Three Steps Are Dharana, Dhyana And Samadhi

Freedom and Happiness. When we learn the principles of eastern wisdom, we apply discernment that becomes dispassion. The highest dispassion leads to knowledge of real self, awakens to permanent happiness.

We will learn from Yoga Sutra, Gita, and other texts together to discover the true nature.
we will follow the four-step approach as taught and passed on to us by great masters of eastern wisdom

Transcript

Feel of it, The life changes. Not only the life changes at the personal level, Professional level, Family level, Because it changes the entire perception in your life. You are in anxiety, Say for example, You are reacting because of relationship. Now you have taken care of your mind. You have understood from where the reaction and the blame comes. So when you realize this, You say, No, No, No, I'm not going to do this. What happens? Calmness enters into your mind. With that calmness and a peace, Now you are responding to the world outside. See, That is the beauty of this Eastern wisdom. So last two or three weeks, We covered the higher meditation practices. What is the higher meditation stages? So we covered meditation with the four different stages, And ultimately we'll end up with the fifth stage, That is totally emptiness. But we did not cover the basics of meditation from where we enter into that higher meditative stage. So our master Patanjali, We are studying Yoga Sutra. So in the third chapter, He says, The meditative stage consists, Meditative state consists of three stages, And all together is known as Samyam. So Samyam is a Sanskrit word, Samyam. So that Samyam, Normally if I translate into English, It means a state of equanimity. You are not affected by the likes and dislikes of the world. You are not affected by attachment and detachment to the world. I remember a great, I was talking about the same thing and including the love. I said that love is a state of consciousness. So that guy asked, That guy asked that if we love everyone, Then we have many families. You see the wrong understanding. So I have to explain it again. I have to re-explain, I said, Try to understand. And he is a millionaire. He is extremely intelligent in his profession, In his business. He is from Eastern Europe. So what should you say to those people? So understand the basics has three stages. The first it says, Desvandhasya che tasyadharana The first, Very first fundamental basic primary step of meditation is to confine the territory of the mind. What does it mean? If you have a dog in your house, Then you know, You put a leash on the dog. And so what happens? The dog has been confined to a territory. You see that? When you put the leash, Hold it. So dog has been confined to a particular territory. Our mind is like a dog, We have to put a leash. That is different than concentration. So here in the Western world, When you translate this sutra, That means concentration. Concentration, No, It is not concentration. You can find the territory of your mind on a particular object. And one object is there, But there are many shades of that object. Say for example, I have to confine my mind and the territory is John. So first is the name, Then the form, Form, Then the color of the skin, Then the hair. So my mind should remain on the John, Whether it remains on the name, On the form, On the hairs, On the nose, On the eyes. Did you understand that? So we pick up any object, Say, I pick up say, Om Shanti. So I become more and more aware of the sound, The singing and the listening, Om Shanti. That is what I did last week in meditation. So I was aware that I have to talk about this. So I already gave you that practice and we will take to that practice to the next step. So then what happens? So the first day, First basic of meditation, Where the mind finds a limited territory, But in that territory, There is only one object. So see that what happens, It is different from the concentration of modern psychology. So what the modern psychology says, Focus. So I focus on John, But my mind goes to, And so I forcibly bring it back to John. My mind goes to Sophie, My mind goes to me. So there is always a struggle there. So here there is no struggle, That is the first stage. In the second stage of meditation, At the same time, You are looking at an object, But you are also looking at who is looking at an object, The seer, The knower, The mind inside you. So the mind turns from outside to inside. Once you understand, And then you contemplate and reflect. When you reflect on it, What happens? The mind that is confined on that territory starts moving inside and you become aware of that mind. That mind you see, There is an uninterrupted flow of that mind. So that is the second stage of meditation. And what happens in the third stage of meditation? That object disappears completely. The mind is settled within the mind itself. So that is reflected as an emptiness or nothingness or emptiness or nothingness of the mind. We can take one example. I see the wall, A wall here in front of, Behind the monitor. So that is the first stage. Now I reflect on this wall is a matter and the matter consists of atom, Matter consists of atoms, Isn't it? Atom consists of electron, Proton and neutron. So that shape of the wall and the shade that appears, It is because of the atom. These atoms are very close to each other. If they are little far away, Then it is liquid. Little too far, Then it is a gas, All our matter. Now I go a little deeper. So at the level of, You see that at the level of atom, The very shape disappears. Shape has no value. It appears, But it is not true. Am I right? It appears true, But it is not true. John appears, I appear as a body, As a name in the form. It appears true, But it is not true because this body is also a matter and body consists of atom. An atom consists of electron, Proton and neutron. Then go further, Find the ultimate cause of that atom. Do you know about quantum physics? These atom is nothing but electromagnetic field. This is nothing but energy. Our great American scientist, Einstein. Einstein is equal to MC squared. Energy is converted into matter and the matter is converted into energy. So he said, Energy is the fundamental substance. So energy in one permutation and combination reflected as John second, This guy third, Me fourth, Sophie and fifth is n. Did we find the unity? All are made up of energy. You see? So until the mind reaches to that subtler level of perception until the mind reaches to that subtler level of perception, We cannot succeed in meditation. This is what I want to make. Now, Go a little deeper behind that energy. So who is the seer of energy? Who is the newer of that energy? Who is the newer of the body, The breath, The mind, The thoughts, The intellect, The ego? That very newer is my true nature. The goal of meditation is to find and discover our true nature. To find that is it lost somewhere? It is not lost somewhere. I am very much here. So that very newer real self is already here. I have forgotten it. Due to incomplete knowledge, Due to ignorance, Due to delusion, I don't see it. What I see? I see I am a mead. I have certain profession. I have certain school to settle with lot of people. I love some people. I hate some people. Oh, We are just mind is engaged in these unnecessary things. And these unnecessary things are known as impurities of the mind. It is a case of lost and found. I feel my real nature is lost, But it is within me. It is within me. So meditation is to restore. Oh, I have forgotten what is me, Real me, Who am I? So our master says, We are absolute existence, Consciousness, Bliss. Bliss means permanent happiness. Don't misinterpret bliss with reference to any kind of physical pleasure. That will again destroy the principle. You know, We Americans are great and intelligent people. We say, Oh, Let us twist here and there. No, So we have to follow as for the teachings of our master. So it says existence, Consciousness, Bliss. That is now see the last point. You have to listen to this talk again and again. Where it is? I don't know it. So another master says beautifully. One example and then we will go to the series of reflection. Is wave different from water? So wave is water, Appears in different shapes and sizes. So can I say that it is not the wave, But it is inside the wave. The water is not the wave, But it is inside the wave. Clear? It is in the body, But not the body. It is in the mind, But not the mind. It is in the thought, But not the thought. It is in my craziness, But not the craziness. It is in my anger, But not the anger. Now see. It is present everywhere, At every moment of our life. Why it is present in every moment of life? Can you answer? Because without consciousness, There is no moment in my life. So that real self is the consciousness. Consciousness cannot be divided. Thought divides me, Anxiety divides me, Body divides me, Everything divides me, But they appear. They all are waves, But water is not a wave, But it is inside it. It is in the body, But not the body. It is in the mind, Not the mind. It is in the thought, But not the thought. It is in everything, But that thing is not the real self. Getting some idea? Pure rational understanding. First we should understand rationally, Then we will practice. Now what happens when it is everywhere, When it is present in everything, Then once I realize that, Can my mind enter into a conflict? There is no two. To have a conflict and to have an anxiety, I need two or more than two. Here is John and here I am. John is like this and I'm like this. So we can fight, We can love, We can have relationship, But if there is no two, So in that state, The mind lives into the purified state. That is why I'm concluding, What that is why we say, Let the mind reach to that state of emptiness, Total emptiness. Let the mind act like a mirror so that the real self will be reflected in that mirror. As long as the dust is there, You cannot reflect the real self there. Isn't it so simple? So, But intellect has now a clarity and conviction. So master says, Now you have a clarity, You have understood it? Yes, There is no doubt about it. So hold on to this knowledge during the practice of meditation so that real self will reveal itself. Our master doesn't stop at, You know, You have understood and done. No, You have understood, But you don't have that experience. So we need to practice, Practice and practice with commitment. And when we practice, Then that knowledge reveals itself. That experience validates, Yes, There is a real self. I'm not talking of the heaven and the hell. I'm not talking of the God and cult and dogma and belief and religion. Nothing, We don't need that. That is the beauty of these teachings. For hell, I have to wait until I die to go to hell or to heaven. In all religions, You have that philosophy. But here we say it is already in you, It is here and now. You see, Every cult, Dogma, Belief, Religion has this concept. Whether you say they have a concept of sin and virtue, Hell and heaven, You know, See like this. You will go to hell if you do like this. Who cares? When I go, Then I will see. Until then, Let me continue. So this teaching says no, Here and now. Don't wait in the future. It doesn't give any liberty to the mind to fall into anxiety, Reaction, Blame, Complain. You see that that is the basic point. Otherwise, All religions make you, Oh, Who cares, You know, I will get this and I will confess everything. You know, We see a lot of excuses. Here, The mind, The intellect must get the right knowledge and allow the intellect to guide the mind. Mind, You are going there. You have divided yourself. And when you have divided, The mind will swing like a pendulum. It will create a reaction, Don't divide, Have a right perception. It is here and now. It is from moment to moment. So these three, Confining the territory of the mind in a very normal way, Confining the territory. Second, Going behind that object. Going behind, I gave you an example. Wall, Then matter, Then atom, Then energy. You see, Don't see Sophie John as a label. See what is behind that label. A human being, Then how do you understand that human being? The human is constantly changing. What is that changing? The body, The mind, The breath, The intellect and the ego. And the being is unchanging part. So when you reflect, Now this is just an example, Sophie. So when you reflect on that, All your dualities and conflicts drop down from the mind. In that stage, When you meditate, You see what you see, The ultimate reality in John is already present in you. What do you find? One consciousness pervades everywhere. And that consciousness is permanent peace, Happiness, Love and wisdom. That is the ultimate goal of meditation. So next week we will take up who can succeed in meditation. I remember, You know, There are five sutras. Patanjali explains, Who is the highest level of a seeker? Okay, If you are not the highest level of a seeker, How you can become the highest level of a seeker to succeed? So there are five traits we have to cultivate. Well, These are five attributes cultivate. So the master says, Okay, Let us move at the third level. So he explains, Do you have only one thing in your mind? Can you hold on to it? You will succeed. Did you see that the arrangement of the teaching and the arrangement of these sutras in the teaching, But in the beginning, When I say, Are you a seeker? And then I start explaining and then the mind is already impure. You have undertaken a journey for so long. So now the mind will stick to this journey. But if I tell you, Oh, You are not a seeker, You will start mind will start opposing, You are not a seeker, Better to leave this practice. See that? So Patanjali comes after the almost 1819 sutras. He says now understand, Are you a seeker, My friend? How can you become a seeker? Who is the highest level of a seeker? That we will take up in the next week. Let us start our practice of meditation. Let us start practice of meditation. Eyes are closed. So the labnetists do the first days. Eyes are closed, Make your comfortable position. Whatever is most comfortable, But not lazy. That is very important. The mind should not allow any thought of laziness. So whether you are sitting or lying down doesn't matter. So now eyes are closed gently. And you are looking at the body first from the top of the head to the toes, The body is steady, And mind is facing within. Remember lost and found. It is never lost, It is already within me. But why can't I see it? Because of ignorance. Because of delusion. Because mind has taken for granted what appears true is really true, But what appears true is not true. So then we go a little deeper. Look at the neck joint, Be there, Feel. What do you feel? Sensation, Comfortable, And steadiness. That is our second step. We are not only we are preparing, We are confining the territory of the mind. How? By an experience of sensation, Being comfortable, And steadiness. Not only that, We go a little deeper. We ask the mind to go behind this sensation, Go behind that sensation, Being comfortable and steadiness. So then what happens? I only see the space, One energy. You see that you are doing the practice with 100% clarity. But sometime I think, I know, I give that clarity. Why should I give the clarity? It is the teachings. Even with that clarity, We don't reach there. We will talk about that. There is some other problem. So look at the shoulder joints casually. The mind is confined. Then you experience sensation, Being comfortable and steadiness. Then go behind that experience of being comfortable and steadiness. What do you find? Oh, Simply the space. The space is a common element. The energy is a common element in all the bodies. Free from any shape, Label, Name, Form, Gender, Nationality, You see that? One common space. Move the mind on the hip joint, Be there, Feel. What do you feel? Feel the sensation, Being comfortable and steadiness. Then go behind that. Become aware of the entire body from the top of the head to the toes, All the joints, Being there, Feeling. Well, Feeling is common. And then being comfortable, Being steady. And in that state of steadiness and comfort, We again land up into the space. You see, Understand that confining the territory of the mind, That is how I gave those. I strictly adhere to the teachings. The more I adhere to the teachings, Not only it helps people, But it helps me also to evolve. No teaching belongs to me. And now in the preparatory step, The third step is, You know what I said, First stage, Dharanam, Confining the territory of the mind, See that. And then being carefree, Carefree. Yeah, You have understood from many point of view of being carefree. Just visualize, What do you visualize? Oh, Just visualize the birds are flying in the sky. Is sky not pervading everywhere? Yes, These birds are nothing but the thoughts, Feelings, Sensation, Experiences taking place in your mind at this moment. So it is not a thought, But it is inside the thought. It is not the birds, But it is inside the bird. You know, That is an expression. So what happens? My mind is clear, Any thought comes, It is not the thought. So I do not get carried away by thought due to attachment, Detachment, Likes, Dislikes, Comfort, Discomfort, And then what happens? You're ready to enter into the second phase. See that, You have to contemplate the way I'm giving you the practice today. You listen to it, Do the practice, And after the practice, Contemplate what I said, How I'm giving you the meditation journey. Reflect on this. What will happen? It will enlighten your mind to those principles again. But why to enlighten? The mind is holding onto the truth. So now we will again do nyasa today. How we do nyasa? First, Start breathing little deep, Silent, And slow. Little deep, Silent, And slow. Check that your breath is neither too deep, Too short, But it is in the beginning, Carefree. First is deep, Silent, And slow breathing. That is your car. Mind is aware, Mind follows the breath. It is driver. Third point, What is the highway? Highway is the space inside the body, And what we drive on the highway inside, What is that intent? Intent is om. What is that om symbolic? Is the name of the real self. So every time the mind remains in the space on the highway. Highway. Let us start our journey. How? As you inhale, Move the mind inside the right arm, In the space with a singing and listening om. Now it happens, Two thing happens. When you are singing and listening mentally, While inhaling and exhaling, The mind moves from the fingertips to the shoulder inside. So what happens in the singing and listening? I say you are giving a spice to the mind. Why you are giving a spice to the mind? So that the mind is engaged. Mind is engaged in what we want from meditation. So why I said the spice? Now move the mind inside the left arm. Same way, As you inhale, Mind moves from the left shoulder, Inside in the space with a singing and listening om, Reaching to the fingertips, And when the mind, When you start exhaling, The mind moves inside the left arm from the fingertips to the shoulder with singing and listening om. You know, Understand that point in the second stage, When the mind is given something consciously, It does not invite the thoughts that it has accumulated as impression, As attachment, As detachment. So why I say the spice? Veggie, You cook the veggie and you add the seasoning. It gives you a different taste. So the mind goes back again to the same recipe. So what will happen by regular practice? The mind says, I enjoy doing this. So we caught the mind in a very humble way, Not by fighting, Not by, Now move the mind inside the right leg from the right side of the waist to the toes, Singing and listening. See that? I made everything clear. Now move the mind inside the left leg. The mind is moving with the Bharat. You see that confining the territory of the mind has gone deeper. The mind is aware of the deep silence of the Bharat. Mind is moving in the space inside and it is singing om, Singing and also it is listening. So mind gets all the spices, All the seasoning, And in a very humble, Natural way. And if the mind finds it is, You are challenging the mind, Meditation will be destroyed. People do not understand this point. They say, Oh, Let us focus and then you will meditate. No, That is not a focus of the psychology. Now move the mind inside the spine from the crown of the head. As you inhale, The mind is descending into the spine, Reaching to the tailbone with the singing and the listening. Simple, One word. And as you exhale, With that every exhalation, The mind is moving from the tailbone to the crown. The crown of the head, It is moving into the spine. Now move the mind inside the spine. Mm, You're singing and listening to what you are singing mentally, But at the same time, The mind is confined in the territory of deep silence, Slow breath, And on the space within. Now making it simple, And every simple meditation is the higher meditation practice. With that clarity and understanding. So we know everything, Anything with the word, Its meaning and the knowledge hidden in it. So as you are singing and listening the word, Om, I already gave you the meaning. It's a symbol of consciousness, Existence, And bliss. What is the knowledge in it? Knowledge, Sensation, Experience, Awareness are synonymous. So when you are singing, Listening, As if you are going behind that Om, And you are picking the consciousness, There cannot be any knowledge without consciousness. I have tried, I have said hundreds of times, How the phone is inert, It does not have consciousness. That is why it does not know itself. It does not know anyone. Do I have consciousness? Yes, So that consciousness gives me the knowledge. Om, Om. Om, Om. Can we see that? The mind naturally wants to go within. There comes the eligibility, Huh, Eligibility, Am I eligible, Qualified, Am I a seeker? Om, Singing, Listening, Meaning and the knowledge. Singing, Listening, Meaning and the knowledge. Om, Om, Om, Singing, Listening is just a reference point, Is a leash, If I say so, But meaning and the knowledge matters the most. Mmm, I changed that practice to the little deeper, But it is simple. Now, Leave the breath, Allow the breath to be normal and continue to do so, Moving the mind without the breath, Without the support of the breath. The mind walks, Moving the mind, Moving the mind, Moving the mind, Moving the mind, Moving the mind, Moving the mind, Walks from the crown of the head to the tailbone and Om, Singing and listening continues, But behind it singing and listening, Which is nothing but the wave, I know, Consciousness. And the mind moves from the tailbone to the crown of the head. Om, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Now, Don't, No singing and listening to the Om, But continue to move the mind from the crown of the head inside the spine to the tailbone and from the tailbone. You may start having some vision, Colours, Freezing of the body, Numbness, Recognize them, Accept them, Continue the journey. Now, See, Even if the mind is moving without saying Om, It already has created an impression and it knows the meaning. That paves the way to emptiness of the mind. I covered all the three steps that we discussed. So just casually you are moving. Did I explain you by habit? Now, By habit, The dog, Even if you open the leash, And but the dog knows I'm in the leash so the dog doesn't move. Mmm, We are in the third stage of meditation. Do nothing. In every meditation, I point to the mind, Now mind, Do nothing. No action, Remain as you are. But it does not mean that you do not experience what is happening with it. That gives us a clue where we are in meditation. So do nothing, Maintain your awareness and see. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti We are going to share our experiences to make it clear what happened today. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti Bring your awareness on the right hand, Just be there. Bring your awareness on the left hand. Be there. You can find out the mind doesn't want to move. It's not in a hurry or it is in a hurry. Then raise both your palms, Place it on your eyes, Closed eyes. Take your own time and open the eyes inside the palms. Why we open the eyes inside the palms? We find total space and then ask the mind what happened? What is your experience? That will make us understand. Bring the hands down and how are you Sophie? I am very good. It's like I felt like I wanted to laugh. I wanted to collapse. Okay, But you are not collapsed. You are smiling. No, To laugh. To laugh. Okay, To laugh. Okay. Yes, Yes. Laughing is a matter of joy. Did you understand? Last three weeks sessions, We discussed about four different stages of meditation. Vittark vichar ananda asmita anugamata. Third one, Ananda, The joy. We simply experienced the joy. So that means definitely you were into that third stage. Was there any other object in your mind to laugh? No, There was no object just to laugh, Just to be in the. . . No object. Yes, Yes. That is what? That is what is good. How are you, Me? Thank you. I experienced a sense of kindness. Kindness, That's good. That is the fourth stage. That is what? That is the fourth stage of meditation that we discussed in the last two weeks. You see, We can easily pick up. Very good sense of kindness. Be kind to me, My friend. How are you, Anne? You have to unmute it. I muted during the practice. Here we go. Yes. Yeah, I feel fine. I feel calm. Calm. Yes. That is wonderful, Beautiful. And how are you, John? Okay, Good. I like this idea of doing nothing because I think it helps you make progress and feeling peaceful and at the end of the mind. Yes. That is another good point that he reflected after the meditation. When you are in a state of doing nothing, What you do when you are in your house and if I ask you, Did you reach your house? You say yes, Doing nothing. So a real home is inside. You see that? A real home is inside and you are there. So you enjoy that state of doing nothing. But what happens when the mind is engaged in doing something? Can you figure it out? The mind goes outside. It cannot be in the state of doing nothing without moving. It has to move outside. The moment you are in the state of doing something, I'm speaking to you. The mind has to come out to speak. Compare again the state of doing nothing and state of doing something. Now it has been happening. You all are being settled with the body. Otherwise, What happens when I say close your eyes and I see a lot of people? Did I say you to raise your right shoulder or left shoulder? No. But the mind is the habit of doing something. So the mind is going out. Modern psychologists say it's visiting. They give a beautiful label, But only label. My body cannot move if the mind does not support it. Once I live into that awareness and when I say close your eyes, Are you aware of the worry in the mind? It says yes. The worry enters into the steadiness. Done. The body is like a smartphone. You have kept the phone here. Done. It will not move. For that we need an awareness. What that awareness does? It separates the body from the mind. The body is a matter. It will not move. You are watching a film that you like it. You are obsessed with it. So what happens? You are watching the film. Your eyes opens little more. Your body moves little nearer to the TV. Your body doesn't move. But that is obsession. This is meditation. Sometimes it happens, Isn't it? You might have experienced. Ow, Eyes are wide open. What happened? Nothing happened. It is only a scream. No reality. They make a difference. So we understand each and every movement by which the mind goes outside. It is only because of attachment, Obsession, Likes, Dislikes, Attack. And once they all drop from the mind, You are always in a state of doing nothing.