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Sadhaka :
You have warned us that the spiritual path is thorny and precipitous.
Will you please elaborately explain the obstacles to meditation? Are there
specific remedies to overcome these obstacles?
Gurudev :
The chief obstacles are:
(i) Body
: A sickly, dilapidated body stands in the way of yoga-abhyasa.
The aspirant should try his level best to keep good health always, by
regular exercise, asana, pranayama, moderation in diet, walking, running
in the open air and by regularity in his work, meals and sleep. He should
always keep up a cheerful attitude of mind under all conditions of life.
If the mind is cheerful, the body also is healthy. That is the reason
why doctors prescribe laughing three times daily in the treatment of diseases.
(ii)
Poor Health: The body is a boat to cross over to the
other shore of Immortality. The body is an instrument for attaining Self-realisation.
You cannot meditate if you have a weak, sickly body. Take care of the
body but have no attachment for it.
(iii)
Drowsiness and Sleep: Laziness, half-sleepy state, sleep, laya
(mental inactivity), etc. are the products of tamas (inertia). If the
body is heavy, if the mind is dull, know that you were sleeping. While
meditating, if the body is light, if the mind is clear, if there is cheerfulness,
know that you are meditating.
Take only milk and fruits at night. Take the night meals
before sunset. Avoid overloading the stomach. Do 10 to 20 pranayamas just
before starting meditation. When sleep tries to overpower you, repeat
the mantra loudly for some time. Sit in vajrasana. Dash cold water on
your face. Do kirtan. Do pranayama.
(iv) Building
Castles in the Air : When you constantly contemplate on the
meaning of Mahavakyas (great utterances of the Upanishads), all the vishayas
(sense activities) - seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, smelling, - will
stop. But owing to the force of samskaras (impressions and memories),
manorajya (fancies and wild imagination or reverie) will continue. Mind
builds castles in the air.
Closely watch the mind. Make it ekagra (focussed) and allow it to rest
on the svarupa (real nature of the Self). Be thoughtful, careful and vigilant.
Remove the two serious obstacles of drowsiness and manorajya by vichara
(enquiry), discrimination, prayer, japa, pranayama, dhyana satsanga, and
by light sattvic diet. If you are alert, by protracted efforts and incessant,
vigilant svarupa-chintan or meditation on Brahman, you can get over the
obstacles of sleep, manorajya, etc.,
(v) Mental
Talking : During meditation you will be frequently talking
to somebody mentally. Stop this evil habit. Have a careful watch over
the mind.
(vi) Dreams In
Meditation : Various sort of fantastic dreams trouble some
aspirant very much. The presence of dreams denotes that you have not removed
vikshepa(tossing of the mind), and that you have not done constant, intense
sadhana.
(vii)
Doubt : Doubt or uncertainty is a great obstacle in the path
of Self-realisation It bars the spiritual progress. This must be removed
by satsanga, study of religious books, vichara and reasoning. When a doubt
arises whether there is God or not, whether I will succeed in Self-realisation
or not, it must be dispelled by well-directed suggestions and affirmations.
(viii)
Depression : Very often depression comes in meditation in neophytes
owing to previous samsakaras, (subtle impressions) influence of astral
entities, bad company, indigestion, and constipation. It must be removed
quickly by cheerful thoughts, a brisk walk, singing laughing, prayers,
pranayama and a purgative.
(ix)
Cessation of Sadhana : Generally, the sadhaka is very enthusiastic
in his sadhana in the beginning. When he does not get any result, he gets
dejected. He gives up his sadhana completely.
You must develop the virtues of vairagya (dispassion),
patience and perseverance to a maximum degree; you must have an unshakable
conviction in the existence of God, and in the efficacy of spiritual practices.
You must have a strong determination: " I will realize God in this
very birth." Do not expect anything. Be sincere and regular in your
daily meditation and tapas.
(x)
Irregularity in Meditation : If you are irregular, if you give
up practice for some days on account of laziness, it will be difficult
for you to rise up again to the original height. Therefore, be regular.
Rapid progress and great success can be attained if regularity is observed
by the practitioner. You must keep your mind always in contact with the
Brahmic fire of knowledge through constant and intense meditation.
(xi)
Kashaya (hidden subtle desires) : Destroy kashaya through dispassion,
discrimination, study of books, enquiry, etc.
Swamiji :
Another disturbance is desires which you never thought were there and
the unconscious ambitions within the mind. They can take endless shapes.
You may think that you are meditating, but you begin to imagine this and
that - building castles in the air. In the realm of meditation, they work
havoc in the aspirant who does not take extra care to keep them at bay.
Destroy kshaya through enquiry, discrimination, dispassion, study of books,
meditation, etc.
(xii)
Memory : Another obstacle is memory, because it is not under
your control. When you do not want to remember past things all of them
will be disturbing you. In the state of empty mind all vrittis and memories
start coming and your imagination starts working havoc.
Obstacles to meditation have to be overcome by a number
of methods. The salient ones are: prayer, practice of Divine Name, surrender
to Guru, abhyasa and vairagya. If your abhyasa - unremitting effort -
is always supported by vairagya, you will be able to overcome the obstacles.
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