Discovering Life Force through Meditation

My Response to Eastern Philosophy & Meditation Newsletter

Discovering Life Force through Meditation

Dear Robji

Namaste from Nepal!

Thank you very much for your email that made me to write this email.

"Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it." - Michaelangelo

  

This quote also emphasizes on carefully looking inside, discovering oneself because meditation and concentration is not like that of a cup of tea or coffee. For concentration and meditation, one has to go through an intricate journey of observing himself and herself within him and her. It is a creative and difficult enterprise therefore, a few people attain it. Why not so many? So, we can say concentration does not begin with something which is away from you, but it begins with which is accessible, which is proximate to you, which is close and easily available to you. In this sense, the realization and internalization of one’s true self is meditation or contemplation. It is a kind of thoughtful control and making the one-pointedness or directedness of human senses along with mind.

Meditation is not a wonder but it brings a sense and amazement of wonder in any sphere of life if it is actually with a reasonable way practised. It is a practice of mindfulness that is to be right which is called ‘right mindfulness’ in the language of Buddha. This mindfulness helps people to see themselves in a state of ‘the world in itself’ crashing the ‘veil of Maya.’ This veil of Maya is created because of one’s egoism; Buddha says it is the matter of ignorance. So, ego can be extinguished if you go through the touchstone of meditation and concentration. It is merely a digging oneself deep down and realizing the impermanence of the life, possessions, world and so on. Obviously we can be the victims of frustrations, depression, high ambition, anger, stress, and strain as you rightly indicated so far. What is the solution?

It is the practice of mind. In meditation whatever the different modes of meditation one practises with, it tries to control the reckless nature of mind. Our mind having such nature is therefore termed as ‘monkey mind.’ The cessation of monkey mind can be possible through Yoga, Patanjali (propagator of Yoga in the eastern hemisphere) says while defining Yoga. Even Nietzsche says in his philosophical treatise, On the Genealogy of Morals, we ourselves are the sources of knowledge but we have been seeking and searching a great deal outside like a deer does, not realizing the fragrance is coming out of its own naval.

 Are you seeking something outside of yourself?  Stop seeking outside. Know yourself it is how you should not go searching far away. Think you are the one the creator of yourself. Your activities are responsible for your happiness or sadness, pains or pleasure, and so on. You are the own who can turn your life whether into the garden of flowers or the dessert of sand. Therefore, believe on you and determine the situation in and around you.

I think in this regard, we should not forget Swami Vivekananda as he stated the power of concentration somewhere else as, ‘The impossible turns into possible with the help of right and cautious mode of concentration.’ I think the readers will entertain this idea.

One of the schools of philosophy says, ‘we are the conditioned being in the conditioned world.’ If anything breaks that conditionality, it is meditation and concentration. Perhaps this is the way of bridging the gap between soul and body. So, I request you to have a genuine practice with mind detaching yourself from this mundane world and try to attain prefect equanimity. Then surely you can light yourself, enlighten yourself as Buddha says, ‘Light the candle within you.’

With Earnest Regards,

Krishna Kumar Yogi

Kathmandu, Nepal

[It is an email response written to Rob info@eastern-philosophy-and-meditation.com on Thursday, 28 April 2011, 10:29 as I got an email on Be Happy No Matter The Circumstances (A Lesson From Michaelangelo)].