The object of Meditation

[cognition]

Something interesting....comments needed:

In all processes of knowledge, there is a knower and a known. If you are to know yourself, here who is the knower and who is the known? Since you cannot stand outside yourself as an object, you cannot be the known. And inasmuch as you are the subject, pure and simple, where is the question of knowing yourself? The knower cannot know the knower because that seems to be a contradiction in the very operation of the knowledge process. Everything in the world – even in the high heaven – stands in the position of an object of cognition, thought and visualisation. But you are none of these things. You seem to be the pivot of all process of knowledge; and the pivot itself cannot be known, just as you cannot climb on your own shoulders. Yet, this great miraculous adventure has to be undergone. It is more difficult than Hercules trying to get the golden apples from the garden of Hesperides. It is more difficult than Jason trying to harness the brazen bulls. Yet, it has to be achieved.

In the Upanishads there are certain anecdotes which spotlight this problem and try to detail, as much as possible, the way in which we can tackle this question. I relate to you one such anecdote from the Chhandogya Upanishad. There were six great learned people. They knew all the scriptures, all the shastras, all the schools of philosophy. They discussed among themselves, "We have heard that there is a thing called Atman. Where is it located?" None of them could come to a conclusive answer. They heard that the king of that country knew this answer to the question. In ancient times, it appears that great secrets of spiritual wisdom were kept by the Kshatriya kings, more so than Brahmins who were learned in lore, because the knowledge of the Atman is not learning in lore; it is something quite different. It is a total topsy-turvy operation of the process of consciousness; instead of the knower trying to have knowledge of the known, the table gets turned in this process. That is to say, the knower has to know the knower only. Know thyself – atmanam vidhi – is the dictum.

These great learned people, six in number, went humbly to the king of that country, who was a Kshatriya; and these seekers were Brahmins. They sat on the outskirts of the palace of the king, seeking admission into his darbar so that they could speak to him the purpose of their coming. The king thought the Brahmins had come for receiving some gift. Under that impression he spoke to them saying, "Tomorrow I am going to have a large sacrifice performed. You may come and participate. I shall give you a lot of dakshina."

These six Brahmins said, "It is very kind of you to have told that to us, but please give us what we want. We have not come to participate in a sacrifice, nor do we want any gold coin as dakshina from you. Tell us what you know."

The king was taken aback that they put such a question. He said, "It is not proper that a Brahmana should come and request a Kshatriya for knowledge. Actually the Kshatriyas, being less in the category of society than Brahmanas, should go for Brahmanas for knowledge. How is it that Brahmanas are coming to Kshatriyas?"

These six Brahmins said, "We are not coming here as Brahmanas. We have come as students of knowledge. Please, initiate us into the technique of knowing that which you know and nobody else knows."

The king was surprised. "All right," he said.

Generally when a student goes to a preceptor for knowledge, the Guru asks them to stay for several years, doing service and observing continence. But recognising the greatness of these people he absolved them of this requisition and merely said, "Tomorrow you may see me."

And the next morning, they took their bath and put on new clothes and went to the king.

The king asked, "Let us know what you know already."

One of them said, "I am meditating on the sun as the Supreme Reality."

The king said, "It is wonderful that you are doing this meditation, but the sun is the eye of Reality; it is not the whole of Reality. And you know that the sun is the presiding deity of the visual organ. Because of your meditation on the sun, the deity of the process of vision, you are seeing glory and abundance in your house; but you are doing a wrong meditation. If you had not come to me and placed this difficulty before me, you would have become blind. It is good that you have come to me."

Like that, he went on asking all of them what kind of meditation they are pursuing. One said, "I have done (meditation) considering the earth itself as the footstool of the whole Cosmic Being," and various other things.

The king said, "None of these methods of meditation are correct. Partial glory you are enjoying in your life because of this partial finitised form of meditation, but if you had not come to me you would have come to disaster. Some limb of your body would have gone. It is somehow a miracle and a destiny and Providence working, as it were, that you have come to me for rectification of your defects. What are the defects? What is the mistake you have made? Your meditation is involved in two defects. Number one: you are thinking – whether it is sun, or earth, or whatever it is – the object of your meditation is outside you. The object which you are trying to achieve is not outside. The second defect is you are considering the object of meditation as a location in one place. But the truth is, the Supreme Reality is not in one place. Neither it is outside you, nor is it in one place. Now, can you adjust your consciousness to this position? That the one thing on which you are practising meditation should not be standing outside you, nor should it be in one place."

It is a feat of the exercise of the will and understanding to appreciate and adjust oneself to this technique. How will you think something in your mind by placing it not outside you, and also not placing it anywhere, somewhere, in this structure of space and time? They were trained people, so they could grasp the intricacy and the significance of this instruction.

[Samana Johann]

Good householder,

all those Brahmans are catch-able in the same net for wrong views, stands which are not leading to liberation, the deathless.

[Angelo Cannata]

Something interesting....comments needed:

In all processes of knowledge, there is a knower and a known. If you are to know yourself, here who is the knower and who is the known? Since you cannot stand outside yourself as an object, you cannot be the known. And inasmuch as you are the subject, pure and simple, where is the question of knowing yourself? The knower cannot know the knower because that seems to be a contradiction in the very operation of the knowledge process.

If you think that you exist, then you have some kind of knowledge about yourself. How is that?

[Samana Johann]

Something interesting....comments needed:

In all processes of knowledge, there is a knower and a known. If you are to know yourself, here who is the knower and who is the known? Since you cannot stand outside yourself as an object, you cannot be the known. And inasmuch as you are the subject, pure and simple, where is the question of knowing yourself? The knower cannot know the knower because that seems to be a contradiction in the very operation of the knowledge process.

If you think that you exist, then you have some kind of knowledge about yourself. How is that?

If one thinks that he doesn't exist, then he has some kind of idea of self as well? How ißt that?

[cognition]

Thank you Samana Johann
The one who thinks that he does not exist has to exist! to be able to make the thought they have to exist. Or, even non-existence has to exist!!

[JDBowden]

OP was TL; DR

Object of meditation would vary from individual to individual. If one wants to be a so called "brahmin" then great. Others will find a different purpose. For me personally, I it brings down stress levels and more calm. Nothing more. Quite simple really.

[Samana Johann]

There are 11 suitable objects for householder, having gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha, leading to heavens an beyond, suitable objects to be taken on where ever engaged in harmless undertakings and to abstain from what ever harms. 6 pulling and 5 pushing reflections to get access to right, not wrong, meditation, with no object of sensual delight.

There is the case, where an instructed householder son or daughter is of upright kind, does not delight in lures steady reflects on 5, torward skilful pushing objects. Subjects for Contemplation.

There is the case where a son or daughter of good family, observes good conducts, and uses what's out of blame for cleansing the mind, having attained the bases for this six reflections to pull him/herself out of the low.

This is how a wise person builds upon good and right self-estimate, leading to heavens and beyond, unbond, deathless, for his own long term happiness and that of others.

[JDBowden]

There are 11 suitable objects for householder, having gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha, leading to heavens an beyond, suitable objects to be taken on where ever engaged in harmless undertakings and to abstain from what ever harms. 6 pulling and 5 pushing reflections to get access to right, not wrong, meditation, with no object of sensual delight.

There is the case, where an instructed householder son or daughter is of upright kind, does not delight in lures steady reflects on 5, torward skilful pushing objects. Subjects for Contemplation.

There is the case where a son or daughter of good family, observes good conducts, and uses what's out of blame for cleansing the mind, having attained the bases for this six reflections to pull him/herself out of the low.

This is how a wise person builds upon good and right self-estimate, leading to heavens and beyond, unbond, deathless, for his own long term happiness and that of others.

What are these links? They are interesting reads but I do not know the backstory to them. Of any historical importance?

[cognition]

Defining the Object of Meditation
https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/asce ... ha_12.html

[Meta Island]

The king said, "None of these methods of meditation are correct. Partial glory you are enjoying in your life because of this partial finitised form of meditation, but if you had not come to me you would have come to disaster. Some limb of your body would have gone. It is somehow a miracle and a destiny and Providence working, as it were, that you have come to me for rectification of your defects. What are the defects? What is the mistake you have made? Your meditation is involved in two defects. Number one: you are thinking – whether it is sun, or earth, or whatever it is – the object of your meditation is outside you. The object which you are trying to achieve is not outside. The second defect is you are considering the object of meditation as a location in one place. But the truth is, the Supreme Reality is not in one place. Neither it is outside you, nor is it in one place. Now, can you adjust your consciousness to this position? That the one thing on which you are practising meditation should not be standing outside you, nor should it be in one place."

It is a feat of the exercise of the will and understanding to appreciate and adjust oneself to this technique. How will you think something in your mind by placing it not outside you, and also not placing it anywhere, somewhere, in this structure of space and time? They were trained people, so they could grasp the intricacy and the significance of this instruction.

A single idea accessible from the complete associations of any other idea might satisfy, “The object which you are trying to achieve is not outside.” Perceptually unlimited iterations of a single idea in different contexts within the ‘Supreme Reality” might satisfy, “the Supreme Reality is not in one place. Neither it is outside you, nor is it in one place.”

[Samana Johann]

There are 11 suitable objects for householder, having gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha, leading to heavens an beyond, suitable objects to be taken on where ever engaged in harmless undertakings and to abstain from what ever harms. 6 pulling and 5 pushing reflections to get access to right, not wrong, meditation, with no object of sensual delight.

There is the case, where an instructed householder son or daughter is of upright kind, does not delight in lures steady reflects on 5, torward skilful pushing objects. Subjects for Contemplation.

There is the case where a son or daughter of good family, observes good conducts, and uses what's out of blame for cleansing the mind, having attained the bases for this six reflections to pull him/herself out of the low.

This is how a wise person builds upon good and right self-estimate, leading to heavens and beyond, unbond, deathless, for his own long term happiness and that of others.

What are these links?

Priceless gifts of Dhamma, good householder: the path to release, by the Sublime Buddha.

They are interesting reads but I do not know the backstory to them. Of any historical importance?

There are really urgent things, good householder, but yes, unique, hardly ever to meet.

..."It's just as if a man were wounded with an arrow thickly smeared with poison. His friends & companions, kinsmen & relatives would provide him with a surgeon, and the man would say, 'I won't have this arrow removed until I know whether the man who wounded me was a noble warrior, a brahman, a merchant, or a worker.' He would say, 'I won't have this arrow removed until I know the given name & clan name of the man who wounded me... until I know whether he was tall, medium, or short... until I know whether he was dark, ruddy-brown, or golden-colored... until I know his home village, town, or city... until I know whether the bow with which I was wounded was a long bow or a crossbow... until I know whether the bowstring with which I was wounded was fiber, bamboo threads, sinew, hemp, or bark... until I know whether the shaft with which I was wounded was wild or cultivated... until I know whether the feathers of the shaft with which I was wounded were those of a vulture, a stork, a hawk, a peacock, or another bird... until I know whether the shaft with which I was wounded was bound with the sinew of an ox, a water buffalo, a langur, or a monkey.' He would say, 'I won't have this arrow removed until I know whether the shaft with which I was wounded was that of a common arrow, a curved arrow, a barbed, a calf-toothed, or an oleander arrow.' The man would die and those things would still remain unknown to him...