Swami Satchidananda - Meditation

Meditation

By Sri Swami Satchidananda

Library of Congress Cataloging in
Publication Data
Satchidananda, Swami.
Meditation

I. Title.
2011
1975 I IBSN 0-932040-07-1

Copyright 2011
by Satchidananda AshramYogaville, Inc.
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce
this book or portions thereof in any form.

Printed in the United States of America.

Integral Yoga Publications
Satchidananda AshramYogaville
108 Yogaville Way, Buckingham, VA, USA 23921
www.YogaAndPeace.org

Yogaville, Virginia, USA

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The aim of Yoga is to know the truth, which is one's Self. This knowledge alone can help us to free ourselves from all turmoil and petty mindedness. We have a tendency to divide people into thousands of names: I am this, I am that. Oh, he is different from me, she is different from me. We group people by their color, by their country, by their race and by their religion; and we kill each other. All this happens because we fail to see, to know, that we are above all these things.

Look at the sea. All kinds of pollution fall into it. Does the sea get polluted? Perhaps near the shore, because it is shallow. But if you go a little farther, deep in the middle of the sea, there is no pollution. Everything comes in, but the sea, itself, never changes. It just remains the same. It is contented. So, it is with people. If you reach the depths of your own Self, you will also find this contentment. By knowing your true nature, you will also know the truth in others. It is in that truth, that we come together. It is this goal that is expounded, either directly or indirectly, in all the different religions and philosophies. To contemplate these points or to come to this realization within oneself is what you call meditation. This realization is arrived at either directly or indirectly, according to the nature of the individual's practice.

The technique of meditation is to keep the mind fully occupied on one thing. When the mind is fully occupied on one thing, it is kept away from many things, and it becomes quiet. Then, you find a kind of calmness, and in that stillness even that one thing will slip away after some time. It's something like going to sleep. You set aside all your work; you lie down in bed, and you might listen to some soft, gentle music. If you really want to go to sleep, you won't think of anything else aside from the music; and, after some time, even the music is forgotten.

Meditation is similar, except that you shouldn't become unconscious as you do in sleep. So, that sticking to one thing, concentrating on one thing, will slowly make you rise above that one thing also. From many things, get into one thing; and that one thing will become nothing (no-thing). Then, you will realize everything by realizing your Self. Concentration should culminate in meditation. Meditation should slowly make you slip into samadhi, which you can call the transcendental level. In samadhi, you transcend the mind and body and enjoy your true nature.

Meditation begins with concentrationtrying to focus your mind on any one point. I say any one point, because that point can vary to suit the taste, temperament, habit and faith of the individual. This point, or object of meditation, can be either a sacred name, a mystic mantra, the cosmic syllable OM, or Amen, OM Shanti, Hari OM, etc., or it can be a form.

As there is no particular form of God, you can approach God through any form you wish. If you concentrate on a physical, concrete formJesus, Buddha, Siva or Krishnaafter a time, you can create a mental picture of that form. Or, if you do not want a particular human form through which to worship God, then you can have a visual image of the sun, the moon, the stars. You can see God, you can approach God in any way or form you like, because God is present everywhere and in every form.

When you are trying to keep your mind on that point, whether it be an idea, a word or a form, you will often see the mind running here and there. Whenever it runs and you become aware of it, bring the mind gently back to the point. In another few minutes, it might run to another idea; bring it back.

This constant effort of bringing the mind back, again and again, to the point, is what you call concentration. In Sanskrit it is called dharana. You have not fixed the mind yet; you are trying to fix it. If that fixing of the mind becomes a little longer, then you are approaching meditation. When concentration becomes perfect, it is called meditation. But don't think that you are wasting your time if your mind is not fully controlled. No one has ever achieved meditation right away. I come across many people complaining, My mind runs here and there; how can I meditate? That is the process of meditation.

When you repeat a mantra, a sacred word, repeat it mentally. Try to feel the inner vibration by your mental repetition. To do that, you have to draw your mind completely inward, and, then, you will be able to hear the sound within. The sound is not only produced when you say it audibly; there is an inaudible sound within you that you can hearthe inner voice. One should be very careful in going in to watch for that sound. And sometimes in your meditation, you might see different colored lights. Take that itself as your object for concentration. The Yoga scriptures say that you can even take a nice dreamperhaps, you've dreamt of something divine, or you've had a dream of sages and saints or a vision of Godas your object of meditation.