still with Patanjali and onstacles

Patanjali: more obstacles

Sometimes we need a little light on our Path as we traverse the difficulties

(photo by Simon Matzinger, unsplash.com)

delusion; wrong thinking

How can this be? Surely meditation leads to a correct way of thinking? And if it doesn't, then why not? I have met so many experts on all areas of "spiritual" life who somehow talk rubbish. I'm sure I will have done so, too. We all do this from time to time, it is just a fact of life, getting things wrong. Meditation is not some magic elixir which makes us suddenly smarter, an expert, the font of all knowledge. And especially if we belong to a spiritual group, so much wrong thinking can and does go on. I've done this too. And also seen so many do it.

However, deep, intensive meditation is also about truth. How could it not be? As the layers of incorrect knowledge, fantasy, and other such "stuff" dissolve into the ether, truth becomes  clearer and clearer. I'm not talking about The Secrets of The Cosmos, or such. These come by degrees as we go deeper and deeper into the Higher Realms. I'm talking more about being very clear about what's going on around us. Remember, we are still in the beginning stages of our Inner Journey at this stage, and what happens inside automatically is mirrored on the outside. 

The closer we come to our Inner Essence, the more our Conscience comes into play. And this is very much involved with not lying to oneself. It is a process too. 

Whenever I am accosted by anyone who is determined to display incorrect thinking by pontificating and talking spiritual rubbish, I just remove myself. It's so much easier. 

lack of progress

This, to me, is tied in with delusion and not being regular with the practices. Anyone can say the right words, even with the "voice" of authority. Or read the right words then repeat them. This is not progress, but rather, it is incorrect thinking. Delusion.

If we are really progressing then we don't need to be The One Who Knows. If we are progressing with our deep meditation journey, we come to realise that wow, there is so much that we don't know. True deep meditators who regularly and dedicatedly practice, acquire humbleness. Lack of humbleness and "knowing spiritual stuff"  do not go hand in hand. 

Why would Patanjali mention lack of progress as an obstacle? Certainly anyone who does less intense meditation will also have progress, and their life will improve. But here we are talking about something even more profound: a process of going from start through the realms (akashas), chakras, tattwas (elements), sheaths (koshas), gunas (states of being), samadhis (levels of enlightenment). 

Why does lack of progress matter with all of this? 

Well, he is talking about the journey to enlightenment, and our progress does indeed matter with this. There are a few ways whereby we have lack of progress.

• for the spiritual journey, it really does make a difference if you do the correct practices for this. You can either dive right in, and I don't recommend this, or work your way up to a practice which contains the basic daily techniques for traversing the meditation journey. In my mind, and in my experience, meditation alone does not do it all. Which you will discover as we continue. And hopefully, what you have read so far has helped you to start to realise this.
• someone who has spent most of their life living a deeply spiritual life, maintains that we also need to cultivate the mind. I agree. We have more progress when we have ethics and adhere to them. Simply because there is then less inner conflict. And it also helps if we learn to use our minds properly, for The Mind is not the be-all of our journey. No, we are far more than that
• without a doubt, one of the biggest ways to have lack of progress on our Path, is to be irregular with our practices. It is vitally important to be consistent.

We will revisit this, and the ways of it all, on the next post.