What Is Mindfulness Meditation? How Does It Differ From Other Methods?
We observe two paths of self-realization. One is bhakti (devotion), and the second is yoga. Meditation is the seventh limb in Patanjali Yoga Sutras. It is direct in Buddhist and Vedantic tradition. No steps at all, just turning the vision inside and concentrating on the self who is always present. Buddha says it void and Non-dual Vedanta says it Atman. There is a vast difference between devotion and meditation, even though they lead to the same reality.
One can rely on faith in devotion but not in meditation. Meditation demands practical experience. Devotement can be fruitful even if you say that you have utter faith and belief in GOD. Meditation requires a different approach. If you say that you believe in meditation, it does not work. You will have to do practice to experience the truth. Patanjali yoga says spirituality is not a matter of belief, but it is a matter of experience. Thus, it is a path of knowledge. It is a journey inwards, from ignorance to the knowledge about the self.
You have to learn basic techniques like sitting, keeping the body relaxed and focusing on the breath or an object. How to chant mantras? Thus, dedicated and long-established practice over a long period will give you the result. It demands a lot of stability for perfection.
There are ten stages of mindfulness meditation. This article is not about discussing all the steps. Here is a brief description of when and how it originated. Why and how it differs from other kinds of meditation methods. Usually, experts teach two or three stages. Posture is the first stage to learn and take care. Gurus accentuate on sitting positions.
Meditation rules are flexible as far as sitting posture is concerned. You can sit cross-legged on the floor if you are completely fit. Otherwise, you can sit on the chair, table, bed or any comfortable place where you feel relaxed. However, whether you sit on the floor or a chair, physical relaxation is essential. It must be painless and steady. Always keep the body serene and avoid rigidity. You have to sit for a long time, so make sure your posture does not create any pain. So decide from the beginning which position and place suit you the best and is maintainable. Then follow the same method all the time.
Difference Between Passive And Active Meditation
Training of mind is equally necessary. For example, imagine that you are standing with a bowl full of water. You have to stay in that condition without the slightest of the movement to keep water intact. Even a minute quiver can create wavelets in water. Then even a minimal twitch can make the water spills out. It is quite necessary to keep the mind relaxed in an inevitable and vital meditation posture. A peaceful environment plays a significant role in concentration. If you have any mental or physical pain, don’t ignore it. First, completely recover, and then try to meditate. Otherwise, it will be harmful to you and others. Thus, it will ruin the whole purpose of meditation.
The western world, especially the United States is quite familiar with this kind of meditation. Americans have a special bond towards it that is widely known as Mindfulness. The fact of the matter is, it is a massive subject at present in the United States. But the very roots go back to Buddha some 25oo years ago in India. What the western countries have come to know about today was well known to the people in those days. Buddha himself gave precise teachings and provided adequate education on mindfulness meditation. In short, the utmost purpose of meditation is self-awakening, self-enquiry, GOD realisation, enlightenment etc. whatever you say about it.
It is an enormous reality in the present circumstances. When we think about it, we unambiguously feel that it is beneficial for humankind. People turn to do meditation practices to learn and master the power of focus and concentration. Meditation is useful in stress management and relaxation. It helps cure chronic mental problems and several physical diseases. Whenever, there is a debate on the benefits of meditation on any global platform, insignificant incident but worth considering strikes the mind.
The incident is related to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. He belonged to one of the non-dual traditions in the Himalayas in India. His teachings and techniques on meditation are well known as TM (Transcendental Meditation). When he went to the USA for the first time in 1959, he organised a movement to spread the knowledge of TM. He described the tremendous benefits of meditation on our life (physical) during his stay.
He showed some of the following:
1) How meditation boosts our immune system.
2) It helps reduce the wrinkles on the body to look younger as the age grows.
3) How it works as a remedy to get rid of diseases.
When he returned to India to his main monastery after completing his first visit to the USA, his brother monks were in a little state of shock. They asked him with bewildered expressions, “Why did you teach all these that is not the purpose of meditation fundamentally?” The aim of meditation is moksha (liberation), attainment of the highest, and enlightenment. He replied with a gentle smile, “I gave them what they want so that they will need what I need to give them. So, it is a way of tempting people into meditation right now.”
Yes, meditation does indeed offer so many benefits. It helps to overcome physical and mental sufferings. But that should not be the objective. We have to identify ourselves (who am I or what am I). The yogis, rishis, gurus or spiritual seekers developed the techniques and methods of meditation in ancient India some 7000 years ago for self-awakening, to know the ultimate truth, to know the self, for a spiritual quest, realising GOD. That helps you take permanently beyond worldly sorrows and attain the highest truth.
This kind of misleading information and wrong education about “The Highest Truth” always have a sad end. It leads to the commercialisation of the subject, complicates the matter than solving. People get disillusioned, and their trustworthy purpose fails. Instead, that diverts the sincere intention of truthful education to deceive people. It becomes a business that turns the attention of collecting millions. Then, always live with fame and high profile life with luxury rather than doing hard work. People get crazy and attracted based on the name. They remain engaged with the outside world instead of turning inwards for serenity. The root cause of the problem is here. It does not provide any expected result. So, people keep on wandering from one guru to the other. Even after reading different kinds of books, eventually fails and get frustrated. People get trapped in the whirlpool of fake gurus. They never get the solutions to their problems even after attending endless seminars. Meditation is a sensitive subject. One must not take it for granted. Very few people follow it with utmost sincerity.
Only Paying Attention To The Breath
Now, there is a fundamental difference between mindfulness meditation and other methods. It is passive. Passive means you straightforwardly have to concentrate on or pay attention to breathing. Breath is present anytime, anywhere; life is not possible without it. We always inhale and exhale, whether sleeping or awakened. That is natural. While in other methods like Kashmiri Shaivism, Vigyāna Bhairav, and Tāntric Meditation, a person has to keep an idol in mind with or without the mantra (verse). In non-dual meditation, a meditator has to sit silently and blankly with only a given mantra in mind. Repeating the mantra is almost necessary. Imaging an object is optional in no-dual meditation. That is not natural. You have to generate something, keep your mind engaged. Hence, it is an active method. It is a kind of deity meditation. The thought process remains engrossed. That could be unusual and might feel complicated and harsh. This method is the exact opposite of mindfulness meditation.
A Buddhist monk named Asanga developed mindfulness meditation techniques, some 800 years after Buddha. He wrote particularised depiction of the steps, a series of steps for extensive mindfulness meditation. That is why it is popularly known as mindfulness meditation. He designed the course later. A renowned Buddhist monk Kamala Shil expedited his education in approximately the 9th century. He has written a book titled, “Bhāvana Karma” in Sanskrit. The meaning of bhāvna karma is the sequence of meditation where he has illustrated ten stages of mindfulness meditation. All the processes were initiated in Northern India at that time and subsequently elaborated in Tibet.
