Words From The Master: 11 Feb 2008

Entering into Meditation

Meditation is the path that takes you inwards. But to move inwards, you must start with the outside. Right now, you are at the periphery. You are still testing the waters, dipping one toe in to see if it is too cold!

Many people come to me and say, Swamiji, I know nothing much about spirituality. I have never tried meditation before. Am I ready? Where do I begin?

I tell you: the best place to begin is where you are right now! Right now, everything you understand about yourself is related to your body, your emotions and thoughts. Whatever you think is You is nothing but your body, your emotions, your thoughts.

So start from there! Simple.

Step 1 : Work on your body.

How do you feel about your body?

We all carry impressions, ideas about our own bodies. These impressions are not our own. Almost always, we have picked up these impressions from other people's opinions of us. We all carry a lot of negative feelings about our bodies. You may not even be aware, but in your unconscious mind you will be carrying deep negative impressions about your body.

Very very rarely have I come across someone who is completely comfortable with his body. To be comfortable with one's body does not mean imagining that everything about your body is good. It is just being at ease with your body the way it is.

All your life you hear, Your body is your enemy! Your body is evil and sinful! Torture the body, neglect the body! Especially on the spiritual path, the body is projected as the greatest obstacle to achievement.

So you develop an unnatural hatred towards your body. This gets rooted deep in your unconscious mind. You begin to think that your body is working against you. But the truth is, this body is the boat that is going to carry you across the river of sansar! Can you move about in this world without your body? Can you work towards meditation or spirituality unless your body is in good form? Can you even read and
understand this book without the help of your eyes, your brain?

It is true that one must ultimately go beyond the body. But you don't do it by fighting with your body. You do it by understanding and accepting your body, and working on your body to make it fit for meditation. Remember, the body is a powerful instrument, both in the
material sense and in the spiritual sense. But that is what it is: just an instrument. It is neither good nor evil, neither your friend nor your enemy. Through the body you can move about in the material world, through the same body you can move towards the Divine. It is just a tool in your hands.

This is a difficult concept to accept! Because all your life you have identified so completely with the body. But unless you break this identification, you can never move beyond the body.

So the first step is to start paying attention to your body. Unless your body is functioning well, be sure you can never enter into meditation. Whatever negative feelings (or even positive feelings) you have about your body, simply drop them! Simply drop them.

(to be continued)
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This excerpt has been taken from the book: "Meditation is for You" -- an introduction to the science and art of meditation