Summary: Explains the large scope of the term meditation. Says it is not just about inner blissfulness but about so much more; it includes the inner and the outer act.

To arrive at meditation you have to arrive at being present. To arrive at being present you require to work with your breath – and it requires repeated working.

Meditation is the whole of your life.

Meditation is mindfulness – mindfulness of your motives, expressions, even so your postures, your attitudes… Meditation is to be aware every moment. Meditation is to be in a state of constant mindfulness. And before mindfulness there is watchfulness – remembering to be watching oneself all the time, to be watchful of one’s postures: physical postures, mental postures. Mental postures are your attitudes; physical postures are the way you stand, the way you sit…

Meditation is to be in a state of sacredness…

Meditation is to question oneself as to whether one is aware every moment; is to remind, remember all the time. It is to look at oneself from different positions, different standpoints, to have a more comprehensive view of the reality that can be…

Meditation is to go beyond being lax. Meditation is to go beyond all arrogance and irreverence.

And therefore meditation is your posture, your body language. Meditation is your moods – to be aware and mindful of your moods. Meditation is to be responsible for your own moods, and not to expect others to be responsible for them – whether they be or not! For meditation is to be dignified in your own self, by your own self – that is the ultimate in meditation.

Meditation is a learning, a constant learning, every moment. Meditation is to be in tune with the sacredness of every moment. Meditation is not to be swept away by the tides of one’s reactions and moods but to be watchful of them, so that every moment is a moment of mastery; so that every moment is a moment of sacredness; so that every moment is a moment of dignity, not arrogance. Meditation is your posture.

Watchfulness, mindfulness: meditation is to be watchful of one’s self – more so than being watchful of others.

Meditation is to arrive at being present. Through your breath you arrive at being present; through being present you can be watchful; through being watchful you enter the state of meditation. Meditation is not only the inner being but also all that which you express and are watchful of. Not just watching: watchful – meaning taking responsibility; meaning to question one’s self, even more than one would question the other.

Meditation is to enter into the depth of your being.

Meditation is a deeper existence, and every moment is an opportunity to reach to the depth, depth of the moment. The constant refrain of the Buddha – ‘Be watchful, be mindful’. Usually watching is mindless; watching should be mindful. You should be present there wholly and totally, and seeking for answers.

Meditation is the priority of your life, for it is the whole of your life, but a life that is lived in and from sacredness, that is lived in and from depth – only then will follow a sense of sacredness.

Do you ever question yourself as to how you sit, how you stand? Do you ever question yourself as to how you speak, what you speak? Do you question yourself as to what are the attitudes with which you deal with things and beings? Or are you carried away time and time again?

A seeker, a meditator constantly inquires within himself. Are you going through a catharsis, are you going through a tantrum? Watchfulness… Are you being moody? Are you being rude? Watchfulness – not just ‘watch’… Watchfulness is to take responsibility for yourself, for all that comes up in you.

Offer flowers as gifts. First of course you will have to reach to flowers in yourself… Help yourself by going beyond, reaching to these flowers. What you offer to the other you offer to your own self.

Meditation is to apply oneself – consciously, watchfully.

Ordinarily reaction is a way of life, but meditation is to be responsible. To be reactive is to be a slave to one’s feelings; to be responsive is to be masters of one’s feelings. Here the word master has no gender. Of course we can always use mistress so that the women do not feel left out!

Be constantly aware, remind yourself to be constantly aware. To be constantly aware is to be constantly present: to be present in your words when you speak… Try it sometimes, you will see there is a difference then as to how you have been going about.

Be present in your activities, your work – it will not be labour. For where you are there is bliss; for where you are there is sacredness – then all things that you do are sacred. When you are not conscious, you are off-handish – then the greatest of things loses significance. While if you are present even the smallest of things are the greatest of events.

Meditation is not at the end of an act; meditation is its very beginning – the end automatically follows.

‘Let us finish off quickly and then we will be at peace, or we can do something more pleasurable’ – that is how you normally function. But if you were to present yourself you would find all the pleasure you want – and then you would offer everything that you do a great dignity.

Meditation is the beginning, at the beginning of all things, only then there can be watchfulness – if we remember this.

There is a couplet by Tulsidas that says, “Dukh me sumiran sab kare, sukh me sumiran kare na koi; Sukh me sumiran jo kare, dukh kahe ka hoi.”¹ What it means in essence is to be conscious every moment, meaning meditation is the beginning of things, not just the end, and it is not an escape. So if you remember to be conscious when things are easy you will remember to be conscious when things get difficult. Then things that are difficult become easy. When things are easy you are carried away, and when things are difficult you get lost. Then you just lash out.

Then there is anticipation: when you are conscious you can anticipate the next moment. You can become so good that you can anticipate eternity – thousands and millions of moments in advance. Now even when things are staring you in the face you cannot see them! Sometimes you do not even want to see them.

Attitudes – meditation is all about attitudes, our attitudes towards the journey that has no end… It is the attitudes that carry you.

So meditation is to discover the many sides of your being, the many expressions, and to become conscious of so much more that is yet to be discovered. Meditation is to apply yourselves – even to overcome those parts of yourself that need to be overcome so that you may grow into a sense of sacredness. That is mastery. It is easier to flow with the tide, but that is slavery. Flowing is good if it will reach you somewhere. But if you are going to end up shipwrecked you better find another navigator, another course, another map!

Meditation is to be consistent.

Meditation is not just all about inner experiences and bliss, meditation is also all about your life expressions, life activities – your interactions. You are not only the inside: you are also the outside. Meditation is an integration of the inner and the outer, where both embrace each other to form for a sacred harmony.

You may have found inner peace, but the moment you act yourself out you lose it. There is no integration. It takes a while, but it has to be done – by becoming conscious. You may be in meditation in this room here; the moment you step out you do not even remember meditation. You have a love affair and God is forgotten! You remember God – all affairs come to an end, for they have been just that, affairs. And God is an affair that is always present. Otherwise everything is an affair: love is an affair, God is also an affair! So sometimes for God, sometimes for love affair!

But when you become present you will find that God is present in every affair – whether it is fair or unfair…

Be conscious therefore, that you may live in sacredness. And that is dignity, even of the stones, even of the bricks that you lay on the ground.

Everything comes from you – as to how you deal with things and beings.

So meditation is all about being conscious, all about being present. And it is the whole of your life: all of your being, every part, every moment.

Meditation is how you sit and eat. Meditation is how you serve, meditation is how you receive.

Meditation is in your waiting – how you wait. Meditation is in how you debate.

So use the breath: through the breath you will remember to be conscious. And this room is where you practice, so you may act it – out there.

Meditation is all about yourself – and all about everybody else!

Meditation is to be quiet with yourself, to be able to see into the depths of your being, to be able to open out to the heights of yourself. Meditation is all about living all that. Every moment is an opportunity, whether you may be involved in simple things or so-called great things.

(After a very long silence)

Meditation is to come to a stop in yourself, stop in that quiet space. That quiet space is the door to your Self – All That Is.

Meditation requires the whole of yourself, not just a part of yourself. For it is the whole of your life, not just a part of your life. For meditation is the whole Reality, not just a part of the Reality.

Meditation is not about being partly conscious, but to be totally conscious, completely conscious.

Meditation is not about being conscious in parts – rather, to be conscious as a whole.

Meditation is all about your laughter, meditation is all about your tears.

Meditation is not only the discovering of the works of God in one’s self, but in all else.

Meditation is all about God – meditation is all about your Self.

Meditation is all about having your eyes closed and looking within; meditation is all about having eyes open and looking without.

Meditation is all about living – living consciously.

Meditation is to be present, even so in your reactions – so that you may understand what you may have misunderstood.

Meditation is to be able to see the repetition of same behaviour patterns.

Meditation is all about your posture.

Meditation is to be present, consciously present.

Meditation is all about silence – for in silence you will be able to hear your deeper voice. You will be able to hear your words more clearly.

Meditation is all about self that exceeds itself every moment – meditation is the exceeding of the self.

Meditation is all about the breath going in and coming out – as simple as that.

Meditation is all about patiently working with one’s self.

(On the same topic a few days later)

Meditation is to arrive at being present, to be conscious every moment. Meditation is all about being present, about being conscious.

Meditation is all about yourself.

Meditation is about your deeper Self. Meditation is to enter deeper into yourself – enter your higher Self.

Meditation is to know about the whole of yourself. It begins from being present; it begins from being conscious every moment. Meditation is to remember – to remind oneself to be present, to be conscious so that even while you are dealing with the outside, there is something in you, there is the inner you remembering and seeking to be conscious. Then you are continuously active, continuously seeking: you are continuously alive to your inner self. And in that way watchfulness of every moment, even in your sleep – this would follow.

Dance, sing, play, be joyful – and yet awake to your inner Self!

Meditation is to know more and more about your Self.

Meditation is to come to a stop in your Self.

Meditation is to be aware of your mornings; meditation is to be aware of your evenings…

Meditation is to be aware of the shifts in your states and to keep them in remembrance, so you remember when they occur again in the future.

So each time reach into yourself. You are with your Self, whether you be alone in the outside or with a crowd. And it is your breath that will guide you and awaken you to your Self.

To be with yourself are the best moments of your life. From there you can rejoice in all things.

So seek deep in yourself, reach into your depths – but at the same time allow yourself to be lifted. You can use the breathing to help you so.

Feel for the quietness in yourself. Use the breath to settle in yourself, to arrive at being present, to arrive at a stop in yourself. The longer and deeper the breath, the better it is. It will deepen you, bring you to a stop in yourself; it will draw you in, centre you.

Use the breathing: when you breathe in fill up completely – and more. When you empty out empty out completely – and more. It will bring you to your Self, it will intoxicate you.

Be present, be stopped in your Self. Meditation is to enter deeper into yourself, higher into yourself. Meditation is to arrive at being present, conscious – it begins from being stopped in your Self.

If things come up, stand behind, allow them to pass. Use the breath to keep to your Self.

Feel for the quietness in yourself. Enter into yourself – into the depths of yourself, into the heights of yourself.

Arya Vihar

26 Apr 2001