Medi(s)t tion

10 Tathaastu
 Meditation
is Listening
SWAMI KRIYANANDA

The right attitude constitutes only the beginning of the spiritual journey,
though to perfect oneself in it requires the effort of a lifetime, and encompasses
the entire spiritual journey. Not only is right attitude necessary for achieving
perfection in meditation, it also can be perfected only in meditation.

What then, is meditation? Here is a good definition:

Meditation is listening. It is listening not only
with the ear, but with the soul – not only to sound,
but to the silent language of inspiration.
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perceived, in deep meditation, as merely temptations of the
mind, their real aim being to involve us once again in delusion.
“Self-study” (swadhyaya) is, figuratively speaking, “listening”
to the melodies of pure motivation, and learning to distinguish
between them and the harsh claws of ego-motivation.
“Devotion to the Supreme Lord,” finally, is listening intently
to the inner “Word,” which the Bible tells us was “in the
beginning,” was “with God,” and “was” God. The “Word” is not,
as many Christians believe, the Bible itself; nor is it any other
scripture. It is AUM – the divine sound out of which the universe
was manifested.
It is too early at this point to discuss in depth such esoteric
experiences as the inner sounds. The important thing here is
to understand, with this mere hint of their existence, that
meditation is not so much a process of stilling the mind as of
perceiving realities that exist beyond the mind. There is an
inner world that can be perceived only when the attention
has been turned away from material involvement and
redirected toward the divine source within.
To repeat, “listening” itself, as I use the word here, entails much
more than listening with the ears. It means, among other
things, the stillness of expectation, and complete mental
absorption in whatever inspirations come. It means receiving,
as opposed to generating uplifting thoughts with the mind.
It includes all of these, while providing to each of them a
deeper dimension. For in fact there is, literally, an inner music
which, when heard, removes the mind from all worldly
concerns, and banishes the delusion of any existence outside
the Self.
Thus, “listening” as applied to the attitudes of yama-niyama,
as well as to the yoga science in general, clarifies a
misconception people frequently have, that yoga teaches self-
effort, but scorns the need for divine grace. As Paramhansa
Yogananda put it in Autobiography of a Yogi, “A truth cannot
be created, but only perceived.” Divine grace is forever
impersonal. It is not, like the human will, dependent on personal
choices or inclinations. It has no favorites. Like the sunlight, it
shines impartially everywhere. What keeps the sunlight from
arriving equally everywhere is the presence of obstructions –
clouds, buildings, the curtains covering a window. What keeps
grace from reaching us is obstructions in our consciousness.
We may not be able to do much about obstructions to grace
that, like clouds and buildings, are put there by Nature or by
other people – illness, for example, or negative thought forms.
We can, however, draw back the curtains that cover the
windows of our own minds. These obstructions are our mental
restlessness and worldly desires. This then, is the benefit of
yoga practice. It draws back our mental curtains; it helps us
to listen more intently to the divine call within. It is – to use
another illustration – like turning the chalice of thought and
feeling right-side up, that the wine of grace may fill it. If, instead,
the chalice is turned upside down, grace, which (unlike the
sunlight) is superconscious, will simply be withheld. Why
should it spill uselessly to the floor?
Swami Kriyananda is a direct disciple
of Paramhansa Yogananda. He has in his
lifetime lectured, taught, and written
ninety books that have sold over 3 million
copies worldwide and have been translated
into 30 languages. Swami Kriyananda
was recently appointed to the prestigious
Club of Budapest joining such luminaries as the Dalai Lama.
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