Nature of Meditation
The creation of humans among all living beings is a peerless boon of God. There is no better gift he can give the creature than this. Its capabilities and qualities are so incredible that one must be taken aback by its appearance. The Almighty has granted this gift to offer the services to be helpful in the fulfilment of divine purposes.
The first aim of human life is to become entitled to salvation by washing away his astringent impurities in life. He has to be ideal in every respect to achieve this. Yoga and meditation are essential and can play a significant part in life to reach our goals.
Awakening from within is meditation. Always remaining in a specific condition of consciousness is meditation. You discover your true nature and dissolve into the infinite. Some forms of meditation can help you develop a deep understanding of yourself, allowing you to grow into your best self.
Meditation awakens positive feelings towards you and others. Those people who perform meditation regularly can always remain in a state of bliss. Becoming proficient in meditation can help you control or redirect the rushing thoughts that often lead to a chaotic life.
Meditation can help you get rid of anxiety and take you to a transcendental state. It helps increase inner energy, virtues like compassion, forgiveness, love, generosity, patience and positive thoughts.
All the sages of ancient India meditated and observed penance. Hence, meditation is not only a part of Indian culture and heritage but also of life.
The Japanese’s Zen and the Chinese’s Ch’an, both words are abrogating meditation. It is known as meditation in English; however, the term awareness is more accurate. The Hindi language has a similar word to it. The connotation of meditation is senses, sighting, witnessing and consciousness.
Meditation, the seventh limb of yoga, has a lot of significance. Meditation is the solitary such component that by executing it, everybody naturally begins to develop. Yet, this principle does not apply to other limbs of yoga. Meditation is a condition in which you dwell between perception and truth.
Definition of meditation: तत्र प्रत्ययैकतानता ध्यानम, 3–2. According to the Yoga Sutras, meditation is the state in which the mind gets through to its natural tendencies. Dhāranā means bringing or holding your mind in one place, but dhyāna is the unity of the Vritti (senses) wherever your mind is stationary. To be aware of the self is meditation.
Concentration is not the same as meditation. Meditation is like a giant globe of a fireball that shines in all four directions, whereas concentration is like a torch beam that focuses just on one point. The attention of ordinary people is limited, while yogis’ meditation is like the luminosity of the sunlight, which captures every single thing in the entire universe.
Meditation is not Kriyā (an act): Many people mistake actions to be meditation — such as Sudarshan Kriyā, Transcendental Meditation Kriyā and Sahaja Yoga Meditation. On the contrary, some make the error of mistaking the procedure for meditation.
Many gurus, saints and monks suggest various revolutionary methods of meditation. But they do not tell us that all the methodologies of meditation differ from one another. The terms “activity” and “meditation” are not interchangeable. An action is a tool like a broom.
Meditation does not mean sitting with your eyes closed. Meditation is not the same as contemplating an idol. It is also not to recite the prayer. Even reflecting on God for five minutes as we know; nevertheless, this is not meditation; but it is memory. Meditation is the state of being free of actions and ideas.
Our minds are always full of a plethora of imaginations and thoughts. As a result, our minds are susceptible to numerous perturbations. We do not want that to happen all the time. By thinking, you make yourself weaker and weaker all the time. Meditation is the process of clearing the mind of all unneeded emotions and thoughts and entering a state of pure and serene calm.
The spiritual seeker abides in the witnessing consciousness as he goes deeper into meditation. He is untouched by thoughts, sensations, or delusions for a moment. Mental silence is the most basic form of meditation. It withstands greed, temptations and dwelling on pleasures and pains of the past.
The senses start absorbing into the mind. The mind into the intellect, the intellect into the soul and the soul into the absolute consciousness. Those who are unfamiliar with the sensory experiences of witnessing should begin by meditating with their eyes closed.
Subsequently, you progress with the practice, whether the eyes are closed or open. The seeker remains connected with his nature. And eventually, dwell in the state of meditation even while doing some work or in the condition of witnessing.
