Download PDF - Stillness Speaks

Meditation and Self knowledge go hand in hand. Transcendence initself, experience of the Self, is not liberation because it is subject to change,owing to the power of unpurified samskaras to generate samsaric 89experience. However, transcendence reveals the Self and facilitatesdiscrimination, not only during transcendental episodes, when it is especiallypowerful, but later in normal ego states, owing to an increase of knowledgebasedfaith brought on by the experience.The Self knowledge arising from discrimination, like meditationtechnique, produces transcendence in and of itself. Like the oroboros, themythical creature that ingests itself, Intellect, skillfully applying knowledge,can gobble Subtle Body phenomena so effectively the waves subsidecompletely, producing transcendence.MEDITATIONNothing purifies like experience of the Self which releases a flood ofhealing, cleansing spiritual energy into the conscious and unconscious minds.Although most epiphanies wear off in a matter of hours, occasionally days,they produce spiritual vasanas which inspire practice and keep the mindfocused on the goal. Practiced diligently, meditation techniques, purify themind because they bring awareness to unholy patterns of thought and feeling.Transcendence does not conflict with purification. When the meditatortranscends the mind and begins to see from the plane of the Self, the need to"maintain" consciousness dissolves, since the Self is effortless Awareness.Knowledge of the mind's patterns and complexes is more accurate from theSelf's point of view than knowledge derived from a witness created out ofone part of the mind. Secondly, transcendence breaks attachment to themind, making it easier to purify.Finally, transcendence can produce Self knowledge, the ultimatepurifier. 90 In fact, the Self realized meditator realizes the absurdity in tryingto purify something that will again become impure without more sadhana.The purpose of purification is not to become pure but to create a problem-freemind, one that can calmly make an inquiry into the Self. Self realization isthe discovery that one is pure by default.89 Ordinary perception and all the attendant emotional and intellectual misconceptions that go with it.90 The Self is unchangable and not made of parts. Therefore it cannot be purified.64