Theory of knowledge

[Ravisankar S. Mayavaram]

On Wed, 9 Sep 1998, Jaldhar H. Vyas wrote:

> On Mon, 7 Sep 1998, nanda chandran wrote:
>
> [...]
>
> >  That is the
> > reason that most people have a difficulty of staying awake while
> > meditating and that the state of meditation is equated with deep sleep.
>
> If people are falling asleep while meditating then dare I suggest they're
> doing it wrong?  I don't do any meditation myself (neither do I think it
> is a vital part of sadhana.  The benefits toted for it could also be
> achieved through drugs.)  but there are times like during an intense bout
> of programming when I've felt a sort of hyper-awareness.  It's hard to
> describe it.  That I suppose is what the results of meditating should be.

There different techniques of meditation. Most of them aim at
making the mind one-pointed and still the thoughts. When one
succeeds in going to deep states of meditation, intense bliss of
deep sleep will be felt. Unlike deep sleep one will be aware of
it.  If one sleeps during meditation, then he is not really
meditating. He has failed in meditating correctly.  If one feels
sleepy, it is better to sleep well and then start the meditation.


Meditation has great value. It importance in stressed in
patanjali's yoga sUtra, there is a vivaraNa on vyAsa bhAShya
attributed to shrI shankara. Even doing gAyatri japam is a form
on meditation. I do not know how you concluded on worthlessness
of meditation.

This is my last post on this topic.

Ravi