Meditation

Let everything happen to you
Beauty and terror
Just keep going
No feeling is final

Rainer Maria Rilke

The practice of meditation has come to carry many different connotations. In movies and popular culture, it is framed a religious practice for sages and wise men. Others interpret it as a fluffy concept that has no real bearing on reality. At present, meditation has garnered interest in psychology and neuroscience research for its psychological benefits, while also being marketed as a tool for productivity and mental wellness. While all these different interpretations may be valid, the full experience of meditation is one that eludes any formal conceptualisation. The experience of meditation is ever-changing, never the same for any person or in any moment. What I write here is merely my own account of how it has guided and changed me.

Practice

As much as we are wont to judge, analyse and discuss, meditation is first and foremost a practice, something that must be done and experienced first-hand. There is no universally agreed mode of meditation – the methods are as varied as the schools which practice them. I have personally been working with guided meditations by Headspace for close to 2 years now. To start off, the mobile app is free to install and use with a basic collection of guided meditations. If you do decide to commit to a paid subscription (for which they also offer a free trial), they have a wide collection of courses to choose from, ranging from 3-20 minutes. Furthermore, they provide great resources for understanding fundamental concepts and guiding you through the difficulties faced as a beginner. With all this, I feel that they are an excellent starting point to begin the journey of meditation.

That being said, it is by no means necessary to train in meditation in this way, and you are welcome to try out other methods should you so choose. While the methods may be varied, they all share certain common principles:

• Positioning – When meditating, it is helpful to assume a relaxed but attentive posture. You should not feel any discomfort or need to adjust your body throughout the meditation, but it should not lull you to sleep either. Being seated with a neutral, upright spine tends to be the most conducive posture for most practices.
• Environment – In order to facilitate calm and focus, you should strive to minimise any distractions or abrupt noises in your immediate environment. Using a personal space such as your room is a good place to start, but spaces in nature can be equally if not more conducive. If you have a busy schedule or are regularly interrupted at home, it might also be helpful to schedule meditations during the morning where there is less human activity.
• Object of focus – All forms of meditation cultivate mindfulness by training awareness and focus on a singular object. Attention is often directed to various bodily sensations as well as the senses of touch and hearing. However, the most universal object of focus is the breath. Breathing is an essential aspect of all human life, and one that accompanies us during all our waking moments. Far from assuming a metronomic rhythm, it is deeply bound up with our moods and emotions, regulating our bodies in the most visceral sense. It seems fitting that we return to this vital force, given that we often pay so little attention to it as we go about our daily activities.
• Non-judgmental awareness – This is a truly difficult skill to practice in meditation, and perhaps the main reason why many people fail to inculcate it as a habit. In essence, the goal here is to simply observe thoughts, sensations and feelings without needing to put a label on anything as “good” or “bad”. This is challenging because we are so accustomed to passing judgment on the everything we come across – our relationships and livelihoods are predicated on the judgments and assessments we make about the world. The problem that arises when we indulge too far in this tendency is that we get caught up in thought and are unable to fully appreciate the unfolding of the present. We become less tolerant of the things we dislike and hostile to those with differing opinions. In many ways, change starts by learning to undo our judgments and listen to others. Meditation trains us to do so, beginning with ourselves.

Consciousness and thought

The first and arguably most difficult hurdle that we face with when beginning meditation is dealing with our own thoughts. As beginners, most of us are unable to sit still for more than a few seconds before being struck by a passing thought, which we then feel the need to act on or entertain in some way. Being forced not to react to them can quickly become unbearable, especially when we have already become so accustomed to having our attention drawn away by technology and easily accessible media. It is at this point, where, faced with the discomfort and unease of sitting with their own thoughts, many people decide that meditation is not for them. Ironically, these are the very people who would benefit the most from it. Nonetheless, this is understandably a natural experience that all of us can relate to. When I first started, I was unable to complete even 2 minutes of guided meditation even during quiet mornings, because my mind was so caught up with worry and recursive patterns of thinking that I could not bear to sit still with it. Every thought that came across my mind would lead to more what-ifs and possible scenarios, and before I knew it I would be back on my phone or computer, because I would have rather been distracted than to watch my mind in earnest.

The idea that we are defined by our thoughts is perhaps most prominent in western culture and philosophy, outlined by Rene Descartes’ famous line, “Cogito ergo sum” or “I think, therefore I am”. On some level, it is true that personality, mood and behaviour are closely linked to our thoughts. We have a sense of a personal narrative – a story we construct about ourselves to create a sense of personal identity. However, all our thoughts, no matter how pertinent they may seem, are transient and in flux. In observing ourselves and those around us, we should also come to realise that our personalities and preferences also change over the course time. Are we simply an ever-changing collection of thoughts and narratives, or is there something deeper that makes up who we are?

The idea of the “self” is a touchy subject, and has always been up for philosophical debate. But most of us will acknowledge that there exists a larger entity that lies beyond our thoughts. It may go by different names in various cultures and religions, but here I will refer to it as consciousness. Our consciousness is the knower and observer of our thoughts, and is able to engage with them without taking on their nature. It is this entity that meditation seeks to make us connect with and understand more deeply.

We can think of consciousness as a body of water, and our thoughts as perturbations – like ripples in a pond, or waves in the ocean. When the mind is caught up in thought, the water becomes turbulent, and it may seem as though the currents are threatening to overwhelm us. But just as the largest wave cannot dominate the ocean, our thoughts can never suppress our consciousness. The reason why we might feel overwhelmed is because we lack this sense of perspective; we direct our attention to every slight agitation as if it will topple us because we have not trained our minds to relate to our thoughts in a healthy manner.

In effect, our very reactions to these thoughts only serve to exacerbate their impact and trigger more thoughts. Trying to get rid of thinking with more thinking is like pouring fuel onto a fire. Be it good or bad, engaging with those thoughts will always make them more prominent. We might identify ourselves with some thoughts, believing that they a part of who we are. We might carry an obsession with personal desires of success and grandeur. When faced with negative thoughts, we might resist and force ourselves not to think about them. All of these responses only feed them further. Instead, it is far more helpful to simply sit and observe, and watch as they gradually subside.

Thus, meditation is not about being able to control thoughts, it’s about being able to observe them. When we have trained the mind in this way, our thoughts no longer seem as daunting as they did before. We understand that a passing thought in itself is harmless – that it grows to burden us only because we have encouraged it. Knowing this, we give ourselves more space to choose when we want to engage with certain thoughts, and when to let them go.

Change in letting go

Though it has much to offer, it is an undeniable fact that most people first pick up meditation with the intent to change their lives in some way. In modern culture, change is often conceptualised as a productive pursuit, attaining new skills and values through practice and hard work. This is the core idea that has turned self-development into a multi-billion dollar industry. In a culture obsessed with work, this should come as no surprise at all. However, if we only perceive change as process of attainment, it can be daunting when we are looking at the many aspects of our lives that we wish to improve. Moreover, we often seek out self-improvement because we cannot cope with the commitments and expectations in our lives. Stressed and overwhelmed as we already are, how could we possibly have the energy and effort to devote to developing so many other areas of our lives?

Meditation offers a different approach altogether, focusing on the process of letting go. It reframes change as a process of eliminating harmful or unhelpful behaviours and thoughts. This is helpful in two ways. Firstly, it creates a sense of spaciousness in our approach. We no longer have to worry about needing to fit in more than we can handle; by letting go, we prune away what is detrimental and create the conditions for growth. Secondly, it conveys that the values we wish to develop already exist within us. We all have an innate capacity to do good, and we need only clear out the weeds of vice, self-interest and arrogance to give our virtues the opportunity to flourish. When we let go of hatred and resentment, we find it easier to feel love and compassion for others.

I can attest to how letting go has helped to bring about lasting change in my own life. Throughout my life, I have made many attempts at self-improvement through routines and systems of productivity. Yet, none of them have achieved the level of depth and scope that meditation has. The former simply focuses on the symptoms; the latter strikes at the very root of the obstacles which undermine our efforts to improve. Once again, in order to let go of these harmful patterns of thought, we must first be able to observe them without engaging in them. Gradually, with greater awareness, we can avoid falling into the same pitfalls or step out of them before we become too entrenched. Ultimately, we can choose a better course of action altogether.

Transcendence

“When meditation is mastered, the mind is unwavering like the flame of a lamp in a windless place. In the still mind, in the depths of meditation, the Self reveals itself. Beholding the Self by means of the Self, an aspirant knows the joy and peace of complete fulfilment. Having attained that abiding joy beyond the senses, revealed in the stilled mind, they never swerve from the eternal truth. They desire nothing else and cannot be shaken by the heaviest burden of sorrow.“

BHAGAVAD GITA (6:19 – 6:22)

Having spent enough time in meditation, many come to experience a richer sense of being connected with the world, a deep kind of joy that exists beyond the body, mind and senses. I have found that this idea is explained very eloquently in the Hindu texts of the Bhagavad Gita. The Bhagavad Gita touches on the contrasting ideas of prakriti and purusha – the field and the knower. These are ancient and complex terms which do not lend themselves easily to translation, but here I will attempt to define them in meaningful terms.

Prakriti is mind, matter and energy. It encompasses the material, empirical phenomena of the world. That which manifests itself in the outward and physical, associated with matter and the senses. The identities and personas that we form as we go about life are also prakriti, and are rather like metaphorical clothes we wear over our innate selves. Purusha refers to the abstract self; the soul, spirit, or consciousness. It is completely unaffected by prakriti, inherent in objects and living beings, yet always singular and whole. Without beginning or end, purusha is the eternal spirit that connects all things.

This state of transcendence, which is the ultimate goal of meditation, comes when we are able to dissociate ourselves from our mind, body and senses, to recognise that which is beyond the prakriti, and to rest in the understanding of purusha. It is not something that comes easily, for most of us have responsibilities and obligations to lead a life of action with our bodies and senses. It is far easier for us to discriminate and alienate ourselves from others. Yet, with long-term commitment, it is possible to carry this understanding into our daily lives. The more I have practised meditation, the more I have come to experience this undercurrent of joy and connection that lends itself to everything I do.

Conclusion

Of all the things that have shaped my life for the better, nothing comes quite as close to what meditation has done for me. It is something so deceptively simple, yet so profoundly impactful. It does not discriminate by any outward measure; all that is required is an earnest intent. Ultimately, it is a timeless experience which is granted to all, and from which none can be estranged. There is so much more about meditation that can be said, but so much that can never be described at all. I sincerely hope that you might endeavour to begin this journey not only for the benefits it brings you, but to verily appreciate life with full clarity and truth.

Further reading

• Vipassana is an ancient technique of meditation that is centred on paying close attention to the breath. It has had a resurgence in popularity and is now being taught in free in 10-day residential courses all over the world. You can find out more about the practice and opportunities to participate here.
• The Headspace Guide to Meditation & Mindfulness is a great reference and accompaniment for building a regular, simple practice of meditation in your daily life. It includes plenty of references to scientific studies on the benefits of meditation if you are so inclined.
• Leo Babauta’s blog, Zen Habits, explains the ideas and practices of mindfulness in short and succinct articles. I think it serves as a great dose of insight and inspiration for anyone.
• I have personally found that Eknath Easwaran’s translation of the Bhagavad Gita has been instrumental in explaining the more abstract concepts around meditation and transcendence. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to delve deeper into the eastern philosophies and faiths behind meditation and mindfulness practices.