Anandmurti Gurumaa - Art of Meditation: A Practical Guide For Transcending Mind

CONTENTS

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Art of Meditation

a practical guide for transcending mind

Anandmurti Gurumaa

INTRODUCTION

As human beings, we are the most evolved species inhabiting this planet. But evolution cannot only be about our physical form and intellectual abilities. Life cannot be only about eating, working, mating, enjoying, sleeping There is more to life than this and it is important that we do not brush aside such existential questions. And even if you look at it from a purely materialistic viewpoint, there is no denying that most, if not all people are in search of happiness.

Irrespective of whether you are a serious thinker aspiring to understand the meaning of life or whether you are an ordinary person wanting everlasting happiness, one thing is clear that this want is not going to be fulfilled by pursuing or exploring the outer world. You dont have to take my word for itjust look around yourself. Although almost everyone is in pursuit of sensory gratification, the facts reveal that all modernisation and technical advancement notwithstanding, happiness remains elusive.

People lead a mind driven life. And for most people, their mind is in a state of utter chaosdriven by umpteen desires, whacked by countless emotions and drowned under a deluge of futile thoughts. And they think this is the only way to live. Not many know that it is possible to have a balanced, calm, composed mind and that we do not have to be enslaved to the ignorant ways of our mind. Indeed, it is even possible to transcend the boundaries of mind.

Being born as a human is a huge blessing for, amongst all sentient creatures, human beings alone have the potential to evolve consciousness to the highest realm of existence; they have the potential to go beyond the confines of the mind and experience a state of being which is independent of the mind. Humans alone have been endowed with an intellect that can think and can contemplate upon the purpose of human life. Evolution is not only about the external world, but in fact, it is more about inner upliftment.

Man has reached outer space and dissected the minutest particle but what one has to understand is that no matter how much outer exploration we do, end of the day it is all perishable. No matter how beautiful this world is, everything has a shelf life. Every being that has taken birth in this world, will invariably die one day.

It is important to investigate if there is anything at all that is eternal, imperishable, untouched by birth, decay and death. For, if indeed there is no more to life than this physical and mental plane of existence, then one will have to embrace this world of sufferings as the only option. But it will be imprudent to accept this as the reality without finding out for ourselves. It will be imprudent to accept ones identity as this body-mind without exploring the possibility of a higher plane of existence.

Our ancient scriptures like the Upanishads and the Bhagwad Gita, have answered all existential questions in great depth. Now, you dont have to take it as gospel. In material science, first a hypothesis is put up and then experiments are carried out to either prove or disprove it. The key word here is experimentation. The same is to be done in the science of spirituality. Great sages have stated the truth in all its glory. Simultaneously, they have also given the methods of investigation. We have already been bestowed with a wonderful tool to carry out this exploration: the unit of our body-mind-intellect. So, using this tool, one should experiment with the methods detailed in our scriptures and find out the truth for our own self. There is only one truth. But just by reading, it doesnt become our truth. For this, one has to experience it first-hand.

The great sage Patanjali has chalked out a clear path of this inner exploration. This is the path of Ashtanga yoga which has eight hierarchical steps leading one to the ultimate reality. Meditation is the penultimate step on this path. Although many people have heard of this word and although many people practise this world over, there are still many misconceptions as to what it means, why should it be done, how will it benefit and so on.

This book clarifies all this in a detailed yet concise way, catering to beginners and experienced practitioners alike. Both theory and practical aspects are elucidated for clarity. By understanding the theory behind the concept, it becomes easier to do the practice properly. The book begins by shedding light on why meditation should be done in the first place. This is important because until and unless one is not sure of why one wants to do something, the endeavour will be half-hearted. Then it goes on to describe what meditation means, moving on to how it should be done, giving ample practical techniques which are easy to follow.

End of the day, whether we believe in it or not, human evolution will not be complete until we expand our consciousness to a height where everything becomes crystal clear, where one realises the purpose of human birth, where all mind-made madness comes to an end, where supreme bliss is the only state of being. Meditation is the path to this inner evolution.

Furthermore, meditation is a dire need of the stressful modern times. When we meditate, we change not only ourselves for the better but we also transfer that positivity to our family, to our society, to our nation, to our world. A meditator has the potential of self-realisation and can thus help entire mankind by sharing his enlightenment with all.

I sincerely hope this book inspires the reader to commence the journey of meditation. It will be helpful to get an audio/visual aid for the practices described as it will make sitting easier. These are readily available on the website (www.gurumaa.com). I wish you all success in your endeavour. Happy inner evolution!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A mystic, yet contemporary. Anandmurti Gurumaa can be described as both, a modern-day sage and an avant-garde metaphysicist. Born with an exceptionally endowed mind, even as a child she was keen in exploring the fundamental nature of reality. Besieged by existential questions, she embarked upon an inner voyage which propitiously culminated in the desired objective of self-realisation.

Having consummately accomplished the raison dtre of human existence, the compassionate master generously shares her knowledge, her experiences with the masses so that everyone can see that they too have the potential to taste the nectar of self-realisation; that no one has to wallow in the dark alleys of ignorance driven suffering. And this is the simple driving force that takes her from one place to another, from one continent to another holding meditation retreats, giving erudite discourses, encouraging self-enquiry, and inspiring especially the youth to an evolved way of living.

What makes Gurumaas teachings even more credible and palatable is the fact that she has awakened to the higher reality and hence not only talks the talk but also walks the talk. Moreover, she is completely secular with no allegiance to any one particular religion or sect. Totally against blind faith, she earnestly encourages rational enquiry. Be an explorer, not a blind believer is her dictum.

This liberal-minded enlightened being carries the beacon of refined wisdom with the intention of spreading self-illuminating knowledge.The authors remarkable creative flair is amply reflected in the huge compilation of multifarious literary and musical compositions and diverse meditation aids that are aimed at reaching out to folk from all over the world.

Her teachings are profound yet pragmatic and thus are a great source of guidance to people from all walks of life. She has given highly erudite commentaries on ancient scriptures like the Bhagwad Gita, Sri Guru Gita, Gurbani and Upanishads whilst also giving great insights into the lives of glorious masters like Buddha, Sikh Gurus, Kabir, Meerabai, Sahjobai, Rumi, Zen masters to name but a few. Furthermore, besides expounding upon esoteric stuff from the spiritual realm, she has also extensively spoken on topics pertaining to problems encountered whilst living in stressful modern times. Thus, her in-depth talks on the mind, emotions, stress, health, sensory indulgence and so on are especially relevant in this day and age. All this material has been compiled for posterity and is readily available as books in various languages, CDs, MP3s and DVDs. By putting across profound concepts in simple, lucid language liberally laced with anecdotes that everyone can relate to, the charismatic author manages to make solemn subjects both intriguing and intellectually accessible to laymen.