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Originally Posted by iamthat
An interesting quote. In his younger days Ramana Maharshi spent many years in meditation. And back in my twenties I would often sit in meditation for several days at a time. But then the responsibilities of life took over and I seldom sat for more than an hour. Perhaps my lessons in life lay elsewhere, although my meditation has continued over the years. But now, as a retired fellow approaching 60 I feel drawn to immersing myself back in meditation and once more embracing the Yogi within me.
Peace.
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You are absolutely correct about Ramana Maharshi spending many years in meditation. He was considered to be a "Mouni Sadhu" (Silent Monk) and it's not clear exactly what type of meditation he did as he did not speak. However, it is clear that he did NOT read scriptures once he left his home (he said that himself) and his form of meditation seems clear by the instructions that he gave to others.
Like yourself, I used to sit for up to 8-9 hours on weekend when I had the time and wasn't working. It was not a forced meditation to sit as long as I could. Rather, it was an "absorbed meditation" in the sense that I was contemplating something that my teacher had said or something that had happened or something that I had read which really resonated. Even I was surprised at the length of the meditations as I initially thought there was a problem with my clock when I came out of a "short meditation" only to realize that 8-9 hours had elapsed.
Now, as I mentioned in my previous post, I rarely do sitting meditations at prescribed times for prescribed intervals. Ramana's statement shook me a bit initially because of my previous meditation background (sitting) which we share. However, upon reflection, it made perfect sense that sitting for prescribed intervals at specific times is indeed for the "merest of spiritual novices" despite what the Zen masters and zazen practitioners may say. Without judging, one must choose the meditation technique best suited to one's development .... until one no longer needs it.