What is Enlightenment?
An interview with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
What is enlightenment?
"Enlightenment is the normal, natural state of health for the body and mind. It results from the full development of consciousness and depends upon the perfect and harmonious functioning of every part of the body and nervous system. When one is using the full potential of the mind and body in this way, every thought and action is spontaneously correct and life-supporting. This is life free from suffering, life lived in its full stature and significance.
"The goal of the Transcendental Meditation Technique is the state of enlightenment. This means we experience that inner calmness, that quiet state of least excitation, even when we are dynamically busy."
But activity and quietness seem to be opposites. Isn't it necessary to sit and close the eyes in order to enjoy the peaceful effects of the TM Technique?
"It's only in the beginning days of meditation that one has to meditate in order to experience that silent, quiet level of the mind, that state of pure consciousness. As we continue to alternate the experience of meditation with daily activity, the value of that pure consciousness is infused into the mind.
"The pure level of consciousness becomes stabilized in our awareness. And when that pure level - the state of least excitation - is a living reality even during daily activity, this is the state of enlightenment. This is life free from suffering, life when every thought and action is spontaneously correct."
But how is it possible for the mind to experience two different states at the some time?
"This is the question. How can the mind be both active and silent? How can one have the state of least excitation in the midst of all activity? What we find is that it is the natural ability of the nervous system to live one hundred per cent of the inner value of life, and one hundred per cent of the outer value. It is only stresses and strains which restrict this normal functioning of the nervous system."
Then it would be necessary to dissolve stress in order to experience the state of enlightenment.
"Yes. And it brings very practical value to life. Even if we forget about 'enlightenment' for a moment - maybe that state seems to be inconceivable - still it is our daily experience that the whole value of life is very little if we are tired, if we are stressed. If we think of a morning when we have not rested well in the night, then we feel so groggy and everything just collapses into dullness and inertia. The world is the same as on the other days, but our appreciation of the world is so much less. And with the Transcendental Meditation Technique we have a natural and effective means to dissolve even deeply rooted fatigue and stress. This is the way to unfold full value of life. Even in the first days of meditation we find that our eyes seem to be a little more open, our mind seems a bit more clear. Our feeling towards our friends seems to be more harmonious. And then, as the practice is continued every day, a time will come when we will start living life free from all stresses. We cleanse the awareness of all stresses and strains, leaving the conscious mind completely free in its pure value."
Does this mean that evolution toward enlightenment is automatic as stresses are released?
"Yes. When all stresses are gone, the whole appreciation of life is so much greater. Then the value of every perception, every thought, every action, every feeling will be supported by the full value of that pure awareness. This is enlightenment. It is like the ability to maintain contact with a bank even while out in the marketplace."
Maintaining contact with a bank - can that analogy be made clearer?
"Maintaining that pure awareness, that bliss consciousness, can be compared to having great wealth. If one is not aware of having great wealth in the bank, and one has only five dollars in the pocket, then there is some pinch about spending even one dollar for a rose. A man could say, 'Ah, the rose is so beautiful, but now there are only four dollars left in the pocket'. There is some pinch to the feelings. But if the awareness is open to the great wealth in the bank, a dollar is spent for a rose and the man is only faced with the joy of having a rose. No pinch is there. And this is one's experience in the state of enlightenment. When that pure state of silence and bliss is stabilized on the level of one's awareness, every activity is supported by that peace and joyfulness. Every activity is the expression of the fullness of life."
This would be the experience of the state of pure consciousness at the some time as daily activity. But it's still not clear how the mind is capable of maintaining this pure state in a permanent manner outside of the meditation period.
"What we find is that this ability depends on the condition of the body and nervous system. We have said the mind and body work together. This is true in every state of consciousness. When the body is tired, for instance, the mind doesn't function very effectively. The metabolic rate changes, the brain wave patterns change, and due to that the mind experiences dullness and inconsistency, and then the sleep state of consciousness. Or, if there is another specific type of physiology - brain waves are different, the metabolic rate is different - then we experience dreaming, the dream state of consciousness. And with another type of physiology, a different type of physical activity, the waking state comes up. Waking, sleeping, dreaming - all these three states of consciousness have corresponding styles of physiological activity. The mind and body always work together. Like that, the Transcendental Meditation Technique produces its own style of physiology. Due to that particular style of activity in the body, the mind experiences the state of least excitation, a fourth state of consciousness."
This is referring to the research on the Transcendental Meditation Technique showing very low metabolic rate, orderly brain waves, and so on?
"Yes. Blood chemistry changes, blood pressure changes - the body and nervous system are functioning in a particular manner and due to that, consciousness has that value of restful alertness, of least activity, of pure consciousness. "
During meditation, then, the body is operating in a certain way, and this correlates to the pure state of consciousness - a fourth state. But the question is still how to experience that level of silence at the some time as activity?
"What happens is that during the Transcendental Meditation Technique, the mind experiences the fourth state of consciousness. That experience takes the nervous system to a particular style of functioning. As we repeat our meditations, this inspires the nervous system to function in that new style more and more. It's the nature of life. Something is more fulfilling and life goes for it."
The nervous system gets used to functioning in this way?
It gets into that habit. This is how the experience of pure consciousness is infused into the conscious thinking level of the mind. It's like the principle of dying a cloth. We take a white cloth, dip it in yellow colour and then put it to the sun. In the sun the colour fades away, but it doesn't fade away completely. Dip it back in the colour, put it back to the sun, and more of the colour remains. just like that, we meditate morning and evening, dipping the mind in that pure awareness and then exposing it to action. In action, the value of pure awareness fades, but it doesn't fade away completely. Meditation and action - this is the procedure which stabilizes that pure awareness. This gradual and systematic culturing of the physical nervous system creates a physiological situation in which the two states of consciousness exist together simultaneously. And once it's done, it's done forever. Once the cloth is colour fast, it doesn't fade."
And then the nervous system maintains the ability to contact the state of least excitation even while functioning in the waking state of consciousness?
"Or in the sleep state. Or in the dream state. And in this is eternal freedom for every human being, like having the full wealth of the bank in our pocket at all times. There are changing values on the surface of the mind and then there is that non-changing steady state of the mind deep inside. And this is not just in fanciful thinking, but in the transformation of the physiology to maintain that pure state of consciousness in a permanent manner. And the research shows that with the Transcendental Meditation Technique, progress begins in this direction right from the first day of meditation. All the studies are there to indicate that a man develops inner stability and at the same time increases in his ability to adapt to the environment. The nervous system becomes more stable even under stressful stimuli. What we notice from this is that we seem to have our feet more on the ground. We are finding stability. We are finding more contentment within ourselves. We are experiencing the growth of that pure level of consciousness."
And all that is necessary to experience this growth is to meditate?
"What is important is the alternation of the Transcendental Meditation Technique with daily activity. Rest and activity - this is the way to grow to enlightenment - to live life free from suffering, to live life in bliss consciousness. Now with this knowledge there is no reason why every man cannot enjoy life at full potential, why he cannot experience unshakeable peace and joy in the midst of great, successful, dynamic activity."