Fruit of the Contemplative Life
Fruit of the contemplative life: => General Discussion => : KriyaYogi February 12, 2023, 11:03:40 PM
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I thought I would share this link. This is one of my favorite meditations. You guys might enjoy it.
The practice is very simple. With eyes closed put the focus on the 3rd eye point. If a light appears
in the mind's eye then focus on this light and feel absorbed into it. It is a meditation from the Bhagavad Gita
and was very popular in the 1800s with the Gurus Sri Ramakrishna as well as Swami Vivekenanda.
It is a very easy practice to do which can be used anywhere, sitting or laying down.
Here is further information:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jangama_dhyana
-David
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Thank you, David, yes I am familiar with the work of Ramakrishna as well as Swami Vivekenanda. In fact I studied their work for decades and also spent years practicing third eye meditation, and definitely found the light between the eyes. It is in fact the Kasina reported by Ajhan Brahm and found it not to be the first jhana as Ajhan Brahm has mistakenly reported, but is the transition from the 4th jhana into the 5th samadhi. So, I find it valid practice.
However, I would like to emphasize that the meditation technique is only meant to bring the contemplative to the 1st jhana, and to be dropped at the second jhana where the mind becomes still. After that there is no need for a technique, but to just sit in meditation for extended periods allowing the samadhi to deepen and blossom naturally.
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My understanding is that Kriya Yoga is supposed to be similar, cultivating the light. Physically possibly Kundalini is built up over the years in the 3rd eye?? I don't know. I've seen the light a few times too after Kriya or when using some alchemical products.
-David
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In 50 years of daily meditation practice that leads to the daily experience of samadhi is the technique only gets us to the first stage of samadhi. After that we need to learn to dump the technique to get to the second stage of samadhi which is characterized by a still mind, which means no technique is present. And, believing the technique has some kind of magical accumulative benefit only demonstrates a lack of understanding of samadhi.
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For me it is helping personally, to deepen my meditation, thats my personal experience, where I am at but I guess we are all different. I know you came in at a very high stage even in your 20s so maybe focus methods are not needed for you and maybe not for some others on the forum. :-)
-David
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I'm probably just a beginner still I guess, haha. Thanks for the help.
-David
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Since you have been a member of my various groups dedicated to supporting contemplatives for decades, then you must be aware of our findings here, which are:
1) No one who teaches meditation anywhere seems to have any understanding of what meditation leads to, but there are lots of assumptions, most of which we have found are erroneous.
2) Most of the people who report depth in meditation consistent with samadhi almost always practice observation of the breath, which is often referred to as "bare attention," meaning the mind is not deeply engaged in observation of the breath, but simply observing it. And, this is what I have been doing for 50 years. So, while I will admit that I may have a special natural ability in meditation that allowed me to get to samadhi within weeks of the beginning of my daily meditation practice 50 years ago; nonetheless, I have been studying meditation and what it leads to, which is called mysticism, the whole time, and at no time did I ever meet a guru who understood our interest here. So, may I suggest that you dump the fantastic belief systems that most meditation teachers shroud their delusional beliefs in and just observe your breath when you meditate and be mindful of any phenomena that arises when you meditate, and when something in the range of our discussions here arises, then use that as your new meditation object, meaning just bring your attention to it until new phenomena arises, then shift your attention to that new phenomena. And, try not to bring any assumptions to that practice.
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What you are suggesting sounds alot like Kriya Yoga to me haha. I'll continue doing it.
Thanks,
-David
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I did not know about this meditation method. I will have to give it a try some day. The last few years I have been doing breath meditation the way Jhananda teaches. Just gently attending to the breath. It has been very healing. My mind has been seriously damaged over many years of intense life, and I find this simple breath meditation more calming than anything else I have tried. Even though in the past I had lots of success with body scanning meditation.
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Tad, since you have found healing of your damaged mind from the traumas of life, and calmness, then it sounds like you have found at the very least the first stage of samadhi, and possibly the second. If you find a better technique please let us all know about it.
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Yeah I know what you mean bro, life can be tough, espicially as we age.
-David