What is Meditation?


Meditation is driving away all the thoughts of worldly objects and increasing the thought-currents of God like a steady stream.

Indispensability of Meditation for Self-Realisation


Mind feels tired after hard and protracted work. It cannot therefore, be Self. Self is the store-house of all powers. Mind is only an instrument of Self. It should be properly disciplined. Just as you develop the physical body through gymnastics and various kinds of physical exercises, you will have to train the mind through mental training, mental culture or mental drill. In meditation and concentration, you will have to train the mind in a variety of ways. Then only the gross mind will become subtle.

Prerequisites for meditation


For meditation, you want a properly trained instrument(mind). You must have a calm, clear, pure, subtle, sharp, steady and one-pointed Intellect. Then and then only is realisation possible.

Only a trained mind which utterly controls the body can inquire and meditate endlessly so long as life remains. All physical activities should be completely suspended, all attachments should be ruthlessly cut asunder completely for atleast five to six years. Seclusion is indispensable.

For purposes of meditation, everything must be rendered Sattvic(Pure). The place of meditation, the food, the wearing apparel, the company, talking, the sound that you hear, thinking, study, everything must be Sattvic. Then only good progress in Sadhana is possible.

There must be good, Sattvic, substantial light, nutritious food. Meditation is possible only when the mind is full of Sattva-Guna(pure thoughts). The stomach should not be loaded. There is an intimate connection between the mind and the food. A heavy meal is harmful. Take a full meal at 11 a.m. and a glass of milk at night. The night meal should be light for those who meditate.

Posture steadies the body. Pranayama (proper breathing) makes the body light.

You can meditate only when the mind is beyond all anxieties. Retire to a quiet room or place where you do not fear interruption so that your mind may feel secure and at rest. Sit in a comfortable posture and be, as far as possible, free from external disturbing influences. Drive off negative thoughts. Become positive always. Positive overpowers negative. You can do nice meditation when you are positive.

Sit on Padmasana (Lotus posture) in a solitary room. Close your eyes. Meditate on the effulgence in the sun, splendour in the moon, glory in the stars, beauty in the sky. This is one kind of meditation for beginners.

Have a figure OM in front of you. Concentrate on this. Do steady gazing without winking till tears flow profusely.

The Meditation Room

The meditation room should be regarded as a temple of God. Talks of profane nature should never be indulged in the room. No vicious thoughts of rancorous jealousy, avarice are to be entertained there. Admittance should ever be sought in it with a pious and reverent mind. For, what we do, what we think and what we speak of leave their impressions on the ether of the room and, if no care is taken to avoid them, they will exert their influence on the aspirant's mind and, rendering his mind perverse and restive, make him incapale of attending to the devotion. The words uttered, the thoughts cherished, the deeds done are not lost; they are always reflected on the subtle layers of ether encircling the room where they are done and affect the mind invariably. As mush as possible effort should be made to overcome them. This is to be done for a few months only; when the habit is changed, everything will be all right.


How to Meditate

Sit in a lonely place. Free yourself from all passions, emotions and impulses. Subjugate the senses. Withdraw the mind from objects. Now the mind will be calm, one-pointed, pure and subtle. With the help of this trained instrument, disciplined mind, contemplate on that one Infinite Self. Do not think of anything else. Do not allow any worldly thought to enter the mind. Do not allow the mind to think of any physical or mental enjoyment.

You must have a mental image of God before you begin to meditate. When you are a neophyte in meditation, start repeating some sublime Slokas or Stotras(hymns) for ten minutes as soon as you sit for meditation. This will elevate the mind. The mind can be easily withdrawn from the worldly objects.

During meditation, note how long you can shut out all worldly thoughts. Watch the mind very carefully. If it is for twenty minutes, try to increase the period to thirty or forty minutes and so on. Fill the mind with the thoughts of God again and again.


Some Useful Hints

In meditation, do not strain the eyes. Do not strain the brain. Do not struggle or wrestle with the mind. It is a serious mistake. Many beginners commit this grave error. That is the reason why they get easily tired soon. They get headache.

Make no violent effort to control the mind. Do not wrestle with it with force. It is a mistake to do so. But, rather allow it for a while and let it run and exhaust its efforts. The mind will jump now like an untrained monkey first. Gradually, it will slow down. Then you can fix the mind on your goal either on a concrete form or on an abstract idea.

Get up at 4 a.m. Sit comfortably. Keep the head, neck and trunk in one straight line. Relax the muscles, nerves and brain. Calm the objective mind. Close the eyes. Do not struggle with the mind. Do not voluntarily and violently drive away intruding thoughts. Gently allow the divine thoughts to flow. Steadily think of the goal (point of meditation). Have pure thoughts. Vicious thoughts will, by themselves, vanish.

Even if the mind runs outside during your practice in meditation, do not bother. Allow it to run. Slowly try to bring it your control.

If there is much strain in meditation, reduce the number of hours for a few days. Do light meditation only. When you have regained the normal tone, again increase the period. Use your common-sense all throughout Sadhana.

Those who meditate for four or five hours at one stretch, can change their posture after two to three hours.

You must daily increase your dispassion, meditation and pure virtues such as patience, perseverance, mercy, love, forgiveness, purity, etc. Dispassion and good qualities help meditation. Meditation increases the good qualities.

Just as you conserve the energy by observing silence, so also you will have to conserve the mental energy by stopping thinking. Then you will save abundant reserve energy for meditation. 

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