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Meditation is like a gateway leading from normal day-to-day
awareness to a higher state of consciousness. Swami Sivananda believed
that devoted and deep meditation was the surest way to the deepest experience
of one's essential being. Apparently in his early days of spiritual practice
he was meditating eight, ten or maybe even twelve hours a day.
Meditation begins with interest-being very interested
in going beyond the mind, and interest in wanting to know what is ultimately
true. Or, the practice could start with a more humble interest: "Let
me feel a bit of peace." According to Gurudev whatever the starting
point, meditation needs to be carried on regularly and as often each day
as is possible.
No one ever said meditation would be easy! Arjuna said to Krishna in the
Bhagavad Gita that, "I find the mind to be as hard to control as
the wind." Sri Krishna assured Arjuna by saying, "The mind can
be controlled through dispassion and repeated practice." Swami Sivananda
was a fountain of encouragement and inspiration. "Never despair,"
he would say. He knew that meditation would provide great rewards for
the devotee who persevered.
Meditation is one spiritual practice, which has a very
widespread appeal. On one hand the modern man takes up to meditation for
protecting himself from the ill effects of his life style of hurry, worry
and curry (fast food and spices). On the other hand, 'meditation is a
universal common process which unites the entire world fraternity of spiritual
seekers' (Swami Chidananda); and so, all the seekers practise it. Meditation
is spiritual practice (sadhana) common in various paths of Yoga, common
in major religions and faiths. So there are different types of meditation
to suit an individual sadhaka's temperament and sadhana.
"Just as you require food for the body, so also
you require food for the soul in the shape of prayers, japa, kirtan, meditation,
etc. The food for the soul is more essential than the food for the body."
(Swami Sivananda). Meditation, as such, has become a part of daily routine
of all those who have some concern for their soul, who are conscious of
their long-term welfare - their spiritual ascent.
Maharshi Patanjali propounded the eight-stage Raja Yoga
in his well-known sutras of Yoga Darshana. The sixth rung of Raja Yoga
is dharana (concentration), and is followed by dhyana (meditation) and
samadhi. Though a very large number of people are eager to know about
meditation and understand it properly, very few of them might have studied
this extremely difficult text. We have tried to explain in a lucid manner
various aspects of meditation, namely:
1) Meaning of the concepts of concentration and
meditation,
2) Where to concentrate?
3) Pre-requisites of Meditation,
4) How to Meditate?
5) Practical Hints,
6) Obstacles to Meditation,
7) Benefits of Meditation,
8) Experiences in Meditation, and
9) Indicators of Progress in Meditation.
We have used imaginary questions of a practitioner of
meditation (Sadhaka) and have given the answers to them from the writings
of three Masters - Swami Sivananda (Gurudev), Swami Chidananda (Swamiji)
and Swami Krishnananda. We have appended to this article some questions
actually asked and the answers given by the masters.
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