Mind and meditation
Recently, during my flight to Washington DC, I checked the in-flight entertainment menu. I was surprised to see information in Hindi language also. There was a listing of meditation music for relaxation. I became curious to find out how it was mentioned in Hindi. The word meditation was translated as “Chintan”. I understood that it as a literal translation of the word from dictionaries as I know meditation is dhyan and not chintan. For most people in the world, specially those who have not practised or experienced meditation, as taught by Gautam Buddha and other luminous mystics, meditation means contemplation or concentration on some philosophical subject.
The philosophers are thinkers, mere thinkers. Give them any subject and they would use their mind and contemplation to focus on the subject. They will skilfully use their expertise of linguistic knowledge, but basically it is coming from their churning of the mind. They may even appear to be more impressive than the mystic saints — and most of the time they are. In reality, they are farthest from the truth, as this exercise does not match the existential experience or realisation which is deeper than the mind. For example, love and prayer; these things do not happen in the mind, they happen in the heart and soul. This is the realm of experience and realisation. Out of nowhere love descends into a human heart as something wondrous which has nothing to do with thinking or contemplation, may have nothing to do with any logic. It may be totally irrational. And on a higher level, this may be the case with prayer or bhakti or devotion. All that is divine, not just a product of thought and mind, is nourishing to our soul, very significant to our being. Our mind is just a useful instrument for mundane things, but it is not all. There are many things that are beyond the sphere of mind and they are very significant to us.
Talking about the reality of our being, Osho explains: “You are not the mind, you are beyond mind. You have become identified, that’s true, but you are not the mind”. And this is the purpose of meditation: to give you small glimpses that you are not the mind. If even for a few moments the mind stops, you are still there! On the contrary, you are more, overflowing with being. When the mind stops it is as if a drainage, which was continuously draining you has stopped. Suddenly you are overflowing with energy. You feel more! If even for a single moment you become aware that the mind is not there but “I am,” you have reached a deep core of truth.