The Spiritual Process

OK. So... meditation. Meditation has become a difficult subject lately, apparently. But still there are these sincere questions about it because seekers listen to what comes to them and they evaluate: should I meditate or shouldn't I meditate? This is a question, and I'll answer this question towards the sincere ones that are asking it. What does this mean? Well... not important. Meditation has to be a must for a seeker of Truth, and can only be abandoned when Guidance explicitly tells him. Not because he's choosing what is best, not because he understood this or that philosophy, this or that teaching, "oh, this is like this... so I will..." -- no, only when Guidance explicitly says so. For the majority of seekers, meditation could probably be the only thing, apart from suffering, that could help him to clarify their path, their understanding about the teachings. So this is why this has been pushed out of the way. It is true that there is this duality. It is if it is, but I don't want to go into the merit of it, you'll understand eventually. I will not question techniques of meditation, I will question motivations to meditate. The motivations are always the important part. Yes, these techniques, most of the techniques are to the seeker of well-being, in a sense of slowly, gradually, in a way that he can deal with, that he can manage to come out of it, to come out of all these beliefs that tie him to what he calls reality, until he understands other things (Silence and so on) that I've been talking about. Certain techniques are a part of this.

And the technique also... There's an object that's being pursued, the mind is focusing on something, is one-pointed. So this is not really... is not yet the thing, it's outward still. But understand: if you're full of afflictions, or with some afflictions, if you're still grabbed to worldly goals, well, probably this will be more useful. But in the long run, it has nothing to do with this. Meditation not as a technique but as a posture, an inner posture, which means a posture of a seeker of Truth and not of a seeker of well-being -- this is what I will discuss. The practice of this meditation -- forbidden word: practice of this meditation -- and the practice of self-inquiry are more or less the same. When meditation is there, when self-inquiry is there or gets established, they will be same, same, and they will not depend on anything. But as it is a practice, we will still have certain dependencies. So meditation... meditation it's like... This kind of meditation, with the attitude of the seeker of Truth, it's like self-inquiry on steroids -- the practice. As it is established, it is the same. As you sit in the meditation posture -- body straight, chest out -- Silence has to be established. But as you sit in this posture it's like picking a pot of water and putting it into the stove, in the big fire, turning on this big fire. In normal undertakings, when you're moving around, it's like the intensity of 10 of experiences, of impressions that are hitting you and provoking something, which you use as a means to gain distance and coming back to Silence. In meditation this increases one hundred times, one thousand times. If you're pursuing something, this is not yet what I'm talking about. But just by sitting straight, energy starts moving, fire starts moving and starts to bring everything. It's like... all of you have heard about detoxifying the body, the mind, and all these things. The body-mind complex has these mechanisms of input and output. When there's the input, this is the seeker of well-being. He's bringing things to him, collecting teachings, collecting all these things -- input, input. When he becomes a seeker of Truth, he is cutting investments and importance so things are letting him go also. Output, output. Not output as putting things into the world, (but) things that he was grabbing are collapsing. Only the posture starts this process of letting go and collapsing into the body, emotions, mind, into all of this. It is illusion? Yes, of course it is. But what isn't, until it is real? Everything, even these petty attempts of... whatever... Meditation is the same attitude as self-inquiry. First, stillness of the body is conquered. There is this sitting or lying down... lying down is nothing. If you want the fire of the stove, sit straight. First you conquer the steadiness of the body. Not moving, absolutely no movement whatsoever. Pains will be there. What do the pains want? They want to make you move to give them importance, and you remain steady. Even if you have to move, if it is unbearable at that moment, you will move slowly, with the same meditative attitude, you will stay a little bit, then you will come back again, and you will push, push more. Meditation is not about having a moment to meditate every day and it's final. It has to increase and increase and increase. As meditation increases, worldly investments decrease. You cannot be doing two things at the same time.

Only if you are a seeker of well-being, so there's no difference: meditation becomes an investment towards worldly goals, and nothing changes. For the seeker of Truth, two things at the same time is impossible. As he remains still, all these (sensations) -- from the most grossest sensations to the most subtlest ones -- all this will be purged out. If in the beginning he cannot remain still, eventually he will. Stillness at the emotional level, at the mental level. When a seeker of well-being starts meditating, he feels better because this is what he wants from meditation. If it (the mind) is a little bit more clear... because this is what he needs, because he thinks with a clear mind his worldly goals will become achievable. For a seeker of Truth, as he starts meditating, chaos comes. Chaos, mental chaos, intense mental chaos, emotional chaos... Then peace, a little bit of peace. This peace that comes prepares for the next chaos, which is a more deeper chaos. As this chaos comes and he remains steady, unmoved it will release and then more Silence, more Stillness will be there. Attention, as in self-inquiry, remains at the Source, at the I-source. You can use even the question, because the question in itself takes you back. Turmoil of thoughts will pull you out, the question "who am I?" brings you back. The more you try to stay there, the more confusion, the more turmoil comes. Sometimes it will give you a distance, for you to become confident. And when you're confident, puff, bashes you out again. "I must be doing something wrong, this is not going anywhere, it is becoming worse." No, it isn't. The more deeper the restlessness, the more ingrained restlessness that I've spoken previously, the more intense is the experience. Input and output has more or less the same experience for the seeker: he is living it. If he's a seeker of well-being, as the turmoil begins if he increases the time of meditation, as the turmoil begins he quits. "I must be doing something wrong, this is not what I have applied for." "I wanted well-being, (but) this is creating more chaos and confusion, so this must be wrong." It is, according to his motivations, the only thing. So it's better for him to keep it lightly. Five minutes, fifteen minutes, half an hour, one hour tops. Don't go more than this in one stretch because then your well-being will go down the drain.

If you keep it superficial, you will get this feeling-nice sensation and all of this. Remaining at the I-source: in that posture, steady, everything becomes more intense. All those things that it would take more time for you to face will be there intensely, one after the other, one after the other, one after the other. Meditation, for some of you, it's like a rope that ties you into illusion. It is a rope that promises Salvation but keeps you tied into illusion. But this is according to you. When there's Silence, when you come close to this Silence, to this meditation in Silence, where you stay at the I-source, and you dismiss importance of all this restlessness, these forces of Nature to impel you to move, to engage in your investments. When you give up on this is the same as self-inquiry. This technique, this following a technique somewhere trying to achieve something, this one-pointedness of the mind this is bounding to illusion, sustaining illusion. This Stillness is here in this body of Silence, in the I-source, remaining there steady, untouched by anything. This is the way to Stillness, to Silence, which in itself is the basis for the final dissolution. Stopping these techniques may change, because if you're a seeker of Truth it doesn't matter if you are still holding to the world. You have to have your pains, your importances, all of this -- this is part of the game. But if you are sincere, Guidance will bring you through all these things, through all these things. Different techniques will exhaust themselves -- first they are very important, then they become meaningless, and another one comes, another one comes -- until you reach this point of abstraction, abstracting from everything that seems real. Well, you have to understand by now, if you've reached this point that the outward world is unimportant. So eyes closed. Eyes closed to the outer world, eyes open to the inner world.

Stillness. As something comes to disturb this Stillness, to drag attention from the I-source to the rest (whatever that means) you will bring it back again to Stillness, to the I-source, and remain. And you will increase these periods, these times. There are no limits where you can increase it. When meditation is established, when self-inquiry is established, there's no difference and they will not depend on circumstances, on physical posture, on whatever -- it is true. Before of that, a lot of things help and a lot of things disturb. What make you see what helps and what disturbs are motivations. If you want to go to a party or if you want to stay quiet in silence makes a big difference because if you want to have fun and go to a party, staying alone in silence will be disturbing. If you want to stay alone in silence and you're being pushed to a party, the party will be disturbing. It's always about motivations. Meditation is something that can bring all with time. For the seeker of well-being (takes) more time -- but eventually it will bring him. So meditation should be practiced by all seekers of Truth, of course, until Guidance explicitly says to stop. For the seeker of well-being, if he's trying to be a seeker of Truth but is not really succeeding, waiting for this Guidance to say "stop" will be a relief. Uff, stop... For the seeker of Truth, he has established himself. I'm speaking still only and also about the posture of the body, and the meditation as an attitude, like a commitment, a daily pursuit. This part of stopping all of this and just remaining, this will be difficult because in a way meditation becomes an attachment, a safe space. But Guidance will be there to tell him when to stop. So he doesn't have to worry about anything. The seeker of Truth doesn't have to worry about which is best teaching, which is the best technique, which is the best master, which is the best... No. Guidance. He has to be aware, be ready, waiting, available, willing for Guidance. Guidance shows. When it comes the time when this meditation stops, the attitude is there, it's established, so no need for this sitting. But Guidance says so -- not your logic, not your mind -- Guidance. Guidance, the voice of the master, the voice of the guru, the voice of God. Your voice, not what you think you are, but who you really are. As you start this meditation practice, from wherever you are, if it is sincere you'll see that your process as a seeker of Truth will gain life, something tangible. The support, the Guidance will be tangible. Most of you have no idea of what I'm talking about now. You may give a different meaning to these words and think you are understanding. (But) only a few of you understand this, the others have to find out. It is there for you also, but you have to find out. You have to become seekers of Truth, if Truth is what you're looking for. If it isn't, it is OK, no problem, no "have to's". Everything is need-based, all investments are need-based.

This thing of "you have to become a seeker" doesn't exist. This is for those who have this need, this call. If you have more questions about meditation -- because this is a very big subject and your questions are always the most important ones -- send them. There's no problem with touchy subjects, if it is sincere, you can ask whatever you need. Not whatever you are curious about, (but) whatever you need. Whatever is touching you -- this is a doubt. A doubt is not a mental curiosity. It's something that has a feeling for you, has importance, real importance because these are the knots that then can be broken. Curiosity is just a... well... outward flow mentality. So no doubts absolutely whatsoever. If there's no Guidance, should you practice meditation? If you're a seeker of Truth, yes of course. Trust what is coming. So the technique that comes to you, grab it and practice it, and intensify the time of your practice. You just need to do this one correctly: start cutting all those things and intensify your practice. Eventually, if you are sincere, Guidance will come. Or Guidance will tell you where to go to continue your work. So meditation for all, until Guidance says otherwise. Questions? Doubts? Shoot (them). OK.