How do I experience Silence during meditation ?
Question:
“Drop the small mind”. I understand one way is to keep saying I am not the body, I am not the mind, I am not the ego etc. I do this during meditation, yet I am unable to TRULY drop the mind just does not go away.A few thoughts come then they stop but I am very ‘AWARE” of everything. I know a Guru who says don’t look for an “experience” during meditation even then I feel like I am just sitting the only time, deep meditation happens only when I am in Silence course! Am I doing something wrong? Or should I just relax and let things be the way they are?
Answer:
You hit the bull’s eye! When you keep expecting ‘this will happen in meditation’, ‘that will happen in meditation’, you are creating an obstacle. How? With this expectation, you have created a train engine thought.
What is a train engine? A train engine is that which pulls along with it a chain of rail cars. This train engine thought will bring along with it a chain of thoughts. And you will not experience silence in meditation.
For a good meditation experience, you must start with
1] Akinchan – I AM nothing
2] Achaha – I WANT nothing
3] Aprayatna – I DO nothing
The reinforcement of these three states of mind helps creates an emptiness within & that emptiness leads to a silent mind.
Homework: Sit & meditate now – Akinchan, achaha, aprayatna.
Above all, have patience with yourself, incessant practice [abhyasa] is mandatory on the spiritual path!
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Wow
Ektaji has very nice response and she has put in bold the following statement
In hinduism and Jainisam, there is concept of vairagya. This is not simple detachment. It is having no interest in material world. And this kind of detachment does not come easy. The material world and maya are way too powerful. A spiritual person, slowly starts realizing that outside world cannot satisfy him.
Spiritualist realises that:
Love of food will cause indigestion, diabetes and all sorts of ailment.
Love for material things, say fancy cars, jewelry, etc. requires lot of resource. And amassing so many resources in a short life is fools errand.
After trying out lot of things, some fame, some name, some something something, eventually this spiritual person comes to firm conclusion that outside world just cannot satiate him. This belief converts to firm conviction, turning inwards remains the only option. And the spiritualist has established himself in Vairagya.