According to Sage Sankara meditation always means the critical analysis about the Self to get salvation from ignorance.
Due to the eccentric ego of the then atheists, Sage Sankara did not go beyond this since the atheists will not accept God beyond themselves.
This limitation is not due to limited knowledge of Sage Sankara but is due to the then-existing situation of the psychology of the surrounding society.
For the wise who realize everything as consciousness, what is there to meditate or not to meditate, what to speak or not to speak, what to do or not to do?
Only the Soul or consciousness is Real and all else is an illusion. Only your constant remembrance will allow you, one day, to realize what truth really is, and, in so doing realize the ‘Self.
The exercise in discrimination between real and unreal and renunciation of the false is real meditation.
Meditation is not a bridge between you and the Soul because you are the false self within the false experience.
There is no use in doing meditation without realizing the fact that you are not the Self.
You and the world in which you exist are the product of ignorance. It is of no use of indulging in meditation without getting rid of ignorance.
Without getting rid of ignorance, it is impossible to realize the world in which you exist is an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.
Thus, doing meditation within the illusion gives illusory results without realizing the truth of your true existence keeps the Soul in the grip of ignorance.
The nature of the Soul is meditative because it is nondual. By getting rid of ignorance through wisdom leads to nondual Self-awareness. Self-awareness is real meditation.
Sage Sankara says: ~ “The exercise in discrimination between real and unreal and renunciation of the false is real meditation, then why you are indulging in other types of meditation.
Perfect understanding and realization of "what is what’ leads to Self-awareness. By holding onto theories one remains in the realm of duality.
You have to mentally go on dropping what is not the truth through deeper Self-search. Finally when you become aware of the fact that, your ego, your body, and the world are one in essence then there is Self-awareness in the midst of duality. :~ Santthosh Kumaar
