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IX
EXPERIENCES AND VISIONS
Q: What is the difference between concentration and meditation in our Yoga? A: Concentration, for our Yoga, means when the consciousness is fixed in a particular state (e.g., peace) or movement (e.g., aspiration, will, coming into contact with the Mother, taking the Mother’s name); meditation is when the inner mind is looking at things to get the right knowledge.
Q: You wrote that "the Mother is always in concentrated consciousness in her inner being". What is meant by "concentrated consciousness" ? A: The higher consciousness is a concentrated consciousness, concentrated in the Divine Unity and in the working out of the Divine Will, not dispersed and rushing about after this or that mental idea or vital desire or physical need as is the ordinary human consciousness—also not invaded by a hundred haphazard thoughts, feelings and impulses, but master of itself, centred and harmonious. Q : What is the sign of successful meditation ? A: To enter into a deeper or higher consciousness or for that deeper or higher consciousness to descend into you—that is the true success of meditation.
Q: Is it true that without meditation it is impossible to get higher experiences? A: It is easier with some meditation—but people do get these things who never sit in meditation —so what is the use of saying "impossible"?
Q: Does sitting in an asana have any effect on meditation ? A: The effect is to strengthen the vital forces, especially to consolidate them in the body.
Q: Do all sadhaks have similar kinds of experiences and realisations in the development of their sadhana or these things vary according to their nature? A: There is something common to all—all the essential things are in possibility common to all, but each develops what he can, in the way he can, according to his nature. Q: What is the difference between experience, realisation and siddhi? A: Experience is a word that covers almost all the happenings in Yoga; only when something gets settled, then it is no longer an experience but part of the Siddhi; e.g., peace when it comes and goes is an experience—when it is settled and goes no more it is a Siddhi. Realisation is different—-it is when something for which you are aspiring becomes real to you; e.g., you have the idea of the Divine in all, but it is only an idea, a belief; when you feel or see the Divine in all, it becomes a realisation.
Q: What is the difference between vision, experience and realisation? A: When you see Light, that is vision; when you feel Light entering into you, that is experience; when Light settles in you and brings illumination and knowledge, that is a realisation. But ordinarily visions are also called experiences.
Q: What is the difference between feeling and realisation ? A: One can realise the Divine by feeling the Divine or by seeing or by both.
Q: What is the difference between the visions of the vital plane and those of the spiritual plane? A: Visions do not come from the spiritual plane—they come from the subtle physical, the vital, the mental, the psychic or from the planes above the Mind. What comes from the spiritual plane are experiences of the Divine, e.g., the experience of self everywhere, of the Divine in all, etc.
Q: Is it possible to get the higher experiences before the nature is transformed? A: Yes, but then it does not transform the nature, it is only an experience of the inner consciousness in its own field and even there no real perfection is possible.
Q: There are people who frequently have dreams and visions of the vital plane. Is it an indication of their high spiritual development? A: No. Many have them who are not spiritual at all. Q: Are not the visions and dreams of the vital plane helpful for psychic and spiritual development? A: No. They are helpful for developing beyond the ordinary limited physical consciousness and becoming aware of things behind and the forces that move the being. Unless one knows the things of the mental and vital plane, one cannot have a complete self-knowledge.
Q: Is it possible to have spiritual development without seeing anything psychically ? A: What do you mean by seeing "psychically"? Is it visions or the psychic sight of the Truth, psychic perception? One develops by spiritual knowledge and experience which comes from above the mind or one develops by psychic perception and experience which comes from within—these are the two main things. But it is also necessary to grow by inner mental and vital experiences, and visions and dream-experiences play a large part here. One thing may predominate in one sadhak, others in another; each develops according to his nature.
Q: Is there any difference between experience and knowledge ? A: When you have a symbolic dream, that is an experience; when you know what it means, that is knowledge.
Q: When will I get clear knowledge to understand and interpret my visions and experiences? A: When by practice and intuition you begin to learn what things mean in the different planes. You have to grow more conscious and observant, that is all. |