The Gateless Gate

Meditation is the ground of existence, and nothing is more profound and inspiring than moving into its depths to discover our true self. Although meditation is the inner gate out of illusion, from the viewpoint of higher truth there is no gate to pass through and nowhere to go. Meditation is the natural state of our abidance in the universal now, our true existence merged with supreme being. However, as long as we live in forgetfulness of our real nature, we must pass through the invisible gate of meditation in order to actualize our original state. Because the truth of being is concealed from those who are unconscious and lost in the mind, they must strive to enter reality and move beyond illusion. It is only by awakening to pure subjectivity that we can finally return to the roots of our creation, the inner realm of the universal I am. To penetrate the dimension of meditation is to realize the mystery of the gateless gate, the open doorway within the now to the great beyond.

Being and Understanding

Being is beyond understanding, but without understanding we cannot transcend the plane of becoming. Despite the basic simplicity of meditation, we must deeply contemplate this dimension to realize it fully and comprehend its most intangible nature. No matter how gratifying our experience in meditation is, there are some important questions to ask: How can we penetrate the unseen depth of the inner realm? As we enter this new territory, how are we to grasp the intricate and subtle reality beyond the mind? What is the true state of meditation and how can we differentiate it from the maze of meditative experiences we pass through? Is the inner state the same as the one who experiences it? Is the knower of the inner realm external to the place in which he abides? Who am I and where am I within the state of meditation? What is it this great void of the cosmic beyond upon which we dwell when submerged in meditation? What are the levels of the inner depth we can permeate with our consciousness in our progression towards surrender? How can we actualize the complete state of meditation, and how can we merge with the universal self? We can unravel many questions about the multifaceted reality of meditation, but not through the mind. The answers lie in pure being and non-conceptual understanding.

Self-knowledge and Meditation

Meditation is an act of being, whereas self-knowledge is an act of knowing. Two mutually supporting aspects of the inner path, meditation and self-knowledge are indivisible from one another. Self-knowledge is required in order to penetrate to the essence of meditation, and meditation brings stability and depth to the realization of our true self. Meditation without self-knowledge is bound to be utterly impotent, dull and mechanical; self-knowledge without meditation remains shallow and disconnected from the beyond. Without self-knowledge one cannot enter the core of meditation, and conversely, without meditation, self-knowledge remains trapped on the exterior of the inner state.

The secret of self-knowledge lies in the existential leap from objectivity to subjectivity - from living on the periphery of the mind to realizing the center of I am. Awakening of self-knowledge is the centering act of consciousness; it is the internalization of self. Meditation is the practice of staying in the presence of self-knowledge. As we dwell upon the knowledge of I am, by the law of spiritual gravity, the vertical pull of the now reveals an ever increasing depth in the experience of the self. This depth itself is beyond self-knowledge, for it points to the very source of both self and knowledge.

It is quite common that seekers who follow the path of self-enquiry repudiate the practice of meditation. Even if their enquiry does yield positive results, they frequently become stagnated on the path. This is due to their inability to both stabilize and deepen that which they have awakened. Then there are seekers who do practice meditation, but do not apply self-enquiry, or even refuse to believe in the existence of self. Because of their lack of conscious intention to gain self-knowledge, their practice is ignorant, powerless to yield true awakening.

Unfortunately, in some traditions, due to the misperception that 'no-self' is the opposite of self, the belief in no-self is frequently used as an excuse to reject the practice of self-enquiry. By following this concept in a dogmatic way, we make the intellectual error of confusing the individual and universal dimensions of the self. The term no-self, in its correct definition, does not signify negation of the individual self, but rather denotes the non-abiding and empty nature of the universal self. Because it is a tool used primarily to awaken the essence of the soul, the universal self is not realized through the practice of self-enquiry, but through our surrender and absorption in the beyond. To negate our individual self is unwise, for without its presence, neither self nor no-self can be realized. Here we can see how a simple concept, employed without imagination, can sabotage the positive movement towards pure subjectivity.

Traditionally, self-enquiry is applied in an attempt either to expose the illusory nature of the ego or to realize the universal self. Though this approach may be fruitful in the sense of opening one to the inner realm, it actually misses the point: it leads to fundamentally false conclusions, for it bypasses the essence of the enquirer himself. Self-enquiry, practiced correctly, points beyond seeing through our false individuality or our identification with universality to the personal essence of the soul's consciousness, the knowledge I am.

As essential as it is, no amount of self-knowledge can bring us to the kind of depth that is reached through meditation and takes place on a much deeper plane than consciousness of awareness. Meditation is a condition of pure surrender through which our sense of I am merges with the universal state of oneness.

The Two levels of Pure Subjectivity

The realm of pure subjectivity is the only gateway to reality, the gateless gate. It is multi-dimensional, possessing infinite depth and countless planes within itself. We can never fathom the bottomless ocean of pure being, for the deeper we go, the further its limits recede. To enter the inner realm is to be submerged in the heart of creation, the living depth of the eternal whole.

In our explanation of the inner realm, we draw a clear distinction between two strata of pure subjectivity: the first is the subjectivity of the soul, the knower and witness of the inner state; the second is not an entity, a personal essence or an individual knower, but the dimension of being, the unmanifested ground of existence. The one who abides in the state of meditation is the pure subjectivity of the individual soul, and the dimension in which the soul abides is the pure subjectivity of the universal I am. Over the course of our inner evolution, this distinction becomes more and more transparent, because these two levels of subjectivity progressively merge into one, undivided reality.

Absolute Objectivity

In the collective psyche, the term 'subjective experience' has somewhat negative associations, as it is understood to denote an experience relative in nature, and therefore cannot be objectively described or confirmed. In contrast, the term 'objective experience' commonly signifies an occurrence that is factually evident, independent from our individual experiences or opinions. The connotations of both terms have been greatly influenced by the language of science, which is generally inclined to identify the 'subjective observer' as an impediment to empirical analysis. The science of spirituality, however, unlike the science of phenomenal reality, is primarily dedicated to the exploration of our subjective existence. The subjective essence we refer to here lies far deeper than the relative subjectivity of the mind and personality. Our true subjectivity is in fact absolutely 'objective', because it reflects the eternal light of universal I am.

Despite the fact that in the language of meditation and consciousness the term 'objective' usually signifies something external to pure subjectivity, and therefore belongs to the realm of forgetfulness, we should not assume that the reality of objects and appearances is in existential opposition to pure subjectivity. This is true only in the case of an unconscious person in whom the light of subjectivity is lost in ignorant identification with phenomenal existence. When pure subjectivity is fully realized, it transcends the polarity of inner and outer - containing them both in the space of all-pervasive oneness. Ultimately, there is only one reality - nothing exists outside of all-that-is.

Attention and Letting go

There are two fundamental aspects of meditation: centering and absorption. In meditation we must maintain the correct balance between alertness and calm, concentration and letting go. Through centering we gain a stable sense of self and presence; through absorption we move into the depth of being. We cannot reach a state of true absorption prior to centering our consciousness. By establishing ourselves in pure awareness, we move beyond the gross level of the fragmented mind, giving birth to our real center from which we can begin our surrender.

In our meditation practice we must first establish the necessary level of concentration, and then solidify our attention. The work with concentration and attention is the only antidote to our amnesia and internal chaos. Although the term concentration implies gathering energies towards our center, in practice concentration is an exertion more outwardly oriented than attention. Attention is closer to the essence of awareness than concentration - in its purest form it is self-attentive. Concentration is the ability to focus the mind and energy, attention is one-pointed awareness; concentration enables us to temporarily put the mechanical mind on hold, attention allows us to go beyond it. Through concentration we drop our forgetfulness, through attention we abide in remembrance; concentration brings us to the present, attention bridges us with our essence.

The work with awareness can be approached either directly or indirectly. Indirect work takes place outside of the essence - it is mindfulness of an object instead of the subject itself. Here, the mind is trained to focus through the use of externally oriented concentration. As we have mentioned, one of the more natural and gentle techniques that uses an external object to anchor the mind is awareness of the breath. This technique is beneficial on many levels, because it assists us in developing alertness, balancing energy and opening to the realm of being. Other indirect meditative techniques include mantra repetition, visualization and observation of the mind. These practices of concentration on objects generate the energy of attentiveness that acts as an opposing force to the mechanical mind, but their utility is limited. Due to their reliance on external stimuli, they cannot uncover the inner essence, and therefore cannot result in awakening.

In contrast, direct work with awareness is based on self-knowledge and the complementary practice of self-remembrance. Direct work with attention is rooted in the cultivation of the state of self-awareness, and eventually leads to a permanent presence beyond the mind. We will elaborate on a deeper and more holistic work with awareness when discussing integral consciousness.

In our effort to enter the state of meditation, attention in itself is insufficient. Although attention enables us to abide in the present and links us with pure awareness, it cannot enter the dimension of the now. Attention dwells only on the surface of meditation. The real depth of meditation is reached through absorption, which we access through letting go of attention. Letting go is the surrender to the depth of the now that opens the soul to the gravitational force of the beyond.

The condition of not-letting-go is the unconscious exercise of self-control through which we sustain our separate existence. Because as humans we live in a perpetual state of tension and self-holding, we need to spend a long time in meditation before we are able to master the art of surrender. Letting go is a movement into the state of oneness. To let go is to drop into an existential state of ease and become absorbed in the simplicity of being.

In meditation, we need to maintain a precise equilibrium between attention and letting go. If we do not generate enough attention, any attempt to let go will lead to daydreaming and sleep. If too alert, we create strain and become overly self-conscious. Excessive concentration and self-control, and their opposites, inattentiveness and lethargy, are the most common impediments to the practice of meditation.

The ability to preserve the proper balance between awareness and surrender in our practice reflects our relative effort and cooperation in activating the natural state of meditation. In the natural state, no effort is needed, because one abides beyond the polarity of attention and letting go. The natural state is a state beyond the fluctuating energies of the mind, in which attention and letting go both become immersed into the void of pure being.

Meditation: the Passage to the Beyond

Superficially, meditation is a time of peace and quiet during which the mind is put at rest. True meditation, however, is far beyond any experience of calm or psychological relaxation. There is nothing wrong with feeling blissful or enjoying inner peace, but meditation is much more than that. To recognize the sacredness of meditation, we have to meet the metaphysical depths of the inner dimension. The purest motivation to mediate transcends seeking personal satisfaction, pleasure, or even peace; it is to enter our original home and move from illusion to reality. To enter the inner realm and dwell in the pure subjectivity of being is to regain our true life, rooted in the source of creation.

In the initial stages of our meditation practice we come face-to-face with the unconscious mind and our disjointed state of being. Since during this period we are moving out of suffering and forgetfulness, we can consider it a 'negative' phase in our evolution. But when we become more integrated within and gain entry into the inner realm, we begin the 'positive' phase of practice that now is based on internal expansion. To support this expansion, we literally 'sit' in the inner realm and, by the divine law, move increasingly deeper into being, merging with the beyond in a process that continues until the state of complete oneness is achieved. But even after reaching this complete state, the movement into the inner realm does not stop, for the beyond is infinite, and thus there is no end to its revelation.

The Bottomless Depth of Meditation

Meditation contains two functions: to enable the expansion into becoming our true self, which is soul-realization, and to enable the expansion into the beyond, which is self-realization. There is no end to either expansion. Even after the soul is realized, she continues to grow into an increasingly higher condition of her eternal identity. Because the nature of existence is movement, nothing can stop - for to stop is to regress, and in a spiritual context, to die. Even after reaching the state of oneness, the expansion into the depth of existence does not cease.

Meditation can never be fully fathomed, for the very simple reason that the inner realm has infinite depth. It is like an ocean into which we can dive deeper and deeper, never tiring of our blissful exploration. Meditation is not merely a means to reach a spiritual goal or an aimless abidance in the now - it is an ever-deepening immersion of consciousness in the magnificence of the divine beyond.

Until the transcendental state is fully realized and our individuality merged in samadhi, a meditator journeys through different layers of pure being, each containing enough depth and bliss to bestow an unconditional sense of gratification. Although settling down our existence into the state of absolute rest is not an easy task, as we grow within the inner realm there is increasingly more of this pure contentment. Only when we have gone through the whole process of expansion, however, can we experience the ultimate contentment, the infinite bliss of absence.

Return to http://www.anaditeaching.com/teachingmed2.htm