First 13 15 Last

Meditation cleanses and purifies the mind. It nourishes the soul and makes us firm and focused. It can calm down and rejuvenate our vacillating and tensed mind and also augment its potential. To meditate - means to recall. But, whom to recall? There are two options. Either we memorize something and contemplate upon it. Else, we meditate by forgetting everything and focus on the inner faculty. Deep contemplation is like a beacon light, which can eliminate the darkness of malicious sanskars. Accumulated sanskars of previous birth present in seed form in the psyche mature with time and yield good or bad results.

There are four states of consciousness. They are the three usual states of waking, sleeping, dreaming and the elevated state of turiya awastha (a state beyond the other three). The case of meditation is, however, different. In deep contemplation, there is little awareness and one could dream, even while one is awake. But, the person is neither sleeping nor is he in turiya awastha. Even though his body is inactive, his mind remains active. He can visualize his mind, as if he is dreaming. Yet, it is not a dream, but a perception of the awakened and fully conscious state.

Meditation is the process through which the person can free himself from all his attachments. Meditation is not possible unless this is done. Usually, people stress more on aggressive and depressing thoughts. They think more about pain rather than pleasure. We remember our oppressor more than our helper. In this way, we forget happy moments and keep clinging to the sad ones and thus, remain dejected. But, through the process of meditation, our consciousness becomes free from all adverse sentiments and we begin to live in the present, liberating ourselves from the shackles of the past.

Meditation is to be free from these bondages. Usually, people are either not able to come out of their past or are tensed about their future. Thus, they cannot deal with their present properly. This is because their present is either overshadowed by the memories of the past or the plans of the future. Planning can prevent people from entering into deep contemplation. Similarly, the memories of the past are like those shackles, which do not let us enter in the depth of meditation. Contrary to this, contemplation is the process of living in and accepting the present.

Meditation not only makes us stable, but also helps us in concentrating in the present. By practicing it, we can accumulate our inner energy and use this accumulated energy to give our best to life. Meditation calms our mind and gives us knowledge of the inner faculty. Meditation can connect us to the universal consciousness and we can perceive the bond between us and the universe. When we feel empathy with all, our negative instincts get destroyed and give place to the broader concept of ‘aatmavat sarvabhuteshu’, eventually leading us to the source of eternal bliss.

Meditation is like the seed which germinates easily if it is cared for and given manure and water. It is similar to the foundation of a building. The deeper it is dug, the stronger stands the building. Similarly, by practicing meditation and deep contemplation, we can develop our body, mind and nervous system. It invigorates every cell of the body, augments the mental strength and leads us to inner bliss. Before entering into meditation, one may face numerous hurdles, the biggest being our pride. Therefore, while meditating, we should keep thinking ‘I am nothing’. Any desire may destroy our concentration. So, during meditation we should think- ‘I have no desire’. The state of meditation can never be achieved by our efforts, it happens on its own. When one tries to do something in meditation, then he cannot actually enter into deep contemplation. So, during the process, we should try to do nothing. Thus, it is a process of inactivity accompanied by alertness and awareness, rather than a state of activity.

Meditation is the journey of our inner faculty and it is one such journey in which we have to walk alone. There is no companion to walk along and accompany us on this path. Our sole companion is our mind. If it is stable, calm and focused, it will support us. If it is unstable, restless and perplexed, it cannot proceed even one step with us. The purity of mind helps in moving forward easily on the path of meditation. Its impurity and disorders are like pointed thorns which hurt us while moving on the path of meditation and prevent any further journey. Thus, those who are able to focus easily, who are of satvik nature and whose heart is pure find it easy to concentrate. On the contrary, the people of rajsik and tamsik nature find it a bit difficult to concentrate.

Before beginning meditation, one should practice dharna (primitive concentration) and other yogic practices. Therefore, while elucidating the Ashtanga marga (the sequence of various yoga techniques, which are to be practiced one after the other), the eminent sage Patanjali kept meditation at the seventh number. The first six steps are – (i) Yama, (ii) Niyama, (iii) Aasana, (iv) Pranayama, (v) Pratyahar, and (vi) Dharna. After meditation, comes Samadhi (going into awakened trance), which is the ultimate goal of yog sadhana. If the steps before meditation are skipped and one starts directly with meditation, then one may not get the desired benefits.

People, who wish to practice meditation, should also practice the yogic life-style. Only then they may get the real benefits of meditation. Further, common people could also obtain these benefits by incorporating it in their routine. It may be practiced any time - in the morning, at night or at any other time, when the mind aspires to enter into the realm of meditation. If adopted as a regular routine, one would feel its miraculous impact in his quality of life.

First 13 15 Last