'In the still mind, in the depths of meditation, the Self reveals itself.'

This famous quotation from the Bhagavad Gita identifies both the process and the objective of meditation - stilling the mind in order to experience our inherent Divinity.

Meditation is controlled mental activity. It leads to complete stillness of the mind. When this condition is reached, the experience is of peace and enlightenment. The everyday mind – the mind in its undisciplined state – is constantly active, but much of its activity is largely aimless and unproductive. In the restless mind, fragments of thought blow in and out like dried leaves in a windswept playground. In meditation, we gently seek to quieten and focus the thought processes, and to establish oneself in charge of the powerhouse of thought. It is to bring the mind into obedience of the will.

And what is the goal?

The experience of peace and enlightenment thereby allowing our spiritual essence to manifest.

Meditation is Yoga – traditionally the word Yoga by itself refers to Raja Yoga (Yoga is a Sanskrit term literally meaning union – the union of the individual with the Absolute, but it also refers to the discipline that makes for such a union; the unruffled state of mind under all conditions. Raja literally means king: Raja Yoga is the system of concentration based on ethical discipline) - it is a systematic spiritual discipline leading to Self-Realisation. However, it also helps to harmonise our life at the mundane level, bringing peace and equanimity within the turbulence of worldly existence as well as improved health and the reduction of stress.

Despite its Eastern connotations, the path of meditation is not exclusive to anyone creed or philosophy: its principles are as much apparent in Christian contemplation as in Hindu 'dhyana' or Buddhist 'Zen', and can beneficially be practised by followers of any religion or none. The sole criterion is a sincere desire for self-knowledge and spiritual progress.

Meditation is not an easy path. Many who try it find that they are not suited, although the effort is always beneficial and may bear fruit later. But for those who persist, meditation will bring about a total self-transformation - into an expanded consciousness and a new level of inner harmony and joy.

The Dhyana Centre Events

The following extracts are taken from the Dhyana Centre’s introductory essay – The Joy of Meditation - provided to those attending the Centre;

‘As the word meditation means different things to different people, it is essential to define the term in the context in which you are using it. As we use the term in the Dhyana Centre, it is not either a process of deep thought (a common Christian usage) or a vacuous mental state - quite the contrary, in fact - it is a state of intense concentration, undertaken in order to still the mind and which, if pursued to its ultimate, will result in the realisation of God. This last part is particularly important as it clearly identifies the path of meditation as a spiritual discipline or "yoga': Some modern systems of meditation place the emphasis on health benefits and stress management but, however welcome, these are ancillary to its deeper purpose which is spiritual transformation and the search for our Divine Reality.

Concentration is the essence of the whole process. By this means, we seek to focus the energies of the mind and to harness its powers, as a result of which we can overcome its constant chatter and induce a state of deep peace and inner stillness. The third part of the above definition hints at why - because in that state of absolute stillness we will experience God.’

‘The world's most authoritative text on the techniques of meditation is the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Patanjali was a famous sage who lived in India about 1800 years ago; he codified the various teachings then current and produced the system universally known as Raja Yoga. His Yoga Sutras are a practical handbook not an academic treatise, and are essential reading for all serious students of yoga. Patanjali commences his Sutras with his own definition which simply states: “Yoga is the control of thought waves in the mind". This Sutra (Book 1, No.2) has been translated in various ways but its essence is clear: if you could totally still your mind, even for a moment, then you would experience Divine union (which is the meaning of the word yoga). But Patanjali also means the process as well as its culmination, in other words meditation is the means of controlling the thought waves in the mind, which eventually leads to the mystical consummation of yoga.

In order to understand the significance of Patanjali’s definition it is helpful to imagine the human mind like a vast lake. The surface of the lake is covered with waves of various sizes, created mainly by external stimuli such as the wind. This surface is our everyday conscious mind, always in motion. Above the lake the sun is shining brightly, but what reflection do we see of the sun when we look into the surface of the lake? We see many small and partial sun-images, the one reality fractured and distorted by the movement in the lake's surface. But imagine for a moment that the surface of the lake were to become absolutely still like glass; what then? In that case, we should see the sun reflected, as it actually is - the One without a second. For mind is but a reflector of the Divine Consciousness. The stiller, the purer our mind is, the better we can manifest that Reality in our lives. Therefore the prime purpose of meditation is to transform the mind into a perfect reflector - pure and still like glass!

How to achieve this state of stillness is the main object of Patanjali's teaching. Raja Yoga actually involves an eightfold system (the so-called Eight Limbs of Yoga), - the first five 'limbs' are preparatory, while the last three are directly concerned with what we style as meditation. ‘ (The seventh of the eight limbs is dhyana or dhyname, lit. meditation.)

‘For the beginner, what is most important is to hold tight to the underlying principle of mental stillness, because this is all we actually ever need to develop. As the Bhagavad Gita says so poignantly "In the still mind, in the depths of meditation, the Self reveals itself', a direct parallel to the Biblical "Be still and know that I am God". We do not need to intellectualise spiritual growth, which blossoms naturally from within. But it is only when we learn to calm the emotions and quieten the constant chatter of the mind that our inner Divine guidance can be heard and our higher faculties emerge.’

Selected introductory books
Meditation: Its Practice and Results. Clara M Codd
Concentration and Meditation Christmas Humphrey's
The Search Within Christmas Humphrey's
How to Know God Prabhavananda& Isherwood A most lucid and informative commentary on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.
The Meditator's Handbook Dr. David Fontana An excellent compendium of meditation techniques from various traditions.
Autobiography of a Yogi Paramahansa Yogananda The classic modern introduction to the Indian yogic tradition.
Meditation Eknath Easwaran A common sense and often humorous introduction to meditation in daily life.Awareness Anthony de Mello The seminal work of a modern Christian master. Powerful reading, deep but often amusing.

from Insight journal Spring 2004

E.H. Shattock writing in his book Meditation - Seven Steps Towards Understanding says "The greatest difference between prayer and meditation, as understood by all religions that use it, is that while prayer is making contact with the God without, meditation is reaching for the God within".

It is this striving to attain the awareness or consciousness of our Higher Self that provides both the motivation and the goal for those who seek spiritual insight and enlightenment. Geoffiey Farthing suggested that an invocation to start this process could consist of 3 parts in which the power is invoked by the participants from within themselves at Egoic level.

The 3 parts are;

I. Preparation, getting the idea
2. Sowing the spiritual seed
3. The Invocation itself.

Parts 2 and 3, he says, "are tremendous affirmations designed to generate spiritual consciousness if we can and will but give it access. They alter our whole attitude to life, we grow in stature, we mature. Surely this is what Theosophy is all about".

Invocation

I. "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground" [Exodus iii, 5]. Do this metaphorically or actually according to circumstance. This is not so much to prevent desecrating the holy place as to ensure our direct contact with it, with our feet 'uninsulated' from it. Stand (innocent if possible) trusting and unafraid in the holy place, at the "shrine and altar on the holy and ever untrodden ground of our heart ..."
2. "I will speak to thee now of that great Truth ...the Light of lights ...the Wisdom, the only thing that is worth knowing or that Wisdom can teach, the Presence in the hearts of all." [Bhagavad Gita XIII. 13. 18]
3. In continual mindfulness of UNITY.
"I am the hidden light shining in every creature: "I am the hidden life vibrating in every atom:
"Mine is the Love which embraces all in Oneness:
"May each who feels himself one with me, know he is therefore one with every other."
So be it.

Colin Price