Acharya Mahaprajna
The Daily Rising Kashmir
Meditation constitutes an awakening, a complete rousing of inner consciousness
Equanimous thought is balanced thought. Any kind of superiority or inferiority complex results in perverted thinking. The one great criterion for wholesome thinking is to determine whether thought is born of equanimity or not. It seems to be that two kinds of feelings dominate a man's life—like and dislike; craving and aversion. All thought is actuated by like or dislike. Totally unconditioned thinking is rare. Someone dear to us says something and we appreciate it fully; but the same thing uttered by an adversary inspires in a feeling of contempt or fear. Why? We are enquiring into the nature of wholesome thought. Thought conditioned by feelings of like or dislike is not wholesome at all.
Many things happen in the course of life. Two factors influence them all—like dislike, approval and disapproval. All our action is conditioned by these. Passion or disgust, approbation or disapprobation, attachment or indifference, attraction or revulsion. There is no other motive for thought.
Man indulges in evil deeds or doubtful conduct; deceives others. Wherefrom do these tendencies originate? On the one hand operates an attachment such as, "This is my family, my son, my wife—may they be happy! Let there be a bigger house, more money, whatsoever. "On the other hand, aversions prevail. Where there is 'like', 'dislike' is bound to be; the two go together.
Without equanimity, all thought becomes shabby and the contradictions therein can never be resolved. The chief function of meditation is to help a man go beyond like and dislike, beyond craving and aversion. It is awaken in him a state of dispassion. Impartial and alert passivity in an individual is a great thing. Meditation which fails to develop equanimity is no meditation at all. Meditation is not mere entertainment; it is not merely relaxation or gratification; you sit idly, close your eyes, and entertain no worry whatsoever. For 10 days you don't stir abroad; you squall immovably rooted to the ground, in one fixed posture, and have complete rest. On being asked, one says it is wonderful! But what is the net result? What achievement, if any? To some meditation is nothing but mere relaxation and being confined to one place. When they go out of the meditation center, they continue as before, there is no change—the same world, and the same mischief's. This kind of meditation is sorely limited by time and space. Even a naughty child grows quiet in sleep, barring some involuntary spasmodic movements. While sleeping, no man quarrels. In fact, in the state of sleep, every man appears to be virtuous. Of course, the evil-door continues to harbor evil inside, but outwardly at lest he does no harm while asleep. Evil dreams, imaginations and thoughts continue. With the conscious mind asleep, the unconscious becomes all the more active. But outwardly the evil-doer in sleep appears like any other person. As long as he lies asleep in bed, he cannot indulge in evil conduct, he tells lies, nor tricks another; nor uses bad language—he does nothing whatever. In the unconscious state induced by sleep he keeps away from doing harm.
Meditation, however, is no true meditation, if it is does not bring about a complete transformation, if it does not purify one's thought or alter for the better one's whole approach. If, once outside the meditation center, there is no change in one's conduct, then such meditation is no more than sleep or unconsciousness.
Meditation on the other hand constitutes an awakening, a complete rousing of inner consciousness. The conscious mind becomes inert, but the inward consciousness becomes so active and expands so much that it transcends all conditioning. It remains steadfast and unchanging. If a mediator keeps tranquil enough in the meditation hall, but on returning home continues fighting and quarrelling, his family would rightly look upon such a person and his meditation with misgiving.
In the field of religion we witness a number of reactions. It is said that today's intelligent man does not care of religion. Such a reaction arises from the realization that the practice of religion hardly makes any difference. One practices religion for 50 years but there is no change in one's life. What is the utility of a religion like that? If there is no transformation whatever, religion loses all validity. A religion whose practice or non-practice makes little difference, can command no allegiance. If plunging your foot into the fire, or not plunging it comes to the same thing, who will dread fire? However, fire burns and so people avoid putting their feet into the fire. Because of its peculiar quality, fire demands attention and people tread it with care.