FUNDAMENTALS OF MEDITATION (H.H.

SRI SWAMI SIVANANDAJI MAHARAJ) Meditation is an unbroken flow of knowledge of the object on which one meditates. Meditation follows concentration. Concentration merges in meditation. Meditation is freeing the mind from all thoughts of sense-objects. Mind dwells on God during meditation. Concentration, meditation and Samadhi are internal Sadhanas. If you meditate for half an hour daily, you will be able to face the battle of life with peace and spiritual strength. Meditation kills all pains, sufferings and sorrow. It is the most powerful mental and nervine tonic. The free flow of the divine energy exercises a benign, soothing influence on the mind, nerves, senses and cells of the body. During meditation the mind becomes calm, serene and steady. One idea occupies the mind. Meditation opens the door to intuitive knowledge and realms of eternal bliss. Deep meditation cannot come in a day, or a week or a month. You will have to struggle hard for a long time. Be patient. Be persevering. Be vigilant. Be diligent. Cultivate burning dispassion, strong aspiration or longing for Self-realisation. Gradually you will enter into deep meditation and Samadhi. A mysterious, inner voice will guide you. You will yourself feel the way to place your first step in the next rung in the Yogic ladder. All your doubts will be gradually cleared through meditation. HOW TO MEDITATE Meditate regularly in the early morning between 4 and 6 a.m. Mind is calm and refreshed now. The atmosphere also is calm. You will get good concentration. Have a separate meditation room or screen out a corner of a room for meditation. Do not allow any one to enter there. If there is much strain in your meditation, reduce the duration of each sitting for a few days. Do light meditation. Use your commonsense throughout. Do not go to extremes. Stick to the golden medium. Mind wants a concrete object for meditation in the beginning. Therefore, meditate in the beginning on a concrete form such as on the image of your Ishta Devata, or family icon, Lord Jesus, or Lord Buddha. This is Saguna meditation, or meditation on the form of the Lord with attributes. Think of such attributes as omnipotence, perfection, purity, freedom, when you meditate on a divine form. Rotate your mind over the form again and again. As for example, if you are a devotee of Christ, practise meditation as follows.

Place a picture of Jesus in front of you. Sit in your favourite meditative pose. Concentrate gently with open eyes on the picture for some time. Rotate the mind on his beautiful locks, clear, frank eyes, a broad forehead and handsome beard, then on the cross on his chest, on his symmetrical limbs and the holy feet, on the hallow around his form, and so on. Simultaneously think of the divine attributes of Jesus such as forgiveness, magnanimity, mercy, forbearance and all-inclusive love. Think of the various phases of his interesting life, his miraculous healing and the other extraordinary powers he possessed. Then close your eyes and try to visualise the picture. When the form is not clear to your mind, open the eyes again and concentrate gently. Repeat the same process again and again. Similarly you can meditate on Lord Hari, or Krishna, or Buddha with their respective attributes. While meditating thus you may repeat their respective Mantras as well with the help of a rosary. It is quite necessary in the beginning. MEDITATION ON OM Now, all minds are not prepared for meditation on idols or a human being. They can have abstract meditations. Have the picture of in front of you. Concentrate gently on this picture with open eyes. Associate the ideas of eternity, infinity, immortality, etc. when you think of OM. The humming of bees, the sweet notes of the nightingale, the seven tunes in music, and all sounds are emanations from OM only. OM is the essence of the Vedas. Imagine that OM is the bow, the mind is the arrow, and the Absolute or God the target. Aim at the target with great care and then like the arrow becoming one with the target you will become one with God. You can also repeat OM while meditating. If the mind is tumultuous chant long OM loudly and rhythmically. ABSTRACT MEDITATIONS Meditate on the effulgence in the sun, or the splendour in the moon, or the glory in the stars. Meditate on the magnanimity of the ocean and its infinite nature. Then compare the ocean with the infinite Self and the waves, foams, icebergs to the various names and forms. Identify yourself with the ocean. Become silent. Expand. Become infinite. Meditate on the lofty Himalayas, the dense forests on the lower slopes, on the tall pine grooves, then on the thorn bushes above ten thousand feet, and finally on the blue, silvery ice.

Gaze steadily on the formless air. Concentrate on the air. Meditate on the all-pervading nature of the air. This will lead to the realisation of the nameless and formless Brahman, the one, living Truth. Meditate on the Absolute Consciousness. Associate the ideas of existence, knowledge, bliss, absorbing love, perfection, peace, purity, infinity, eternity, all-pervasiveness and omnipotence. In due course the attributes will merge in pure Nirguna meditation. Attributes are essential in the beginning, and in any case, cannot be avoided. They are as important to the initial practice of Nirguna meditation as to the Saguna meditation. EXPERIENCES The feeling of soaring above during meditation is a sure sign that you are progressing and going above body-consciousness. During your practice you are bound to get various occult powers. But do not use them for some material end. You will get a hopeless downfall. There is really no such thing as miracle. When you know the cause, the miracle becomes an ordinary event. When you get a flash of illumination do not be frightened. It will be a new experience of immense joy. Do not delude yourself that you have attained your end. A flash is a glimpse of Truth. It is Ritambhara Prajna. This is not the experience whole. This is not the highest experience. Reach the Bhuma or the infinite. This is the acme or the final stage. You will hear various sounds like the blowing of a conch, chiming of bells, the music of flute, lute, harp, Mridanga, thunder clap, beating drums. You will see brilliant lights in the space between the eyebrows. They are like that of an intensely bright pin point, or like a huge sun. You will experience rapture, ecstasy and thrill. Sometimes, you will behold coloured lights, green, blue, red, orange, etc. They are due to the presence of different Tattvas at different times. Sometimes, you will have vision of Rishis, sages, tutelary deity, Nitya Siddhas, astral entities, landscape, and beautiful gardens. Sometimes you may float in air; your astral body may get detached from the physical body, and you may move about in the astral world. Those who have entered the first degree of meditation will have a light body, sweetness of voice, beautiful complexion, clarity of mind and scanty micturation and defaecation. OBSTACLES The chief obstacles in meditation are Laya (sleep), Vikshepa (tossing of mind) the rising up of latent desires, lack of continence, spiritual pride, laziness and disease. Company of worldly-minded people, over-work, over-eating, self-assertive Rajasic nature, are all obstacles to meditation. Experience of rapture and ecstasy is another great obstacle to meditation. Rise above this, and continue your Sadhana.

Conquer sleep through Pranayama, Asana and light diet. Remove tossing of mind through repetition of Mantras, Pranayama, Tratak, etc. Destroy desire through enquiry contemplation, discrimination, and dispassion. Shun the company of the worldlyminded. Observe moderation in diet. Obey the laws of health and hygiene. Seek the grace of Lord. May you all attain success in meditation and reach the goal of life! *** Miss not any opportunity. Avail yourself of all opportunities. Every opportunity is meant for your uplift and development. If you see a sick man lying down on the roadside in a helpless condition, take him on your back or tonga to the nearest hospital. Nurse him. Give him hot milk or tea or coffee. Shampoo his legs with divine Bhava. Feel the allpervading, all-permeating, interpenetrating indwelling God in him. See divinity in the glow of his eyes, in his cry, in his breath, in the pulsation and motion of his lungs. God has given this opportunity to you to develop mercy and love, to purify your heart and to remove Ghrina, hatred and jealousy. Sometimes if you are very timid, God will place you in such circumstances wherein you will be forced to exhibit courage and presence of mind by risking your life. Those world figures who have risen to eminence have utilised all opportunities to the best advantage. God shapes the mind of human beings by giving them opportunities. Remember that in your weakness lies the strength, because you will be always on your alert to safeguard yourself. Poverty has its own virtues. Poverty infuses humility, strength, power of endurance and the spirit of struggle and perseverance, whereas luxury begets laziness, pride, weakness, inertia and all sorts of evil habits. Do not grumble, therefore, of bad environments. Create your own mental world and environments. That man who tries to evolve or grow in adverse environments will be a very strong man indeed. Nothing can shake him. He will be of a sterner stuff. He will have strong nerves. Man is certainly not a creature of environments or circumstances. He can control and modify them by his capacities, thoughts, good actions and right exertions (Purushartha). Theevra Purushartha can change the destiny. That is the reason why Vasishthaji and Bhishma have placed Purushartha above destiny. Therefore, dear brothers, exert, conquer nature and rejoice in the eternal Satchidananda Atman. HOW TO MEDITATE? 1. STEP ONE: CULTIVATING A DISPOSITION After a few minutes of relaxation as described in how to cultivate a predisposition, gradually absorb the mind in the breath, that is, be aware of the coolness of the

inflowing prana deep inside the head, in the nerve cells, and the warmth of the outflowing prana inside the lower nostrils, while breathing spontaneously. There is no need to breathe deliberately slowly, for the concentration in feeling the breath will automatically make it slow and find its own rhythm. From time to time, repeat mentally peace (shanti) when inhaling, and liberation (mukti) when exhaling. The important thing is to have a sense of being filled with peace and to feel free from all tension and bondage. The practice may be continued for, say, 10 minutes. The purpose of this form of pratyahara (or sense-withdrawal) is a conscious experience of the prana, the external form of which is the breath and the internal source the soul. The Latin root, spirare, of the word respiration means to breathe, and is derived from the word spiritus, the souls essence that gives life to the body through the vital principle, prana. By experiencing the breath through its coolness and warmth, one becomes aware of its source within by a sense of immense peace ( shanti) and freedom (mukti), the two psychological forms of expression of the spirit within. After a month of practice, the first stage can be prolonged by continuing to feel only the coolness deep inside the head even when exhaling, and ignoring the warmth of the outgoing prana, and renewing the cool feeling with the help of each inward breath. The psychological experience of this exercise is a state of fullness which can be guided by repeating the word paripurnam or its English equivalent spiritual fullness, from time to time. This may be done for five minutes or more, depending on the ability to maintain attention. Any practice in a prolonged state, especially in the beginning, loses its depth. Thus, after 10 or 15 minutes, detach the mind from the breath, keep the eyes closed and feel restful for a minute or two. One may also loosen up the shoulders, neck and the legs, if there is tension. This mysterious world with its charming scenery is very beautiful to look at but it is very dirty to mingle with. All are deceived by its Mayaic charm. But the sage, the devotee, the Yogi and the Viveki are not affected. This very big world is a mere drop or an atom when compared with the Infinite Brahman. Just as a straw is floating in the ocean, so also this world is floating in a corner of Brahman. 2. STEP TWO: REPETITION OF MANTRA The second part of meditation, which is an aspect of internal dharana (concentration), consists of japa or repetition of a mantra, and can be combined with dhyana (contemplation). A mantra is a sound-form representing a basic spiritual ideal, such as uniting with the infinite spirit (Om), or transcendental truth, knowledge, infinity (satyam, gyanam, anantam), or a personal deity like Shiva or Vishnu or Buddha or Christ. A mantra can also be an affirmation of an ideal, such as Soham (I am one with

the infinite) or Hari Om Tat Sat (the Lord is the infinite spirit, that is the truth). The two well known Hebrew mantras are Adonai (my Lord) and Elohim (the all-powerful Lord of all). A mantra should not be considered a magic formula, for there is no magic in yoga. Continuous repetition of a sound-form helps to tap mental energy and focus it into the subconscious in order to plant and stimulate a spiritual ideal therein. This is the basic purpose of japa. To call it transcendental meditation is to indulge in hyperbole. There are various kinds of mantra but for japa its shorter forms are recommended, such as Om or Soham, or a slightly longer form as Hari Om or Hari Om Tat Sat. According to the voluminous Sanskrit-English dictionary by Sir Monier-Williams (Oxford University Press), the word mantra means, among other definitions, to concentrate with, drawing its roots man from manas or mind (more specifically, the conscious aspect of the mind) and tra from possibly trada (see under tra) or that which pierces or as per my inference that which engraves. Thus, mantra is a sound-form to consciously engrave in the subconscious a spiritual ideal of identity. Trada also means that which opens up, thus inferentially ones spiritual consciousness. Remotely, the root tra can also be traced to tras (see under tra) which means to shine, thus inferentially the spirit within. The mind is a field of energy. Energy pulsates through a principle or structure of movement. The mind moves by the pulsation of memory, latching on to one and then to another. Thus, the energy of the mind is dispersed. The purpose of repeating a soundform continuously is to make the mind move in a tight circle, thus tapping its energy. Simultaneously, the sentiment of love for the spiritual ideal behind should be deeply within. One may begin the second part of meditation by refocusing the mind in the breath, trying to be absorbed in it, as before, for a minute or two. Then start the mental intonation of the mantra Om, slowly and concentrating deeply, along with the inflowing breath, feeling its coolness, and again with the outflowing, feeling the warmth. The process should be continuous for several minutes. Then have a short pause, detaching the mind and experiencing an inner silence, and after which repeat the practice. Continue for a total of 10 minutes in the first month and then extend by another five minutes or so. The psychological counterpart of this exercise, to be contemplated alternately, consists in feeling a subtle, sacred presence within: in the body giving it health or physical wellbeing, in the mind enlightening it with understanding and wiping out the shadows of negativity, and in the heart or the soul awakening spiritual aspiration. The last means loving God with all your heart and with all your soul, in the words of Jesus. These

guiding sentiments are relative to the repetition of Om, which can be directed in between japa. If the mantra is Soham, the sound So (infinite spirit) should be mentally intoned with the inflowing breath and ham (I am one with) with the outflowing, in the same way as with Om. The sentiment or the contemplative part may be based on the affirmation: I am one with the eternal, infinite spirit within and around. The self in me is of the spiritual nature of my soul, rather than a product of physical instincts and personality traits. The self in me is purified by this communion with my soul, the essence of which is the same as the infinite, transcendental spirit of God. For a devout Christian the mantra can be Jesus Christ. Although it is not essential to synchronise the repetition of a mantra with the breath, the feeling of a harmonious rhythm can be developed by doing so, as if the mantra is floating in and out, permeating and enveloping oneself. Examples: repeat Hari Om inhaling and Tat Sat exhaling; or Jesus inhaling, Christ exhaling; or for those of the Jewish faith, Adonai inhaling, Elohim exhaling. While doing japa the mind should be deeply concentrated in intoning silently the mantra with a feeling of love for the ideal. Combining this dharana (concentration) with dhyana (contemplation relative to the mantra) is done in the following way: If the mantra is Jesus Christ, or Adonai-Elohim, repeat the words for five minutes, then unfocus the mind breathing spontaneously for a minute or two, and begin the contemplative part for five minutes or so. This is done with the help of three phrases. In the case of Jesus Christ or a Vishnu mantra like Om Namo Narayanaya, the image of the deity may be visualised in the mind, or in the case of Adonai-Elohim a sphere of light as a symbol, but it is not easy and can be considered optional. Repeat about half-a-dozen times each of the three following phrases very slowly and with deep feeling: My body is your temple, then pause and feel for a couple of minutes a flow of harmony coursing through the entire body, the spirit of God purifying it, giving it health. Then repeat in the same way My mind is your altar, pausing again to feel a profound peace permeating it, cleansing and liberating it from all that is unwholesome. Then My soul is your abode, followed by a feeling of pure love filling your heart. This combined form of dharana and dhyana may be practised for five minutes each and then extended to an equal amount of time or a total of 20 minutes, or as long as one wishes. The idea of sticking to one mantra only is to accustom the mind to its sound pattern, in order to engrave its grooves in the subconscious, as it were. The choice may be made by oneself. Experience will tell, given enough time, if a mantra is suitable to ones

psychological make-up through a sense of harmony with it, or not. There is no rule that a mantra cannot be changed if the mind resists it. The preference of receiving initiation from a guru is personal but there is no dogma that to repeat a mantra one has to be initiated into it. Sensible teachers try to find out the psychological inclination of the student before giving a mantra, rather than perfunctorily superimpose one with a dubious understanding that the former can know what is appropriate for the latter just by sensing the vibrations. My teacher, Swami Sivananda, never urged anyone to receive mantra-initiation but, if someone came to him for it, he generally inquired about the preference, as to how a spiritual identity is sought, before giving an appropriate mantra. Whereas a mantra should not be treated frivolously by revealing it to just anybody, to make a top secret of it is rather silly. All mantras can be found in books. 2. STEP TWO: REPETITION OF MANTRA The second part of meditation, which is an aspect of internal dharana (concentration), consists of japa or repetition of a mantra, and can be combined with dhyana (contemplation). A mantra is a sound-form representing a basic spiritual ideal, such as uniting with the infinite spirit (Om), or transcendental truth, knowledge, infinity (satyam, gyanam, anantam), or a personal deity like Shiva or Vishnu or Buddha or Christ. A mantra can also be an affirmation of an ideal, such as Soham (I am one with the infinite) or Hari Om Tat Sat (the Lord is the infinite spirit, that is the truth). The two well known Hebrew mantras are Adonai (my Lord) and Elohim (the all-powerful Lord of all). A mantra should not be considered a magic formula, for there is no magic in yoga. Continuous repetition of a sound-form helps to tap mental energy and focus it into the subconscious in order to plant and stimulate a spiritual ideal therein. This is the basic purpose of japa. To call it transcendental meditation is to indulge in hyperbole. There are various kinds of mantra but for japa its shorter forms are recommended, such as Om or Soham, or a slightly longer form as Hari Om or Hari Om Tat Sat. According to the voluminous Sanskrit-English dictionary by Sir Monier-Williams (Oxford University Press), the word mantra means, among other definitions, to concentrate with, drawing its roots man from manas or mind (more specifically, the conscious aspect of the mind) and tra from possibly trada (see under tra) or that which pierces or as per my inference that which engraves. Thus, mantra is a sound-form to consciously engrave in the subconscious a spiritual ideal of identity. Trada also means that which opens up, thus inferentially ones spiritual consciousness. Remotely, the root tra can also be traced to tras (see under tra) which means to shine, thus inferentially the spirit within.

The mind is a field of energy. Energy pulsates through a principle or structure of movement. The mind moves by the pulsation of memory, latching on to one and then to another. Thus, the energy of the mind is dispersed. The purpose of repeating a soundform continuously is to make the mind move in a tight circle, thus tapping its energy. Simultaneously, the sentiment of love for the spiritual ideal behind should be deeply within. One may begin the second part of meditation by refocusing the mind in the breath, trying to be absorbed in it, as before, for a minute or two. Then start the mental intonation of the mantra Om, slowly and concentrating deeply, along with the inflowing breath, feeling its coolness, and again with the outflowing, feeling the warmth. The process should be continuous for several minutes. Then have a short pause, detaching the mind and experiencing an inner silence, and after which repeat the practice. Continue for a total of 10 minutes in the first month and then extend by another five minutes or so. The psychological counterpart of this exercise, to be contemplated alternately, consists in feeling a subtle, sacred presence within: in the body giving it health or physical wellbeing, in the mind enlightening it with understanding and wiping out the shadows of negativity, and in the heart or the soul awakening spiritual aspiration. The last means loving God with all your heart and with all your soul, in the words of Jesus. These guiding sentiments are relative to the repetition of Om, which can be directed in between japa. If the mantra is Soham, the sound So (infinite spirit) should be mentally intoned with the inflowing breath and ham (I am one with) with the outflowing, in the same way as with Om. The sentiment or the contemplative part may be based on the affirmation: I am one with the eternal, infinite spirit within and around. The self in me is of the spiritual nature of my soul, rather than a product of physical instincts and personality traits. The self in me is purified by this communion with my soul, the essence of which is the same as the infinite, transcendental spirit of God. For a devout Christian the mantra can be Jesus Christ. Although it is not essential to synchronise the repetition of a mantra with the breath, the feeling of a harmonious rhythm can be developed by doing so, as if the mantra is floating in and out, permeating and enveloping oneself. Examples: repeat Hari Om inhaling and Tat Sat exhaling; or Jesus inhaling, Christ exhaling; or for those of the Jewish faith, Adonai inhaling, Elohim exhaling. While doing japa the mind should be deeply concentrated in intoning silently the mantra with a feeling of love for the ideal. Combining this dharana (concentration) with dhyana (contemplation relative to the mantra) is done in the following way:

If the mantra is Jesus Christ, or Adonai-Elohim, repeat the words for five minutes, then unfocus the mind breathing spontaneously for a minute or two, and begin the contemplative part for five minutes or so. This is done with the help of three phrases. In the case of Jesus Christ or a Vishnu mantra like Om Namo Narayanaya, the image of the deity may be visualised in the mind, or in the case of Adonai-Elohim a sphere of light as a symbol, but it is not easy and can be considered optional. Repeat about half-a-dozen times each of the three following phrases very slowly and with deep feeling: My body is your temple, then pause and feel for a couple of minutes a flow of harmony coursing through the entire body, the spirit of God purifying it, giving it health. Then repeat in the same way My mind is your altar, pausing again to feel a profound peace permeating it, cleansing and liberating it from all that is unwholesome. Then My soul is your abode, followed by a feeling of pure love filling your heart. This combined form of dharana and dhyana may be practised for five minutes each and then extended to an equal amount of time or a total of 20 minutes, or as long as one wishes. The idea of sticking to one mantra only is to accustom the mind to its sound pattern, in order to engrave its grooves in the subconscious, as it were. The choice may be made by oneself. Experience will tell, given enough time, if a mantra is suitable to ones psychological make-up through a sense of harmony with it, or not. There is no rule that a mantra cannot be changed if the mind resists it. The preference of receiving initiation from a guru is personal but there is no dogma that to repeat a mantra one has to be initiated into it. Sensible teachers try to find out the psychological inclination of the student before giving a mantra, rather than perfunctorily superimpose one with a dubious understanding that the former can know what is appropriate for the latter just by sensing the vibrations. My teacher, Swami Sivananda, never urged anyone to receive mantra-initiation but, if someone came to him for it, he generally inquired about the preference, as to how a spiritual identity is sought, before giving an appropriate mantra. Whereas a mantra should not be treated frivolously by revealing it to just anybody, to make a top secret of it is rather silly. All mantras can be found in books.