Lectures on Meditation and Spiritual Growth
Tan Kheng Khoo STARTED TO LEARN MEDITATION from an abbot in a monastery in Northeast Thailand. The lineage here is I Theravada Buddhism. Then I started to read voraciously on meditation and Buddhism. After several years I started to teach meditation in a small way to some students in a Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhist temple in Singapore. Then a Tibetan center called me to do likewise. I taught in the Tibetan center for 8 years. My Sri Lankan teaching impressed one of the students so much that when he started a Buddhist Library, he invited me as a first teacher of meditation in this library. My career as a meditation teacher was established.
Teaching behooves me to learn more about the subjects of meditation and religion. .. One can see from the articles that I have been quite a pedestrian crossing quite a few frontiers. However I hope that finally, these essays will suit the palate of many seekers of various religions. They are for those who want to embark on a spiritual journey, but do not know how to go about it. They have a widespread of mystical paths of sev- eral religions.
Dr. Tan Kheng Khoo Lectures on Meditation
and Spiritual Growth
Tan Kheng Khoo Contents Introduction ...... 5
Meditation Practise Concentration Meditation ...... 10 Progressive Stages of Samatha Meditation ...... 18 Effects And Hindrances of Meditation ...... 26 Vipassana Meditation ...... 33 Mindfulness (Meditation in Action) ...... 42 Meditation in Emptiness ...... 51 Kundalini and Qiqong Psychosis ...... 60
Death and the Spirit World Dying Unto Death ...... 82 Spirits, Ghosts and Guides ...... 101 Near Death Experience (NDE) ...... 115 Out of Body Experience (OBE) ...... 125 Perchance to Dream ...... 143
Healing the Subtle Bodies, the Body and the Mind Doctoring the Spirit, Healing The Body ...... 160 Auras and Chakras ...... 168 Cosmic Healing ...... 180 Thomas Keating ...... 194 Psychic Self-Defence ...... 214 Freedom From Fear, Anxiety & Other Negativities ...... 229
The Soul Universal Law of Karma ...... 240 Universal Law of Reincarnation ...... 256 Our G-Plan and Sacred Contracts ...... 276 Soul Mates and Twin Souls ...... 288 The Anatomy of the Soul ...... 308 Brain, Mind and Consciousness ...... 323 The Existence of God and soul ...... 337 Introduction
The Path of Awakening Some of us are lucky enough to experience a wake-up call in this life. The timing of this call varies with the individual. Very rarely one may experi- ence it soon after adolescence as with Ramana Marhashi. Most of us get the call around middle age or the mid-life crisis. After graduating from school or university, one starts with a job or many jobs and raises a fam- ily at the same time. Between forty to sixty years of age after a successful career, the thinking person will start to ask this question: “Is that it?” Where is the paradise? The next frequent question is “Why am I here?” “Why am I born at all?” At this early stage hardly anyone will ask this famous question “Who am I?” This question will arise only after some practice.
Quite often the wake-up call is triggered by some tragedy like a death of a loved one, personal financial crisis, or ill health of the seeker or a break- down of an intense relationship. Sometimes it comes after retirement or in women after menopause. Rarely, the call just simply arises without any trig- gering factor, and in this instance it may come at any age after adolescence.
The first step the seeker does is to turn to a faith for support. He will grab at any faith or religion that is introduced to him by friends or relatives. Or he has seen the religion advertised in newspapers or TV programs. Normally the religion encountered and accepted is accidental without pre- vious thought or analysis. After that the seeker may move on to other reli- gious groups, depending on what fascinates him or her. After tasting many dishes on the menu, he has now some knowledge of spiritual prac- tice, he may stick to one religion or practice. Willy-nilly he would have come across some form of meditation, be it Buddhist, Hindu or Zen. If he reads avidly with his meditation and is guided by a proper teacher, he may come to realize that spirituality and not religion will be his true path. He will come to a realization that a U-turn in his life is mandatory. This spiritual path will be hard work, as he has to start letting go of all his pre- vious ideas of acquisitions, desires, concepts and goals. It is the opposite of what he has been taught all his life. Now he has to add the element of
5 ‘Service’ in his life. “What is happiness and how do you achieve it in a movement or religion?” My answer is that you cannot achieve it with one stroke or with any religion. You must go beyond religion. It is a painstak- ing, tedious and lonely task of meditation, mindfulness and personal cleansing. There is no substitute for this hard work. It may take this whole life or many more lifetimes.
My wake-up call came to me about 30 years ago when I was 43 years old. This is a time when I was the busiest with a job of running a laboratory and I was involved with about 8-9 charitable committees. There was no time to reflect what I was doing. I only knew that there was no peace of mind.
I started to learn meditation from an abbot in a monastery in Northeast Thailand. The lineage here is Theravada Buddhism. Then I started to read voraciously on meditation and Buddhism. After several years I started to teach meditation in a small way to some students in a Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhist temple in Singapore. Then a Tibetan center called me to do likewise. I taught in the Tibetan center for 8 years. My Sri Lankan teaching impressed one of the students so much that when he started a Buddhist Library, he invited me as a first teacher of meditation in this library. My career as a meditation teacher was established.
Teaching behooves me to learn more about the subjects of meditation and religion. After accumulating about 28 lectures, a student of mine very kindly offered to post these lectures as a website with a homepage. One can see from the articles that I have been quite a pedestrian crossing quite a few frontiers. However I hope that finally, the menu in this homepage will suit the palate of many seekers of various religions. These essays are for those who want to embark on a spiritual journey, but do not know how to go about it. They have a widespread of mystical paths of several religions. Shikantaza Shikantaza is the practice of doing each activity in our life for the sake of that activity, regardless of whether we are sitting, lying, walking, or stand- ing, or working. However, this term has been used mainly with regards to zazen (meditation). It is the ultimate stage of meditation in the school of Soto Zen. It means that when we are sitting down to meditate, we are
6 wholeheartedly sitting down to meditate and not working out our prob- lems. And therefore the simplified translation of Shikantaza is ‘merely sit- ting.’ It also means that if the aim of meditation is to empty the mind of thoughts, then that is exactly what we should do. Emptying the mind is the most difficult thing to achieve in meditation. The function of the mind is to think, and thoughts of the past, present and future will inevitably arise when we sit in a semi-lotus with our eyes shut. The busier is our day, the more thoughts we will have. As a preliminary preparation, one should have as few problems in our daily affairs as possible. That is why going into a monastery where there are hardly any daily chores and where one does not have to earn a living is the ideal.
But if one has to remain a working layman, then get a job with the least emotional outlay. In order to pacify the mind the most important philos- ophy to believe in is the G-plan.
One’s G-plan was fashioned and concocted before one was born (read article on G-plan). If one believes in one’s G-plan, then one will realize that there is really very little free will. And one’s G-plan will inevitably unfold relentlessly, in spite of one’s efforts to the contrary. If that is the case, there are no grounds for worry and anxiety: whatever will be will be. Believing in the G-plan goes a long way towards minimizing anxieties and worries. Look for a simple job. Then the next most important exercise is to detach oneself from everything: assets, money, position and relation- ships. One’s daily mantra should be: "Let go." One has to practice Shikantaza on a daily basis, as often as one is able.
Before one can start practicing Shikantaza, one should learn how to con- centrate with Samatha meditation. (Read lectures on Meditation and Progressive Stages of One-pointed Concentration). Do this for six to twelve months. Then one may practice Insight Meditation (Vipassana lec- ture) for at least six months. So after these one to two years of prepara- tion one can now embark on Shikantaza.
Just Sitting Sitting in a semi-lotus position, one should move one’s body forward, backward and sideways to relax it. Then one can either shut one’s eyes or
7 leave them open or half-open. When the eyes are shut, there will be many thoughts. When they are open, one may be distracted by what one sees in the room. Either way, one has to achieve a state of no thoughts. Do not try to trace the beginning of a thought. The best way is to let the thoughts plough through one’s consciousness without pay- ing attention to them. It is like staying on the roadside of a busy street watching the cars go by. Do not try to identify the make of the cars. Do not try to find out who are in the cars. One starts standing there from 6 p.m. until 4 a.m. By 4 a.m. there will be either very few cars passing or no cars at all. Use the same method in dealing with thoughts. Let the thoughts pass through your mind. Do not look at them or work on them, even though they maybe immediate, cogent problems. Thoughts will finally come to an end if one ignores these thoughts. This deed can be much more easily accomplished if one is totally detached from work, possessions and relationships. Stay in that position of no thoughts for as long as one can. When it becomes very steady, one can bring that emptiness down to the heart chakra. In this way, one is deep- ening one’s emptiness into the Void. This deepening of emptiness must be practiced intensely and relentlessly. A time will come when a break- through will suddenly come about. This is when body and mind have dropped away (the eradication of the ego). This is the realization of non-duality. The light has shed into the Unconsciousness of Buddha- nature. This is satori. This first satori will inevitably be weak. After this, one’s zazen practice must continue at the same pace and with the same frequency as before. The satori will gather strength at each successive episode of satori until the final one.
Now in order to complete the full Shikantaza practice, one should also practice mindfulness in every action, conversation and thought outside of formal sitting. (Read ‘Meditation in Action.’) This is the reason for wanting an environment as in a monastery. However, the same envi- ronment can be gotten if one has enough resources to stay alone in a home in order to practice there. You are behaving as a monk in your own monastery without the chores and without the interaction of other monks. The practice here is to act, or have a conversation without hav- ing any thoughts. When you are to think, just work at that problem in your mind without any other distracting thoughts. You wholeheartedly concentrate on that problem alone and nothing else. At the beginning
8 you have to slow down a little, but when you are proficient, you can carry on at a normal pace.
9 Meditation Practice
Concentration Meditation
Meditation is neither a trance nor hypnosis. In a trance, the person is relinquishing varying portions of his mind to external agencies and is sometimes controlled by spirits or so-called ‘deities’. Consequently, he has varying consciousness of what is going on. In full trance he is totally unconscious. In partial trance he is partially conscious of what is going on. In hypnotism, the hypnotist is in control of the mind of the hypno- tised, but the latter would never do anything that is inherently alien to his character. In self-hypnotism, the person intends to follow a trend of thought that he has previously preconceived. In both these situations of hypnotism and trance, the person is not fully aware, not fully conscious, and quite often not fully in control. This is not so in meditation. In cor- rect meditation, the meditator should be fully aware, fully conscious and fully in control of the situation. The aim here is to transcend our physi- cal, emotional and mental bodies till we arrive at our spiritual true self (soul), in the quest for self-realisation. The path here is to work through the mystical state to finally reach the transpersonal state, which is like coming home. From thence onwards, one is in this world, but not of this world. We are completely aware throughout this journey.
Meditation is an arduous practice of controlling the mind towards a trans- formation of character. It is only a means and not an end. The repeated penultimate state of this practice is stillness and silence. It is only in this state that transformation can take place. Insight and wisdom can only arise in the pure awareness of silence and stillness. All the multifarious types of meditation in the world can be categorised into two: (1) one- pointed concentration (Samatha) and (2) insight (Vipassana) meditation.
In Samatha, there should be only one object in the mind during medita- tion. As one progresses, there will be happiness, joy, bliss, calm and tran- quillity in Samatha meditation. At the final stage of this practice, one will become still and silent with only one object in mind. One is not in a trance
10 or hypnotised state; in fact, one should be more aware in this final state of one-pointedness than before the start of meditation. Insight or wisdom is slow to arise in Samatha, because one is fixed in one’s object of medita- tion, and there is also the pleasure of bliss and tranquillity, which one tends to be addicted to. Therefore it is very difficult to achieve enlighten- ment in Samatha meditation. Whereas in Vipassana the ultimate state is stillness, silent and emptiness (of thoughts). In this Vipassana practice, one is finally left with pure awareness---- the presence of our true self. From this backdrop of awareness, the ‘little voice’ may be heard, i.e. the arising of insight is facilitated by emptiness. So in summary, in Samatha, one is left with one thought (the object of meditation), and in Vipassana there is only pristine awareness with no thought. In the final stages of these meditations, one has totally transcended the physical, emotional and mental in Vipassana, the meditator is already in the spiritual realm. He is now in touch with his true self (soul). In the absorption stages of Samatha, the mind has left behind the physical body, the emotions and most of the mental activity, except the object of meditation. In Vipassana, the transcendence is permanent, whilst in Samatha the transcendence is temporary.
Let us discuss about some conditions of meditation.
Place: Choose a room that is quiet and cool. It must be decorated with as little furniture as possible. If possible, lock your room and lift up the tele- phone. If there is an air-conditioned room available use it to shut out the noise and maintain an even cool temperature. Remove all statues from the room, and there should not be any altar in the room. This is because a very occasional statue may be spirited. One’s main aim is to go inwards. If one’s attention is directed outwards to an altar or a statue, then one is defeating one’s purpose. Bodhidharma meditated for 9 years facing a blank wall! If possible, always try to meditate alone. This is because the other person’s vibrations may interfere with one’s practice.
Time and Dress: The two best periods are in the morning and late at night. After waking up, complete one’s ablutions including brushing teeth and washing the face. Then drink some beverage, so that hunger pangs do not distract one’s meditation, but one must not indulge in a full breakfast. If one is a beginner, wake up half an hour earlier than usual. In order to
11 be completely awake, you may do some simple free hand exercises. While still in pyjamas, sit down to meditate. This is the best attire. No restricting clothes should be worn: no bras or belts. The other good time is before one goes to sleep. This is because it should be at least two hours away from dinner. A full stomach normally induces sleep, so the meditation is ineffectual.
The other consideration is that after a hard day’s work, one may be tired and sleepy, and the meditation becomes a preliminary session for sleep. That is why we sit in a semi-lotus position and have an empty stomach. If sleep is too overpowering at this period, try and catch a half-hour catnap before dinner. This will keep you awake for the night session. Another good time is at twilight, but one could really meditate at any time of the day.
Meditation period: One should start with 10 minutes per session. Do this for a week or more until one is quite comfortable with it. Then one may increase to 15 minutes. Again, this lengthened period should be tried out for another fortnight, after which the time maybe further prolonged. One continues in this fashion until one reaches a period of half an hour. This prolongation is entirely left to the discretion of the meditator. One should then stay at half an hour for about six months; after that one may proceed to 45 minutes. However one should try to meditate longer during holidays. Once you have reached ? or l hour, do not go back to 15 minutes. Also, if for some reason one is hard-pressed for time, then even 10 minutes is bet- ter than not meditating. However, the most optimum time is one hour or more per session.
There is no such thing as meditating 3 or 5 times a week. It must be a daily affair, and preferably twice a day. If you are travelling, do it in your hotel room, but first imagine yourself surrounded by white light. If you have to miss half a dozen days per year due to extenuating circumstances, it is quite in order.
Sitting position: The ideal position is the semi lotus. You may sit cross- legged if you want, but the place where the legs cross will be numb after a while. Therefore, crossing one’s legs is not advisable. The semi-lotus is putting one leg on top of the other: it does not matter whether it is right over left or vice versa. The full lotus is as the above except one tucks both
12 set of toes underneath the crooks of both knees so that both soles are facing the ceiling. This position looks beautiful, but one cannot sustain this position for long. However, one may also sit in a chair with both feet resting on the floor. The chair should preferably be without arm rests. Meditation is essentially dealing with the mind, and therefore the body should be as comfortable as possible without falling asleep. That means if there is a carpet, use that, and the best thing is to have a cushion beneath one’s buttocks. If one wants to sit on a bed, it is also feasible, but the bed must not be too soft, and a pillow should be placed between one’s back and the bedstead. On the bed, one can straighten one’s legs. Again, it is vital one should not fall asleep, especially in this position.
The most important point to remember in one’s posture is to keep one’s back completely straight. The neck should also be straight and the eyes looking straight ahead with the head erect. The eyelids should then be gently shut and the mouth close. Then give one big sigh to relax all the muscles of the body all at once. Some meditators do a song and dance about relaxing one group of muscles at a time. This is not necessary, because as one goes deeper into the one-pointed meditation, the muscles automatically relax by themselves.
Object of Meditation: In the Buddhist texts, 40 subjects of meditation are mentioned, but the layman should choose one that is easily accessible and pertaining to the body, e.g. the mindfulness of breathing (anapanasati). The other two popular objects are visualising and chanting of sutras or repeating of mantras. Both these methods are external. Repeating a mantra and chanting a sutra gets us to be calm quite well, but when one arrives at the absorption state, the mantra and sutra must be dropped because the mind in the 2nd absorption cannot hold on to a thought. Both mantra and sutra are thoughts. This is also true of counting one’s breath. Visualisation is also external, and the visualised object is also a thought. In addition, visualisation is a very difficult practice, and most peo- ple fail with this method. We want to select an object, which is pertaining to the body, i.e. it is not external and from which we can easily go inwards. The Buddha attained enlightenment with anapanasati. Furthermore, we can carry this object of meditation with us wherever we go.
Using the natural breathing process is the best. You either follow it by the
13 movement of the abdomen or feel the air going in and out of the nostrils. In concentrating on the abdomen the coverage is more diffused than at the nostrils. That means concentrating at the nostrils is more focussed. The great point about the latter method is that the deeper you go into meditation, the shallower your breathing will be and therefore, one has to concentrate even harder. This is good. In this mindfulness of breathing, there is no imagination required. You must actually feel the movement of the abdomen or the air brushing your nostrils or at the upper lip. ` Samatha: One-pointed concentration with mindfulness of breathing as an object.
After satisfying all the above conditions, sit comfortably with the full intention of meditating. This aim is important, otherwise the meditation practice could be reduced to a routine chore.
Before one starts on the meditation proper, take a deep sigh to totally relax one’s body. Then ascertain not to allow problems of the office, home or relationships, etc to intrude during the period of meditation.
Now assume the position as described above (either in semi-lotus or on the chair), and rests one’s hands on the lap. One open hand is placed on top of the other with the two thumbs lightly touching. It does not matter which hand is on top. Then close the mouth with the tongue pressed against the hard palate. Lastly, gently shut the eyes, and look at the back of the eyelids for a short while.
Now take three deep breaths. During these three breaths, one notices that as you breathe in the abdomen moves out; and as you breathe out the abdomen moves in. After this the breathing must be normal for the rest of the session. Then one should start feeling the sensations of the body. This is an inward journey, so that the mind does not go out externally. Start with the eyelids and then the nostrils. Feel the sensation at these points. What is the feeling at the nostril with the air brushing past it? Then go to the upper lip, and then the teeth inside. Stop for a moment each time to savour the sensation that is present at that location of the body. One can now move down to the neck, thence the shoulders. Are they hard and stiff? Then go down the arms, first the right then the left. The torso
14 is next: the chest, the abdomen, the hips and down the thighs to the knees. Go further down along the legs and feet. Is there any tingling sensation? Are there any thrills or shivers? Then slowly move up to the head at the scalp and then the face. A few minutes are spent going through this process without hurry. This process is not to relax the muscles, but to cen- tre oneself in the body. One need not go through every part of one’s body, but after some practice one can know when one has settled down inwardly. The mental and physical restlessness has now ceased. At this point, we stop looking at the feelings of the body.
One can now come back to the breathing. At the nostril one feels the air going in and out. One can feel it at the opening of the nostril or at the upper lip. The breathing must be absolutely normal, and no control of the breathing is allowed. Do not count the breathing, as this procedure will dilute the concentration. One is actually feeling the air, and no imagina- tion is involved. In order to prevent restlessness, one should only con- centrate at one respiratory cycle at a time. Firstly, follow the inward inspi- ration ending with a pause. Then let the expiration come out naturally, also ending with a pause. That is all. Your goal is one respiratory cycle at a time and you have achieved it! Then one starts all over again with the next respiratory cycle, and so on until the end of the session.
However, before long, thoughts will start to appear. If one has problems they will surface with the first thoughts. If there are no worries or problems, memories of the past 24 hours or days will turn up. Then planning what to do in the near or distant future will come about. Finally, random associative thoughts may take place as a continuous revelry. All these thoughts must be forcibly stopped by repeatedly coming back to the breath. This is repeated hundreds of time during one meditation session. One must not get upset with one’s own mind, whose function is to think. It is like a mother walk- ing with a toddler on the pavement along a very busy road. On the road many cars, lorries and buses are travelling at varying speeds, and if your tod- dler child were to be crushed by one of the numerous vehicles it could mean instant death. So it is the mother’s love and duty to repeatedly pull the child back from the road to the pavement. The child is like our concentra- tion, which has to be pulled to the breath time and again. The mother who is shoving the child back to the pavement cannot be upset with the child, because she loves him and the child does not know better.
15 After practising for many weeks or months, there will come a time when the thoughts will become less and one can stay with the breath for longer periods. Thoughts are either pictures situated at the middle of the fore- head or mental chatter at the ear. Either the pictures or the chatter will predominate. To one person mental chatter or commentary is the bug- bear; to another, mental pictures are the source of distraction. No matter which type it is, repeatedly coming back to the breath will reduce the thoughts in due course. Just concentrate on one respiratory cycle at a time.
Gradually stillness and silence will start to appear. In stillness, not only is one’s body to be still, but so are one’s thoughts must be still. That means one’s thoughts must not travel anywhere at all, not even to the neighbour sitting next to you. The attention must only be with the breath. This is the true meaning of stillness. Silence means no mental chatter or commen- tary. The silence is internal. Externally, there may be noises, which should not bother the meditator at this stage of progress. So with this internal silence and stillness, one’s awareness is greater and sharper. One is more aware of the slightest movement or noise in one’s environment. However, one’s one-pointed concentration is still at the breath. Before one started the session, the breathing is predominantly from the chest. Then as one goes deeper into alpha and theta states, one’s breathing becomes more and more abdominal. The breathing is also slower: from the normal 20 respiratory cycles per minute, it may slow down to 16 or 14 cycles per minute. Some of the yogis in India who practice pranayana (controlling one’s breath) may even reach 1 or 2 cycles per minute, but we are not prac- tising pranayana. Our method is anapanasati.
As one becomes more one-pointed, happiness, joy, bliss, calmness and tranquillity will start to creep in imperceptibly. It will come to a point when the meditator becomes addicted to his meditation. This is a good sign, but even this harmless addiction has to be broken off at a later date, because very little wisdom can accrue from this calm and bliss. Insight (Vipassana) meditation will then have to be practised.
One final technique in this method is to separate a ‘watcher’ in our con- sciousness to watch all the activities that are being enacted. The ‘watcher’ is merely the same pure awareness that is behind all our thoughts. It is our true self (soul). It is that silence and stillness without thoughts. Therefore,
16 let this watcher keep reminding oneself of the fact that one is sitting here, in this room on the cushion or carpet. Only 10% of the awareness is given to this task. The remaining 90% is used to concentrate on the breathing, and the distraction by thoughts. This watcher is separate from the body, the emotions and the thoughts. With this separation, one’s negativities will affect one less. ‘It is this body that is suffering these emotions and thoughts, not I. I am not my thoughts, I am not my emotions, I am not my body.’ This watcher is not involved; the watcher does not judge, nor reject or accept any thoughts or emotions. It just knows and does not take sides: it is non-dual. With this watcher it is much easier to arrive at still- ness, at which stage we are silent, but we are still left with one single thought, namely the breathing. This is one-pointedness. There is now no sadness, no pain or any other form of suffering; there is just the breath- ing. The meditator and the breathing have become one!
To summarise, one sits in a semi-lotus position or in the chair. Then one heaves a sigh of total relaxation of the whole body in one fell sweep. Take three deep breaths, after which the breathing should be normal through- out the meditation session. Then see that the torso and neck are straight with the head looking straight ahead. Shut the mouth with the tongue pressed against the palate. Then gently close the eyes. Briefly look at the back of the eyelids. Then spend a few minutes feeling the sensations all over the body one area at a time. Feel the tingling and the vibrations. Feel the movement of ‘chi’ at different parts of the body. While one is con- centrating on the body, one is at the present moment. Having established some form of calmness, separate a watcher in the consciousness to observe the body and the mind. The technique of this mindfulness of breathing is to merely concentrate on one inspiration and expiration at a time. Thoughts are forcefully pushed away as they arrive. Keep on com- ing back to the breath repeatedly, until one day, silence and stillness are achieved. Then stick to the one-pointedness as long as one can. This is briefly the practice of Samatha.
17 Progressive Stages of Samatha Meditation.
There are forty objects for meditation as quoted in the Buddhist books. However, not all are suitable for lay people. The best object is breathing, and this is the method that Buddha used. He was enlightened with it. It is good, because we can take it wherever we go. It is there all the time. We can partly control it if we want to, or we can ignore it, and it becomes entirely automatic.
Beta and Alpha Waves Looking at the chart, especially in the column on brain wave patterns (which are obtained from electro-encephalograms of meditators or peo- ple asleep) we notice that when we first start to meditate most of the pat- terns are of the Beta type, i.e. the pattern seen in normal waking con- sciousness. When one closes one's eyes and sits in a comfortable position as in meditation, one will automatically start to obtain Alpha waves in one's encephalogram. This happens even if one does not concentrate, but one must not work at any problems. Now when one continues to con- centrate on one's breathing, there will be more Alpha waves appearing.
18 This means one is deepening the meditation in the momentary or prelim- inary concentration. Therefore, from the Beta pattern of our daily waking consciousness, we can arrive in a short while to a calm stage of Alpha wave pattern. Of course, this momentary concentration stage ranges from superficial to very deep states of Alpha wave pattern. And it is when one is in the Alpha Wave, that the body starts to relax on its own.
Theta Wave (Access Concentration) Now from the deep stage of momentary concentration, if we continue to concentrate correctly we will slip into Access concentration with some Theta wave pattern. In this range of Access concentration, we can stay longer and longer at our object of meditation, namely breathing. The body is even more relaxed, and now the mind is also beginning to relax. The mind is now more even, and not scattered anymore. The brain waves are taller and fewer, and they are more regular. More and more Theta waves begin to appear. As one is able to sustain one's concentration on the breathing, other phenomena begin to set in. In this Access concen- tration stage, the following symptoms begin to manifest: (1) Low intellec- tual activity (2) Rapture (3)Visions and dreams (4) Drowsiness
Low intellectual activity During this relatively deep stage, intellectually one cannot carry out too difficult a mental sum, e.g. "What is the product of 85 x 397?" or "What is the date of last Wednesday?" In order to work out these sums, one must go back to Alpha wave or momentary concentration. Access concentra- tion is when one is just about to fall asleep or having revelries, and a com- fortable feeling has set in: both in the body and the mind, and the mind is not interested in any mathematical gymnastics. Rapture This phenomenon has a very wide range of manifestations. It starts with either mild vibrations in one area of the body, or itches as if insects are biting. Then the vibrations begin to increase in intensity, and they also become more continuous: so much so that, at the ultimate stage, they start from the bottom of the spine and move right up to the top of the head, and then down again along the front of the face and the chest, abdomen and finally the thighs and the legs. This process is repeated over and over again. This circular movement is called the "rotation of the bullock cart"
19 by the Chinese Taoists. This "rotation of the bullock cart" is the most healing process in the world: it can even heal the terminal stages of can- cer. Then there are other phenomena like when the entire body feels extremely heavy, as if one's arms are like lead, or one has become a huge giant. Or the opposite may occur: when one has been reduced to the size of a midget. Then one may cry with tears of bliss, and after this period of ecstasy, one feels that one has enough love for everybody on earth. There are of course, other changes and feelings which we will not go into.
Visions and Dreams In the Access concentration stage, we tend to go into revelries, dreamlets and dreams. Dreams appear factual and the stories are as realistic as when we are asleep. Dreamlets are more ephemeral and they are rather short lived. This progression is much more common than visions, e.g. seeing Buddha, Jesus or Kuan Yin (Goddess of Mercy). The danger of the dreamy state is that the meditator tends to fall asleep. The danger of see- ing vision is that the meditator tends to believe that he is being rewarded for having achieved such a high plane. One must then use awareness and alertness to prevent sleep, and humility and wisdom to eradicate pride. During these revelries and dreamy states, there is a nice sensual feeling about them, as the body is light and even weightless at times. In this dreamy and drowsy state there is hardly a care in the world, and therefore the meditator is lulled by this soft, blissful state, when sleep becomes an obstacle in his practice. Drowsiness This is an inevitable consequence of Theta wave pattern in which dreams are prevailing. This drowsy, somnolent state with slow brain waves is fraught with sleepiness. It does not take much to fall asleep. At this stage, sleepiness is the greatest enemy. We must then use more awareness and alertness to stay awake. Another technique is to open one's eyes while meditating. If all this fails, then go and wash one's face with cold water. During this period of Access concentration, either few or all the Jhanic (absorption) factors may appear, but they are present in a rather haphaz- ard fashion. Sometimes Rapture or at times Sustained thought may pre- dominate. They do not appear in the right proportions as in the absorp- tion state. All the absorption states manifest the Delta wave pattern in their encephalograms. That means from the 1st to the 8th Jhana it is char-
20 acterised by the Delta wave pattern.
The Jhanas (the Absorptions) We can enter into the Jhanic states only when we are able to eradicate the five hindrances, namely (1) Sensual desire (2)Ill-will (3) Sloth and Torpor (4) Restlessness and Worry (5) Sceptical Doubt. At the first intimations of the 1st Jhana, there is only a very swift dip into it. Quite often the meditator does not even know that he has been in Jhana for those very brief periods of time. Then as time goes on he is able to stay longer and longer in that Jhanic state, and it is when all the five Jhanic factors are assembled in their right proportions that the meditator realises that he is in Jhana. The five Jhanic factors are: (1) Applied Thought (2) Sustained Thought (3) Rapture (4) Mental Bliss (5) One-pointedness with Equanimity. Applied thought means the very first application of our consciousness to the object of meditation. This initial focusing may not last long. But as our Jhanic concentration improves, we are able to focus our attention much longer onto the object, and this prolonged focusing is transformed into Sustained Thought, the 2nd Jhanic factor. Now as we go deeper into the 1st Jhana we are able to sustain our atten- tion onto the object of meditation for long periods of time without inter- ruption. Thus, applied Thought is no more relevant, because Sustained Thought has taken over. And as we go deeper still into the 1st Jhana, high- er grades of rapture (five grades have been described) begin to appear. Mental Bliss is also becoming prominent: as extraneous or discursive thoughts are reduced and continue to disappear, Bliss will increasingly take their place. Needless to say, with the full establishment of Sustained Thought, One-pointedness concentration begin to be more tenable.
2nd Jhana Now as one goes towards the 2nd Jhana, any flickering of thoughts is completely relegated to the background: they do not bother the meditator at all now, until finally these backdrops of flickering thoughts are com- pletely eradicated. It becomes quite obvious that any form of discursive thought must automatically disappear if one were to descend into the 2nd Jhana. So that when we finally arrive at the 2nd Jhana, we are left with only Rapture, Bliss and One-pointedness. Applied and Sustained thoughts must also be dropped. At this point of time, there is also no more bodily pain.
21 In the 2nd Jhana, there is only one thought, and that thought is the object of the meditation, namely "breathing". We are now approaching one- pointed concentration. As there are now no more discursive thoughts, the mental stage is upheld by rapture and bliss. Rapture is now at its peak: one may even bounce up and down while sitting in the lotus position or the "chi" may circulate the "bullock cart wheel", as described earlier. The bouncing has been erroneously called levitation. Whatever it is, this rap- ture produces extreme pleasure as well. This peak rapture would also enhance the mental bliss that is now replacing the emptiness of thoughts. With this bliss, there is also no room for mental grief. The peak rapture, bliss and lack of mental grief will culminate in internal confidence, which was not present before. Lastly, the absence of thoughts and sound are most conducive to the unification of mind, which eventually takes place. With this fixity of the mind, One-pointedness is now stronger, but it is still diluted by rapture and bliss.
Sleep When we fall asleep at night, we go through the same sequence of events as the above: Beta to Delta wave up to the 2nd Jhana. However, when we are asleep, we are not aware of the stages that we are travelling through. When we are in dreamless sleep, we are also in Delta wave, and there is no bodily pain as in the 2nd Jhana. Also in sleep, we do not bounce as in the 2nd Jhana. The greatest difference between sleep and meditation is that in the latter case, we are aware of every stage that we are going through.
3rd Jhana In the 3rd Jhana, we maybe in a state when we are like a block of wood and no amount of arousal or beating can wake us up. On the other hand, when asleep, we can always be awaken up. As one approaches the 3rd Jhana, one would find that rapture is too coarse, and therefore it has to be reduced and then completely eradicated before one could comfortably arrive at the 3rd Jhana. Thus, in the 3rd Jhana, the only Jhanic factors left are mental bliss and one-pointedness. Having relinquished rapture there is now no more bodily feelings. That means there are no more bodily pleas- ure or pain. As there is now no more bodily function, one cannot also either see or hear. The yogin may seem to be like a block of wood, but this block of wood has no feelings at all: you can whack him and he will
22 not be hurt. The mental bliss and one-pointedness ensure that the medi- tator is presently endowed with mindfulness, equanimity and discernment. These are qualities of the mind. The situation is that there is no sense of the body at all, and only the mind predominates. Lastly, even this blissful state has to go. It is not subtle enough for the 4th Jhana. Therefore, bliss must eventually be released in order to enter the 4th Jhana.
4th Jhana Finally, we arrive at the last of the fine Material Jhanas. Here we are left only with the last Jhanic factor of one-pointedness accompanied by equa- nimity. Whenever there is only one-pointedness, it must be associated with its twin ---equanimity. He is totally absorbed with the breathing: he and the breathing are one. At this stage, there is neither mental bliss nor grief. There is also no physical pain or pleasure. There is only specific neu- trality: free from attachment and aversion. And at the very late stage of 4th Jhana, the yogin may think he is not breathing, but the fact is that he is breathing, albeit very, very slowly and shallowly. As one progresses through all the stages of Jhana, one's breathing automatically becomes shallower and slower until it appears that the yogin is not breathing, both to himself and to the observer. The meditator is in this wonderful and rar- ified state of being: he is one with the breathing, and if the latter appears to have ceased, then he believes (wrongly) that he is in Nirvana! You could kill him for all he cares!
Thus, we have come to the end of the fine Material Jhanas. Up to now, he is constantly with his object of meditation: breathing or whatever object he is using. That object(form) is there until the end of the 4th Jhana. From now onwards, there are no more forms. He will now enter the formless world: the Four Immaterial Jhanas. Seeing that hardly any lay people would be able to reach these states in the privacy of their own homes, these states will be merely enumerated without elaborating on them. In addition, the Four Immaterial Jhanas can only be achieved in conditions obtainable in the monastery. Further, it is also essential to have a master, who himself is thoroughly acquainted with these formless Jhanas, to guide one.
The Four Immaterial Jhanas (Absorptions) 5th Jhana : The Base of Boundless Space
23 Still with one-pointedness and equanimity the yogin completely removes the object of his meditation(breathing, coloured disc etc.) and pays atten- tion to the space that is left behind. 6th Jhana : The Base of Boundless Consciousness By surmounting the object of boundless space, the meditator withdraws to his own consciousness, which is also boundless.
7th Jhana : The Base of Nothingness One must now pay attention to the non-existence, voidness (sunnata) and secluded aspect of consciousness and space leading eventually to noth- ingness.
8th Jhana : The Base of Neither Perception nor Non-perception The Yogin on the one hand lacks gross perception, and on the other hand retains a subtle perception. Although this 8th Jhana is such a subtle and refined state it is still a mundane state, and it is only insight that can lead to liberation.
For the sake of completion, the six super-normal powers (Abhinna), will be tabulated below, but the meditator is discouraged to pursue these pow- ers for their own sake. The first five Abhinas are still mundane and do not signify enlightenment. Only the 6th super-normal power is of supramun- dane quality. For those yogins who are truly bent on achieving some form of psychic power, the yogin must be able to reach the 4th Jhana at will and for a set period of time. For instance, he sets his mind to be in the 4th Jhana for three hours, he will remain there for exactly that amount of time, and he will come out of Jhana when the three hours have expired. He has to will to acquire one Abhinna at a time until that power is achieved. He has to fervently will to acquire it before he starts the medi- tation, and on the way out also will to achieve it. It may take months or years to succeed. (1) Super-normal Feats (i) One can become many and vice versa (ii) One can appear and disappear (iii) One can go through walls and mountains (iv) One can go in and out of the ground as if it is water (v) One can walk on water as if it is earth (vi) One can fly though space
24 (vii) One can go to the moon and sun
It is almost certain that (iii), (vi) and (vii) are feats as a result of out-of- body experience (O.B.E.).
(2) Divine Ear : The yogin can hear sounds of divine origin e.g. admonition or premoni- tion from his spiritual guides. He can hear sounds and voices far away as well as sounds of creatures nearby e.g. the noises of worms in his intes- tines.
(3) Reading into Other People's Thoughts : He can directly tune in to others' thoughts like a radio signal. Whatever you think, goes into the ether and the receiver just tunes in.
(4) Recollecting Previous Lives : One can recollect details or scenes from one or many previous lives.
(5) Divine Eye (i) One can see the passing away and rebirth of a being. (ii) Clairvoyance: knowledge of the future and far away events. (iii) Knowledge of how one fares after death according to his good or bad karma.
(6) Destruction of the Cankers (i) There is no more sense desire. (ii) There is no more craving for existence. (iii) There is no more Ignorance: it is completely replaced by Wisdom. (iv) Therefore there are no more wrong views.
This 6th Abhina is the only supramundane one, and when this Abhina is achieved, then one is enlightened (Arahant).
25 Effects And Hindrances of Meditation.
Immediate Effects (1) Accumulation of saliva: This phenomenon happens to many people. What one has to do is to merely swallow the saliva mindfully, whilst not paying attention to the breadth. Immediately after this, one comes back to the breadth again. Thoughts are again being consciously pushed away, whilst concentrating on the air striking at the nostril during inhalation and exhalation
(2) Numbness and pain in the limbs: Again this is quite a common complaint At first, one should try to tolerate the pain or numbness as long as possible. Later, as these effects become more intolerable and affect one's meditation, then one may stretch out one's legs until the numbness or pain is considerably reduced. After that, one may resume the semi-lotus position again. However if one is sitting on an armchair, then there is no grounds for such complaints.
(3) Restlessness of Mind and Body: These effects are more difficult to overcome. In this instance, one should physically try to relax the body: tense the whole body and then relax it again. After this, concentrate hard- er on the breathing, it is only with time and experience that one can go deeper into theta wave, access concentration, so that bliss may arise to eliminate restlessness and worry.
(4) Weightlessness or lightness: This phenomenon needs no remedy at all. It merely indicates that one is progressing in one's meditation. However, there may come a time when one may be deluded to think that one is "levitating" upwards whilst breathing in and downwards whilst breathing out. This is not the case: one merely has to open one's eyes to see the truth of the matter. The opposite of heaviness is a little more dis- concerting to the meditator. The student will feel that the arms are as heavy as metal bars, and at times as though the whole body has assumed giant proportions. Again, this is another form of delusion, known as Maya or Makyo. Here again if one is bothered by it, then one may reme- dy it merely by opening one's eyes. And this will stop the feeling of heav- iness immediately.
26 (5) Warmth: This effect is almost universal. As one relaxes in meditation, one's blood vessels dilate. The dilatation of the blood vessels has the same effect as drinking wine. The whole body warms up, and some people could even get very hot to the extent of perspiring profusely. The danger now is not to catch a cold when you finish with your meditation. Clothe yourself adequately before you go to sleep, if it is your sleeping time.
(6) Cold: Very, very rarely an individual may feel colder when meditating. This is very unusual. However it does happen. You either ignore it or put something light to cover yourself or wear a cardigan when you meditate.
(7) Itchiness: Sometimes, it feels as if insects are crawling all over you. You just have to open your eyes to know that there isn't. Try and stand the itch: you either concentrate on the area or ignore it. If it becomes so unbearable, then scratch it, and return to your meditation proper. The itch or 'insects' is due to the hairs standing up at the beginning of rapture (this is called Piti in pali)
(8) Smoothness and Roughness: In Samatha (one-pointed concentra- tion), there may be some jerkiness while you are sitting. Sometimes the body tends to sway from side to side or forward and backward. Sometimes the body twirls around continuously. All these movements are due to one's internal tension being too wound up (i.e. one's tension due to stress is quite overwhelming), whilst the physical body is rather relaxed during meditation. This internal/external conflict causes these repetitive movements. There is nothing you can do about it: just let it be until one day your stress and tension are reduced sufficiently that these movements will stop on their own.
(9) Involuntary movements: These are very structured gestures or mudras that look like traditional dances with hand movements. Occasionally, the student will stand up and dance! This is due to Kriya energy being activated by the meditation teacher (who is called Sadguru). The student sometimes become frighten, but actually it is quite harmless. The student may stop the Kriya mudras if she wills it, but when she does that her meditation becomes less deep. However, if she does not stop them she cannot arrive at stillness, which is a prequisite to a successful meditation.
27 (10) Nimittas---visions and dreams: When we go deeper into theta wave, we tend to have dreamlets and visions. These are like television movies, in which we can only watch the sequence of events, but we can- not change the events or characters in the dreams. However, we can stop the show completely and nothing else. The visions are scenes of splendor or horror, or we may see Buddha, Jesus or Allah. Whatever it is, it is an illusion. The Japanese Zen practitioners call this Makyo (hallucination). What shall we do about it? We watch it and ignore it. Do not take it seri- ously.
(11) Freshness of Mind: Some meditators will find that their minds are totally fresh after meditation. This is because they have managed to clear all the intellectual rubbish while practising one-pointed concentration. This freshness will in turn prevent sleep later on, and insomnia will ensue. What is the remedy? Meditate longer so that one goes deeper into theta or even delta wave. If the meditator is not sufficiently skilled to do that, then one should meditate only in the mornings.
(12) Drowsiness: If one goes deeper into theta wave, one of the features in this state is drowsiness. This is much more frequent than freshness. The problem now is 'how to keep awake'. The first step is to be more alert and aware, and not to be so concentrated. If this fails then one should get up and wash one's face with cold water. Another method is to open one's eyes partially or fully. Whatever it is this, meditator would surely enjoy a good night's sleep.
(13) Fear: This phenomenon is not uncommon, especially when one is meditating in the dark. Sometimes, one is fearful of spirits or ghosts appearing. One is also fearful of spirit possession. Another great fear is that one may go insane. Sometimes one is fearful of falling into a dark hole. Sometimes these fears are reinforced by hallucinatory visions of ogres, monsters and states of hell. All these illusions are constructed by the mind. There is absolutely nothing to fear. One merely has to open one's eyes.
(14) Crying: This is not due to sadness. It is more often than not a result of rapture. Rapture has many manifestations that will be discussed later. In this instance the tears are bitter sweet. There is a rapturous sensation
28 going through the body at the same time. Normally there is much peace at the end of this meditation session.
(15) Bliss: This is another feature of deep theta wave: in fact it is a con- stant component of the absorption (Jhana) state. The more one clears one's mind of thoughts, the more bliss will result. As nature abhors a vac- uum, emptiness of thoughts is quickly replaced by bliss.
(16) Bright Light: This is a very rare occurrence. Most of the time it is Makyo (hallucination). Again to test its validity, one merely opens one's eyes. If it is Makyo, the light will instantly disappear. However if the Bright Light still persists, the whole room will be lit by it, and every one else should be able to enjoy it. This would signify one of the greatest bestowal of the Divine, and everybody would be in tears of joy and hap- piness. However, most times this happens only to one person when he is alone. It must be accepted with great humility, otherwise it will not hap- pen again!
(17) Five Gradations of Rapture (Happiness): As one goes down in Samatha meditation, one will experience the phenomenon of rapture (Piti). Rapture occurs in increasing intensity as one goes deeper into one- pointed concentration (Samatha). These grades are named as such: (i) Minor: a shiver like raising the hairs on the body (goose flesh). It is the same effect as if one has suddenly seen a ghost. The itch and 'insects' crawling are due to this minor rapture. (ii) Momentary: flashes of lightning occurring at different moments all over the body. (iii) Showering: breaks over the body again and again like waves on the seashore. (iv) Uplifting: extreme lightness as a physical sensation as well as a mental uplift. This 'floating in air' sensation may lead to "bouncing" (1st or 2nd Jhana). (v) Pervading: whole body is completely pervaded, like a filled bladder or like a rock cavern inundated by a tidal wave (2nd Jhana) Rapture is one of the five Jhanic factors that will discussed later. The other four factors are: (1) Applied thought (2) Sustained thought (3) Bliss
29 (4) One-pointedness
Long Term Effects of Meditation Effects on physical body (1) Healthier: One's resistance to disease is increased. That means when colleagues fall sick, one can destroy the same germs or viruses in one's own body due to the increased immunity developed from our daily med- itation. Similarly, as cancer cells are popping up in our bodies everyday the meditators can also eradicate these malignant cells as they arise. Conversely, stress reduces our immunity and it may be so reduced that the cancer cells takeover, and start to form a primary colony in the body. The danger of cancer is that it is wild and unruly, and will grow incessantly to the detriment of the healthy body. (2) Memory and Concentration: The meditator having achieved good concentration, has also a much better memory. He is now less tense and has an increased capacity to handle stress. He appears also to have increased energy with greater physical agility. He is able to sleep better, and the incidence of insomnia is greatly reduced. There is less tension headaches, and irritability. Aches and pains of the body begin to diminish. As mind-body co-ordination greatly improves, the meditator works more efficiently. (3) Personality: He is now friendlier, and has a more attractive personal- ity. He has more time for others, and is more tolerant of other religions. He is now able to deal with emergency situations without panic. Although he is more patient, he is more charismatic. He is also more sensitive to other people's moods and feelings. Additionally, he is able to take losses and bereavement much better. This adds up to an increased ability to let go: to be less greedy and more charitable. (4) Psychosomatic illnesses: Conditions such as asthma, neurodermati- tis and gastrointestinal problems (e.g. irritable bowel syndrome) begin to disappear as one continues to meditate. Weight is normalised. High blood pressure is also reduced.
Mental-emotional effects After at least six months, one would notice that there is a reduction of anxiety neurosis and nervousness. Depression disappears completely. There are no longer feelings of inadequacy. Being much calmer than
30 before, irritability has also more or less disappeared. On the positive side there is more self-esteem. The meditator can now solve problems better, because his mind is not cluttered with anxiety and unnecessary informa- tion. As one's thoughts become more orderly, one's thinking is much more organised, thus increasing one's creativity and productivity. Spiritual well-being Meditation tends to make us a better Christian, Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist. Our affiliations to our religions are strengthened. It also tends to foster trust with a greater capacity for intimate contact. One develops more compassion for our fellow human beings, and there is also a greater capacity for unconditional love, which means that the meditator does not expect any gratitude or thanks. There is an increased satisfaction at work and at home, and consequently we develop inner wholeness. We now know that life is meaningful. Of course, the greatest achievement would be our ability to let go: to have less greed, hatred, pride and selfishness. These four foibles when considerably reduced will affect our spiritual well-being tremendously.
Hindrances (Obstacles) There are five primary hindrances to all types of meditation and our spir- itual path. These are: (1) Sensual Desire: These are desires or cravings emanating from our six sense organs: they are the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, skin and mind. Of course, when you are sitting in meditation, the mind will give you the most obstacles. (2) Ill-will: Irritation, anger, hatred, envy, jealousy and depression. These negative traits will hamper one's meditation, as peace of mind cannot be obtained. (3) Sloth and Torpor: As one is more experienced in meditation one can go deeper into theta wave or access concentration. In this state, drowsi- ness is experienced and the tendency to fall asleep is overwhelming. The remedy here is to be more aware, using mindfulness to keep awake. If you have a very tiring day, then the evening meditation tends to be sloppy. If you are truly earnest about having a fruitful meditation, then get up and wash your face with cold water. Then continue your meditation with your eyes open. (4) Restlessness and Worry: Here the restlessness could be of the body or of the mind. If it is of the body, then one could do some form of exer-
31 cises or hatha yoga to squeeze out the excess physical energy out of the body. If it is of the mind, then one should concentrate more at the object of meditation. (5) Skeptical Doubt: The main doubt here is that it is impossible to med- itate, no matter how hard one tries. It is not true. Everybody can meditate. You must have patience, and a suitable meditation subject must be cho- sen. Persistence is the key word, but one must not be stressed by the attempt.
These five hindrances can also be eradicated or counteracted by the five Jhanic factors:
(1) One-pointed concentration eradicates lust. (2) Rapture abolishes ill will. (3) Applied thought extinguishes sloth and torpor. (4) Bliss eliminates agitation and worry. (5) Sustained Thought suppresses doubt and uncertainty.
32 Vipassana Meditation.
Insight meditation (Vipassana) is the practice of moment-to moment awareness both in formal sitting as well as meditation in action outside of formal sitting. In sitting meditation we start briefly with breathing as a ris- ing and falling process, after which the main subjects to be dealt with will be the mind and the states of mind. The latter include all the emotional feelings and the states of mind that we are experiencing during the sitting meditation. Whilst dealing with these 2 phenomena, we are not allowed any choice in the matter. We just merely watch the thoughts and states of mind as they arise while we sit. There should not be any attempt at mod- ifying or suppressing the thoughts or states. This choiceless awareness is of paramount importance in the practice. The main object of this prac- tice is to see the ceaseless stream of thoughts and the change of moods and emotions as they arise and fall at that moment. There should be no attempt at interrupting or interfering with this continuous flow. We mere- ly watch the process of change and movement. That is to bring to mind the reality of impermanence of any state, which is invariably changing all the time. And therefore if we were to cling on to anything or state hop- ing that it will remain the same then we suffer. As we continue to practice Vipassana, we will also realize that there is no abiding essence or self in the three bodies: physical, emotional and mental. This is the Anatta doc- trine (Selflessness) of Theverada Buddhism. This practice has to contin- ue when we are out of sitting meditation, when we are doing our daily chores. We can meditate in any position and in every state of activity, but now we have to make a choice between the options that are offered us. Otherwise, we get nowhere. We have to choose to achieve our purpose of action. The accent here is again to be completely mindful and aware of every action. And lastly, we have to be aware of the reactions that arise when our 6 senses meet external objects. These latter two practices will be the theme for the next essay.
The ‘Watcher’ is the True Self First and foremost, we must separate a ‘watcher’ in our consciousness to observe what is going on in our mind and body. The mind includes states of minds, emotions, feelings and higher spiritual realms. This ‘watcher’ starts off as being part of our consciousness, but as we become more and
33 more silent and still, this ‘watcher’ expands itself to be an omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent but impartial observer. When the practice is intense enough and prolonged enough then we will realize that this ‘watcher’ is really our True Self. In other words, it is the soul or Atman occupying that great expanse of emptiness. And if we can carry this real- ization with us wherever we go we are self-realized! This is the goal of every mystic. So in order to achieve this aim we must always remember to separate a ‘watcher’. This ‘watcher’ is merely to watch and observe the train of thoughts and emotional feelings as they arise at that moment and not later or before that moment. Later, when we are not in sitting medi- tation, it should continue to observe and watch our movements so that finally we can control and master our body and mind. But initially, we merely watch and take no action.
States of Mind, Emotions and Feelings When these states arise, we must know them as they occur. We must not anticipate them or trace them back to their origin, as suggested by some teachers. We must see them and know them at that time of appearance. Do not modify or suppress them. Merely observe them. Look at them head on without flinching. By just watching them, we are practising sepa- ration and trying to realize our true self. Some of the states and emotions may be classified as below:
(a) States of mind as depicted in the encephalogram: Beta, Alpha, Theta and Delta Waves. These states have been meticulously described in the article on "Progressive Stages of One-Pointed Concentration Meditation (Samatha)". We simply recognise which state we are in without doing anything about it.
(b) Emotional States: Notice how calm or tranquil you are at the begin- ning of meditation. Or are you irritated or agitated? Is there anger or hatred? What about restlessness and worry? Is there joy or happiness? Is there a feeling of gleeful anticipation towards the meditation? What about drowsiness or sleepiness? All these emotions must be meticulously noted without agitation. There should also be no attempt at changing these emo- tions. You are merely the observer; otherwise you do not know yourself. All these emotional states are not you. They may remain there for some- time as emotional background or they may slowly wane.
34 (c) Altered States: These are states like altruistic love, compassion, and forgiveness and at peace with the whole world. These states are normally not characteristic of that person. Thus lies the danger. If these states take over temporarily our normal emotions, and if we were to act contrarily to our normal character, then we would be in deep trouble! For instance, one may suddenly decide to give away all one’s assets to charity, and then find that there is no more to feed oneself and family. What a calamity! Other altered states may include visits to the lower and middle astral, and these may frighten the meditator, although these escapades are most rare. The feeling of divine love may be so overwhelming that the meditator becomes extremely grateful to God or Allah or Buddha that he can then take up that particular religion straight away without reservation. These altered states, of course, do not last. And when they wane, one drops back to normality again. This coming home to the normal world is something of a let down and can be very disappointing to say the least.
(d) "Enlightened" State of At-One with the Universe: In this state you feel as if you are everything you see and feel, and everything outside you is part of you. If you were to focus on somebody, that person is you. The trees, birds and animals are all you. Nothing is exempt. However, this state does not last. It may last for hours or days at the most, but it even- tually it will disappear.
(e) Psychedelic states as in drug-induced states. There may be multi- coloured, multi-faceted and multi-dimensional states, never experienced before in one’s life. You could be floating in this dizzy exotic environment with not a care in the world. You feel that you have reached paradise, and you congratulate yourself for arriving in heaven with no effort. But alas, it is uncontrollable, and finally it ends with a big bang, a let down and a very bad hangover as in a trip with drugs.
(f) Makyo: hallucinations and visions. These visions and hallucinations tend to appear when one is in theta wave. The visions may be figures of Virgin Mary, Buddha, Kwan Yin or Jesus, all of which no living person has ever seen. They are not real. One can eradicate them by simply open- ing one’s eyes or just change the thought. The famous Zen saying: "When you see Buddha, kill him" is absolutely correct. These hallucinatory states may include the meditator flying in the air or diving into solid earth or
35 wheezing to the moon or stars. There may be scenes of olden times or periods, giving a false believe that these are our actual previous lives from our Akashic records. They are not. They are merely hallucinations. Further, one may smell, hear or feel things that are not perceived by oth- ers. Lastly, one may experience an NDE (near-death experience) but this is extremely rare.
All the above states and emotional feelings do not come in one continu- ous period of time. They appear intermittently throughout the session of sitting meditation, or more commonly they do not appear at all. Therefore, throughout the insight meditation we will see and perceive dif- ferent states as we go deeper and deeper into Vipassana. For instance, we start the meditation feeling angry and irritated, but as the meditation pro- gresses, we become calmer and then end up being tranquil. We know when we are in Alpha or Theta wave. Then after many months of prac- tice, we reached states of divine love, compassion and at peace with the world. As these states turn up we know. Then deeper still, psychedelic states or hallucinations and visions may also appear. Then we merely recognise them as such and then we let them go. Every state, feeling and vision must just be seen and then dropped. There should not be any attempt at holding on to them. They are all transient and impermanent. One may not be able to repeat the same state or vision ever again. One also should not boast about their occurrences. These transitory states of mind are not for real and therefore it is quite useless clinging to these memories. They are like will-o’-the- wisp’ of the air. All these states come without premonition or warning, and they disappear in like fashion. They appear intermittently throughout that process of observing our thoughts. There is no order in their appearances.
The Mind Assume the same sitting position as in the concentration practice. After going round your body (sensing different parts of the body) as taught in Samatha meditation, you again come to the breath. This time you notice the breathing as an arising and falling phenomenon. Then note the state of the mind. Further, fix your attention at your forehead between the two eyes. This is now your television screen and all the thoughts are now to be placed here. Past, present and future thoughts are to be screened here (Fig.1).
36 They appear as pictures here, but the mental chatter will occur at the ears. Now again separate a ‘watcher’ who will observe the pictures and listen to the verbal commentary. One cannot concentrate on 2 things at one time. So you have to decide to pay attention either to the pictures or to the men- tal chatter. The attention must be total and not half-hearted. If you can look at the one picture in full bloom, it will disappear, and momentarily, there will be no thoughts. Soon another train of thoughts will arrive. This time it is even more powerful and you could be caught in its momentum for a length of time. This chain of associated thoughts will continue until suddenly you come to realize that you are in that chain, and there is again another interval of stillness and silence. These intervals of emptiness are initially not recognized, until many weeks of months of meditation have passed. Then when one is able to slow down the thoughts and reduce their number, then these intervals are even easier to detect. It is during Theta wave that one can more easily catch these periods of silence. If an interval of stillness appears, hold on to it. Don’t let it go. Try and length- ened it. Enjoy it. But alas, without experience it will slip away very quick- ly. Therefore, experience is essential in this practice. You can read as many books as you like; it is of no help whatsoever. It is practical experience that counts. Continuing with this Vipassana practice, there will come a
37 time when you can keep that interval of still and silent emptiness long enough to enjoy the pure awareness. From this expanse of pure aware- ness, insights will arise. These are from ‘the small little voice’ arising out of the pure awareness. These insights are appropriate to your level of development, no more, no less. Perhaps after many years of practice and truly letting go, spiritual wisdom may then accrue.
The Objects of Mind What are the thoughts that arrive at your television screen? Do not bring out subjects for contemplation. Just let the thoughts arise on their own. Inevitably, problems of the present will come about. They may be finan- cial problems or situations of the immediate family. There may be some tension with regards to the office personnel. Relationships with sexual overtones feature quite prominently to certain individuals. Then memo- ries of yesterday, last week or last month will turn up. After some time these memories will change to planning for the future. Whether they are of the past, present or future, these pictures must be seen at the center of the forehead, where the screen is. Later on, when all the problems are seen to, random associative thoughts will begin a chain of their own. These chains may gather such a momentum that one is unaware of them and one is caught in them. Then all of a sudden, one is brought back to the present practice, and then a short interval of stillness is brought to one’s consciousness. In this stillness one may note one’s state of mind: are we calm? Still agitated? Is there rapture? And so on. Some external noise will distract one momentarily. Then the thoughts will start to appear again, after another external noise triggers another memory. The above process will repeat itself again and again, but with diligence and practice the thoughts are seen more clearly and can be held for longer periods of time. With experience and prolonged practice, we can have longer and longer periods of stillness and silence. These intervals of no thoughts may be extended to a definite and perceptible length of time. This state of pure awareness is most exhilarating: it is unadulterated bliss! So the discipline here is to repeatedly go into this state of pure awareness which should be extended as long as possible. It is during this still and silent emptiness that insights will appear. What are the insights? It all depends on one’s spiritu- al development. If one is still worldly and materialistic, then the insights will be of that nature. If one has let go a fair bit then they will be of a
38 higher plane. Sometimes precognition or clairvoyance or telepathy may turn up, but this is not a constant feature. They are more like fluke occur- rences. The latter may be transmitted as voices or just plain knowing. These ‘psi’ phenomena are not repeatable.
At the end of the day it is the character transformation that counts. Love, compassion and equanimity should replace our negativities like craving, anger, selfishness, pride and ignorance.
The Three Hearts Firstly, there is the physical heart, which is just to the left of the sternum. Secondly, there is the emotional heart, which is just below the bottom of the sternum. Whenever one gets a shock or news of disaster it catches one at the hollow pit of the stomach, our second heart. Thirdly, there is this Divine heart. It is also called the soul or Atman. According to Ramana Maharshi, it is the size of the last phalange of the thumb and is situated just to the right of the bottom of the sternum. Now following from the above Vipassana meditation, when we have arrived at S.E.S. (Stillness, Emptiness, and Silence) for quite a long time, we can bring down our attention down to where the seat of the soul is: just to the right of the bottom of the sternum. And stay there as long as we can. This will reinforce our love and compassion for the service of mankind.
The Levels of Consciousness In insight meditation, the watcher merely observes the thoughts and pic- tures arising in the superficial consciousness. Then with prolonged prac- tice, the still and silent emptiness is achieved. With further practice, mem- ories of the subconscious may surface (Fig. 2).
The subconscious is defined in this paper as past events in this present life. Many levels of the subconscious may now occasionally erupt trigger- ing the memory bank. The surfacing of any memory is on ‘the need to know basis’ and not on ‘I want to know basis’. These memories are there to unravel the knots in our psyche at that moment. Then as we continue to let go more and more and if our practice is on the right track, then we could be extremely privileged to peep into few of our Akashic Records. The trouble here is that we cannot be certain that it is truly the Akashic and not merely our hallucination. The Akashic is in the realms of the
39 Collective Unconsciousness (of Jung). Of course, in this realm innumer- able lifetimes may surface, and therefore many karmic causes may be elicited to explain the difficulties we are in at the present. Delving into past lifetimes in the Collective Unconsciousness may engross us for long periods of time, but at the end we have to let go even of this feat. It is said that Gautama Buddha was able to see every lifetime since his first human incarnation.
Finally, we have to drop down even further to the Universal Consciousness that means into the realm of the Godhead. This supreme feat has only been achieved by a few prophets in the past while they are alive, and Buddha was one of them. It is in this rarefied realm that we real- ize that every consciousness (vegetation, animal, mineral and human) is interconnected. Nothing is outside this supreme Godhead. It is one with- out a second. This is the non-dualistic realm of the Unborn, Uncreated and Uncompounded. This is the state of Nirvana!
40 The Dark Night of the Soul Not all mystics go through this stage. After many years or lifetimes of purification and practice of meditation, the mystic arrives at this stage of purgation. It is the penultimate stage just before union with the absolute. It is the last struggle before one arrives at Unity or Ultimate State of Consciousness. In the Buddhist Theverada tradition, the last 3 fetters to be relinquished are (1) Ego-conceit, (2) Restlessness of the mind and (3) Ignorance. When these 3 are dropped, he becomes a saint. The eastern traditions do not stress much on the Dark Night. This experience is main- ly described by Western mystics. The purgation is composed of utter despair and deprivation. The worst form of mental disease is a breeze compared to this sadness, deprivation and depression of the Dark Night. The mystic path hitherto has been strewn with illuminating experiences, especially if the mystic believes that God has been seen supporting him all along. He has been on this path of illumination up to now. And now he is crossing over to another path, which is ‘Unity with the Absolute’. This is now the final test of total detachment. He has to erase complete- ly the residual ego-conceit and ignorance, and his motto should be ‘I am nothing, I have nothing, I desire nothing’. This is very similar to the last Buddhist fetters of Ego-conceit, Ignorance and Restlessness. The Christian mystic feels as if God who has been nourishing him all this while has suddenly abandoned him. The pain and emptiness is excruciat- ing. The other name for the Dark Night is the Mystic Death. This period of purgation may last a few months or a few years. At the beginning, the pendulum swings from ecstasy to deprivation. As the practice continues, the periods of sadness and depression lengthen until near the end, when there is only the Dark Night and no delight at all. Of course, during these periods of ‘hell’, nobody could be blamed if he were to give up the mys- tic path altogether. However, if he were to persevere, as most do, the rewards are most exhilarating and exquisite as it is a prize of the spiritual realm and nothing mundane is comparable to it. He is now enlightened and he is united with the Absolute. Although physically he is in this world, he is now not of the world. Everything he touches turns to gold. He has been trying to achieve this state for many lifetimes. And finally he is in this non-dualistic state of Nirvana! The whole world should celebrate for this one individual who has joined the Godhead. He now knows that he has always been there and has never been separate from it!
41 Mindfulness (Meditation in Action).
Mindfulness is the path to the deathless; Heedlessness is the path to death. The mindful do not die; But the heedless are as if dead already. Dhammapada 21
THE Dhammapada also says:
(1) Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Suffering follows an evil thought as the wheels of a cart follow the oxen that draw it. (2) Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Joy follows a pure thought like a shadow that never leaves.
From these two verses we know we have to be aware of our thoughts as they arise, and then control them and finally master them so that the action that follows is pure and wholesome. In the essay on Insight Meditation, we learned to merely look at our thoughts by (1) observing (2) watching them. By looking at our thoughts head on they become fewer and slower in their appearances. This is a way of (3) controlling them. Now that one is dealing with meditation in action, one should also (4) master them as well by allowing only wholesome thoughts to arise and then, if necessary act upon them. In sitting meditation the thoughts that arise must be choiceless, but now that we are out of formal sitting, we should exercise control. That means these 4 actions of observing, watch- ing, controlling and mastering should be done simultaneously in our med- itation in action.
Awareness Awareness means " bare attention" or "passive observation" without judgement, comment or interpretation of the facts with our intellectual knowledge. This means that we simply look with a quiet mind. If the mind has thoughts we look at these. If there are emotions, we again mere- ly feel them. In "bare attention", we "look at" and not "look for" or "look into". When we look for something, we are expecting to find it, and when we do not we are sorely disappointed. We then lose energy and balance.
42 Mindfulness When a thought or an object first comes into our awareness that fleeting moment of pure awareness is uncontaminated by identification or label. This brief moment of mindfulness may last only a fraction of a second. It is before your cognizance of the perception, before naming of the object and judgement of the same. This is the moment of pure awareness. This pure quality of mindfulness vanishes before the chain of memories can arise to remind one of the pleasant or unpleasant object or incident. It is this unfocussed moment of pure awareness that we want to prolong in Insight (Vipassana) meditation. It is a very difficult but not impossible task. In mindfulness, the mind merely mirrors what is seen or heard at the very moment of occurrence. It does not take sides. It does not judge or con- demn. It merely watches impartially. It should not affect the observer. There should not be any enchantment, pleasure or displeasure engen- dered by what is seen or heard. In the seen, it is only the process of see- ing. Similarly, in the heard it is only the hearing. It is only the process and not the object. There should not be any thought or concept accompany- ing the seeing, hearing, touching and tasting. Thoughts arise merely as mental pictures or running verbal commentary with no reflection or analysis or categorization. We merely register what is happening now not a minute ago or the future. It is always in the present. There is no emo- tional or intellectual reflection, no analysis, no selection. It is totally pas- sive and impartial. The perception does not pertain to self: it is purely third party. The "I" is not involved. There is no accent on any topic or scene: they are all the same. It is only the white screen accepting every pic- ture projecting onto it by the projector. It does not discard or distort any frame of the film. Finally, the wisdom to be gleaned from this practice is that everything aris- es must pass away. Those who cling to this compounded ‘thing’, wishing that it would remain the same, will suffer discontent and conflict.
Four Foundations of Mindfulness In Buddha’s Discourse on Mindfulness---Satipatthana Sutra, four distinct subjects were enumerated for the Vipassana practice. They are (i) the body, (ii) feelings or sensations, (iii) states of mind including emotions, and (iv) objects of the mind. The latter two topics have been dealt with in the essay on Insight Meditation (Vipassana), and they can be practiced
43 during the sitting sessions. The practice in these two topics is entirely based on choiceless awareness. In formal sitting this is feasible. However, once you are out of formal sitting, you have to make a choice. In these two areas of meditation in action, we have to comprehend clearly four fundamental facts. They are (1) Purpose of our Action, (2) Suitability of the action and our own capability to do it, (3) The action must be within the Domain of Meditation, (4) The real state of things (reality) as they appear and the true nature of these phenomena.
(1) Purpose of the Action: Every action or reaction must have a purpose. Otherwise we end up aimlessly in our activities. We may also be distract- ed from our original purpose. Therefore, our purpose must be held tena- ciously till the end of that action. Needless to say, the purpose must be a wholesome one and it could be included into the domain of our medita- tion practice. Say, for instance, one is on the way to pay for one’s TV license on the last day. Half way there one meets a friend whom one has not seen for some time. So one stops to chitchat over a cup of coffee until alas the post office is shut for business for the day! One has to go over to the post office again the next day and pay a fine for being late. All this bother because one did not mindfully stick to one’s purpose.
(2) Suitability: Before embarking on the task, we must ask ourselves whether the task is suitable in the ethical sense. Is evading income tax or parking along double yellow lines an appropriate act for a Vipassana prac- titioner? Is it a skillful act to queue up for dole when one is a millionaire? We must also realize the extent or limitations of our own capabilities for a certain project. Is the goal of the project set too high? Are we capable of raising such a large sum of money? If it is too ambitious we must fail. If it is not in our power to choose the course of action then we must exer- cise skillful means in the choice of our actions. (3) Domain of Meditation: In the Buddha’s days, some of the monks were given meditation subjects to hold on to throughout the day. However, when they are entering into any discourse with other people, the subject must be dropped temporarily. However, in our scheme of things, it is our intention to be mindful of every movement in our daily life. In this prac- tice, we do not have to drop the subject matter. This method will be described in detail below.
44 (4) The True State of Reality: In this comprehension, we have to bear in mind the delusional character of our minds. We are constantly deluded that desirable things are permanent or unchanging; we are deluded to think we can escape from suffering if we continue to chase after desirable things. We are also deluded by the seeming permanence of our body and mind, which we tenaciously hold onto as the "self". These 3 main delu- sions must be repeatedly broken by meditative wisdom.
THE SIX CONTEMPLATIONS OF THE BODY Buddha suggested six ways of looking at the body. The last 3 categories will not be discussed in this paper. They are (iv) the body in decomposi- tion, (v) analysis of the body in 32 parts, (vi) the four elements that make up the body—earth, heat, water and air. However the other 3 categories need some elaboration. These are (i) breathing, (ii) bodily postures, and (iii) every bodily action.
(i) Breathing: We should simply be aware and mindful of our breathing as an arising and falling phenomenon from moment to moment. The breathing is not controlled and it should be allowed to be an automatic movement. We simply notice and register that there are pauses after each inhalation and exhalation. The arising and falling of the breath must be seen as a process of change and impermanence. This flow cannot be stopped; if it ceases we expire. This is the reality of life.
(ii) Bodily Postures: We must be fully aware of our postures, as in sit- ting, standing, lying, and walking. The mindfulness must include details like, what is the texture of the carpet we are standing on? Is the floor we are sitting on hard or soft? What is the material we are lying on? All these details must be recognized at that moment in that particular posture. We must be mindfully aware of the surfaces and consistency of the chair, the bed or the ground that we are in contact with. We have to notice the pos- tures we like best and the aches and pains that are attendant to each pos- ture. Then we must also realize that the changing of the posture also relieves the pain. This is a relief of suffering. So we keep on changing our positions to cure the pain. So the reality to be gleaned here is that living incurs pain and constant change. The true self does not suffer, but body and mind do. This is the Anatta doctrine.
45 (iii) Every Bodily Activity: This is the practice recommended here. From the time we wake up to the minute we fall asleep, we must be mind- fully aware of every bodily activity from moment to moment. While the action is being enacted, there should not be any thoughts of other mat- ters in our mind. There should be full concentration on what we are doing with an empty and silent mind. Of course, for a beginner one cannot per- form this awareness for any length of time. For the first day, start with five minutes. Then one may increase the duration day after day until at least half an hour. Then one can further stretch it to an hour, and then to hours on end. When one wakes up in the morning, first notice the bed sheets covering the mattress. Also notice the blankets covering one self. Then register the desire to get out of bed to go to the bathroom. Walk mind- fully to the bathroom to relieve one self. Then with full awareness brush the teeth, wash the face and complete all the other chores like shaving or powdering the face etc Whatever has to be done it is done with full con- centration and mindfulness. Then we have to change our clothes, put on our shoes, etc until we arrive at the breakfast table for our food. The process goes on until one cannot continue to be mindful anymore for that morning. There should not be any absentmindedness. The awareness is applied moment to moment.
Walking Meditation Walking meditation is an essential component of all Buddhist, monastic practice. The principle here is the same as in the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. Moment to moment mindfulness in our walking without thoughts is the practice. Choose a straight path of ten to twenty spaces in either a secluded or unobstructed area, preferably amongst trees. Start at one end of the path. Stand straight with a relaxed body especially the neck. Both hands may be kept either in front or the back or at the sides: which is the most comfortable to the meditator. Stand still for half a minute. Then start walking. The pace is ever so slightly slower than one’s usual pace. Do not try to analyze or break the steps into separate move- ments like ‘lift, forward, and down’. Just walk normally. Do not walk in rhythm with your breath. This is a mistake. You cannot concentrate on two things at one time. Just mindfully walk and be aware of the sensations of the soles and feet. Do not walk too slowly, as this artificial pace brings out tension. Look ahead and straight, but do not look at anything in par- ticular. Don’t look at your feet. Flowers, trees and people must be passed
46 over with no interest spent on them. The mind must be empty and silent. Do not allow tension to arise in the body. Do not try to look good or appear graceful. Just be aware of the walking experience and the sensa- tions arising thereof. Enjoy the feeling of walking. No problems and anx- iety are allowed in one’s mind. Now having arrived at the other end of the path, stop and slowly turn around to face the other way. Again stop for half a minute, and continue your walking meditation as before. After some time, your walking medita- tion will develop into a nice swinging exercise to be relished. There is now no more strain or jerks. The pace can now be increased to your normal walking speed. Then a time will arrive when a ‘high’ can be achieved. There is this flowing to make one feel as if one is walking on air! At this point nothing distracts us. It is only the "walking". There is no ‘I’ or the ‘body’ walking. It is just "walking".
Feelings and Sensations In Buddhism, there are six sense organs and not five. They are the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, skin, and the brain. These organs see, hear, smell, taste, touch and conceive sense objects. When the eyes see an object, the eye consciousness must rise simultaneously for the contact to arouse a feeling or sensation. The sensation may be one of three varieties: pleasant, unpleasant or indifferent.
EYE + EYE-CONSCIOUSNESS + OBJECT = SENSATION
Sensation------> Pleasant------> Desire
(reaction) ------> Indifference------> Dullness
------> Unpleasant------> Aversion or Repulsion
DESIRE leads to GRASPING or CRAVINGS
REPULSION leads to ILL-WILL or HATRED
INDIFFERENCE leads to IGNORANCE
Similarly, other sensations are being elicited with noise, food, fragrances,
47 surfaces and concepts. They can arise only if the person is conscious. If the person is in a coma, although his sense organs are intact, no sensation can be elicited.
The most important point in this exercise is to be aware of the sensation as it arises. At that moment, we notice whether it is pleasant, unpleasant or indifferent not later or before the event. More often than not, we jump straight into the action of going towards or away from what we see or hear without being fully aware of the pleasant or unpleasant sensation. This type of action is without awareness and therefore unmindful. We must also use effort to register the neutral indifferent sensation; this is essential, otherwise we become dull. The object is there. It is neither attractive nor odious. Note it. We pause to be fully aware of the sensations and then purposefully act in a wholesome manner. This technique requires severe discipline because it is the action that seals our fate, as it is karma productive. If we simply realise our pleasant sensation and our ten- dency to be attracted by it and do not act, then no karma is produced. If we meet a person we do not like, we do not run away from him. We, instead, stay to converse with him with courtesy, love and compassion. This requires discipline and determination. A certain amount of forgive- ness must accompany this act. Forgiveness is the erasure of bad karma. Therefore, this moment to moment awareness of our sensations is vital in our practice, but it is extremely difficult, as we have to interact sponta- neously at that moment. However, if we have no other thoughts in our mind (preferably empty), then the action is simpler. The lesson to be gleaned here is that circumstances change very rapidly (anicca), and moments of emotional difficulty often crop up (dukkha). So if one is not identified with one’s body and mind (anatta), then the situation is not alarming at all. The action then becomes smooth and spontaneous as no ego is involved.
Mistakes in Vipassana Although many teachers are very fond of teaching Vipassana, there are many errors committed by these teachers. The most common error is using Samatha objects for Vipassana. These are some of the examples: 1) Repeating mantras, visualisation, counting of breaths and chanting of sutras. These are all Samatha objects and not Vipassana. 2) Mentally focusing on the words and their meaning, like ‘rise and fall’
48 rather than observing the actual abdominal movement. Instead of just feeling the sensations in the legs, do not focus on the words of ‘raising, forward and stepping down’. 3) One should not focus the mind on the walking movement and simul- taneously try to co-ordinate the breath with each step. It is not possible to focus on two objects in the consciousness at the same time. When walk- ing, simply observe and feel the walking movement only. 4) It is not correct to be vaguely aware of the abdominal movement or air striking the nostrils without focusing on the ‘rising and falling’ aspect of the movements. 5) It is not Vipassana practice when you are ‘thinking about’ the rise and fall of the abdominal movement, or ‘thinking about’ the air striking the nostrils, or ‘thinking about’ walking without actually focusing on the pres- ent movement. 6) Neither is it Vipassana, when one acknowledges the ‘rise and fall’ of an object after it has fallen away. Mindfulness has to know the present object ‘now’. 7) It is impossible to catch the mind moving, due to its rapid flux. Abhidharma says "There are 17 thought-moments in one second!’ It is somewhat easier to slow one’s thoughts in theta wave, and then merely watch the pictures at the third eye or listen to the mental chatter head on.
Conclusions According to Buddha, practicing Vipassana on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness is the only way to enlightenment. In the first two foundations one can practice in sitting meditation. In this instance the method is choiceless awareness: to observe, to watch and to control one’s thoughts and states of mind. The controlling is indirect in the sense that when you see your thoughts head on they diminish in number until your ‘thoughts come to an end’. This is the way of practice by Krishnamurti who sur- prisingly advocates no meditation. It is not known how one’s thoughts can come to an end without meditation.
Then when one is practicing meditation in action, outside of formal sit- ting, the observing, watching and controlling must have another element of mastering. To master is to see that all thoughts, speech and action are wholesome. That means a certain amount of control and sieving is required in the planning for action. In the activities of the body, there is
49 just the pure awareness of the movements with no thoughts in the mind. In perceiving the sensations resulting from the contact of the six sense organs, whether the feeling is pleasant, unpleasant or indifferent is noted right away, not one moment later. Of course, this act is very hard to fol- low. Of all the four foundations this act is the most difficult one. And that is why Buddha said: "this is the only way".
One is able to realise that thoughts and emotions are not self with sitting meditation, when one arrived at Silence, Stillness and Emptiness of thoughts. One can intellectually know that the body is not self when one sees a corpse. But to fully realise that the body is not self, one must prac- tice the four foundations diligently until the full impact of that wisdom suddenly appears.
And it is only when the realisation of no self in the body coincides with that of the mind, can one claim to have entered the stream. This means in the Theravada lineage, one becomes a Stream Enterer. This is the first of four stages of Sainthood. At this point, one has the most 7 more lives to go, and every life is at least a human being (not in hell, not a hungry ghost and not an animal). This is the best breakthrough in the Theravada practice.
50 Meditation in Emptiness.
" In true meditation there is no meditator or object of meditation.
In true meditation there is no goal, not even for enlightenment.
In true meditation, the silence, stillness and emptiness will lead to I-am-ness
In true meditation the transcendence of I-am-ness will lead to beingness.
Beingness is the impersonal witnessing of all events.
In true meditation, beingness will finally be dissolved to Cosmic Consciousness."
Dr. K.K.Tan
Introduction There are many paths and meditation techniques pursued by millions of people. The most popular pursuit is to look for a guru who can perform some ‘miracles’. If he can materialize some ash or trinkets, if his teach- ings are irrelevant, it does not matter as most of the devotees would rather be entertained. If the guru is also healer, his teachings are taken as gospel, even though the teachings maybe that of self-aggrandizement. Devotional and social services with rituals are also easy to follow. These devotees behave like sheep. So to those who perform complicated rituals: the more complicated they are the more attractive they will be. What about the methods of meditation? They are usually of the concentration types, nar- rowing of the minds. These are useful for healing and for calming down the individual, but there is not much wisdom arising from these concen- tration techniques. The methods here are concentrating solely on one object, chanting, and reciting of mantras. They end up with the mind and the object becoming one and the practitioner does not go beyond the mind. Therefore these techniques do not lead to self-realization. They do not lead us to enlightenment. This essay is purely to discuss ways to real- ize one’s soul.
51 The Aim Let us remind ourselves that the soul is pure consciousness, which is part of Cosmic Consciousness. However it is covered by its 5 sheaths (see essay on the Anatomy of the Soul) and attached to the hitherto accumu- lated karma and samskaras. These dictate delusion and ignorance around the soul. In order to realize our soul we cannot travel towards it because it has always been with us. We cannot travel to a place when we are already there. We cannot work to perceive it because the ‘the eye cannot see the eye’. We just have to Be without trying. It is like ‘waiting without waiting’. We must stop identifying ourselves with the body and mind. That is why the true path always emphasizes that the body and mind are not Self.
Spiritual Disciplines After prolonged Insight Meditation we would have arrived at emptiness of thoughts with silence and stillness. This interval between 2 thoughts may be extended to a prolonged visit to our primordial state of voidness, which is like viewing of our ‘original face before we are born.’ But this is not yet ‘home’. We have not fully realized the soul yet. It is only a preview. The letting go must be more profound and the surrender must be total. This is at a stage when the mind is suppressed. The function of the mind is to think, and at this stage thoughts are held at abeyance, but the soul is not realized yet. In order to realize the soul one must go beyond the mind towards I-am-ness and then to beingness. Beingness may be realized through correct meditation and Divine reasoning. In this practice one must give up completely any desire, craving or expectations. Just let it be. Flow with the Tao. The practice is to be in the ‘now’. One must be always in the present, moment to moment. Trying to be steadfast on this path of choiceless awareness one must also not have any negative reaction like anger, hatred, frustration and irritations. Pride and selfishness also are insidious poisons to be vehemently avoided. Then when we finally realise our pure consciousness by non-doing, we are able then to have an inkling of the timeless Cosmic Consciousness, its immensity and bliss. This non- dual state is out of time and space. There is no good or bad, black or white or high and low. This pure consciousness of beingness and bliss (soul) appears only intermittently at the beginning, but it will become con- tinuous as the letting go and surrender becomes total. This means that one must understand what constitutes the self. With this understanding, the self is shown to be nothing but memories. Memories are not real.
52 Therefore, one must steadfastly remain in the present all the time. It is only in the present moment that the mind can come to an end. With this practice of merely seeing, hearing and tasting, there is no seer, hearer or taster. In this constant state of the now, the mind is silent. In this silence, one transcends the ego and the mind. The first state in this transcendence is I-am-ness. The next stage is beingness. This pure consciousness can now be continuously with us, except when we have to use thoughts for the execution of our mundane life. That means the body and mind become purely functional. There is no self performing or thinking. This is the time we can use the phrase ‘in the world and not of the world’. This state is still only self-realization and the Ultimate State of Consciousness is yet to be reached. That is another way of saying that realizing the atman one is only at the Brahman stage. The ultimate state is the Parabrahman (the Absolute) where one becomes part of the Cosmic Consciousness.
The Practice Few spiritual practices can be said to conform to the above trying to break through from dualism to non-dualism. Shikantaza and Dzogchen are 2 such practices. However, these 2 practices will bring us only to self-reali- sation. No practice can bring anyone to the Absolute or Cosmic Consciousness. It is with Grace that one is allowed to return to the Absolute. That means one just has to wait at the Brahman stage without longing and restlessness. Then when we finally return to the Absolute we rest supreme. This is the eternal state beyond time and space. It is the pri- mordial base of all existence. It is also the Unborn and the Uncreated. It is a continuous flow of Cosmic Consciousness that creates everything in the Universe. It is pure witnessing without a self.
Dzogchen The principle of Dzogchen is the teaching of the nature of the mind, which is ‘voidness’. The method of the path is called self-liberation, because it is based on knowledge and understanding, and the practice is to experience the state beyond the reasoning mind. In Dzogchen, the inherent state of the individual is the primordial base of all existence, which is the original condition of all beings. And this is the true condition of the mind, which is beyond the limits of the intellect, time and space. It is voidness, which is absolutely empty of all things, absent of all sub- stance and phenomena, and there is no self in this state. This is the nature
53 of the mind. This mind is originally purified of all obstacles and negativ- ities, and all attainments and qualities have been realized in its perfection from the very beginning. It has the potential to manifest all forms of ener- gy. It is beyond time and dualism, pure and perfect. If one is ignorant of it, the obscuring veils around this consciousness must be removed.
In Dzogchen not only is this primordial state of the Base void, but it also has 3 characteristics: Essence, Nature and Energy. The Essence is the void, and is the Base condition of all individuals whether they know it or not. It is pure from the beginning, and it is the basis of all manifestations of existence. The primordial state of Nature is clarity. Clarity is the very first phase of perception before mental judgment comes in. It is vivid and present before the mind comes into action. This initial state lasts only a fraction of a second and then memory and qualification enter to spoil the clarity of the state. The third aspect of the Base is Energy. All dimensions, pure or impure, material or subtle, are manifestations of one form or the other of Energy. It manifests without interruption.
These 3 bodies of the Base, Essence, Nature, Energy correspond in the path to the 3 characteristics of the mind: the calm state, movement and presence. The calm state is that when no thoughts are present in the mind. This is the interval between two thoughts and the interval between two states and it is also present in deep sleep. Movement is the arising of thoughts without interruption. These two factors (calm state and move- ment) are there in all beings. Presence is the awareness of the calm state and movement without judgment. These are the 3 bodies of the path. In Dzogchen’s teaching of self-liberation, one of the methods used is the practitioner ‘meditates without meditating’. Tantra is used in transforming a passion e.g. anger into wisdom. Although at the beginning there is the dualism of anger and wisdom the experienced practitioner at his high level of practice does the following. He does not suppress or transform his anger. He merely observes it without judgment and without emotion- al overlay. In this fashion, the anger will dissolve by itself as if it has been left in its original condition to liberate itself. That means by utilizing Presence without mental judgment, the individual does not get worked up and no action is taken. That means the Dzogchen practitioner is never dis- tracted maintaining the state of Presence in every moment.
54 Shikantaza Shikantaza is the final stage of the Soto Zen practice, and it has the same background of voidness as the natural condition beyond one’ s mind. The practice here is to go beyond one’ s mind. In the latest stages of Vipassana (insight meditation), there are no more thoughts and mental chatter asso- ciated with silence and stillness. Before one embarks on Shikantaza, it is prudent to practice Vipassana first. In Vipassana, one looks at one’s thoughts at the third eye area. The pictures are looked at calmly without emotional reaction and prejudice. There is no judgment, criticism or praise. There is merely a witnessing of the memories, planning and ran- dom thoughts. When they are fully looked at, they will eventually disap- pear on their own. With this impersonal looking coupled with an under- standing of the situation, these thoughts will die off, never to recur again. This must be done with an emotionless viewing as if they belong to some one else. Mental chatter is also a thought. It is a mental movement asso- ciated with hearing. This mental commentary can be quite torrential and incessant. Again, if one merely listens without fear, judgment and emo- tion, the chatter will die off like a blowing away of a storm. Then stillness will emerge. It is not a forced silence as seen in concentration exercises. The emptiness is an opening for pure consciousness to seep through. In the beginning, this interval between two thoughts is very short-lived, but once experienced and maintained, it can be prolonged to a length of time. This is now the beginning of true and real meditation. If at the same time, the process of letting go or peeling of the onion is accelerated, one can begin to practice Shikantaza. In contrast to Vipassana, Shikantaza is not to abide on any object at all. Do not look at any picture that appears at the third eye. At the same time do not listen to any mental chatter. Just ignore all these pictures and mental commentary. In this Shikantaza prac- tice, there is pure witnessing but there is no witness. This witnessing is ‘the one who knows’. The ‘one who knows’ is the Presence that merely watch- es events of the mind appearing and disappearing in the background of the white sheet. Presence is also there when one is in deep sleep. It is also there between 2 states. It is the background for everything that occurs in the mind. The white sheet is Presence and is also pure consciousness. Satori is the state of break through of pure consciousness into the mind. From thence onwards the unveiling of one’s pure consciousness pro- gresses in stages until the final satori or full enlightenment. The Zen teaching is that even after full enlightenment, the practice continues until
55 death! Being in Cosmic Consciousness daily is like being in Nirvana every day.
Descending down to the Heart Chakra Some people after being successful in prolonged silence, stillness and emptiness of thoughts tend to bring the focus of attention down to the heart chakra. The attention from the third eye is brought down to the front of the heart. The focussing becomes diffuse. This diffusion is allow- ing ‘openness’ to settle on the meditator. This openness obliterates the tight focus and then it suffuses into total emptiness. At this stage even good karma and merit must be transcended, as they may become obstruc- tive. In order to progress on the spiritual path, one must go beyond the silent and still mind to retrace back to I-am-ness and thence to beingness (soul). When one has a glimpse of enlightenment, it is called satori in Zen. A slight glimpse is called a mini-satori. As one progresses the glimpses become deeper and more profound, and theses are the mainline progres- sive satoris. The final stage of practice is Shikantaza proper.
The Non-technique of Shikantaza In Soto Zen, enlightenment is simultaneous with the wondrous practice of zazen (meditation). The practice of zazen is never ending. Even when one has reached enlightenment, one continues with the practice of zazen as before. According to Dogen, zazen is not a mere means to an end. It is the end itself. This attitude is called wholehearted zazen or Shikantaza, which transcends the distinction between religious practice and enlight- enment itself. When one is enlightened, everyday life becomes a religious exercise in expressing our gratitude to the Buddha. According to Dogen, the religious observances for each day express our gratitude toward the patriarch (Buddha). In living everyday the truth, we: "do with our heart what we must do today. Who can know the death of tomorrow?"
Shikantaza Zazen In zazen, after positioning ourselves in the sitting position, the essence of zazen is "Think of non-thinking". How is this done? By thinking beyond thinking and non-thinking. This is the very basis of zazen.
Zazen is not a step-by-step meditation. It is a practice beyond the subjec- tive and the objective, beyond discriminating mind. There is no distinction
56 between the clever and the stupid. To practice the proper way of zazen singleheartedly is itself enlightenment. There is no difference between the practice and enlightenment, or between zazen and daily life.
Dogen said: Shikantaza is resting in a state of brightly alert attention that is free of thoughts, directed to no object, and attached to no particular content---- is the highest form of zazen, zazen as it were practised by all the Buddhas of the past.
Although Shikantaza literally means merely sitting, it also mandates that there should not be any desire or profit and there should not be a goal of satori. The true sitting of Shikantaza is the transcending of the world and ego. Therefore the meditator must let go totally of the body, emotion and mind for it to be classified as Shikantaza. As in Vipassana the eradication of body, emotion and mind is the point of breakthrough.
Then finally, one may with persistent perseverance arrive at Hishiryo, which is infinite Cosmic Consciousness. This may be achieved only when one is completely empty of memories and previous conditioning. Cosmic Consciousness is not about little worldly things, but it is totally beyond the mind. It is the Sunnata of the Mahayana--- total voidness with clarity.
The Christian interpretation of the same experience by H.N. Enomiya- Lassalle, is: "Satori or enlightenment is a transrational and immediate per- ception of self in connection with the nondifferentiated view of all cre- ated beings--- giving the impression of perfect unity, grasping the authen- tic self of one’s personality upon dissolution of the empirical ego, and coming into contact with the absolute insofar as it is the source of creat- ed being." It is an experience that allows for many variations in intensity and constitution, according to the disposition of the individual; but which is invariably accompanied with joy, peace, certainty, and liberation from fear and doubt.
In Buddhist understanding, satori is a cosmic experience of universal unity opening the way to nothingness. Master Yasutani: Enlightenment means seeing through to your own essential nature and this at the same time means seeing through to the essential nature of the cosmos and of all things. For seeing through to essential nature is the wisdom of enlight-
57 enment. One may call essential nature truth if one wants to. In Buddhism, from ancient times it has been called Suchness or Buddha-nature or the One Mind. In Zen it has also been called nothingness, the one hand or one’s original face. The designations may be different, but the content is absolutely the same.
From the weak experience of the first satori one must continue with the practice and obtain numerous satoris until the ultimate one. From the experience of nothingness, one must continue and work hard to achieve the root of nothingness. This Ultimate State of Consciousness is the final enlightenment and the experience of Cosmic Consciousness--- Hishiryo. This is the true essential nature of the cosmos and all things.
In summary, Zen enlightenment means while practising zazen the yogi must try to transcend body, emotion and mind. Shikantaza is the method of meditation and is the last stage of one’s practice. This method means not abiding or resting on any object. Every kind of thought must be allowed to go through one’s mind without working at it or even recognis- ing them. Thoughts are normally of the world or of the self, including our desires, ill will and pride. So if these thoughts are not apprehended for analysis, then the yogi would have already achieved a great deal of letting go. Even if Cosmic Consciousness is achieved the experience is ineffable, that means it cannot be told or explained to some one else. That is why a master, a Roshi, must be there on the spot to recognize the satori.
In conclusion, with a combination of these methods, one may hopefully realize oneself. Throughout the waking hours and outside of formal sit- ting meditation, one practices mindfulness with moment to moment awareness. This awareness must be choiceless. Then when a negative reac- tion like anger turns up, tantric Dzogchen is used to transform the nega- tive emotion to wisdom. This method entails no action on the part of the practitioner. He merely observes the change of the negative emotion becoming a spent force. Presence is used for this exercise. This Presence is a mere observation of the anger without judgment or emotional over- lay until the anger is spent. Then finally in formal meditation, Shikantaza is the method of practice. Shikantaza is practising to be a pure witness or mirror while meditating. The thoughts and mental chatter are not appre- hended: they are allowed to pass through. There is absolutely no emo-
58 tional reaction in this practice. After prolonged practice, it should bring one to no thoughts and then to the state of emptiness. When prolonged and sustained, this state of emptiness would be realized to be the True Self or the soul. This state of I-am-ness is further transcended to being- ness. With Grace beingness is then finally dissolved into Cosmic Consciousness, the Ultimate State of Consciousness. It is now pure bliss, peace and non-dual. It is the Unborn, the Uncreated, and the eternal state of pure consciousness. All these words do not go near to describing the true state!
References: 1. Namkhai Norbu. Dzogchen, The Self-perfected State. Arkana. 1989. 2. Yuho Yokoi with Daizen Victoria. Zen Master Dogen.Weatherhill. 1976. 3. Taisen Deshimaru. Questions to a Zen Master. Rider. 1985. 4. Heinrich Dumoulin. Zen Enlightenment. Weatherhill. 1979.
59 Kundalini and Qiqong Psychosis.
The seeker who dares to awaken the kundalini power without the grace and guidance of a guru might become insane, succumb to diseases, or even die. This is because he does not possess the necessary knowledge, steadiness of mind, or patience required for this difficult undertaking.
Swami Kripalvananda
Introduction I have been teaching Buddhist meditation for about 23 years. Being a doctor who is interested in psychiatry, I have always wondered whether prolonged and excessive meditation could produce mental imbalance. In these 23 years of running two courses per year, in every course the ques- tion of “zou hou ru mo”,????, inevitably turns up. It means “fire wild, devils enter”. In other words, “does one go mad with meditation?” In my 23 years of teaching, I have not encountered a single case of psychosis arising from my method of meditation practice amongst my students.
However, about 20 years ago a monk came to me complaining to me about a student in a meditation retreat he just organized. This is a ten-day retreat conducted by a few Burmese monks. The retreat consists of sitting and walking meditation for about 16 hours per day. After 3-4 days, a 25 year-old student started to pick up his food from the air. Not being in direct contact with the student, I am unable to determine whether the stu- dent had a meditation psychosis or was he a schizophrenic to begin with and the retreat brought on the symptoms. This is not an uncommon out- come if the organization does not screen the students for mental disor- ders.
About ten years ago, a middle-aged man stood up at question time and proudly announced that he has just completed a ten-day retreat with a group of monks. With great pride, he told the crowd of five hundred peo- ple that he had resigned from his job after the retreat. Then I asked how was he going to feed his family. Happily he retorted that because of this
60 inability to feed them, his wife had divorced him and took his children away from him. From the way he spoke, I gathered that he was not in touch with reality, and he seemed quite pleased with himself. Retreats are intensive and with lay people the practice is excessive.
About eight years ago a man of 39 years old approached me for healing. He attended a course of kundalini meditation in Vancouver. The teacher was a Hong Kong Chinese who obviously knew very little of kundalini. This man found that his kundalini was stuck at the chest, the 4th chakra. I was able to bring the blockage down only to his 2nd chakra and no lower but he felt better. He then went to England to take up law studies. He is a very intelligent man, but the studies in UK were too stressful and this brought on his 4th chakra blockage again. He came to me a year ago with much worse symptoms of shaking all over the body and convulsing while I heal him. He has now suffered for 15 years after being taught to raise his kundalini wrongly.
Another middle-aged woman came to me with a stuck kundalini at the chest. Another teacher, who knew very little about kundalini, also wrong- ly taught her. Again I tried to bring down the blockage. But I was only par- tially successful. This lady also took the trouble of attending my course in meditation. She left me feeling better, but not totally cured. However she has now maintained a steady meditation practice and is leading a com- fortable life.
There have also been many lay people who had the inclination to go to the jungle monasteries in Thailand to practice for a period of two weeks to a few months. Normally it is for a few months. In this context they practice as monks or nuns, keeping to the rules of the Theravada Buddhism. This includes not eating after midday and keeping to the 5 or 10 precepts. These novices are often ardent and they tend to overdo their meditation practice. Consequently, some of them suffer from visual and auditory hallucinations with intense fear. Shaking, convulsion and feinting do also occur. All these side effects of excessive and ill-guided meditations will disappear when they stop meditating, especially when they return to their homeland.
Now with the knowledge of all these cases and my commitment to teach-
61 ing meditation, it behooves me to do some research on kundalini and qigong psychosis.
Kundalini Kundalini is interpreted as a three and half times coiled serpent sleeping at the base of the spine. It signifies creative potential energy, which when awakened will move up along the spine upbraiding and purifying the 6 chakras on the way up to the crown chakra. It is the working of the ener- gy of the glandular system combined with the nervous system to awake the brain towards total clarity. Some people interpret the culmination of this yoga of awareness as enlightenment. This kundalini needs the con- centrated life force or prana to activate it. Prana is equivalent to Qi or Holy Spirit. Prana is the universal life force.
In order to awaken the serpent, prolonged internal meditation is required to release the vast mass of energy stored up in it. Other methods will be mentioned later. The aroused kundalini will then travel up the sushumna as well as the smaller channels, ida and pingala (see Fig. below). No mat- ter how the kundalini is aroused, either a lot or a little, it can bring out abnormal reactions in the body and mind. In order for the full awakening to be achieved the aspirant must be guided by an accomplished teacher, who himself has succeeded in total awakening. On the way up, the purifi- cation of the chakras can cause much bizarre physical symptoms, some of which are distressing to the yogi. During this sojourn all the nadis (subtle nerves) around and along the chakras and nervous plexuses are opened up. In order to understand kundalini more clearly, we must go into the concept of kundalini yoga and bring in the terms Shiva and Shakti.
Shiva and Shakti The word kundala means coiled. The root shak means to have power. Kundalini then signifies a serpent with coiled-up power resting at the base of the spine. Tantric yoga posits that the entire universe is a manifestation of pure consciousness. This pure consciousness divides into two poles, neither of which can exist without the other. One aspect is shiva, identi- fied as unmanifest consciousness, which is masculine and static. It is a state of formless being-consciousness-bliss (sat-chit-ananda). It is aloof and not interested in the affairs of the world. It cannot ‘become’ or change. One can reach this shiva consciousness only through deep medi
62 tation. Out of this void everything in the world may arise.
The other polarity is shakti, which is dynamic, creative and energetic. This mother of the universe gives birth to all things in the universe---matter, life and mind.
These two polarities are united, but in the manifest universe maya causes an illusion of separation. Shakti is a projection of shiva, but maya veils the latter. This illusion is a process of involution, consciousness folding over itself. After many eons, the shakti will draw up all forms, when the uni- verse is dissolved. This is evolution, when consciousness is no more inter- ested with its manifestations. Energy always exists in two forms as 1) dynamic and 2) potential power at rest. In the universe manifestation a small part of shakti is involved in its manifestation, but the greater part remains dormant. The dynamic part is shakti in specific differentiated form, whilst the primal power remains as the coiled-up kundalini at the base of the spine. Shiva resides at the crown chakra. Ordinarily, only small amounts of the shakti energy is used for the normal functioning of the
63 chakras and nadis for daily purposes. This latent power of the shakti can be conceived as the unlimited power of the unconscious. This latent force can be transformed to be an active one through appropriate means. Many methods have been described. This transformation is called the awaken- ing of the kundalini.
The coiled serpent of shakti has to be awakened and carefully guided up the nadis of ida and pingala but mainly along the central shusumna. The snake then has to climb up to the crown chakra by going through the ascending six chakras (see Fig): (1) Muladhara at the coccyx, (2) Svadhisthana at the sacral plexus, (3) Manipura at the solar plexus, (4) Anahata at the cardiac plexus, (5) Vishuddha at the thoraxic plexus and (6) Ajna at the pituitary. The 7th is the crown chakra, which corresponds to the pineal gland. The awakening and the purification process of churning through the chakras are always attended with varying degrees of physical and psychological signs and symptoms. The peak experience, bliss and widening of consciousness may accompany the physical symptoms of heat, vibrations and even convulsions. All these are due to the release of powerful energy from the shakti kundalini. Union with God in Western Mysticism is equivalent to this tantric yoga (yoking union) of uniting of the kundalini shakti with shiva (pure consciousness). With this union the aspirant becomes fully conscious and awakened. Sir John Woodroffe says:
When Kundalini Shakti sleeps in the Muladhara, man is awake to the world; when she awakes to unite, and does unite, with the supreme static Consciousness, which is Shiva, then consciousness is asleep to the world and is one with the Light of all things.
When the serpent is asleep, the man is awake to the world. When the awakened shakti has united with shiva, man is asleep to the world, but fully awake to the transcendent realm where no objects or forms are visu- alized. The universe is dissolved in the yogi, whilst he is in this pure con- sciousness of no form, no thought and no emotion. The body has still enough energy to function and to carry on with the ordinary duties of man, but his mind is with the Gods. Not all yogins can arrive at this final goal. Partial awakening is much more common, and partial awakening normally will generate lots of symptoms.
64 How to awaken the Kundalini The Preparation The preliminary preparation of withdrawal of worldly pursuits and purifi- cation of self are necessary because the flood of shakti energy may dis- turb, confuse and disorient the student. This preparation also includes physical and mental celibacy. The Hindus and the Taoists share this same view that the vital force of the semen must be retain and sent upwards towards the crown. The physical union between the male and female is forsaken and instead the internal union of the male (shiva) and female (shakti) takes place. Otherwise the outburst of energy can be of danger to the student. This sudden and massive release of awareness and energy can unbalance the student psychologically.
Methodology of awakening the kundalini Although tantric yoga taught by an awakened teacher is the most potent and trust-worthy method, many other spiritual practices (sadhanas) may also partially awaken the serpent. The usual practices in India are firstly to withdraw from the external world and to purify oneself with pure thoughts, diet and proper exercises. Then he may indulge in one of the five forms of yogas: (1) hatha, (2) bhakti, (3) karma, (4) nana and (5) raja. Kundalini may be partially awakened even if all these methods are improperly or incompletely done and also because of past life practices. To an uninitiated student, the symptoms may frighten him. His practice will come to an abrupt stop, but with an experienced teacher or guru, the latter will guide him along gradually. The student must not force the issue or over do the practice.
Tantra Yoga This yoga is par excellence in raising the kundalini. It centers on worshiping the Shakti, the mother of the universe. Tantric yoga does not mean sexual relationships only. In some forms of tantra a male-female relationship may be involved, but the genuine participants take it up to the realm of energy and consciousness and do not remain in the physical realm. They are now embodiments of shiva and shakti and are not physical bodies. In a purer form of tantra, Shakti is worshiped through meditation and mantra so that he is in direct relationship with the shiva and shakti within himself, and he unites them within himself. The practice is of course much more elaborate than what is described here and is totally guided by the guru.
65 Under the guidance of a guru Without proper guidance by a guru, the partial awakening is not repeat- able at will, although blissful experience of ecstasy and illumination may be encountered. However with the tutelage of an experienced guru, kun- dalini yoga may be guided to initiate the arising of the serpent. The super- vision must be close and gradual. The mind must be purified first. What is a pure mind? A pure mind has no personal desires nor has it an inkling of revenge. It does not take advantage of the weakness or need of anoth- er person. A pure mind does not exploit the emotional dependence of another person. A pure mind does not result from simply being a vege- tarian.
When the student is ready, he is given a ‘seed’ mantra to concentrate on. This initiation is practiced conjointly with spiritual and physical exercises together with mental disciplines to prepare the student. Then more diffi- cult forms of meditation are taught in order for the student to be sensi- tive to the force within, and be ready to channel up the force when it aris- es. All this falls within a systematic scheme of things.
Shaktipat Diksha Then in further progression a higher initiation called shaktipat diksha is given. This involves the guru to transmit energy directly to the initiate to remove the final obstacles so that the serpent can be awakened for its upward journey. This can be done through a touch, a glance or a thought. Thence the guru’s power can be transmitted to the student immediately. Temporarily, the student may be transported to a higher divine con- sciousness, which may last for an hour or a few days. After this the ser- pent returns to its abode at the base of the spine. He is now transformed because he has experienced directly the awakened state, although he did not achieve it through his own effort. Some of his creativity has been kin- dled, and spiritually, morally and intellectually he has been elevated. However, now he has to practice himself and intensify his efforts for many more years so that the serpent may repeated be awakened and guid- ed correctly up the spine.
Special cases of kundalini arousal: Swami Muktananda (died in 1983) described the usual heaviness of the head, sensations of heat and pain at the base of his spine. He had invol-
66 untary movements due to energy flows through the body and unusual breathing patterns. There were inner lights and sounds, visions and voic- es. Then the most unusual experience is this repeated sexual excitement that he described with great agony: “Every day brought new kriyas and new experiences. One day, my body and senses became possessed by sex- ual desire….I was meditating in my hut at Suki, and in meditation I was seeing the red light. I was happy. Then, in the middle of my meditation, came a kriya that was utterly humiliating…All the love and intoxication I had felt in meditation left me… Instead, in their place came a powerful sexual desire… I could think of nothing but sex! My whole body boiled with lust, and I cannot describe the agony in my sexual organ. Whether my eyes are open or shut, a beautiful woman would appear to entice me. The naked woman pursued me, finally standing in front of me. She began to torture me excruciatingly with only one apparent objective: she wanted no other sacrifice save my sacred vow of celibacy.” He traveled to Ghrishneshvara to a sadhana hut in Nagad. In this hut while doing his sadhana, he was asked to read a book in the cupboard. This book explained that this sexual desire is due to the piercing of the 2nd (Svadhisthana) chakra. This process is the turning of the flow of the sem- inal fluid upwards towards shiva. The naked, beautiful damsel was actual- ly the Goddess Kundalini! After reading the book his progress was with- out obstacle.
Gopi Krishna (1903-1984) Gopi Krishna was born in Kashmir and later lived in Punjab. He was an Indian householder, who after 17 years of unsupervised meditation, at 34 years old experienced the awakening of kundalini during his morning meditation. He was doing fine in an exercise of concentration on a lotus. In his own words: “I suddenly felt a strange sensation below the base of the spine, at the place touching the seat, while I sat cross-legged on a fold- ed blanket spread on the floor. The sensation was so extraordinary and so pleasing that my attention was forcibly drawn towards it. The moment my attention was thus unexpectedly withdrawn from the point on which it was focused, the sensation ceased. Thinking that it was a trick played by my imagination, I fixed my attention on the lotus at the top of head, again the sensation occurred. This time the sensation went upwards and was so intense and extraordinary… My mind went towards it, and at that very moment it again disappeared.” The sensation came and went, until with a
67 ‘roar like a waterfall’, he became ‘all consciousness’ and ‘immersed in a sea of light.’ “ The days that followed had all the appearance of a prolonged nightmare…. The keen desire to meditate, which had always been present during the preceding days, disappeared suddenly and was replaced by a feeling of horror of the supernatural…. I could not bear to have a light in my room after I retired to bed. The moment my head touched the pil- low a large tongue of flame sped across the spine into the interior of my head. It appeared as if a stream of living light continuously rushing through the spinal cord into the cranium gathered speed and volume dur- ing the hours of darkness. Whenever I closed my eyes I found myself looking into a weird circle of light, in which luminous currents swirled and eddied, moving rapidly side to side.”
“The heat grew every moment, causing such unbearable pain that I writhed and twisted from side to side while streams of cold perspiration poured down my face and limbs. But still the heat increased and soon it seemed as if innumerable red-hot pins were coursing through my body, scorching and blistering the organs and tissues like flying sparks. Suffering the most excruciating torture, I clenched my hands and bit my lips to stop myself from leaping out of bed and crying at the top of my voice. Flesh and blood could not stand such strain. There was dreadful disturbance in all the organs, each so alarming and painful that I wonder how I managed to retain my self-possession under the onslaught. The whole delicate sys- tem was burning, withering away completely under the fiery blast racing through its interior.
He could not eat. Neither could he sleep. He felt like dying. The heat was awful, scorching his throat, which was parched. When he got out of bed, he was unsteady on his feet, trembling. He was also on the verge of mad- ness and self-violence. Then a miracle of thought came into his mind: “….burning in every fiber, lashed as it were by a fiery rain of red-hot nee- dles piercing my skin. At this moment a fearful idea struck me. Could it be that I had aroused Kundalini through pingala or the solar nerve, which regulates the flow of heat in the body and is located on the right side of sushumna? If so, I was doomed. I thought desperately and as if by divine dispensation the idea flashed across my brain to make a last-minute attempt to arouse ida, or the lunar nerve on the left side, to activity, thus neutralizing the dreadful burning effect of the devouring fire within. With
68 my mind reeling and senses deadened with pain, but with all the will- power left at my command, I brought my attention to bear on the left side of the seat of Kundalini, and tried to force an imaginary cold current upward through the middle of the spinal cord. In that extraordinarily extended, agonized, and exhausted state of consciousness, I distinctly felt the location of the nerve and strained hard mentally to divert its flow into the central channel. Then, as if waiting for the destined moment, a mira- cle happened.
There was a sound like a nerve thread snapping and instantaneously a sil- very streak passed zigzag through the spinal cord, exactly like the sinuous movement of a white serpent in rapid flight, pouring an effulgent, cas- cading shower of brilliant vital energy into my brain, filling my head with a blissful lustre in place of the flame that had been tormenting me for the last three hours. Completely taken by surprise at this sudden transforma- tion of the fiery current, darting across the entire network of my nerves only a moment before, and overjoyed at the cessation of pain, I remained absolutely quiet and motionless for some time, tasting the bliss of relief with a mind flooded with emotion, unable to believe I was really free of the horror. Tortured and exhausted to the point of collapse by the agony I had suffered during the terrible interval, I immediately fell asleep, bathed in the light and for the first time after weeks of anguish felt the sweet embrace of restful sleep.”
Lee Sannella classify all the above signs and symptoms of kundalini arous- al into four categories:
1. Motor ---- any manifestation that can be independently observed and measured. a) Automatic Body Movements and Postures. These kriyas are spontaneous, although the devotee may inhibit them. They can affect any part of the body. The movements may be smooth, sinuous, spasmodic and jerky, or vibratory. They range from muscle twitching to prolonged trembling to the automatic assumption of otherwise difficult and maybe even impos- sible yogic postures (asanas, mudras, etc). The person may not know these practices beforehand, and if one is not conversant with them, dating these practices maybe impossible. These may include spontaneous crying,
69 laughing, screaming, and whistling. b) Unusual Breathing Patterns. The yogin aspires to control the flow of prana in order to harmonize his bodily energies and increase his vitality. This is to prepare for the awakening of the kundalini. Pranayama comes from ‘prana’ meaning life force and ‘ayama’ meaning “extension, length- ening”. This word then means “breath control”, which also means con- trolling the life force. Therein lies the danger. Therefore rapid breathing, shallow breathing, deep breathing, or extended breath retention may come about in the manifestation of kundalini awakening. If these phe- nomena are spontaneous they may cause a great deal of anxiety. The mas- ters warn against using pranayama to accelerate the kundalini’s ascent. c) Paralysis. Sometimes during deep meditation, one is locked in certain postures. As these partial paralyses are worrying, one can explain away these changes by emotional support and rational explanation to the devo- tee. The paralysis maybe a secondary manifestation of a primary underly- ing organic weakness stimulated by the arising of kundalini energy.
2. Sensory Phenomena a) Tickling Sensations. There is tickling, itching or vibrations of the skin or underlying tissues. They may extend as a deep ecstatic tickle and orgasmic feelings. These feelings emanate as a ‘bullock cart’ wheel: starting from the feet, up the legs, pelvis and moving up the back to the neck and the crown of the head and then down the forehead, the face, the throat, and the abdomen, where they terminate. b) Heat and Cold Sensations. Temperature changes quite often occur to either part or whole of the body. They may also move through the body but mostly without any pattern. c) Inner Lights and Visions. A variety of light experiences do occur amongst the yogins. The light may be white, red or blue. There maybe white and black spots in them. They can cover the whole body or localize to certain parts or organs of the body. Rarely, the whole room is illumi- nated, and if other people see this, this is the surest sign of the realization of the cosmic realm. Further concrete proof is the visible aura or halo of the enlightened person seen by other people.
70 d) Inner Sounds. A variety of sounds or noises such as whistling, hiss- ing, chirping, and roaring may be heard. These are very common. They vary according to the type of meditation practice. The typical transcen- dental sound is that mystical one called “OM”. e) Pain. Pain may be felt in the head, the eyes, spine and other parts of the body. They may appear abruptly and disappear just as fast. It may last for seconds or hours. The explanation is that the yogin may be subcon- sciously resisting the arising of the kundalini or the kundalini energy is purifying the chakras as it ascends the spine. Some tension headaches are said to be due to partial awakening of the kundalini.
3. Interpretive Phenomena a) Unusual or extreme Emotion. In the awakening, feelings of ecstasy, bliss, peace, love, devotion, joy, and cosmic harmony may occur. On the oppo- site side, intense fear, anxiety, confusion, depression, and even hatred may also be felt. The first set of positive feelings tends to be present more in the later stages of the awakening. b) Distortions of Thought Processes. Thinking may be speeded up, slowed down, or altogether stopped. Thoughts may seem off balance, strange, or irrational. The person may feel that he is going mad. He may go into trance states, or he may become impulsive, alienated or confused. In deep meditation (as in vipassana), the myriad of thoughts in their subtlety and complexity tend to bewilder the meditator to a great extend. This is the stirring up of the unconscious, some of which is very unpleasant to the yogin. These fantasies can knock the unstable yogin off balance. c) Detachment. The individual feels that he is an independent observer of his own thoughts, feelings and sensations. He has become a ‘seer’, but not aloof. His normal daily function is unimpaired. d) Dissociation. When there is deep psychological disturbances, fear, confusion, or social and other environmental pressures present, the above detached seeing may lead to hysteria, akin to a schizophrenia state. Or he may become egotistical as he has been chosen ‘for a great a mission’.
71 e) Single Seeing. The eyes of the yogin do not distinguish the object from its background. Both are seen as one. Turning the eyes inwardly, both inner and outer landscapes are seen at the same time. Many direct and indirect references have been made to single seeing or the ‘one eye’ to depict an advancement of spirituality. In Luke 11:34; “the light of the body is the eye; therefore when thine eye is single thy whole body is also full of light”. f) “Great Body” Experience. Sometimes in deep meditation or in the ascent of the kundalini, the body feels much larger than normal. There is an exaggerated sensation of the ballooning out of the physical body, which also seems heavy, like lead.
4. Nonphysical Phenomena a) Out-of-body Experiences. This phenomenon is rare amongst meditators. However they do occur. b) Psychic Perceptions. Clairvoyance, telepathy and predictions do occur with individuals who have succeeded in awakening the kundalini. Again, these paranormal experiences are sporadic and are not constant. Most of these abilities do not arise on demand.
All the above signs and symptoms may arise after awakening the kundali- ni. But they may also come about in people who meditate constantly and regularly, without the arousal of the kundalini.
Kundalini versus Psychosis From the above signs and symptoms, one must differentiate psychosis from arising of the kundalini. This is not easy, especially if the therapist or psychiatrist has not heard of kundalini. The awakened person can diag- nose partial awakening in another subject. The psychiatrist can diagnose schizophrenia easily, but give him a case of kundalini arousal, he may fum- ble and label the yogin with partial awakening as pure psychotic. However, there are certain signs and symptoms which occur are more in one and not the other: