Key 5 – Give the mind nowhere to go
copyright © john lamb 2019
“There is no path and there is no journey.” - Gururaj
This key is a compendium of guideposts for even greater success in meditation. Recalling central principles ofttimes disremembered, together with a glance at other folks’ ascendancies can act as useful prompts.
We know the mind continuously creates veils of illusion acting like a meddlesome projector of images and untethered fragments, putting them together in a false film show formulated by what we refer to as individual experience.
But how did individual experience come about? It didn’t. Only a continuum of perception exists. Happenings, as we interpret them, don’t happen to anyone. The only actuality is Isness or Pure Consciousness, whichever term you prefer.
Yes, we actually invent the individual-ness via attachment to the memory of experiences. This is underscored, instead of relieved, when we’re fed the theory of me and mine from babyhood and we go along with the little me interpretation – being an illusion that thinks it suffers and needs tending with comforts - until we lift the veils that cover the truth. Most people getting involved in meditation and other yogas have inwardly decided these veils need shifting.
So, to get away from suffering altogether we need to alter our level of perception. By meditating, we kick-start to self-awareness, accessing finer vibrations of energy by practising stillness. We’re then using energy of a strength that can overcome the mind’s bullying show. Thus we rise above the mind, which remains present but in a complaisant capacity.
Unquestionably, there’s a fairly big dose of determination and fortitude required because of the constant fight put up by thoughts. Concomitantly, our persistent effort eventually settles the mind down by degree like the last soldiers falling in a worn battlefield. Then we can truly live in the moment rather than fill the moments.
Most meditators start out using a personal mantra or a preferred mantra plus a few waking-us-up spiritual practices and mindfulness techniques. These are intended to form habits of being more still and adjusting slowly to truth vs untruth so the way ahead becomes visible. Then we discover the route is a personal journey, not a set-piece study.
I remember at one teacher’s meeting in 1980’s when Gururaj, being pressured with fairly insignificant questions regarding posture remarked, “Look, techniques are for children. Stop concerning yourselves with stuff that doesn’t matter. Move forward, don’t get stuck.”
Shock and horror! Teachers had been brought up on prescriptive mantra mechanics so how could Guruji say this? I questioned him later that day, given the upset of a few teachers, and he said, “I’ve explained previously; you only need the Guru until you awaken yourself. I give you a set of instructions to start you off. You walk the path yourself. It’s the same with techniques – every person first aligns with their own vibration and then continues with what suits them as they discover wider unbounded terrain.”
To succeed on the path of unfoldment we arm ourselves with every weapon we can lay our hands on. To complete this assemblage, I’m identifying below ten proficiencies, possibly considered to be ‘polishing artistry’. These reinforce the first four keys in our efforts to destroy the mind’s control-freak posture.
Silence – Some would say silence is the foremost key in a meditator’s armoury. After all, we’re silent when we meditate or when we ‘get away from it all’.
But can we achieve silence in the cut and thrust of daily living? Gururaj instructed us in the silence technique at retreats, when we wouldn’t speak at all for at least 4 hours while going about our ordinary functional day.
It’s not unusual to find both stillness ability and confidence increase quite rapidly, using silence. It’s useable on a pleasant walk too rather than in a busy environment. Silence boosts our inner strength and reduces both our need for other people and our need to fill in time with erroneous activity. If accompanied by a friend, agree not to talk at all for a pre-allotted period, which could be any short period when starting out on this endeavour; extending the time period as experience is gained.
Affirmations - are a purifying tool. They’re also self-directing because, although we progress our way to calmness with a controlled mind, when we vocalise affirmations we tend to use them regularly as a guide as well as a confirmation that we are unfolding. Our voice affects our vibrational outlook as well as our self-control. Remember, affirmation is confirmation.
There are countless words and phrases to use as affirmations. Nobody could possibly write them all down as a complete definition. A few examples are given below. Affirmations should be repeated out loud regularly, as well as silently (if you want to do it silently as well or instead). I have taken, long ago, to performing affirmations before and /or after meditation.
Primarily, affirm what you are, e.g. ‘I am love’. This is a truth. It helps dispel the mind’s conviction that you are not love. All truth affirmations are useful in coming to terms with actuality, which is the object of this exercise. Promises or requests should not be the subject of pronouncements here.
You need to develop your own affirmations and really mean what they state. Here are some examples (don’t say ‘I will’, everything is happening now): ‘I allow being to be’; ‘I handle all my tests positively’; ‘I am strong’; ’I am fully conscious’; ‘I am invincible’; I am complete in myself’, ‘I am infinite’, ‘Absoluteness is all and always’, etc., etc.
Non-comparing - I’m bringing to light here, for a second mention, a little discussed truism - even though the constituents of this subject are fairly evident. I hope it makes a big impact where appropriate.
We have a bad habit of making comparisons. It’s because we inhabit a relative world, where ultimate solutions are not available, so we compare our lives with others’ lives all the time; often unconsciously doing so because we feel unsure of being our Self
When comparisons concern others it’s called judgement. (That’s an awful habit because it builds karma). But, more importantly, we use comparison unwittingly against ourselves. We sometimes execute this habit like an addiction. Even when we’re suffering from something ourselves, we continuously compare the quality / quantity of suffering to the lives of others.
Like this, the mind gets a boost, underscoring its cunning antics of deception.
Unknowingly, varying degrees of weakness can arise by comparing ourselves with others all the time. When we stop habitually making comparisons, two breakthroughs, viz: 1) We leap into the sphere of being ourselves, rather than trying to be a copy, helping us cure many ills and anxieties, and 2) We more easily escalate our feeling of responsibility for our evolution - previously discussed - giving us a chance to outreach our etched-in patterns of little-ness.
By making comparisons the mind finds somewhere to go. But we don’t need to compare with others at all. “Be a first class me, not a second rate someone else” was Gururaj’s appeal. We don’t have to follow fashion or do what others do.
There’s a humorous saying I like, the source of which I don’t know, highlighting weakness in this regard while emboldening us to move forward with strength: “Honestly, if you don’t fit in, you’re probably doing the right thing.”
Contemplation – is the pinnacle of meditation and awareness practices.
The preliminary exercise is simplistic but not so easy to accomplish at first. However, determination is everything. The end goal described here can be reached in a few weeks if the practice is regularly undertaken.
Preliminary exercise: Sit quietly and let thoughts flow. This is of course the opposite of traditional meditation in respect that meditation discourages thought. In contemplation, when a thought transpires, observe the beginning of the thought and then go to the end of thought as soon as you can. Try to completely banish the inner content of the thought. Then move on to the next thought. At first, the content of the thought might keep nagging you. If it does, treat the whole exercise as a game, which, I have found, tricks the mind into being satisfied it can get back to whatever it wants whenever it wants.
What can be achieved? We can reach a position beyond the preliminary exercise where each thought is recognised as viable without the thought affecting us. Therefore it helps calmness in daily living - the greatest teacher - as well as buttressing our meditation practice. Moreover, the practice can be used aiming at a particular thought, including a subject that disrupts one’s peace, so as to practice getting beyond the debilitating effect of any distressing subject.
This exercise, taught by Gururaj in the 1980’s, is quite miraculous in my view. I’ve practised it a lot and I think it’s helped me more than any other technique. The difference it can make in adjusting to a correct perspective on life, I find exceedingly rewarding.
The principle here is that a thought can be dispelled no matter what it contains. With constant practice, every thought that crops up returns quickly to one thought, which can be roughly described as the acceptance of nothing. Not only is this a superb method of mind control, it also helps us find blankness (see Advanced Meditation).
Unitary Meditation. A few items here to boost reliance on oneself, particularly when trying to make a meditative approach more continuous throughout daily life. Each person develops their own approach, possibly not needing the mantra (and the like) steadying influence all the time like they did when starting out, reaching the no-mind settled state using assembled know-how; randomly this can be going directly to nothing, an invaluable experience needing persistence, which is abetted enormously by practising contemplation.
If you want to know more about Gururaj’s basic techniques there’s plenty of contact information on the Internet.
As well as regular and advanced meditation there are regularity practices such as:
- On waking and prior to sleeping prioritise get as near blankness as you can by some means or another. In other words, experience no-mind at the beginning of the day and at the end. It’s like a mini meditation, even when lying down. The mind generally has least resistance in the morning. This helps to carry calmness though the times of any turmoil, loneliness or indecision.
- Using Finding-the-Gap and Pranayama routinely. They are great for use in virtually every awkward situation and, not least, they are purifying techniques.
- As I’ve mentioned previously, imagine the finer particles - the greater reality - in the atmosphere all around (and inside) you. Similarly, be constantly aware that solid matter is not real; energy, although invisible, is the only reality.
- Walking meditation is enjoyable, can be applied on virtually any journey, however short, and can be interspersed with awareness practices. A search through Zen should reveal various methodology. It usually involves gazing at the ground about 2 metres in front of you and trying to focus exclusively on the soles of the feet touching the ground.
- Chant by yourself, not just in groups. It’s one of the most focussing experiences in our armoury of practices. Do at least 3 rounds, preferably five.
Continuous meditative awareness and recognition of the continuum of being doesn’t tie us down and doesn’t cause us to miss out on anything. It allows life to be lived to the full without worry. Conversely, it releases us from the suffering caused by (wrongly) insisting that a person called (your name) needs assistance, solutions, comfort … and all that!!
Acknowledge Karma –
There are NO accidents.” – Gururaj
“Acknowledge karma and face it head-on especially when an out-of-the-blue happening occurs. Every occurrence is evolutionary as far as our individual souls are concerned (see key 1). After acknowledging responsibility for one's evolution, tackling one’s Karma becomes well-nigh automatic. In accepting karma’s energetic balancing role, we concur there are no accidents. The right attitude here mitigates formidably in freeing the ‘individual’ from the chains that prevent liberation.
The following fundamental karma-loosening elucidations are an adaption from the book Discover Your Subtle Self. They can be added to the provisions of Key 1, which are imperative in accepting the principle of karma:
“Taking on the responsibility for your past and your current circumstances immediately helps to stop the out-of-control karmic train in its tracks and turn it around. We can’t progress substantially until we cease to look outside ourselves to apportion blame for what befalls us. Action and reaction take place over innumerable lifetimes and we are responsible for it all.
- Vitally significant too is invoking the law of grace, by affirming that the energy of the universe will come to your aid as soon as you call on it. Grace, or Shakti, is a remarkable assistant. However, the process involves the principle that one must deserve help in accordance with self-effort. Declaring one’s intention to recognise self-responsibility, from here on – and work at it - brings grace streaming into connection to provide immeasurable assistance, in that for every step you take towards positive self-direction, subtle energy is attracted to you in at least tenfold equivalent to your effort. These figures are hypothetical but the principle is fact.
- Karma can be counterbalanced by every positive deed and action. As a simplistic example, if you become a doctor and save many lives, you could pay off the samskaric guilt you carry for having taken life in a previous incarnation.
There are innumerable other examples, which don’t necessarily work out deed-for-deed or thought-for-thought but the overall balance works out precisely. Becoming a goody-goody is not the aim here. The answer, for correct action, is to go along with whatever establishes an awareness in you of your Real Self.“
Above all, recognising karmic balancing is a self-evident palpable mind discipline.
Absoluteness - is a practice … and can be as continuous as one is prepared to allow. Putting it into context, imagine meditation to be a set of tools you attract to yourself, giving you replenished strength on life’s journey. Then we are allured to try mindfulness – awareness in the waking state, which is for the sharpening the tools, so we can effectively cut away the debilitating effect of a life void of peace and stillness. Proportionately, absoluteness takes up the sharpened tools and threshes a straight path through the mind-jungle to a beautiful clearing. The clearing is pure, unadulterated consciousness. There isn’t a human being alive who doesn’t want to uncover their pure consciousness, albeit this goal is markedly unrecognised because of the mind’s deceptions.
Gururaj appealed to us to use absoluteness, in his first talk in the UK in 1976. He also mused: ‘Don’t wait until you’re very old to find out most folk die unfulfilled, often with the acquiescent attitude, “I think I’ve had enough of this”, despite all the capricious attempts to get by in life by filling it up rather than emptying it.’
In this regard he repeatedly mentioned the metaphoric example of driving from London to Manchester. The by-roads, likened to mindfulness, could take unending time but the motorway, likened to absoluteness, will take us directly to the destination without interruption.
Unknowingly to most people of the present day, we depend entirely on our pure whole consciousness so it’s perfectly logical to try to hold it in view. It’s the rejection of this notion that causes the eventual dilapidation of the struggle to find lasting happiness, despite using mindfulness and meditation in our attempts.
As you are aware by now, if you’ve studied truth teachings a little, lasting happiness is impossible to achieve by grasping or consulting anything outside yourself. The reason is - like the idea or not - we are already that sovereign absoluteness; fully developed, incomparable, need-for-no-other contentment. And this absolute-ness is staring us right in the face. It’s closer in fact because the absolute is in every cell.
In actuality, only the absolute exists; it’s what we are and it’s perfect. So what is the point in causing ourselves to self-suffer by keeping it veiled? Re-cognising our peerless wholeness is simple, not difficult. All that’s required is a disciplined refusal to allow the mind to challenge being. It’s a change of perspective we need … and it’s not found anywhere other than within our thinking.
Yes, we allow ourselves to dwell in innumerable useless cul-de-sacs instead of taking ourselves out onto the open road; the fast motorway. We thereby forestall our own infinite happiness. There’s no other cause or barrier. (See also ‘allowing being to be’ in Key 2).
All this happens because the mind frequently rejects the feeling of ‘no-thing’, during meditation or during our waking hours. This is what we have to challenge. If we quietly align with no-thing regularly, the graceful charm of no-thing does initiate attractiveness, even though it’s virtually imperceptible when we start out, because mind-deception gradually depletes.
To practise absoluteness, acquiesce to these facts and become more determined to reach a no-mind state during every waking hour. Go over the truths and non-truths of our existence again and again until they become so ingrained the mind has to yield.
In essence, absoluteness is the process of truthing, meaning a total flow with truth, as far as this can be possible for each individual; overcoming judgement, right & wrong, good & bad, idealism, personhood, attachment, superfluous desires, etc.
Viewing life as an innocent child would perceive it is an invaluable tool here, underpinning our efforts to keep to the truthing path. Observing, without any pre-conception, is a great skill to develop and is part and parcel of the same principle.
En route, we can also try ‘acting liberated’. It’s another spiritual practice, as follows, assisting the palpability of living absoluteness.
Act liberated. Before we experience liberation or even get a glimpse of it, there’s nothing to stop us treating life in whole truth, as discussed above, as if solid matter and the me experience is illusory. This attitude substantiates that we are pure consciousness and not separate fragments. It’s another truthing.
When life becomes a completely meditative observation experience, problems fall away. Well, they crop up but they’re not a fraction as tenebrous as when we struggled to get something(s) outside us to bring solutions. And, even if you’ve not yet experienced pure consciousness, there’s nothing to stop you seeing through the trickster stage-play.
Aligning yourself with realisation, which is always coming closer by the millisecond, is not reserved for ‘supremely refined’ individuals, as is often imagined. Aligning is more like looking at everything with a subtle energy approach, which is our birthright; at the same time viewing life as the heat-light engendered hologram it is, playing out it’s contorted energy hoax.
Having an open mind is probably the wisest advice I’ve come across. Open mindedness creates balance. Otherwise we restrict ourselves to thinking one-sidedly (meaning lop-sidedly, with very little right-brain operating). Years ago, for example, it’s obvious that insisting the world is flat was a restriction of potential consciousness. We should get off the opinionated merry-go-round, no matter what subject we are addressing. Today, continuing to insist matter is a solid mass will similarly form a constrictive barrier to more real consciousness. Once we stop manacling ourselves to ignorance, we effectually liberate ourselves.
Letting go is nowhere near as tenuous as it once was. Everyone makes their own decision what they want to think at any given time. “Eternity in a moment”, was Gururaj’s overture - not in an hour, not in a week or next year. The decision can be made now. It’s not judicious to nominate some other time or place or ‘when the circumstances are right’ or to persuade ourselves we’re not equipped for liberation. Just bring subtle energy into focus.
Delays in expanding our consciousness are caused by ignorance. Ignorance is multiplied by delays, which are caused by the mind whispering to us, “Don’t undo those manacles yet.” The key is in our hands; it’s in the lock. Turn it, or continue the futile grasping, suffering and incompleteness.
We can’t actually seek the liberated state because it’s beyond the mind’s scope. What’s more, we already are liberated. Our work is clearing the debris so the liberated state is recognised in the quiet beatitude. Assuming, before self-realisation, “I am what is; I am not this little self” is completely authentic. It’s acceptance of truth, affirmation of truth and discrimination of truth all rolled into one.
If we resist participating in practising our subtle energy role, saying, “I couldn’t possibly do that, it would denigrate my outlook”, think about the fantasy we act out every day - pretending to be a person, which is a stark untruth. I think we have to choose which enactment we prefer to perform. In other words, it’s all an act so why not act truth instead of lies. Truth is acquired by looking beyond the lie.
I reiterate, acting in accordance with nature is not a lie; not an untruth. Nor is it or an ego trip. All the poses we treat as normality are deceitful untruths because they’re part of the illusion. It all depends on how you interpret the word act. I feel staunchly that acting in accordance with truth should be termed truthing, alongside absoluting (see ‘absoluteness’, above) and it should all be part of early education for everyone.
In practice, truthing reprogramming. We first recognise the illusion for what it is and then give all our mental energy to further recognising our subtle energy flows within it all. Try it out, if you haven’t already. The truth comes out at you when you focus. The single reason we learn meditation is to be able to focus effectively.
Throughout the use of mindfulness and absoluteness, truthing, et al, it’s also wise to employ constant remembrance.
Constant Remembrance. Aspirants of life-truths are advised by their teachers to follow the words of self-realised beings on a daily basis. Gururaj’s advice from Satsang UK81-8 helps us remember this. It’s short but concise and nothing is altered, although imperceptibly edited for readability:
“Constantly listen to the words of holy men (realised beings). This is preached in all cultures and in all Scriptures. Keep the company of holy people for then, in their company, you will not be thinking of all kinds of things that are not conducive to the natural way of life. Listen to their talks in recordings or read their books [Ed: Fortuitously, also use the Internet these days]. Let these things be around you, in your home, or wherever you are, that could be constant reminders that would give you constant remembrance of that which is Divine, which is your reality. And then you will never ‘sleep’. In other words, you'll never fall back into the old grooves. You are constantly awake, constantly awake; constantly awake to the Divinities of life; yes, constantly awake…..
“Everything should be regarded to be great…. So, (awake) you attach yourself to the light, then you can't sleep. You're in your bedroom, and there is a chink in the curtain and the street light shines through. It will worry you so much, you can't sleep, because you're used to sleeping in darkness. But if your curtains are left open, and the morning sun shines through, you wake up. You love darkness, you've fallen in love; you fell in love with darkness. Sleep then. Fall in love with the light. Be attached to Sattva.”
Constant remembrance is a quantifiable element of absoluteness. Fortuitously nowadays, modern devices allow access to all the reminders we need regardless of whether or not our family members are travelling (to unfoldment) with us.
Want what you need – rather than desiring what you want. Wanting what we want is likely to hold us back in unfoldment like a noose around the neck from which there is no escape.
Almost everything we want is a function of the boxed-in mind which pretends, “I, the person, needs things / situations that satisfy me”. Desiring products, people, being kept safe or comfortable, for ourselves or other people (etc.) - and of course avoiding death - are effectuations caused by us in an illusion that can never bring about total satisfaction. Hence stress is more or less continuous. Even wanting self-realisation is a mind-based desire. Naturally, we will plan with care to be safe and happy in our duties and our deeds. It’s wanting a particular outcome that trips us up. I suffered this for many years.
What’s wrong with wanting a particular outcome? There’s nothing wrong with desires but are we hankering after them? Taking this thought to it’s conclusion, If we declare, audibly or silently, we won’t be happy unless certain desires aren’t fulfilled or if circumstances alter, we might as well hit our head against the wall and try to enjoy it!.
‘Things are as they are’ - as the Buddhist principles emphasise. It’s a matchless emphasis, because it reminds us that our minds can’t control anything. Life is always as it is right now, perfect and without mistakes, despite things sometimes being uncomfortable. But the mind is desperate and even complains sometimes about its own lack of effectiveness in finding peace and stability. When it does, we have to keep going with our spiritual practices - including most of the content within these Keys - until mind-submission is achieved.
We can’t be beaten when we establish full appreciation of the present moment. In this very moment is the whole of everything, no matter what the circumstances are. The mind (ego) has to be stretched sufficiently, by changing our perspective, to reach absolute truth; simple, ordinary, unchangeable truth. We can’t achieve this gratifying goal wasting effort trying to manipulate the world around us.
End of Keys
“Your attention has tremendous energy. If you put it only on the lack, then lack will continue to dominate your life.” - Swami Purnachaitanya
In conclusion, as mentioned in key 4, our life is what we allow ourselves to think.
A gleaming reminder of this adage comes as a petition the great masters, who urge: “Be brave; Wake yourself up from the pointless distressing dream.”
For those whose goal is to accomplish waking up, there’s real work ahead; continuous conscious effort. For those who prefer meditation solely as a stress reliever, without the absoluteness ingredient, doubts and problems regarding achievement are likely to remain unresolved.
For many years a list of reminders was placed in a prominent position in our kitchen at home to help us to acquire a changed perspective. Here it is:
- Become your own guru
- Accept life as the illusion it is
- Welcome change
- Respect being (what is) as the only reality
- Drive away from suffering using continuous conscious effort
- Align with no-thing, which is everything
- The hero’s path feels unsafe but it isn’t
Today’s sticker, thanks to my beloved wife Suzanne, simply says: What you think you become.
Addendum in unabridged publication:
⋅ Don't use meditation if the mind is unstable
Appendices in unabridged publication:
- The limited human mind
- The illusion of solid matter explained
Click below for the other Keys: