BHAGAVAD GITA ON MEDITATION

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, v.66

The inattentive (preoccupied, contracted) mind cannot have direct

understanding. It also cannot have connection with direct, immediate actuality
flowing in awareness or no meditation. For the mind unconnected to the flow of
immediate actuality or for the unmeditative mind, there is also no real peace.
How can there be happiness for the unpeaceful mind?

ayuktasya (To the inattentive mind), nasti (not exist), buddhir (comprehension,
understanding); na cha (not also) ayuktasya (for the inattentive mind) bhavana
(flowing with direct, immediate actuality in awareness or meditation); na cha (not
also), abhavayatah (to the mind unconnected to the flow of actuality or to the
unmeditative mind), shantir (peace, poise, serenity); ashantasya (to the unpeaceful),
kutah (wherefrom), sukham (joy, bliss, plenitude).

COMMENTS:
So can we say that the quality of the mind's attentiveness is a crucial factor in
understanding, in connecting to the flow of existence and consciousness, in
experiencing restful peace and happiness?

Can we say that attentiveness means being open to whatever is happening now,
immediately in existence and consciousness?

Can we say that any focus of attention is a form of exclusion, of contraction, of

fragmentation in attentiveness and thus creates a movement away from real and direct
understanding?

Can we say that direct understanding through immediate attentiveness leads to real
sense of connectivity (yoga-yoking) between existence and consciousness, which
manifests as the flow of love from open consciousness to everything it embraces?

Can we say that any focus or contraction of attention is a doing, whereas the
relaxation, resting and letting-go in attention is a de-contraction, a happening that
immediately creates openness to the flow of life and provides a sense of peacefulness
in the body and wholeness in consciousness?

How can attentiveness to actuality lead to direct understanding? By being open and
attentive to whatever is happening to and through this body-mind complex and its
relationship to everything, the mind is receptive, sensitive and perceptive.... There is
then direct, immediate seeing and learning, essential for understanding, not through
the web of thoughts and theories, not through the lens borrowed from others. It is a
direct immediate connection of mind to the flow of existence, both (a) as experienced
externally through the naturally-endowed instruments or organs of experience and (b)
as experienced and processed internally through mental processes such as memories,

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emotions, thoughts, desires, fears, beliefs, impulses, stress, values, ratiocination,
needs, etc. So in the space of attention, the mind is able to see its operations and inner
processes clearly and this seeing brings actual understanding. Is that so?

Let us take a fresh look in attentive observation. Bodily/sensory instruments

(extensions of the brain) are capturing sensory inputs/stimuli from outside the body
and from the body itself. This is happening without any one doing anything to trigger
the capturing into motion.

Breath is moving in and out naturally without a conscious breather or operator

deciding anything about the breath. Breathing just happens!

In the space of the attentive mind, thoughts pop up by themselves, flow and disappear
without any one thinking the thoughts, without a thinker. The flow of thoughts carries
along words, memories, emotions, desires, meanings, etc. The flow of thoughts
usually distracts attention from the actual external sensory experiencing as it absorbs
the space and energy of the mind.

So in attentive awareness, there is happening of movements in experiencing and of

arisings in consciousness. There are sensory occurrences as well as mental arisings
taking place concurrently in a natural way in the space of experiencing.

At any moment, the flow of thoughts may create a centre of reference, a point of
reference, a "thinker" or "doer" or "feeler" or "experiencer" thought, together with the
cohort of words, memories, emotions, desires, projections, meanings, etc. But this
centre of reference is nothing but a thought operating on the flow of consciousness
and talking about something in particular. It is nothing but a flow of words, images
and emotions moving from memory into conscious attention of the mind.

The flow of thoughts from memory projects the centre by identifying with a given
fragment of the body-mind complex and communicating from that fragmented and
segregated position in the flow; it usually talks to the flow or to other fragments of the
flow. Its function is purely recalling and communicating through that recollection as a
way of explaining things to itself through words and concepts. It is just a creation of
the mind believing itself to be a real entity through monopolising and absorbing the
energy of the mind and its processes.

So, would it be correct to say that in attentive observation or observant attention,

seeing/knowing/experiencing happens instantly and direct understanding happens
without any self-talking involving identification, fragmentation, segregation and
conceptualisation?

Now, let us see: where does this direct knowing permeating the attentive mind draw
its energy from? It draws its energy from awareness of pure enlightening beingness,
which is the energy of the universal Life animating this organism and the whole of
existence. The enlightening Light illuminates the mind, which is the seat of all

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experiencing, through the conscious and subconscious states. So when the mind is
either conscious (attentive: totally or partially during wakefulness) or subconscious
(residually attentive during dreaming, day-dreaming or concentration), then the Light
of awareness flowing through the mind generates attentiveness by degrees. When the
mind is unconscious or completely closed (during deep sleep), the Light of awareness,
though present, cannot find a mirror to reflect itself to itself.

So the conscious state of the mind during wakefulness with full undivided attention is
the best mirror through which the Enlightening Light can reflect Itself to Itself, know
Itself (so to say) and enjoy the bliss of Its Being and Knowing state.

Now what is that state, which acts as the best mirror to the Enlightening Being? For
sure, it cannot be created through some doing or ritual as doing creates the sense of
doership, which is an illusion! So this rules out all the possibility of doing something,
of desiring, of seeking, of struggling, of repressing which only fragments attention and
reinforces the fallacious idea of a doer or experiencer. For sure, the state should be a
natural happening where the centre of personal reference is absent...

The state of mind which is the best mirror to the Enlightening Being, underlying all
immediate experiencing, is meditation: the doorway to peace and plenitude in
consciousness. This meditation is not a doing, where concentration, focus, contraction
are involved and where an illusory doer or experiencer is generated and is aiming at
becoming something else, something more. Meditation is a happening, a relaxation, a
let-go, a resting in attention, a background witnessing of the sensory occurrences and
the mental arisings, without doing anything about this flow, without reacting, without
translating, without stopping at any point or holding on to anything in particular.

Let us now consider the Gita's explanation about meditation.

Bhagavad Gita 5.27-28:

Allowing external sensations to occur outside, allowing the look to find rest in
between the eyebrows, allowing the incoming and outgoing breath moving
through the nostrils to flow evenly, allowing the senses, mind and intellect to rest
(in the herenow awareness) without moving away (from actual experiencing)
through thoughts and emotions of desires, anger and fear, with the destruction of
illusion (of doership, experiencership) clearly established- one, so established in
silent contemplation, enjoys a lasting sense of liberation.

Bahyan (external) sparshan (sensations) bahih (outside) kritva (doing, occurring,

letting); chakshuh (the look) bhruvoh (of the brows) antare eva (in between indeed);
nasabhyantaracharinau (moving in the nostrils) pranapanau (outgoing & incoming)
samau cha kritva (flow in evenness); yat’endriya-mano-buddhir (with senses, mind,
intellect in poise or abeyance); vigata-iccha-bhaya-krodhah (without the arousing of
desire, fear & anger); moksha-parayanah (committed to the higher goal of destruction

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of illusions or liberation); munir (person established in silent contemplation) yah
(who) sada (ever) mukta (liberated) eva (certainly) sah (he or she).

COMMENT:
This meditation is not a struggling with oneself, not an escape from life and its
complexities but a celebration of wholeness, of holiness of our true being.

So attentiveness in the present moment of the universe - immediate understanding

through direct attentive observation - connection with the immediate total flow of life
and consciousness or meditation - destruction of illusion through seeing and
understanding in meditation - peace - plenitude - lasting liberation.

Gita on Deluded Egoism

Gita 3.27: Deluded egoism (illusion of doership, experiencership)

Prakriteh (By dynamic natural force in the universe) kriyamanani (are initiated and
performed) gunair (through the natural dispositions or patterns) karmani (actions,
occurrences) sarvashah (everywhere) ahamkara (egoism) vimudhatma (deluded mind)
kartaham (I am doer) iti (thus) manyate (believes).

Everywhere the established patterns of Natural Forces initiate and perform all
actions and occurrences in the universe. But deluded by egoism or self-
centredness (thought identifying with elements of nature-generated and sustained
body-mind resulting in a false sense of ownership and segregating those elements
from the rest of the universe), one believes and thinks "I am the doer".

Gita 3.28: Realisation of truth about patterns and action in prakriti:

Tattvavit tu (but realising the underlying real principle) mahabaho (O mighty armed)
gunakarma (patterns in actions and occurrences) vibhagayoh (of divisions, aspects);
guna (conditioned natural instruments of experience) guneshu (conditioned objects of
experience) vartanta (remain) iti (this, thus) matva (recognising, understanding) na
(not) sajjate (get addicted or hooked to)

But the one who has realised the truth, underlying the conditioned patterns of
nature and the actions or occurrences springing from such conditionings, does
not get deluded through attachment thanks to the understanding that
instruments of experience are naturally conditioned to restrictively capture and
dwell on certain conditioned objects of experience as a matter of stimulus and
response.

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Gita 3.33- Every action & reaction is conditioned by natural forces and patterns.

sadrisham (in accordance with) cheshtate (act, behave) svasyah (personal) prakriter
(natural disposition) gnyanavan (wise one) api (even); prakritim (nature) y...anti
(obey, follow) bhutani (beings) nigraha (detachment, restraint) kim (what) karishyati
(will do)

Even a wise person acts and behaves in accordance with their conditioned
natural dispositions. All beings follow the dictates of natural patterns and
conditionings. So where does the question of practiced detachment or self-
restraint arise? (Nature is all-powerful and dictates everything).

MEDITATION PRACTICE (Chapter 6: For those who need it)

6.10. Let the yogi constantly practice meditative attunement by staying alone and
undistracted in a private place, without entertaining any hopes and expectations,
without hankering after anything..., with the movements of consciousness (in
imagination and body) completely relaxed.

6.11-12. In a clean place, neither too high nor too low, a seat for oneself is to be
made with grass covered by skin and cloth (or as per convenience). Steadily
seated on it, the yogi should be meditatively attuned to pure undifferentiated
awareness, with the movements of imagination and bodily sensations
(consciousness) completely relaxed and with the mind being one with the
forward-moving moment(of actual experiencing).

6.13-14. Maintaining body, head and neck along a straight line and motionless,
maintaining the vision at the root of the nose without looking around (third eye:
so rotate the eyes clockwise and anticlockwise for a minute and let it rest naturally
between the eyebrows), fearless, serene, silent in mind, established in gathering the
scattered energy of attention, let him settle in the awareness of ‘I AM’ as his
highest being.

6.15. With the mind withdrawn from conscious activity and always attuned to the
self-effulgent awareness, the yogi rests in peace, which is supreme emptiness of
all contents of consciousness and establishment in pure “I AM” or Being.

6.18. When the attention of the relaxed/surrendered consciousness remains

established in Pure Being alone, when it is free from longing for all objects of
self-centred pleasure- this state is said to be spiritual attunement or communion.

6.20. That state in which the movements of consciousness come to rest through
resorting to yoga (of attunement), in which the seeing of the Self-existent Light
through undivided attention provides spiritual joy…

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6.21. ...in which the yogi experiences a transcendent bliss, beyond the grasp of the
sensory instruments of experience but intuitively reflected by the silent intellect,
established in which, one does not move away from the underlying truth…

6.22. ...which having realised, no other gain or attainment is considered as

superior and remaining in which one is not afflicted by the greatest of sorrows…

6.23. ...know this disconnecting from the connection to sorrow as what has been
described as yoga. It has to be approached with earnestness and without
depression of spirits (joyfully).

6.24-25. Letting-go completely of all the imagination-born longings, gathering

energies scattered all around by sensory and mental activities, steadily resting the
attentive mind on Being through the silent intellect, one relaxes (into Being) little
by little by not getting involved in thinking of anything at all.

6.26. From whatsoever direction or object, the wavering and inattentive mind
wanders away from actual experiencing, it is to be observed, recalled and put to
rest in Being alone.

6.27. Transcendental joy wells up in a yogi, whose mind is poised, whose impulses
are at rest, whose intellect is free from false notions (intellectual impurities) and
whose heart is united with the Non-dual Undifferentiated Awareness (Brahma-
bhutam).

6.28. Thus, ever involved in mindful awareness and attunement and free from the
impure notions, the yogi enjoys the intense bliss or joy of union with non-dual
Being.

6.29. One having spiritual insight through yoga, when established in

undifferentiated awareness, sees the One Being underlying all particular entities
and all particular entities as resting in the One Being.

MEDITATION AT TIME OF DEATH (Chapter 8)

8.9-10. The person who, endowed with enlightened devotion, contemplates, at the
time of death with an unwavering attention, having through the power of yoga
settled his life force/breath in between the eyebrows, on the inner Being, which is
ever-knowing, original, subtler than the smallest particle, sustaining and
directing everything, self-effulgent like the sun beyond the darkness of
unconsciousness /ignorance- that person merges into the Supreme Enlightening
Being.

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8.12-13. Withdrawing mental attention from the sensory outlets, settling the
attentive mind into the heart, gathering one’s life-breath/ vital energy into the
head, established in yogic absorption, intoning the monosyllable Om, denoting
Brahman (Transcendent Being) while recognizing It as the ‘I AM’. Thus,
departing from this body, one reaches the Highest Destination.

SIGNIFICANCE OF MEDITATION & LIMITATION

6.46. A yogi involved in spiritual attunement or meditation is better than those

involved in austerity or penance,those involved in the accumulation and mastery
of knowledge as well as those involved i...n rituals and ceremonies. Therefore, be
a yogi, O Arjuna!

12.12. Seeking knowledge for understanding is superior to practices and rites.

Meditation is better than accumulation of knowledge. Even better than
meditation is the ability to abandon attachment to the fruits of actions done with
the egoic sense of doership. Immediately after relinquishing the sense of
doership, peace ensues.

koosradha@gmail.com

Koosraj KORA VENCIAH 20.11.2010