The Stages of Meditation: From Thought Awareness to the Point of Light
Question
When we talk about meditation, ma’am, we usually say it means concentrating on one thing. And people say meditation makes you peaceful and mature. Does that peace also give us discipline and Self-knowledge?
Answer
See, meditation has many stages. When we first start meditating, we can’t really focus on just one thing — because right now, there’s a heap of thoughts and subjects piled up inside us. So, in the beginning, focusing on one point feels difficult.
That’s why, in the first stage of meditation, what we actually have to do is focus on our own thoughts — just observe what’s happening inside.
“What’s going on in my mind?” Watch that carefully.
This is what the word Vipassana points to — as Dubey Saheb often says in his sessions — “focus your mind on your thoughts.”
That’s the first stage of meditation.
As we keep practicing watching our thoughts, over time — and it does take time — a day comes when, out of ten different thoughts running through the mind, we’re able to focus on just one.
Question
Right, but that seems really difficult! I mean, I’ve never tried it seriously, but even if you sit for five minutes — one moment you’re thinking of something, then suddenly, “Oh, I forgot that office task,” or “I need to go for that health check-up” — thoughts just keep coming!
Answer
You’re absolutely right. When you sit quietly to meditate, you’ll see your mind jumping everywhere. You can even note it down afterward:
“For these five or ten minutes, my mind went to twenty different things.”
Then, keep practicing — the practice of watching itself.
Gradually, those twenty thoughts will start to reduce. And this happens only by doing it, not just by talking about it.
With practice, the number of thoughts lessens, and finally, you’re able to focus on one subject.
After that, even that one subject fades — and a new question arises:
“Who am I?”
Then the focus shifts to that awareness — “I am a point of light.”
The subject disappears, and the point of light becomes the focus.
This is how the inner journey moves forward.
Question
Hmm, true, ma’am. It’s a long journey.
Answer
Yes — but why call it long? We spend sixty or seventy years of life in so many other things without noticing! Just start.
It’s been two years since we began our study of the Ramayana — did we even notice how the time went? So it’s only about beginning.
Once you start meditating regularly, the practice gradually deepens on its own.
Just begin.
Eventually, a stage comes when you focus on your true Self — the soul.
Even if, in the beginning, you picture it as a small light within, later you have to let go of every image. Because if we imagine God in a physical, human form, it becomes very difficult to remove that body-based feeling. So gradually, we move from the form to a point of light — a subtle focus.
When you start focusing on that point of light, one day you’ll find that whenever a problem surrounds you, and you quietly turn your focus inward, the solution begins to arise from within yourself.
But this is a gradual development, step by step.
And everyone begins from zero.
So really, the only thing needed is — to start.