Integrating Ancient Wisdom in Modern Life: Single-Pointed Thought
- From Pratyahara we have started working on our thoughts which are distractions. With seer, seen and process of seeing we are unconsciously influenced with many thoughts. Which causes inefficiency and fatigue.
- Pratyahara is for reducing thoughts from many to few. This will help seer to become conscious of influences of unnecessary thoughts. This consciousness will help seer, seen and process of seeing to reduce many thoughts to few. Now the seer will find a surplus of energy which was unconsciously moving towards the unnecessary thoughts that will be saved. Efficiency will increase and feel energetic.
- With the surplus of energy by practising Pratyahara one can move to the next step, Dharana. Dharana is focusing on one object. From a few thoughts to one object will have so much surplus of energy that only seer and seen will remain as dual.
- With the surplus energy from the practice of Dharana, one can easily move towards Dhyana. Dhyana is meditating on a single-pointed thought. From here the seer and the seen will begin to overlap. When you enter into Dhyana, you do not know that you have entered because now the seer and the seen are intertwined. This overlapping of the seer and the seen will bring immense energy within you. Tremendous energy will now be received in which seer and seen will merge. There will be no duality left, the seer and the seen will become one, Advaita, Total absorption is called Samadhi. From single-pointed meditation to None is called Samadhi.
- Dharana and Dhyana are not same or similar. Dharana is concentration and Dhyana is meditation. Concentration means excluding everything from the mind except the one thing on which you are focusing. Meditation is a continuously unwavering attitude, witnessing. In meditation you relax, in concentration you become tense.
- Mind will purify with Dharana. I-ness will be destroyed with Dhyana and one-ness will remain. Dhyana means a continuously unwavering attitude on the object of Dhyana, just witness it and don’t be distracted by any thoughts. Dhyana is the beginning of the inner journey, one aspect of the journey in your life is called “outer”, the other aspect of the Dhyana journey is called “inner”. Getting familiar with our inner being so it is temporary meditation, arbitrary meditation; preparation for samadhi.
- Dhyana does not mean concentration, it does not mean contemplation, it does not mean meditation even. It means a state of no-mind. Dhyana means simply silence. Utter silence, serenity.
