by Sri Bmal Mohanty
VOL No. 14
 Sept - Oct. 2001

CHAPTER FIFTEEN- ON MEDITATION - Part 3

The Benefits of Meditation - on the mind, knowledge and the bliss sheaths

Continued from Chapter thirteen which dealt with The Benefits of Meditation

"Based on the lectures by Sri Bimal Mohanty"

So the mind is next affected. Harmonious breathing - the harmony in the vital breath - has a direct relationship with the tranquility of mind. Fluctuations of breath as we all experience every day, is directly related to oscillations of mind. Here we are not talking of mere physical effect. But to a great extent a holistic effect covering physical and subtle experiences. Even the thoughts crossing the mind no more become random and start being rational. A controlled and even breath is a clear indication of the health not only of our gross body but also of our mental body. You can easily tell a person's health of body and mind by observing whether he or she is breathing evenly or not.
   
Once the consciousness gets stronger, along with the gross sheaths the subtler sheaths also get refined and activated. The mind sheath or the manomay kosha then discovers its true characteristic and potential. A healthy body, a controlled prana provides the base for tranquility of mind. A tranquil mind is more reflective. It realizes the futility of hopping from thoughts to thoughts in search of happiness. Instead, it contemplates on an object of meditation that will provide continuous happiness. The mind is then ready to receive "The self " to contemplate upon, because Self or Atman is the only source of permanent happiness.

With this improvement at the level of the mind sheath or manomay kosha, the mind focuses inward on Self. The power of meditation guides it to dwell on the Self as a process of exploring and seeking out. It becomes Kutastha or Atmastha, i.e hitched to The Self.

From here onwards, the most pleasant and beautiful experience begins.

What naturally follows from here is that The Self which is the fountainhead of true knowledge, the ultimate truth unfolds itself revealing all knowledge - all bibhutis or characteristics of the Divine.

By virtue of the power of meditation the Jnanamay Kosha or the knowledge sheath is thus affected. On receiving the knowledge it glows in its light.

With more and more concentration on Self, The Truth , the ultimate Knowledge about everything - the Bramhan is now beginning to bare itself. What is happening from this stage onwards is that the mind along with our entire being is acquiring different levels of chetana or awareness. The mind gets refined to higher and higher levels of its true potential.

Veils after veils of the dark ignorance gets lifted and the light of knowledge which remained hidden within us so long starts shining brighter and brighter.

When that light shines, the man becomes the true Jnani - truly knowledgable. All the knowledge that we boast to have acquired so far, turns pale in front of that light. It is the supramental perception of knowledge - purna chaitanya or total consciousness as meditation takes us into the realm of jnanamay Kosha.

From one view point it can even be said that even if you read all the Vedas, attend scores of satsangs or discourses, memorise Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads and all the scriptures, you are not guaranteed to become knowledgable. Ofcourse wrong meaning should not be attached to this statement and should be understood in its true perspective. The true knowledge dawns only when we dwell in Atma ( become Atmastha), when the communication with self is felt in our hearts, Our thoughts have now become single pointed and focused on Bramhan.

 

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