c. The Contribution of Sustainable Development in Disputes Concerning the

Meditation can be properly performed only when the mind is cleansed of all thoughts. Almost every student of occultism knows of this condition, but—few can really achieve it.

Those who belong to different occult or mystical societies often believe that meditation consists in the effort of directing the mind into certain channels according to preconceived ideas. The results of such exercises—they cannot be called meditation—are generally poor, even though they may be practised over a period of years, and they do not lead to the effective purification of the mind from thought.

Usually, advanced members of such organizations are given methods and rules, which are often inefficient. There are two kinds which we can call artificial and natural means.

The first group is based on imagination or mental conceptions.

Endless exercises are given, a few of the most important being:

(a) The imagining of the possession of a virtue lacking in the student. If he is of a sensual type, he must think of himself as chaste during the time appointed for the meditation.

(b) He can protect himself from invasion of thoughts from out-side by the mental creation of an astral shell according to instruction.

(c) By the use of incantations or mantras he can reach the necessary concentration or acquiescence of mind, thus keep-ing to one idea for some considerable period of time.

In the second group (natural means) I would first mention prayer directed to what one believes to be the supreme being. If such prayer is utterly sincere, and if one is prepared to give enough time to regular practice, the result can be satisfactory and the mind cleared of everything but the object of meditation.

Then can come the 'vacuum in the thinking process, which is then filled with true light from its source—the Self-God.

If one is blessed on his way through life by meeting a spiritual Master, then everything becomes simple and effective. Many

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disciples in those precious times of spiritual contact visualize him as seen, in the physical body. Such an image, living and powerful, is a deadly weapon against the strategy of the restless mind. Nothing is more effective than this when combined with the Vichara; but in order to use Self-Inquiry properly, some steadi-ness of mind must first be attained.

Man's emotions must also be cleansed; for this purpose the vision of a living Master has no substitute. In a mysterious way the power of such a vision is also inherent in his (the Master's) pic-tures. Perhaps this is for

the aid of those who were not able to see him in the physical body.

Experience and practice show that almost as beneficial results can be brought about from the con-templation of such a picture. When at last the vacuum or void in consciousness is reached and firmly established, true meditation can be approached, but not earlier. Then the consciousness of the true Self will itself fill the vacuum. No more instruction is needed, for the true Self takes over the guidance and the goal is reached. In such meditation there are no visions or feelings. Maharshi often warned against ecstatic visions, pointing out that our goal is pure awareness and nothing else.

If this awareness is attained it inevitably leads us to Samadhi, and this is the true aim of meditation. Elsewhere in this book it is called 'the awakening from the dream-state called normal physical consciousness'.

There are signs which indicate that our meditation is really lead-ing us to Samadhi, when we are free from all thought of the body and of the 'ego', and when thoughts and feelings are stilled. 'Good and evil' cease to exist—we see nothing, for there is nothing to see. Yet we are not in darkness, but merged in light being ourselves this light. We cannot see It for in this state there is no subject and no object. This can give but a veiled hint of the true state to one who has not experienced such meditation for himself, for this is the discovery of the true Self in man.

All that we recognize as objects—that is the outer world plus our visible body—is like a painting. The colours in it are the qualities of things.

In these things are held all material forms, feel-ings, thoughts, good and evil, true and false, everything that we know as the universe.

They are like the separated colours of the white light or God-Self, broken up by the prism of the material universe, as the Maharshi told us.

If you could imagine the same picture painted with only the basic white Light, unbroken by the bewitched prism —that would be Spirit, Self or God, the ultimate truth of being. That is why the Alaster said: 'There is

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nothing but the pure Being, which alone exists and our sole purpose in life is to realize It for ourselves'.

Right meditation leads to the discovery of this great mystery. All other means mentioned in different Yogas such as breath con-trol, mind control, body postures, special foods and attitudes of the mind, and so on, are only intermediary steps oh the path to the goal, taken by our material nature when we step onto the Direct Path to the summit. This attainment makes these intermediary steps unnecessary. When the train reaches a certain station, one does not go back to count the milestones already passed. Thus attunement with the Self produces of its own accord the right postures, breathing and imperviousness to influences from the outer world.

But this Direct Path is not suitable for everyone. The very fact that there are other Paths points to this.

Many Yogis whom I met, although fully conscious of the existence of this sublime path, continued to follow their own particular methods as proper for them in this life.

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