Meditation

Purpose of Meditation

Can meditation be used to overcome fear?

Yes. Meditation means intense, concentrated thinking. One becomes what one thinks in due course. If one thinks about a fearless personality like Swami Vivekananda, or Buddha, one is sure to become fearless. Swami Vivekananda has advocated meditation on the heart of a lion. A lion is never afraid. Nothing can scare him. Think of the heart of such a lion. Patanjali, in his Yoga Sutras, recommends meditation on the heart of a holy person who is free from attachments, aversion, fear and anger: vitaragavishayam va chittam.

What is the aim of meditation?

Aims of meditation could be many. It can be used for increasing one’s concentration. Students would definitely be benefited by meditation and if they meditate regularly, their power of concentration, memory, receptivity, etc. would increase.

Others use meditation for imbibing values. We have just now seen that meditation can give us fearlessness. Similarly other values can be cultivated, depending upon the object of meditation. Meditation is a powerful means of character building.

Yogis practise meditation to attain samadhi and total emancipation, by perfect control of all modifications of mind (chitta vrittis).

Certain steps in meditation can also prove helpful in mental relaxation and overcoming tension. However, concentrative meditation may prove stressful for those who are not used to it. Instead, a practice of awareness can be followed.

Can one get rid of negative thoughts by meditation?

What do we mean by ‘negative thoughts’? ‘I am helpless’, ‘I am weak’, ‘I can’t do anything’, ‘the world around me is terrible’—such thoughts are generally considered negative thoughts. Arjuna was overcome by such negative thoughts on the battlefield. To overcome such thoughts, a counter current

of positive thoughts must be raised in the mind. This cannot be called meditation in the strict sense of the term.

You said that meditation alone can make us powerful but evil. How?

Meditation means intense concentrated thinking. By this our mental power increases. Such power can be used for good or for evil.
If we have evil propensities like lust, greed, anger, etc. these will also increase. Demons like Ravana, Banasura, and others were great yogis and used to meditate regularly. They used the power obtained by meditation and concentration of mind for selfish ends and for harming others. It is therefore expressly advised that while practising meditation, one must also practise values like truthfulness, non-violence, continence, non-possessiveness and non-stealing.

Can meditation reduce rajoguna and tamoguna and increase sattva-guna?

A truly sattvaguni mind alone can do real meditation. If a tamoguni, dull person, tries to meditate, he or she will fall asleep. A restless, rajoguni person will not be able to sit quietly for a long time. To overcome tamoguna, a person must become physically and mentally active. A rajoguni person must gradually try to reduce his physical and mental activity. It is here that meditation, with other means, can help in controlling rajoguna.

Will you be teaching the second exercise of pranayama? Swami Vivekananda says that it requires the guidance of a trained teacher.

What you have been taught is nadi shuddhi, i.e., rhythmically breathing in and out without stopping the breath. Go on doing this regularly for at least six months. You can slowly increase the counts of inhalation and exhalation, i.e., make them as slow as possible without stopping the breath. This itself will greatly benefit you. Also go on giving strong suggestions: breath in purity, strength, love and peace. Breath out purity, strength, love and peace.

Unfortunately not even one percent of the people taught continue with even this simple but very useful rhythmic breathing exercise and go on asking, ‘Will you teach the second exercise?’ The test of the pudding is in the eating.

I have got into the habit of listening to music while I sit to study. Can we listen to music while meditating?

Good devotional or instrumental music can greatly help in calming and concentrating the mind. Sri Ramakrishna used to get merged into deep meditation on listening to devotional songs. In our ashramas also there is a custom of rhythmic chanting of Vedic mantras or singing of stotras followed by meditation. One may even meditate upon the meaning of the song being sung. This is also a type of meditation. Even short of this, one can listen to some devotional music for a few minutes before meditation.

Meditation and Its Dimensions

Question: When we meditate, is it necessary that we should concentrate on a human form of God (ishta-devata)? Why not concentrate on just a glow of light ?

Answer: Meditation means a continuous flow and concentration of thoughts on a  single object at a particular spiritual centre like the heart, middle of the eyebrows or the top of the head. The object of meditation could be any form of God or a spiritual personality like a saint or a prophet or even a glow of light. One can even meditate on a physical object like a tree or a mountain. However it is always desirable to have a divine object for meditation. Meditation on light as a symbol of God is a well recognized spiritual technique.

Question: What is spiritually most beneficial?

Answer: It is always preferable to meditate upon a form of God (ishta-devata). Since He or She has a corporeal aspect, a form, this helps even an untrained mind to concentrate easily. Moreover, a divine personality brings to mind many noble virtues and as we meditate on it, we gradually imbibe those values also. Besides, meditation becomes easier if one develops love for the personality one mediates upon. Being the embodiments of the Ultimate Divine, these holy personalities lead us beyond the human form to the Principle behind the form.

Question: Can one meditate on one’s breath?

Answer: Yes, one can meditate on one’s breath but it helps only in calming down the mind.

Question: How important is it to fix our mind on a particular deity during meditation? Sri Ramakrishna said, ‘In order to get water, we have to dig at the same place.’ My mind gets fixed on different deities during different sessions of meditation. What should I do?

Answer: It is very important to fix our mind on one particular deity during meditation. Try to merge different deities which come to your mind during different sessions of meditation into one chosen deity (Ishta-devata).

Question: I have heard that we should not do Japa (repetition of God’s name) and take impression of ishta-devata while doing meditation. Meditation means only concentration on breath. Which is right?

Answer: As told earlier, meditation on breath is one form of concentration and it only helps in calming down the mind whereas meditation on a chosen deity (ishta-devata) is real meditation. Along with meditation, japa also should be performed.

Question: It is said that Swami Vivekananda meditated on the problems of India. You are telling to calm down the mind. Then what is the meaning of meditating on something?

Answer: The object of meditation can be a divine form or a divine light, a physical object or a concept or an idea. As a matter of fact, meditation on a concept or an idea is a higher type of meditation. For example, Sri Ramakrishna meditated upon the concept, ‘Compassion on all creatures,’ and at the height of his concentration, he discovered a new concept ‘Service of living beings considering them as God himself (shiva jnane jiva seva).’ Similarly, when Swami Vivekananda meditated upon the problems of the country, he discovered their lasting solutions.

During meditation, the minds of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda were able to flow in only one direction because they were calm. There were no other disturbances; or else they could not have discovered new truths.

Question: Is there any relation between self-analysis and meditation?

Answer: Yes, a truly meditative mind is an introspective mind and has great penetrating powers. This is why it is capable to analyze itself, and find out what is obstructing its development. It also can correctly locate the impressions lying hidden deep within the subconscious mind and think of corrective measures.

Question: Some are seen chanting some mantras during their meditative practices. What is the importance of mantras and how do they influence us?

Answer: Mantras are word symbols of the divine just as the images of deities are the form symbols of the divine. Hence one can easily meditate while chanting the mantra and thinking on its meaning. This is a well recognized technique of meditation.

Question: If one does Gayatri mantra japam, can it be called meditation? 

Answer: If one meditates on the meaning of a mantra, then it becomes meditation. Thus japa leads to meditation. However, doing japa without meditating on its  meaning, a mere repetition of the mantra cannot be called meditation.

Question: When I sit for meditation, I fall asleep. How can I overcome this?

Answer: This is a very common problem. Falling asleep could be due to various reasons. Most of us are by nature dull (tamoguni) and hence as soon as we try to calm our body and mind, sleep overtakes. It is also possible that we might be too tired by our daily activity and hence fall asleep. Or some day we may not have had full sleep. For all these there are different solutions. If we are too tired, we must not do meditation at that time. It is better to rest a little and then meditate. If the stomach is heavy then also it will not be possible to meditate. Hence, it’ll be better to meditate empty stomach or take some light tea or coffee.

Question: Can we meditate in a sleeping posture? I find it comfortable.

Answer: No. For most people, meditating even in a sitting posture is an invitation to sleep, what to speak of lying down!

Question: Some say that to practice meditation at brahma muhurta (two hours before the sun rise) is quite effective. Is it true?

Answer: Yes. That is the time when the nature is quiet and as the human beings are also asleep, there is relative calmness in the atmosphere. The mind naturally tends to be more peaceful during that period. Hence, it is advisable to meditate at that time.

Question: Which direction should we face during meditation?

Answer: Traditionally, Hindus are advised to meditate facing either east or north direction. Muslims meditate facing Mecca. However, this is not a very important issue. One can meditate facing the picture or image of deity, in whichever direction it might be.

Mind and Meditation

Question: Some say that meditation is a process of getting rid of thoughts. If so, then what is that which brings thoughts in to our mind? How to minimize these thoughts?

Answer: Mind means thoughts, a stream of thoughts. Mind cannot remain silent even for a moment. It is only in the highest samadhi that mind becomes free from all thoughts, which means mind becomes non-extent, as it were. But one begins one’s meditation by maintaining a single type of thought in the mind.

From where do thoughts come? They arise either from external stimuli created by our five senses such as sight, sound and touch or from the subconscious mind where our past impressions are stored. When we sit for meditation with closed eyes in a solitary place, external stimuli are cut down to the minimum, but thoughts continue to arise from the subconscious mind. These must be controlled by steady, patient and devoted practice for a long time.

Question: Even after practice to calm the mind, there is always a voice behind that is still speaking and disturbing. How to stop this voice?

Answer: The disturbing and speaking voice of which you are talking is nothing but the restless mind. This mental noise indicates that the mind has not yet been fully concentrated. In perfect concentration, only the object of concentration fully occupies the mind. Then there is no mental noise or voice speaking inside. Constant practice with zeal and determination is the only solution to calm that disturbance.

Question: What is the minimum time required by any ordinary man to control the mind?

Answer: There is no set time for controlling the mind. Much depends upon the intensity of practice. According to Sri Ramakrishna, one can achieve the goal within three days, or in three years or it may take three lives or even more!

Question: Isn’t the end of desires the end of life? So why should we consider it as a ‘drunk’ state of mind as the mystics call it? Doing meditation is also, after all, a desire for something.

Answer: End of desire is not the end of life. A desireless person does not die. As a matter of fact, to be desireless is the highest goal of human life. Desirelessness brings a sense of deep fulfillment and inner bliss. It is not a ‘drunk’ state of mind in the ordinary sense of the term but a desireless person, in a sense, becomes totally drunk with divine bliss.

True, meditation is also a means to fulfill some desire—the state of desirelessness. But once this state is achieved, meditation is no more required; it falls off on its own. For a man of perfect desirelessness, life itself becomes one continuous meditation.

Question: How to get concentration? Most of the time when I sit to study or am hearing a lecture which I otherwise like very much, after some 10-20 minutes, I find that I am no longer having concentration. Any solution?

Answer: First of all give up all activities or habits which destroy your concentration. Compulsive watching of TV for long hours is one of them.

Be focused always. Whatever you do, do it with full concentration—even apparently insignificant action like sweeping a room, or washing clothes. Make concentration a habit. As an aid to improve studies, while reading a book place your finger on the sentence being read and if you are alone, read it aloud. This means involving, along with mind, your eyes, ears, tongue and finger. With four senses thus occupied, it will be easy to focus the mind on whatever your read. While listening to a lecture, make notes. This will make you more focused throughout the lecture.

Question: Will meditation help us to reach our goals other than spiritual goals?

Answer: Yes. Meditation improves concentration, which helps in achieving material goals. However, this is a very mean use of a lofty and noble technique.

Question: Yoga and meditation, it is said, bring relaxation. How are they related to spiritual life or to God?

Answer: It is unfortunate that now-a-days Yoga and meditation are being done for relaxation or for improvement of the concentration only and not for God realization. But the tradition of sanatana dharma considers them as the most important means for God realization and spiritual development. Relaxation and better concentration are only its by-products.

Spiritual life, or God-centred life, essentially means having:

a) A spiritual goal of life,

b) Considering God or Soul as the essential truths of existence, much more real than matter,

c) Regarding oneself as a spiritual entity and not merely a body-mind complex, and

d) Following a definite path to attain spiritual goal. Yoga believes in all these, and meditation as a powerful means to attain the goal of yoga, which is experiencing our real Self, God himself.