A Million Thoughts

1. Meditation: Returning to Your True Home

Meditation is going home.

Soul's longing. Just as we yearn for the comfort of our physical home after a long journey, our soul longs to return to its source, the supreme consciousness. This longing is a fundamental aspect of our being, driving us to seek meaning and fulfillment beyond the temporary pleasures of the world.

Beyond the temporary. Our bodies and minds are temporary vessels, conditioned by society and our experiences. Meditation is the path to transcend these limitations and discover our true, unblemished nature. It's about shedding the layers of conditioning and returning to our primal source of bliss and joy.

Discovering your source. This journey is not about becoming someone else, but about discovering who you truly are. It's about finding your original home, free from the walls of ego, anger, and negativity. It's a path to inner peace, where consciousness flows unimpeded, like a gentle river.

2. Harmony: Aligning Thoughts, Speech, and Actions

The reason man is unhappy is because his thoughts, speech and actions are not in harmony.

Inner conflict. Much of our suffering stems from a lack of harmony within ourselves. When our thoughts, words, and deeds are misaligned, we experience restlessness and dissatisfaction. This inner conflict creates a sense of unease and prevents us from experiencing true fulfillment.

The tantric legend. The story of Shiva and Devi illustrates this point. They observed a village where people were suffering due to their misaligned actions, thoughts, and speech. The farmer who usurped his brother's land, the bookkeeper who falsified records, all suffered because of their disharmony.

Meditation as a path. Meditation, compassion, and dispassion are the keys to liberation. By harmonizing our inner world, we can transcend suffering and experience true peace. When our thoughts, speech, and actions are aligned, suffering has no more impact than silk rubbing against an elephant.

3. Thoughts: The Seeds of Desires and Expectations

Thoughts are never a problem until you act on them.

Thoughts are neutral. Thoughts, whether good or bad, are simply mental events. They are not inherently good or evil, moral or immoral. It is our reaction to them, our pursuit of them, that determines their impact on our lives.

The anatomy of a thought. Thoughts are ephemeral, without a definitive origin, path, or destination. By examining their nature, we can understand their emptiness and learn to transcend them. When bothered by a lingering thought, ask:

• Where did it originate?
• Where is it traveling?
• Where has it disappeared?

Transcendence through observation. Good meditators transcend their thoughts by simply watching them. They understand that most thoughts are random and fleeting, like bubbles in water. By not clinging to them, they allow them to disappear naturally.

4. Desires: Understanding Their Nature and Types

For every desire we humans fulfill, a thousand more will take birth.

Desires are like Raktabija. Like the demon Raktabija, whose blood spawned countless more demons, desires multiply when fulfilled. Suppressing them is not the answer, nor is fulfilling them. Mindfulness is the key to their subsidence.

Four types of desires:

• Physical: Sense gratifications, linked to the body's well-being.
• Emotional: Driven by the mind's tendencies, seeking love, recognition, and belonging.
• Intellectual: Prompting creativity and social causes, offering longer-lasting fulfillment.
• Transcendental: The desire to discover one's true nature, leading to liberation.

The path to freedom. The fulfillment of any desire, be it physical, emotional, or intellectual, does not offer lasting happiness. True freedom comes from understanding the nature of desires and learning to drop the thoughts that fuel them.

5. Expectations: The Root of Suffering and Disappointment

Expectations are those desires you believe you have the right to see fulfilled.

Desires with rights. Expectations are desires that we believe we have a right to see fulfilled. They are the primary cause of grief and stress, placing a burden on ourselves and others. They are desires with rights attached to them.

Three types of expectations:

• From self: Standards we set for ourselves, leading to guilt and shame when unmet.
• From others: Beliefs about how others should treat us, causing disappointment when unfulfilled.
• Others' from you: Pressures from society and loved ones, creating stress and anxiety.

The path to peace. By understanding the nature of expectations, we can begin to release their grip on our lives. Lowering expectations in relationships allows love to flourish. Expectations disturb tranquility.

6. Karma: Actions, Residue, and Their Impact

Psychic imprints, resulting from karma, accumulated over many lives condition the mind and cause one grief.

Karma is action, not destiny. Karma refers to action, not fate. Every action, whether physical, verbal, or mental, leaves a residue that shapes our future experiences. It is the residue that matters.

Three types of karma:

• Physical: Tangible actions that leave physical residue, impacting our health and environment.
• Verbal: Words that leave psychic imprints, affecting our minds and those of others.
• Mental: Thoughts that create emotional imprints, the hardest to erase.

Memory and residue. Memory is the unaltered collection of words and experiences. It is the residue of our actions. By dropping thoughts at their emergence, we can prevent the accumulation of negative residue and move towards a state of non-recollection.

7. Meditation: Beyond Relaxation to Transformation

Meditation is a way of life.

More than relaxation. Meditation is not just a feel-good exercise or a way to relax. It is a systematic approach to transform our consciousness, to wipe off the tendencies we've carried over lifetimes. It is a way of life.

Three stages of meditation:

• Act: A disciplined practice requiring determination.
• Second nature: Effortless meditation where virtues become a part of you.
• State: A state of bliss that remains unperturbed under most circumstances.

The ultimate goal. The final stage of meditation is liberation from false beliefs, negativity, and undesirable thoughts. It is freedom from guilt, resentment, and hatred. It is a state of silence and presence of mind.

8. Mental Stillness: Four Stages of Inner Quietude

To see everything as it is requires perfect stillness of the mind.

The journey to stillness. The path to mental stillness is a journey through four stages, each representing a different level of quietude. These stages are like a long drive from a busy city to a peaceful seaside.

Four stages of mental stillness:

• Constant activity: The mind is always talking, with no control over the flow of thoughts.
• Frequent activity: Thoughts are frequent but not constant, with glimpses of a no-mind state.
• Occasional activity: Thoughts are occasional, with long periods of quiescence and bliss.
• No activity: A state of enlightenment, where the mind is completely still and absorbed.

Irreversible transformation. Once you attain mental quietude beyond the frequent activity of stage one, your meditation goes to an entirely new level and there is no going back. It is like milk has become butter now and no process can turn it back into milk.

9. Meditation Principles: Six Keys to Effective Practice

You cannot not think about something by thinking about it.

The golden rule. You cannot avoid thinking about something by telling yourself not to think about it. This is the foundation for the six principles of meditation.

Six principles of meditation:

• No recollection: Don't pursue thoughts of the past.
• No calculation: Don't pursue thoughts of the present.
• No imagination: Don't imagine what may happen in the future.
• No examination: Don't analyze your thoughts.
• No construction: Don't try to create an experience.
• No digression: Don't wander; simply stay in the present moment.

The path to stillness. By following these principles, you can learn to drop your thoughts and maintain a state of presence and awareness. It is impossible to avoid thinking about anything by telling yourself that you are not going to think about it.

10. Elements of Meditation: Attention, Posture, Concentration, Mindfulness, Alertness

All I saw was the gold.

The art of attention. The ability to direct and maintain attention is fundamental to good meditation. It is the art of presence of mind.

Nine states of attention:

• Stabilize, settle, settle firmly, settle intensely, clear obstacles, pacify, completely pacify, channel, settle in equipoise.

Posture and energy. Correct posture is essential for channelizing vital energies in the body. It is about perfect stillness of the body.

Concentration and focus. Concentration is focus with precision, one careful step at a time. It is the beam of your mental energy.

Mindfulness and awareness. Mindfulness is the ever-awake watch guard at the door of your mind. It is not bare attention.

Alertness and vigilance. Alertness is the police at the city gates, detecting and checking the flow of thoughts. It is a state of even awareness.

11. Paths of Meditation: Ordinary and Extraordinary

The only way to taste the fruits of meditation is to do it right, to do it properly.

Two paths to self-realization. There are two paths to meditation: the ordinary and the extraordinary. The ordinary path is for those with other commitments, while the extraordinary path is for those who have found their calling in meditation.

Ordinary path:

• Average meditator: Three one-hour sessions daily.
• Mild meditator: One or two 30-minute to one-hour sessions daily.

Extraordinary path:

• Intense meditator: Six or more 60-90 minute sessions daily.
• Keen meditator: Four or more one-hour sessions daily.

The mindful day. The practice of a mindful day allows you to walk the extraordinary path while still living in the world. It involves doing everything with utmost awareness and presence.

12. Virtues of a Meditator: Compassion, Truth, Gratitude, Empathy, Humility, Faith

There’s no penance greater than truth and no sin worse than lying, God lives in the one who has truth in his heart.

Virtues are the mother of meditation. Meditation is not a substitute for virtuous conduct. It is a path to cultivate love, compassion, humility, and empathy.

Compassion and forgiveness. Compassion is love, forgiveness, and a divine act. It is about extending kindness to all, even those who have wronged us.

Truth and integrity. Truthfulness is about aligning our words with our thoughts and actions. It is about being honest with ourselves and others.

Gratitude and contentment. Gratitude is the most powerful emotion to set everything right in one's life. It is about appreciating what we have.

Empathy and understanding. Empathy is about seeing the world from the perspective of others. It is about listening with an open heart.

Humility and selflessness. Humility keeps us grounded and real. It is about recognizing our place in the universe.

Faith and trust. Faith is about trusting in the process and letting go of the need to control everything. It is about having confidence in the path.

Last updated: January 26, 2025