Central Chronicle
Thursday May 29, 2008
Life in today's world is surrounded by many difficulties. If one problem is solved, then the next is waiting. Why is this wheel of difficulties rotating?
What are the causes of our problems today? We are not putting in any efforts to awaken and develop our consciousness. We are only entangled in the lower levels of consciousness, and this is what further complicates our problems. If we try to awaken the higher levels of consciousness then our problems may be solved, as there, attachment & aversion are left behind.
Life in today's world is surrounded by many difficulties. If one problem is solved, then the next is waiting. Why is this wheel of difficulties rotating? Why is this maze before us? It is because we are not setting out in the direction of progress of higher consciousness. We have to make use of sensory perception and live on the land of practicality. We cannot quit our habits all of a sudden, as also we cannot contravene the ensuing problems.
But if we firmly fix our destination as progress to the world beyond sensory consciousness, a great deal of change can be expected. Many of our problems may then appear minor. Those problems, which today appear to the stressful and fraught with tension, can actually be transformed. Until the senses are stabilized, the development of the world beyond sensory consciousness is not possible.
People practicing Preksha Meditation should be very clear about their destination, i.e. where do we want to go? Where do we wish to reach? Our goal should not be so small as to attachment only physical well-being. This is not our final aim. Our main goal should be the correct employment of sensory perception, and the development of the consciousness beyond the senses. When the latter develops, our whole world will change, our entire vision will change. If this vision of ours is clear, then our purpose and perspective of meditation, too, will change. We cannot dedicate ourselves to meditation until this clarity of vision is obtained.
The point of concentration is that we stabilize our minds upon one object for five minutes, 10 min., half an hour, 1 hour and 1 and a half hours. In the language of the ancient world, if one can concentrate on an object for "three time periods," - 24 minutes constituting one time period - then the higher consciousness awakens of its own, and that changes the complete form and appearance of the world. But you can be sure that without the restraint of sensory consciousness, and the control of the mind, extra-sensory consciousness cannot be developed. The obstructions of the outer world are senses & mind, but the world beyond the senses is within. If the doors are locked, how one can reach within? Everyone cannot be Mantungsuri who opened up 44 locks without even touching them and came out. The locks of the outer world will break only when our concentration is greatly deepened. If we possess the strength of one-pointedness, then the locks will get broken.
Then the inner consciousness (the world beyond the senses) will get a chance to emerge. Lord Mahavira said that our consciousness could come out of our body from any direction: from behind, or from the front, from the right or left, or from above. There are five doors that serve as exits for our inner consciousness to come out of the body. But there is so much instability within the sensory world that the inner consciousness does not find a way of coming out.
Preksha Meditation aims to develop the internal consciousness beyond senses. Preksha Meditation practices to thoroughly employ the mind & sensory perception. We should be able to clear all the obstructions and control these, then there would be no difficulty for the inner consciousness to come out. Indeed, it would then merrily step out. The nature & purpose of meditation should remain clear to us. This clarity allows us to develop an interest in it. Then the resolve to embrace the practice of meditation springs within us. Progress in the field of meditation requires a lot of effort. The question is how well a person can manage his/her time, and how much time he/she can spend to practice concentration. It is not enough to remain stable only while you are practicing meditation. Even when you are free & not in a session of meditation, you should practice restraining your senses & mind and try to reduce instability. If this kind of deep engrossment & complete determination is established, then we can truly reach our destination & can experience the awakening of the inner world, i.e. the world beyond the senses. Once you gain that experience, there would be no need for you to receive any sort of teaching or advice; there would no longer be any need to say anything. That very experience will spur you ahead. If your surrender to the practice is complete, and if with the same deep engrossment you continue your practice, then progress & consciousness of the world beyond the senses will happen naturally. That progress will surely make you experience a new world.