Meditation is an alternative to drug
What is Meditation? — 2 — What exactly is it?
What exactly is meditation? Before considering this, let us see what the scriptures say in this regard. You have read till here in the First part, now read the next article…
What is Meditation 2
According to Patanjali( An Indian sage), meditation is one of the eight limbs of yoga. And what does Maharishi Patanjali say about meditation? Before meditation, let us know what they say regarding Dharana, a state before meditation. Because meditation cannot be understood without understanding Dharana(Dharana is a hindi word not similar to perception or concept, Read further to understand the word Darana). In this way, Dharana is the first stage and Dhyan is the later stage. Patanjali says “Deshbandh Chittasya Dharana” — Vibhuti Pad.1 in Yog Sutra. That is, Dharana is to concentrate the mind in a particular area inside body or outside in space or any statue etc.. Here desha means to concentrate or concentrate on a particular area of the body or outside. Like there are various different chakras inside the body, out of which there are seven major chakras. It is not necessary to concentrate only on the chakras. Meditation can be done internally on any part of the body by closing the eyes. But remember, this is not meditation, it is Dharana. Similarly, focusing attention or mind on a particular area not only inside the body but also in the external environment is called Dharana. Like concentrating on a picture of a deity outside. Or you might have seen or heard that some Hatha Yogis do Tratak or meditate on the Sun, Moon or burning fire crest. So when we fix our mind on any symbol or object inside or outside the body, it is mere perception. Now the next step is meditation, according to Maharishi Patanjali “Tatra Pratyayakatanata Dhyanam” — Vibhuti Pad.2 in Yoga Sutra. Meditation is to keep the mind continuously focused on the area on which the mind is fixed, like an unbroken flow of oil. Here I have not written the exact meaning of the sutra, but have explained it in my own simple words. So in this way, first the mind has to be fixed on a particular area and then the continuity of the mind has to be maintained there, only then it is understood what meditation is. And after this comes the state of Samadhi. What is experienced by oneself is better. It is difficult to understand or experience Samadhi by reading or listening to it from somewhere. The truth is that by continuously meditating, one day the state of Samadhi occurs.
So in this way I have tried to explain meditation in my own words as per the Indian scriptures. Hopefully, those reading this article will understand meditation better. You can give your views on this article through comments. If you liked the article then please share it.
This is a series of articles on meditation…
