(Meditation)
Meditation is derived from the Latin word ‘Meditari’ which means, to heal. (Paths of Meditation, p. 12)
Meditation is both Science and Art of healing. To meditate is to set in motion processes that lead to the restoration of one’s well-being – physical mental and spiritual. (Paths of Meditation, p. 13)
Swami Vivekananda commenting on Yoga Sutra 1-39 on pages 227-228 in Chapter I, Concentration: Its Spiritual Uses from The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda (Vol. 1).
Patanjali Yoga sutra 39: Yathabhimatadhyanadva
Or by the meditation on anything that appeals to one as good.
This does not mean any wicked subject, but anything good that you like, any place that you like best, any scenery that you like best, any idea that you like best, anything that will concentrate the mind.
Patanjali Yoga sutra 40: Paramanu Parama Mahatvantesya Vashikarah
The Yogi s mind thus meditating, becomes unobstructed from the atomic to the infinite.
The mind, by this practice, easily contemplates the most minute, as well as the biggest thing. Thus the mind-waves become fainter.
Personal and Impersonal Meditation
There are various stages of meditation, Swamiji points out how the first would be the gross, the second the fine and then on to the still finer object. The objects of meditation, Swami Vivekananda says, can both be personal and impersonal.
If it be personal, usually it is, the form of a god or a goddess, an Incarnation of a God or a God-man or perfected being who has attained the consummation of spiritual life. The name and, form of such beings play an important role in the process of meditation. Contemplation on the form (rupa) of the chosen ideal (ishta devata) and repetition of the name (nama) of that being constitutes the essential acts of meditation of the personal type. The need of a Guru (spiritual teacher) is considered to be the sine qua non in this method.
In the impersonal form, a symbol regarded as most sacred and ancient, which has come down to us from the dim ages of Vedic antiquity; and is still held in high veneration and as holy by all the religious sects and schools in India. It is the sacred monosyllable Aum, popularly known as Om. Swamiji considered it the holiest of all holy words, the mother of all names and forms. (CW of SV Vol.1, p. 57)
As. the Om represents the Akhanda, the undifferentiated Brahman’ the others represent the Khanda or the differentiated views of the same Being; and they are all helpful to divine meditation and the acquisition of the true knowledge.
Yoga Sutra 28: Tajjapastadartha bhavanam
The repetition of this (Om) and meditating on its meaning (is the way). Explaining this Sutra, Swamiji says: Why should there be repetition? We have not forgotten the theory of Samskara that the sum-total of impressions lives in the mind. They become more and more latent but remain there, and as soon as they get the right stimulus, they come out. Molecular vibration never ceases. When this universe is destroyed, all the massive vibrations disappear; the sun, moon, stars, and earth, melt down; but the vibrations remain in the atoms. Each atom performs the same function as the big worlds do. So even when the vibrations of the Citta subside, its molecular vibrations go on, and when they get the impulse, come out again. We can now understand what is meant by repetition. It is the greatest stimulus that can be given to the spiritual Samskaras. ‘One moment of company with the holy makes a ship to cross this ocean of life.’ Such is the power of association. So this repetition of Om, and thinking of its meaning, is keeping good company in your own mind. Study, and then meditate on what you have studied. Thus light will come to you, the Self will become manifest. (CW of SV Vol.1, pp. 219-220)
Meditation according to Swami Vivekananda is the power which enables us to resist all this (manifold manifestation of alluring names and forms, which distract our minds from our chosen paths) (CW of SV Vol.4, p. 248)
The stage wherein the mind is unwavering and firmly fixed on the higher reality alone can be called Meditation. (SSS Vol.42, p. 63)
Meditation is forgetting yourself
and becoming Myself.
I am nothing but pure Love.
Fill every cell of yours with My Love
and feel My bliss enter.
To realise you as Me is true Meditation,
Learn to give Love.
Give love, give love!
Do good!
Close your eyes,
and hear My words of encouragement.
When you do good.
This is nothing but the beginning of
My communication with you.
Strengthen this communication with Me,
through your good actions.
This in turn will give you peace.
When your mind is calm and heart is full of love
Your meditation will be automatic.
(AP, p. 48)
There are two kinds of meditation, one on the formless God and the other on God with form. But meditation on the formless God is extremely difficult.
Inquiry suggested by Ramana Maharshi. The Ramana Maharshi enquiry by itself is not good. It must be combined with meditation. Meditation, for its proper practice, should be at the same place at the same time. In that way, it will surely be successful. If one is away from home in travel, in his mind he can go to the accustomed places - no matter where he is. To search for truth is needless. Truth is every place at all times. One must live truth not search for it. Koham (who am I) is the cry of the new born child. After a lifetime of Sadhana, the old man says – ‘Soham (I am God). When away from Swami, by remembering Him doing this or that, the battery is recharged. That also is genuine meditation. Meditation is constant inner inquiry as to who am I, what is true, what is ego action, what is loving and what is harsh. Meditation is thinking on spiritual principles, searching out the application to what Baba says and the like. (CWBSSB, p. 169)
Importance or purpose of Meditation or Dhyana
The importance of dhyana should also be recognised. Dhyana is an infallible aid to spiritual progress. Freedom from the consequence of karma can be attained through dhyana. This freedom enables the sadhaka to acquire shanti or inner tranquillity. The sweetness of the experience of inner tranquillity is derived from the fruits of dhyana. (SSVahini) (SSB 1979, p. 108)
The purpose of dhyana is to unite the jiva with Ishvara. (SSB 1979, p. 112)
Whether of the form-full or the Formless, if it is one-pointed, devoid of deviations, it is entitled to be called Dhyana. (PraV, p. 85)
Meditation is really an all-day-long process. (CWBSSB, p. 73)
Real meditation is getting absorbed in God as the only thought, the only goal. God only, only God. Think God, breathe God, love God, live God. (CWBSSB, p. 167)
For, in meditation you first get sense control. And yoga will help you with the body and when the mind is steady, concentration will come automatically. When you get such concentration, then you get peace of mind. (CWBSSB, p. 30)
Only meditation has the capacity to make one transcend the vicissitudes of time and space and make one ever the same equanimous individual, as if one is another Creator himself. (DhyV, p. 17)
A fence is placed around a young tree to protect it. The same precautions must be observed in meditation. People think it is all right to meditate in any place. There are currents, there is will power. There is a strong current passing into the earth. Because of this, the earth exerts a strong attraction. In meditation it is advisable to insulate oneself from such currents. For this reason, meditators sit on a plank and cover their shoulders with a woollen shawl. Once the person has grown strong in his meditation, he may sit anywhere and not suffer for it. (CWBSSB, pp. 171-172)
For the establishment of oneself in the contemplation of the Omnipresent Lord, there is no limitations of time or space. There is nothing like a holy place or a special time for this. Wherever the mind revels in the contemplation of the divine that is the Holy Place! Whenever it does so, that is the auspicious moment! There and then, one must meditate on the Lord.
That is why it has been announced already before:
Na Kala niyame yathra,
na desasya sthalasya cha;
yatrasya ramate cittam;
tatra dhyane no kevalam
For meditation on God, there is no fixed time or place. When and where the mind so desires, then and there is the time and place. (Prema Vahini, p. 80)
Brahma Muhurta means early morning, between 3 - 6 a.m. It means that the senses are quiet, not yet agitated by the day and mind is quiet from sleep. But the hour should not be taken and changed around, taking one time today and another time tomorrow. A half hour in the morning and a half hour in the evening is enough for sitting meditation. If done all day along, it will lose its attraction after a couple of years. The spiritual practice should be varied for interest. Some Bhajan, some repetition of the name of the Lord, some time spent in the company of spiritual people and so on. Just as in daily life some variety makes the day interesting. (CWBSSB, p. 179)
(Meditation 2)
One should practise meditation at-least twice a day and the best times are when the night passes into day and day into night, that is, early morning and early evening. This is the time the body will have the tendency to become calm. The aspirant should not eat until meditation is practised. Overeating is to be avoided. Food that is healthy and conduces to the harmony of the body should be selected.
If it is possible it is better to have a room for meditation alone; It should be kept holy and not used for sleeping. We must not enter the room until we bathe and are perfectly clean in body and mind. Burning incense in morning and evening is good. Those who cannot have a separate room for meditation can practice anywhere they like.
The meditation of any one of His countless names will act as the goad that can tame the elephant in rut and make him bend his knees and lift the log on his tusk. (SSS Vol.7, p. 279)
Brahma muhurta means early morning between 3 and 6 a.m. It means that the senses are quiet; not yet agitated by the day and the mind is quiet from sleep. But the hour should not be taken and changed around, taking one time today and another time tomorrow. A half hour in the morning and a half hour in the evening is enough for sitting in meditation. If done all day long it will lose its attraction after a couple of years.
The spiritual practice should be varied for interest. Some bhajan, some repetition of the name of the Lord, some time spent in the company of the spiritual people and so on. Just as in daily life some variety makes the day interesting. (CWBSSB, p. 179)
(Vivekananda meditating in Cossipore, 1886)
Where there is fire, or in water or on ground which is strewn with dry leaves, where there are many ant-hills, where there are wild animals, or danger, where four streets meet, where there is too much noise, where there are many wicked persons, Yoga must not be practiced. This applies more particularly to India. Do not practice when the body feels very lazy or ill, or when the mind is very miserable and sorrowful. Go to a place which is well hidden, and where people do not come to disturb you. Do not choose dirty places. Rather choose beautiful scenery, or a room in your own house which is beautiful. When you practice, first salute all the ancient Yogis, and your own Guru, and God, and then begin.
Dhyana is spoken of, and a few examples are given of what to meditate upon. Sit straight, and look at the tip of your nose. Later on we shall come to know how that concentrates the mind, how by controlling the two optic nerves one advances a long way towards the control of the arc of reaction, and so to the control of the will. Here are a few specimens of meditation. Imagine a lotus upon the top of the head, several inches up, with virtue as its centre, and knowledge as its stalk. The eight petals of the lotus are the eight powers of the Yogi. Inside, the stamens and pistils are renunciation. If the Yogi refuses the external powers he will come to salvation. So the eight petals of the lotus are the eight powers, but the internal stamens and pistils are extreme renunciation, the renunciation of all these powers. Inside of that lotus think of the Golden One, the Almighty, the Intangible, He whose name is Om, the Inexpressible, surrounded with effulgent light. Meditate on that. Another meditation is given. Think of a space in your heart, and in the midst of that space think that a flame is burning. Think of that flame as your own soul and inside the flame is another effulgent light, and that is the Soul of your soul, God. Meditate upon that in the heart. Chastity, non-injury, forgiving even the greatest enemy, truth, faith in the Lord, these are all different Vrittis. Be not afraid if you are not perfect in all of these; work, they will come. He who has given up all attachment, all fear, and all anger, he whose whole soul has gone unto the Lord, he who has taken refuge in the Lord, whose heart has become purified, with whatsoever desire he comes to the Lord, He will grant that to him. Therefore, worship Him through knowledge, love, or renunciation.
‘He who hates none, who is the friend of all, who is merciful to all, who has nothing of his own, who is free from egoism, who is even-minded in pain and pleasure, who is forbearing, who is always satisfied, who works always in Yoga, whose self has become controlled, whose will is firm, whose mind and intellect are given up unto Me, such a one is My beloved Bhakta. From whom comes no disturbance, who cannot be disturbed by others, who is free from joy, anger, fear, and anxiety, such a one is My beloved. He who does not depend on anything, who is pure and active, who does not care whether good comes or evil, and never becomes miserable, who has given up all efforts for himself; who is the same in praise or in blame, with a silent, thoughtful mind, blessed with what little comes in his way, homeless, for the whole world is his home, and who is steady in his ideas, such a one is My beloved Bhakta.’ Such alone become Yogis. (CW of SV Vol.1, pp. 192-193)
When in meditation, concentrate on the form chosen by you, then pass into contemplation and then into meditation. Only by the three states will you get there. From concentration, one must cross the field of contemplation to enter meditation. There are three things: the meditator, the chosen form, and the process of meditation. The three should merge and become one, and this is the state of meditation. But, if all the time you feel you are meditating, this cannot be called meditation. When there is complete attention on the form chosen, that will lead to meditation. The attention of the mind is totally removed from the body and totally concentrated on the form chosen as the object of your meditation. (CWBSSB, p. 183)
If you have Me as the object of meditation, sit in a comfortable pose, which is neither irksome nor flopping, let your mind dwell for some time on some good sthotras (hymns) or incidents from the sacred stories, so that the senses escaping into the tangles of worldly worries may be quietened and subdued. Then, with the Name on the tongue, try to draw with the brush of your emotion and the hand of your intellect, a picture of Swami, slowly, from the cluster of hair to the face and neck downwards, spending time in contemplating each as it is getting drawn and when the picture is full, start from the feet up to the head again, so that your attention is never for a moment diverted from the Form you love to meditate upon. (SSS Vol.5, p. 304)
When we think of meditation, three things are involved, First, there is the person who meditates, the dhyata; secondly, there is the object of meditation dhyeya; and thirdly, there is the process of meditation itself, dhyana. In true meditation, all these three should merge. The person who is meditating should identify himself totally with the object of meditation and should be unaware of even the fact that he is meditating. When he is meditating, his attention should be so riveted to the dhyeya that he loses his own identity and forgets his involvement in the action (dhyana), too.
Meditation is a process which obtains at a much higher plane than human sensory perception. Being a mental process that involves seeing through the senses, concentration may be regarded as being below or within the realms of the senses, while meditation is beyond or above the world of the senses. If meditation were as easy as concentration, the great rishis of the past would not have practised various austerities and subjected themselves to innumerable difficulties in the deep forests. (SSB 1979, p. 81)
For one who desires to practise dhyana or meditation, it is advisable that jyoti (light) is taken as the dhyeya or object of meditation and not a form of Divinity such as that of Rama, Krishna, or Ishvara; for these forms, too, are subject to change and ultimately perish. Jyoti or light does not perish or change. Moreover, a flame can kindle a million others without getting extinguished and is therefore inexhaustible.
Jyoti as an object of meditation.mp3
In this process of meditation on light, the progression must be from restlessness to tranquillity and from tranquillity to divine Effulgence. One should sit cross-legged and erect to ensure an easy flow of the divine force from the muladhara chakra to the sahasrara chakra through the sushumna nadi. The aspirant should fix his gaze on the gentle flame and gradually close his eyes, mentally transferring or absorbing the flame into his heart, as it were.
The lotus of the spiritual heart should then be imagined as blossoming in effulgent beauty dispelling with its radiance the dark forces of life. One should then imagine that out of the heart so illumined, rays of light proceed gradually to all parts of the body, suffusing everything with light and imbuing it with sacredness and purity all over. As the light has reached the hands, the individual ought not to do any wrongful acts; since the flame shines in his eyes, he cannot look at undesirable sights. So, also, since the jyoti has permeated his ears, he should not listen to evil talk. His feet, too, since they have been filled with light, should not tread upon unholy paths. Thus, this type of meditation ennobles man and helps him scale great spiritual heights very steadily.
If we keep the mind busy in this manner with the task of carrying light to all parts of the body, it will not wander and will remain steady. The whole process takes about twenty to thirty minutes to complete. This kind of meditation should not be regarded as an exercise in fantasy. No doubt, in the beginning, imagination will be involved; but, by constant practice, it will be transformed into a powerful thought wave, creating an indelible impression on the heart leading to union with God.
The meditation should not end with the individual visualising the light in himself. He should see it in his friends and relatives and even in his enemies. He should see the whole of creation bathed in the resplendent light of Divinity. This would make him live a life full of love and happiness.
If you so desire, you may in the initial stages, picture the form of God which is dear to you, within the flame on which you meditate; you must, however, realise that the form has got to dissolve in the light, sooner or later. You must not try to confine Divinity to any one particular form; you must see God in His all-pervasive form, as the One who resides in the hearts of all Divine beings. (SSB 1979, pp. 82-83)
We should perform dhyana in an unostentatious manner unobserved by others. Fish are sold in heaps at the fish market, but diamonds are carefully preserved at the jeweller’s shop and displayed only to worthy customers. Likewise, if we sit for meditation at all places indiscriminately, inviting public attention, we would be reducing dhyana to cheap exhibitionism.
Krishna told Arjuna that one should be alone while meditating. The body should not touch the earth or another body. This is because contact with the earth makes the individual lose the divine current generated in him during meditation. Meditation will be more meaningful if desires are curtailed. Less luggage, more comfort make travel a pleasure; fewer desires make the journey of life easier and happier. (SSB 1979)
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Advice on Jyoti Dhyana and Soham Dhyana
First when you sit for meditation, recite a few shlokas on the glory of God, so that the thoughts that are scattered are collected. Then gradually, while doing Japam, draw before the mind’s eye the Form which that Name represents.
When your mind wanders away from the recital of the Name, take it on to the picture of the Form. When it wanders away from the picture, lead it on to the Name. Let it dwell either on that sweetness or on this. Treated thus it can be easily tamed. The imaginary picture you have drawn will get transmitted into the Bhava chitram or the Emotional picture, dear to the heart and fixed in the memory; gradually it will become the sakshatkara chitra when the Lord assumes that Form in order to fulfil your desire. This Sadhana is called japa-sahita-dhyana and I advise you all to take it up, for it is the best for beginners. (SSS Vol.1, p. 35)
Within a few days you will fall in line and you will taste the joy of concentration. After about ten or fifteen minutes in the initial stages and longer after some’ time of this dhyana, have some manana on the Shanti and the soukhya you had during the dhyana; that is to say, bring back into your memory this joy you experienced. This will help your faith and earnestness. Then do not get up suddenly and start moving about resuming your avocations. Loosen the limbs, slowly, deliberately and gradually, and then enter upon your usual duties. Taste the fruits of dhyaana and learn to relish them; that is what I mean by this process of manana (repeated reflection).
Be careful about your physical health also. Satisfy the demands of nature; the car must be given the petrol which it needs. Otherwise, your head might reel and your eyes might get blurred through sheer exhaustion; how can thoughts of the Lord be stabilised in a weak frame? Only, do not forget the purpose of this body when you are tending it. A road-roller is fed with oil and coal and other types of fuel. But why is it kept in good trim? In order to mend the road, is it not? Similarly, remember that you have come embodied, so that you might realise the end of this cycle of birth and death. For that sake, use the body as an instrument. (SSS Vol.1, p. 36)
Do not get discouraged that you are not able to concentrate long in the very beginning. When you learn to ride a bicycle, you do not get the skill of keeping the balance immediately. You push the cycle along to an open field and hop and skip, leaning now to one side and now to the other, and even fall with the cycle upon you on many an attempt before you are able to ride with skill and to never more worry about the balance. Then automatically you are able to make the necessary adjustments to correct the balance, are you not? After getting this skill you can ride through the narrow streets and lanes and you do not need an open field You can negotiate your vehicle through the most crowded thoroughfares. So too, practice will equip you with a concentration that will sustain you in the densest of surroundings and the most difficult situations.
The most effective form of meditation
As regards the technique of dhyana, different teachers and trainers give different forms of advice. But I shall give you now the most universal and the most effective form. This is the very first step in spiritual discipline. Set aside a few minutes everyday at first for this, and later go on extending the time as and when you feel the bliss that you can get. Let it be in the hours before dawn. This is preferable because the body is refreshed after sleep and the peregrinations of daytime have not impinged on you. Have a lamp with an open flame, steady and straight, or a candle before you. Sit in the padmasana posture or any other comfortable asana, in front of the candle. Look at the flame steadily for some time, and closing your eyes, try to feel the flame inside you, between your eyebrows. Let it slide down into the lotus of your heart, illumining the path. When it enters the heart, imagine that the petals of the lotus open out one by one bathing every thought, feeling and emotion in the Light and so removing darkness from them. There is no space for darkness to hide. The light of the flame becomes wider and brighter. Let it pervade your limbs. Now those limbs can never more deal in dark, suspicious and wicked activities; they have become instruments of Light and Love. Let the Light reach up to the tongue, and falsehood vanishes from it. Let it rise up to the eyes and the ears and destroy all the dark desires that infest them, and lead you into perverse sights and puerile conversation.
Visualise God in the all-pervasive Light
Let your head be surcharged with Light and all wicked thoughts flee there from. Imagine that the Light is in you, more and more intensely. Let it shine all around you and let it spread from you, in ever widening circles, taking in your loved ones, your kith and kin, your friends and companions, your enemies and rivals, strangers, all living beings, the entire world.
Since the Light illumines all the senses everyday, so deeply and so systematically, a time will soon come when you can no more relish dark and evil sights, yearn for dark and sinister tales, crave for base, harmful, deadening toxic food and drink, handle dirty demeaning things, approach places of ill-fame and injury, or frame evil designs against anyone at any time. Stay on in that thrill of witnessing light everywhere. If you are adoring God in any form now, try to visualise that form in the all-pervasive Light. For Light is God; God is Light.
Practise this meditation as I have advised, regularly every day. At other times repeat the Name of God (any Name fragrant with any of His many majesties), always taking care to be conscious of His Might, Mercy and Munificence.
Advanced Meditation on Soham
With each breath, you are averring, ‘Soham’, ‘I am He’. Not only you, every being avers it. It is a fact, which you have ignored so long. Believe it now. When you watch your breath and meditate on that grand Truth, slowly the ‘I’ and the ‘He’ will merge and there will no more be two, for Soham will become transformed into Om, the Primal Sound, Pranava, which the Vedas proclaim as the symbol of the Nirakara Parabrahman. That Om is the Swa-swarupa, the Reality behind all this ‘relative un-reality’.
This is the genuine sadhana, the final lap in the progress of the seeker. But there are many preliminary laps, each one of which requires much stamina and steadfastness. For example, I would advise you to dwell always on one Name of God, one personification of one of His innumerable attributes of glory. Then there is the expansion of your Love, the removal of hate and envy from your mental composition, seeing the God whom you adore in every other person as intently as you see Him in yourself. Then you become the embodiment of Love, Peace and Joy. (SSS Vol. 10, pp. 280-284)
Some persons use a Jyoti (lamp) as a basis for meditation. The lamp reveals the oneness that is the basis of the Unity or the Divine as well as the multiplicity that reflects the manifestations of the Divine. In this method, the experience of bliss does not come quickly. There are three stages in this type of meditation: (imagining the Form), bhava (experiencing the Form) and Sakshatkara(m) (seeing It as a Reality). For instance, if one wishes to meditate upon Baba, he first tries to imagine with the dosed eyes the figure of Baba as seen by him earlier. This figure vanishes within a few moments. In experiencing the figure, the process is longer and the impression also lasts longer. In this process, one starts envisaging the figure from head to foot and from the feet upwards. Gradually, by this process the picture of Baba gets firmly implanted and becomes an inner reality. While the imagining process gives only a momentary glimpse, the experiencing method leads to the complete identification of the seeker with the Divine Form.
Awareness of the Divine results in oneness with the Divine (Brahmavid brahmaiva bhavati). When we are experiencing the Divine Form, what is happening to our mind? The mind experiences every part of the Lord from head to foot and ultimately becomes one with the Form.
It is the process of identification of the mind with the Divine form that constitutes true meditation. Meditation is not merging the Form in the mind. It is merging the mind in the Form so that the mind as such does not exist.
Mere meditation will not cure a sick man, he must also control his diet for quick recovery from illness. There is no single panacea or the great world sorrow. Each individual has his own specific type of suffering. Nevertheless, meditation on God is an unfailing remedy for human suffering if it is supplemented with the practice of Dharma and the strict observance of moral restraint. (S.S.B. 1979 - p. 92)
The inner meditation is only one factor, the aim must be to derive ananda with every breath, by filling every moment with the sweetness of His Name. Pranayama of this type must become part of your very being. Then only do you start the process of truly living.
(S.S.S. Part II - p. 119)
To get at the core of God at His greatest, one must first get into the core of himself at his least, for no one can know God who has not known himself. After seating oneself in a comfortable and steady posture, steadying the breath, Pratyahara (withdrawing of the senses from the sense objects) and anga nyasa (purification of all the organs of the body) is to be done. Light is the greatest purifier. It dispels all darkness. Light is made to traverse throughout the body, purifying all the limbs and senses, and is installed in the lotus of the heart in which is to be enshrined the bhavachitra of the Form of the Lord for the purpose of Dharana which would lead to dhyana and ultimately to Samadhi, i.e., the state of being merged in God, the Supreme Self.
Supreme devotion can also be called meditation. In the popular understanding of the word, meditation refers to concentration upon an object, and through that object, reaching the ultimate. But this is not the correct approach to meditation. If you examine the origin of the word Dhyanam, which means meditation, you will find that it refers to meditation on God, and only on God. Therefore, meditation, and devotion are really the same; both are the process of concentrating on the Lord to the exclusion of everything else, thinking only of Him. Without such meditation or devotion, it is impossible to realize the unlimited effulgence of the Lord and gain true spiritual knowledge. (DBG, p. 48)
The correct application of the practice of meditation is the gradual, slow and steady control of desires. By controlling the sense organs and controlling your desires it becomes possible to carry on all your activities in a natural and spontaneous way, without expecting to reap any fruits from your labours. Actually, it is impossible to have work without fruits. Whenever you engage in an activity these will necessarily follow some consequence or result; this is the fruit of that action. So, it is not that there are no fruits, but the Gita teaches that you should have no interest in the fruits. The fruits will always be there, but do not work for the purpose of obtaining these fruits; work only because you consider it your duty to work. (DBG, p. 51)
You sit in Meditation for ten minutes after the evening Bhajan session; so far, so good. But, let me ask, when you rise after the ten minutes and move about do you see everyone in a clearer light as endowed with Divinity? If not, Meditation is a waste of time. Do you love more, do you talk less, do you serve others more earnestly? These are signs of success in meditation. Your progress must be authenticated by your character and behaviour. Meditation must transmute your attitude towards beings and things, else it is a hoax. Even a boulder will, through the action of sun and rain, heat and cold, disintegrate into mud and become food for a tree. Even the hardest heart can be softened so that the Divine can sprout therein. (MBI, p. 42)
The mind is prone to gather experiences and store them in memory. It does not know the art of giving up. Nothing is cast away by the mind. It does not have even a short interval between one thought and the next. And in the continuous; succession of thought there is no order or relationship. Meditation is the name for a period of rest we provide for the busy and wayward mind. (MBI, p. 110)
Correct meditation is the merging of all thoughts and feelings in God. Persons adept in this meditation are very rare. Most people go through external exercises only. So they are unable to win Grace. (MBI, p. 106)
Devotees are generally confused about meditation. Just as you can’t receive the radio programme broadcast from any station clearly unless you tune to the appropriate wavelength perfectly, even in meditation you will not get the desired communion with God until you attune yourself to the Divine perfectly. Some aspirants mistake concentration for meditation. Concentration is needed for every activity in your daily life such as reading, writing, walking, talking, eating, etc. Concentration is below the senses, contemplation is in the middle and meditation is above the senses.
Meditation, in fact, is transcending the senses and the mind. During meditation, the mind is actively thinking of several things of the past, the present and the future. The thoughts are running fast. Scarcely does any one concentrate on the Divine even though one sits in the Padmasana (lotus pose) and closes his eyes. There is no need for sitting for meditation and wasting time in this manner. One can transform every act in daily life as worship of the Divine. Daily chores like making chappatis can be transformed into acts of worship of the Divine. Since the body is an instrument, you can make God happy through this instrument and enjoy happiness yourself in the process. In this way you practise meditation in your daily duties. (SSS Vol.26, pp. 125-126)
Conserve energy by all possible means
While sitting for meditation in a group, one should not be in contact with anyone else. This is highly important. Meditation is like the process of electrifying a wire. If a live wire comes in contact with something, it will produce a shock. During meditation, spiritual energy is generated.
How is this energy lost? It is lost through finger nails and the hairs on one s body. This was the reason why the ancient yogis (spiritually advanced persons) allowed their nails and hairs to grow freely. Spiritual energy has to be conserved by all possible means. The rishis (saints) practised silence to conserve the energy lost through speech.
Do not develop too close relationship with one another. Such close relationship results in intimate friendship which produces mutual obligations and expectations. From these arise the sense of ego. When expectations are not fulfilled, resentment emerges. When they are realised, the ego gets inflated. Either way, the consequences of entertaining desires are undesirable. When resentment grows, the discriminating power is weakened. One loses control over his tongue and indulges in all kinds of abuse. Abuse leads to sinful conduct. The whole process is generated by excessive association with one another.
Young persons tend to let their minds wander hither and thither. They should concentrate on their studies and should not give their minds a free rein. They should reduce their worldly concerns and devote some time to meditation every morning and evening. This will help to purify their minds and set them on the road to Divinity like the river losing itself in the ocean, the mind must merge in the Divine. Then there will be no mind at all. That blissful state can be realised only through the path of Love. Love is God. Live in Love. Realisation of the power of Love is the true aim of meditation. That Love is utterly selfless and is dedicated to the Divine.
In the practice of meditation, it should be realised that all cannot follow the same pattern or method. It varies according to the evolution and circumstances of each individual and his or her capacity and earnestness. Some worship the Supreme as the Universal Mother. Some look upon the Almighty as Father. Some regard God as the Supreme Friend. Some devotees approach the Divine as the Beloved or the Master. Jayadeva, Gauranga and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa belonged to the last mentioned category. They did not practise meditation. They felt the presence of God everywhere. Where could they go for meditation? Such was their experience. To the true sadhaka evidence of the omnipresence of God can be found everywhere. By merely closing one s eyes, one does not engage in meditation. One must feel one s unity with God in one s inner being.
Prayer is for the mind what food is for the body. Just as wholesome food gives health and strength to the body, prayer purifies the mind and strengthens the spirit. (SSS Vol.17, pp. 34-40)
Do not judge by external standards:
Japam and Dhyana(m) should never be judged on mere external standards; they are to be judged by their inner effects. Their essence is their relationship to the Atma. The immortal Atmic experience should never be mixed up with low activities of the temporal world. Such activities deserve to be avoided. One should not count the cost, the time, or the trouble. One should await the descent of the Lord’s grace. This patient waiting is itself part of the austerity (tapas) of meditation. Sticking unfalteringly to the vow is the austerity. (DhyV, p. 9)
Swami Vivekananda gives the story of two men great god-sage called Narada met on his way to heaven through a forest. Just as there are sages among mankind, great Yogis, so there are great Yogis among the gods. Narada was a good Yogi, and very great. He travelled everywhere. One day he was passing through a forest, and saw a man who had been meditating until the white ants had built a huge mound round his body — so long had he been sitting in that position. He said to Narada, ‘Where are you going?’ Narada replied, ‘I am going to heaven.’ ‘Then ask God when He will be merciful to me; when I shall attain freedom.’ Further on Narada saw another man. He was jumping about, singing, dancing, and said, ‘Oh, Narada, where are you going?’ His voice and his gestures were wild. Narada said, ‘I am going to heaven.’ ‘Then, ask when I shall be free.’ Narada went on. In the course of time he came again by the same road, and there was the man who had been meditating with the ant-hill around him. He said, ‘Oh, Narada, did you ask the Lord about me?’ ‘Oh, yes.’ ‘What did He say?’ ‘The Lord told me that you would attain freedom in four more births.’ Then the man began to weep and wail, and said, ‘I have meditated until an ant-hill has grown around me, and I have four more births yet!’ Narada went to the other man. ‘Did you ask my question?’ ‘Oh, yes. Do you see this tamarind tree? I have to tell you that as many leaves as there are on that tree, so many times, you shall be born, and then you shall attain freedom.’ The man began to dance for joy, and said, ‘I shall have freedom after such a short time!’ A voice came, ‘My child, you will have freedom this minute.’ That was the reward for his perseverance. He was ready to work through all those births, nothing discouraged him. But the first man felt that even four more births were too long. Only perseverance, like that of the man who was willing to wait eons brings about the highest result. (CW of SV Vol.1, pp. 189-194)
There are three ways by which aspirants try to enter the path of meditation: the path of truth (SattvikaMarga), the path of passion and emotion (rajasikamarga) and the path of ignorance (tamasika-marga).
The pure, serene (Sattvika) path
On this path, one considers repetition of the name and meditation as a duty and suffers any amount of trouble for its sake; one is fully convinced that all this is just an illusion, so one does only good under all conditions and at all times. One desires only the good of all and is always loving towards all; one spends time uninterruptedly in the remembrance and meditation of the Lord. One does not crave even the fruit of repeating the name and meditation; one leaves it all to the Lord.
The passionate, restless (rajasika) path
Here, one craves for the fruit of one’s act at every step. If the fruit is not available, then, gradually, laxity and disgust overpower the spiritual aspirant and the repetition of the name and meditation slowly dry up.
This path is even worse. The Lord will come into the memory only in times of danger or acute suffering or when one is the victim of loss or pain. At such times, such a person prays and vows to arrange this worship (puja), offer this particular food, or build this kind of temple to the Lord. One will be calculating the quantity of food placed before the Lord, the tribute offered at His feet, the number of prostrations performed, and the number of times the shrine was circled —and ask for proportionate awards! For those who adopt this attitude in meditation, the mind and intellect can never be pure.
Most people now follow only the passionate, restless (rajasika) and dull, ignorant (tamasika) paths in repeating the divine name and meditation. However, the very intention of repeating the divine name and meditation is to purify the mind and the intellect. In order to achieve this, the first path is best: pure, serene (Sattvika) meditation. When the mind and the intellect become pure, they will shine with the splendour of the understanding of the Atma. He in whom this understanding shines fully is called a sage (rishi). The knower of Atma becomes the Atma itself (Brahmavid Brahmaiva bhavati). The goal of life, that which makes life worthwhile, is the understanding of the Atma or, in other words, the basis of the individual soul (jiva). (DhyV, pp. 10-11)