Question:

I have a common chronic medical condition. Like my awareness, it is always there. But, when my mind is full of activity I do not notice it. I meditate for an hour a day and have moments of complete peace and calm. The condition, however, is ever-present. If I achieve the deepest level of meditation, will this pain disappear during this time?

Answer:

The disappearance of the condition happens in the deep sleep state every night, doesn’t it? Does that make a difference to the waking state?

The same will happen only in Jhana Samadhi [Jhana 9 specifically] or in Nirvikalpa Samadhi which happens in isolation. It cannot happen in a 1-hour meditation dear. If you join the Buddha retreats, you can learn the Jhanas in your 2nd 10-day retreat.

Anyways, even after attaining Samadhi, you will return back to the same medical condition in the waking state. That is why the important thing is to recognize the cause of the suffering. The cause of the suffering is the non-acceptance of reality as it is. After you consult a medical doctor and take all precautions, medications, etc one must learn the skill of surrendering to the universe.

You cannot attain acceptance just by reading the knowledge. It comes from the true personal inner recognition of who you truly are. When you recognize that you are not what you thought [body-mind], but simply the witness of the body-mind, then your concerns regarding the body-mind also drop away. Not that you become careless but you don’t worry unnecessarily trying to fight reality.

So if you are really interested in knowing yourself, start by watching the Advaita Level I videos on the website or Youtube and bring yourself to the basic experiential recognition [not intellectual understanding] of not being the body-mind. When you recognize that, reach out to me with any questions. The journey does not end with the recognition of the witness consciousness. It begins there!