How to meditate correctly? Because some of you have heard these lines or approached these lines here, and have found them quite curious, and for some of you, quite strange as well. There is a certain strangeness when you hear us here talking about Meditation. Because, in general, the way we think about meditation is something that you do, that you achieve, that you practice.
See, we are always coming back to themes and subjects here that, in our view, are fundamental subjects. So, we see the importance of returning to these subjects, of delving deeper into these subjects, so that, in fact, we can have an understanding of them. This perspective, for example, of the understanding we have, in general, is mistaken.
For us, comprehending something means understanding it on an intellectual level. Fix the mistake present in this proposal. You cannot understand something because you intellectually approached it. Or, this intellectual understanding may be present, but this is not comprehension.
Comprehension is the direct vision of that subject. It is not the perception or indirect approach of that, as we generally do when we use speech. So, you listen to a lecture and leave that with an understanding of the subject, but this understanding is intellectual. There is no comprehension. There will only be comprehension when this subject is no longer a theory.
This is the question of Meditation. Maybe you tell me: “No, but the thing about meditation is that I practice meditation.” Yes, you practice meditation, but this is the meditation where the “I” element is present in the practice. This is what we have to investigate here with you, which is what we have been doing in all these talks that cause strangeness for some of you.
You cannot have a direct look – see, it is not indirect, but direct, complete – at this subject of Meditation without experiencing what it represents. And the practice of meditation, which people generally practice, is what they are present within the practice itself, and Meditation is not that. The experience of the Truth of Meditation is the presence of Meditation. There is only it, there is no one present in Meditation.
Let's explore this here with you over the next few minutes. Let's start with one thing here. Our concern here is to get closer to comprehension, and not the mere intellectual understanding of a given subject, a certain subject. And this subject here, at this moment, is the question of Meditation.
If you ask how to meditate correctly, you need to understand that Meditation is the awareness of simply Being, and this is not present when the idea of someone present in a practical execution, in an action, within a certain movement, is taking place. Because that someone is separate from this movement or this execution or this action.
So, the Truth about Meditation is that there is no meditation while the meditator is present, because Meditation is something that is present as pure Consciousness, as pure Being, as awareness of what Is, and that is the absence of duality. That is why the Truth of Meditation is Advaita, as we have said.
Real Meditation is having an approach of this moment without the element that separates, which is the “I,” the ego. Therefore, it is the absence of meditator. The presence of the Truth of Meditation is the absence of the “I” in experience. It's not about an action, it's not about doing, it's not about achieving, because there is a separation between the person who performs and what is being done, between what is being done and someone doing it.
Therefore, all this preparation for carrying out a meditative practice is a mistake. So, you put yourself in a position to control your thoughts, your emotions, your breathing. The common belief is that the body has to be in a silent condition for meditation to take place. This may seem reasonable, but it's not a quiet body you need, it's a quiet brain.
It's possible for you to quiet your brain. And when you quiet your brain through effort, through practice, the body quiets down. And, at that moment, you enter a different state of consciousness of the “I.” In fact, it is a different state of mental consciousness. So, there is a certain silence, there is a certain stillness. The quality of this stillness, this silence, will be determined by practice. But there will be a direct relationship between this stillness and silence with practice, a dependence. Thus, we are facing something that works mechanically. We have a silence achieved by mechanical means, we have a stillness achieved mechanically, by a technique, a practice, this is something mechanical. So, there is an executor, there is an element present in the execution of this, which is the “I.”
Here our emphasis is on the awareness of Meditation, which is Being pure Consciousness. The meditator is not present. This requires no technique, no need for practice, no need for this mechanicalness, where the brain quiets down, where the mind quiets down – it is, in fact, quieted. I know this sounds strange to most people in this movement of seeking this Realization.
See, the great truth is that this doesn't really exist for most people. They engage in a meditation practice in an attempt to find relief from this psychological pressure, from this sentimental, emotional, thought pressure, where they are anxious, depressed, anguished, worried, stressed, and, thus, they engage in a meditation technique or practice for this purpose.
So, every day new techniques or practices are created, and this results in a silence or a mechanical stillness, which de-stresses, soothes, calms, but none of that, none of these practices or this involvement with this so-called mystical model of exercise, esoteric or spiritual, has something to do with the Realization of the Awakening of Consciousness. Because the Truth of the Awakening of Consciousness requires Self-awareness.
Self-awareness is the basis for the Revelation of your Being, your True Nature. And Self-awareness is the verification of your motives, reasons, fears, desires, concerns, yearnings, fears, problems. And you see this in living. It is in everyday life, it is in each moment, in the contact of our relationships, that this is noticed.
You notice the stress while you are working, you notice the anxiety within the relationship with him or her, or in a relationship with a future, something that you hope for, look forward to. It is always in contact with living, moment by moment, that we come across all of this, and not when we sit down, cross our legs and recite a mantra, a phrase or play soft music. This environment is prepared for stillness and silence.
So, you look for a place where you cannot be disturbed, where there is no external noise. So, at that moment, the brain calms down, the body relaxes, but you are far from your everyday life, from ordinary life. You are not in contact with friends at work, or with your profession, or with your family, or with your husband, or with your wife, or with your children. So, there are no external stress factors, nor internal ones, to be perceived as stress, in a separate environment, in an environment prepared for this so-called stillness or silence, which you call meditation practice.
Meditation is something present now, when your reactions are seen in the relationship with him, with her, with the work, with the thought that arises about the future or the past. Meditation is present now, when, in that instant, you discover what it is to not place the presence of that element that evaluates, compares, accepts, rejects, judges, likes, dislikes what is present here, in that instant; when you don't put the observer, the experiencer, this “I,” this ego, here, in this instant, while driving the car, while talking to someone, in the moment when a thought arises or an emotion appears.
So, this is contact with the Truth of Meditation, it is here, it is now, in this moment. So, Meditation is not something separate from living. And it is in living that you discover life happening without the “I.” So, this living, which is life without the “I,” is Meditation. This is because Meditation has a principle … It's like when you look at a building. That building is standing, but before it was erected, a structure was built, a foundation was laid for the construction of that building.
Here, the basis, the structure is Self-awareness. And Self-awareness is not separate from life, from living. Follow here how important it is to take a different look at all of this. In this contact with the husband, the wife, with the boss, the employees, with the bills at the end of the month to pay, with the pending situations to be resolved, with all these factors of anxiety, stress, worry, upsetment, annoyance, here you are in direct contact with the basis for Self-awareness.
So, Self-awareness occurs simultaneously when we know what the Truth of Self-awareness is. So, Self-awareness: how to develop it? This is what we need to understand. How to develop Self-awareness? See, it's not a technique. It is the awareness of this Consciousness here. This is what leads to the deepening of this matter of Freedom that resides on this basis. The basis is Self-awareness. Freedom is in the awareness of this vision of Non-separation, of Non-duality.
So, Meditation is all about Advaita, the Truth of Meditation. So, when you ask: “How to develop Self-awareness?” Here and now, becoming aware of the movement of the “I” amidst relationships. Notice, this is the basis for Meditation. Any other technique or practice or formula for meditation are escape mechanisms. This is well known in psychology.
Everything that we have done, that human beings have done, is running away, trying to escape anxiety, stress, nervousness, fear. And one of the mechanisms is also the practice of relaxation, of silencing thoughts using a breathing technique or mantra repetition or something like that. This has nothing to do with the Flourishing of your True Nature, because it has nothing to do with the Truth of Self-awareness.
The basis for Meditation is Self-awareness. So, this is the importance of Self-awareness, because Self-awareness gives you the basis for the Realization of your Being, for the Truth of Meditation. This is what we are working with you on, here within these meetings.
We need to get rid of all these psychological escape mechanisms, all these known escape mechanisms within psychology. And this search for a technique or practice to escape these states will only be a temporary escape. This may appear wonderful at first, but this has nothing to do with Realization. This has nothing to do with the Flourishing of Wisdom, of the understanding of God, which is the understanding of the Truth of your Being, which is Real Consciousness, which is Real Happiness, which is Real Peace, Real Love.
So, this is our topic here with you within this channel and also on our other channel called “Marcos Gualberto.” Later, you can take a look, here in the video description there is a link so you can check out our other channel.
Additionally, we have online meetings on weekends. Saturday and Sunday, we are together deepening all of this with you, becoming aware of this Truth of What We Are. So, here's an invitation. It is an opportunity to be together and, through this contact with Silence and with this Real Presence of Grace, we work on this. Here, I repeat, in the video description, there is the link.
In addition, we have face-to-face meetings and also retreats. If it actually makes sense, leave your “like” here, subscribe to the channel and post here in the comments: “Yes, it makes sense.” OK? And we'll see each other. Thanks for the meeting and see you soon!
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