When you sit for meditation, it is first the body and then the subconscious mind that troubles you. Our journey in meditation requires us to transcend the subconscious mind, but most people find themselves stuck at this stage.
Many modern approaches advocate meditation as a solution for mental unrest. People are advised to sit in meditation, allow thoughts to arise, and gradually shift their focus away from these thoughts toward stillness. Over time, it is said, the torrent of thoughts will diminish, eventually leading to complete silence within. It is at this moment that the true journey of meditation begins.
Meditation teaches us how to live in the present. It is not an unfamiliar experience. When we immerse ourselves in eating, playing, writing, or observing something with complete focus, we are already practicing a form of meditation. In these moments, we exist purely in the present, unburdened by past or future concerns.
The 112 methods include practices centered around breath, thought, the body, dreams, physical sensations, anger, and Kundalini energy. These methods are universal and not restricted to any specific group or individual.
One branch of Tantra, the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, focuses deeply on practices involving breath, love, Kundalini, and other meditative techniques. This ancient text describes 112 methods of meditation, each tailored to guide seekers toward spiritual awakening.
Tantra, at its core, is a profound spiritual science rooted in the union of the individual with the cosmos. It is not about fear, superstition, or exploitation but about achieving higher consciousness and self-realization.