by
Guru Babagino
This is a wonderful meditation. Easy to learn and simple to do. It is sweet, powerful, soft and smooth - if done correctly.
You will know it and feel it from your very first meditation that this is something special.
There exists tons of scientific research (of the double-blind type) in numerous colleges and universities that have determined 20 minutes of MT is equivalent to 4-5 hours of sleep. It produces profound deep rest, weather or not it feels like anything is happening. This deep rest produces natural stress reduction and release. So not only does MT feel good, but it’s good for you, it’s rejuvenating.
But there’s more. Meditate with a couple of friends and you’ll know and feel what I’m talking about. It’s one of those things where the total effect is greater than the sum of its parts. People meditating together produce calmness, peace, and positive energy in geometric proportion to the number of people meditating. It’s an accumulative and snowballing event. It’s quite astounding to experience - and a real hope for our planet. Imagine a couple of billion people meditating ...
And there’s still more - but this falls under the heading of metaphysics and/or spirituality. Enlightenment. Eastern religions and philosophies believe that humans can and have achieve a state of pure bliss and ultimate awareness. There are many descriptions of this but it’s really something our unenlightened minds can’t understand. If you’re interested, the Buddhist and Hindus have detailed accounts, descriptions and stories. Nevertheless, knowing about it or not, believing in it or not, practicing MT correctly automatically moves you ahead on the path to enlightenment.
How? It’s about “gaps.” All meditations start out with lots of thoughts. It doesn’t matter whatsoever what these thoughts are, insightful or mundane. But as the meditation proceeds your mind settles down into quietness. During this time, for a brief period, (and only afterwards,) you may notice that you just experienced being awake and conscious, but conscious of no particular object ... just the consciousness itself. Hence the concept of a “gap.” Interestingly, you may sense it coming, but the instant you acknowledge it and notice it and think “oh goody, here it comes,” - it’s gone - probably because our egos get in the way. It’s not something subtle or obscure - when your in a gap, when you’ve transcended the meaning of thoughts and are bathing in pure consciousness, you’ll know it!
Other names for the gap: no-thingness, emptiness, pure awareness, pure consciousness, being, pure intelligence, the transcendent, creative intelligence, and many more. Whatever it’s called, the various goals and programs of the Buddhist and Hindu practices are to find ways to immerse oneself in it, for as long as possible thereby taking on its qualities and become Enlightened.
To reiterate, knowing about it or not, believing in it or not, practicing MT correctly automatically moves you ahead on the path to enlightenment. (Isn’t that nice?)
Mantras and Such
MT is a mantra meditation. Mantras come from anywhere and everywhere. Every tradition, ashram, monastery and sect have their own sets. They are usually parts or pieces of chants, prayers, deities names, or they can be whole phrases and sentences. But none of this means anything as far as MT is concerned. We only care about the actual sound vibration the mantra makes when spoken, and only at the time of initiation will we ever speak it or hear it . Thereafter just the thought of the mantra is all that’s used.
The MT technique
The key to MT is the proper use of the mantra, which is: EFFORTLESS.
This meditation never forces the mind. You do not concentrate on the mantra or against thoughts. You start by gently repeating the mantra mentally a 1/2 dozen or so times, and let go. When you realize that you’re not on the mantra, “suggest” it to your mind. If your mind wants to continue repeating it, fine. If you mind goes off somewhere, also fine. And so it goes, throughout the meditation, when you realize you’re not on the mantra, simply suggest it and take it as it comes.
It is extremely important not to make this hard. This is a an easy meditation. Sometimes we think if it’s too easy it can’t be worth anything so we add effort and will and determination. We try hard to make it work. But this will only give you a headache, and it’s not MT - which is effortless.
What do MT meditations look like?
No two meditations are ever the same. Some have lots of thoughts and very little mantra. Some have lots of mantra and very little thoughts. Some have a mixture. (Interestingly, we cannot objectively evaluate our meditations. Scientists have shown that the biological effects of profound deep rest occur whether we think the meditation was a “good” one or not.)
Typically it starts like we’re on the surface of an ocean, the waves are thoughts and outside noises and distractions. But as we meditate we get quieter and quieter inside, and this continues until it feels like we’re at the bottom of the ocean - which is totally quiet and peaceful. This is when “gaps” may occur. A piece of Pure Awareness. But the instant you consciously think of it, acknowledge it: “Yes! Here it comes!” ... it will gone. Any effort or attempt to hold on to it sends it away. It has to do with our egos, and our trying to do something that we cannot do, and need not be done because IT’S already part of us. In MT, we need to just let it happen.
Some Details
*** Meditate twenty to thirty minutes, twice daily, morning and evening.
*** Sit upright, comfortably, in a quiet place. Disconnect the phone if possible. Be sure the people around you know that you are not to be disturbed - this is your time.
*** Allow yourself two to three minutes after you stop meditating before you open you eyes.
*** Children under ten can meditate but do so differently. They do not sit down and close their eyes. They repeat the mantra mentally while walking around the house for ten minutes or so, as they are getting dressed, brushing their teeth, playing, etc. They get the first mantra on the list. After their tenth birthday with further instruction on how to treat thoughts, they can begin to meditate, with that same mantra, as we do.
*** In the beginning you’ll need a timer, an alarm, or someone to gently
whisper “ time is up.” After a while you will sense it by yourself.
*** Falling asleep while meditating: fine; your body needs rest; meditate an extra five minutes when you awake.
*** Pregnant or ill people can meditate as much as they like.
*** No meditations are “better” than others: We cannot objectively evaluate meditations. Once we’ve started the mantra, everything that’s not a gap is considered stress related. Remember,researchers have shown that the meditation works whether we think so or not.
What To Do
1. Select your mantra from the list.
2. Repeat it aloud ten times - normal voice.
3. Repeat it another ten times - lower voice.
4. Whisper it ten times.
5. Repeat it mentally, eyes open, ten times without moving your tongue or lips.
6. Close eyes and continue, as discussed previously, gently suggesting the mantra when you realize you not on it, and taking it as it comes for twenty to thirty minutes.
7. Come out slowly. Allow yourself two to three minutes before opening your eyes.
*
Self check
There are just three simple questions to ask yourself to see if you’re doing MT correctly.
1. Is the process easy? If not, you are using effort somewhere. Maybe you’re trying to force the mantra, or make it a rhythm, or push thoughts away. Be effortless. Just suggest the mantra and take it as it comes.
2. Notice how effortlessly the mind switches from one thought to another? That’s how effortless we should think the mantra, as effortlessly as any other thought.
3. Feeling quietness inside? Maybe a “gap” or two? Wonderful! (But don’t expect it every time you meditate. It’s connected with the amount of our accumulated stress. The more we meditate, more more stress we release; the more stress we release, the more gaps.
AGE right NOW MANTRA
10 - 11 eeng
12 - 13 eem
14 - 15 een-ga
16 - 17 ee-ma
18 -19 ay-eeng
20 - 21 ay-im
22 - 23 ay-een-ga
24 - 25 ay-ima
26 - 30 sheh-ring
31 - 35 sheh-rim
36 - 40 heh-ring
41 - 50 heh-rim
46 - 50 keh-ring
51 - 55 keh-rim
56 - 60 she-am
61 + she-ama
Self check
There are just three simple questions to ask yourself to see if you’re doing MT correctly.
1. Is the process easy? If not, you are using effort somewhere. Maybe you’re trying to force the mantra, or make it a rhythm, or push thoughts away. Be effortless. Just suggest the mantra and take it as it comes.
2. Notice how effortlessly the mind switches from one thought to another? That’s how effortless we should think the mantra, as effortlessly as any other thought.
3. Feeling quietness inside? Maybe a “gap” or two? Wonderful! (But don’t expect it every time you meditate. It’s connected with the amount of our accumulated stress. The more we meditate, more more stress we release; the more stress we release, the more gaps.
ENJOY!
Guru Babagino
woodstockgino@mac.com
Feel free to Contact me with questions or for advanced techniques.
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