Swami Sivananda. Concentration and meditation

Dedicated to Yogis and Bhaktas who strive hard to achieve the highest goal of life through meditation
Beloved students! Meditation is the only Path to Immortality and Eternal Bliss. Meditation destroys all causes of sorrow, pain, suffering. Regular meditation makes the mind calm and steady and opens the way to intuitive knowledge. Without meditation you cannot reach the knowledge of the Infinite. Meditate regularly and you will achieve Self Realization.

Introduction

Direct the mind to certain objects inside or outside the body. Hold it there stubbornly for a while. This is concentration. Practice this daily, first clearing the mind with good thoughts and deeds. Concentration without purity of mind is useless. Some occultists have concentration, but do not have a positive character. For this reason, they do not develop spiritually. One who has mastered the necessary Asanas and cleansed his nerves and physical shell by constant practice of breathing exercises will easily master concentration. The concentration will be intense if all interference is removed. A chaste person who conserves his energy will achieve even greater success in concentration. Foolish and impatient people immediately begin to concentrate without having undergone preliminary ethical training. This is a gross and serious mistake.
You can internally focus on any of the seven centers of spiritual energy (Chakras). Attention plays a very important role in concentration. One who has developed the power of attention will also excel in concentration. A person full of passions and all sorts of fantastic desires will hardly be able to concentrate on any subject or object even for one minute. His mind will jump like an old monkey.
A scientist concentrates his mind and invents many new things. Through concentration, he removes the shells of the gross mind and penetrates deep into its higher areas, receiving the most profound knowledge. He collects all the energy of the mind into one focus, directs it to the analyzed material and reveals it. secret.
One who has achieved the abstraction of the senses from objects will also excel in concentration. You will have to follow the path of spiritual progress step by step, step by step. Lay the foundation with morality, Asanas, breath control and abstraction, and only then will the superstructure of concentration and meditation be successfully built. One must be very clear about the object of concentration, even in its absence. Learn to recall the mental picture immediately.
At the beginning of spiritual practice, you can focus on the sound of a ticking clock or a candle flame, or some other object that pleases the mind. This is concrete meditation. There can be no concentration without its object. The mind can be directed in the initial stage to any pleasing object, for it is very difficult to concentrate on an object that the mind does not like.
Practitioners of concentration evolve very quickly and are capable of doing any work with the precision and efficiency of a scholar. What others read and learn in 6 hours, they will be able to do in half an hour.
Concentration purifies and calms the waves of emotion, strengthens the flow of thought and clarifies ideas, and assists the individual in his material progress. He will produce very high quality products at his job. What was vague and obscure before becomes clear and definite; was difficult - now easy; complex, confusing and embarrassing - easily absorbed by the mind now.
Nothing is impossible for a person who regularly practices concentration. The practitioner of concentration will have clear mental vision. Meditation is the only royal road to salvation and Moksha. It kills all pain, suffering, 3 types of Reserve (fetters) and 5 types of Kleshas, ​​or sorrows; gives a person a vision of unity, a feeling of unity; it is a mysterious staircase connecting Heaven with Earth and leading the disciple to the Immortal Abode of Brahman; the continuous flow of one thought about God, or Atman, like the continuous flow of oil from a vessel (Thailadharavat).
Meditation follows concentration. Practice it early in the morning from 4 to 6 (Brahma-Muhurta period) - the best time to meditate. Sit in Padma, Siddha or Sukhasana. Keep your head, neck and torso in the same vertical line; focus on Trikuta (the area of ​​the forehead between the eyebrows) or on the heart; close your eyes.
Meditations are of two types: Saguna Dhyana (concrete meditation) and Nirguna Dhysha (abstract meditation). Under Saguna, the disciple meditates on the form of Lord Krishna, Rama, Sita, Vishnu, Gayatri or Deva. Under Nirguna, he meditates on his Self or Atman. Place in front of you picture of Lord Hari with 4 arms and stare at this picture for 5 minutes, then close your eyes and try to see it mentally. While visualizing, direct your mind from one part of Vishnu's body to another. First try to mentally see the soles of His feet, then the feet, the silken yellow robes, the golden necklace with the Kaustubha jewel on the chest, the rings in the ears, Makar Kumdala, the face and crown on the head, the disc in the upper right hand, the conch shell, the wand in the lower right hand, and a lotus in the lower left hand. Then return to the legs again and repeat the whole process several times. Finally, focus on the legs or on the face and mentally repeat the Mantra: "Hari Om" or "Om Namo Narayana". Think of the attributes of the Lord: Omnipotence, Omnipresence, Purity.
Meditate on Om, its meaning, with reverent feeling. This is Nirguna Dhyana. Chant slowly Om. Identify yourself with At-man. Feel yourself: "I" is the All-pervading, Immortal "I" or Atman. "I" is Sat-Chit-Ananda-Brahman. "I" is the Sakshi or the silent witness of the 3 states and all modifications of the mind. "I" is pure creation. "I" is something other than body, mind, Prana and senses. "I" is the self-luminous light. "I" is the Immortal Supreme Soul.
If contentment, good disposition, patience, calmness and sharpness of mind, a pleasant voice, a light body, fearlessness, lack of desires, aversion to earthly things are inherent, then know that you are moving successfully along the path of the spirit and are already close to God. Oh Prem! There is a place where you won't hear a single sound or see a single color. This place is "Parash Dama" or "Padam Ataman" (ideal place). This is the Kingdom of Peace and Bliss. There is no body consciousness; the mind finds rest; all desires and aspirations dissolve; The Indriyas remain calm; the intellect ceases to function; there is no fight or strife. Do you wish to reach this silent retreat through silent meditation? Solemn silence reigns there.
The Rishis reached this place long ago solely through the dissolution of the mind into Silence. Brahman shines there in all its effulgence. Forget the body and everything around. Such forgetfulness is the highest Sadhana and is of great help to meditation, facilitating union with God. When you know God, you will forget all these things.
Try to achieve spiritual consciousness by withdrawing the mind from the sensual objects and point it at the lotus at the feet of the Lord, who is always shining in the depths of your heart. Penetrate within by practicing deep, silent meditation. Dive deep, swim freely in the ocean of Sat-Chit-Ananda. Swim in the river of Divine Joy. Respect this source. Go straight to the main front of the Divine consciousness and drink the Divine nectar. Feel the tremor of the Divine embrace and enjoy the Divine ecstasy.
Here I leave you. You have reached the state of Immortality and Fearlessness. Oh Prem! Don't be afraid! Sit now! Your light has come! Practice regular and systematic meditation at the same time every day. It will be easy for you to induce a meditative mood. The more you meditate, the more you will live in the Spirit where the mind and the Indriyas are stilled. You will be very close to the source - Atman, enjoy the waves of peace and bliss.
Sense objects will no longer attract you. The world will seem like a long dream. Knowledge will blossom in you with constant deep meditation. You will be completely Enlightened. The curtain of Avidya will fall, the rough shell will be torn. The thought of the body will disappear. You realize the meaning of Mahavakya "Tat Tvam Asiya!" All differences and qualities will disappear. You will see everywhere the Infinite, Boundless Atman, full of Bliss, Light and Knowledge. This is truly a rare experience. Do not tremble with fear; like Arjuna, be bold. Now you will be on your own. There is nothing else to see or hear. There are no more feelings. Everything is only the Sixth Consciousness. You are the Atman, O Prem, and not this mortal body! Destroy the Moha of this filthy body. Do not say in the future: "my body", say "this instrument".
The sun has set and start meditating again, dive into the sacred Atmik Triveni. Gather all the rays of the mind into focus and descend deep into the inner region of the heart. Leave fears, worries, worries and anxieties. Rest in the ocean of Silence. Enjoy the eternal world. If old desires and aspirations try to disturb again, destroy them with the rod of Wisdom and the sword of Vairagya. Keep these two weapons with you until you reach Brahma Stithy (fully established in the Atman).
Om is Sat-Chit-Ananda, Infinity, Eternity. Sing Om, feel Om, chant Om, live in Om, meditate on Om, speak loudly Om, Om, Om, look at Om, eat Om, drink Om. Om is your name. Let Om be your guide. OM! OM!! OM!!!
I'M THINKING
O Sri Shankaracharya, who sits in