Transcendental Practises

There is often confusion among meditation teachers and students about the distinction between spiritual and transcendental practices. Spiritual practice may naturally lead to transcendental experiences as an evolutionary outcome, but the approaches can be quite different from the outset. Some Zen masters go to great lengths to clarify this distinction and guide their students accordingly.

Spiritual vs Transcendental Practice

A spiritual practice develops increasing subtlety of awareness. The practitioner moves from a mundane physical being toward a refined spiritual awareness, aligning perception with subtler phenomena. These are experiences encountered in dreams, imagination, and eventually, at death.

Transcendental practices, by contrast, aim to transcend all phenomena, gross or subtle, and reach directly to the source from which all manifestations arise. From the transcendentalist perspective, exploring the effects of manifestation without awareness of their source is a distraction. Practices are therefore chosen to void mental distraction and draw the mind toward the underlying source of awareness.

Many methods exist to accomplish this. The most notable include:

• The Space Between Thoughts (SBTs) and Breath Awareness, introduced in the basic practices section.

• Ramana Maharshi’s “Who Am I?” inquiry, distinct from the spiritual “Where Am I?”.

• Buddhist approaches, especially Zen, which dismiss mental arisings as Makyo, or illusion.

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Self-Enquiry (Atma Vichara)

Introduced by Ramana Maharshi in the early 1900s, self-enquiry directs the mind inward with the question:

“Who am I?”

Whenever a thought arises, one asks: “To whom has this thought occurred, and what is its source?”

The practice is not an endless questioning but a turning of the mind back to its source, resting in that Awareness each time it strays. The true answer is not intellectual but a direct recognition of the current of Awareness itself. Ramana called this the Pure Self or True Self, the “I-I” from which all thoughts arise.

Self-enquiry can be practised anywhere, anytime.

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Breath Awareness

Breath awareness is a simple and portable practice used across many traditions. The Hindu approach, so-ham japa, aligns the in-breath with “so” and the out-breath with “ham”. The approximate Buddhist equivalent is anapanasati, mindfulness of the in- and out-breath.

Method:

• Sit comfortably, ensuring posture is stable and undisturbed.

• Relax and clear the mind as best as possible.

• Focus on the rise and fall of the breath:

  • In-breath: notice air entering the nostrils and lungs expanding.

  • Pause: observe the brief stillness at the end of inhalation.

  • Out-breath: notice the breath leaving the lungs naturally.

  • Pause: observe before the next inhalation, then repeat.

Do not manipulate the breath. Simply observe it as it is, whether fast or slow, deep or shallow.

Focus options:

• Tip of the nostrils

• Flow into the lungs

• Expansion and contraction of the lungs

Choose whichever is most effective for you. Breath awareness can be practised formally during meditation or informally throughout daily life.

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The Space Between Thoughts (SBTs)

The Space Between Thoughts is the most immediate and direct transcendental practice. It reveals non-duality wherever you are, without requiring years of practice.

Method:

• Sit or find a quiet moment, eyes open or closed.

• Observe the thoughts passing through your mind.

• Wait for a brief pause between thoughts.

• Notice each pause, allowing them to lengthen naturally.

Each pause represents a moment where duality ceases. The thinking mind splits experience into “I” and “other” (dvaita). When thought ceases, duality ceases, revealing transcendental awareness.

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Removing Labels

Removing Labels is a complementary practice for SBTs, using imagination to dissolve duality.

Method:

• Sit comfortably, visualizing every object with a label (e.g., a tree, a chair).

• Mentally remove each label, observing the object without designation.

• Include the most subtle label: “I” perceiving.

With practice, this can be done anywhere and at any time. The exercise gradually reduces attachment to mental constructs, deepening awareness of non-duality.