An experienced meditator passes through three states of awareness before completely settling his or her mind. The three states correspond with our three sub-conscious functions: bodily operation, memory and identity.
The longer you hold your focus on a single object, the deeper you settle your sub-conscious mind (read: the calmer & less stressful you feel!):
Initially, you train your mind to “sit”! The most active sub-conscious mental function is the first to calm down: bodily sensations and functions. Eventually, this initial phase of meditation (Dharana) relieves desire.
Next, you train your mind to “stay”! As desires fade and you’re able to concentrate for longer periods, memories that may trigger negative reactions begin to fade. Eventually, this interim phase of meditation (Dhyana) relieves sorrow.
After that, you lose conscious track of the distinction between you, the image in your mind, and the actual object of your focus! You effectively intuit the essence of (“become one with”) the object of our concentration! This final phase of meditation on an object (Samadhi) eliminates fear.
Thereafter, you enjoy the bliss of bathing directly in consciousness, undistracted by your otherwise constantly-functioning mind!
Meditation isn’t easy, but neither is suffering.
