We pass now onto the core of meditation. It must be understood that the processes associated, with this core, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi, form a continuous process:
"Dharana is holding the mind to a particular object. An unbroken flow of knowledge in that subject is Dhyana. When that, giving up all forms, reflects only the meaning, it is Samadhi."
Patanjali
Also, because of the fact that we have achieved a quiet mind, we can and should experience in due course a very special state of consciousness, associated mainly with Dhyana and Samadhi, known as the Illuminating Void.
d. Concentration (Dharana).
The highest form of thinking consists in not thinking at all. But one must at the beginning learn how to concentrate the mind in one thing only, one thought only. This step consists then in fixing the mind at one and only one point, on the object of our meditation. It must focus on something; an object of physical concentration (chair, candle, mandala, respiration, heartbeats, image) or a subtle one (chakra, koan, high-minded thought, etc.) The whole mind must be concentrated on the chosen object, until we feel it vibrating in our brain, in order to later send it to the heart. Concentration must be natural and spontaneous. That is, we must have interest and emotional involvement - when those are present, the attention awakens naturally and spontaneously.
There are two types of concentration, external and internal.
External Concentration. This consists in putting complete mental attention on an object, person, picture, or any phenomenon in which we can put our mental attention by means of our five senses. The initial practices will be directed towards this type of concentration. It is important to carry them out for a long time, because they centre our mind, and make us into profound and keen observers of things.
Internal Concentration. Here we fix our attention on an internal phenomenon or theme. This type of concentration is more complex; our usual senses play no role, so we must use our senses of inner perception that are, alas, atrophied. We must start developing them; in particular, we must start developing the conscious Imagination or clairvoyance; this is the great point of support in internal concentration: to sustain the visualization or mental image of that which is an object of concentration. Other inner senses, such as clairaudience, also permit us other types of inner concentration.
e. Intermediate state.
After the process of Concentration, and as a result of the voidness of the mind (which we could call the Void) that we have achieved, we may achieve an exalted state, the Illuminating Void; its stages are Meditation (Dhyana), which is Imaginative, and its intensification, Samadhi, which consists of higher forms of knowledge, Inspiration and Intuition, to be studied below. The beginning of the Illuminating Void, the state of Meditation or Dhyana, will be explained below. But be aware:
"I don't want to say that everybody, in one leap, is going to experience the Illuminating Void. Obviously, one must reach this experience through several "degrees." The devout will feel more and more the intimate impulse of the Being. He or she will have several living experiences, more or less lucid, and at the end, one day, will have the ultimate experience: the direct experience of the Great Reality; then he or she will receive the Tao."
Samael Aun Weor, "The Illuminating Void"
That is, after achieving Concentration, one starts a period in which one experiences Imaginative knowledge and its companion, brief astral experiences. This can go on for months, or years. Then, one day, because of hard work, the LEAP takes place, and you achieve the Dhyanic state of Meditation. We examine this work below, after describing Dhyana.
f. Meditation (Dhyana)
Meditation is a natural concentration and without effort. This is the effect of achieving the Illuminating Void at least in some degree, as explained above.
"In the state of meditation we perceive the essence of things, we receive messages from the higher worlds, we can penetrate into the Temples of other dimensions to search there for an answer to our questions or teaching from the Masters."
Samael Aun Weor
This is a continuation of the imaginative knowledge started in the previous step. This is a state of heightened inner lucidity. It is a state of intense and at the same time relaxed alertness, in which we are luminously and quietly present and light. At times insight flow into this receptive space we have created. In a flash we realize, with clarity, truths previously unknown to us. New levels of consciousness are revealed. We open eyes and carry with us a feeling of being refreshed and nourished a lasting sense of joy.
The state of concentration (Dharana) is static. One concentrates on a mantra, on a picture, on a thought, on an ego. However, meditation (Dhyana) is a flow - the flow of the consciousness turning around the object of meditation, making associations, going into trips which may seem or not associated with the meditation object... Dhyana is superimposed on the static concentration - this is always present in the background in one form or another.
How to do it? There are several points to be made, in how to go from the Void to the Illuminating Void, whose beginning is the Dhyanic state, to achieve the Leap:
a) It is my belief due to some (rather painful) experiences, that this can be achieved through continued effort, raising the inner "pressure".
b) As a result, and perhaps due to exhaustion of the usual instrument (mind, senses, etc) the Higher Centres take over, the Higher Mind, and a s a result...the LEAP, the Illuminating Void.
c) This is what happens in reflective meditation, to be studied later on.
Meditation (Dhyana) is a superior state of consciousness and cannot be fully understood unless experienced. Note and remember the words of the Master above.
f. Ecstasy (Samadhi).
One has to concentrate the mind on the Inner Master. One has to meditate on the majesty of the Inner Master. One has to talk with the Inner Master, until one hears his Voice and converses ineffable things with HIM...
This is called Samadhi.
Samael Aun Weor, Zodiacal Course, Chapter Leo.
This has two phases. First, Inspiration, where we interpret the symbols of Nature. Then, Intuition, a higher level of consciousness reached after much work. We examine these ideas fully in the next Section.
THE TYPES OR STAGES OF SAMADHI
This is the last portion of the last chapter of The Mysteries of The Fire, by Samael Aun Weor. The student should realize that - among other things - the author is telling us that every meditation entails travel, such as astral travel, etc. It is interesting to consider what kind of travel can be associated with psychoanalytical meditation (whose objective is killing egos) or with meditations consisting in the consideration of a thought. Note also that Inspiration or Intuition should take place during these types or stages of Samadhi.
35. May the disciple become profoundly asleep, because sleep is the breach that allows us to pass from meditation into Samadhi.
36. Many types of Samadhi exist: Astral Samadhi, Mental Samadhi, Causal Samadhi, Samadhi within the Consciousness, Samadhi of the Intimate and Samadhi of the Inner Christ.
37. In the first Samadhi we only enter into the Astral plane. We soar with the Mental body throughout space in the second type of Samadhi.
38. We function without material vehicles of any type within the world of Willpower (Causal world) in the third type of Samadhi. We soar with the Buddhic body throughout space in the fourth type of Samadhi.
39. We can move in the lntimate without vehicles of any type throughout the World of the Mist of Fire in the fifth type of Samadhi.
40. We can function in the Inner Christ with the sixth type of Samadhi.
41. A seventh type of Samadhi exists for the Great Masters of Samadhi. In this Samadhi, we can visit the nucleoli upon which the entire universe is based. Those nucleoli, speaking in an allegorical way, are the holes through which we can observe the terrific majesty of the Absolute.
APPENDIX
IMAGINATION, INSPIRATION AND INTUITION
IMAGINATION. The soul withdraws from its sense organs. It turns inwards. First we experience darkness, then the light phenomena of the spiritual world. First we get to know ourselves. Then we start receiving messages from the Inner Worlds
INSPIRATION. This stage of practicing meditation in deep concentration gives us the power or interpreting the symbols of great Nature. When the students reach imaginative knowledge, they see the symbols but do not understand them; they understand that nature is a living writing that they do not comprehend. Therefore they need to raise themselves up to the "Inspired Knowledge" in order to interpret the Sacred Symbols of Great Nature. This interpretation of the symbols is very delicate. The symbols must be interpreted without superstition, lack of trust, pride, vanity, fanaticism, prejudice, preconcepts, envy, jealousy, etc., because all these defects belong to the "I", the "MYSELF". The interpretation must be tremendously analytic, highly scientific and essentially mystic. The inspired knowledge allows us to study the intimate relationship, which exists between all the different kinds of values of Great Nature. It is clear that this phase is for already advanced students, and therefore we have to practice the imaginative knowledge a lot as a first phase to reach any further one
INTUITION. This stage of Ecstasy or Samadhi is very transcendental and very hard to reach because it requires these two previous phases; nevertheless, we will explain what it is. The world of intuition is the world of Mathematics. Those who have reached the intuitive knowledge have reached Supraconsciousness. We can find only Omniscience in the world of Intuition. The world of Intuition is the world of the Being, the world of the Intimate. In this world, the Ego, the "I", cannot enter. The world of intuition is the Universal Spirit of Life. In short:
1) The world of Imaginative Knowledge is the world of symbolic images.
2) Inspiration gives us the power of interpreting symbols.
3) In the world of intuition we see the Great Cosmic Theatre, we are the spectators. We see the great Drama of Life.
With the process of Samadhi we awake our consciousness from this millenary lethargy in which we have been involved for millions of years, and we can acquire real wisdom without the necessity of affecting the powers of the mind, neither with the struggle of reasoning nor with vain intellectualisms.
KEY FOR MEDITATION
a) Comfortable position. (Assana)
b) Control of breathing. (Pranayama). Relaxation.
c) Detachment (Silence of the Mind).
d) Concentration (Dharana). (Imagination starts)
e) Intermediate state
f) Meditation (Dhyana). (Imagination). (This is a state of heightened inner lucidity, of alert perception)
g) Ecstasy (Samadhi). (Inspiration, Intuition).
-Astral Samadhi
-Mental Samadhi
-Causal Samadhi
ETC.
REMEMBER: DROWSINESS IS IMPORTANT!!!
PRACTICES
MEDITATION PRACTICE
VISIT TO AN ASTRAL FOREST
1. Relaxation
2. Ask your Inner Being for help in this practice.
3. Mantra: LA RA
Stop the mind (Modified Pratyahara or Koan)
Dharana (Concentration) Visualize some greenery in a forest. After the mantra LA RA, you may or not keep repeating it inwardly, depending on whether it helps you or not.
Try to actually reach the forest with your consciousness. Perhaps meet some spiritual beings associated with plants (elementals) or other forest beings (the god Pan!), etc.
MEDITATION PRACTICE
Reaching an Astral Beach
The use of visualisation.
Concentrate your imagination (visualisation) and your will power, united in vibrant harmony, on a particular place or area. When your concentration is perfect, start moving with faith towards the site you have imagined. You should not imagine that you are imagining, because the experiment will fail. You must really feel that you are in the place you have imagined.
Samael Aun Weor, excerpt from a lecture.
After relaxing the body and mind, asking for help, and mantralizing, we start the most important aspect: the use of a an Astral Door to get to a beach in the astral world.
l. Relax.
2. Ask for help to the Intimate for your trip.
3. Mantra ROOSSSS TEEEE
4. Stop the mind. (Modified Pratyahara or Koan).
5. Visualize an ornate door at the back of your minds’ eye. Now mentally enlarge the picture until it is several feet high and visualize it as a doorway directly in front of you. Experience shows that even trained visualizers sometimes have difficulty with this part, so a useful alternative is to picture yourself shrinking instead. The important thing is to regularize your dimensions with relation to the symbol.
Once you do this, you have reached the tricky part. You must now consider the symbol as a doorway and imagine yourself passing through it. This is not a question of watching a mental picture of yourself; instead, you should try to move through as you would a physical door. The following may help; imagine a ray of light emanating from your centre of consciousness to the Doorway and travel along it until you have passed through it.
Remember: You should not imagine that you are imagining.
How difficult this is depends on the individual. Some people find they can pass through with the greatest of ease. Often they do not quite know how they managed it. Others try time and again before succeeding.
Patience is really all that is needed should you find this stage difficult. And it is here your concentration exercises begin to pay dividends. They will have taught you how to hold the image of the Doorway for long periods. So even when first attempts fail, you can try again without having to go back to the physical symbol in front of you..
Once through the Doorway, you should feel it strongly as standing behind you. Since you will now find yourself in an Astral environment, it is as well to mark the position of the Doorway in relation to surrounding scenery.
Continue your trip. You should be in a beach full of strange animals and fish...
MEDITATION PRACTICE
Reaching a Gnostic Centre in the Astral World
During this practice you have in front of you a rough picture of a Gnostic Centre in the Astral World. Note this building, of which you can see the main door and its surroundings. There are two steps leading to the door, and plants, like ivy, around the door. The door is half open, and you can see people passing and hear voices. Eventually, after the Concentration (Dharana) stage, you will go through the door! But before have the picture at all times in front of you.
l. Relax.
2. Ask for help to the Intimate for your trip.
3. Mantra ROOSSSS TEEEE
4. Breathing control (count to 10).
5. Stop the mind.
6. Concentration on mantra ROOSSS TEE and picture of Gnostic Centre.
7.When ready, move on inside the Gnostic Centre!
8. Write up your experiences (for your own use).
