Meditation and Mamsa Dhatu

One of the primary functions of mamsa is lepana (plastering or holding). In meditation, we hold awareness—this is dharana, which also means holding. To have proper dharana, healthy mamsa dhatu is needed. The quality of healthy mamsa dhatu is a meditative mind characterized by love, compassion, and total relaxation.

When people use meditation solely for stress release, they frequently have problems with it. As they try to be quiet, many thoughts and feelings come to consciousness and they become disturbed. When there is a purpose behind meditation, the value of meditation is reduced—purpose is expectation and expectation is desire. One should meditate with only the desire to meditate, without expectation.

Pitta-type individuals prefer structured meditation methods, but they should move beyond structure toward unstructured meditation. The ultimate flowering of meditation should be spontaneous, where every action becomes meditation—eating, drinking, working, and even washing dishes. Then the entire life is meditation and stress has no place. The mind in meditation is a muscle in action with relaxation. Action and inaction go together, and that is the highest spiritual function of mamsa dhatu.