Buddhist meditation
Cartesian Meditations
Centre for Christian Meditation and Spirituality of the Diocese of Limburg
Christian meditation
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Effects of meditation
First Meditations (for quartet)
Gilt-bronze Maitreya in Meditation
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Insight Meditation Society
Jain meditation
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Mechanisms of mindfulness meditation
Meditation
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Meditations
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Meditations on the Tarot
Meditation (Toshiko Akiyoshi Quartet album)
Meditation Upon a Broomstick
Minnesota Zen Meditation Center
Music for Zen Meditation
Passage Meditation
Paul Wilson (meditation teacher)
Philosopher in Meditation
Prayer, meditation and contemplation in Christianity
Richard Geller (meditation instructor)
Saint Francis in Meditation (Caravaggio)
Samantabhadra Meditation Sutra
Swami Vivekananda and meditation
Tanzania Buddhist Temple and Meditation Center
Taoist meditation
Tergar Meditation Community
Tides: Music for Meditation and Yoga
Transcendental Meditation
Transcendental Meditation in education
Transcendental Meditation movement
Transcendental Meditation technique
Untimely Meditations
User:Herostratus/Wikipedian's Meditation
Walking meditation



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