Meditations on Meditation In the stage of perfection called t | ◦•● 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙀𝙢𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 ●•◦

Meditations on Meditation

In the stage of perfection called trance, or samādhi, one’s mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This perfection is characterized by one’s ability to see the Self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the Self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness, realized through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact. BG 6.20-23

What are the impediments to meditation? There are six major impediments to meditation and spiritual progress. It takes self-inquiry to see where these obstacles affect us most. These are:
kama (sensual desire)
krodha (anger)
lobha (greed)
moha (delusion)
mada (pride)
matsarya (jealousy)

These all exist within the mind. When operating under maya, or illusion, and under the influence of the mind and senses, these feelings are constantly at play to varying degrees. Spiritual progress means that we master these, and they not be our masters.

We, however, cannot supress these six feelings, or else they will emerge unexpectedly, perhaps even exploding and causing more damage. We must sublimate them by rising above their influence. Meditation enables us to achieve this by allowing the individual to perceive the difference between the mental existence and the internal and spiritual existence. The more we grow in our spiritual existence, the less we are impacted by these six enemies of spiritual progress. The more we grow in our spiritual existences, the less we need to live in the mental and sensual plane, which can be described as the "instinctual" way of existing (think of how a dog will eat food without thought of consequences).

When we live in the instinctual plane, thought patterns give free reign to impulsive behaviours, making us act with little consideration. Observance of these thoughts, the stream of consciousness, the chitta vritis, allows the individual to rise above them.