1.About this blog

These are the books on meditation which influenced me, I would recommend them :

1). "I am That" written by Nisargadatta Maharaj
2). "Ascent of Mount Carmel" by Saint John of the Cross

I started practising meditation around year 2000 after reading several books. What I would like to share with you is the way I followed since then and my actual thoughts. I hope that those who search for "that" knowledge would find my journey interesting.

What is meditation ? How can I progress in meditation ? How to meditate ? These are the eternal questions and there are many answers.

The method I followed since the beginning is to do meditation without using sophisticated vocabulary : "Nirvana", "mantra", chakra", "Yoga", "God" ... all these are mere words, matter to subjectivity. I had always given importance to simplicity.

At the beginning (year 2000), very impressed by the book "I am That", I started to meditate by following the method described by Nisargadatta which is "focus on the sense of being". You just try to focus on the feeling "I am" (see page 374 of this link http://www.maharajnisargadatta.com/I_Am_That.pdf ). I tried a lot, I used to be disgusted by my poor concentration. I couldn't concentrate without thoughts always surging from nowhere ...

I used to always complain about my poor concentration. I thought I needed a method to first improve concentration and then only I would be fit for meditation on the "sense of being". Counting backwards from 99 to 1 while visualizing the complementary (for example, I say 99 I see 1, then I say 98 and I see 2 ...) was my favourite method before entering the meditation ...

Even then, it used to be difficult to focus on the "being". I tried, tried ... hoping I could one day attain the ultimate state. I recall september 2003. The whole month I tried and finally I came to the conclusion that success in meditation is like lottery. I wanted to succeed by using a method and finally got frustrated.

In 2006, I came upon a book written by John of the Cross which changed my vision of meditation. I realized my mistake(s). First of all, don't seek for trances. Having trances, experiencing "profound peace that passeth understanding", feeling some weird things ... IS NOT a kind of progress in meditation. This is NOT meditation. Trying to quieten the unquite mind is not meditation. Closing the eyes and sitting in lotus posture trying to make the mind blank is not meditation.

One thing I remarked : the definition of meditation always changes throughout the years. Meditation cannot be explained through words. It's like explaining your favourite music to your friend through words : you can't. And even if you make him hear, he may not appreciate your favourite music. You can't transmit fully your feelings and with meditation it's the same. Each one feels things differently and it's a great art to make your ideas clear and understandable.

In 2007, I stopped meditation and I got back to it in 2008 after one and half years. This time the approach is different. I don't try to succeed. I don't make any effort in any direction. No method. I just sit down and let things happen. As John of the Cross prescribed, I don't search for trances. If something strange happens, like a feeling of great peace, I just shift my attention, I don't encourage it.

I actually start meditation making sure that I want nothing. There is nothing to get, nothing to search for. During meditation, I clearly boycott the idea of meditation : "I am not meditating. There is no method. I'm not doing anything particular". This way of being gives me a great sense of freedom. Some times if I feel that a "meditation state" is actually happening, I just break it. Otherwise I may go in that temporary direction and encouraging a state needs effort to sustain it ... In order to feel "something great". But, by definition, I shun effort so I break it, I open my eyes for a while and start again.

This may sound negative to beginners who like the sophisticated approach with lot of strange vocabulary like "nirvana", "pranayama", "Jnana Yoga", "Hatha yoga", "Raja yoga", etc. But even if I started with those concepts and books ... I am actually in a negative method. This too will go out of fashion and I may some day return to "chakras" and discussions like "I read Author1 who wrote book1 in which he speaks about concept1, concept2 ... I think this and that and I followed method1 and method2 ... and this is the result".

Well. After I exposed the way I followed from year 2000, I'll post my ideas and share with you. Those people bored by methods, rituals, books, concepts and all kinds of tangible matter and others who are just curious about what a guy is thinking after 8 years of meditation are welcome !