Transforming The Mind Through Meditation

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Dec 27, 2020
3 min read

"Plant the seed of meditation, and you will reap the fruit of peace of mind"

Meditation is a familiarization of the mind with an object of meditation. In terms of how the mind is familiarized with the object, there are many types of meditations. In one type, the mind is generated into the entity of a particular type of consciousness while in another type, meditation is one in which you cause levels of the path to appear to the mind in the sense of taking to mind that there are such and such levels of realization.

In another way, meditation is divided into two types: Analytical and Stabilizing. In general, calm abiding (shamatha) Is stabilizing meditation, whereas special insight (vipashyanā) Is analytical meditation.

Channelizing the mind and identifying the object

Our mind, as it is now, is completely scattered to external objects, due to which it is powerless. Our thought is like water running in every direction. But just as water, when channelized, becomes powerful, so it does with our minds. How is the mind channelized? In the mantra vehicle in general and in Highest Yoga Mantra in particular, many techniques are described, but first I will describe the technique that is common to all vehicles. In order to set the mind steadily on an object of observation, it is necessary initially to identify an object of observation. With regard to objects for purifying behaviour, no matter what afflictive emotions we predominantly engaged in earlier, its forces remains with our minds now, and thus it is necessary to close an object for meditation which will counter the force of that afflictive emotion. For someone who predominantly engaged in desire, the object of meditation is ugliness, here “ugliness” does not necessarily refer to distorted forms; meditating on “ugliness” means to investigate the nature of our physical body. For someone who is predominantly engaged in hatred, the object of meditation is love. Also, you could even take a flower and so fourth as the object. Still another is to take your own mind as the object of observation. No matter what the object is, this is not a case of mediating within looking at an external object with your eyes but of causing an image of it to appear to the mental consciousness. This image is called a “reflection”, and it is the object of observation.

Setting your mind on the object

Having identified the object of observation, how do you set your mind on it? Initially, you have to know about the object to be meditated on. For instance if you are to meditate on a flower, you have to know about it and then get used to it so that it can appear clearly to the mind. At that point, imagine it at about four feet from you, at the height of your eyebrows. It should should be meditated as clear with a nature of light; this helps to prevent the onset of laxity. You can even imagine rays of light and drops of water on the flower. And your physical posture is also important.

Once the object has been determined, you may not change its size, bigger or smaller; you must consider it to have been fixed for the duration. First cause the object to appear in the mind, then hold it with mindfulness acts such that you do not loose it. Not loosing the object through mindfulness acts as a cause of developing introspection.

While keeping on the object, your mind must have two qualities: (1)-great clarity not only on the object but also of the consciousness. (2)-abiding one-pointedly on the object of observation. Two opposing factors prevent these from developing- Laxity and Excitement. Laxity prevents the development of clarity and excitement prevents the stability of staying with the object.