Preface.............................................................................xi1. Yogic Meditation and Life........................................................12. Yogic Meditation and the Human Mind..............................................113. Yogic Meditation and Thought.....................................................174. Yogic Meditation and Emptiness...................................................215. Yogic Meditation and Silence.....................................................256. Yogic Meditation and Soul........................................................297. Yogic Meditation and Centers of Consciousness....................................338. Some Guides to Yogic Meditation..................................................419. Practice of Yogic Meditation.....................................................4510. Yogic Meditation and the Approaching Signs of Enlightenment.....................4911. Some of the Benefits of Yogic Meditation........................................5312. Yogic Meditation and Consistent Efforts.........................................5513. Conclusion......................................................................59References..........................................................................63

Chapter One

Yogic Meditation and Life

The complexity of the modern world, brought by the hustle and bustle of human life, does not give true peace and tranquility. The world is bounded by stress, pains, miseries, sickness, and death. Old age, diseases, and death never keep a person in peace. Some people regard life as an abode of sufferings. The bitter reality is that one is subject to diseases, pains, death, and decay. The fear of these keeps a person from being happy. In order to escape from these realities, human beings engage in materialism. Too much material accumulation brings stress and pain.

This world is the product of the mind. All the knowledge in the world has been obtained through a concentrated mind. The rays of the mind are spread in various directions. By concentrating them through a glass, higher knowledge is obtained. The infinite universe can be opened through the mind. The mind is a very strong instrument that is revealed and awakened through yogic meditation. The world is always ready to unveil its secret if you know how to use the golden key in order to open the locked door. Yogic meditation has unlimited power. It is more powerful than mental concentration.

By regular practice of yogic meditation, you develop a steady awareness. In deep yogic meditation, you have perfect internal control and vigilance. Yogic meditation is, in fact, a conscious sleep, whereas sleep is an unconscious meditation. During sleep, you have no control over your mind, but in yogic meditation, you are fully aware of all happenings.

A human being is always engaged in pursuit of his or her desire, knowledge, and will. A desire germinates in the mind. Then action is exerted in order to fulfill the desire. The law of action says as you sow, so you reap. Therefore, a person has to bear the fruits of his or her own action, whether it is good or bad. There is no power in the world that can prevent an action from yielding its fruit. A human being has to take birth after birth in order to reap the fruits of his or her own action.

It has been found that in nature, every effect has a cause. The law of action functions under this philosophy of cause and effect. Human beings are responsible for their own actions. A human being remains in the cycle of birth and death until salvation or liberation. This is the major goal of human life on the earth. Just like there is day after night, night after day, there is birth after death and death after birth.

Life on the earth is a battlefield. Human beings have to struggle to survive. It is essential that humans understand the above major objective of life. Research conducted by the author has shown that the silence and peace that human beings are looking for in the outside world are within the human body. Permanent silence and peace enliven the soul.

Through yogic meditation, a person learns the philosophy of righteousness. If a person follows the righteous path, he or she is showered with purity of mind and soul. Remember that you have to perform your actions in such a way that does not bind you. Do your duty for the sake of duty. Never attach to its fruit. This is called a selfless action. Yogic meditation teaches you how to perform a selfless action, which means an action that is performed without attachment to its reward. By constantly practicing yogic meditation, you achieve inner peace and tranquility.

Yogic meditation opens the inner world of enchantments. When the sleeping soul is roused to its full consciousness, the mind ceases to function. The mind no more experiences the charms of the external world. When this happens, a yogic meditator comes to know that the soul is real and the external world is illusory. This illusion occurs because of ignorance. Human beings come to know that attachment to worldly objects or their own body is due to maya. A maya is defined as a mysterious and indescribable power that conceals the real nature of the self. It is by gaining this knowledge through yogic meditation that one is freed from ignorance. In deep yogic meditation the mind stops creating false desires, illusory fears, joys, or sorrows. Thus, when the mind is evaporated from the brain, the infinite manifests.

Yogic meditation as a pathway begins with a self-examination.

The Past

A human being was once an example of perfection devoted to righteous duty and care for everybody. The past is the past. It has gone with a smile.

The Present

A human being does not dwell in the current moment. He or she is always busy looking for new things or worrying about the past or future events.

The Future

A human being keeps on wasting time by building castles in the air or worrying about things that are not yet come about.

Do not spend your precious energy thinking or talking about meditation, but just meditate. Acting now is crucial for success in yogic meditation. The past cannot be brought back. The future cannot be seen now. So in between the past and future is the present. The present will never leave you. Be with the present moment all the time. Here I mean that you should do everything with full consciousness. Do not let your mind wander in the past or future. It is just like the dusk. In between the daylight and night, there is a space. Similarly, in between wakefulness and sleep, there is a space. This space leads you to your inner world. The space can be enlarged by preventing new thoughts from germinating in the mind. In between the two thoughts, there is a space. Nobody can accompany you in this pathway. Your only guide is your inner being. You do not need an external guide. The self is the master of your body. In this book, you are given valuable guidelines for yogic meditation. Yogic meditation gives you the power to open your inner world of wisdom, which is the abode of everlasting peace and calmness.

Your Window to Silence and Peace unveils the gems of wisdom that exist within every human being. This book gives the reader the necessary knowledge for unlocking the concealed doors of the soul, which contains the divine nectar of peace and silence.

In the first chapter of this book, the reader is introduced to modern scenarios and realities. Every product of the world comes from the mind. The mind never stays in one place permanently. It is an abode where peace and war prevail. Attention has been devoted to the importance of yogic meditation in life.

The second chapter presents a deeper analysis of the human mind. The role of the conscious mind and subconscious mind in relation to yogic meditation is also discussed. Chapter 3 focuses attention on thoughts. The correlation between the mind and thought is highlighted. The reader will find in this chapter how silence and peace can be generated. Moreover, chapter 4 discusses yogic meditation and emptiness in greater detail. Attention has been concentrated on yogic meditation and silence in chapter 5. Silence and peace have always been an interest for one and all. The reader will find in this chapter how powerful silence is.

A more in-depth analysis of the soul in relation to yogic meditation is found in chapter 6. You will find in this chapter a deeper knowledge of the soul. In order to comprehend silence and peace through yogic meditation, chapter 7 focuses attention on the centers of consciousness. This chapter gives the reader the necessary knowledge on different charkas: muladhara, swadhistan, manipura, anahat, vishuddha, ajna, and sahasrara. Some guides to yogic meditation are given in chapter 8. Chapter 9 presents a detailed, practical journey of yogic meditation.

In the journey of yogic meditation, you will come across many approaching signs. So, in chapter 10, you will find some of the signs of approaching enlightenment. Additionally, the reader will find some of the benefits of yogic meditation in chapter 11.

Success in yogic meditation requires consistent effort. The reader is given practical advice regarding yogic meditation and how to succeed in it at all costs. Faith, confidence, and determination are a few ingredients for opening the nectar of everlasting peace and silence. These are presented in greater detail in chapter 12.

Chapter Two

Yogic Meditation and the Human Mind

Yogic meditation unravels the treasure house of the human mind. From the dawn of human history, human beings have been seeking silence and peace of mind. Knowing the mind is an essential step toward yogic meditation. A human being has a body, mind, and soul. these are separate entities, but they are interconnected as far as their functions are concerned. Any deed or action, good or bad, has an effect on the body, mind, and soul.

The mind is located in the brain. The mind and the brain are separate entities. The mind manifests in the form of consciousness. The mind consists of a conscious mind and an unconscious mind.

The mind is part of the ego (White 1990, 22). The mind is the most essential software; it represents emotions, thoughts, feelings, samskaras, memories, and intellect. Samskaras are the sum total of impressions that a person carries with him or her through the cycle of life and death.

The brain is considered the hardware part of the body; it is divided into two hemispheres. These hemispheres are divided into different lobes. The brain processes the instructions it receives from the mind.

The mind possesses memory. It is the most essential prerequisite of learning. The memory is an important faculty of the mind that is responsible for the development of personality. The memory is the informational data base of the mind. The memory can be short-term memory, long-term memory, or subconscious memory.

The short-term memory functions for a few seconds (for example, keeping a bus ticket number for a short duration in the memory). The long-term memory keeps information for a long period of time (for instance, remembering the name of person for days and years). As far as the subconscious memory is concerned, it is the most essential of all. It possesses experiences and impressions of the past, and it has unbounded energies. Influences of previous births come from the subconscious memory.

Impulses from the subconscious mind interact with the conscious mind. The conscious mind operates according to the rules and regulations of the physical world, whereas the subconscious mind functions according to the will of the soul. The soul is a subtle body that is eternal, everlasting, and original in nature. Mental conflict develops as a result of impulses from the subconscious mind invading the conscious mind. Impulses from the subconscious mind are very powerful. Therefore, a human being feels an internal turmoil because of different impulses originating from the subconscious mind and interacting with the conscious mind.

Understanding the subconscious and conscious mind is essential for learning yogic meditation. When a person is fully awakened or enlightened, then the subconscious takes over the body. In an enlightened person, the subconscious mind is fully exposed and becomes the master of the consciousness. A person after attaining enlightenment is devoid of the ego. The ego originates from the conscious mind. In an enlightened person, emotions like anger, jealousy, sadness, depression, anxiety, agitation, fear, and worry are absent. In fact, the conscious mind becomes nonfunctional. Only subconscious mind lives beyond space and time. After attaining enlightenment, a person is no more "I" or "myself."

This subconscious mind functions in the present moment only. The working of the subconscious mind is completely different from the conscious mind. An enlightened person does not think and talk. Such a person feels information pouring instantaneously from the subconscious mind. The information flows in successions. When this happens, the enlightened person feels every particle in the air and universe communicating with the self in different languages. Such a person hears sound, sees images, and feels the presence of power. Thus, enlightenment is the total destruction of the conscious mind.

It is important at this stage to understand that during deep yogic meditation, the conscious mind stays in abeyance and is not destroyed. It rises again when the yogic meditator wakes up. When this happens, the conscious mind starts to think of the past and future, which generates anxieties, pains, sufferings, and worries. Naturally, this causes ego in the physical world.

The soul can be considered as a powerhouse, the human mind as a switch, and the physical body as a bulb. At the time of death the mind switches off the flow of current. When this happens, life energy is disconnected from the physical body. So the life forces are governed by the soul. The soul carries the impressions of the subconscious mind from one life to another life. The subconscious mind always remains in absolute silence in an enlightened person. Such a person stays in full control during an emergency and never feels any exhaustion. Further, an enlightened subconscious mind acts very quickly and instinctively in all situations.

On the other hand, a conscious mind is the source of all types of trouble such as fear of past and future. Such a mind never attains peace and tranquility. A conscious mind uses a very small part of the total mind. It is also subject to confusion and emotional upheaval.

From the above, it is clear that the subconscious mind has unlimited hidden powers. It occupies a very large part of the total mind. A yogic meditator opens the subconscious and releases its huge potential energy for the activation of the soul. When this happens, the yogic meditator enters the world of silence, which opens the nectar of peace and bliss. This is the start of obtaining knowledge of the soul.

Chapter Three

Yogic Meditation and Thought

A thought is another facet of the mind. It is the basis of all actions. Thoughts usually generate in the mind. Thoughts keep on popping and disappearing in the mind every second. When thoughts are present, the subconscious mind remains closed. Thoughts are blocks in the process of yogic meditation. By practicing yogic meditation, the length between two thoughts extends. The longer the length, the better it is for success in yogic meditation. Thoughts play an essential part in our daily lives. The physical state of an individual such as happiness, sorrow, sickness, and pain is the interplay of thoughts.

A good thought brings peace, solace, and happiness, whereas an evil thought gives rise to mental turmoil and sorrow. It is important to know the soul, which is the thinker. The soul is the governor of thoughts. A purified thought spreads positive vibrations of peace and happiness. A thought is not a physical thing. It is subtle in nature and cannot be destroyed. When a good thought is given more and more attention, it starts to take a firm root and gains strength. By ignoring an evil thought, it begins to disappear and vanish. So if a bad thought is not born, it will not trouble us. By practicing yogic meditation, you get the power to prevent the germination of thoughts in the mind.

When there are many uncontrolled thoughts cropping up simultaneously in the mind, then one feels tired, restless, and depressed. Such thoughts keep the mind from functioning. Thoughts are like waves in a pond. The presence of waves in the pond prevents a person from seeing clearly the small animals in the water. This also prevents a person from observing the bottom of the pond. Likewise, the presence of thoughts prevents the opening of the subconscious mind and the entry of cosmic energy through the mind.

The mind is like a theater where several thoughts come and go by after playing their roles. The theater is a busy place where acts and plays keep going on. When an act has been performed following a thought, the result comes thereafter. Therefore, all acts bear fruits, either sweet or sour. A human being thinks that he or she is a thinker. In fact, it is the soul that understands, appreciates, interprets, and acts on a thought.

Yogic meditation influences the subconscious mind deeply. It brings relief from the strain and stress of the body. Mental calmness is attained by overcoming the turmoil of thoughts. When there is no stimulus of thoughts, one moves from thought to thoughtlessness. Yogic meditation teaches a person how to break the cycle of thoughts. Entering the world of thoughtless is the aspiration of each and every yogic meditator. This brings a positive change in the life of the yogic meditator. A thought, whether it is short-lived or long-lived, is very powerful. In order to get rid of a thought, a person should not suppress it. The more a person suppresses it, the more it rises to the surface of the mind. It is like a balloon; if you press it in the water, it comes up again. Eventually, you will feel exhausted and annoyed by suppressing thoughts as they arise.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from YOUR Window to Silence and Peaceby S. K. Babooa Copyright © 2012 by S. K. Babooa, PhD.. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Your Window to Silence and Peace: Gems of Yogic Meditation

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