We are now going to discuss a topic that is important for all students who are interested in pursuing the less travelled path. The topic is meditation, which we have discussed several times before. Over the next four presentations, we will take an in-depth look at this practice from the perspective of what is happening within the mental envelope.
Concentration is not an end in itself but a means to an end. Concentration shapes the mind into an instrument that can be used at the will of the owner. When a concentrated mind is steadily focused on an object, with the intention of reaching its essence and uniting that essence with the mind’s own, then meditation is performed. Concentration is the process of shaping the mind, while meditation is the act of using it.
Concentration involves firmly fixing the mind on a single point without wandering or yielding to distractions caused by external objects, the senses, or the mind itself. The mind must be steadied and fixed until it can withdraw its attention from the outer world and the envelope, allowing the senses to remain calm. In contrast, the mind becomes intensely focused inward, directing all its energies toward a single thought, reaching the highest level it can attain. When the mind can maintain this state with relative ease, it is ready for the next step. Through a strong but calm effort of the will, it can move beyond the highest thought it can reach while still working within the physical brain, and in doing so, it can rise to and unite with a higher consciousness, freeing itself from the envelope.
Therefore, anyone who can pay attention and think steadily on one subject for a short time without letting the mind wander is ready to begin meditation.
Meditation can be defined as the sustained attention of a concentrated mind in the presence of an object of devotion or a problem that requires illumination to be understood. It applies to anything where the essence is to be realised and absorbed rather than the form. It is the art of contemplating a subject and considering it from various perspectives and relationships.
Meditation can be defined as the attempt to bring a realisation of the super-consciousness into the waking mind or the mind in its normal state of activity. It involves creating a channel through which the influence of the divine or spiritual principle, the true essence of a person, can permeate the lower personality. Meditation is about reaching out of the mind and feelings towards an ideal, opening the doors of the lower consciousness to the influence of that ideal.
According to H.P. Blavatsky, meditation is “the inexpressible longing of the inner man for the Infinite.” St. Alphonsus de Liguori described it as “the blessed furnace in which souls are inflamed with Divine Love.”
The ideal chosen for meditation can be abstract, such as a virtue, or it can be the Divinity within oneself, or it can be personified as a Master or Divine teacher. Regardless, meditation involves uplifting the soul towards its divine source, the desire of the individual self to become one with the Universal Self.
Just as food sustains physical life, meditation nourishes spiritual life. A person who practices meditation is often the most effective individual in the world. Lord Rosebery, when speaking of Oliver Cromwell, referred to him as a “practical mystic” and believed that a practical mystic is the greatest force in the world. The ability to withdraw from worldly turmoil and concentrate the intellect leads to increased energy in work, greater steadiness, self-control, and serenity. A person who meditates does not waste time, scatter energy, or miss opportunities. Such an individual governs events because within them lies the power from which events are merely an outer expression. They share the divine life and, therefore, the divine power.
As mentioned earlier, when the mind is focused on a single image and the observer contemplates it steadily, they gain a much deeper understanding of the object compared to relying solely on verbal descriptions. During concentration, the image takes shape in the mental envelope, and focusing on a rough outline obtained from, for example, a verbal description, gradually fills in more detail as consciousness becomes more closely connected to the things being described.
“All religions recommend meditation, and its desirability has been recognised by every school of philosophy. Just as a person who wishes to be strong uses prescribed exercises to develop their muscles, so the student of occultism uses definite and prescribed exercises to develop their emotional and mental envelopes.
There are, of course, many kinds of meditation, just as there are many types of people. It is clearly not possible that one method of meditation is most suited to everyone.
Meditation has many objectives, of which the principal ones are as follows:”
1. This practice ensures that a person thinks about important and spiritual matters at least once a day, taking their mind away from the petty activities and troubles of daily life.
2. It gets a person used to thinking about such matters so that they become a background to their daily life. When they are free from immediate business demands, their mind returns to these thoughts with pleasure.
3. This practice serves as a kind of mental and spiritual exercise to keep the higher aspects of a person healthy and to maintain the flow of divine life through them. It is crucial to remember that doing these exercises regularly is of utmost importance.
4. It can be used to develop a person’s character and instil various qualities and virtues.
5. This practice raises a person’s awareness to higher levels, allowing them to consider higher and more subtle things. Through it, a person may reach a state of connection with the Divine.
6. It opens up a person’s nature and invites blessings from higher planes.
7. This practice is a way, even if it is just the first step, that leads to higher development, greater knowledge, the attainment of clairvoyance, and eventually to a higher life beyond this physical world.
Meditation is the most accessible and safest method of developing higher consciousness. It is undoubtedly possible for anyone, over time, to elevate themselves to the emotional and then to the mental levels through meditation on the Logos or the Masters. However, the duration of this process depends entirely on the student’s past and the effort they put in.
A person engrossed in the serious study of higher concepts is temporarily removed from their persona and creates a powerful thought form in the mental world. This thought form is immediately used as a channel for the force in the world above.
When a group of people come together in thought of this nature, the combined channel they create is much larger in capacity than the sum of their individual channels. Such a group is an immeasurable blessing to the community in which it operates.
In their intellectual pursuits, they may cause an influx of force from the higher Mental World into the lower Mental World. If their thoughts revolve around ethics and soul development in their higher aspects, they may create a channel for more elevated thought through which the force from the Unity World (46) can descend into the Mental World.
Groups that focus on esoteric studies can serve as channels for spreading divine influence to people who wouldn’t otherwise be receptive to it. These groups are focal points for the Masters of Wisdom and their disciples. The members’ collective thoughts during study and discussion activities could draw the attention of the Masters, leading to the transmission of a force more elevated than what the members themselves possess. As has been caveated on numerous occasions, masters are unlikely to get in touch these days, but their disciples are.
Joining an esoteric study group establishes a subtle connection with the Masters through a thread of life. By demonstrating dedication, selfless service, and earnest effort, this connection can be strengthened and transformed into a line of vibrant light.
Furthermore, it’s possible to attract blessings from an even higher source. The Life and Light of the Deity permeate the entire system, with its force typically confined to specific levels or planes. However, by setting up a special channel, this force can descend to lower levels and bring illumination.
When a thought or feeling is entirely unselfish, it creates a channel. Selfish feelings create a closed loop and only generate a response at the same level. An unselfish emotion, on the other hand, creates an outpouring of energy that does not return but instead opens a channel for a divine power to flow down from the next level above. This is the underlying reality behind the idea of the answer to prayer.
A clairvoyant can see this channel as a large vortex or a huge cylinder or funnel. This is the best explanation in the physical world, but it is not adequate because as the force flows down through the channel, it somehow merges with the vortex and takes on its colour and distinct characteristics, showing which channel it has come through.
In the next presentation, we will continue this discussion and review the Five Stages of Mind, postulated by Patanjali.