15

Obstacles to Meditation

Watch your mind very carefully. Be vigilant. Be on the alert. Do not allow the waves of irritability, jealousy, hatred and lust to disturb you. These dark waves are enemies of peaceful living, meditation and wisdom. To some it is very difficult to keep the mind unruffled and pure, the causes being deep-rooted worldly Samskaras, unfavorable surroundings, and the predominance of extrovert tendencies. To some, of course, evil thoughts are not a problem at all. They appear occasionally as a passing phase without doing much havoc. The very fact that evil thoughts give you mental suffering is a sign of spiritual progress; for many do not have that much of sensitiveness.

—Swami Sivananda
Religious Education

The obstacles and stumbling blocks on the path toward Realisation can be easily overcome once an intelligent and comprehensive understanding of them has been reached. It should always be borne in mind that failures are but stepping stones to success. Just as a pilot guides a ship along a dangerous coastline having knowledge of its reefs, so the aspirant is guided through the ocean of spiritual endeavor by knowing about the various obstacles and the methods of overcoming them. One must train the mind properly and not be discouraged, for the journey to perfection was never completed overnight.

Cessation of Practice

The mind wants variety in the practice of meditation as much as it wants variety in anything else. It rebels against monotony. When this happens, the student can give the mind a little relaxation and variety by changing the schedule of the practice, but it should never be given up completely. Cessation of practice is a grave mistake; sadhana, spiritual practice, should never be given up under any circumstances. The beginner, fun of enthusiasm and zeal, often hopes to acquire psychic powers in short time. When he does not achieve them, he becomes discouraged and wants to give up. He may lose faith in the efficacy of his practice and, often, even considers forgetting about it completely. The practice of meditation must be continued, but without any expectation. Growth comes, but it is gradual. Sincerity, regularity and patience will insure eventual advancement.

Health and Diet

This body is the only vehicle man has for attaining Self-Realisation, and as such it is best kept strong and healthy. Just as the axe must be kept sharp to cut a tree, so the goal can be reached sooner when the body is in excellent condition. A man may practice Yoga, or any other discipline or religion, and die before attaining perfection. Then he is born in another life, practices for some years more and dies again. In this way, much time is lost in recurring birth and death. Although one should not be attached to the body, it is essential that it be kept strong, clean, and able to withstand rigorous practice.

A healthy mind is also important. Because body and mind are intimately connected, it is important to maintain a cheerful frame of mind at all times. Cheerfulness and good health walk hand in hand. The wise aspirant keeps his body healthy with regular exercise, Yoga postures and breath control, a moderate diet, rest, and plenty of fresh air. One should avoid drugs and medicines as much as possible and, when necessary, resort to natural cures.

At the other extreme, there are some aspirants who refuse to take medicine even though they are seriously ill. These people necessarily torture the body; they allow disease to strike deep and ruin their health. Soon they become physically unfit to continue their practice. It is much better to take medication for a couple of days and resume practice quickly than to allow a disease to reach advanced stages, thereby causing great difficulty and delay in resuming regular practice. It is worth noting that the most effective cure for many ailments is fasting, during which the digestive system is given a rest, and poisons are eliminated from the body.

Just as clouds screen the sun, the clouds of sickness screen one from continued practice and self-discipline. Even if seriously ill, Japa and light meditation can still be practiced. Meditation is the best medicine for any disease, for it energises and purifies every cell and tissue in the body.

Improper diet is another hindrance to spiritual progress. All foods have distinct energies. Just as the physical body is formed from the gross physical portion of the foods that are eaten, so the mind is formed from the more subtle portions. If the food is impure, the mind also becomes impure. Cigarettes, liquor, narcotics, and stale or aged food are most detrimental. Meals should be simple, light and nutritious. The processed, adulterated preparations found on many supermarket shelves have no place in a yogic diet.

Many people eat far more than is necessary, merely out of habit or for sense gratification. An immoderate diet is the cause of the great majority of diseases encountered in modern society. If one is suffering from stomach ache or the inevitable sleepiness caused by overloading the stomach, then meditation is impossible. It is important not to eat for two hours before practicing meditation. If meditation is practiced in the early morning hours, the evening meal should be light.

Moderation is the keynote in one’s daily habits. The body may become more susceptible to disease because of too much or too little sleep, eating the wrong foods, exposure to crowds, laborious mental work, excessive sexual activity, or lack of regular exercise. If a student of meditation becomes sick, he may be inclined to blame the practice rather than his own indiscretions and excesses. The mind is always looking for an excuse to avoid discipline, but it must never be stopped, even for one day. Listen to the inner voice of the Self rather than to the complaints of the mind.

Laziness and Sleep

Laziness, drowsiness and sleep are universal obstacles on the spiritual path, and sleep is the most powerful. Like food, it has become an overindulged habit of long standing for most people. However, the amount of sleep necessary can be cut down drastically through regular practice of meditation. Sleep is a psychological need and may be reduced gradually and slowly. The brain needs rest for only a short time every day; if denied, there is no doubt that one feels tired and is incapable of either working or meditating. Through the various yogic practices, a calm and steady mind is developed. Energy is no longer wasted on emotions and useless desires. The mind spends more time in a relaxed state, so it does not require great amounts of rest. One will have more and more time for sadhana once a new and more pleasant pattern has been established.

Often during meditation one will begin to wonder if the mind has slipped into its old habit of sleeping or if meditation is actually occurring. This can be easily determined for during meditation the body feels light and the mind is cheerful, while during sleep the body and eyelids are heavy and the mind is dull. If sleep does become a problem during meditation, splashing cold water on the face, doing breathing exercises, or standing on the head for five minutes will return the mind to an alert state.

Lethargy and depression often afflict the beginner in meditation. Sometimes the cause is physical, such as poor eating habits, indigestion, bad company or poor weather. When this is the case, the cause should be removed, or perhaps a change of physical activity substituted.

Lethargy frequently sets in when the student’s life is too unbalanced. Only a very small minority are fit for full-time meditation; others must lead a controlled and balanced life. Young students, full of enthusiasm and ideas of independence and romanticism, need to regulate their energies. Instead, they sometimes disdain discipline and wander from one teacher to another. Sitting cross-legged for half an hour, they mistake lethargy for purity, assume they are beyond doing service for others, and imagine that Realisation has been achieved. Or having become bored, some have turned to drugs to supply a poor substitute for the experience they could not find. A serious student, however, establishes for himself a daily program of meditation, exercise and study. If lethargy becomes an obstacle, some brisk work or charitable activity vigorously pursued will rectify the situation. Physical activity provides the necessary balance for the practice of meditation, and hard work should be an integral part of each day’s discipline.

Complications of Daily Life

Unfavorable environments, uncongenial atmosphere and other obstacles do not necessarily lead to defeat of one’s efforts. Rather, they can serve as trials and aids in the development of such strong powers as discrimination, empathy, will and endurance. The struggle through difficult situations brings rapid progress.

On the other hand, undesirable company is highly disastrous, for such contact fills the mind with useless ideas. To avoid being pulled into negativity, the meditator should protect himself carefully from any distracting influences. People who lie and steal, or are greedy, or indulge in backbiting and pass the time with idle gossiping have no place in the life of a spiritual person. The healthiest approach is to strictly avoid them.

The term undesirable company includes more than just people; it’s anything that gives rise to negative thoughts or vibrations. Raucous surroundings, books and songs that create discontent, movies and television programs centering on violence and sensuality, all lead the mind astray and fill it with desires it would not normally have. One should even consider curtailing the reading of newspapers, for their intent as well as effect is to tantalise the mind with waves of unrest and sensationalism. All these distractions draw the mind outward rather than focus it inward. They foster the illusion that this world is a solid reality and obscure the Supreme Truth which underlies all names and forms.

The world is full of avarice, hypocrisy, flattery, untruth, double-dealing and selfishness, and those who profess to be friends are often one’s greatest enemies. Beware of self-proclaimed friends who come for money and other comforts when circumstances are affluent, then disappear when the tide has turned. These fair-weather friends give their own brand of advice, waste precious time in useless chatter, and pull one off the spiritual path and down to their own level. Of course, most people do not like to think that this is true. Most would like to feel that their relationships are based on selfless love, but in fact many are based on the fear of being alone and the desire for diversion. One should cut off connections that are not beneficial and trust only the Inner Voice that dwells in one’s heart. Associate only with those whose own aspirations for perfection are uplifting and encouraging.

Useless Conversation

Spiritual power is lessened by many bad habits, not the least of which is useless and excessive talking. Diarrhea of the tongue wastes much energy that could be utilised for personal development. Too much talking makes a person restless and unfit for the practice of meditation. The wise speak only a few words, and those only when necessary, for by their very economy they will carry the most force. To help calm, center, and discipline the mind, mouna, silence, can be observed for about two hours daily, in addition to the time spent in meditation. In order to be of the most practical value, silence is best practiced at those times when there is great temptation to talk.

People of an intellectual nature are often prone to unnecessary discussions and controversies. A person who is unable to remain quiet easily becomes involved in heated debates, too many of which lead to enmity, hostility, and energy drain. When intellectual reasoning, which is normally concerned only with investigation of the physical plane, is used for metaphysical inquiry, it can lead the student to the threshold of intuition. Past this point, however, it is of no use, for transcendental matters are beyond the reach of reason. Then one must give up arguing, become silent, and look within.

Fault-finding is, likewise, a most detrimental habit. The mind of the person who is always poking his nose into the affairs of others is always outgoing and out of controL No one can be introspective when the mind is engaged in activity of this sort. Diligent application to spiritual practice allows no time for managing the affairs of others. Forget the shortcomings of other people and work to improve yourself first. Life is precious and short. No one knows when it will be taken away. Every minute should be used for much higher purposes than gossiping and judging others.

Self-justification is another behavioral weakness to be overcome, along with its associated characteristics—self-assertion, obstinacy, dissimulation and lying. Once these weaknesses become established in the framework of the personality, it is very difficult to eliminate them, for the ego never admits its own faults. One lie covers another in an endless succession of vain attempts at self-justification. Improvement comes quickly and rapidly only when one learns to readily admit one’s faults, mistakes and weaknesses.

Petty-mindedness is closely associated with backbiting and trying to pull down other people. All evils are caused by jealousy and ignorance. They can easily be combated and eradicated by always rejoicing in the welfare of others.

Uprooting the Ego

It must be evident by now that meditation involves far more than sitting with eyes closed in concentration. It demands rigorous introspection and an overhauling of one’s personality, life patterns and values. Behavior correction and the uprooting of weaknesses are relatively easy adjustments to make. The more serious obstacles to meditation and spiritual practice, which lie deep within, are the emotional imbalances and personality defects that nurture outward bad habits.

The petty obstinate egoism behind the mask of human personality is one of the biggest hurdles to overcome, for it veils the divine Self, supports surface thoughts, and perpetuates its own habitual feelings and actions. This lower self-arrogating nature must be whittled down, for if it persists in retaining its limited, false values, no amount of sadhana, spiritual practice, will bear fruit.

Too often a student says he wants to study and practice meditation, yet he is unwilling to eradicate the lower nature and change old habits. Clinging to them, he refuses even to admit the need for change. This type of student will never make any real progress because brief spiritual experiences, without radical transformation of the lower nature, lead nowhere.

It is not easy to change deeply ingrained habits, and the sincere beginner often feels helpless against them. By regular sadhana, untiring selfless service, association with spiritually minded people and strong determination to eradicate egoism, a powerful but selfless will is developed. One must introspect and discover all weaknesses and defects. This is considerably easier for those living under the guidance of a guru, who points them out and indicates suitable ways to eradicate them. The transmutation of lower nature to higher nature demands full and heartfelt dedication. To make the transition to the highest goal, a willingness to surrender the ego is needed. Then only, with persistent endeavor, real change comes about.

Sometimes the old personality attempts to re-establish itself, even after years of meditation. Obstinately self-assertive, and supported by the lower mind and will, it can make the aspirant incorrigible, unruly, arrogant and impertinent. Identifying with the ego, he breaks all rules and disciplines, revolts against all things, and is ever ready to fight with those who are unwilling to accept his views and opinions.

The ego cherishes its own ideas and impulses, and refuses to follow beneficial instruction. Dissimulation, hypocrisy, exaggeration and secretiveness are the traits of a dominant ego. One who is in its grip may even lie in order to cover up his errant ways, to maintain his position, and to indulge in his own ideas and bad habits. Wallowing in self-justification, and denying faults and defects, the student may be unaware of the effects of his actions, for the intellect has been clouded by impurities. Not knowing what he means and not meaning what he says, he is too self-willed and self-satisfied to see the error of his ways.

One who is not straightforward and cannot keep discipline or open his heart to others, cannot be helped by any teacher. Nothing can help one who deliberately shuts his eyes to the Truth. Such an aspirant, instead of making progress along the path, remains stuck in the mire of his own creation.

If there is any recognition that something is wrong, the slightest attempt to improve, or even a slightly receptive attitude, then the errors can be corrected. One who is frank with his teacher and himself, begins to realise the nature and source of his defects; he is soon on the way to improving his life.

Power, name, fame and wealth, which strengthen and reinforce the ego, are all renounced and sacrificed by the serious aspirant. For westerners who are taught to revere individuality, the need to surrender the ego is especially difficult to understand. But there are no half-measures; discipline of senses and constant meditation must be cultivated in order to make progress.

The Emotions

Of all the emotional barriers the most devastating is anger, the greatest enemy of peace, for it is the most negative. It is a modification of lust for when one’s desires are not gratified, one becomes angry. The mind then becomes confused, memory and understanding are lost, and things are said and done without awareness or control. Anger does great damage to one’s own physical and psychic bodies, as well as those of others. The whole nervous system is shattered by one fit of anger. Occasionally a spiritual teacher expresses a little anger outwardly in order to correct a student, but this should not be confused with an emotional outburst. Though he may appear hot and indignant on the outside, the true master remains cool within, for his motive is the growth of his disciples. Only when anger is the outcome of selfish or petty motives is it wrong.

Anger is very difficult to control when it has been allowed to grow and become habitual. It is much more easily controlled when it is a small ripple in the subconscious mind. One should watch the mind carefully for any signs of irritability; then control is no problem. Frequent irritation over trifling matters is a sign of mental weakness. This can be overcome by carefully developing its positive counter-force, the virtue of patience.

Just as heat and light can be transformed into electricity, anger can be transformed into spiritual energy. All vices, unwanted qualities, and wrong actions stem from anger; when anger has been controlled, all others die by themselves. This is half the student’s battle.

Anger gains strength with repetition, and in checking it one gradually strengthens the will. The practice of meditation itself helps to eliminate the causes of anger, for it slowly changes values and perspectives. By learning to remain silent even in the face of insult and abuse, it becomes easier to check the impulses and emotions before they take form. Always speak moderately, and if there is a possibility of a burst of anger during conversation, stop speaking and do something else. Words should be soft and arguments hard, for if the words are hard they will create discord. Drinking cool water or taking a brisk walk are excellent aids in combatting the onslaught of anger, as is mouna, the practice of maintaining silence for long periods of time. Smoking, eating meat and drinking are irritants which aggravate the problem, and are best avoided.

Fear is the most debilitating emotion. The student must always be willing to risk everything including his very life in the quest for spiritual perfection. Timidity makes one absolutely unfit for the spiritual path. A criminal who is fearless, and totally indifferent and unattached to his body, is more fit for Realisation than a nervous or overcautious person. His energies only need to be rechanneled. Fear is a product of the imagination, but nonetheless it assumes real forms, and can be troublesome in a variety of ways.

Fear manifests in many shapes, such as: fear of death, fear of disease, fear of solitude, fear of company. Taking hold of the mind, imagination works havoc and makes one prey to all sorts of fear. Fear of public criticism especially stands in the way of a student’s meditative progress. Yet even in the face of persecution, one must stick to his convictions. Then only can one grow. Fear can be overcome by self-inquiry, devotion to a higher cause, and the cultivation of the opposite of fear, courage. Positive always overcomes negative, and courage always overcomes timidity.

Discouragement

The meditator sometimes begins to doubt the existence of an Absolute Source, his own capacity to succeed in Realisation and the efficacy of his practice. Lack of faith is discouraging and is a dangerous obstacle in the path of personal development. when these thoughts crop up, the student is in danger of slackening his efforts and giving up his practice altogether. This would be a great mistake. It must be remembered that there will always be periods when one’s progress is more or less apparent. Whenever doubts arise, the student should at once seek the company of spiritually elevating people and remain under their influence for some time. Conversing with people of firm and clear faith and practice clears all doubts.

When a student’s expectations are too unrealistic, doubt is eventually bound to raise its head. The beginner often thinks that kundalini will be awakened within six months, and he will thereupon blossom out with clairvoyance, clairaudience, thought reading and flying in the air. Many strange ideas are sometimes entertained, and when these expectations fail to materialise, doubt sets in. This confusion can be removed by study of religious books, right inquiry and reasoning, in addition to spiritual company. Doubt will rise up again and again to mislead the aspirant. It must be destroyed beyond recovery by certainty of conviction, unshakable faith based on reason, and the understanding that difficulties are bound to manifest from time to time. It should always be borne in mind that these are but challenges that help to strengthen the practice.

Loss of the Vital Energy

For serious progress toward the highest goal of Realisation, the observance of brahmacharya is essential. The word brahmacharya comes from Sanskrit and means knowledge of Brahman. It refers to the total control of all senses, and, more particularly, to celibacy. Celibacy is a concept that is almost foreign to the Western mind. It is a difficult one for many to fully understand, especially when people are becoming more comfortable with their own inner feelings and are striving to make their relationships more open and free. But celibacy is an ancient and timeless aspect of all the religious traditions of the world. Each has its group of aspirants who have renounced all worldly desires and sensual pleasures. They are known as monks and nuns, and in the Yoga tradition, as swamis, or sanyasis. Although it should not be thought that a purely celibate life is recommended for all, a complete understanding of spiritual life is not possible without a basic knowledge of the practice and purpose of brahmacharya.

It might be said that 99% of the goal of spiritual life has been attained when one has control over sensual experiences. This is difficult, not merely because of the gratification derived from the senses, but because it is the inherent nature of all living things to procreate, to continue the species. The most powerful impulse in nature, after breathing, is procreation. So of all that a yogi must master before he achieves the ultimate goal, control of his sexuality is the most difficult.

Cosmic energy, which forms and perpetuates the galaxies and world, is the same energy which is continuously vibrating in man’s body and mind. This life energy, or universal prana, manifests on the gross physical level as sexual energy. When it has been controlled and sublimated, it is transformed into ojas shakti, or spiritual energy. Sexual energy moves in a downward direction, but ojas moves upward away from the sexual centers and is stored in the brain. Ojas is the creative power, the vital energy, the vigor in a person who has converted sensuality into spirituality.

In the sexual experience, energy is dissipated and lost. But through brahmacharya, the same energy is preserved. Through constant sadhana, spiritual practice, this energy is eventually converted into the most powerful force of all, the kundalini shakti. The kundalini lies dormant at the base of the spine in the muladhara chakra until it reaches the sahasrara at the crown of the head. It is in the rising of the kundalini that the higher meditative experiences occur. If energy is always being dissipated downward in sexual activity, it cannot be stored, nor can it build enough power to push upward through the chakras.

Aside from the consideration of kundalini, there are other practical reasons for sublimation of the sexual drive. Celibacy is a form of pratyahara, control of the senses. For those sincerely seeking to advance in meditation, total control of all cravings of the body is necessary. A strong will is developed by slowly gaining mastery over the sexual desire, as well as the desire for savory, exotic food, luxurious surroundings, and so forth. As the mind is turned inward, the advanced student gradually ceases to identify with experience of the physical world.

The greatest drive in man is procreation. One can see how powerful it is by the extent to which it has been exploited by the advertising media. There are precious few products that are not sold on the promise that, on one level or another, they will bring sexual fulfillment. The pull to unite with the opposite sex is so strong that it often overpowers all wisdom and reason. But the dedicated yogi cares more for control of the mind than pleasures of the body. Lord Buddha is said to have told his disciples that if there were any other obstacle as powerful as the sexual drive, he could not have reached enlightenment.

Of course, repression of the sexual urge is not suggested, for it would only lead to backlash or ill health. But a gradual reduction in sexual activity helps to develop the will, strengthen the spirit, and turn the mind from external to internal. Its energy can be put to positive and constructive use. This is the nature of sublimation. When the ultimate Union, with the Lord Himself, becomes the most important thing to a person, desire for sexual gratification falls away, for it is an experience far inferior to that of God-Realisation.

The Mind Itself

The mind itself offers many impediments to meditation. In the beginning of practice, layer after layer of impure and negative thoughts arise from the subconscious mind as soon as one sits for meditation. Students occasionally abandon practice because of this without understanding why it happens. There is an old adage that if you kill one mosquito twenty more come to the funeral. Even so, negative thoughts assail and attack with doubled force when the meditator tries to rid himself of them. This is the natural law of resistance.

Eventually they will all perish for negative thoughts cannot stand before positive thoughts. The very fact that undesirable thoughts create a feeling of uneasiness when they arise during meditation indicates growth and maturity, for at one time these thoughts were welcomed into the mind. They cannot be driven out forcibly or suddenly, or they will turn against the meditator with increased energy. They wither away of their own accord when the student persists in his practice with tenacity and diligence.

The mind must be watched, particularly when it is relaxed. The dark waves of irritability, jealousy, anger and hatred are the enemies of meditation, peace and wisdom. They must be countered immediately with positive thoughts, for ill thoughts are destroyed by good thoughts. Just as it is easiest to stop an intruder at the gate, so it is easiest to check a negative thought as soon as it arises. It can be nipped in the bud by sustained sadhana, good actions and awareness of the misery which arises from negativity. When the state of purity is attained, the problem no longer exists.

Hatred, like anger, is one of the fiercest foes of the serious student. Like greed or lust, it is insatiable. Though it may temporarily subside, it can burst out again with redoubled force. It is like a contagious disease which infects one person after another. If a father has a quarrel with someone, his children may also hate that person, although he has done them no harm. Contempt, prejudice and ridicule are all various modes of hatred.

If an Englishman hates an Irishman, an Irishman hates an Englishman; if a Catholic hates a Protestant, a Protestant hates a Catholic. Prejudice of this or any other kind must be rooted out vigorously. Prejudiced and bigoted people confine themselves in small circumscribed groups. Because of their jaundiced vision, they fail to see the good in others whom they treat with contempt. But it is possible to stick to one’s own principles and still pay equal regard to the viewpoints of others. Truth is not the sole monopoly of any person, group or spiritual system. Universal peace and brotherhood are possible only when hatred, prejudice and bigotry have been replaced with love. Because its branches go out in so many directions in the subconscious mind, hatred needs prolonged and intense treatment. Constant selfless service combined with meditation for many years will remove this rank weed from the heart.

Infatuation and attachment are serious obstacles because they are subtle as well as powerful. When millions of people are killed during a war, a man does not weep, yet he weeps when his wife dies. This is because infatuation creates the idea of ‘mine,’ and the greater the attachment, the greater the pain. When a person speaks of ‘My wife,’ ‘My son,’ or ‘My home,’ he reveals an attitude of separation from the rest of mankind. So long as there is identification with the ephemeral physical world, little progress can be made on the path of meditation.

Greed, which is closely linked with infatuation, is insatiable, and it agitates the mind. Even though a man may be a millionaire, he schemes to become a billionaire. Greed assumes various subtle forms. If a man thirsts for name and fame, this also is greed, infatuation, attachment and greed are destroyed by vigorous self-inquiry, prolonged meditation and constant sadhana.

Another impediment to meditation is memory or recalling past events. To understand this, assume for a moment that one is meditating quietly in a solitary country setting. If memories of a past holiday in Las Vegas arise and the mind is allowed to dwell on them, for the moment one will actually be living in Las Vegas in a past time. This applies also to daydreams. Looking back to past experience gives life to the memory picture, reinforces it and pulls the mind away from its true nature. A sage never looks back; he concentrates only on identification with the Absolute.

Obstacles for the Experienced Meditator

Pitfalls still await the meditator even after the practice has been well established. The aspirant sometimes becomes puffed up with moral and spiritual pride after acquiring a few experiences or powers. He may separate himself from others and treat them with contempt. This kind of arrogance poses a serious obstacle to Self-Realisation and must be completely removed. As long as there is pride and boastfulness, it is impossible to relinquish the ego and realise Divinity.

Religious hypocrisy, a related frailty, manifests in those who have made some progress but have not yet thoroughly purified the lower nature. Pretending to be what they are not, these people make an elaborate outward show of their vaunted religiosity. For aspirants travelling the spiritual path and dedicating all actions to God, there is no greater crime than using religion to take advantage of trusting people. In fact religious hypocrisy is much worse than ordinary hypocrisy, for the religious hypocrite makes a mockery of spirituality and God. He needs to undergo a long and drastic course of treatment, imposed upon him by somebody else for he himself is too egoistic and devious to apply self-cure or even to want it.

Sometimes during meditation, visions of terrifying forms may appear. Whether projected from the depths of the subconscious or actual materialisations of lower astral entities, they can cause no harm. Appearing simply as a test of strength and courage, they cannot remain in the presence of pure and divine thoughts. The aspirant must stand firm and not let fear or nervousness upset the practice of meditation. Other visions and experiences also come and go, but these are not the goal of meditation. One who attaches importance to them becomes distracted from the path. Avoid all thoughts of these visions; remain indifferent and substitute higher thoughts. The final and true goal of meditation is intuitional and direct experience of the Supreme.

In time, a number of psychic powers also come to the student. They should not be given much thought, however, for there is nothing special or miraculous about them besides their novelty; yogis recognise them as perfectly natural. Just as an aborigine is astonished the first time he sees an airplane, so also most people are amazed and impressed by a display of psychic powers. But powers such as clairvoyance and clairaudience are not worth striving after because far greater illumination and peace are possible beyond them. Furthermore, the desire for them may upset and extinguish a student’s spiritual propensities.

If one regularly practices concentration and meditation, psychic powers are bound to come. But they must not be used for selfish or materialistic purposes, for every wrong action will have a deleterious reaction, and misuse results in both psychic and spiritual loss. The powers are strong intoxicants; the intellect becomes turbid and understanding becomes cloudy. The practitioner becomes a victim of his own ignorance.

During meditation practice, the mind can assume various states of quietude and peace which are often confusing or misleading. There is a supersensual bliss that comes with the very lower stages of samadhi which once experienced leads the student to imagine that the final goal has been reached. Thereupon he gives up further practice. One should never be satisfied with these lower experiences but continue onward toward the experiences of the ancient sages as described in the Upanishads and other religious texts. Meditation is a lifelong practice, for there will never be a point where there is nothing more to be gained or learned.

At times the mind rests in a silent, neutral equilibrium that is mistaken for samadhi, or it lapses into a state of stupefaction following a deep meditative experience. In neither of these cases is there perfect awareness; rather, the mind becomes inert, unfit for active use. Do not be misled by these two states for, when they prevail, the body is light and the mind is dull rather than sharp. Careful introspection and continued practice helps to transcend these stages.

An intelligent student, who practices meditation daily, learns to recognise the different states into which the mind passes. While the beginner may sometimes find meditation a tedious affair, with advancement more understanding is gained of the mind and its operations; the entire meditative experience becomes very absorbing. More meditation means more gain of mental control and understanding. As control of the mind is gained, a corresponding growth of inner spiritual strength occurs.

There is one last obstacle that all who meditate must face. When all the other obstacles have been overcome by painstaking, dauntless effort, and all the internal enemies have perished, one faces what appears to be a great void. This too must be crossed by the meditator. It is accompanied by an overpowering feeling of being stripped bare and left totally alone. There is nothing that can be seen or heard. The aspirant is beyond seeking solace in others, and confronts the necessity of depending entirely upon himself. Presence of mind is needed at this critical juncture. By drawing courage and strength from within, a triumphant leap to the final goal is made.

Here, set out, are the major obstacles to meditation. A careful study and understanding of them prepares the seeker to face and overcome them. Time and energy should not be wasted. With diligence and determination one can become a spiritual giant. The path of meditation is strewn with difficulties, but each hindrance serves only as a challenge to goad the student on to higher achievements.