Meditation

Let us learn What is not Meditation Before knowing anything about meditation, it is important to familiarize ourselves with all those practices and beliefs which are often considered as meditation but are NOT meditation. (1) Meditation is NOT Concentration A big MISCONCEPTION : Meditation is just one form of concentration. When you concentrate, you constantly project your attention towards a particular task or activity whereas in Meditation you do not project your attention towards a particular task or activities. You just remain aware of the moment without choosing anything to concentrate upon. Concentration is important for learning meditation. It will greatly help you (particularly in the initial phase) in learning mediation. However, it is not Meditation

(2) Meditation is NOT Relaxation. What does relaxation do ? It relaxes you, makes you calm, gives a sense of serenity and rejuvenates you. Meditation also makes you relaxed. But Meditation is not Relaxation When you meditate....... its natural outcome is relaxation.

(3) Meditation is NOT a serious religious practice Meditation is not a specific ritual demanding sitting in a particular posture, chanting some specific Mantras (powerful words having phonetic significance) or burning incense. Neither it means doing a particular

exercise in a particular pose. Meditation is a quality of our existence. When you are aware of your true 'self' and perform anything (yes I mean anything ) with awareness, it becomes meditation [Please don't feel confused by the word 'self'. Very soon you'll be introduced to this self.] It is true that it takes some time to learn Meditation and it requires some genuine effort on the part of seeker to learn meditation, but it does not mean that Meditation is connected with any specific religion or ritual. Anybody, irrespective of his background, religion, caste, creed or nationality can do it. Meditation is not even a serious thing. One you understand it, it will be a pure fun to meditate.

(4) Meditation is NOT a state of mind. Rather - It is a state of no mind. Many gadgets are available in the market that promise to take us into a meditative state (often known as

the alpha state of mind). Scientists have observed that there are basically 4 states of mind depending upon the frequency of mind waves. These states are alpha, beta, gamma and theta. Beta is the state in which we live and perform all our day-to-day activities. Alpha is the state just below Beta. This (alpha) state is often known as the state of Meditation. Gamma and Theta are the other states of mind in further depth.

Now what all these scientific Gadgets can do is to take us into the state of alpha. In the alpha state one become still, tranquil and calm. There is no tension, no stress. Your whole inner being becomes peaceful.

But please note that alpha state itself is not meditation. Alpha is the state of mind in meditation. Meditation is the awareness of our true self in alpha. You will be in meditation if you remain awaken and aware of the present moment in the alpha state of mind i.e. in the state of absolute calm. No Gadget or mechanical device can create 'awareness'. They can only create right

condition for us to realize what is 'true awareness'. (5) Meditation is NOT self-hypnosis In both Self-hypnosis and (in many techniques of ) meditation at least an initial period of concentration on an object is required. However in meditation, the meditator maintains an awareness of here-and-now and stay conscious of the meditative process which is not exactly the case in hypnosis. In hypnosis the person enters into a state of semi-conscious trance and become unaware of the moment which is not the case in meditation.

(6) Meditation is NOT thinking Rather it is the process of transcending the thought process. Our mind is a non-stop chatterbox that continues to create all sorts of good/ bad, relevant /irrelevant thoughts incessantly. In meditation we realize that we are not just our body and mind. There exists in us an awareness independent of all kinds of thoughts.

Knowing this awareness is what meditation is all about.

From a meditator's point of view Descartes "I think, therefore I am" is not true.

the saying of

A meditator will say - " I am, therefore I think" Lets summarize of all that we have learnt : MEDITATION IS NOT : Concentration Relaxation. A serious religious practice A state of mind. Self-hypnosis Thinking Now after knowing 'what is NOT meditation' let us proceed to know what is Meditation. What exactly is Meditation ?

OK ! What is Meditation ? I hope by now you know 'what is not meditation'. (If not read What is not meditation ) Let us see what is meditation. Meditation is a process to know who we really are. If I ask you, " Who are you?" what will you say ? You may say - Well I am 25, male, American , white, Roman catholic, Masters in Computer Science, doing a job in HP, planning to marry this year. Does the above answer describe you completely? Probably you would like to add this : OK I am 5'11'', strongly built, curly hair, clean shaved, love ice-cream and Coke, my hobbies include surfing the internet, gardening and watching movies .. Again I shall ask, " Does that describe you completely?"

Tell me If you were not born in America, of white parents and instead had born in an African village, of black parents, inherited a tribal religion and never got a chance to read or write, what would be your answer to the question:" Who are you" Think over it All the identities that we call ours - our name, our nationality, religion, education, physical appearance and thoughts - all of them are the sum total of circumstance under which we born and grow. You are a white American catholic, it's because of the family you are born in. If you are long/ short, thin/ thick, strong/weak, it's because of the genes you've inherited from your parents. If you have a masters degree from Harvard, it's because you get the opportunity (which is the sum total of your hard work and your luck) to study there.

Think it over. What if you had born of different parents, with a different name, a different nationality, religion, education, physical appearance and thoughts- in short under a different set of circumstances ? Well the attributes which we use to describe ourselves are just the result of being born in a particular set of circumstances. Had we gotten a different set of circumstance then we would be a different person. Well why I am discussing this? Just to tell you who you really are. The attributes which you use to describe yourself - like your name, nationality, religion, height, physical appearance- no matter how exactly they describe you with reference to your place in this world, they can not describe the real you. They can not describe the fundamental unchanged aspect of your being which remains intact in all circumstances.

No matter where you born in, no matter of which religion you follow, of which nationality you belong to or what is your educational or financial status, you have an identity which is independent of all these external attributes. The identity which is the fundamental core of your very existence in this world. Meditation is a mean to recognize that identity - yours true identity. What is this identity? Who you really are? In reality you are just consciousness. You are not body, you are not mind, you are not thoughts, you are just consciousness which feels and witness everything as you play your part in life. This consciousness by its very nature is peaceful, calm and rejuvenating. and Meditation is a process to know this consciousness within you. Now two question arises in mind... (1) How one can know this for sure that in actuality he/she

is the consciousness which feels and witness everything that his/her body and mind perform? (2) Secondly, even if someone believe that he/she is the consciousness, what is the big deal in that ? Can it help him/her in easing his/her complex and demanding daily life and what is the role of meditation in it? I will answer both questions.

An interesting experiment to understand the consciousness within

I told you in the previous page (What is Meditation), Meditation deals with contacting the 'consciousness' within us, which by its very nature is peaceful, calm and rejuvenating. In order to understand mediation, it is important to know this 'consciousness'. In the spiritual language, this consciousness is known as 'self' . From now onward I will refer this consciousness as 'Self' Here is a very interesting experiment to know the presence of this consciousness (self) in you. You can do this experiment right now. In the next 10 minutes you'll experience the presence of self in you. A practical test : Just choose a word , any word. It may be anything.

You can choose the name of a God or a saint or any ordinary name- Anything of your choice- Krishna, Ram, Jesus Christ, Allah, Aum, George Bush, John Karry, Saddam, Osama, America, love, hate anything!!! Your imagination is the limit. Have you chosen the word? OK now what you have to do is this: "you have to repeat this word exactly 40 times silently in your mind (with your eyes closed and without using any external means for counting) and no thought should come in your mind during repetition" You have to repeat exactly 40 times, no less no more. If during repetition, you forget counting, repeat it again. It is irrelevant whether you repeat it exactly 40 times in 1st attempt or in 2nd , 3rd or 4th attempt. Main thing is that you should repeat it exactly 40 times in your mind. Be careful: Counting should be in your mind . No external means (not even fingers of your hands) should be used for counting. Count silently with your eyes closed and don't allow any thoughts to come in your mind while counting,

Rest assured: This is NOT a test of your concentration. There is no right or wrong way of doing this. When you finish it, come back and I will ask you some questions. So stop reading further and do what has been instructed. Next Para is relevant only to those who'll try this test. Just do it now. ..... ...... ......

Have you done it ? OK . Welcome back !

.... So you have repeated a word exactly 40 times in your mind and no (or some) thought/s came in your mind during repetition. Right? Please choose among the following options the one that

suits you most: (1) I repeat the word exactly 40 times silently in my mind and during repetition no thought came in my mind. (2) I repeat the word exactly 40 times but some thought came in my mind during repetition. (3) I repeat the word exactly 40 times but could not do it in first attempt as some thoughts pop up in mind and I lost counting. So I restarted counting and finished in the 2nd, 3rd , ____th attempt (write your attempt) (4) In my 2nd, 3rd, .nth counting attempt, no thought came in my mind. (5) In my 2nd, 3rd, .nth counting attempt some thoughts came in my mind, but I did not forget counting and repeat exactly 40 times. (6) I could not repeat exactly 40 times in any of my attempts because every time I start repeating, thoughts kept coming in mind and I forget counting.

Have you chosen your option, the one which suits you. I hope you have chosen. Now irrespective of which option you have chosen, I ask you: How can you say so that the option you have selected suits you? How do you know? In the answer of this question, lies the presence of self in you. Just tell me : How can you say that the option you selected is suitable for you ? Suppose you have selected the option no. (1), i.e. you are the one who repeat the word silently exactly 40 times and no thought came in your mind during repetition. Just tell me how can you say so. How do you know that some thought came or didn't come? After all your mind was engaged in repeating a word exactly 40 times, then who was there in you watching the flow of thought , who was there watching your mind as it repeats the word ? Who is there who knows that some thought came or not came . It

must not be your body (as there is no participation of it in the test), it must not be your mind as it was busy repeating a word exactly 40 times. So what it is ? You may say - 'Well I was watching. I was aware, careful that no thought come in my mind. I was observing the flow of thoughts and I can say with confidence that while I was repeating the word, no/some thought/s came in my mind. Who was watching ? your body ? your mind ? or you ? If you were watching the flow of thought while your mind repeated a word, you should be different from your body and mind. Right ? Irrespective of what is the option among the above six that you have chosen, one thing is certain. There was someone in you who was carefully watching the whole repetition and who in the end gave you the report regarding your performance i.e. whether any thought came in your mind or not. This inner knower is self.

The one who makes you aware of the existence of any thought or image and of exactly what it is, is nothing but the self, the witness. inside and outside, no matter what happens, no matter what you do, the self sees everything. To know that knower i.e. self is true meditation. Have you got a taste of this self through the above test ? I hope you experienced its presence in you. Now let me tell you why this self, the so called third aspect of our existence is the central theme of meditation and is considered as the soul of meditation.

Self : The supreme consciousness

The whole universe is nothing but pure consciousness. Scientific researches have taken us up to the point where we can convincingly say that at the quantum level it is just the play of energy that is going on in the entire universe. (everything has a mass and thus can be converted into energy. Remember the famous Einstein equation E = MC2 )

However the spiritual world is of the view that in the ultimate analysis, in a more deeper level (something still beyond even the reach of quantum physics ) everything in the whole universe is pure consciousness (known also as supreme consciousness or God ). And it is just the play of this consciousness that is going on. The whole universe is a manifestation of this supreme consciousness. Everybody who is a part of this universe (which includes everything on our planet including you ) is made up of this supreme consciousness. Self, is nothing but a part of this supreme consciousness in its purest form. What is self? It is the pure awareness of "I am", the original "I' consciousness which has been within us ever since we come into this world. Even though that 'I' exist in the woman, it is not a woman, even though it exist in a man, it is not a man. That 'I' is without form, colour or any other attribute. We have superimposed different notions onto it- notions like "I am a man / woman/ an American/an Indian". But when we wipe them all away that "I" is nothing but pure consciousness.

Meditation is nothing but an systematic art of realizing this self.

Meditation : Knowing the Knower

In meditation, we come in contact with self, our true identity. By regular practice of meditation, slowly we start knowing this self in its various facets. We start recognizing ourselves distinctively from our body and mind.

Now many of you may ask : "OK, I now realized that I am separate from my body and mind. In reality I am consciousness which is part of some supreme consciousness. So what ? What's the big deal in it? Is this going to help me in someway in coping with my already stressed life? ." Here is the answer : The very process of realizing this self through meditation brings significant outcomes. To be centered in our self makes us calm, provides us an everlasting peace and gives us a never ending bliss. Moreover there comes a dramatic change in the way we perceive this world. A positive change in our perspective, a feeling of blissful calm and a unique joy comes through it. Moreover these positive outcomes do not depend upon any external circumstances since the bliss of the Self does not depend on any external factor. It is completely independent and arises, unconditionally, from within. In the course of any single day we are subjected to numerous sensory inputs and our mind is constantly

engaged in a never ending process of thinking. We read the newspaper, study books, write reports, engage in conversation & meetings, solve problems, etc and all these activities result in a constant mental commentary inside us. Seldom or never our mind gets any chance to be still and calm. However , sometimes as if by accident most of us attain a state of thought-free mind. If you have relaxed looking at a beautiful sunset, allowing your thoughts to quiet down, this is close to meditation. If you have been reading a book for awhile, then put it down to take a break and just sat there quietly and peacefully for a few minutes without thinking, this is also close to meditation. In these momentary incident when our mind is not reflexively engaged in any thought, when we are just present in the moment, we come close to this self or (to say in another words ) we get centered in our self. And this contact with self brings peace, bliss and joy. Though only for a moment, our mind becomes peaceful, calm and focused. Meditation is the systematic way to achieve the above mentioned accidental/occasional encounters with self in order to get its benefits on a permanent basis.

I hope by now, it should be clear to you what is meditation. Let me summarize all this by giving this simple definition of meditation.

"Meditation is a systematic way of making our mind quiet so that we can contact our true identity -self, which is the source of everlasting joy, bliss and peace." There are few other definitions of Meditation which I find very true. (relate these definitions with the concept of self) "Meditation is a state of choiceless awareness." "Meditation is a state of no mind." "Meditation is a state of once being when once true self is revealed to him/her"

"The state of awareness when mind cease to exist is meditation."

"Whenever you are relaxed, when your mind is quite and observant, when you are not reflexively engaged in any thought - you are meditating" "Meditation is not thinking about anything. It is not contemplation. It is not concentration. In fact, it is actually a process of thought removal."

I believe that now you know what is meditation.

Now let us see how meditation started

The beginning of Meditation

In order to understand meditation properly and to learn to meditate, it is important that we know how meditation started . Let us acquaint ourselves with the concept behind the origin of meditation. Ever since the advent of humanity on earth, there are some questions that have kept bothering men of every time and era. Like who created the universe? How life came on earth ? What is the purpose of life? Why do we

born and die? Is there any systematic plan behind all this or is it happening on its own ? The question 'who made this universe' has always raised curiosity among men of all times. If you don't now how to find a solution, the next best thing is to try to understand the problem from all angles. Often an honest effort to understand the problem itself can facilitate its solution. Therefore, a search on this line began in the world. To find the answer of the question 'who created this world?' people started finding some clues in the creation itself. In this endeavor of finding some clues about the mystery behind Universe, two approaches were adopted. Firstly, there were groups of people who started looking for clues in the outside world. They went on discovering laws of nature, finding its various phenomena, inventing wonderful gazettes, machinery and electronic devices etc. Their entire research on the external world gave rise to science. Their constant endeavor resulted in unfolding of mysteries behind nature's physical and biological laws. The development in science and technology around us that we see today is the result of the constant endeavor

of such people. This ongoing research to unleash the secrets of nature is still going on. But, apart from these seekers who tried to find the truth in the external perceivable world, there were another seekers who thought in a different direction. These people were of the opinion that if some creator has created this world, then the same creator must have also created them. So, in a way, they should also be a part of this creation. So instead of going deeper into the depth of outside world why not go within themselves and look for some clues, some hints there ? So they started experimenting on themselves and got involved in inventing various methods for going within. This endeavor of going within gave rise to meditation and later to religion. ( Now that's a different thing that today religion has become more dominant and meditation which gave rise to all religion- has become a small part of it.) In ancient times, people used to believe that everything in this world was made up of five elements - earth, water, air, fire and space. Then scientific advancement began and as more and more discoveries came into light, it was

found that the whole universe was made up of 108 elements. However, after going into the inner intricacies of these 108 elements, it was found that all elements were same and were made up of atoms. The difference in elements is because of the arrangements of atom in them. On further research, it was found that even atom was not the basic unit of everything. It was rather electron which was the building block of everything. However the discovery of electron gave rise to a difficulty. Electron, though considered as the smallest unit of particle, does not fully exhibit the nature of a particle. It is neither stable nor unstable. It is moving as well as not moving. Sometimes, it acts like a wave and sometimes it behaves like a particle. It was very difficult for scientists to exactly define the nature of the electron. Therefore, a new term was coined - "Quantum" -dual , the one having properties of wave & particle simultaneously. But as more and more researches on electron are being done, it appears that at a very subtle level, electron is nothing but an infinitesimal energy particle. It is the energy which transforms itself into electron and subsequently into matter. The famous equation of Albert

Einstein, E = MC2 also reinforce the fact that all matter and energy are interchangeable into one another.

Let me come again to those people who adopted the second approach of going within, They started researching on their body. They moved their attention inwards and started developing techniques of penetrating deeper into their inner existential identity. These efforts gave rise to meditation. All the meditation techniques and yogic exercise are result of this endeavor taken by millions of those avid curious people who dared to go within. In their meditative state, these people realized about this energy field of consciousness which pervades the whole cosmos. In the deeper state of meditation one realized about the omnipresent element of all- the self. In reality what is present everywhere is not energy but pure supreme consciousness which pervades the whole universe. Sooner or later science will also agree ( by going into the depths of energy) that everything in this creation is nothing but pure consciousness. This pure and supreme consciousness is everywhere and when someone says that

God is everywhere, inside you outside you, they are pointing towards the self. In the deeper state of meditations anybody can feel this supreme consciousness.

Now let us see whether you can meditate or not.

Anybody can meditate !

Well if someone asks you, "Can you mediate?" Your answer should be an emphatic yes. Because if you have understand clearly what is meditation, then you can meditate. Anyone can meditate, anytime, anywhere ! "Meditation is a systematic way of making our mind quiet so that we can contact our true identity -self, which is the source of everlasting joy, bliss and peace." There two things that are certain:

(a) You have a mind by which you are grasping the meaning of what is written & (b) You know how to read or listen. That's all you require to meditate. No matter who you are, where you live or what you do - you also are the part of same consciousness that dwells in everybody. The same supreme self reside in you as it reside in others.

You can meditate : easily and quickly.

Remember you don't have to find your true self. It is already present in you. Through meditation you have to just realize that it exist. And realizing that is not at all difficult. Just read this book and follow the instructions honestly and you will be on your way to be a skilled meditator. You will be able to meditate anywhere, anytime !

Let us start by knowing benefits of meditation

Benefits of Meditation
Meditation, if done on a regular basis, can do wonders for you. Here are some basic benefits which you will draw by regular meditation . (1) Meditation makes us aware of the fact that we are intelligent. Something more on it:-

Here are some famous quotes of Albert Einstein. Here he has talked about those special people who use their intelligence instead of submitting to prejudices of their social environments. "Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions." "Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre minds. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence." "Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts." Now just think for a moment: When does a man see with his own eye and feel with his own hearts.

And when does a man do not submit himself to the hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence? Its only when he recognize that his true identity is free from any kind of prejudice or bias. When he realize the presence of the same consciousness of self in everybody. It's only after realization of self, that we find the presence of one divinity in everybody. Meditation will brings the above mentioned qualities in you. All kind of prejudices, vanity, hatred, jealousy and pre-conceived notions have their origins in mind. But when in meditation, we transcend the mind and contact this higher entity 'self' we realize the calm and serenity of a focused and peaceful mind. When you meditate, you recognize that being 'more knowledgeable' and being 'intelligent' are two different thing. Once the feeling of an all pervading self comes in you, You will start seeing with your own eyes and feel with your own hearts instead of allowing others to make opinions and decision for you.. (2) The foundation of self awareness that meditation

provides is useful in many areas. It shows us how to focus on the present moment and stop worrying about future or past. It teaches us how to be in control of mind and emotions instead of the other way around. (3) It develops insight into the unconscious causal connections between thoughts, attitudes, perceptions, feelings, body states, and behaviors. When you meditate, slowly you start recognizing even the most subtle fluctuations of your emotions and thoughts. This results in a better understanding and control of mind and body. (4) Your attitude towards life will change. You will learn how to be more appreciative for good deeds of others. You will start enjoying little moments happiness that life provides us everyday. (5) You will be able to see the larger picture of things instead of small day to day problems. (6) Meditation helps us accept the things as they are not as we desire them to be. We become content with what we have. The negative feelings of jealousy, hatred, greed, anger, frustration, anxiety and failures start disappearing

from our personality. (7) You will be more understanding towards others. (8) You will start ignoring petty issues that consumed much of your energy. (9) Shall I get Enlightenment ?: I don't promise you an enlightenment ('Moksha' or the state of Nirvana). Enlightenment or the state of no-desire (Nirvana) is often considered as the ultimate and eventual outcome of Meditation. A really interested & dedicated person who is ready to delve into to deepest nuance of subject may reach the state of 'no desires' . But for common people like us it is neither necessary nor desirable to expect such a highest state of being. Theoretically, Moksha or the state when all kind of materialistic desires cease and one attains liberation from bond of death and birth, can be attained by anybody. However, most of us are so much entangled in our day-to-day existential life that the possibility of any of us desiring a 'desire-less state ' is remote. Moreover the very process of wanting anything ( including Moksha) implies that there is a desire in us for this !

Forget about enlightenment. Just meditate. All benefits will follow on their own. (10) Your inner ability to solve complex problems will increase. (11) It is a healthy way to handle stress. Meditation lowers hypertension and high blood pressure while slowing heart rate and quickening recovery time. 12.) Meditation increases concentration, self-esteem, spontaneity, creativity, and depth of awareness.

Well there are many more things that I can say on benefits of meditation. However, as the wisdom says that it is always better to 'know and feel' than to 'listen and read'. Meditate and see for yourself whether it is worth a try or not. Having learnt the benefits of meditation, let us learn why many people can't meditate despite trying it seriously.

Reasons for Failure in Meditation

People want to meditate and they really give it a try. However. a majority of them find it quite difficult to meditate. We often find people who complain of trying many meditation techniques with no results. Nothing seems to work for them. In fact there is a huge majority of individuals who are unable to meditate despite trying a number of valid and effective techniques. After closely observing the life style, daily routine, beliefs, perceptions and understanding of meditation of many such people, I have found following main reasons for people's failure in meditation: (1) Ignorance About Real Meaning of Meditation People don't know exactly what meditation is. Neither they have any knowledge or understanding of 'Self' -the main core of meditation. Most of them view meditation as just another form of alternative therapy/ life style. (I hope that, by now, at least you have a clear knowledge

of meditation. However if you have come directly on this page then please read what is meditation. ) (2) Lack of Patience Many people keep changing meditation techniques without trying them for a sufficient period of time. Often they get dissatisfied with one meditation technique very soon and switched to another one. In short, they expect quick results and lack patience. Please keep in mind that every new thing takes time. Meditation is a kind of catharsis. It is a deep cleansing process. Our real identity - self is covered under the dust of thoughts, dreams, illusions and emotions of thousands of years spanning uncountable past lives. The removal of this dust and the revelation of our true self will take time. Patience is extremely important in meditation. Do not change meditation techniques too frequently. As I have already described that the central theme in all meditation techniques is to know the self- the eternal witness in us. Different meditation techniques have been developed for different people based on their past lives, present circumstances and intrinsic nature . For some people a

majority of all meditation techniques are suitable whereas for some only a few techniques will work. IT will take sometime to find which meditation technique is best for you (3) Expecting Too Much: People expect too much from meditation. They expect a huge positive development in their life owing to meditation. For them meditation is also like a work or investment whose fruit should come in a time bound manner. Please don't consider meditation as a portfolio investment. It is not a materialistic mode of profit/loss. Meditation, by itself, is a gift. Do not stick any expectation to it. Once you start meditating , in all likelihood, you will like to meditate again and again for the sheer bliss and peace it'll bring in your life. However, only those can experience this bliss and peace who do not expect too much from meditation. Meditation is a way to know your real self. Let meditation be just that. Don't make it a way to achieve super human qualities.

(4) A Very Busy Life : Most people do not take sincere efforts for meditating. A majority of those people who meditate: > do not meditate regularly > have a very busy daily schedule and often miss meditation. > even when find sometime to meditate, are so tired and tense owing to their extremely busy and demanding life that can't meditate properly.

Friend you must realize that life in 21st century in not a relaxed age by any standard. On any particular day, we are required to deal with so many things that the tension and stress of doing all those things really break us. Our nervous system is called upon to work overtime because of the endless stimuli coming at us relentlessly from every direction. Making the matter worse are tensions of urban life such as street noise, traffic jams, radio, more than 100 TV Channels running 24 hours a day, telephones, mobile ,

DVDs, work deadlines, demands on every minutes, constant distraction and of course stiff competition. All this adds up to total exhaustion of body and mind. In such a situation, unless we do something to create a suitable environment in our life for meditation, it will be very difficult for us to meditate and draw some actual benefits from it. Though Meditation can be done by anybody, anywhere, here is the ideal condition for meditation: A healthy, completely relaxed and energetic body eager to meditate regularly. Though it seems difficult to have such an ideal body for meditation in the present era of tension, stress, nervousness and hectic schedules; with the able help of three yogic aids of deep breathing, deep relaxation and deep contraction we can easily make this ideal condition a reality of our life. By adopting three good habits of deep breathing, deep relaxation and deep contraction in our life we can have

the strongest foundation of indomitable health and a overflowing abundance of physical and mental energy at our disposal. No matter how busy and demanding our life is, with the help of these three aids, we can not only manage our life easily but also ensure a steady spiritual growth through regular meditation session. In the next chapter I am going to tell you in detail about these wonderful yogic aids in meditation.

Three Yogic aids in Meditation

Let me introduce you to 3 wonderful yogic (related to yoga, the ancient self-discipline art of India) aids in meditation. These 3 aids will immensely help in learning meditation easily and quickly. These aids are - Deep breathing, Deep relaxation and Deep contraction. Before describing them in detail , I want to answer this question : "Are these so called three aids of meditation are really significant and pre-requisite for learning meditation?" The answer is yes and no. Yes ! they are significant for learning meditation. And no ! because they are not a pre-requisite for meditation People can learn meditation even without using any of the three aids with very good result. Rather most people try to meditate without the help of these 3 aids (though many of them loose interest also on seeing no apparent results.) You can also meditate easily without taking help

of these 3 aids. However in my opinion these three aids are really significant for learning meditation in the present life of chaos and anarchy. Here is why these three aids viz. Deep breathing, deep relaxation and deep contraction are highly recommended for learning meditation . Most of us have no time. Life is so busy, so complex and demanding ! At the end of the day we become physically and mentally exhausted . There is no energy or enthusiasm left for meditation. Even if we meditate somehow it does not produce any desired results as with our weary and tired bodies it becomes impossible to try any meditation technique wholeheartedly.

So is there anyway of making life somewhat more relaxed, more simple and less demanding ? Life is busy, Complex and demanding. off...!!! Mental and physical exhaustion ..ouch..!!!

Inability to meditate properlydud.!!! Any solution ?? Yes ! a very simple solution

Do something which results in less mental and physical exhaustion. Something which make life: relaxed (not busy), Simple (not Complex); and less demanding (not Demanding) Well meditation can make your life relaxed, simple and less demanding. But here is the catch For meditation - your life should be relaxed, simple and less demanding.

And it will be relaxed, simple and less demanding when you meditate.....phew ! What to do.. Is there any way!!!???? We can't change our home or workplace. No one can fled away from domestic responsibility. We can't quit/ shift our job. We will continue to face on daily basis the problems on domestic as well as work front. So this can not be an alternative. There is this everlasting solution. Adopt the practice of Deep Breathing, Deep Relaxation and Deep Contraction in your daily life. Consider this : (1) What about if you got three times more energy per day than the present amount. Suppose you do 'Z' work with 'X' energy at present. Imagine doing 'Z' work with 3'X' energy !! (2) What about if you get the benefits of 5 additional hours of sleep. Continue to sleep for 7-8 hours daily but

get the refreshment of 12-13 hour sleep!!!! (3) What about if your body remain vibrant, fit and flexible throughout the day instead of its present state of rigid, stale and dull. !

Sounds incredible ? However, when you really give a try to Deep breathing, deep relaxation and deep contraction, you will verify the truth of above statements. These three aids are the practical essence of yoga- the ancient art of far east, the most potent of all self improvement disciplines developed and perfected over centuries by sages and wise men of India. These three aids are self sufficient in themselves. Each one of them is so powerful that a separate website can be built around each. Though these aids are more to do with maintaining a good health than learning meditation, their miraculous effects on body and their striking similarities with many meditation techniques make them 'highly recommended' aids for meditation. Many meditation techniques like Vipassana, pause breath and death meditation have their basis in these techniques.

The regular practice of Deep breathing, deep relaxation and deep contraction will bring dramatic, almost miraculous, changes in you and these three aids are extremely simple to adopt. Your life will become relaxed, simple and less demanding . I have explained in detail each of these three aids. I have no hesitation in claiming that by the active use of these 3 yogic aids , you will be able to make your life much relaxed and comfortable. You will remain full of energy throughout the day which simply means that you will be able to meditate willingly and easily. Your body and mind will help you in meditation instead of the other way around. Click below and learn these three wonderful aids in meditation. My advise is that you proceed one-by-one starting from Deep Breathing. Deep Breathing To put it simply, Deep breathing means - Adopting a habit of breathing deeply.

From your nostril not from your mouth. That's it ! Normally most people ( i.e. almost 95 % of all of us) who are leading a sedentary life style and working on jobs that requires 'using their heads' all day long, the outcome of a busy, complex and demanding life is somewhat like this: No energy in the end of the day, mental sluggishness, dilapidated bodies, greater susceptibility to germ and infections, wear-and-tear of the entire body, more work for the heart, irregular blood pressure, tensions in body and nerves etc. Remember this important fact:

To function properly, our brain needs three times more oxygen than the rest of our organs; and unless this is provided it will try to appropriate its supply by drawing on the over-all allotment !

This explains why so many city people, working at sedentary jobs, doing mental work all day long, tend to become dilapidated and have greater susceptibility to germ and infections than persons who lead active outdoor lives. Sedentary individuals are permanently oxygen-starved. Yet this situation can be avoided at will. Breathing is an activity which is indispensable for our existence. Nobody can live without breathing as the oxygen is the life blood of all organisms on earth. However, most of us breath in a shallow manner. The inhalation and exhalation of air in and out of body occurs on a very superficial level in most of us. People just dont care to inhale deeply since they don't find any compulsive urge to do so. Though not breathing deeply does not harm us directly, it has its own long term negative effects on our body. What happen when we do not adopt correct breathing: As the average person reaches middle age, lung tissues

tend to grow less and less elastic. Years of improper breathing take their toll. The chest itself has a tendency to grow rigid The consequences is an accumulation of uric acid in the blood stream which often leads to those vague syndromes of pain and discomfort that doctors in general diagnose with a shrug as the miseries of aging, which they can cheerfully advise you to learn to live with since nothing can be done about them. Backaches, headaches, stiffening muscles and joints, neuritis, rheumatism are some of the more common of these complaints. Excess fat is another, for as we begin to grow old and proper circulation is impeded by a sluggish diaphragm or hardening arteries, the red blood corpuscles become distributed unevenly and fat accumulates in spots instead of being burned up. However, all of these complaints may be avoided, or at least considerably retarded, if only we learn to breath scientifically. Deep breathing (along with Deep Contraction) also has a direct salutary effect on Obesity, Since the cleansing, stimulating action of deep breathing improves metabolism and that, in turn, transforms deposits of fat into body fuel, or added energy.

Just incorporate a habit of deep breathing in your busy, complex and demanding life and all the above negative outcomes of it will vanish like a magic !

Air is everything
Air is nourishment to our bodies just as much as food and drink. Air gives our blood the supply of oxygen it must have in order to feed itself so that it may, in turn, feed the tissues, nerves, glands and vital organs. Without it our skin, bones, teeth and hair could not remain in condition. Our digestion-the process of utilizing the food we eat-fails at once without a proper supply of oxygen to the blood. Even our thinking processes are slowed down without intake and exhalation of fresh air-which is the reason mental sluggishness overtakes us in an illventilated room In a single day we breath about 23,000 times. The average volumes of air taken in with a single breath is about 20 cubic inches, depending on a person's size, sex, posture, the nature of the surrounding atmosphere and one's physical and emotional state. However, with proper

attention given to the breathing, this volume may be increased to 100 or even 130 cubic inches per breath. In other words, Careful reorientation of your breathing habits can provide you with 5 times the oxygen and rid you of five times the carbon dioxide, with which you habitually function. Soon I shall describe how you can perform such a careful orientation of your breathing habits and start breathing deeply in an unconscious manner. But before that I want to give a simple explanation of our breathing mechanism.

Here is a simple explanation of our Breathing Mechanism When you breathe properly (that is with the mouth closed so that the air is inhaled through nasal passages) oxygen travels down the pharynx (rear of the throat), the larynx (roughly in the area of Adam's apple), and the

trachea or windpipe until it reaches the bronchial tubes. By then most of the dust and bacteria have been filtered out by the mucous membranes, or the moist lining of the nose. Mucous, by the way, in addition to acting as a filter substances, also has certain germicidal propertiesanother reason why it is so important to cultivate the habit of breathing though the nose. A third reason is that while traveling this somewhat longer road the air is warmed to proper body temperature, which means extra insurance against catching colds. After having thus filtered and warmed, the supply of air moves on from the bronchiae into the lungs. Here it enters millions of cells-600,000,000 of them to be exact, if you can visualize such an astronomic figure-each of which is a tiny air sac. Surrounding these is a network of equally tiny blood vessels or capillaries. The blood absorbs the fresh oxygen directly through the cell walls at the same time as it rids itself of the carbon dioxide from the last trip. Next the freshly oxygenated blood travels to the heart. The heart pumps it via arteries and blood vessels to every part of the body, where in turn it seeps into every tissue

and bone cell. In this manner 800 quarts of blood pass through the heart and lungs every hour. Small wonder, then that the condition of your heart so closely governs you life expectancy ! By now it should be amply clear why both a proper technique of breathing and the quality of the air we take in are of such vital importance to our general health. The practice of deep breathing produces immediate beneficial results. The person begins to experience lightness of body, an absence of restlessness, better digestion due to an increase in the flow of the gastric juices, clearing and smoothing of the skin. The physiological benefits I have already explained-now let the person discover for himself how quickly these will come to him once he establishes a daily routine of exercises. As for the spiritual well-being that will follow the inner lightness, the serenity- it matters little whether you attribute them to oxygen burning out the wastes and poison in your gray matter or to more subtle influences, the important thing is that it is all yours to enjoy at will. From about fifteen breath a minute-or 21,600 each 24

hour-you will have reduced your tempo by possibly three breath a minute, which is twenty percent, or 4,320 per day. Such a slowing-down means a corresponding easing of the wear-and-tear on the entire body-less work for the heart, lower blood pressure, a relaxation of body tensions, and a quieter nerves-in short, still another way to lengthen the years of your life and make them enjoyable !

The main problem with most of us is to learn how to keep breathing deeply continuously. We are so much accustomed to normal shallow breathing that it seems very difficult to adopt a habit of deep breathing. Since we start taking breath from the moment we come into this world, breathing has become an old habit. And if we are taking shallow breath (which in all likelihood we do), it is really difficult to alter this habit of shallow breathing and replace it with a new habit of deep breathing. However, it is not impossible and can be done. All that you need to make deep breathing a habit is a persistence effort. Now I shall describe two very effective and easy methods for learning deep breathing . By using these simple exercises of breathing and awareness, which can

be done anywhere, you can instantly learn how to breath deeply without a conscious effort. Just from the very first attempt, you'll start breathing deeply)

Two extremely easy methods to automate the deep breathing unconsciously.

There are many benefits of Deep breathing. However, very few of us are able to draw these wonderful benefits for the simple reason that most of us breathe in a staccato jerks, shallow and aimless manner. We have become so used of this shallow breathing that it seems very natural to breath in this aimless way. Since barring a rare few among us, almost everybody of us breathe in this shallow manner, it is difficult to believe that we can easily adopt a continuous, unconscious habit of deep breathing very easily. Whenever we give attention to our breathing and make some conscious effort to lengthen it, we easily start breathing deeply. However, as soon as our mind wanders in some other mental activity ( i.e. as soon as we become

unconscious of the breathing process which happens almost always), we return to the 'shallow breathing mode'. This is the main problem among those who want to make deep breathing a part of their life. Let us discuss this problem and then its remedy: The problem: " We have an habit of shallow breathing. As a result of which we are not able to inhale enough oxygen and exhale enough Carbon Dioxide from body. This resulted into a situation known as 'permanent oxygen starvation' resulting in 'permanent lack of energy' " This problem is very old and has been rooted very deeply in our unconscious mind. Since we spend most of our time totally oblivious of the breathing process (which goes on its own just like other vital activities of body such as pumping of blood by heart, the digestion and other internal metabolism etc ) it is difficult to change this unconscious process of shallow breathing. However, it is not impossible and can be done easily if we make some sincere effort for it.

The Solution:

Two extremely easy method to automate the deep breathing unconsciously.

Here I will tell you how you can learn to assimilate on a permanent basis the habit of deep breathing so that you can breath deeply even in the unconscious state. There are two methods by which you can learn deep breathing : The first is Pause Breath Method and the other is Pavlov Method (1) The Pause Breath Method : This is a super powerful and extremely easy technique for start learning deep breathing - continuously and unconsciously ! This method is not only an extremely useful way of learning deep breathing, it is also an excellent meditation technique by itself By using this technique, you can start breathing deeply right now ! (2) The Pavlov Method : I call this method 'Pavlov Method' after the name of Great Russian Scientist Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936). Pavlov introduced to the world the concept

of 'conditioned reflexes' . We will take the help of these 'conditioned reflexes' to make an unconscious habit of deep breathing. Both the above two methods are equally effective and useful in learning Deep breathing. We shall learn them one by one.

Pause breath method: A powerful and easy technique for automating the deep breathing. Let us learn a highly effective technique for automating the deep breathing. This method is known as 'The pause breath' method. Besides being a wonderful technique for learning and automating deep breathing , this pause breath method' is also a powerful meditation technique. You can easily meditate using this technique whenever and wherever you want. Let us learn this technique:

The Pause Breath Method

The whole method can be summarized in the following

two sentences: " Focus your attention on the two pauses that occur while breathing. First - between inhalation and exhalation and then - between exhalation and inhalation. Just by doing this you will start taking deep breath automatically and unconsciously." Explanation: In order to understand what is the meaning of focusing our attention on the two pauses that occur between inhalation and exhalation and then between exhalation and inhalation, let us have a close look at our breathing process itself. whenever we take breath - we inhale air and exhale air. During inhalation, we inhale the air through our nostril and it (the air) goes inside our body via our nasal passage. And on reaching a certain depth in our body, it comes out as exhalation through the same nasal passage. After exhalation, the air again goes inside for inhalation. then comes out for exhalation....then again goes inside for

inhalation....then comes out for exhalation....and this process keeps repeating itself. . During these two continuous process of inhalation and exhalation, the air stops for a tiny moment. When we inhale air, it comes inside and travels a certain distance inside the body. Then at a particular point, somewhere inside the body, it stops for a fraction of second and return for exhalation. For an infinitesimally small moment it stops and then returns for exhalation. See for yourself. Stop reading further and observe your own breath. As you breath, the air goes inside during inhalation and at a certain point, it takes a pause i.e. it stops for a small fraction of second and then returns for exhalation. The logic is simple - if something is going inside you ( the air in this case) then it can only come outside when it stops at a point and change its direction. A good analogy is to imagine a running Car which wants to take U turn. When it'll reach at the U turn, it will stop and then take the U turn. similarly, when the air reaches inside the body, it stops somewhere for a moment and then turn back for exhalation. The moment when air stops

for a very small duration inside our body and then turn back for exhalation is the first pause. This is the pause when inhalation stops and the process of exhalation is yet to start. Notice this pause. Similarly when we exhale air, it passes through our nostril and moves outside our body. Then at a particular point it stops for a short moment and then returns for inhalation. The moment when air stops for a very small duration outside our body and then turn back for inhalation is the second pause. This is the pause when exhalation stops and the process of inhalation is yet to begin. Just notice the pause. Observe your breathing now and notice this second pause. Let me repeat briefly: : Whenever we inhale air, it goes inside our body and at a certain point it stops for a moment. There is a pause. At this pause the process of inhalation stops but the exhalation is yet to begin. It is an infinitesimally small but a definite pause. Similarly when we exhale air, it goes outside our body and at a certain point it stops. Again there is a pause. At this pause the exhalation stops but the

inhalation is yet to begin. It is also an infinitesimally short but a definite pause. For making your breathing deeper you have to focus your attention on these two pauses : the first that occur just after the inhalation (and just before the start of exhalation) and the second pause that occur just after the exhalation (and just before the start of inhalation). Please remember that you are not required to focus your attention on any particular points inside or outside your body where these two pauses occur. The exact physical location where these pauses occur does not matter. It is not necessary. Just keep in mind that the main thing is not the location of pause but the pause itself. The fact is that while inhalation or exhalation, your breath pause for a moment before shifting from inhalation to exhalation or vice-versa. You have to aware yourself of that pause. Your aim should be to be aware of these two pauses. That's all ! . Now as you read this, you can do this right now. No matter where you are, or who you are, one thing is certain. You are breathing right now ! So you can try it

right now. Just observe your breath. The air is going inside and coming outside. Look for those two pause. Notice the air as it goes inside your body. Be aware of path it take inside your body. Notice how it stops somewhere in your body ( though for a very small short lived moment) Notice the pause which occurs when the inhalation stops and the exhalation is yet to begin. Just be aware of that pause. With a little observation, you can easily recognize these two pause. Similarly when the air goes outside, observe it carefully. Observe as the air moves outside your body and stops at a particular point before returning. Observe this external pause which occur when the exhalation stops and the inhalation is yet to begin. With a little attention you can easily recognize this external pause. What will happen when you focus your attention on this two pause ? Friend, as you focus your attention on these two pauses during breathing, soon you'll notice that your breathing has started becoming deeper and deeper. You will be astonished to experience the effect of this miraculous method yourself. Do this for five minutes right now. Close

your eyes. Sit comfortably and observe your breathing. Notice those two pause.

Don't try to control your breathing.

If it slow let it be. If it is moderate or fast, let it be. Just focus your attention on the two pause that occurs : first - between inhalation and exhalation and then between exhalation and inhalation. Do it for 5 minutes now. You will be surprised to see that just by focusing your attention on these two pause, your breathing is becoming deeper and deeper. You will instantly start breathing deeply just by being aware of these twp pauses. Initially start focusing on these breathing pauses twice a day for 15 minutes each. Morning and evening are best time for this. These two 15 minutes session of pause breathing will prove very beneficial for you. In order to

avoid distraction, try to perform these pause breathing session in a peaceful, lonely place if possible . As you perform this method of focusing your attention on pauses, you will find that even when you stop focusing your attention on pause ( that is after a 15 minute session), your breathing is still deeper and relaxed. It is the most wonderful effect of this method. It leaves a sort of cascading long lasting effect. A tiny 15 minute session of pause breath will make your breathing deeper and relaxed for more than one hour ! Slowly-slowly as you practise this 'pause breath' method, your ability to take deep breath will increase on its own. By using this simple technique of pause breathing with perseverance, you will soon develop an unconscious habit of deep breathing that will go on automatically. Give a try to this method...This is the easiest and most effective method of learning deep breathing. Also Read : Soham : The mantra that repeats itself (The use of 'pause breath' method as a meditation technique.)

Next : The another method of adopting an unconscious

habit of deep breathing.

Learn Deep Breathing through Pavlov method

The Pavlov Method of Deep Breathing : This method of deep breathing is based on the technique used by Great Russian Scientist Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) while introducing the concept of 'conditioned reflexes' .We will take the help of these 'conditioned reflexes' to make an

unconscious habit of deep breathing. First of all, let us see what are these 'Condition reflexes' There are many actions (process) in our body which are not in our control. They happen on their own. Like beating of heart, digestion, circulation of blood etc. Breathing is also a process which is beyond our control. 'Conditioned reflexes' are the tools with the help of which we can control some of these seemingly uncontrolled process. Let us understand these 'conditioned reflexes' in some more detail. Pavlov did an interesting experiment on dogs. He noted that whenever he gave food to dogs, they started salivating( the secretion of salivary glands in mouth in the anticipation of food) and their digestion process started. He noted that whenever dogs saw that food is coming, the salivation started in their mouth. Pavlov wanted to know whether this process of salivation and digestion in dogs can be influenced by any external factor (stimuli).

So he did a little experiment. He started ringing a bell while giving food to dogs. Whenever, he gave food to dogs, he rang a bell. He repeated this process regularly for sometime. Slowly dogs become accustomed to this habit. Whenever they heard the sound of bell, they took it as the sign of food coming. One day, at the time of food, Pavlov rang the bell. The dogs became attentive in anticipation of food. However, Pavlov didn't gave them food. He just rang the bell. However, he noted that dogs still started salivating and their digestion process started even in the absence of food. Now salivation is a process which is not in our control. It happens on its own whenever we saw or eat food. However, in this experiment, the sound of bell started the salivation process in dogs. What actually had happened was that the brains of dogs began to associate the two incident of 'ringing a bell' and 'serving of food' together. Since they are occurring simultaneously, the brain of dogs took the mere sound of bell as the indication for food even when no food was served.

This process in which the brain began to associate the ringing of bell with food is known as conditioning. We will use this conditioning to make a habit of deep breathing. Using 'Conditioned Reflexes' for Deep Breathing There are many physical and mental activities which we perform almost daily. Like walking, eating, drinking, bathing, driving, cleaning our teeth, driving, reading newspapers & books, surfing the net, playing an indoor or outdoor game etc . The list is endless. The main thing is that we perform these activities almost daily. Right ? We will use these activities as external stimuli to train our nervous system (mind) to automate the process of deep breathing. Let us take 'Walking'. Everyday we walk. We walk for different purposes in different places. We walk in a park in the morning, we walk to the market, we walk in our house, to the bus stand, to our boss's room, to attend a

meeting or prayer, to meet someone somewhere and in many many other circumstances of life. We may use this walking activity to learn deep breathing. Whenever we walk, it is for a purpose. We walk in the Garden early morning basically for the purpose of good health. We walk to the market for the purpose of buying something. We walk to bus stand or Railway Station for the purpose of reaching somewhere. We walk in our home for many purpose. We walk to our boss's room for some official purpose, we walk to meet someone, somewhere for a purpose. We walk into the bathroom for the purpose of bath. In short almost always whenever we walk it is for a small or big purpose. Agree ? So what you have to do is to choose any purposeful walk. Just one. It may be the walk in the morning, or walk in the office, walk to the bus stop or any other purposeful walk. Now, whenever you walk for that particular purpose, breath deeply. I mean whenever you walk for that purpose , give proper attention to your breathing and be aware of the inhalation and exhalation process. While walking for that specific purpose, try to breath as deeply as you can.

The important thing is that breath deeply only (and always) when you walk for that particular purpose. For all other occasions of walking (and for other physical and mental activities) forget about this deep breathing and take breath in the way you normally do. However, whenever you walk for that particular purpose, breath deeply. Understand it with an example. Suppose you choose to breath deeply while walking to the bus stop for the purpose of catching the bus. Now whenever, you walk to the bus stop, breath deeply while walking. Give proper attention to your breathing while you walk and breath as deeply as you can. After catching the bus, restore the normal breathing and forget about this deep breathing. Repeat this process daily. Initially, it will be difficult. Often you'll forget about deep breathing. However, please remember that you are not required to breath deeply throughout the day. Only when you walk to the Bus-Stop for catching the bus, you have to take deep breathing. It's not that difficult. Is it ? All of us can do it easily. It is true that initially you'll have to make conscious efforts for breathing deeply while walking to the bus stop, but soon

your mind will be conditioned for this automatically. Just as in Pavlov's experiments the dogs started salivating on hearing the bell, in the same way soon you will start breathing deeply automatically as you walk to the busstop. Please don't think that I am comparing you with dogs (if some of you are thinking that way) I am just trying to tell that this Pavlov experiment can be very very useful for us in controlling the unconscious process of deep breathing.

The automatic arrival of Conditioned reflex

Do you know what you will be doing while you choose to take deep breath while walking for the purpose of catching a bus? You unconsciously train your mind to start associating the 'process of deep breathing' with 'walking to the bus stop'. Slowly the simultaneous process of 'walking to catch a bus' and 'deep breathing' will become automatic. You'll see that even when you forget to breath deeply while walking to bus stop, your mind reminds you automatically to breath deeply. In other words a 'conditioned reflex, will be created in the form of that

'purposeful walk to the bus stop. Whenever you take a walk to catch a bus, you'll start breathing deeply on your own. Now this is just one example involving a very small portion of your daily activities. Once you perfect this small deep breathing lesson, you can apply it in your other regular activities also. For example you can choose another purposeful walk. Let's say - choose the walk in the morning or 'an after meal walk' in the evening. Whenever you go for this walk, breath deeply and slowly an association will be created between this walk and deep breathing. You can try other activities also. For example you can choose eating. Whenever you eat anything, breath deeply. Give attention to your inhalation and exhalation process while eating. Slowly an association will be formed between the process of 'eating' and 'deep breathing' and you'll start breathing deeply as soon as you start eating anything. Apply this experiment of association on other activities of your daily routines. After a practice of two -three months, you will be able to create many association between deep breathing and your daily activities which in turn will add up to yours taking 3-4 hour of deep breathing daily. Taking such a good amount

of pure oxygen than the amount you would take normally ( i.e. without breathing deeply) will give you an unbelievable jest and energy. Not only your internal metabolism will improve but your overall physical and mental efficiency will improve greatly. This means less wear and tear of body, less exhaustion, less weakness and more vitality along with an enhanced capacity to work more. Of all the yogic arts, deep breathing is the simplest and most efficient. It can be done anywhere, anytime with no restriction. Friends, having learnt about 'Deep Breathing' the first yogic aid in meditation, let us learn about the second powerful aid in meditation: Deep Relaxation

Deep Relaxation (Yog Nidra) : Learn to relax yourself completely at will !

Most of us have forgotten the art of relaxation Consider this :

Nomadic peoples all over Asia, journeying night and day, reach an oasis or camping place and at once throw themselves on the ground and lie there limp, apparently

lifeless from head to foot. One hour of this rest refreshes them with as much new vitality and energy as a night's sleep for the average person. These wanderers are able to undertake surprisingly long journeys with very little rest. These people have not yet forgotten the art of relaxation, the ability to completely rest at will. This art has been practiced by yogis since ancient times. They began their experimentation on this state by watching animals in deep relaxation during sleep, and especially during hibernation. Do you want to learn this art of deep relaxation ? Let me tell you an ancient yogic method of deep relaxation (also known as Yog Nidra means the yogic sleep ) It is strongly recommended for anybody who wants to learn meditation and is leading a very busy and demanding life to learn the art of deep relaxation. Since we all get exhausted (both physically and mentally) by the end of the day, it is very necessary for us to learn this art of deep relaxation. so that we an meditate with full vigor and enthusiasm.

Since we all get very tired and enervated in our daily routine, I am telling you a deep relaxation technique which is also a very powerful meditation. This technique serve the dual purpose of relaxation and meditation simultaneously. This is not only a very simple technique but also a very effective way to completely rest our body and mind.

Most of us spend our day in rush hour. The minute we wake up till the minute we go to bed, our body is subjected to immense physical and mental pressure. In such condition it is natural when we go to bed, we are completely exhausted and enervated. When people say they feel like crying with sheer fatigue, they mean just that. Physically, they have reached a point where the only release for their weariness is an emotional purge. Afterwards, of course, they will end up completely exhausted, for nothing eats up one's energy like letting the emotions have full play. We keep loosing energy every moment Most of us are spendthrift of our energy resources. We

dissipate them twenty-four hours a day. Just watch yourself and the people around you. Can you sit still, quiet and at ease, for ten or even five minutes? Or do you fidget, shift about, cross and re-cross your legs, drum with your fingers on the arm of your chair, rub your neck, bite your lips? In a room full of people, is there even one who is without nervous habits? If so, he is a happy exception. Nor mind you, does this apply to "busy-busy" persons alone.

it is perfectly possible to spend a quiet day with nothing in the least urgent to do and still eat one's self up with tension. In fact boredom itself is an enemy in this respect. Think how many people with easy, routine jobs complain of being "dead tired" by the end of the day. And who of us hasn't said, at one time or another," I haven't done a thing all day, but I'm beat."? What is NOT relaxation ? Before we go on to a discussion of the actual techniques of Deep Relaxation, let us consider for a moment what relaxation is not. In the first place, it is not play. Nor is it a

change of pace or of occupation. Play and change are fine, of course. They do help, they are a step in the right direction. But they are not the real thing. Thus the tired businessman out for a day of golf, the home gardener, the knitter, the Sunday painter are all people who indulge in pleasant hobbies in order to get away from other routines, but they are merely substituting one form of activities for another. The same holds true for the avid reader, the Hi-Fi enthusiast, the TV fan. Each finds a degree of respite in doing what he enjoys, but each remains occupied. The mind keeps ticking away, the muscles remain at work. Even listening to music with the eyes closed requires a certain expenditure of energy! Very definitely, recreation cannot be considered true, complete relaxation. Understand what is true relaxation The great art of relaxation is within the reach of all. It is better to understand it in detail. We use two kind of energy in our daily life - physical and mental. Overuse of physical energy results in exhaustion of physical body whereas use of mental energy results in an exhausted

mind which specifically means exhaustion of our nervous system. In order to restore our vigor and replenish your energy , we need a relaxation exercise that helps us to relax us completely i.e. both mentally as well as physically. A relaxation technique that that relaxes each and every muscle and every nerve of our body is Shava Asana ('Shuv 'Aa'Sun , Shuv sounds like 'love') The Sanskrit meaning of Shavasan is Corpse Pose. It is not related to Death, only to hibernation, which has to do with the prolongation of life. It is an immense powerful technique for relaxing body and mind. This deep relaxation technique has far deeper effect than those of sleep. Moreover a very important meditation technique 'Death Meditation' is also based on it. This technique will relax you so deeply and so completely that it is impossible to sketch in words, the kind of vigour and energy you will received while doing it. So let us start learning Deep Relaxation by familiarizing ourselves with the important instructions for Deep Relaxation.

Instructions for Deep Relaxation Before starting deep relaxation bear in mind that: (1) Your aim is to quiet your nerves and rest your body by ridding yourself of all conscious tensions and contraction. Deep relaxation is a must-do for all those who have the problems of : (i) lack of vitality, fatigue, or poor concentration.

(ii) wearing oneself out by remaining constantly on the go with no moments of respite and never being able to gather enough energy for getting started on whatever they intend to do.

(2)To learn to relax completely takes time, and can not be mastered in one easy lesson.

But you will certainly learn how if you are willing to try. Moreover, from the very beginning, even while you are still unable to let go completely, you will begin to feel the benefits of what you are doing. And this, in turn, will make for more success. Soon your nervous system will become like a complicated network of highly charged electric wires with the current turned off: no hum, no sparks, no vibrations, while the batteries that are mainspring of energy recharge themselves.

Do you know that there are over four hundred muscles on each side of human body-no fewer than twenty in the forearm alone. Most of time we are not even conscious of using half of them. Moreover, we use them in groups and many of the small ones are beyond the range of our conscious feeling. Certainly we do not tense them consciously nor would we know how to let go of them

(3) Making a routine is very helpful in deep relaxation.

You should try, whenever possible, to do your relaxing exercises at approximately the same time each day. An early morning relaxation helps insure a good, serene day while a late evening period is a good preamble to a restful night's sleep. On the other hand, you might be one of those majority of people who need to replenish their energies at the end of their busy & tiring working day. In deciding what is best for you, your guide should always be your own ease and comfort. Any sense of "must", of pressure, should be avoided.

(4) Place of relaxation and cloths to wear during relaxation. Unless you become so adept at relaxing that you can relax anywhere by shutting out the world around you at any time and any place, your period of relaxation should be taken away from other people, in a room where you are alone, with the door closed. You will need a quiet atmosphere so as not to be distracted by anybody. Since most of us are city dwellers it is difficult to avoid a certain amount of traffic noise, but do try to control what sounds you can, since conversation, the radio, the ticking of a

clock can be most distracting. Keep disturbance at a minimum. Your clothes should be comfortable, too. In fact, the less you have on the better : Make certain you are not annoyed by a tight belt, a stiff collar, a girdle, a brassiere. Anything that might make you unduly conscious of being physically confined should be avoided. On the other hand you must not feel cold. Be sure there are no drafts in the room since it is impossible to relax properly while chilly.

Now we'll start the real technique of deep relaxation:

The technique of Deep Relaxation

The best position for Deep Relaxation is Shavasana - the Corpse Pose. And the best place is the floor. Lie flat on your back, using a mat or folded blanket to protect yourself from the cold boards. If for some reason it is impossible for you to use the floor, then choose a hard bed, preferably one with a wooden board. A soft bed will never be completely satisfactory, for as it sags under your weight, certain muscles will invariably tense up. Moreover, a soft bed might lull you to sleep, and sleep is not what you are after at the moment. You will probably not feel entirely comfortable when you first try lying like this: The floor will feel too hard, you will find yourself tempted to shift positions. But this you must not do, for in order to relax muscle by muscle it is important to lie quite still. Just remember that every body movement, every shift, however slight, means a tensing of one or another group of muscles To avoid this, make sure that you are lying comfortably, with your weight fairly evenly distributed.

Once settled take a few deep breaths from the diaphragm, then allow yourself to breathe normally again. The next step is to get acquainted with the muscles of your feet. Imagine that you have just swallowed a tracer substance, and that your muscles are channels through which you are watching it flow. Now send an order along one of these channels. Breath deeply and stretch a leg. Inhale deeply and stretch the leg hard, making all the muscles along the way contract- and feel what is happening . you will feel muscles, quite far away from the area with which you are experimenting, contract in sympathy. If you clench your fist, for example, you will feel contractions all the way up to your arm and into your shoulder. If you flex your toes, ripples of movement will tense the muscles of your thigh. Now hold the breath as well as the stretch for a moment, while you trace your sensations in details. Memorize them: next time you give your arm an order you will be able to check whether or not it is being followed. And now let go. Release the breath and remove the stretch. As you exhale, let go all muscles of stretched leg loose. Repeat

this simultaneous process (of deep breathing and stretching the muscles) limb by limb, until you have a nodding acquaintance with the various groups of muscles through your body. Now start the stretching all over again, but this time in slow motion (i.e. make the process of inhalation and stretching slow) Build the stretch up, slowly, like a cat arching its back. In the meantime let that imaginary tracer substances show you, as clearly as possible, every muscle you have put into play. Observe and note your sensation for future reference. Hold the pose until you are thoroughly aware of what is happening. Then once more in slow motion, let go. It is this letting-go process that is the actual mechanism of true relaxation. Think of yourself as a puppet without any strings to hold it up any longer. Could anything be more limp? That is the stage you are trying to reach, a relaxation so complete that you lose all feeling of alertness. As I have already said you are not likely to achieve such state on your first attempt, or even on the second. Most

people make better progress when instead of trying to relax the entire body at once, they concentrate on some part . Start for example, with an arm. Imagine that it is a length of old rope Let the shoulder fall inert, heavy, on the floor. Let the rest follow, all the way down the arm, until inertia has traveled through elbow, forearm, wrist and palm and the fingers feel like the limp ends of rope. After doing this several times, start concentrating on your legs. Then on your neck and spine. After a while relaxation will become a habit and you will no longer need to think of specific areas, you will have learned to relax the entire body as a coordinated unit. When that time comes, you will be able to rest as you have never rested in your whole life. you will find a totally new sense of well being; alertness and serenity. A regular practice of this relaxation routine will make you quite adept at doing this. Moreover, after you first feel thoroughly relaxed, you will find yourself capable of repeating the process on a deeper level - it is as though you had walked into a very quiet, deep forest, rested awhile, then walked on to where the trees are denser still and the silence deeper. In the end you will be on the very

verge of drowsiness, of total inertia, your mind virtually at a standstill. When you reached that stage, you will be resting in every cell of your body. The duration of deep relaxation Well the time span of deep relaxation varies with its quality. The deeper the degree of relaxation, the more benefit you derive from it and the less time you need. Initially 15-30 minute is sufficient. Later on as you mastered the technique, you will able to draw enough energy and relaxation from a 10 minute period. How to terminate the exercise ? Well your own body will tell you when it is ready to get back into action. Remember, however, never to get up hastily or jerkily as doing so will negates the benefits of deep relaxation. The proper way to end a period of Deep Relaxation is to work your way down the muscles of the body one final time; but now by reversing the process. Instead of relaxing, restore tone control to each muscle group. Contract or stretch it, then go on to another group until you have tested them all. Conclude with one final

luxurious, cat-like stretch. Why it is better than sleep ? Please don't think that Sleep and deep relaxation are same in their benefits. Sleep whether, at night or during catnaps, is a fine way to rest the body. But it is the rare man or woman who relaxes thoroughly in sleep. Most of us toss and turn, and so continue tensing our muscle all night long. Deep relaxation, on the other hand, since it is based on immobility, ensures total rest. It is a conscious, willed process, controlled by the mind which, in turn, relaxes thoroughly as the muscles begin to sag. In sleep we are likely to be fatigued by the dreams which plague our subconscious, for we all do dream, whether or not we remember our dreams. But resting while awake, after having emptied the mind of worrisome thoughts, means reaching a state of true mental repose. thus half hour of deepest relaxation can refresh an exhausted person as hours of fitful sleep never would. After learning about the two aids of meditation, let us

learn about Deep Contraction - the third yogic aid in meditation

Deep Contraction : the third yogic aid of meditation To put it simply, deep contraction means- a willing stretch on body in a normal and natural way. It also means doing some physical exercise daily. But the physical exercise of deep contraction are very much different from what is generally meant by this. When I say - physical exercise it does not mean - jogging, aerobics, push ups, weight lifting or other physical drills etc. Though these exercise also helps in keeping the body fit and healthy, they are particularly suitable for young and athletes only as they encourage muscle tensions in the average person for whom tension is usually already a problem. Further, they require more daily effort than anyone but an athlete is likely to be willing to make.

Moreover they tend to tired the body and overexerts the hearts and arteries. One more disadvantage is that this physical routine emphasis on certain muscle groups while never involving others. The external muscular part of body gets the maximum of benefits while internal organs does not get the requisite amount of movements and massage. In contrast to above mentioned physical exercise routine, deep contraction and its advanced stage of 'yoga' has been developed after closely observing the nature and animals. Animals unlike man know instinctively how to keep fit. Yet their secret is simplicity itself. It involves indulging in the most stimulating physical exercise there is- natural, spontaneous body movements This can easily be understood by taking the example of cat. The way a kitten relax in sleep and the way it wake up depicts the wonderful natural body movements. The kitten completely let go of every muscle thus becoming a dead weight in sleep or relaxation. When it wakes up, it stretch, yawn, slowly gets to its feet and arch its back, changing from a limp rag to a coiled string in no apparent effort. The tremendous economy of energy and movements gives the cat its peculiar grace and power. The yawn and

big stretch are nothing than a kind of deep muscular contraction - a contraction that reaches every muscle group from head to toes. After awakening its sinews in this pleasant and satisfying manner, the kitten suddenly leap after a speck of dust, thus going from a passive contraction to active contraction. If you notice this , you'll find that the motion is effortless. An animal never tries to prove anything and moves for the sheer pleasure of being in motion. In our highly civilized, urban and scientific world, we have almost forgotten that we are also just one of the millions of species of animals on earth. Our body is still a primitive body that gets affected by various ups and down of nature. Luckily there were people, who realized this and developed the art of yoga or deep relaxation by studying nature. Yogis developed their exercising techniques by observing animal life. Not only did they appreciate the genius for relaxation all animals possess. They realized that animals, utilizing their energies properly, sleeping at intervals around the clock, eating only according to need live to five times their maturity and keep their full vigor five-sixth of their life, while man and woman live to only twice their maturity and begin to lose their vitality half-

way through. Carrying their emulation of beasts and birds to a logical conclusion the yogis became the exception to the rule. They learn enough how to turn to the simple and the primitive in order to re-discover the natural living and nature's laws. Deep contraction is more or less a prolongation of natural instinctive stretches carried to the point where a person's whole mood and physique become involved. There are many benefits of deep contraction. First of all, these exercise can be done at a very slow pace in a relaxed manner, thus never exerting the heart or arteries. They affects the internal organs of the body in a positive manner. When a muscle stretch during deep contraction, a lubricant called synovial fluid is immediately secreted helping disperse the waste matter which causes stiffness at the joints. The lymph flows more freely, nourishing and stimulating body cells. Blood circulation is improved. Deep contraction routines when done with deep breathing tones the body, stimulates circulation and causes waste to be carried away and deposits of fat and calcium to be utilized instead of remaining nothing but dead weight. Moreover it does not require much time on

daily basis. Only a 10 minute schedule, 3 times a day is sufficient. Moreover deep contraction can be done almost anywhere, in work place also. As I mentioned earlier (in three yogic aids to meditation ) that in order to learn meditation properly, you are required to make your life relaxed, simple and less demanding. A life in which the level of physical and mental exhaustion is at bare minimum. After Deep breathing and deep relaxation; deep contraction is the third step which you should include in daily routine. Now I am describing you a simple deep contraction routine which will keep you fit and active throughout the day. Once you adopt this 3rd step of Deep Contraction along with the other two aids, you will be able to greatly reduced the exhaustion level and more importantly you will begin to realize that your life is slowly-slowly (but permanently) becoming relaxed, simple (not complex) and less demanding. This will ensure a congenial and perfect situation for trying meditation techniques on daily basis.

Now let us discuss some methods.

An excellent relaxation routine : stretching your body on waking up in the morning. Make it a habit never to jump out of bed in the morning. Instead, give your self a minute or two minute to wake your body thoroughly. Lie flat on your back, preferably without a pillow. Breathing deeply but easily , start by consciously stretching one leg from the hip down , toes pointing so that you can feel the muscles of the calf, and the leg itself feels about an inch longer than the other. Relax, then repeat with the other leg. Now stretch your arms hard sideways, then over your head, tensing shoulder and neck and muscles, and arching your back like a cat. Finally stretch your entire body slowly, consciously tensing all the muscles together and relaxing them thereafter. Now get up slowly, avoiding jerky motions. You have never seen a dog or cat jump up from a nap, unless it has been startle and alerted as if to danger, in which case its adrenalin is probably pouring through its body. It is precisely such harmful purposeless overstimulation that you must teach yourself to avoid. After getting up, take a few deep breath. If possible, go in your balcony or outside your house and take some long and

deep breath Make this waking routine a regular feature of you life. doing it just once will left you in amazement. In morning it is really difficult to left the bed with enthusiasm and energy. However, this small 5-6 minute routine will give you an instant freshness and energy. Incidentally this getting-up routine is worth an extra half hour's sleep. Just do this once and you are bound to do it again and again daily !

Now some deep contraction exercises : The following are simple form of some yogic asana of Hatha Yoga. Though a morning time is recommended, you can do them any time of day. Just keep in mind that a few exercise should be done in empty stomach. At the very first, begin by practicing stretches of your own devising. whatever is comfortable and natural, only make sure that you do your stretching these three different ways: lying flat on your back, sitting down, and standing upright. Stretch you legs, feet and toes as far as possible, stretch your arms legs, feet and toes as far as possible, stretch your arms high above your head, stretch

your neck, your chest, your waist and your back. Above all, let every movement be natural, unhurried, fluid. During each stretch try to contract as many muscles as you can consciously trace. then hold the sketch for as long as a minute, building up tension gradually. then, just as gradually, let down again. Remember never to move jerkily, since this negates the benefits of the exercise.

Repeat this same kind of stretching several times during the day. at least once while sitting in a chair and once while you are standing. Try to allot five minutes in all to these three routines. remember to pay special attention to the waist and the back, for in that way you will be benefiting two vital areas- the spinal columns and the abdominal cavity. At the end of a few days, when you have begun to feel completely natural in your stretching routines, you can go on to the next step, which is to do your stretching exercises directly following the relaxation period. Remember, During deep relaxation you have been lying flat on the floor on your back, eyes closed arms along your

sides, in the Shavasana or Death pose. Now as you rouse yourself, start lifting both legs from hips, toes pointed and knees held straight. Do this slowly, being careful to keep the rest of your body, neck and head down on the floor. Lift as high as you can, preferably until your legs are at a right angle with your body, always being careful to notice the various contractions that begin with the feet, extend up the calf, through the thighs and into the abdominal region. Hold this stretch for as long as possible without feeling strain. then slowly and gently, lower the feet to the floor in one smooth movement. Then rest. Next sit up and try grasping your toes or ankles with your hands, bending the trunk and keeping the legs stretched out. Continue to bend as far forward as possible, holding this position for a few moments before loosening your grip and slowly sitting up once more. Do not worry if at first you are unable to grasp your feet. You will gradually grow more limber as you continue exercising a little everyday. The main thing to keep in mind is that you are doing the best you an-and not to overtax yourself. Remember, too, to avid jerky motions: the stretch should be natural. Again you have just completed the first..

Now lie on your stomach, keeping your legs straight out. Place your hands on the floor in line with the shoulders. Try to lift yourself by pressing down on the hands. At first this may seem hard, but after a week or so you will be able to lift your whole body from the hips up. This posture is excellent for spine. Your last stretch is to be done standing. Stand with the feet slightly apart, knees slightly bent. Place the hands on thighs. Take a deep breath, exhale, then expel the breath sharply. Now try to draw the abdomen in and up, raising the diaphragm as high as possible Hold this position a moment, then relax. This is an exercise which massage the colon, the large and small intestines and start peristaltic action, generally doing away with any tendency to constipation by invigorating the nerves which control intestinal movements. Moreover, muscle which ordinary are beyond our voluntary control are involved here. This exercise also helps in fallen stomach, intestines or uterus. It should, however, always be done on an empty stomach. Keep in mind all the above mentioned routines should be in the nature of a glorified stretch. Do not ask too much of yourself. Be content to make haste slowly. As for timing ,

choose any convenient time according to your schedule. Always be sure to wear loose, comfortable clothing and to allow at least two and preferable three hours to elapse after a meal before you begin. While doing these exercises, your mental attitude is of greatest importance. Just as, during relaxation, you must empty your mind of all the distracting influences, so during the stretches you must teach yourself to dwell on the performance only, to study each action and its effects on your body, allowing yourself to relish the sensation you are experiencing. If you follow this routine faithfully you will begin to acquire greater limberness and to experience both physical and mental well being within one short week. You will sleep better, have greater vitality and your nerves will be your friend instead of traitors. The combined benefits of deep breathing, deep relaxation and deep contraction will astonish you. Why these 3 aids are important for learning meditation is that from the very first, the emphasis here is not on building up one or another part of your body, not on one or another "angle" but on the whole being. The whole of our existential identity. These 3 yogic routine aims at

creating a balanced mental-physical combination of improvement and growth. Deep breathing will ensure an optimum supply of oxygen to all body parts thus making us energetic throughout the day, deep relaxation will help us to thoroughly relax every single cell of body thus helping us to rejuvenate after a busy & tough day. Thirdly deep contraction exercises, make our body flexible and fit for the whole day. In the final analysis, a regular practice of these three routines will ensure that you will get a relaxed, simple and less demanding life. When you'll get more energy, more relaxation and a perfectly agile and fit body, you will find it very easy to try various meditation techniques. Someone has rightly said that to draw some real spiritual benefits, one should be in a state of physical and mental and emotional well being. I can write many pages on the benefits of these 3 super aids, but I think it is better to leave this for you to decide. I have explained the techniques in detail. Please give them a try and you yourself will realize the kind of unbelievable changes they are capable of making in you. Even if you don't try meditation techniques described in this book and just practice these three aids only, you will be able to dramatically reduce the amount of tension, stress from your busy life. After all we all wants a peaceful, successful

and happy life. By regular practice of these three aids, you can easily expect to make some positive progress in this direction. I wish you all the best. Now after acquainting yourself with all the three aids of meditation, let us see how we can utilize these three aids in meditation in our daily life.

Adopting three yogic aids of Deep Breathing, Deep Relaxation and Deep Contraction in daily life

Well you just learn about three wonderful yogic aids in meditation. Now in the concluding part of this chapter, we shall see how to adopt a practice of these yogic aids in our life. You have learned the arts of : (a) Deep breathing : You have learned how to adopt a habit of deep breathing that continues itself automatically. The deep breathing keeps you energetic and vibrant through out the day and helps in conservation of physical and mental energy - a natural outcome of taking deep breaths. (b) Deep relaxation : You have learned how to relaxed your body completely i.e .how to relax it physically, mentally and spiritually. Deep relaxation is a great tool for

restoring our lost energy. (c) Deep Contraction : You have learned how to be physically fit and flexible and thus maintain a robust and strong body. Deep contraction is a great tool for keeping the body relaxed, flexible and healthy. Well you can easily adopt the above three habits in your daily life with a little effort. All of us : are breathing - a continuous process All of us : take rest and relax our body; and Most of us : indulge in (at least) some form of physical exercises to keep fit. So we can easily use the three yogic aids of deep breathing, deep relaxation and deep contraction. Whenever you breathe, (which you do always)- take deep breath. Initially allot a specific time for deep breathing. For example perform deep breathing 15 minutes daily in the morning or evening. Then slowly increase your

duration. Always try to take deep breath. If you forget taking deep breath, then as soon as you remember it, start again. With a little practice and patience you can easily master the art of deep breathing. Kindly follow the instructions given in the 'Pause Breath method' or in the 'Pavlov method' . Soon you will make the deep breathing a part of your life. All of us take some kind of rest for restoring our energy. So whenever you feel tired and worn out at any point of time, instead of taking the usual rest you take, just try a small duration of deep relaxation. You will be amazed with the result. As you practice more and more, you will be able to relax more deeply. If you do some physical work out daily, then include some contraction exercise of Deep contraction in your fitness routine. The deep contraction will immensely help you to attain a fit, flexible and healthy body. If you do not do any physical exercise, even then you can perform deep contraction exercises. As already explained in deep contraction, when you wake up in the morning (which you do always ), do not leave your bed without performing some contraction exercises. Further, you can easily

perform the natural stretches during any busy day. (I have already explained it in detail in deep contraction exercises ) Adopting these three yogic aids in our daily schedule is not at all difficult. In the beginning, you will have to make some effort. However, as explained above, these three yogic aids does not require specific allocation of time for them. By making slight modification in your daily life, you can adopt these wonderful tools of self development. Using these three aids is free, however, the profits you gain from them are invaluable. I wish you all the best as you embark on giving a genuine try to these three wonderful yogic aids in meditation. Next we shall learn about some do's and don'ts in meditation. These instructions will clarify your doubts about the timing, place and postures in meditation.

Do's and Don'ts in Meditation: Instructions for timing, place and postures in Meditation.
In this chapter, I want to tell some important do's and don't in meditation. These are basic guidelines which an

absolute beginner should follow if he/she wants to be proficient in the art of meditation. Here we go.. (1) The ideal environment for Meditation: What I am going to tell you is the ideal environment for meditation. I have used the word ideal environment - an environment under which anybody can make tremendous progress in meditation. However, it is the ideal one -the best one and let me tell you that 'best' things are not easily accessible to everybody. Therefore, I think that not everybody has the privilege to meditate under these ideal conditions. However for all those who can afford to meditate in such environment, here is the description of an 'ideal environment for meditation. The ideal room : It is better to have a separate room for practice of meditation alone. Do not sleep in that room, it must be kept holy. You must not enter the room until you have bathed, and are perfectly clean in body and mind. Place flowers in that room. Put pleasing pictures in that room. Burn incense morning and evening in that room. Have no quarrelling , nor anger, nor unholy thoughts in that room. Only allow those persons to enter it who are of

the same thought as you. Then gradually there will be an atmosphere of holiness in the room so that when you are miserable, sorrowful, doubtful or your mind is disturbed, the very fact of entering that room will make you calm. Did I explain something impossible above ? If you are living in a small flat in a urban, highly congested city then the mention of a separate room of meditation must have bewildered you. When there is not enough place for living, how can we devote a separate room just for meditation ? Well I agree that there is space problem in our homes. But as I have already clarified that what I described above is an ideal condition. It's not a mandatory condition . Soon I'll tell you how you can meditate even if you don't have a separate room. Do you know where you can find such perfect rooms in your city ? You will find such rooms in the temples, churches and other religious places of your cities. In fact the whole idea behind temples and churches was to create ideal rooms for meditation. Just notice how much emphasis is given to cleanliness in religious places, how much attention is given to having

pious thoughts in such places. Even now a majority of all religious places (of all religions) contain a field of positive holy vibrations. That's why when you enter into them, you feel inner peace and calm. If possible, try to meditate in the temple or church of your locality. If you can't find a separate room for meditation at home or if the religious places in your cities are heavily crowded, then you can meditate at any convenient place of your choice. It may be a corner in your room, your bed, a place in the park, your car, bus, the local library or any other place of your choice. No matter which place you choose for meditation, the important thing is that you should be able to meditate there regularly and nobody should disturb you during meditation in that place. Now just like the ideal room for meditation, here is an ideal condition for meditation. You should meditate daily at the same place, at the same time and nobody should disturb you during meditation. The best time for meditation are towards the morning and the evening. When night passes into day, and day into night, a state of relative calmness ensues.

The above is an ideal condition for meditation. If you can follow it, well and good, if you can't don't despair. We are living in an extremely busy and complicated era. Life in 21st century has become complex and demanding. It is natural for us to be hard pressed for time. Nevertheless, as the saying goes - something is better than nothing. Start meditation with whatever little time and place you have. Try be as regular as you can. You will start gaining benefits of meditation, if you keep trying despite all odds. Even if you can't find time for meditation and are unable to meditate regularly, it is strongly recommended that whenever you mediate, meditate at the same place. If you are an absolute beginner in meditation, you must follow this advise. The reason for my emphasis on 'meditation at the same place' is that every action (be it good or bad) creates its vibration. So when you meditate on a particular place everyday, that place gets filled with the positive vibrations of meditation. So the next time you sit for meditation, these positive vibrations will help you attain the meditative state quickly and deeply. A beginner of meditation is just like a tiny sapling. It's root are not very deep and strong. It can not stand the forces of rain,

storms and thunders. However, when it grows, it become a tree with strong roots and branches that can withstand any difficulty. Similarly as a beginner of meditation meditates regularly at the same place, his/her ability to meditate improves and he/she becomes apt in meditating deeply. When he/she attains such expertise in meditation then he/she can meditate anywhere, anytime. But in the beginning it is important that we meditate at the same place and if possible at the same time too. (2) Make sure that nobody disturb you while meditating: Now this is something which also very important in meditation. You simply can't meditate if people keeps disturbing you. You should make sure that nobody disturb you while meditation. First of all without hesitation, tell everybody in your family and friend circle that during such and such time in the day you meditate and you don't want to be disturbed by them at that time. Make it very clear- politely and firmly - that you want to meditate and you DON'T WANT TO BE DISTURBED during meditation. (Of course tell them that they can disturb you when there is an emergency ) Further, when you meditate switch off your mobile phone. Remove the telephone plug

if it is there in your meditation room. Advise your family to keep the volume of Radio & TV low when you meditate. Further, if you have a separate room for meditation, close it during meditation and place a board of 'DON'T DISTURB ! I AM MEDITATING' on it. In the highly complicated and busy life of today there are very few moments of silence and stillness. We are surrounded by all sorts of chaos in most part of the day. Therefore, it is very important that we meditate and attain inner calm and right perspective for life. For this it is essential that we at least get an undisturbed 30-minute session of meditation and that is possible only when nobody disturbs us during meditation. (3) Posture in Meditation : There is only rule for posture in meditation : "Sit so comfortably that you forget your body. " Meditation is related with spiritual planes of body. You can't touch those planes unless you are comfortable with

your physical bodies It really doesn't matter that in which posture you sit for meditation. Moreover, it doesn't matter whether you sit on a floor, on a chair, on bed, in Car, bus, sofa or on table ! The only thing is that you should be comfortable while sitting. It is very important that you sit in a physically comfortable position before you meditate You can sit in lotus pose (cross legged ), you can sit on a chair, a sofa or on a bed. Just keep in mind that in whichever pose you sit, it should be comfortable for your body. (4) For all extremely busy people: Adopt the three yogic aids of Deep breathing, Deep Relaxation and Deep Contraction in your life . Needless to say this again . I have already devoted an entire chapter on these three aids. They are very important especially if you are living a very busy life. Adopt these three aids in your life and you will be able to meditate with effortless ease.

(4) Have patience :

Meditation acts as a cleansing process. It will take its own time to produce its effect on you. Be patient and don't meditate with an aim of getting a time-bound benefit. Meditate without expecting anything. Soon you will find that the joy of mediation is enough. (5) Be Playful : Meditation is not a serious religious process. Don't try too hard in meditation. It is like a Homeopathy Medicine which works slowly but treat completely. Always be playful with the meditation techniques. To be cheerful and playful during meditation is the sure recipe for success. In fact the reality is that we all have been assigned a role by the cosmic choreographer. We all are playing a role in our life. When you realize your true self in meditation, you will know about your true identity. After this realization you will be more playful towards life. We all are waves of the ocean. Waves come, arise. fall and again merge into the ocean. Be playful to this game. (5) Always identify the witness within you

Remember this fact : In whichever meditation technique you are, you aim should be to identify your true self : the witness within you. In fact all meditation techniques helps you to identify that witness within you. This is the real key factor of all techniques. No matter what you do, where you do it or how you do it, there is always someone in you who watches the doer as well as the deed. You can experience this in many ways. While watching a movie try to see if it is only you who is watching the movie or is there someone in you who is watching that you are watching the movie. ( I have already explained this in What is meditation )To know that knower is the real meditation. That knower, that particular watcher - the witness is your true self. This self is your eternal essence. If there is any part of you which was present before your birth and which will be there after your death, it is this self - your true identity. Always meditate with an aim to know this self. Let us summarize all do's and don'ts in meditation. Do's Meditate regularly.

Meditate at the same place and same time everyday. Make sure that nobody disturb you while meditating: Sit so comfortably that you forget your body Adopt Deep breathing, Deep Relaxation and Deep Contraction. Have patience Be Playful Identify the witness within you. Don'ts in Meditation Let us see some don'ts in meditation: Do not meditate: where there there are wild animals, or danger like fire or flood water, where there is too much noise and where there are wicked persons.

Do not meditate: when the body feels very lazy or ill or when the mind is very miserable and sorrowful. Do not meditate at a dirty place.

Central point of all meditation techniques One last thing about meditation So up to now, I have elaborated on the meditation, its meaning , the benefits you'll derive from it, the concept of self, the reason for failure in achieving meditating state, the way to remove this failure and the 3 very important aids of meditation i.e. Deep breathing, deep relaxation and deep contraction. From the next chapter I am going to take you into the world of some of the greatest meditation techniques of all times. Then there will be no deviation, no exhortation, only meditation techniques explained in a simple manner Since you are going to enter into this vast field of meditation, before you leap and start doing meditation, I want to tell you, one last thing which you must be keep in mind while doing any meditative exercise.

As already mentioned (in what is meditation ), the aim of meditation is to realize our true self. Though the true aspect of our existence in the universe is our self, as a lay person we can only see (and feel) our body and mind whereas actually there are 3 aspect of existence, the body , the mind and the self. Since we are aware of only body and mind, in meditation our single minded aim should be to identify this 3rd aspect of self, to recognize it, to feel it as the 3rd aspect of our being apart from body and mind. When you start recognizing this 3rd aspect of your self as a separate identity from your body and mind, only then you can claim to be succeeding in meditation. Because although for language & simplicity's sake I have called it 3rd aspect of your being, it is the self only which is true aspect of our identity. It is this so called 3rd aspect self which is your real nature, the foundation of your presence in this world. Let me tell you why I am again explaining so much about self to you.. Remember this : ' 'ALL MEDITATION TECHNIQUES ARE THE WAYS THROUGH WHICH YOUR TRUE IDENTITY (SELF) IS REVEALED TO YOU.'

So whichever meditation techniques you will be using always enter into that technique by keeping an aim of identifying the self through it. Always keep an attitude of witness while meditating. You are a witness. I mean your self is a witness in you. Everything is changing in this world. So many changes are going on in this world, around yourself in your life, in your country, in your family, in your city ; the change is continue. And whatever is happening , there is someone in you who is witnessing those changes. This witness is your 'self'. Once you were a child, this witness was there in you watching everything. You attained teen age, that witness was there watching you. Now you may be at any stage of your life, but this witness is still within you. And one day you will die, but then also this witness will be there. And believe me from birth till death this witness remains intact. Your body and mind will perish but this witness will be there. It'll only change its form. This witness is your true self. Your true identity. The whole purpose of meditation is to aware you about your true identity, about your self. So whichever meditation technique you try, always do it with the aim of identifying that witness. I hope you get

my point But if you are still in some doubt what I mean by 'identifying this witness' the very first meditation techniques ( Death Meditation) will make it crystal clear. But before that you should learn

Three thoughts for contemplation that will take you into meditation instantly

A very important thing before starting meditation After knowing in detail about meditation and about 3 important yogic aids to prepare ourselves physically as well as mentally for meditation, it is natural that most of you will want to start meditation. However I beg your pardon for delaying your entry in to the world of meditation techniques for some more time. It is essential that we discuss some very important thing before starting meditation. Knowing them is really important if we really want to derive some real benefit from meditation. Meditation can make unbelievable change in once personality. It make the path of spiritual progress very smooth. So it is important to perform following three things before starting meditation : (1) Be kind towards everybody Please remember: If you are not kind enough with your neighbors, if you are not loving with your fellow men, if you are not thankful to God for all things that he has given to you then forget about meditation. It has no use for you and no

meditation technique will help you. Before doing meditation it is necessary that we have a feeling of true compassion for the whole universe. And when I say 'Whole universe', I really mean it. It means a feeling of compassion for all. For each and everybody. A feeling of love, compassion and kindness for every living and non-living object. Just be loving to your friend, your neighbours, your colleagues, your parents, your relatives and to your enemies and your competitors too !! Yes I mean it. It may sounds quite odd, but it is the experience of millions of people who have meditated. With a bitter heart and animosity for someone, we simply can't meditate . It is simply impossible. I'll try to explain it:Please do this before starting meditation - just sit comfortably. You can sit on a chair, on bed, on earth in lotus pose (cross legged) or in anyway of your liking. Close your eyes and send thought of good will to everybody. Just say in your mind - " I love everybody. My love compassion and kindness is for everyone. "

It may be the case that somebody has hurt you. Somebody has deceived you or you have been the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities. Even if such is the case thank God that he does not make you like those people. Things could be worse. You could be one of them ! Forgive them honestly and say in you heart" Now I forgive them" I know that it is really difficult to forgive many times. Sometimes we have to suffer badly for no faults of ours. However, I earnestly request you to please consider this clichd but golden advice that to err is human and to forgive is divine. Please forgive those who have hurt you. Think over this: Had you been in their shoes, had you gotten the same kind of upbringing, education, had you been in the same sort of environment, then in all likelihood, you will be just like them . Please realize that we all are the result of our circumstances and thoughts. If people are bad, it is not that they have chosen to be bad. There are many factors like circumstances, financial & domestic conditions, educational background, friendscircle etc. that shapes our lives. Just think from the perspective that people are bad

because of many external factors over which they do not have any control. Have sympathy with them, be compassionate and loving towards them and.forgive them. It appears difficult but is not very tough. To forgive somebody requires some real effort but the mental peace it provides is worth that effort. Now spread feelings of goodwill to all. Say- " May I find true happiness." Say- " May all people who are close to my heart- my family, my parents, my very close friends; they all find true happiness." Slowly start expanding your area of goodwill.

Say : " May all people on earth- whether I know them or not, whether I like them or not, they all find true happiness. "

Spread this good will to not just people but to all living creatures in all directions. "May they all find true happiness. I love them all. Everybody is my friend. No one is my enemy" This internal preparation is a very powerful way of preparing body for meditation and will make you very calm. Now we come to the second thing (2) Thank God for everything you have : This is the second thing to do. Once you have spread the thoughts of goodwill to whole universe, just be thankful to the universe. Be thankful to everybody for helping you at any point of time. Be thankful to God for all that he given to you. Have a feeling of gratitude for all that you have gotten. There are so many things in your life for which you should be thankful to God. Thank him for the present day he has given us, thank him for the pleasant wind outside, thank him for trees, for sky, for the breakfast you have in the morning, the lunch in office and dinner at home. Thank him for giving you wonderful friends, a loving spouse, and a lovely child. Thank him for

the beautiful music, the sun rise, the baseball, the TV, DVD, the Car, the bus, the fruits, the day free of traffic jams ! Well the list is endless. 95% things in our life are all right. Forget about the rest 5%. If you find it difficult to find anything good in your life for which you should be thankful to this universe please read this inspiring verse

Think About this Should you find it hard to get to sleep tonight; Just remember the homeless family who has no bed to lie in. ***** Should you find yourself stuck in traffic; don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege. ***** Should you have a bad day at work;

Think of the man who has been out of work for the last three months. ***** Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; Think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return. ***** Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; Think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week, for -15.00 to feed her family. ***** Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; Think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.

***** Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; Think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine. ***** Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking "what is my purpose"; Be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity. ***** Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; Remember, things could be worse. You could be them!!! *****

Should you decide to tell the above to a friend; You might brighten someone's day! *****

After reading the above inspiring verse, I hope you must be aware of so many things for which you should be thankful to God. So thank him and proceed to third step. After becoming compassionate and thankful to the universe for all that it has given to you, come to the third step. This third step is unique and very helpful. It is like this:

(3) Just remind yourself that you are an ordinary, simple person. It may sounds strange. But it is not. I am using the words 'remind yourself' . You may say :- Hey! I am not an ordinary and simple

person. I am so talented, so intelligent that only yesterday Boss gave me an appreciation letter recommending my out of turn promotion. Only because of my idea and original planning, my company could execute that different project in time. How I can be an ordinary person. I have been a consistent topper in my academic years. Well, there may be many ordinary and simple person but I am certainly not one of them. I am so intelligent, so beautiful and handsome, so rich !How can I call myself simple and ordinary when I am not. If you are experiencing the same feelings as above or similar to that then let me tell you a truth:

" THERE IS NO PLACE FOR EGO IN MEDITATION." Meditation, rather, will melt your ego and make you a down to earth person. Yes ! you are important There are many achievements, many great qualities, many awards and success stories which can be attributed to you.

But tell me - does they really matters ? One of the most important quality in the world is to become truly simple and down to earth without pretending. Our life on earth is limited. There was a time when you were not there. Then you came in this world. And you are here, living life to its fullest, facing and solving its problems. And a day will come when you will no longer remain on earth. Death will end your small journey of life. In between these two days of birth and death there is a life which you have to live. Just think ! How many people will remember you after your death. Rest aside your death, if you are working, how many people will remember you after your retirement. Very few ! and if they do, they'll do it only for a few days ! Life is just like that. Tell me for how many times you remember those colleagues who have long retired. I can bet, seldom or never we remember them. It is not that we do not like them or respect the good work they did in their time; the thing is that every day comes with new sets of problems. We all spend our day in solving these newer sets of problems that we have no time to remember those who

have worked with us in the past. It may sound bitter but the same thing will happen in your case too. You may be a brilliant and outstanding person. You may have the uncanny ability of solving the problems in the blink of an eye. You may be the most successful and intelligent person in your entire country. However, remember this : At present you are facing and solving 'a particular set of problems' that have arisen in a 'particular period of time'. In future in 'an another set of time', a 'very different set of problems' will arise and there will be people who'll solve them. Only when a difficult problem having a precedent in the past will pop up, then somebody will remember you and say " hey this is similar to the one that Johnny had solved 5/10/x years ago !" Why I am telling you all this. I just want to familiarize you with the ephemeral character of life. In the ultimate analysis nothing is going to matter. The truth is that no matter how important, affluent and successful we are or how ordinary, failure or simple we are, we all will be

forgotten by generations to come. But don't take it as a bad thing. After all we ourselves have forgotten all man of past. Except a few rare great personalities like Lincoln, Gandhi & Jefferson etc how many men or women of 17th or 18th century are in our memories ? They all have been buried in the past. And sooner or later, one day we'll also be forgotten by future generation. Yes there will be some exceptions. Some great men and woman among us. But tell me honestly, how many greats of past are remembered by us ? We remember them whenever there is a need to take some inspiration from past. We remember them on their birthday or on their martyr day. But all in all, our 'present day' life is full of its own quota of 'day to day' problems that most of us will spend our life in solving them. Remember the immortal saying of Professor William James - " The keenest desire of human being is the desire of becoming important" Everybody wants importance. So don't expect that you will be considered a VIP forever. There were VIP in the past. There are VIPs in present (you may be one of them) and there will be VIPs in future. And this'll go on and on.

Actually our existence is just like an ocean. You are a wave of the ocean. You may be the most powerful, most thunderous, most beautiful and most inspiring wave of this ocean. But in the ultimate analysis you are just a wave. And the destiny of a wave is to merge again into the ocean. One day your little wave will also merge in the ocean of existence. Contemplate on this and understand the reality. We all are simple and ordinary in front of this huge cosmic play that is going on. The socialism is disappearing fast. After USSR, China has also started adopting the capitalist way. It might happen that one day there will be no country left professing socialism. But the greatest socialist phenomenon will remain in this world and will continue making everyone equal. Do you know what is it ? It is Death. Death does not discriminate between poor or rich, healthy or ill, king or pauper. It makes everybody equal. All who have died are equal. Contemplate on this stark reality. Understand the ephemeral character of life.. and remind your self that you are a simple and ordinary person.

Let me summarize all that I have described - Before doing meditation, sit quietly in a comfortable position in a silent places. Then do these three contemplative acts: (1) Be loving to all - Spread thoughts of good will to each and everybody in this universe. Remove all kind of animosity and hatred from your heart. (2) Be thankful for all that you have gotten - Say thanks to God for all the good things he has given you. If you are an atheist, be thankful to the universe. Almost 95% things in our life are alright. Forget about the rest 5%. (3) Remind yourself the ephemeral character of life - Life is small. We are just like a wave of ocean that will merge again into ocean.

Doing this three emotional contemplation will immensely help you in meditation. They will have a very cleansing effect on your internal being. You will be able to achieve meditative state very quickly. You will experience a deep mental peace. Though these 3 things are not meditation,

they make the meditator highly receptive to all positive gain he/she will draw in meditation. I strongly recommend you to do these contemplative acts before meditation . Now let us enter into the world of meditation techniques.

Learn simple and easy Meditation Techniques

Here is a collection of some of the most effective and simple meditation techniques of all times. These meditation techniques are extremely suitable for the busy people of 21st century who don't have the time to go into the deeper study of this vast subject. I hope that all those, who try these meditation techniques, will find them extremely useful and easy. These meditation techniques can play a very important role in taking you firmly in the right direction of spiritual path. I wish you good luck in your inner journey !

'Here and now' Meditation An extremely easy and powerful meditation technique which can be tried anywhere, anytime. The super powerful method for the people of 21st century. Death Meditation : Meet your death before it comes actually.

Vipassana

The almost magical meditation of Gautama Buddha

Mantra Meditation: Use the power of sound for meditation.

Dynamic Meditation: The original meditation technique of Osho.

Perception Method : This too will pass : One answer for all questions

Trataka : The meditation of third eye : Your third eye is hungry for awareness ! Zen Meditation of just sitting : Learn the meditation from Zen tradition

Energy Meditation : Everything is energy ! Merge yourself into it

Transcendental Meditation : Read an independent view on Transcendental Meditation. Meditation Handbook: A student's masterpiece containing excellent information on meditation.

A different approach to meditation : "See the world from a cosmic perspective and you will be in meditation ! " Learn this new approach to meditation

112 Meditation Techniques of 'Vigyan Bhairav Tantra' :

Learn 112 Meditation techniques from this 4000 year old ancient text on Meditation. Read the classic and unforgettable commentaries on this masterpiece of Meditation. Let us learn the first meditation technique

Here and now Meditation

Friends ! Now I am going to describe a meditation technique which is one of the most effective and easiest meditation techniques of all times. Here is a technique which you can perform anytime, anywhere and in any position. . I hope by now you know what is meditation (if not please see what is meditation ). In order to understand this technique let us recall the meaning of meditation. Meditation is a systematic way of making our mind quiet so that we can contact our true identity -self, which is the source of everlasting joy, bliss and peace. This state in which our mind becomes absolutely calm and relaxed is also known as the state of choiceless awareness i.e. the state where we are fully aware of the moment yet our awareness is not focussed on any physical or mental image/object. It is a choiceless awareness. In the 'Here and now' meditation we will gradually achieve the state of choiceless awareness with the help of three easy steps. For the sake of simplicity I am referring these steps as three individual steps. In reality as you perform these

steps, you will realize that these three steps happens simultaneously and thus are parts of one single step. The three steps of 'here and now' meditation technique are : (1) Remind yourself that you exist here and now. This will make you aware of your body as it exists here and now. (2) Just be aware of the activities going on in and around you at this moment. This will make you aware of the universe as it exists here and now. (3) From now onwards start doing everything with awareness. This will make you aware you of your self as it exists here and now. Let us understand these three steps is detail :

First step: "Remind yourself that you exist here and now " Remind yourself that you exist here and now. I am using the word ' remind' because most of us tend to forget that we ,in reality, exist here and now. We exist in the present. Nobody can live in past or future. Whatever we do, feel, think or experience, we do it in the present moment. You may think about past, you may plan for the future but the very process ( of thinking about past or planning for the future) always happens in the present because at any given moment you exist in the present. Your existence in this world is the sum total of many things. Your present personality is the combined result of your physical makeup , your cultural, social and educational background, your thoughts, your feelings, your past life, your future plans, your ambitions and desires etc. However, you, who is the combined embodiment of all such varied factors, exist here and now - in the present moment ! You can escape from the past, you can evade the outcome of future but you can not

escape from the present. Most of us just keep thinking about the memories of past or fancies of the future and give very little importance to present whereas one of the most important and fundamental requisite for meditation is that you should live in the present. In order to meditate and make our mind quiet, it is important for us to accept our life as it exists in the present moment. No matter how boring, banal, stressful , sad or colorless our present life is; at any given moment, it is all that we have with us. So accept your life as it is and remind yourself that you exists in the present moment. The aim of this step is to focus your whole attention on the present moment. This initial step act as a launching pad for the 'here and now' meditation as the entire attention of the meditator get focused on the present moment. So: Just be aware of the fact that you exist here and now ! Second step: "Just be aware of the activities going on in and around you at this moment. "

At any given moment. there are many things that are happening in and around you. Even if you are just sitting and not doing anything, many things are going on. Your breathing process is going on, your heart is pumping the blood and ensuring its circulation in body, the digestion process is going on inside you, kidneys are filtering the blood, various glands in your body are secreting hormones to ensure proper metabolism of the body. Your hair and nails are growing at a small speed, in short hundred of activities are going on inside your body at this very moment. In the outer world also numerous things are happening around you at the present moment. You are surrounded by a very active atmosphere, whose properties such as temperature, pressure etc are changing every moment. There are numerous sounds echoing around you at this very moment - movement of fan, ticking of clock, music in radio or your PC, conversation of people, rain drops outside the windows , the water you sip from the glass, sounds of your own movements etc all these phenomena are producing sound around you. Well if you observe closely you will find yourself

surrounded by a pool of various activities. This collective pool of activities constitutes the choreography of the universe as it unfolds itself every moment. Universe or creation is an ongoing phenomenon. It is a kind of cosmic dance that is going on. It's not only you who is surrounded by so many activities. Each and everyone among us is enfolded by this dance of universe. We seldom or never give our attention to these activities that goes on in and around us. However, the truth is that they keep happening on their own and produce an effect in our lives. So in the second part of this meditation technique, you are required to become aware of this cosmic dance. Just be aware of the present moment. Just be aware of all those activities which are going on in and around you at this present moment. Do not concentrate upon them .Thing are happening on their own. Just be aware of them. Wind is blowing, machines are running, fan is moving, TV is on, music is coming from the radio, traffic is running on the roads, trains are running on tracks, dogs are barking, children are playing & fighting, hawkers are shouting to attract the customers. At any given moment the whole world is full of activities of every kind. . Just be

aware of these activities. Don't contemplate over them, don't try to make them a part of your thinking process. Just, at this very moment, be aware of this cosmic choreography. This step of becoming aware of the present moment helps the meditator in increasing the depth of his/her awareness. After the first step of meditation ( which requires you to be aware that you exist in the present moment), this second step will help you to be aware of the whole cosmos as it exists in the present moment. So just be aware of the activities which are going on in and around you at the present moment. This moment is as it should be, because the whole universe is as it should be. The moment -- the one you're experiencing right now-- is the culmination of all the moments you have experienced in the past. This moment is as it is because the entire universe is as it is. A relevant thought from: The seven spiritual laws of success By Deepak Chopra Third step:

"From now onwards start doing everything with awareness" This step is the third and the most important step of this meditation technique. In the previous two steps you become aware of the present moment and of the cosmic chaos which exists at this moment. In this third step, you are not required to do anything special. Just keep doing whatever you are doing at this moment but ---- do it with awareness that you are doing it. Let me explain what I mean: If you are eating anything : eat it with awareness that you are eating something. Just be aware of every step you take in eating. Right from holding (say bread for example) in your hand , taking the bread towards your mouth, inserting it in your mouth, chewing the bread and swallowing it in mouth, just perform everything with awareness. Same with drinking : Whatever you are drinking, drink it with absolute awareness of the process of drinking. If you

drink a glass of water, drink it with full awareness while you hold the glass of water in your hand. Be aware of the sensation your hands feel on touching the glass, take the glass near your mouth with awareness, just be aware of every sip you take. After drinking, put back the glass with awareness. If you walk, walk with awareness. While you walk, just be aware of the movements of body as you walk. If your right hands comes forward while you move your left leg, just be aware of this. If while walking in the garden you feel the urge to take a deep breath, take the long breath but take it with awareness. Include this practice of awareness in all those process also where some kind of movement is not required. For example if you are not doing anything and just sitting somewhere, be aware of that (i.e. sitting), just have an awareness of your sitting posture, watch with awareness as your body changes it's position while sitting. Similarly, if you are lying on a bed, just be aware of the fact that you are lying. Have an awareness of the movements your body performs while lying on the bed.

Doing everything with awareness is something that can be done anytime, anywhere and in any posture. It does not requires allocating some extra time, or sitting in a particular place. Just start doing everything with awareness. It is very simple and you can do it right now. If you drive, drive with awareness. While bathing, take your bath with awareness, just be awareness of the sensation you feel when you pour water on your body. Just be aware of how it feels when you use the towel to rinse the body. How do you greet a regular friend, neighbor or coworker ? When you say him Hello, do you wait for his response ? Does your act of greeting others has become an unconscious mechanical habit ? Think over it. Are you living with awareness ? Tomorrow as you start for your office, greet the people with awareness. Just say hello in a warm, conscious manner and wait for other people's response. Don't make your life mechanical. Try to do as many things as you can with awareness.

The main aim of this meditation is to break the habit of a mechanical life which most of us are living. We all have become some sort of robots. There is very little awareness left in us. Almost all our daily work such as eating, drinking, bathing, reading, playing, driving, talking, traveling, writing, listening, watching etc are done by us in a mechanical manner. In such a mechanical life, when we are not even performing very basic mundane tasks with awareness, how we can explore or know the awareness of our self ? This Here and now Meditation aims to increase our overall awareness of everything. When you perform every task with awareness, slowly you will start recognizing the witness in you who watches everything as you perform the task. As your awareness increases, you will start becoming more and more aware of your true self. As you keep practicing this meditation, after some time a stage will come when two distinct aspects of your identity will emerge : one - doing and another - being. You will be doing every work assigned to you, yet there will be some in you (the being aspect) who will remain intact as a

watcher while you perform your work. This 'being aspect' is your true self. Once you realize this 'being aspect' you will realize the immortal part of your existence. You will realize the supreme consciousness. Death Meditation : Meeting death before it comes Death: One fact of Life The Death meditation technique is one of my favorites meditation technique. This meditation is not only very easy but also a great rejuvenating yogic exercise for our body. It is a very simple yet very powerful technique which introduce you to your death before you die actually. There is one fact of life which is universally applicable to all of us : All of us will die one day. Death is an absolute realty of life. Everybody who has come, will have to go one day. However one part of our existence will never die.

When you die.

Your physical body will merge into the chemistry of our planet. . Your mind will cease to exist.

..and each and everything that constitute your personality in this world - your success, your failure, your friends, your enemies, your joy, your sorrows, your ambitions, plans and just about everything which you now consider as your own will lost its relevance.

However One thing will remain intact. One thing will be there untouched, 'as it is' even in death, even after death.. that thing is your real identity, the true foundation of your existence - Self. In this meditation, you will realized this eternal aspect of your existence - self in you.

For this meditation we'll use a very important & powerful tool available to mankind. This tool is 'Imagination' . "Imagination is more powerful than knowledge." - Albert Einstein Do you know what is imagination ? It is nothing but going into a belief so deeply that the belief itself becomes a reality. Many meditation techniques ( particularly those developed in Tibet ) are based on imagination. In the spiritual world the concept of higher reality prevails over the perceivable reality. The boundary between what is real and what is illusion gets so blurred in higher spiritual plane that one has to take the shelter of imagination to understand it .Before telling you about meditation, I want to tell you some more about the power of imagination . Please go through this small test of your imagination next.

What is Death meditation ?

Here is what you have to do exactly in this meditation technique : There are two steps of this technique: (1) First you will relax yourself completely. (2) You'll imagine (visualize step by step ) that you are dying. And this very process will take you to the witness the self within you. This technique is a very powerful technique. That is why I am explaining everything in such a detail. You are requested to read and understand everything carefully before trying this technique. Please note the following important things before trying this technique Timing: The best time for this technique is early morning or at late evening. If done early morning it'll help insure a good serene day and a late evening session will be a good preamble to a restful night's sleep. This technique is extremely beneficial for working people, students and all those having a predominantly mental /sedentary occupation. This meditation technique will rejuvenates

you and restore all your lost mental and physical energy like a magic ! Duration: The death meditation technique will not take more than half an hour. Once you start doing it, you will realize that an investment of 30 minutes on this meditation technique is one of the most valuable investment of time you can ever make. The benefit of this 30 minute technique will amaze you.

Place: The ideal condition is that you should meditate in a separate closed room where you are alone. Please make sure that no one disturbed you while you meditate. Ask your family members (or your friends if living in a Hostel) not to disturb you during your meditation session. You need a silent environment for this meditation so as not to be distracted. Try to minimize every type of sound in the room. Switched off mobile phone, radio and television etc. It may sounds like stretching the point too much but please switched off your wall clock also. The ticking of a clock is also very disturbing. The best position for death meditation is Shavasana ( a yogic posture also known as the corpse pose ) and the best place is floor. If it is not

possible to meditate on floor, then choose a hard bed preferably one with a wooden board. Please do not meditate on a soft bed. You will not be able to relax on it completely . Moreover it'll lull you to sleep which is not your aim. ( If for some reasons it is not possible for you to find a separate room , then identify a corner in any room and meditate there. Make all efforts to ensure that nobody disturb you while you mediate there. ) Clothes: Your clothes should be comfortable. In fact the less you have on the better. Make sure you are not annoyed by a tight belt, a stiff collar, a girdle, a brassiere or anything that might make you unduly conscious of being physically confined. On the other hand you must not feel cold. If the room is cold, make it warm by heating. It is impossible to meditate properly while chilly. Now let me take you into the depth of this amazing meditation:

Death Meditation : The method:

Let us start the method of death meditation by assuming that you have kept in mind the important points discussed in previous page (What is Death Meditation) regarding place, timing and clothing. Lie flat on your back, using a rug or folded blanket to protect yourself from the cold floor/ board. Close your eyes. You may not feel very comfortable when you first try lying like this. The floor will feel too hard and you may find yourself tempted to shift position. But this you must not do, for in order to relax muscle by muscle, it is important to lie quite still. Make sure that you are lying comfortably with your weight fairly evenly distributed on the floor. Once settled, take a few deep breaths slowly. Observe the inhalation and exhalation process while breathing, then allow yourself to breath normally again. Now, you must be aware that our body is consist of 6 basic external part - two legs, two hands, one 'neck & head' portion and the remaining torso. What you have to do now is to relax these six parts one by one.

Start taking a deep breath and while you inhale, stretch one of your leg. Stretch it hard, making all the muscle along the way contract. You will observe that while you stretch, the muscles quite far removed from the area with which you are experimenting contract in sympathy. When the air you are inhaling reaches inside the deepest point in your body, take a momentary pause. Hold the stretch at that moment. Then slowly start exhaling the air and ( simultaneously ) release the stretch. Let go every muscle that you stretch while inhalation. . Let me again explain you what you have done. You Inhale air slowly AND you stretch muscles along with it. Then.. For a moment You hold the breath inside AND hold the stretch in the muscles. Then. You exhale air slowly AND you release the stretch in the muscles along with it.

Got my point ? You have successfully relaxed one of your leg. This process will bring an immense sense relaxation in the leg. Now repeat the process with another leg, Inhale slowly and stretch the second leg. Again take a pause when the inhaling air reaches the deepest point inside. Hold the stretch for a moment along with the breath. Then slowly exhale the breath and release the stretch from the leg. Extend this process to relax your hands , neck & Head area and the torso. Inhale, Stretch, hold for a moment and then Exhale while releasing the stretch. One you completely relax all these 6 external part of your body this way, apply this process of relaxation to the entire body in one go. Take a deep breath. Inhale slowly and stretch the whole body at one go. Make all the muscles tense together. Remain in this tense position for a moment while holding the breath then slowly release the stretch and exhale.

You will feel a sense of immense relaxation by doing this. However, this is just the beginning . Keep lying this way. Take some deep breath. By this time you will be feeling very relaxed and calm. You have successfully completed the first phase of this meditation i.e. you have relaxed yourself completely Now the real process of death meditation starts. As I have already mentioned, we'll take the help of imagination. Keep lying in the relaxed position for a few moments. Keep breathing at your normal pace. Now imagine.. that you are dying. (AND WHEN I SAY IMAGINE, I MEAN IT. IMAGINE that you are dying as intensely and vividly you can. AND BELIEVE IT. TRULY BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE DYING ) Do you know what happens when the body starts dying ? Slowly -slowly all body parts starts loosing their vitality and energy. All the internal as well as external organs comes in a state of relaxed trance. The whole metabolism of body gets slowed down. Each and every cell of our body starts reducing its activity slowly. The vital

consciousness starts shrinking from every parts of body. Imagine that all the muscles of your body, with all of their tissues and cells, all arteries and veins of the body are losing their strength and vitality. Imagine that your limbs are loosing their strength, vitality, warmth and energy. slowly move your attention from the lowest parts of your body to the higher parts and imagine (as vividly as possible).. ...that in whichever region of your body you are moving your attention that particular region is dying. All internal organs of your body like kidney, liver, intestines, stomach, lungs and hearts etc all of them are slowing down their activities. Slowly slowly the whole metabolism of your body is coming to a halt. Everything that constitutes your body is dying, Take your attention to the top of your head thus relaxing every organ in the way. Till now you have completely relaxed your body. From now onward we will start the second stage of this meditation.

All of us have consciousness inside us. Though we dont know the nature of this consciousness, yet we all felt its presence. Now you have to imagine that this consciousness in you is shrinking. Imagine that this consciousness is a kind of energy in you. Imagine that this energy (consciousness) is shrinking form every apart of the body and concentrating around the area of your heart. Imagine that from every part of your body - from your legs, hands, head, brain, lower and upper abdomen, kidneys, lever, intestines and all little & big muscles and bones- from almost everywhere the consciousness is moving towards your heart and thus very part of your body is slowly becoming conscious less. This way you will concentrate the entire consciousness of your body around your heart. This process will take you into a deep state of physical relaxation. Now Now You will remove all thoughts from your mind. Since physically you have become completely inert, now its

time to make your mind quiet by making it free from all thoughts. Do as following As you are imaging the process of dying. Just believe firmly that you are dying really and say to yourself- " Yes ! I am dying here and now. There are many unfulfilled desires, many dreams to realize, many responsibilities to be taken care of. However, all these desires, dreams and responsibilities are loosing their relevance in this moment of dearth. Really visualize that all desires, emotions, dreams, and responsibilities which you would like to fulfill had you got a chance to live further and says to yourself "No matter how important they are for me, Since I am dying, nothing matters." At this moment every thing is loosing its relevance for you. You are dying. From now onwards there will be no future, there will be no past for you. You, as a human being, are ending your innings on earth. Do you know what will happen when you really imagine and visualize the above ? All thoughts will start disappearing from your mind. It is a very interesting fact that all thoughts have their existence in your mind

because you exists. When you will be no more, there will be no thoughts. As you intensely imagine that you are dying in the present moment, all thoughts will start disappearing from your mind. Now The center of all our emotions (like love, kindness, hate , lust, anger, generosity, compassion etc ) is our heart. As you have centered your consciousness around your heart, imagine that your consciousness (which is centered around the heart ) and all your emotions are mingling with each other and slowly coming out of your heart. Just imagine that your whole consciousness along with all kind of good and bad emotions which you thoughts are present in you, have moved out of your body. Imagine firmly that all emotions are leaving your body. Soon you will find all sort of emotions purge out from body. The consciousness will also move out of your body. After making your body completely relaxed, making you mind almost completely free from all thoughts and removing all your emotions and consciousness from your heart, here is the third and the final stage of this

imaginative meditation. Now you will merge your body with the universe..... It is a very ancient religious belief (which is also quite true to a great extent) that our body (and the entire universe as well) is made up of 5 elements. These basic elements are -,Water, Air, Fire, Earth and Space. In the third step of this meditation, you have to imagine that your body is again disintegrating into 5 basic elements of water, air, fire, earth and space and these elements of your body are merging with the universe. Imagine that all the water in your body is coming out of the body and is merging with a huge ocean. The water element of your body is again returning to its source -the water element of universe. Visualize it really. Then imagine that all the air in your body is coming out of your body and is merging with the air on the atmosphere. The air element going back to its source - the air element

of universe. Now imagine that a huge ball of cosmic fire has surrounded you. Imagine that all the warmth and fire which is inside you is coming out of your body and is merging with this cosmic fire ball. After merging the three elements of water, air and fire into their original sources, imagine that the remaining portion of your body which is the earth element is merging into the earth element of universe. The earth on which you are lying and the earth of which you are made up of , both are merging into each other. By now every part of your physical body has merged into 4 basic element. Everything in this universe occupy some space. Your body has also occupied some space in this world. Now after merging your physical body into water, air , fire and earth, imagine that whatever be the little space your body has occupied in this universe, that particular space is again merging with the infinite space. Imagine and visualize it intensely.

Now What ? Remain in this position. Keep laying silently. You have died. Your body has again merged into 5 elements. Your thoughts have gone. Your consciousness has gone. Your emotions have gone. Everything in existence that constitute you - your body, your mind, your emotions, your thoughts - all have gone. Is there anything that is still there. Feel its presence. Yes still there is something which has not gone. Still you are there silently watching all the so called 'aspects of your being'- the body, mind thoughts and emotions going into oblivion. What is that which has remained ? It is nothing but your self - your true identity. It is this witness who was watching your death. Not your death, the death of your body and mind. It is the self that remains even after everything goes. The silent watcher that watches everything that comes and goes. This self is your true identity, the real you. All meditations techniques are the process to know this self. Keep laying in this position for some time (10-25 minutes). Now you have to end this meditation session. Please do not make haste. Remember that there's a skill to leaving meditation. You should not just jump right out.

Meditation is just like climbing a ladder up to the second story of a building: step-by-step-by-step, rung-by-rung, slowly up to the top of ladder. So as soon as you get to the second story, don't jump out the window. Think of how much effort went into getting yourself centered. Don't throw it away. The process of ending this meditation is the exact reverse of what you have done till now and it also involves imagination. Imagine that your body is again appearing from the universe. Up to now you imagined that you are dying. Now imagine that you are taking re-birth. Imagine that life forces are again starting functioning in you. All the 5 basic elements of space, earth fire, air and water are again coming from the universe and integrating with each other to form your body. Imagine that all the emotions that have moved out of your body from the heart, are again entering into the heart. Imagine that your thought process has again started functioning. The brain has become fully active. Imagine the consciousness is again coming into your body through your heart and is again spreading itself in all parts of your body. Every part of

your body is again brimming with consciousness. Imagine that slowly all your body parts are becoming active, gaining strength and vitality. The whole metabolism of body that has come to a halt has again started with full flow. All external as well as internal organs have started working to their fullest. Visualize every organ of your body and imagine that it is activating again getting strength and vitality. Now slowly open your eyes and wake up. Sit easily and take some deep breath. You have completed the death meditation. Congratulations !! Do this meditation daily and soon you will start knowing your true identity (self) in detail. This meditation has the dual benefits of deep relaxation and deep meditation. This meditation will not only renew your body and give you a new vigor, but it also make you aware of the process of death. You will be able to understood about the immortal aspect of your being. Moreover, once realizing about your own self, your perception about others will also change. Let me summarize the steps in this meditation

(1) Lie down straight and relax your body (2) Imagine you are dying by removing your thoughts, emotions and consciousness. (3) Disintegrate your body into five basic elements and merge them into universe . (4) Be a witness and realize the presence of self in you. (5) End the meditation by reversing the process of (3), (2) & (1) Now we will learn the next Meditation technique

Vipassana - The technique of Gautama Buddha

Vipassana is the technique of lord Gautama Buddha . The path of Buddha is considered as Golden Mean because he teaches that there in no need to go to any extreme -

neither in indulgence nor in abstinence. His path is a Golden path, which does not demand affiliation to any idea, belief or dogma. Even after the lapse of more than 2500 years since he walked on this earth, there is no decline in his teaching or in the relevance of his miraculous and amazingly simple meditation technique 'Vipassana'. In fact this meditation technique is often considered as the technique of the future because of its extremely simple yet very powerful method. For the busy and extremely complicated life of 21st century, Vipassana is the kind of friendly meditation which can be done by anybody, anywhere and at any time.

Story of Buddha What and why of Vipassana Vipassana means 'to come and see'. To be more precise to come inward and see. It is the way of the Buddha. He do not give sermons on reality. He only says ' "come and see - 'Eehee Pissico'. Just come inward and see for yourself the reality.

In a single sentence :What is Vipassana ? Vipassana is : "To watch your breath with awareness. " That's all ! It is just simple . To be watchful of your breath as it comes and go. It is Vipassana. The easiest meditation technique of all time. Breathing is the most of important life process of our body. Nobody can exist without breath even for a single moment. In fact breathing is so important that nature has made it automatic in all living being. Nobody has to remember to breath. Just like internal vital process of our body like pumping of heart, circulation of blood, digestion of food etc, the breathing also happens on its own. Numerous meditation techniques are centered around breath. Almost all spiritual schools has developed a majority of their meditation techniques around breath. The reason for such infatuation with breathing is that it (breathing) is not merely a process of inhaling oxygen and exhaling Carbon Dioxide. Breathing, in reality, is a bridge

between our body and our self. From the moment we come into this world - till the moment we die, we continue taking breath. Breathing is a link between our soul and our body. So when one meditates on breathing, invariably, he gets connected with his self. As already described in 'What is meditation' (that all meditation techniques are the methods through which our true self is revealed to us), when you mediate in Vipassana , you will realize your real identity - Self. In Vipassana you have to be just aware of your breath. A simple rule is that no matter what you do, no matter in whichever action you indulged in - just be aware of your breathing process. Be watchful of breath as it comes inside your body and goes outside. Don't try to control your breath. Vipassana is not 'Pranayam ( the yogic exercise in which one control various movements of breath). If your breath is deep let it be, if it is shallow let it be. Just let your breathing in its natural rhythm. Understand this by this analogy: Just imagine that a river is flowing. Now the flow of the river may be fast or slow. What you have to do is to sit on its bank Just watch the

river as it flows. Don't try to create ripples in it. Don't do anything that affects its flow. Just be a watcher. This river is your breath. The breathing process is going on. Just be a watcher of this process. Slowly slowly as you watch your breathing, your mind will start calming own. You will see that all thoughts are disappearing on their own. Eventually as you keep practicing, such moment will start coming when you see that everything has come to a standstill. There will be no thoughts, there will be no emotions. However, there will be full awareness. The state of choiceless awareness. In this state you will know the real you. Some important things about Vipassana: (1) Though this extremely easy meditation can be done anytime, anywhere, initially it is strongly advised that you allocate some fixed time for it on daily basis. Choose a separate room and sit in a comfortable position. Them meditate by watching your breathing. (2) The real success will come when you can be aware of your breath while doing all kind of daily activities like reading, playing, driving, swimming, or doing any

domestic task. However this stage will come after a regular practice for a considerable amount of time. At that point there will be two aspects of your existence - doing and being. You will be doing everything, fully involved in your tasks, yet inside there will be a center of awareness in you undisturbed by outer circumstances. That will be the true state of a meditator - the one who will be creative outside and meditative inside. Here is a basic instruction of Vipassana meditation taken from a talk by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. I hope this instruction will help you greatly in learning this meditation.

A step by step explanation of Vipassana Here is a basic instruction for Vipassana breathing meditation taken from a talk by Thanissaro Bhikkhu given to a conference on AIDS, HIV and other Immunodeficiency Disorders in Long Beach, CA, Nov. 13, 1993 . I hope this instruction will help you greatly in learning this meditation (Originally published the website

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ a wonderful site for Buddhist studies. You can visit this site for reading many meditation articles of Buddhist tradition ) The Breathing Meditation The technique I'll be teaching is breath meditation. It's a good topic no matter what your religious background is. As my teacher once said, the breath doesn't belong to Buddhism or Christianity or anyone at all. It's common property that anyone can meditate on. At the same time, of all the meditation topics there are, it's probably the most beneficial to the body, for when we're dealing with the breath, we're dealing not only with the air coming in and out of the lungs, but also with all the feelings of energy that course throughout the body with each breath. If you can learn to become sensitive to these feelings, and let them flow smoothly and unobstructed, you can help the body function more easily, and give the mind a handle for dealing with pain. So let's all meditate for a few minutes. Sit comfortably erect, in a balanced position. You don't have to be ramrod straight like a soldier. Just try not to lean forward or back,

to the left or the right. Close your eyes and say to yourself, 'May I be truly happy and free from suffering.' This may sound like a strange, even selfish, way to start meditating, but there are good reasons for it. One, if you can't wish for your own happiness, there is no way that you can honestly wish for the happiness of others. Some people need to remind themselves constantly that they deserve happiness -- we all deserve it, but if we don't believe it, we will constantly find ways to punish ourselves, and we will end up punishing others in subtle or blatant ways as well. Two, it's important to reflect on what true happiness is and where it can be found. A moment's reflection will show that you can't find it in the past or the future. The past is gone and your memory of it is undependable. The future is a blank uncertainty. So the only place we can really find happiness is in the present. But even here you have to know where to look. If you try to base your happiness on things that change -- sights, sounds, sensations in general, people and things outside -- you're setting yourself up for disappointment, like building your house on a cliff where there have been repeated landslides in the past. So true happiness has to be sought within. Meditation is thus like a treasure hunt: to find

what has solid and unchanging worth in the mind, something that even death cannot touch. To find this treasure we need tools. The first tool is to do what we're doing right now: to develop good will for ourselves. The second is to spread that good will to other living beings. Tell yourself: 'All living beings, no matter who they are, no matter what they have done to you in the past -- may they all find true happiness too.' If you don't cultivate this thought, and instead carry grudges into your meditation, that's all you'll be able to see when you look inside. Only when you have cleared the mind in this way, and set outside matters aside, are you ready to focus on the breath. Bring your attention to the sensation of breathing. Breathe in long and out long for a couple of times, focusing on any spot in the body where the breathing is easy to notice, and your mind feels comfortable focusing. This could be at the nose, at the chest, at the abdomen, or any spot at all. Stay with that spot, noticing how it feels as you breathe in and out. Don't force the breath, or bear down too heavily with your focus. Let the breath flow naturally, and simply keep track

of how it feels. Savor it, as if it were an exquisite sensation you wanted to prolong. If your mind wanders off, simply bring it back. Don't get discouraged. If it wanders 100 times, bring it back 100 times. Show it that you mean business, and eventually it will listen to you. If you want, you can experiment with different kinds of breathing. If long breathing feels comfortable, stick with it. If it doesn't, change it to whatever rhythm feels soothing to the body. You can try short breathing, fast breathing, slow breathing, deep breathing, shallow breathing -- whatever feels most comfortable to you right now... Once you have the breath comfortable at your chosen spot, move your attention to notice how the breathing feels in other parts of the body. Start by focusing on the area just below your navel. Breathe in and out, and notice how that area feels. If you don't feel any motion there, just be aware of the fact that there's no motion. If you do feel motion, notice the quality of the motion, to see if the breathing feels uneven there, or if there's any tension or tightness. If there's tension, think of relaxing it. If the breathing feels jagged or uneven, think of smoothing it

out... Now move your attention over to the right of that spot -- to the lower right-hand corner of the abdomen -and repeat the same process... Then over to the lower lefthand corner of the abdomen... Then up to the navel... right... left... to the solar plexus... right.. left... the middle of the chest... right... left... to the base of the throat... right... left... to the middle of the head...[take several minutes for each spot] If you were meditating at home, you could continue this process through your entire body -- over the head, down the back, out the arms & legs to the tips of your finger & toes -- but since our time is limited, I'll ask you to return your focus now to any one of the spots we've already covered. Let your attention settle comfortably there, and then let your conscious awareness spread to fill the entire body, from the head down to the toes, so that you're like a spider sitting in the middle of a web: It's sitting in one spot, but it's sensitive to the entire web. Keep your awareness expanded like this -- you have to work at this, for its tendency will be to shrink to a single spot -- and think of the breath coming in & out your entire body, through every pore. Let your awareness simply stay right there for a while -- there's no where else you have to go,

nothing else you have to think about... And then gently come out of meditation.

Three methods of Vipassana Meditation There are three ways of doing Vipassana. We shall discuss each one by one. You will see that in all the three methods explained below, the main focus is on breathing. What is different are the points on which we should focus our attention while breathing. Initially you will required to try this method in a separate, silent room. However, as you practice them regularly, you will be able to use them at any place , anytime !

Here are three methods of doing Vipassana (1) Watching the belly: Have you seen the pictures of laughing Buddha ? These pictures are the specialty of Japanese traditions. In contrast to the image of Buddha as a serene enlightened

prince, this images depicted his as a jovial, corpulent person who has a significantly large belly. Though the picture seems funny, in reality it contains a very subtle message. The message that the belly has an important role to play in meditation. The belly is considered as the location of the hara centre. Just behind and below your navel (belly button) lies the hara, which is a point of consciousness that is considered as the center of your subtle body. By focussing our attention on the hara centre, we can easily attain a meditative state of mind. As you meditate upon hara, your thinking process starts slowing down on its own. You achieve a state of choiceless awareness. The 'belly watching' form of Vipassana meditation involves focussing our attention on the breathing process felt around the belly. Whenever we breath, our belly moves up and down. This movement of belly is a continuous process. Just like breathing, this movement (of belly) also goes on continuously. And we can use this movement to attain a meditative state. Let's see how: Sit quietly at a comfortable, peaceful place. Close your

eyes and take few deep breath. Now focus your attention on the area around the belly. See how it goes up and down along with the breath. Just be watchful of the belly movement as it comes upward & downward during the breathing. Focus your whole attention on this belly movement. Keep watching this belly movement. Within a span of few minutes, you will realize that your thoughts have gradually started disappearing from your mind. You will feel a state of increased awareness. Be a witness to the changes in your body during this meditation. After 15-20 minutes, stop this belly meditation stop watching the belly movement and come out of this meditation. Practise the above meditation daily. As you practice daily, soon you'll start recognizing the presence of a hara centre - a sort of ball of consciousness around the belly. That will help you increase the awareness of your inner self which is the main thing in meditation. Top

**********

(2) Watching the coolness in the nostril : This is the second method of Vipassana. If you observe your breathing closely, then you will find that whenever the air enters inside our body through nostril, it produces a little soothing coolness in the nostrils. Experience it right now. As you breath, see that whenever you inhale the air, it produces a sensation of slight coolness in the nostril. Though it is a very little almost unnoticeable coolness, but it does exist. The second method of Vipassana involves focussing the attention on this coolness during breathing. Our breathing is a continuous process. It just goes on. And along with the breathing, the soothing coolness in our nostrils also keep emanating itself as if it a by-product of inhalation. If we focus our attention on this coolness we can achieve a meditative state. Find a comfortable, peaceful place. Sit their silently in a comfortable position. Now close your eyes and take some

deep breath. Now start observing your breathing. Now concentrate on the easily felt and comforting sensation of slight coolness that you feels inside the nose whenever breath goes in. Repeatedly engaging the mind in feeling this coolness relaxes the mind. It works as if an air conditioner has been fitted in the the mind! At least for a period of 15-20 minutes, continue experiencing this coolness in the nose. Just like the above method of 'Belly watching' this wonderful method will take you into a deep meditating state. Slowly slowly as you practice this method, your meditation session will improve in quality and you will start achieving an enhanced state of awareness. This is a simple method but a very powerful one.

Top ********* (3) Watching the Breathing like a river :

This is the third method of Vipassana. The main thing to focus upon in this meditation technique is the breath itself. This method is the most basic form of Vipassana. You have to watch your breath as it comes inside your body and then goes outside. Just like the above two methods, find a comfortable, peaceful place. Sit their silently in a comfortable position. Now close your eyes and take some deep breath. Now start observing your breathing. Focus your entire attention on the breathing and follow it as it travels inside your body and comes out. Follow the breath in its entire route pf inhalation and exhalation. Watch the breath as if you are watching a river. A river is flowing and you are sitting on its bank. You are watching the water as it flows in the river. However, you are just a watcher. You are not concerned with the speed of the flow. Neither your are concerned with the quality of water or whether it has ripple in it or not. You are just watching the river without involving yourself in the flow. Similarly, just watch your breath as it moves in your body. Don't be attached with it.

When it comes - watch it. When it goes - Watch it. Be a watcher, be a witness. This is not easy. There will be distractions as you watch. .There will be floods of thoughts. You will be carry away by different kind of thoughts. But don't get discouraged. If your attention is diverted 100 times, bring it back to breathing 100 times. Slowly all thoughts will start settling down. As you watch your breath, soon you will realize the witness in you. The one who is watching the watcher itself. Your true identity. You are not body, you are not mind, you are not breathing. You are -self. The knower who knows everything. Yet remains pure and unattached. Watch your breathing. Keep watching and you will be in meditation. *********** In all the above three methods a little bit of perseverance

is required. However, if you practice them sincerely, then these three methods may be your best friends in this highly demanding and stressful life. All the above three meditation can be done anywhere, anytime in any posture. Just give them a serious and genuine try at least for 15 days and watch the result. Strongly recommended :

Best book on Vipassana Meditation : I want to tell you about a wonderful book on Vipassana Meditation. It is one of the most impressive and useful books on meditation I have ever read. This book is The Art of Living: Vipassana Meditation: As Taught by S. N. Goenka. This book is written by William Hart and is based on the lectures and writings of S. N. Goenka the famous Vipassana expert who has almost given a rebirth to this wonderful meditation technique of Gautama Buddha. vipassana.jpg

Well who is this man S N Goenka ? If you have ever tried to find the term Meditation in Google, you must have found this wonderful website : Dhamma.org . This website is among the most popular website on meditation since a very very long time. This site is the international home page of the organizations which offer courses in Vipassana Meditation as taught by S.N. Goenka and his assistant teachers in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin. Mr. Goenka is a teacher of Vipassana meditation and his Vipassana courses have attracted thousands of people of every background. Unique among teachers of meditation, Goenka is a retired industrialist and former leader of the Indian Community in Burma. Although a layman, his teaching has won the approval of senior Buddhist monks in Burma, India, and Sri Lanka, a number of whom have taken courses under his guidance. Despite his magnetism, he has no wish to be a guru instead he teaches selfresponsibility. This book is the first systematic study of his teachings to appear in English. Based on the lectures and writings of S. N. Goenkaand prepared under his direct guidanceThe Art of Living shows how this technique can be used to solve problems, develop unused potential, and lead a peaceful, productive

life. It includes stories by S. N. Goenka, as well as answers to students questions, that convey a vivid sense of his teaching.

If you are interested in meditation, I strongly recommend you to read this wonderful book as it is the next best alternative than physically attending the 10 days course of Vipassana. Its full of stories and anecdotes from the life of Buddha and you will find it deeply involving and inspiring.

You can buy this book at your local bookstore or you can order it from Amazon.com

Mantra Meditation

" Just by repeating the name, that which can not be understood Will be understood

just by repeating the name that which can not be seen Will be seen"

Mantra repetition is an ancient meditation technique extensively used in Tibet and India. Here is a simple explanation of Mantra Meditation: What actually is a mantra Mantra repetition simply means repeating a sentence or group of words that have a phonetic significance . just that's it. Mantra is intrinsically related to sound. Mantra is sound, and sound is reverberating in everything in this universe. When water flows, the gurgling sound it makes, is mantra. When wind blows through the trees, the rustling sound it produces is mantra. When we walk on the earth, our footsteps produce sound, and that too is mantra. Within human beings there is a self-born, indestructible sound which repeats itself constantly, along with our breathing and this sound is also a mantra.

Sound has enormous power, in fact it has the power to create an entire universe. It is written that God originally manifested as sound. (In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. New Testament, John1:1-2 ) According to ancient Indian belief in the beginning there was sound, which reverberated as Om and from that sound everything came into existence. Even modern scientist are beginning to recognize as our ancient sages did, that there exists a vibration which reverberates ceaselessly throughout the cosmos. When letters and syllables come together, they form words. Both our spiritual and our mundane life are possible only because of words; without language, we can not carry out any of our activities. Each word we use has its own power and produces it own reaction. A mantra is no ordinary combination of letters and syllables, but a living force. The name of God is not different from God. Mantra has been called the sound-body of God: It is God

in the form of sound. In Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna says, " Among rituals, I am the ritual of mantra repetition." By this he means that while other techniques are means of attaining Him, mantra is his very being. That is why it is so easy to experience God by repeating the mantra. Mantra meditation is the repetition of a group of words which create sound vibrations that awake the love of God in our hearts and mind.

The influence of mantra: How it affects the meditator The mantra can completely transform our inner being. Our inner state is created by the thoughts and feelings that continuously arise in us. Outwardly we may appear to have fixed identities-one person may appear to be a lawyer, another an engineer, another a doctor, another a professor. But inside, we are a continually changing mass of consciousness. When we project the beam of mantra into this fluctuating mass, it stabilizes it and focuses it in

one direction, the direction of the self. It helps us to transcend our confusion, our fantasies, and the constant changes of the mind. Repetition of the name of God causes a kind of earthquake in our inner consciousness. Whatever thoughts arise in our daily life, they are recorded within us and form impression that are difficult to remove. But when we repeat the name, all these thoughts and impressions are erased, and the name of God is recorded. At every moment, what we think is what we become. If the anger arises in the mind and we identify ourselves with it, we become angry. In the same way, if we continually repeat the mantra with great love and interest, we will become absorbed in God. By its very nature the mantra has the ability to transform our awareness into an awareness of ourselves as Self which is a part of supreme self God. How to repeat the mantra : You can repeat the mantra silently or loudly but it should be at the same speed at which you talk. You can also coordinate it with the breathing, repeating it once with the inhalation and once with exhalation. Repeat it very carefully, just as a miser

looks after is wealth. Listen it as you repeat it, and in that way your mind will become permeated with mantra. If you repeat the mantra when you breathe in and breathe out, it will circulate throughout your body, permeating every one of your blood cells. then even the room in which you have been repeating become saturated with it. It is said, "Mantra is that which protects the one who repeats it." The power of mantra is beyond your imagination You can understand the meaning of the mantra, but you can not measure its strength. Mantra is the living force of God. Therefore, repeat it with respect. If you devote even half hour or an hour every day to repeating the mantra, you will function much more effectively in your worldly life, and your heart will be filled with joy. You will begin to experience the self very easily.

Detailed Clarification on mantra meditation: There are many doubts and misconception among people about mantra. Even many knowledgeable persons says that mantra is nothing but a boring repetition of words

that doesn't affect our consciousness and the only effect it produce is to take the chanter ( the one who repeats the mantra ) into a state of sleep. There are many other wrong notions about mantra which, I think, exist because of the fact that people are not aware of the full mechanism of mantra. So before you start mantra meditation, it is essential that you clear all your doubts about mantra: The doubt (1): Mantra will take you into sleep : Fact: Yes but only if you use it as a lullaby. The most important thing in mantra meditation is that you should repeat it with the full awareness of its meaning. However, many people repeat mantra without having full awareness of its meaning. If you repeat a mantra in such mechanical way then it will not produce any effect and will remain an ordinary word. The emotional feeling in which a mantra is chanted is the most important requisite of mantra meditation. In its absence a mantra is no more than a lullaby. So always keep in mind that whenever you repeat a mantra, you should know what is the meaning of that Mantra. Otherwise you'll not be able to draw any benefit from it.

The doubt (2) : Language of most mantra is strange and difficult to understand. Fact: To some extent it is true but there is a reason for it. The entire concept of Mantra meditation began in India. That is why most of the mantras are in Sanskrit Language which is the language of the Vedas (the oldest written texts of the world). Though the language Sanskrit may be ancient & alien to you, what is still intact in various mantras written in this language is their phonetic significance and their ability to create powerful vibration of sound . All mantras were developed after painstaking research and efforts. Therefore, they are very well written tools for achieving a meditative state. You should only think about meditating- the process of achieving a state of choiceless awareness- without thinking about the language of the mantra that you will be repeating. [ Note: Sanskrit is not the sole language of mantra. In almost every religion there are some specific words related to Sound. The word 'Amen' in Christianity, 'Allah Hoo' in Islam and 'Om mani Padme Hum' in Buddhist

traditions are some examples. Please keep in mind that of whichever language's mantra you repeat, you must repeat it with full awareness of its meaning. In the section Some mantra to dwell upon, I have discussed four mantra in details : Om Namah Shivay, Hare Krishna Mantra, Aum and So'ham. Please make sure to read the basic terminology before you chant them ] The doubt (3): If Mantra can create a powerful sound vibration then what is the need to repeat it. We can record a mantra on tape and can listen to it as and when we want for achieving a meditative state. easy ! Isn't it ? Fact : It seems logical but actually is not that logical. It appears logical that If mantra can produce powerful sound vibration then why not use a tape recorder and listen to it repeatedly. However, in reality it is not that easy as it appears. If you record a mantra and listen to it passively, you will fall asleep as the mantra will act as a lullaby. All those- who are really interested in mantra meditation- should keep in mind that there are two basic requirement for getting any benefit from mantra meditation-

(1) the sound of the mantra; and (2) the repetition of mantra with faith and full awareness of its meaning When you play a mantra on tape, you are just a passive listener. The requirement of sound is there , but the awareness part is absent. Even if the recorded sound is of someone who has recorded the mantra with faith and full awareness of its meaning, the fact remains that you, who is just a passive listener, will not be able to draw any benefits form this sound as it is not your faith but that of someone else which is included in the recorded mantra. So unless you yourself chant the mantra with faith and full awareness of this meaning, the only thing you will get is a sound sleep. Please keep in mind that In order to obtain full fruit of mantra, we have to repeat it with full awareness of its meaning. Most of the time, we repeat the mantra with the wrong understanding, thinking that the syllables of the mantra and the object of the mantra are different from each other and from ourselves. That is why the mantra does not bear immediate fruit for us. If you think about

this you will understand that the same thing is true on a mundane level. Suppose that someone calls you an idiot. If you do not accept the word "idiot" as referring to you, you will not react to it. But if you identify with it, you may become so angry that your blood heat up. If you were to identify yourself with the name of God as easily as you identify yourself with an abusive term, you would experience its effects at once. Doubt (4): Is there a difference between repeating a mantra silently and repeating it loudly ? Fact: There is a little difference but not much. As I have already explained, the main thing is that you should repeat a mantra with faith, respect and with full awareness of its meaning. This can be done in both way i.e. by silently repeating the mantra or by pronouncing it loudly. The basic difference in repeating a mantra silently and repeating it loudly lies in the intensity of sound that comes out in both the method. But these vibrations may differ in their quantity but not in their quality and both have the same effect on our inner consciousness.

Doubt (5): But no sound is produced when we repeat a mantra silently? Fact: If you can't listen a sound, don't think it does not exist. Well it appears to us that no sound is produced, the reality is that every action and every thought produces a sound. That's a different thing that our senses can not detect it. Human being are capable of detecting only sound between 20 to 20,000 decibel. We can't listen sound below or above that level. However, this does not mean that such sounds do not exist. They do exists and leave their effect on us. When you chant a mantra silently, it produces a sound. Though we can't hear the sound, , it does exist and produces the vibrations which affects our inner consciousness. I hope the above clarifications have removed all your doubts about mantra meditation.

How to use mantra meditation in a busy & complex life.

Well by now you must have clear knowledge of mantra meditation. In order to meditate using mantra meditation you should use following: (1) Read the general instruction on meditation (including do's and don'ts) (2) Choose a mantra. Below I have described in detail three mantras. You can use either of them. (3) Allocate 30 minutes for mantra meditation. Though early morning or late evening is best time, you can chooses any time as per your convenience. In those 30 minutes, 20 minutes will be for chanting (repeating) the mantra and the last 10 minutes for being watchful of your inner consciousness. (4) Sit comfortably at a quiet place. Close your eyes. Start chanting the mantra (either silently or loudly ).

Repeat the mantra with faith and respect. Repeat it with the full awareness of its meaning. Keep chanting the mantra for 20 minutes. (You may use an alarm clock for keeping track of time). After 20 minutes.... stop chanting. Be quiet. Keep sitting silently. The mantra will keep echoing in your mind for some more time. Just be watchful of what happens inside you. Don't judge, act or react. Just be aware of all that is happening inside you. Just be a witness of all your emotions, feelings, and other activities in and around you. You will feel a sense of calm and bliss. All thought activities will start decreasing and eventually come to a stand still. Slowly slowly open your eyes and move out of the meditation.

When you begin meditating this way on daily basis, slowly you will start experiencing a thought free mind - a state of choiceless awareness. Your self will be revealed to you. (Please remember that the 10 minutes watchfulness after the 20 minutes of chanting is a must. )Later you may increase your timing. But the ratio between chanting and witnessing should remain as 2:1.

Some Mantras to dwell upon Here I have described three powerful mantras in detail. You can choose to meditate with any of the three mantra. All of them are ancient, powerful and easy in pronunciation. But before you start: Here is a basic terminology which you should know before starting Mantra repetition as you find its presence many mantra. All these words are from Hindu Mythology. Kali yug :The last in the four eras (time periods) of

creation. The other threes are Satya yug, Threta yug and Dwaper yug . These four eras are characterize by the intensity/effect of the rule of truth in them with the Satya yug having the most prominent qualities of truth and righteousness, with Treta at second, Dwaper at third and Kaliyug - the age of machines- at the fourth place. The present era is Kaliyug. Trinity of Brahma Vishnu and Mahesh: According to Hindu mythology there are three Gods who run the creation. The Brahma - who creates the universe, the Vishnu - who preserves the Universe and the Shiva- who in the end destroys the universe. Among the three deities, Shiva is considered as the destroyer. However, Shiva is also considered as the supreme reality- the inner self which remains intact even after everything ends. Please also remember that the one who repeats the mantra either silently or loudly is known as chanter and the process of repeating the mantra is known as chanting. The Mantras Here are a detailed description of 3 mantras from the

traditional Indian religious stream. All these three mantras are extremely easy to pronounce and highly effective. Click to know in detail about these mantra

"Om Namah Shivaya" ( pronounced as Aum Num-ha Shi-why) Om Namah Shivaya is known as the great redeeming mantra also known as five-syllable mantra The meaning : It means "I bow to Shiva." Shiva is the supreme reality, the inner Self. It is the name given to consciousness that dwells in all. Shiva is the name of your true identity- your self. According to Hindu mythology there are three Gods who run this creation. The Brahma - who creates the universe, the Vishnu - who preserves the Universe and the Shivawho in the end destroys the universe. Among the three deities, Shiva, though considered as destroyer, also

symbolize the - the inner self which remains intact even after everything ends. In this mantra the chanter (one who repeats the mantra) bow to Shiva- his true self. Om Namah Shivay is a very powerful mantra. It has been said about this mantra that if this mantra vibrates continually in your heart, then you have no need to perform austerities, to meditate, or to practise yoga. To repeat this mantra you need no rituals or ceremonies, nor must you repeat it at an auspicious time or in a particular place." This mantra is free of all restrictions. It can be repeated by anyone, young or old, rich or poor and no matter what state a person is in, it will purify him. How to repeat 'Om Namah Shivay' Sit in a comfortable and peaceful place and position. Start repeating the mantra in your mind or loudly with the same speed as you talk: Om Namah Shivay (Aum Num-ha Shi-why)

( To repeat any mantra as already mentioned in General Rules : one should repeat it with full awareness of its meaning. ) Repeat 'Om Namah Shivay', with the feeling that you are bowing to Shiva - your true inner self. Repeat this mantra with respect. The inner self is the form of God in you. So as you say ' Om Namah Shivay' i.e. "I bow to Shiva'; you are actually bowing to God - The great almighty. The repetition of the name of God is equivalent to be merged in his very being. When you repeat God's name in your mouth, in one way, you experience the God itself. Just repeat this mantra with faith and it's powerful phonetic vibrations will start doing miracle for you.

"Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare" [ Pronounced as: Hare - ( Ha'ray), Rama - (Raa'maa) & Krishna - ( Kri-Sh'-Naa) ] 'Hare Krishna' is the mantra which is known to maximum

number of western seekers thanks to the commendable work done by His Divine Grace A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad (founder of ISKON - International Society for Krishna Consciousness www.iskcon.com in spreading its awareness world wide. George Harrison, the popular singer of world famous Beatles group also devoted his entire life in spreading the awareness about this mantra. "A mantra is mystical energy encased in a sound structure and each mantra contains within its vibrations a certain power. But of all mantras, the maha-mantra (the Hare Krishna mantra) has been prescribed as the easiest and surest way for attaining God Realization in this present age." George Harrison (1943-2001), in his autobiography :'I, me and Mine' This mantra is known as the Maha-mantra of Kailyug (the supreme mantra of Kaliyug - the present era of machine where truth and righteousness are at their lowest level. ) It has been said that by repeating this mantra with faith and devotion, one can attain salvation and peace of mind. " harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam

kalau nasty eva nasti eva nasti eva gatir anyatha" - A Sanskrit verse from Brhan-naradiya Purana which means "In this age of Kali, there is no alternative, there is no alternative, there is no alternative for spiritual progress other than the chanting of the holy name, the chanting of the holy name, the chanting of the holy name of the Lord." The meaning of Hare Krishna Mantra This mantra is made up of only three words : 'Hare', Krishna and 'Rama'. 'Krishna' and 'Rama' are the name of Lord Vishnu - one of the mythological God in the trinity of Gods Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. It is said that in every yug (era) Vishnu takes incarnation on earth to establish the law of truth and righteousness. Ram is the name of the incarnation of Vishnu in the Treta yug ( you must have heard the famous story of Ramayana - the popular Indian epic. Rama is the hero of that epic. You can learn more about Ramayana here.

Krishna is the name of the incarnation of Vishnu in the 'Dwaper yug'. He is the central character in the Mahabharata (pronounced approximately as Ma-haaBHAAR-a-ta ) -the another popular epic of India (which incidentally is the longest epic of the world). Krishna is the most popular God of Hindu religion. The Bhagawad Gita the highly spiritual and mesmerizing conversation between Krishna and Arjuna( one of the bravest and famous character of Mahabharata ) on the battle ground of Kurukshetra is one of the most popular and respected religious books of World. [ you can learn about Mahabharata here and about Bhagawad Gita here] Both these words 'Rama' and 'Krishna' have become powerful and effective for the simple reason that for thousand of years millions of Hindus have been praying to God by chanting these two names. The faith, devotion and a pure spiritual feeling with which these two names have been chanted by all these devotees for so many years have made these words electrifying- charged with energy. Just repeating these names can take anyone into meditation quickly.

The word Hare has come from 'Haran' which means to take way or to end. So when one says hare Krishna, he requests the God (the supreme consciousness) to take away his sorrows , his shortcomings, his failures and pains. This Hare Krishna Mantra is actually a little prayer to God for taking away all the sorrows, pains and shortcomings of the chanter and provide him bliss and joy. "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare" Whenever you chant this mantra, always keep its meaning in mind. Chant this mantra with devotion and faith . While repeating his mantra request the God almighty to take away all your sorrows, pains and failures and give you joy and bliss. It is the experience of many that when one repeat this mantra with full faith and with full awareness of its meaning, his/her whole being gets filled with Krishna Consciousness ( which is a name given to the feeling of

bliss and joy one gets in repeating this mantra.) This mantra is a very easy mantra. You can chant it anytime, anywhere. Give at least 15 minutes per day for this mantra repetition. Sit quietly in a comfortable position. Then either chant it silently or loudly. Repeat it with full awareness of its meaning which is " O lord, take away all my sorrows, pains and shortcomings and give me bliss and joy". This mantra is a simple and effective meditation technique. Slowly you will start enjoying it as its repetition will give you a sense of calm and bliss. [ You can learn more about this mantra (and can even listen to the devotees of ISKCON chanting it by visiting the website www.iskcon.com . Further to know in detail the history of this mantra, about its first propagator Chaitnaya Mahaprabhu and the about the affiliation of George Harrison with the Hare Krishna Movement visit www.mantra-meditation.com )

OM Shanti OM

(New : You can now listen to Om. See download details below ) OM or AUM is the most important and significant word of Mantra tradition. It is considered as the root mantra of all mantra. In a majority of Mantra, you will find OM. OM is the most often chanted sound among all the sacred sounds on earth. This sound is considered as the sound of the existence. it is believed that the whole universe, in its fundamental form, is made up of vibrating, pulsating energy. Om is considered as the humming sound of this cosmic energy. OM is said to be the original primordial creative sound from which the entire universe have manifested. It is also known as the 'Anahat Nada', the "Unstruck Sound". This means the sound that is not made by two things striking together. If you observe the nature of sound you'll find that all ordinary audible sound are produced by the striking of

two objects : bow and strings, drum and stick, two vocal cords, waves against the shore, winds against the leaves, bat against the ball, tyers against the road etc. In short all sounds within our range of listening are produces by things visible or invisible, striking each other or vibrating together, resulting in pulsating waves of air molecules which we interprets as sound. In contrast to the above, OM is the sound which is not the result of the striking of two objects. It, rather emanates on its own. It is the primal sound of the universe that contains all sounds in itself. The meaning of OM Well unlike all other mantra, there is no meaning of OM. It is actually not a word, it is a sound. As per Hindu tradition, OM is the purest name of God. It is the sound of the supreme consciousness. So when you reapeat OM, you actualy take the name of God. Now without going into the further philosophical explanation of OM, let us learn how to meditate using OM. Repetition of OM or AUM dissolves the mind it its divine

source. The chanting of OM several time loud, purifies the atmosphere. Sit in a comfortable undisturbed place. Take some deep breath. Now chant at least 7 times OM in succession. Make each breath last as long as possible. Teak deep breath and chant Oooooooo~~~~~hhhhhhhhhh~~~~~ Mmmmmmm~~~~~. Then again repeat this chanting of OM. Do this for 7 times. After this, stop chanting and sit for a moment of silence. You will be amazed by the inner peace you'll get in such a small chanting of OM. Listen the sound of Universe : Let us listen the sound of OM. You are requested to listen carefully. This sound of OM produces instant positive vibrations and takes the listener to a state of mental stillness. Chanting the OM mantra for 15 minutes daily can produce remarkable effect in you. This mantra will help you to calm the mind, settled the thought process and realize the self. (Please note: Very important ! Don't listen to Om while you are busy (for example while driving or doing

important tasks requiring mental effort). Stop listening it if you feel uneasy. Not recommended for heavy meat eaters) Soham : The natural mantra The natural mantra - Soham (Pronounced as So' Hum') Now let us learn about a mantra which repeats itself in all of us ! This the the natural mantra - Soham .

Till now I have told you about those mantra which are required to repeated by the meditator. Now, I'll tell you about a mantra which is not needed to be repeated because it is continuously repeating itself on its own - in all of us. This mantra is So'ham - the natural mantra, the mantra of your true self. It does not belong to the East or the West or to any religion. So'ham is the inherent in everybody, in all of us; it repeats itself continually, along with our breathing. It is said that as long as this mantra keeps going on inside us, there is life in the body. As soon as it stops, we are no more.

Let us learn about 'So'ham' in some more detail :

In order to understand So'ham, once more we have to look at our breathing process. During breathing we inhale air and exhale air. If you closely observe your breathing process, you will find that as your breath goes out and comes in, it produces two tiny sounds of syllables. The breath goes out with the sound ' so' and comes in with the sound 'ham'. [ A clarification before you read further : : Of late I have been getting emails from various readers who say that what is described above has confused them. They have learnt/read something different about So'ham in other organizations/websites. I have written : "The breath goes out with the sound ' so' and comes in with the sound 'ham'" But many says it the reverse which is true i.e. the breath goes in with the sound ' so' and comes out with the sound

'ham' Well to be honest I don't know why the description at my website is different from other sites. The source from where I learnt this technique had described the sound of inhalation/exhalation in the same way as I have written here. And to me, it's seem very natural explanation as whenever I meditate using So'ham I get this feeling that my exhalation is producing the sound 'So' and inhalation the sound 'ham'. I think it's just a matter of belief and has a lot to do with our breathing pattern. If we are asked to breath deeply then most of us will start with an inhalation. Very few of us will start the breathing with a exhalation. In our sub conscious mind it is deeply rooted that whenever we take breath,, the inhalation comes first and exhalation comes after it. That's why when we are asked to concentrate on So'ham, most of us naturally connects 'So' (being the first syllable) with inhalation (being the the first process of breathing). 'Ham' is therefore linked with exhalation *being the second syllable and second process of breathing respectively)

I have also observed that it is very easy to shift from one belief to another. Since I was connecting the first syllable ('So') with the second process of breathing, it was just a belief of my subconscious mind. I did a little practice and link the 'So' with inhalation and ham with the exhalation. It's easy For those of you who are confused over this let me suggest something. So'ham is also known as Hamsa mantra. So'ham and Hamsa are the same mantra; the order of the syllables is simply reversed. An ancient Indian Sanskrit text "Shiva Sutra Vimarshini' (commentary by Kshemraja) at III.27 says " The breath is exhaled with the sound Sa and inhaled again with the sound ham. Therefore, the empirical individual always repeats the mantra Hamsa. (or Ham'So) Since you believe that 'So' is the first syllable and should be used with inhalation, you should repeat the mantra Hamsa. Doing it this way you will connect the first syllable 'Ham' with inhalation and the second syllable 'So' with exhlation. Now everything will be in order and your

confusion will go. Having said that I want to reiterate that you should be your own decision maker. We all have to be our own light in this path of spirituality. Take your own time, research a bit if you want, consult others and choose the path most suitable to you. We all are different. So are our needs and opinions. ] See for yourself now ! Observe your breathing and notice the sound of 'so' and 'Ham'. You will see that breath is coming out with the sound 'So' and coming in with the sound 'ham' Every time the breath goes out and comes in, one repetition of the So'ham mantra takes place. Whether one is a Christian, a Jew, a Hindu or a Musilm, one repeats this mantra unconsciously thousands and thousands of times every day. The meaning of So'ham is "I am That". Through these two syllables, we contemplate our oneness with the supreme consciousness. Through the ever going process of breathing, our 'self' keeps repeating this mantra - I am

that.

The heart is considered as the source of So'ham. It is from the heart that the syllables of 'So' and 'Ham' arise, and again in the heart that they subside. If you observe your breath, you will notice that it arises from within with the sound So', goes out of the body to a distance of about twelve fingers, and dissolves there. A fraction of a second later, the inhalation arises with the sound ham and goes back into the body. It merges in the heart for a split second and then arise again in the form of 'So. Between the inhalation and the exhalation, and between the exhalation and inhalation, there is a fraction of second which is absolutely still and free of thoughts.( It is the same moment of pause that I explained in Pause breath method of Deep Breathing) . That space is the space of the truth. When you breath in and out, listening the ham and so, you should focus on that space for as long as it lasts. As you practise the technique, the space will gradually expand. Observing the So'ham is a natural Sadhana, a natural yoga. It is known as ajapa-japa, the unrepeated mantra

repetition. Since So'ham goes on within you all the time, you do not have to make an effort to repeat it. All you have to do is become aware of it. You do not need any faith. You just have to watch the space of truth. Since this technique is very subtle, you have to practise it for a while in order to understand it. Whenever you sit quietly, follow your breath and listen to the mantra. If you do not immediately become aware that the mantra (So'ham) is repeating itself, you can repeat the syllables along with your breathing. (So' during exhalation and ham' during inhalation) In a few days you will be able to synchronize the mantra with your breath. Soon you will begin to hear the mantra naturally. If you practice it for a while, you will experience the self. The practice of So'ham is recommended in the Upanishads and the Vedas. It has been said about So'ham that : Watch the So'ham. Those who contemplate So' ham ceaselessly, discarding worldly entanglements, they attain the supreme state and their worldly bondage is destroyed.

While repeating So'ham, keep in mind that the goal and practice of So' ham are the same. So' ham means "I am that," and if you practise it with complete concentration, being aware of the breath coming in and going out, you will experience That (which is nothing but your true self). The truth is that you do not really have to practise it, because you are already That. The practise of So' ham is a matter of understanding. You are not required to repeat it . It is already going on in you. You have to just watch and listen it. Just watch the breathing process, listen the So'ham and realize the true self present in you which always says 'I am that' "Om Mani Padme Hum" On the meaning of: OM MANI PADME HUM "The jewel is in the lotus or praise to the jewel in the lotus" (by His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso The Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet )

***** It is very good to recite the mantra OM MANI PADME HUM, but while you are doing it, you should be thinking on its meaning, for the meaning of the six syllables is great and vast. The first, OM, is composed of three pure letters, A, U, and M. These symbolize the practitioner's impure body, speech, and mind; they also symbolize the pure exalted body, speech and mind of a Buddha. Can impure body, speech and mind be transformed into pure body, speech and mind, or are they entirely separate? All Buddhas are cases of being who were like ourselves and then in dependence on the path became enlightened; Buddhism does not assert that there is anyone who from the beginning is free from faults and possesses all good qualities. The development of pure body, speech, and mind comes from gradually leaving the impure states and their being transformed into the pure. How is this done? The path is indicated by the next four syllables.

MANI, meaning jewel, symbolizes the factor of methodthe altruistic intention to become enlightened, compassion, and love. Just as a jewel is capable of removing poverty, so the altruistic mind of enlightenment is capable of removing the poverty, or difficulties, of cyclic existence and of solitary peace. Similarly, just as a jewel fulfills the wishes of sentient beings, so the altruistic intention to become enlightened fulfills the wishes of sentient beings. The two syllables, PADME, meaning lotus, symbolize wisdom. Just as a lotus grows forth from mud but is not sullied by the faults of mud, so wisdom is capable of putting you in a situation of non-contradiction where as there would be contradiction if you did not have wisdom. There is wisdom realizing impermanence, wisdom realizing that persons are empty of self-sufficient or substantial existence, wisdom that realizes the emptiness of duality (that is to say, of difference of entity between subject and object), and wisdom that realizes the emptiness of inherent existence. Though there are may different types of wisdom, the main of all these is the wisdom realizing emptiness.

Purity must be achieved by an indivisible unity of method and wisdom, symbolized by the final syllable, HUM, which indicates indivisibility. According to the sutra system, this indivisibility of method and wisdom refers to one consciousness in which there is a full form of both wisdom affected by method and method affected by wisdom. In the mantra, or tantra vehicle, it refers to one conciousness in which there is the full form of both wisdom and method as one undifferentiable entity. In terms of the seed syllables of the five conqueror Buddhas, HUM is the is the seed syllable of Akshobhya- the immovable, the unfluctuating, that which cannot be disturbed by anything. Thus the six syllables, OM MANI PADME HUM, mean that in dependence on the practice which is in indivisible union of method and wisdom, you can transform your impure body, speech and mind into the pure body, speech, and mind of a Buddha. It is said that you should not seek for Buddhahood outside of yourself; the substances for the achievement of Buddhahood are within. As Maitreya says in his SUBLIME CONTINUUM OF GREAT VEHICLE (UTTARA TANTRA) all beings naturally havethe Buddha nature in their own continuum. We have

within us the seed of purity, the essence of a One Gone Thus (TATHAGATAGARBHA), that is to be transformed and full developed into Buddhahood. (Taken from a lecture given by His Holiness The Dalai Lama of Tibet at the Kalmuck Mongolian Buddhist Center, New Jersey.Transcribed by Ngawang Tashi (Tsawa), Drepung Loseling, MUNGOD, INDIA )

Om bhur'bhuvah svah tatsaviturvarenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo nah prachodyat" Rishis have selected the words of various Mantras and arranged them in such a way that they not only convey some meaning but their chanting also creates specific energies. Gayatri is a mantra which inspires righteous wisdom. It means that the Almighty God may illuminate our intellect, which may lead us on the righteous path. This is the most important prayer. All the problems of a person are solved if he is endowed with righteous wisdom. Having far-sighted wisdom, a man is neither entangled in avoidable calamity nor does he tread a

wrong path. A wise man intuitively finds solutions to his problems. Those who lack this clear-sightedness find themselves always facing problems and ever living from crisis it crises. The worship of Gayatri mantra bestows the boon of righteous wisdom. The teachings of and the powers incorporated in Gayatri mantra fulfil this purpose. Righteous wisdom starts emerging as soon as Jap of this mantra is taken up as a Sadhana. "Om bhur'bhuvah svah tatsaviturvarenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo nah prachodyat"

Om bhuh

Brahma or Almighty God ~ embodiment of vital spiritual energy (Pran)

bhuvah ~ destroyer of sufferings svah ~ embodiment of happiness tat ~ that savituh ~ bright, luminous like the Sun varenyam ~ best, most exalted bhargo ~ destroyer of sins devasya ~ divine dhimahi ~ may imbibe

dhiyo ~ intellect yo ~ who nah ~ our prachodyat ~ may inspire In short it is a prayer to the Almighty Supreme God, the Creator of entire cosmos, the essence of our life existence, who removes all our pains and sufferings and grants happiness beseeching His divine grace to imbibe within us His Divinity and Brilliance which may purify us and guide our righteous wisdom on the right path. A man gets imbued with divine qualities contemplating and meditating on this meaning of Gayatri. One should contemplate on these feelings daily and regularly. Three prayer-filled meditations are given here which should be silently recited and projected on the mental screen through imagination. 1. The Almighty God, who is known as pranav

pervades all the three Lokas, viz, Bhooha-lok, Bhuvahalok and Swaha-lok. He is Omnipresent. The cosmos is physical manifestation of God who pervades its each and every particle. I am seeing Him everywhere. I would always refrain from evil thoughts and evil deeds and

perform true worship of God by extending cooperation in promoting happiness, peace and beauty in this universe which is His creation. 2. This (tat) God is extremely bright (savitur), most

exalted (varenyam), devoid of sin (bhargo) and divine (devasya). I visualise this Divinity within me, in my soul. By such contemplation, I am becoming illumined, virtues are growing in all the layers of my being. I am being saturated with these virtues, these characteristics, of God. 3. That God may inspire (prachodayat) our (naha)

intellect, wisdom (dhiyo) and lead us on righteous path. May our intellect, the intellects of our family members and of all of us, be purified and may He lead us on the righteous path. On getting righteous wisdom, which is the greatest achievement and is the source of all the happiness in this world, we may be able to enjoy celestial bliss in this life and make our human life purposeful. We should contemplate and meditate on these three prayer-filled meditations slowly and pausing for a moment on each word and an imaginary picture of that

word should be drawn in the mind. While contemplating upon the first meditation, it should be imagined that God pervades all the three Lokas, the earth, heaven and Patal (nethermost world). God should be visualised pervading these Lokas in the form of light, heat and electricity, life force (Pran) etc. This vast universe is the living physical image of God. The Sadhak should try to visualise in his imagination a glimpse of the Allpervading Omnipresent God just as was given to Arjun by Lord Krishna. He should imagine that God is all around him and he is sitting in Gods lap. It should be pondered how evil thoughts and evil actions could remain lodged in his mind and body in the presence of the Omnipotent Divinity. He should imagine that each and every manifestation of this universal Godhead is adorable and that well being lies in selfless service of this universe, this vast humanity and in beautifying Gods creation. While reflecting on the second meditation, one should imagine the extremely bright and luminous, supremely exalted God adorned with all divine qualities, seated on the throne of Sadhaks heart. God can be also visualised in the form of Virat Purush. (2) Ram, Krishna, Vishnu,

Gayatri, Sarsvati etc. and (3) in the flame of a lamp. God can be meditated upon in male or in mothers form according to ones own sentiments. God is female as well as male. Gayatri Sadhaks prefer to meditate on the Almighty God in the form of Gayatri Mata. Brilliance, supreme excellence, utmost piety, purity and divine righteousness should be visualised in the beautiful image of Gayatri Mata. It should be imagined that such a beautiful and virtuous divine power permanently dwells in the sadhaks heart and permeates all the pores of his body. While thinking on the third meditation, it should be felt that the divine power of Gayatri has caught the intellect and feelings of our head and heart and is guiding them on the path of righteousness. We are pure, concerted and enthusiastic and are getting attained to move in the direction of righteousness with the grace of Gayatri Mata (mother). These three kinds of prayer filled meditations embodied in Gayatri are symbolic of Gyan-yog, Bhakti -yog and karma-yog. In fact, contemplation of the meaning of Gayatri amounts to immersion in the Triveni of these

three kinds of yog. By such contemplation, the meaning of Gayatri Mantra is fully assimilated in the heart of the Sadhak. The result is that in a short time his mind gets diverted from evil thoughts and evil deeds and he starts taking enthusiastic joy in righteous thinking and good actions. Howsoever little this tendency may be in the beginning it is almost certain that if the practice persists, the inner-self of the Sadhak becomes more and more awakened and the ultimate aim of life draws closer and closer. GAYATRI DHYAN (MEDITATION) Human brain is an extremely wonderful cosmic computer. The activity, movement and potentiality of each of its cells leaves even the greatest of scientists awestruck. Great energy is generated in the direction in which these cells are applied. All the physical energy of a person is diverted in the direction of his desires, aspirations and cravings. Emotions first arise in human mind. When the mind concentrates on such emotions a magnetic field is created which attracts the desired elements from the atmosphere. This is the science of meditation. On this

basis (AdiShakti) the power of the primordial energy pervading the interior of the nature can be attracted by the Sadhak towards him and retained by him within himself. Gayatri should be meditated upon daily at the time of Jap or at any convenient time. The Sadhak should sit for meditation in a secluded place having calm and quiet atmosphere. Mind should be steady and the body relaxed. While meditating during Jap one should sit in cross- legged position, keeping the backbone straight. When not meditating with Jap one can sit on an easy-chair or take the support of a large round pillow, wall or a tree. Body should be relaxed, as if it is lifeless. Eyes should be closed, both the hands should be rested in the lap and it should be visualized that nothing but a vast blue space exists everywhere. At the time of Pralaya (universal annihilation) nothing survives except the blue sky or space. A mental picture of such a stage of universal annihilation should be drawn in imagination and when it is fully established, a small round mass of light should be visualized in distant space by inner vision. Thus Gayatri should be meditated in the form of a small brilliant star, as bright as the sun. With development of concentration in meditation this round mass of light

comes more and more closer and becomes bigger and brighter. On minute observation, black spots are visible in the middle portion of the Sun or Moon. In the same way in the round mass of light of Gayatri a faint image of Gayatri should be visualized in the beginning. Slowly and gradually this image appears to be clearer - smiling, speaking, sensitive and lively to the Sadhak. Before starting meditation the picture of Gayatri Mata should be examined minutely, lovingly and repeatedly along with its each and every part and it should be firmly established in the mind in such a way that the Sadhak may be able to formulate a mental glimpse of that image within the round mass of light. In due course of time a beautiful and enchanting image of Gayatri Mata surrounded by a round mass of brilliant light will be visible to the Sadhak. Just as a person sitting in the sun feels warmth, similarly the proximity of Gayatri in the form of a mass of light suffuses the Sadhaks mind , his inner-self and his entire body with divine light. Just as iron, when put in the fire, becomes red-hot, so also, when the Sadhak retains the brilliance of Gayatri within himself during meditation, he

becomes one with the Almighty Goddess, becomes a rishi, radiant with Brahmateja. He feels as if his whole body has become red hot like pure gold and a celestial, divine, sunlike light shines through him. The impurities, sins etc. of the Sadhaks soul are burnt out in this light . He feels himself god-like, pure, fearless, pious and detached. In this meditation, lights of different colours are seen. Sometimes small and big stars of different colours are seen appearing and disappearing in this light. They are seen moving from one direction to other, sometimes traversing back in opposite directions. Sometimes, they are seen moving round in a circle and also shooting fast like an arrow. These are all good omens of progress in meditation. With the growth of the energy of Gayatri within the soul, several potentialities and qualities start developing which are reflected in the form of small masses of light of different colours. When this Sadhana becomes more mature and profound, the brilliance of Gayatri stabilizes in the middle of the brain or heart. This is the stage of attaining Siddhi. When the Sadhak attracts that brilliance from the outer space and settles it within himself, a stage is reached where his

body and Gayatris life force combine at one point. Just as a person, under the influence of an evil spirit, acts according to the will of the latter, so also after establishing Gayatri within himself, the thoughts, actions, behaviour, feelings, tastes, desires, aspirations of the Sadhak are oriented towards selflessness and universal good. Progressively, animality decreases and divinity increases. This is the ideal form of meditation of Gayatri. When the Sadhak meditates on Gayatri in the form of a mass of light, he should feel that along with its rays, wisdom, virtuousness and divine energy are being infused in him. When the Sadhak comes out of such a meditation he feels that the proportion of wisdom, purity and refinement has increased within his mind and body. The Sadhak in due course, becomes a store of divine light (Brahmateja). This divine light is like a bank draft which can be instantly got encashed at any bank of Shreya or preya and divine or material riches, as the case may be, obtained in lieu thereof. (Courtesy : www.awgp.org )

Dynamic Meditation : The original version

A clarification: Before I tell you about this meditation technique, let me clarify that the meditation technique described here is NOT the 'Osho Dynamic Meditation technique' ( the one which is normally practiced today.) The 'Osho Dynamic

Meditation' is the trademark of 'Osho International Foundation', Pune. You can visit there official website here Further if you want to learn the 'Osho Dynamic Meditation technique', you can learn it here. The meditation technique described here in detail is the earlier, enjoyable version of dynamic meditation technique. This technique has been taken from an essay on Osho by Christopher Calder from his website. His website http://home.att.net/~meditation/ is a good collection of articles on meditation, Buddhism and spirituality. Though I am not agree with every word Christopher has written , most articles in his site are interesting, enjoyable and worth reading. You can download a formatted version of his meditation handbook here.

Dynamic meditation
The following is correct and most effective version of dynamic meditation technique. It has four stages, each lasting ten minutes.

Stage #1) Start by standing with your eyes closed and breath deep and fast through your nose for ten minutes.

Allow your body to move freely. Jump, sway back and forth, or use any physical motion that helps you pump more oxygen into your lungs.

Stage #2) The second ten minute stage is one of catharsis. Let go totally and be spontaneous. You may dance or roll on the ground. For once in your life screaming is allowed and encouraged. You must act out any anger you feel in a safe way, such as beating the earth with your hands. All the suppressed emotions from your subconscious mind are to be released.

Stage #3) In the third stage you jump up and down yelling Hoo!, Hoo!, Hoo! continuously for ten minutes. This sounds very silly, and it is funny, but the loud vibration of your voice travels down to your centers of stored energy and pushes that energy upward. When doing this stage it is important to keep your arms loose and in a natural position. Do not hold your arms over your head as that position can be medically dangerous.

Stage #4) The fourth 10 minute stage is complete relaxation and quiet. Flop down on your back, get comfortable, and just let go. Be as a dead man, totally surrendered to the cosmos. Enjoy the tremendous energy you have unleashed in the first three stages and become a silent witness to the ocean as it flows into the drop. Become the ocean.

This wonderful technique is intended to grow with the student and change as the student changes. After a few years of practicing the method vigorously the first three stages of the meditation should drop away spontaneously. You then go into the meditation hall, take a few deep breaths, and immediately go deep into the ecstasy of the fourth stage. The method is fluid, health giving, and fun. Those new students who wish to experiment with Rajneesh Dynamic Meditation should read the following precautionary steps before experimenting with this powerful technique. Precautions: Obviously one must practice Dynamic Meditation in a safe location and not near the edge of a cliff or on a hard surface where one might fall and break

one's skull. A large room or hall with thick carpeting is good. Outdoors in the early morning on a soft and well tended lawn with group participation is best. Do it on an empty stomach and avoid falling into dangerous objects such as windows. It is allowable to briefly open one's eyes occasionally to maintain your location. Create a safety zone around your dancing and spontaneous body movements. Be courteous to neighbors and delete the screaming if it will be heard by others. Almost all Westerners are head oriented and emotionally repressed. For them a chaotic, spontaneous, and emotionally cleansing technique like this is vital for serious progress to be made quickly. The physical benefits of this technique obviate any need for hatha yoga or traditional kundalini yoga methods.

Meditation technique of perception

This too will pass... One Answer.for all questions This meditation technique is quite different from those that I described earlier. This technique is actually a contemplation exercise and involves thinking over life. Though people of all age can try this technique, it is basically suitable for people with mature age (I mean 18 &

above). The reason is that only those who have lived a certain (substantial) duration of life can reflect back on their past. Very young people who are still in the initial phase of their life are less likely (though not impossible) to analyze their life from the angle which this meditation demands. Nevertheless, this meditation technique is very useful for knowing our true self. Method: First read this thought provoking story :Once a king called upon all of his wise men and asked them, " Is there a mantra or suggestion which works in every situation, in every circumstances, in every place and in every time. Something which can help me when none of you is available to advise me. Tell me is there any mantra?" All wise men got puzzled by King's question. One answer for all question? Something that works everywhere, in every situation? In every joy, every sorrow, every defeat

and every victory? They thought and thought. After a lengthy discussion, an old man suggested something which appeal to all of them. They went to king and gave him something written on paper. But the condition was that king was not to see it out of curiosity. Only in extreme danger, when the King finds himself alone and there seems to be no way, only then he'll have to see it. The King put the papers under his Diamond ring. After a few days, the neighbors attack the Kingdom. It was a collective surprise attack of King's enemies. King and his army fought bravely but lost the battle. King had to fled on his horse. The enemies were following him. His horse took him far away in Jungle. He could hear many troops of horses were following him and the noise was coming closer and closer. Suddenly the King found himself standing in the end of the road - that road was not going anywhere. Underneath there was a rocky valley thousand feet deep. If he jumped into it, he would be finishedand he could not return because it was a small roadFrom back the sound of enemy's horses was approaching fast. King became restless. There seemed to be no way.

Then suddenly he saw the Diamond in his ring shining in the sun, and he remembered the message hidden in the ring. He opened the diamond and read the message. The message was very small but very great. The message was - " This too will pass." The King read it . Again read it. Suddenly something strike in his mind- Yes ! it too will pass. Only a few days ago, I was enjoying my kingdom. I was the mightiest of all the Kings. Yet today, the Kingdom and all his pleasure have gone. I am here trying to escape from enemies. However when those days of luxuries have gone, this day of danger too will pass. A calm come on his face. He kept standing there. The place where he was standing was full of natural beauty. He had never known that such a beautiful place was also a part of his Kingdom. The revelation of message had a great effect on him. He relaxed and forget about those following him. After a few minute he realized that the noise of the horses and the enemy coming was receding. They moved into some other part of the mountains and were not on that path. The King was very brave. He reorganized his army and

fought again. He defeated the enemy and regain his lost empire. When he returned to his empire after victory, he was received with much fan fare at the door. The whole capital was rejoicing in the victory. Everyone was in a festive mood. Flowers were being thrown on King from every house, from every corner. People were dancing and singing. For a moment King said to himself," I am one of the bravest and greatest King. It is not easy to defeat me.: With all the reception and celebration he saw an ego emerging in him. Suddenly the Diamond of his ring flashed in the sunlight and reminded him of the message. He open it and read it again: "This too will pass" He became silent. His face went through a total change -from the egoist he moved to a state of utter humbleness. If this too is going to pass, it is not yours. The defeat was not yours, the victory is not yours. You are just a watcher. Everything passes by We are witness of all this. We are the perceiver. Life come and go. Happiness come and go. Sorrow come and go.

Now as you have read this story, just sit silently and evaluate your own life. This too will pass. Think of the moments of joy and victory in your life. Think of the moment of Sorrow and defeat. Are they permanent ? They all come and pass away. Life just passes away. There were friends in past. They all have gone. There are friends today. They too will go. There will be new friends tomorrow. They too will go. There were enemies in past. They have gone. There may be enemy in present. They too will go. There will be new enemies tomorrow and......they too will go. There is nothing permanent in this world. Every thing changes except the law of change. Think over it from your own perspective. You have seen all the changes. You have survived all setbacks , all defeats and all sorrows. All have passed away. If there are problems in the present, they too will pass away. Because nothing remains forever. Joy and sorrow are the two faces of the same coin. They both will pass away. Who are you in reality? Know your real

face. Your face is not your true face. It will change with the time. However, there is something in you, which will not change. It will remain unchanged. What is that unchangeable ? It is nothing but your true self. You are just a witness of change. Experience it, understand it. Everyday for 10-15 minutes sit in silence. Just think over the sentence, " This too will pass." Pondering over your own life will make you realize the true meaning of this sentence. Everything passes yet your real identity remains the same. That real you is your true self. To know that self is true meditation.

Trataka : Meditation of third eye

Your third eye is hungry for awareness !....... The meditation technique which you are going to read is 'Trataka' (also known as third eye meditation). In the belief system of 'Tantra' and 'Hatha Yoga' there is a

concept of Kundalini . [ Have you ever heard of Tantra or 'Hatha' Yoga ? If not then let me tell you very briefly that 'Tantra' is a sort of esoteric spiritual path that involves doing a number of activities which seem bizarre and odd to many people. Soon I'll write a separate article on Tantra. Keep watching ' New Articles' 'Hatha' Yoga is a branch of Yoga and it involves indulging in various physical exercises and breathing routines (known as Pranayam.) Many things in 'Hatha Yoga' and Tantra are common' . In this article, without going into the details of Tantra, Hatha Yoga or Pranayam, I have tried to present a simple meditation technique of third eye. The topics of Tantra, Hatha & Pranayam will be covered in other articles soon] It has been discovered that there are seven chakras (or points of consciousness) in our body. These Chakras (literally Chakra means rings) are situated at different points in our body. Among these Chakras, the 6th Chakra is known as ' Aagya Chakra' located between the eyebrows and is said to be the seat of the mystical "third

eye". The physical location of this chakra is at the center of our forehead. Just above the place between our eyes. It is believed that Kundalini (the energy field) travels from the first Chakra (also known as Muladhara Chakra, situated at the base of our spine) and travels to 2nd, 3rd, 4th..chakra to reach the 7th Chakra of Sahasrara. Here it meets with the Supreme Consciousness- Shiva. The 'Agya Chakra' is the 6th chakra (the second last Chakra in the path of Kundalini). This 3rd eye meditation revolves around this 6th center of consciousness - Agya Chakra. This Agya Chakra' is considered as the center where our third eye resides. Though there is no physical third eye present in the body but at a more subtle, spiritual plane it has been experienced by many people that a stimulating center of consciousness exist here. Trataka (or third eye meditation) is the meditation technique of 'Agya Chakra'. When we focus our awareness on third eye, we automatically and instantly attain a meditative state. Now without further going into the scientific explanation

or spiritual significance of this meditation technique let us learn the exact method of this simple meditation technique of 'Trataka' which may take you into a meditative state instantly. Here is the method: [Please don't do this meditation in train or bus i.e. while traveling. You'll not be able to do it properly when your body is in motion. ] Sit in the lotus pose (cross legged). [if it not possible for you then sit comfortably on chair or bad] keep your spine straight. close your eyes. inhale and exhale deeply for 3 times. Now concentrate on the middle of your forehead around the area which is a few centimeters above the middle of your eyes.

Keep your eyes closed and draw both of your eyes towards this center point of 3rd eye. I mean just look upwards with your eyes closed . Focus your closed eyes at 20-25 degrees above just at the center of the forehead (at the place of third eye.) Now slowly at about two-second interval, start counting in your mind backward from one hundred to one (that is 100,99,98,97....and so on). As you do it, keep your eyes centered towards the third eye. [ Here I want to clear a doubt which comes in the mind of many people ] Well it seems too vogue to know the exact position of third eye. In the middle of forehead is OK. but as I try to concentrate my both eyes at that point I get confused where is the exact point of third eye ? Is there a way to know that I have centered my eyes exactly on third eye? Answer : To know exactly that you have centered your eyes on the third eye is very simple. As you draw your eyes towards the center of forehead by looking upwards at 2025 degree angle, at a particular point both of your eyes will become still, absolutely motionless. You will feel as if a force is slowly pulling your eyes towards itself. It will be

just like a magnetic attraction. As and when you experience this state, you'll be at the right point ! ] Do you know what you'll feel ? You'll feel a pleasant strain on your eyes. yes ! a pleasant strain in eyes. There will be a strain but you will enjoy it. By the time you reach 3..2...1(in backward counting), you will feel a strange sensation in and around your third eye. There will be a feeling which is difficult to describe in words. Keep your concentration on third eye. Once you achieved this state of stillness of eyes many of you will feel as if you can see your thoughts. Just like a screen you will see your thought appearing before you . Have you ever thought what is the source through which we see the inner thought process of our body ?. When you close your eyes there are many things which we see and observe. We observe all those things through third eye. Your thoughts will stop. If they appear at all, you will be

able to see them like a dream. In this situation you will realize the real watcher in you. You will be able to easily perceive the witness inside you. Something different from body and mind and yet a part of you. Just be in this state for 10-15 minutes. Now slowly return from this state to the state of normalcy. Release the strain from your eyes and slowly shift them from the third eye to their normal position. Let them loose and free. Move your consciousness from the third eye. Be still for few minutes. Allow the eyes to retain their normal movements. Inhale and exhale deeply for three time. Slowly open your eyes. Your meditation is complete. This third eye meditation is a very powerful method for developing concentration. This is also a very very helpful exercise for eyes too. Your eyes will remain healthy. No matter how much strain and tension your eyes are subjected to in a day, doing this meditation daily in morning and evening insure your eyes against any further damage.

Meditating on 'Agya Chakra' is also believed to be helpful in developing intuitive power. Doing this meditation regularly certainly helps in developing intuition but I must clarify that the concept of intuition and clairvoyance are beyond the scope of this website. Here we will restrict ourselves with just learning meditation. Please note that we should not learn meditation for gaining some kind of meta-physical or supernatural expertise. Learn meditation for the sheer joy of meditation, for the bliss it provides us. If you expect something from it, you will deviate from the path . Don't expect anything and you may get many rewards. FEW WORDS OF WARNING: Though I have taken care in explaining this meditation technique of Trataka by telling you just that which is sufficient for you ; I still feel that you should be aware of the sensitiveness of this meditation and about some precautions which you should follow while trying this. When you meditate on Agya Chakra, you meditate on a

part of your subtle body. It may happen that when you meditate on your third eye, you feel that the center of your forehead is heating up. When it happens it indicates that the third eye is attracting energy of the Kundalini. Though this heating is not harmful, you should be very careful. There may be a feeling of hotness with itching on third eye area. As and when it happens stop immediately. As a layman who does not know the intricacy of this Kundalini and its various paths, it s better to limit oneself to the process of meditation only i.e. achieving a still and thought-free state of existence. Please don't indulge in this meditation too deeply if you start feeling too much hot sensation on your third eye area. Few things should be used only in moderation if we do not have the capacity to handle their larger implication. So be happy and be meditative. Try third eye meditation without giving any thought to Kundalini awakening. Just do what has been told and you will be in meditation. The awakening of Kundalini is a concept of yogis who are full time dedicated to this subject. We, as a common men and women of twenty first century, neither have he time nor

the patience which is required for Kundalini awakening. Nevertheless, if you do want to know more and experiment on this, please consult a yogic expert who can personally guide you. As far as meditation is concerned what I have told you is enough.

Zen Meditation

When somebody ask a Zen monk what do you do in meditation, he replies, " I do nothing. I just sit empty and that's all I do." Now I will describe a very interesting and simple meditation. It is the 'Zen' Meditation. The 'Zen' is the word used in Eastern World (of Tibbet, Japan and China) for 'Dhyan' or Meditation. Many great mediators have said about meditation -

"Just be still and know" This Zen meditation is the methods of Zen monks who just be still and know. If you just sit still & empty, you will be doing Zen meditation. I will tell you how a lay man can do it.

The main thing is how to be still and empty from inside ? Zen meditation is the technique which gradually takes us to the state of absolute stillness and emptiness. However it takes some time to master it. Nevertheless, it is one of the most easiest and effective meditation technique. Before starting Zen meditation it is essential to understand some important things about our mind. Our mind (whose physiological counterpart is Brain ) is consist of two parts- left and right mind (brain). Both these two left and right parts give rise to different creative urges in us. The left Brain takes care of logic, theology, philosophy, math and science etc. All the thought process happens in this left Brain. Where as the right mind give rise to music, art, painting, love & other emotions. The right mind immensely facilitates the process of meditation. Right mind do not think. It is deeply related to the source of infinite creativity. Here thoughts does not arise as a thinking process, rather anything happens as an instant flash of creativity. This part does not think. This part feels. In Zen meditation we'll use our right brain to make our mind free of thoughts

Sit in the lotus pose (cross legged) keeping your spine straight. put your hands on each other in your lap. [sitting in lotus pose with straight spine and touching your hands will ensure that you do not fall asleep] Now look at your left hand. just look. Aware of the left part of your body. look at the left hand in an empty manner. Just look. Don't let any thought to pop up in your mind. look blankly on your left hand and try to feel the left portion of your body. feel the left part.feel This very process will activate your right brain. When the right brain activates, it results in disappearance of thoughts. Your thought will start disappearing [ Slowly after a few session of practicing this meditation , you will be able to instantly achieve this state of disappearance of thoughts ] Now inhale deeply.count one. Then exhale deeplycount two.

Inhale again deeply.. Count three. exhale again..deeply.....count four.

Continue this deep breathing and count up to ten.. Now keep inhaling and exhaling after ten11.12 13.but make your breathing normal (that is don't take deep breath. Just continue counting and breathing normally). Don't take deep breath. just breath in a normal way. If in between the counting, you forget counting.start again. Do these inhalation and exhalation for half an hour. Now again inhale and exhale one more time deeply. your meditation is complete. ?????? Complete ? yes for the first day it is enough. But keep in mind this is the first step

Do the above meditation process for one week. just inhale and exhale for half an hour in lotus pose after activating your right mind by using the procedure described above. For one week just do this. .. After one week Now make some modification in this meditation. The process will remain the same but now instead of counting both inhalation and exhalation, just count inhalation. It means fist of all inhale and exhale deeply while counting up to ten. Then restore normal breathing and count only inhalation as 11, 12. .... so in. Do this for one week. Next week Continue doing this meditation for half an hour daily. But now, stop counting. Just inhale and exhale inhale..Exhale . Just be aware of inhalation and exhalation. Do it for one week Next week.. Just sit . Just sit in the lotus pose. Neither count nor inhale

or exhale. The breathing will go on itself. But don't be aware of the inhalation or exhalation. Sit silently. Be aware of the moment. Be still. You'll be in state of Zen. The state of absolute stillness. The state of just sitting.

Energy Meditation

Imagine : Everything is energy ; and You will realize that in fact : everything is energy. Everything , every object that we see or feel around us is nothing but energy. We ourselves, in our fundamental form are energy. In this technique we'll again take the help of imagination. If you have read the technique of death meditation, you must be aware of the power of imagination. If not then read The Power of imagination The method : Sit in a comfortable quiet place. Make sure that nobody disturb you during the meditation. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Perform the three preliminary things before meditation. (Already described here )

Now imagine.... Imagine that everything around you is converting into energy. Imagine that everything which is present in the room is changing into small energy particles. Imagine it truly. Imagine it as vividly as you can. Imagine that the whole universe around you along with everything it contains that is all solid, liquids and gaseous objects - is turning into an energy field. Imagine that you have been surrounded by an ocean of energy. Now imagine that your body itself is disintegrating into small energy particles. Imagine that your entire body with all its organs is changing into energy. In fact the reality is also like this. If we see the world from an ultra modern super powerful microscope, we'll find that everything around us is nothing but energy and we all are surrounded by a pool of energy.

At the most basic level, the whole universe is nothing but a huge mass of energy present in different states of matter. Once you imagine the hidden reality and submerged yourself in the pool of energy, you will find an inner peace of mind. You have come home. You will realize that this huge ocean of energy is consist of pure consciousness. The self is present everywhere in this ocean of energy. Through mere imagination, we can verify the eternal truth of the presence of self in everything. Remain submerged in this state of oceanic energy for 2025 minutes. Then imagine that slowly this huge ocean of energy is again coming to its original form ( I mean the worldly perceivable form.) Imagine that everything is regaining its original shape. Keep sitting silently for sometime.

Then open your eyes slowly and end the meditation.

Meditation Handbook : free download Friends ! meditation handbook is an excellent piece of work on meditation. This can be used by all as a ready reference for meditation.

This Meditation Handbook has been written by Mr. Christopher Calder who has been a student of meditation for many years. Originally this book was written on a single web page. However, that web page is very lengthy and owing to poor navigational structures it is quite difficult to read the book comfortably. I have reformatted his entire web page in the form of an attractive and easy to navigate ebook. { All those who want to read the original unformatted Handbook, they can read it here. You can also read other articles by Christopher Calder on this site. ] You will find following topics in Meditation Handbook : 1. About Handbook 2. What is Meditation? 3. Why meditate? 4. Sitting Meditation 5. The sit-stand method 6. The recliner chair method 7. What do you do while sitting?

8. A self-inquiry incantation 9. Mirror Gazing 10. Eye Gazing 11. Cathartic Dancing Meditation 13. Soul Awareness 14. Sweeping House 15. Sweeping House with a Kicker 16. You can be creative 17. The wanting mechanism 18. How long should I meditate? 19. How long does it take to become enlightened? 20. Things to do, things to avoid, and things to consider 21. Enlightenment 22. Resources for Meditation Download the Meditation Handbook by clicking here

Take a different approach to meditation

Once we understand the concept of meditation, we realize that an individual is not a separate entity from the universe, We are all interconnected to each other. However, often , in our day to day life we become so much involve in the petty issues of mundane importance, that we forget the larger picture of things. There are many theories and ideas related to man's relationship with universe. Different thinkers and scientist world over have come out with their own outlook

towards it. In this section you will find some of the most fascinating ideas and theories from the various fields of science and religion. From ancient Indian texts like Isavasyopanishad & Bhagavad-Gita to the ultra modern ideas of Time-EnergySpace Hypothesis and Gaia, this section will take you to the most interesting inner journey of life. Ponder over these articles. A contemplation on them will stimulates your thinking and quickly take you into a meditative state. Realizing your oneness with universe is not at all difficult. A new perspective for life is bound to come when you begin to understand that you and the world around you are not separate and both belong to one reality. How this new approach to meditation works ? This new approach to meditation. is very easy way of meditating which anyone can do with effortless ease. This method lies in a small suggestion . Just do this:

"'See the world from a cosmic perspective and you will be in meditation ! " Yes ! just expand your horizons and change your perspective. I mean stop looking at this world from the looking glass of your own personality. Just by looking at this world, at this whole creation around us from a different perspective (which I called a cosmic perspective) you can be in meditation instantly. This works on a simple logic that Whenever you meditate: you attain a cosmic perspective for life So, whenever you attain a cosmic perspective for life, you will be in meditation ! Simple ! Just for a few minutes everyday, stop evaluating this world from your own opinions, notions and thoughts. Stop looking at this world from your own individual perspective and let a cosmic perspective take the driver's seat in your life..

Why & how to do this ? : First of all : Why do this ? Just like billions of people around the world, you are living a life and facing all types of ups and down, meeting with triumph and disasters, enjoying moments of happiness/ victories and enduring the hour of trials and tribulations. All these life experiences have developed in you a particular perspective for life through which you look at this world. Now this perspective may be positive, negative or neutral depending upon the various circumstances that exists in your life. In all likelihood you will spend your entire life with this particular perspective for life. Since no two persons are identical in all respect, everybody has its own perspective for life and lives according to it. A rich man has a different way of looking at this world that may involve spending his life thinking about the next stock market boom, buying the latest luxury car or

thinking about his next world trip. On the other hand the perspective of a poor man may be limited only to thinking about earning the next quotas of bread and butter. For a sick, the whole world may be confined to his room with nothing to do and just thinking about his sickness all day long. In contrast, a healthy person may have a different perspective altogether which may include planning for the next safari trip to Africa or for participating in the Bungee Jumping . In short , we all have our own ways and logic to see this world. So what's in for you ? As I have already explained that meditation is a process of making our mind quiet so that we can contact the self within. ( See What is Meditation) Self is the 'I' consciousness that exist everywhere. The 'self' in us is the part of same cosmic consciousness. Therefore, when we contemplate on cosmic consciousness by means of adopting a cosmic perspective, we instantly experience the presence of the same consciousness within us. This self, by its very nature is calm, blissful and circumstance-

independent. So when we perceive this world from a cosmic perspective, we recognize our own little place in the universe (which though small is also a part of the same consciousness.) This experience will help you to shift from a 'body-mind framework to a 'self -witnessing the body-mind' frame work. This realization of 'self -witnessing the body-mind' is what meditation is all about.

So How to achieve a cosmic perspective ? It is very easy. We will understand this from an analogy: Suppose you are participating in a drama and during the drama, you become so much absorbed in the character of whose part you are playing that you forget your real identity and start behaving like that particular character in your real life itself. Then somebody takes you from the stage and make you sit in the audience to watch the drama. When you watch the drama as an observer you suddenly realize ," Oh ! it is just a drama and I was acting as this character". You instantly recognize who you are in reality. You realize that it is just a drama going on and you

are just one of the actor in this drama. Someone different from the character of the drama. In the above analogy the most important incident happens when 'somebody takes you and make you sit in the audience to watch the drama'. It's only when you get separated from the characters of the drama and sit in the audience that you recognize who you actually are. In the same way the life itself is a drama that is going on and we are playing our respective parts in it. Now we need that 'somebody' who comes and makes us sit in the audience so that we can see the reality.' Somebody who can show that we, in reality, are self -the 'I' consciousness and the present life that we are living is a transient (short lived) play of a character.. In this different approach to meditation we will take the help of this somebody to understand the reality. Now this somebody is nothing but an intense contemplation on an idea about how this world works, what is the reality around us. Just contemplation on this idea will take you in to an instant meditation.

Efforts have been made by some of the most brilliant scientific and spiritual minds to describe this world from a cosmic perspective. There have been attempts to see this world 'as it is' without allowing our own pre-conceived notions to interfere. These attempts have given birth to some of the most interesting and informative theories and books on the cosmos. These theories and books contain the ideas with the potential of changing our perspective from individualistic to a global one. Though man has made great scientific advancement, the truth remains that we are just one of the 84,00,000 species on this planet earth, which are parts of this solar system, which itself is a part of this big universe. No one knows exactly how life originates. No one knows how life will vanished. There are only assumptions. Some appears very accurate whereas some are just beliefs. But these assumptions, ideas and beliefs helps us to relate ourselves with this vast universe. Once we recognize that we are part of this cosmos, we have emerged from it and one day will again merged into it, this reality makes us calm. Just contemplate on these ideas, try to relate your life with these ideas and you will

start getting a cosmic perspective for life. Make a printout of these articles. Sit quietly in a comfortable place and read these articles. They are meditation for contemplation. Just read an article, think over it, contemplate over whatever is written. Try to relate it with your own life. Do it and you'll see the big picture. You'll slowly start progressing towards mental calm & peace. I am not saying that your all problems will vanish. Unfortunately life is not that easy. But I can say with surety that you'll have a new perspective for life. You will stop nagging, fuming & fretting on small issues. You will start enjoying nature, the beauty around us Think over these ideas, contemplate upon what has been written and you will have a cosmic perspective for life that will take you into meditation. Bhagavad-Gita - the most revered and inspiring spiritual book of Hindu religion. The dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna on the battleground of Kurukshetra has contained the wisdom of highest standard. For thousands of years, millions of souls have found solace in

the pages of this immortal master-piece. There have been many excellent commentaries on Gita by various men of talent and wisdom. In this article, instead of going into the verse by verse analysis of this book, some of the most important lessons, which this amazing book teaches us, have been explained.:Cosmic Play of God "No matter what conditions you encounter in life, your right is only to the works--not to the fruits thereof. You should not be impelled to act for selfish reasons, nor should you be attached to inaction."

Bhagavad Gita 2.47 The whole world is a cosmic play. It is a movie written, directed and acted upon by God alone. In our ignorance we consider ourselves as the doer of the deeds, but in reality it is God through which everything is being done. All that is happening, had happened or will happen, will be caused by God. Try to understand this fundamental

truth by an anecdote. Often people tell this story as a joke. But I'll show you it's subtle meaning . : Once a man aboard a train with a heavy luggage. The train was full of passengers & all seats were occupied. It was a mad rush. The man, even after boarding on the train, did not place his luggage on the train but keep hanging it on his shoulders. When other co-passengers saw this, they asked him to place the luggage aside and stand comfortably. The man replied strangely by saying that since the train is already overburdened with so many passenger and luggage, he didn't want to increase its burden by putting his luggage too on it. On hearing this, all other passengers laughed and told him," Dear friend ! even if you hang your luggage on your shoulder, the truth is that you and your luggage are very well on the train and thus the weight of both you and your luggage is contributing to it's burden. Well the above is a joke. But take a look at this anecdote from the following perspective. The man who boarded on train was an enlightened soul. When co-passengers asked him to place his luggage on

the train and relaxed, he replied in the same way by saying that he didn't want to overburdened the train. All passenger start laughing and say that even if he kept the luggage on his shoulder ,the combine weight of both will be on the train and train will remain as overburdened as it would be if you put you luggage on it's floor. When the man listened this advice from co-passengers, he started laughing and said," I was thinking that you all were just common people. But it appears that you all are very knowledgeable fellows. You are right when you say that even if I don't place my luggage on train and keep hanging it on my shoulder, it is ultimately the train who will have to bear the weight of both. But don't you think the same logic applies to life also ? You live in the illusion that your burden of responsibilities, difficulties and tensions is being dealt with by yourself. Whereas the stark reality is that even if you don't leave your difficulties & sorrows on God, it is still God who will have to bear it. After saying this that man removed his luggage from the shoulder, placed it's on the train and sat on it. If we observe this world, if we see the life around us, we will find that almost 99% of things in the world are happening on their own. Human civilization with all its

technical progress and with its power to think and create is definitely affecting the way this world works. However, all the changes that it has been able to make could have never been possible with out the active help of all those factors which are still beyond our control. The earth is moving on its axis in a definite and precise manner without taking a pause. All type of weather summer, winter, autumn & monsoon etc come at regular interval annually, the regular rain provides our farmer enough crops to feed the world, the ozone layer and other various life supporting gases such as oxygen are present in optimum quantity and supporting the life. Sun, the provider of warmth and light is burning with a comfortable intensity. It is neither too hot nor too cold and thus is giving us with just right amount of warmth and light. There are continuous platonic shifts on our planet but none is too fast or too violent to cause immense causalities ( if you see it from a broader perspective, even the tsunami disaster that came in 2004 does not come into the category of what we called a catastrophe of global proportion. Though there have been many unfortunate deaths, our planet as a whole is

secure and at least for the time-being the earth is not in a danger of extinction ). In short there are so many situations like above which in conjunction with each other are helping human race to sustain and grow. All these activities are beyond our control but are extremely important for our survival. According to Bhagavad-Gita these actions comes under the class of 'Vi-karmas' (Vee' Karmaa's) or ' those actions which are caused by cosmic choreographer. There source in unknown but there preciseness and regularity left us in awe and amazement ! On a more personal level also, this truth of cosmic choreographer can help us immensely. Gita says that there are broadly 3 types of Karmas (action) (a) Karma - Everything that we do, every action which we perform, can be termed as Karma if. If....... If we do it with the feeling of a doer. If you perform an action with the feeling that you 'as a doer of that action'

are doing it then it is a Karma. Normal mundane tasks like supporting a family, doing a job, playing, watching TV, building a house, running a shop as well as the so called ascetic action of renouncing the world, taking Sanyas, breaking all relations with past life are also known as 'Karma' if done with the sense of a 'doer'. They are all Karma. (b) Akarma - What is A-karma. An action which is done without the feeling of a doer is akarma. When the feeling of a 'doer' is absent, every action is akarma. (c) Vikarma -This is the third category of action. There are many things which happen on their own. Just like the huge natural phenomenon of revolution of earth, arrival of weather etc, if we observe from a physical human level - the beating of heart, the breathing of air, the circulation of blood in body etc are all actions which are happening on their own. Our heart does not ask us, "would you like to pump me? it just goes on. Our blood does not ask us for circulation, it just flow on its own. The same is true for breathing, we may regulate our inhalation and exhalation but certainly we can't control it. It'll continue on its own.

The message of Gita : To put it simply - Observe your life carefully, contemplate over it, evaluate your experiences and you'll find that everything is in the hand of cosmic choreographer. Realize this truth and align yourself in this cosmic flow. Surrender yourself into this huge game. After all who are you ? Nobody asked you - Would you like to born on earth? You just came in this world. Nobody asked you - "would you like to be born as an American, a European, Asian or African? You just received any of these identities. Nobody asked," Would you like to be a Christian, Muslim or Hindu ? You just born in a family which practise a particular religion. Nobody ask you -"Would you like to remain a child? You have no control over your growth. You can't stop your childhood turning into teenage, a teenage into youth and a youth into an old age. They'll all happen without your control. And one day- nobody will ask you - Would you like to die? One day your eyes will close forever. You will go into the deepest of all sleeps - death.

It's only a matter of perspective. Just be a little analytical in your observation. You'll amazed to find that almost everything in your life is beyond your control . So what is the lesson ?: When nothing is in your control, why become tense and stressful by trying to control things. Why not we all perform our task with the best of our capabilities and leave the rest on 'Cosmic Choreographer' to decide ? Let the existence do what it wants. Just be in the flow. Best actions are those which are done without feeling of a doer: I know that there is nothing new in what you just read above. Many of you may feel a feeling of deja-vu. However, the fact is that eternal truths are same everywhere. They don't change. They are as relevant today as they were thousands of years ago. Try to make all your actions Akarmas : the actions which are done without a feeling of the doer. All these actions will make us more free, more playful, and more calm.

Don't do anything with the feeling that you are doing it yourself. Just be an instrument in the hand of existence. Let it do what it wants to accomplish through you. This cosmic play is going on. We may choose to be playful with it or we may choose to fight with it. Be a little meditative. Be still and know. We all are puppets in the hands of cosmic strings. So let us surrender ourselves to this existence. No matter who we are, where we are, what we are doing, let us do it in a non-attached manner. Only one thing is required - A firm faith in the cosmic play, A belief in existence. Jumping into the unknown appears a risky and insecure step. but sometime an open insecurity becomes the safest place. Just for once - Stop fighting with your fate, with your circumstances. Accept the world as it is. Believe in existence, be still in meditation and stop doing anything by placing yourself in the center. Put aside yourself and let the existence do what it wants to do through you. You'll amazed by the inner peace you'll got from this. A very important article on this theme has been written by 'Peter Russell' of www.peterrussell.com . It tells us how to be a wizard. Though there is no mention of Bhagvad-

Gita, but for somebody who wants to practically apply the lesson from Gita in his/her life- this article is worth reading,

Next : 3rd idea for contemplation Everything is God

Isavasyopanishad or the Isa Upanishad is one of the most wonderful book of ancient Indian wisdom. Often called as the 'Gem' among all 108 Principal Upanishads, this book of just 18 verses, contains the essence of all knowledge that as been contemplated and experienced by Indian thinkers & philosophers. All those, who are interested in the questions of our relationship with the Universe, will find one of the most interesting and fascinating answers in this book. Originally written in Sanskrit language, its

first verse (which is actually a kind of declaration mantra recited in the beginning and end of the Upanishad) gives the whole essence of the Upanishad. This famous Shanti Mantra, Puranamadah Purnamidam... encompasses within itself the entire message of Vedanta. It unequivocally declares that there is nothing but one nondual divinity in the entire Universe. Again, instead of going into the verse by verse explanation of this text, I am describing the fundamental idea which this book propose: Om. That is full; this is full. This fullness has been projected from that fullness. When this fullness merges in that fullness, all that remains is fullness. Om. Peace! Peace! Peace! (The beginning & ending mantra of Isavasyopanishad)

We shall start with two questions: First Question: Is there anything from which if we subtract a part of it,

even then there is no decrease in its value ? (Can you think of anything like that ? The question defy any mathematical logic ) Second Question: Is there anything in which if we add a part of it, even then there is no increase in its value. (Another question that defy any mathematical logic. ) In this unique Upanishad, we find the mention of a thing from which if we subtract the whole of it, even then there will be no decrease in its value. And if we add in it the whole of it. then there will be no increase in its value. Though this statement defies any mathematical logic, yet the beauty of this book lies in the fact that it tells us that some of the most fundamental truths of life defy any logic. It means that if that thing is 'x' then Normally Subtracting x from x should take us to Zero

x-x=0 But this Upanishad says x-x = x ( how ???? ) Again normally adding x to x should come up with 2x x + x = 2x But Isavasyopanishad says x + x = x (how ????)

What can be the value of this 'x' ? Let us try to find the answer of the above two question with the help of some analogies. Consider ocean, it is a huge collection of water. Every year thousand of tons of water get evaporated from it by the effect of Sun. However, there appears no significant reduction in Sea level. At any given moment, somewhere on earth, raining is continue. Every moment thousand of tons of water is being poured into the ocean by all kind of big and small rivers such as Amazon, Nile, Hwang ho and Ganga etc. However, there has been no significant

increase in the sea level. So in view of this seemingly constant amount of water in all circumstances, can we say that oceans are the answer of above questions? Can we say [ocean] - [ocean] = [ocean] or [ocean] + [ocean] = [ocean] ? Perhaps not. In absolute term, level of water in ocean keep rising and falling depending upon the collective atmospheric changes of rain, evaporation and influx of water river. Let us take 'space'. Everything around us comes under the space. In the journey of time, cities emerges , then vanquished, new cities comes, people built house in space, live in them , rebuild them in space. The biggest of the mountains and smallest of the creatures all spent their lives in space . Every phenomena of nature, every creation and every destruction takes place in space and yet the space remains intact. There appears no decrease or increase in its quantity. So can we say that 'Space' is the answer of above questions?

Can we say [space] + [space] = [space] or [space] - [space] = [space]

Though space seems to be very probable answer of above mentioned two questions, it is not the correct answer in absolute term. If we observe from an absolute term, even the space get an increase or decrease in its value. A house is built in space. After a very-very long time, that house will decayed completely from wear & tear. After a very long time, there will be no house in that space and there will again be space in the place of that house. However it is clear that during the period when the house was in existence, at least some portion of that space was occupied by house and for all practical purpose, this particular portion of space could not be used for any other thing. Therefore, though on a very minimum scale, the value of available space decreased for a limited period of time as this space was utilized by the house. Hence, in absolute terms, the quantity of space increases or decreases depending on the size and quantity of objects that occupy space.

In the above mentioned analogies of Ocean and Space, I discussed these two very big entities (ocean and space) which seems to be constant even if some of their parts are added or subtracted from them. However, the Isa Upanishad talks of an entity which remains intact even in subtraction or addition of its entire value from it. In this Upanishad it has been stated that the whole comes out from the whole yet the whole remains. Please notice that not a small part of this whole entity comes out of it, this entire whole comes out of it, yet the whole remains. And not a small part of whole is added into it. The whole entity is added into it, yet the whole remains. The whole in its entirety emerge from this fullness and again merge into this, yet the whole remains intact. Let us make these things more clear, if this whole entity is x, then x-x=x x+x=x

The whole Universe merge from x

yet the x remains as it is. The whole Universe merge into x yet the x remains as it is. What is this 'x' x = reality = God It has been said that there is 'something' from which the whole Universe emerges and again merges into that and yet that 'something' remains intact. This wholeness is God or divine consciousness. Upanishad is pointing towards God or super consciousness or the divinity whatever you may call it. The whole Universe emerges from God or divine consciousness and yet God/ divine consciousness remains intact. Let us understand it from a more scientific angle. In the beginning there was nothing but this divine consciousness. Then Big bang occurred and Universe was

born which later gave rise to earth and thereafter life on it. In future, at some point of time, the whole Universe will again merged into this divine consciousness (the birth of Universe is named Big bang, I don't know what this seemingly death of Universe will be called. But ultimately in the end, there will again be divine consciousness, in its entirety. Then again there will be another big bang, another earth, another human race and life on earth..The again.in that remote future, this next Universe will again merge into the divine consciousnessAnd this process will continue. Sounds interesting ? . If we contemplate over this cyclic play of divine consciousness, an interesting thought comes to mind.... If the Universe continue to just emerge from and merge into this divine consciousness in the chronicles of time, can we convincingly called our earth and Universe the first product of this cycle? If Universe emerges and merges into this divine

consciousness, then can anybody guess how many Universe have come and gone before our present Universe ? And how many earths which were part of those previously existed Universe have come into existence ? There is no way by which we can tell this because every birth and death of Universe completely remove all traces of the past Universe. A new Universe is a fresh product of divine consciousness. When it will die (or merged into the consciousness), the divine consciousness will again give birth to a new Universe which will have a new earth and a new life. This life will belong to an entirely new Universe with no traces of past and this process will continue.again and again. This revelation reminds us of a verse of Bhagavad-Gita. In the battleground of Kurukshetra. When Arjuna started trembling seeing his near and dear standing on the other side ready to fight with him, he felt the urge to quit and fled away from the war front. At this juncture, Lord Krishna who was his chariot says to him, "O Arjuna, there was never a time, when you were not there. There was never a time when I or your near and

dears, standing on the opposite side, were not there. And in future also, there will never be a time when you, I or these near & dears of you will not be there. " In entire Gita, Krishna only tries to convince Arjuna about this supreme reality, about this play of divine consciousness. Now two questions arise in mind: (1) If the whole Universe emanate from the supreme consciousness and again merge into it, then where this supreme consciousness reside ? At a place outside this Universe? There must be some location of this Supreme consciousness from which this Universe come out and merge into. (2) It has been said that the wholeness comes out of wholeness, yet the wholeness remains intact. When this such a large Universe emerges from this Supreme consciousness how can this Supreme consciousness remains the same. There must be some decline in its value. It seems practical and logical from a mathematical

point of view. The above two questions are very natural to an ordinary mind which is not capable to see them from a cosmic perspective. The fact is that we as a human being are habitual of comprehending a phenomena from our own limited perspective. Normally when we subtract or add a part of something from or into it, its value decreases or increases. But these things (the process of addition or subtraction) happens in a plane of reference which we are able to observe from our senses. Always the addition or subtraction takes place in a third plane. Whenever there is a decrease or increase in the value of something as a result of removing or adding a part from ( or to) it, this incident (of subtraction or addition) takes place in a surrounding which is not a part of this incident. For example- suppose in a room, a tub full of water is placed. Adding some water into the tub or removing some water from the tub, results into a increase or decrease in the total quantity of water. The thing to note here is that this incident ( of addition or removal of water from the

tub) takes pace in tub which is not a part of this 'change in quantity of water'. Moreover this tub is place in a room which is not a part of it. On a broader level, the intake of water into the ocean and evaporation of it from heat, results in the total quantity of water but this whole incident take place in space which is not part of this incident. Taking example of space. If a house is built on a particular space then presence of this house on that place results in a decrease in the quality of total space available. However, this decrease in space (as a result of that house) occurred in a surrounding of the rest of the space which is not a part of it. When we consider the case of supreme consciousness from which the whole Universe emerge, it has to be taken into account that this emanating of Universe from supreme consciousness and its eventual merger into it does not take place in a surrounding which is not a part of it. It simply means that the Universe itself is a manifestation of that supreme consciousness and when this Universe

emerge from this supreme consciousness a part of this consciousness itself become visible in the form of the Universe. But there is no decrease in the value of this consciousness because there is no surrounding outside in which this incident takes place. This supreme consciousness is everywhere, it is the formless foundation of all, pervaded in every particle of Universe. There is no location where it is not present. When the Universe merge into it and emanate from it, in actuality the supreme consciousness just manifest itself as Universe, thus whole value of consciousness remains intact as there is no surrounding where it is not present. From absolute, if an absolute emerge, the absolute remains as there is nothing beyond the absolute. All those who meditate can experience the presence of this supreme consciousness in them. The entire world, the whole Universe and all its activities are the continuous play of this supreme consciousness in the eternal chronicles of time ! The Universe will continue to born and die, earth and planets like earth had existed in the past and will continue to flourish in future. Since from a human perspective (according to which we have a limited period of time on earth in which we all see childhood, youth & old age) there is a measurement of happening, known as time.

And as such there has been a particular duration (in terms of time) between birth and death of Universe. Om Shanti Shanti. Let there be peace, peace and peace ! The recitation of peace chant is the natural consequence of this understanding. If there is a cyclic play of supreme consciousness( God) is going on, then what is our place in this play ? On this cosmic level, we are just like waves of ocean. Wave emerge and merge into the ocean. This play is continue and the ocean remains intact as it is. So there is no need for panic, tensions or any kind of ill thinking. In this cosmic scale, everything belongs to that super consciousness, everything manifests from it and ultimately merge into it. Contemplate on this truth, feel it from the perspective of your own life experience. There will be no reason for sorrow. Let there be calm. Accept the function of this cosmic game and learn to align your life with this universal choreographer. Let there be peace, let there be peace. Next: 4th idea for contemplation The whole cosmos is made up of three things: Time,

energy and space. The TES hypothesis is inherently obvious, fundamental, and in harmony with a state of mind that values both science and religion. It declares that the universe and all of its manifestations are created by time-energy-space , the TES. Even such ethereal phenomena as love, compassion, souls, and consciousness are all products of this singular and universal being. There are forms of energy and dimensions of space that have not yet been quantified by science (example - scientists break the light barrier). Those mysterious realities are also within the normal workings of TES and nothing in the universe is truly supernatural and beyond the laws of nature. Everything that exists is created through cycles of the TES, both on the large physical scale involving the formation of stars, galaxies, and planets, and on the subtler inner dimensions involving the evolution of souls and consciousness. The Hindu word 'Atman' means the soul of life and the essence of being. The Atman is not just the individual soul but is defined as the universal soul that exists everywhere. For this discussion we will use the word

Atman more strictly to designate that part of the TES that becomes conscious of itself on the grand and cosmic scale. We thus define Atman as the universal cosmic consciousness. The vast majority of the TES exists unconsciously without feeling or life. This portion is made up of empty space, stars, and the bulk of planets. Primitive life forms that do exist on a minority of planets have a utilitarian consciousness which allows them to survive through interacting with their environment. The fundamental awareness of physical objects combined with the pleasure-pain mechanism creates the evolutionary pathway through which the unconscious TES slowly evolves into the fully conscious TES, the Atman. When human beings become enlightened their consciousness becomes one with the Atman but they never achieve magical abilities outside of the natural laws and properties of the TES. Even telepathy and astral projection are all normal phenomena for the TES. Enlightened beings remain physically mortal but their consciousness becomes one with that which has always existed and that which will always exist in the future. The

evolution of consciousness from the vast unconscious TES to the partially conscious TES, the world of plants and animals, to the fully conscious TES, the Atman, is the path to existential self-understanding. No human being has ever known the unconscious TES directly. All that we know is within the world of consciousness. We are aware of the unconscious part of the TES only through inference. When you look at a tree you are not seeing the tree directly but rather a representation of that tree created by your own mind. Our experience of colors, smells, tastes, and sounds are all subjective creations of our mammalian neurological evolution. Thus the question: "If a tree falls in the woods and there is no one there to hear it, is there a sound at all?" On the path of evolution of consciousness one progresses beyond the mere physical and neurological to a consciousness involving subtler forms of energy and unnamed dimensions of space. Even this vast and oceanic consciousness, the Atman, is a normal product of the TES. The Atman is the ultimate living creation of the TES and is inherently immortal.

As long as we feel we exist as individuals we suffer because that perception is based on a temporary neurological illusion. This illusion of an individual 'I' is so vulnerable that even sleep destroys it. Every time you go into deep sleep your consciousness temporarily dies and your subjective individual identity dies with it. Get rid of the feeling 'I exist' and you get rid of attachments which create tension, suffering, and feelings of danger. When you focus your consciousness on that which is limited you become small and vulnerable. When you open your consciousness to experience the whole universe you become vast, limitless, and without mental anguish. Thus the art of meditation is the art of inner astronomy. Siddhartha Gautama, the historic Buddha, is reported to have said that no soul exists. He used the term 'Anatman' (no-soul) as a replacement for the Hindu term 'Atman.' Siddhartha may have said this to discourage his disciples from becoming attached to the concept of an individual soul which could lead to selfishness. You may be tempted to care for the welfare and spiritual progress of your own soul but not value the souls of others. Siddhartha may have also said there is no soul because

the ultimate experience of the TES is so vast that there is nothing to compare it to. With no comparison possible the experience of everything feels like nothingness. How can nothingness have a soul? How can infinity have a size or a shape when by definition it has no boundaries? The TES is so full of space that it feels like oblivion and thus many enlightened teachers have called it the Void. This feeling of the ultimate extinction of all things is cosmically erotic, and in a strange contradiction of terms, is a rich and positively charged experience. Scientifically speaking even this ultimate experience is also a subjective illusion because matter-energy and time-space do exist even if Buddhas do not perceive them in the ordinary gross physical way. Philosophical problems arise when fundamentalist Buddhists take Siddhartha's words so rigidly and literally that their real esoteric meanings are lost. There is no existential difference between enlightened humans born to Hindu families and enlightened humans born to Buddhist families. Hinduism and Buddhism are different manifestations of the very same religion. Most importantly, all religions and all things are the creations of the singular being that exists, the TES, the Brahman,

the God, the Tao, whichever name you prefer to call it. The Hindu and Buddhist concept of an ultimate personal liberation, nirvana, is ridiculous if you take the idea too literally. There is some truth to this concept but it also contains a lie. Ask yourself a fundamental question. Who is going to become liberated? What being is behind the eyes of a Buddha? The answer is time-energy-space,... the TES. Now ask yourself what being was behind the eyes of Adolf Hitler? The answer is still time-energy-space. Souls are a fact but they are just products of the TES which is our only fundamental identity. The TES is always creating new life and new souls out of its own being. Unless the whole TES is destroyed liberation from the cycle of birth and death is impossible. The TES creates a soul and that soul experiences both joy and suffering but it is the TES having these experiences in a dream drama the TES itself creates. Therefore the goal of religion should not be liberation from life but rather how to make our life, which is an inevitable and unstoppable fact, more honest and more ecstatic. Traditional Buddhism has failed because it has made suffering the centerpiece of our attention and escape

from life our ultimate goal. When you focus your attention on something you amplify its effects. Therefore the focus of religion should be the joy of higher consciousness, not misery and suffering. Of all the Buddhists in the history of the world how many have reached liberation? A few dozen? And who was liberated? The TES is still here creating new souls and new life. How can the TES be liberated from itself? Wouldn't it be more psychologically healthy to define enlightenment as a way to achieve the ultimate life rather than an escape from a hopelessly miserable life? We can honestly define nirvana as a way to make our life so big, so powerful, and so full of consciousness that no physical body can contain it. Your soul lives on without a body but life does not end and the TES continues forever. Ask yourself if we should take this game of religion so seriously. We are the TES dreaming, asleep, awake, enlightened, unenlightened,...we are still the TES dreaming. If we make the dream as wonderful as we can that positive effort is a worthwhile religion. Why should we be a miser with our emotions and why deny the intrinsic value of the TES? To deny our own cosmic

identity is to diminish ourselves and this can only do us harm. Buddhists say "Take refuge in the Buddha," but I say seek refuge and joy in the TES. To me the term 'TES' is more accurate, honest, and scientifically valid. The word 'TES' is a temporary creation, as are all the holy words of ancient scripture. These are names used to designate that which is beyond any language. These are sentences designed to express that which cannot be expressed by a mountain of scholarly scriptures. No name can stick, and no philosophy can ring perfectly true, because you cannot paste a bumper sticker on a tidal wave. You cannot condense a supernova into a library. In time all evidence that human animals existed on this earth will be washed away and new civilizations will be born on other worlds to take our place. Those new conscious beings will discover the unity of the TES, which they will call by another name in a language never spoken by any human being. The meaning, however, will be exactly the same. A 21st Century non-religion?

Just for fun, here are ten basic precepts for a Tesian nonreligion. 1) Basically agree with The TES Hypothesis, which is a soft, lovingly atheistic and science respecting form of pantheism, a minimalist path of open-mindedness and tolerance. 2) A belief in maximum meditation with minimum philosophy. When it comes to philosophy, less is more. When it comes to meditation, more is even better. 3) No Popes, no hierarchy, no theocracy, no institutions, and no fat-cat gurus riding in Rolls Royces. For Tesians even those who become enlightened remain ordinary human beings in all other respects. 4) No drugs, alcohol, mantras, chanting, or so-called "visualization meditations." A Tesian must do nothing to cloud the consciousness. 5) A belief that we should help others physically in the real world and not just talk about compassion. Tesians understand that one can only help others from strength and wealth. Asceticism helps no one.

6) A normal, healthy sex life is encouraged. Creating traditional families with one mother and one father is appreciated as essential for the survival of the human race. The natural family unit is the best way to provide a loving atmosphere for children so they may develop a full and complete heart. Tesians do not fall for destructive societal fads and trendy but blind political correctness. 7) The cardinal sin of the Tesian way is to turn meditation into a business. No spiritual prostitutes are allowed in this non-religion because the profit motive kills the soft and sensuous living heart of meditation. 8) A Tesian does not steal, cheat, lie, or use violence except in self-defense. All the obvious traditional principles of good behavior are respected by Tesians and no pseudo-spiritual excuses are ever used to cover up bad behavior. A lie is not "Tantra," it is just a lie. A theft is not "a device," it is just stealing. A Tesian must do unto others as he would have others do unto him. 9) A Tesian does not judge life by branding it either a suffering or a blessing. Judgment comes from thought

and memory, both of which are highly limited and cannot contain the entire universe. If you say that life is a suffering, then you are only remembering the painful moments. If you say that life is a blessing, then you are only remembering the wonderful times. The aim of the Tesian is to become a silent witness to the vastness of life, without the limiting distortions of thought, memory, and judgment. 10) The Tesian non-religion is disposable. These ten precepts are designed to be read once and then forgotten. Words are no substitute for meditation. A concise Tesian prayer All the stars are inside me, because I am the space. There is no history. There is no biography. I only exist here and now. (Originally written by Christopher Calder)

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Next: 5th idea for contemplation Everything is energy The scientific world is beginning to discuss what metaphysical & spiritual teaches have known for centuries that our physical universe is not really composed of any "matter at all". Its basic component is a kind of force or essence that we call energy. This things appear to be solid, liquid or gas and separate from one another on the level at which our physical senses normally perceive them. On finer levels, however, atomic and subatomic levels seemingly solid (or liquid/gaseous) matter is seen as smaller and smaller particles within particles which eventually turn out to be just pure energy. Physical we are all just energy and everything within and around us is made up of energy . We are all part of our great energy field. Things that we perceive to be solid and separate are in reality just various forms of our essential energy which is all. We are all one, even in a literal

physical senses. The energy is vibrating at different is vibrating at different rate and thus has different qualities from finer to denser Thought is a relatively fine, light, form of energy and therefore work very quick and easy to change. Matter is relatively denser, compact energy any thought slower to move and charge within matter there is a great variation as well. Living flesh is relatively fine, changes quickly and is easily affected by many things. A rock is much denser form, slower to change and more difficult to affects. Yet even rock is eventually changed and affected by external sources of energy such as fire, light, air o water. In fact all forms of energy are interrelated and can affect one another. As you are reading this, pause for a moment and look around yourself. Everything around you is just energy in its manifested forms of solid , liquid or gas. You, yourself, are nothing but energy. Feel it . Close your eyes and imagine the pool of energy in and around you. Merge yourself in this field of energy.

THE END Thank you for taking your time to read this book, I hope you now have a firm understanding of the practice of meditating there hundreds of different techniques. Namaste Bhava Jalanji