The Yoga of Meditation
Sri Krishna emphasizes once
again that the Yogi or Sannyasin is one who has renounced the fruits of
actions, not the actions themselves. The performance of actions without an eye
on their fruits brings about the purification of the mind. Only a purified
mind, a mind free from desires, can engage itself in constant meditation on the
Atman. Desire gives rise to imagination or Sankalpa, which drives the soul into
the field of action. Therefore, none can realize permanent freedom and tranquility
of mind without renouncing desires.
The lower self must be
controlled by the higher Self. All the lower impulses of the body, mind and
senses must be controlled by the power of the higher Self. Then the higher Self
becomes one’s friend. He who has perfect control of the body, mind and senses
and is united with God, sees God in all objects and beings. He sees inwardly
that there is no difference between gold and stone, between friends and
enemies, between the righteous and the unrighteous. He is perfectly harmonized.
Sri Krishna proceeds to give
various practical hints as to the practice of meditation. The aspirant should
select a secluded spot where there is no likelihood of disturbance. He should
arrange his meditation seat properly and sit in a comfortable posture, with the
head, neck and spine erect but not tensed. He should fix his purified mind on
the Atman by concentrating between the eyebrows or on the tip of the nose.
The practice of Brahmacharya
is absolutely necessary if one is to succeed in meditation. The conservation
and transformation of the vital fluid into spiritual energy gives immense power
of concentration. Fearlessness, too, is an essential quality on the Godward
path. It is faith in the sustaining protection and Grace of God.
The aspirant is advised to practice
moderation in his daily habits—in eating, sleeping, recreation, etc. Extremes
are to be avoided as they hinder the practice of meditation. Living a life of
such moderation, and gathering up all his forces and directing them towards
meditation upon the Atman, the aspirant gradually transcends the senses and
intellect and merges himself in the blissful Atman. He finds that the bliss of
the Atman is incomparable, that there is no gain greater than the Self. Having
thus attained perfect union with the Self, the Yogi no more descends into
ignorance or delusion. He does not relish any more the pleasures of the senses.
Lord Krishna again emphasizes
that the concentration of the mind on the Atman should be like a steady flame
in a windless place. This ultimately leads to the vision of the Lord in all
beings and creatures. Arjuna is doubtful whether it is at all possible to
engage the mind steadily on the higher Self, as its very nature seems to be one
of restlessness. Krishna assures him that the practice can succeed through
Vairagya (dispassion) and constant effort.
Arjuna wishes to know the fate
of the aspirant who fails to realize the Supreme in spite of his faith and
sincerity. Krishna tells him that the accumulated power of his Yogic practices
will assure him a better birth in the future, with more favorable conditions
for Sadhana. The aspirant will then be compelled to carry on his Yogic
practices with greater vigor and faith and will finally achieve God-realization.
Krishna concludes that the
Yogi—one who has attained union with the Supreme Lord—is superior to the
ascetics, to the men of book knowledge and the men of action, as the latter
have not transcended ignorance and merged in the Self.
Excerpts from:
The Yoga of Meditation - Bhagavadgita – Summary of Sixth Discourse by Sri Swami
Sivananda
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