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When a sadhaka pursues a specific spiritual practice, he may face some problems. There may be very clear explanations in the books, but he would like to hear from his Guru. And so he may ask some questions. Here are some questions actually asked by sadhakas to the two Gurus, along with gist of their answers: Sadhaka : What is the difference between dharana and dhyana? Swamiji : Dharana is fixing the mind on one object; dhyana is allowing the mind to dwell on it. When you try to do dharana, mind will run away. By constant abhyasa (practice) you make the mind continue to remain fixed. This continued concentration, if it successfully extends to a certain period, is dhyana. The ideal dhyana is said to be incessant like the flow of oil from one vessel to another or like continuous 'OM' sound that emanates from ringing a bell. Sadhaka : Give me some practical instructions on how to meditate. Gurudev : Sit on padma/siddha asana in a solitary room; keep the head, neck and trunk in one straight line. Close your eyes. Imagine that a big, effulgent sun is shining in the chambers of your heart. Place the picture of the Lord in the centre of a lotus flower. Locate the picture now in the centre of the blazing sun. Repeat His mantra mentally and see His image in your heart mentally. Shut off all worldly ideas. Sadhaka : What should be the focal point of meditation? Gurudev: Meditate on a concrete form in the beginning. Meditate on any form of the Lord. Think of His attributes - omnipotence, purity, perfection, etc. Gradually the mind will be prepared to take up the higher formless meditation. Sadhaka : Do you try to see the object in your mind, or do you think of it and eventually you see it? Swamiji : You have to do both. You have to think of the object in your mind, and simultaneously try to see it also while thinking of it. And then, this dual process ultimately enables your concentrated object to appear before you. Sadhaka: When I try to concentrate, the mind wanders; why does the mind wander? What is the best remedy for this? Gurudev : In the beginning of yogic practice, there are countless vrittis in the mind. There is much agitation and tossing. Gradually the thought-waves will subside. In the end all mental modifications are controlled. The yogi enjoys perfect peace. If the mind wanders, bring it back again and again. Practise a little pranayama. This will steady the mind. Observe mauna (silence) for two hours. This will produce more concentration. Swamiji : In spite of the mind going away repeatedly from the centre, do not give up your practice; go on-continue, continue. Bring it back with patience. Do not struggle with it. Patiently, without losing your balance, bring it back again and again, and keep it on the focal point. Secondly, try to analyse your mind-wanderings. There must be some desires/ambitions working; or may be you are having in your daily life certain practices which make the mind bring out those ideas: you may be listening to radio, you may be reading novels and political news. (In this way), you are providing material to the mind for this vikshepa. How will vikshepa stop? You have to withdraw the fuel. Find out the causative factors of your mental distractions and try to remove those factors from your life. Do not give up the effort. Be patient and carry on. Vikshepa Shakti is one of the greatest manifestations of Maya. "It is very difficult to control the mind", Lord Krishna admits, but He adds, "It can be conquered by vairagya and abhyasa". Why does mind wander about? Usually, the mind goes and fixes itself up wherever there is attachment. Man wants pleasure and happiness, name and fame. Therefore, the mind runs from one object of attachment to another in a continuous succession. For this, vichara (reflection) is the cure. Vichara makes the mind slowly learn that pleasure is not outside. Vichara gives dosha-drishti (seeing the pains and defects) in sensual objects. As a result of vichara, the mind is made to flow inward. A sort of dispassion arises. Fixing it inside becomes easier. Once the turning inward is there, the mind must be habituated to get itself fixed upon the particular target chosen by him. Abhyasa is defined as 'continuous, unbroken practice, carried on over a long period of time'. If you go on with your practice, it is absolutely certain that one day as the accumulated result of this method, poorna-dhyana (perfect meditation) will come and it will lead you to Atma-sakshatkara (Self-realisation). Pranayama is also a great help. Another important point is: develop an intense love for the chosen target. Sattvic diet, avoidance of miscellaneous talk, and a certain extent of seclusion are also important. Sadhaka : How to give up sense longings? Swamiji: By trying. By developing intense longing for God, and also through satsanga and vichara. When you do vichara and exercise viveka (discrimination), then you will suddenly understand: 'oh, this longing is foolish. It is only a passing problem'. When you say that, then your whole attitude changes; your longing goes away. Develop and gather strength by constant swadhyaya and satsanga. All these induce an intense longing for God, which displaces all worldly longings. Sadhaka : How to control the senses and practise pratyahara? Swamiji : Pratyahara has a number of specific phrases: (1) Withdrawing the senses from the sense-objects. But it is possible only for a person isolated in seclusion. It is not possible for the vast majority people. (2) The second withdrawal is the withdrawal of the sense centre - the perceiving centre in the brain - from the actual sense. In the Upanishads and in the Gospel of Christ it is said that the ultimate realisation is possible only for that seeker who, even though having ears does not hear, having eyes does not see, who even though he lives in the world, yet he makes himself deaf to the world by refusing to allow his inner perception centres to co-operate with the outer sense-organs. Let the ear hear something, but you do not listen. Do not pay any attention to that process which the sense is engaging in, try not to associate yourself too much with them, try to stand apart from them. (3) The last withdrawal involves detachment of mind : it involves the severing of the mind's link with the process of perception. Let your mind say: "Yes, I see this, but I have nothing to do with it, I refuse to involve myself, or identify myself with this state of the mind". Withdrawal and control of senses cannot be treated as separate. They go together and constant awareness of your inner Self helps you in this process of withdrawal of the mind and control of the senses. All these are complementary processes. Sadhaka: Is it possible for a common meditator to get his Kundalini Power awakened without practising asana and pranayama? Swamiji: It is possible for a common meditator to awaken the Kundalini Power without any asana and pranayama. If his path is Raja-yoga, Jnana-yoga or Bhakti-yoga, Kundalini becomes automatically awakened; but not if his path is Hatha-yoga. The awakening of Kundalini is the result of attaining a state of very high purity in one's life and in one's concentration of mind. If these two things are there, Kundalini awakening follows as a matter of course. Sadhaka : Why should we devote time for meditation? Gurudev : The goal of life is Self-realisation or God-consciousness. It can be had through meditation on God. There is no other way, my dear Ram! |
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