Mind and Meditation - Part 4

A child makes a toy-child (doll) of rags, and plays with it with motherly instincts of nursing and protection. The doll remains the same but the child develops the motherly instincts for future development and manifestation. Even so, a Bhakti in worshipping a Murty, develops devotion, Bhakti. Anugraha, Preeti, Viraha and Mahabhava and eventually Parabhakti. An aspirant can meditate on the physical form of his Guru.

Sit on Padmasana or Siddhasana in a solitary room. Close the eyes. Concentrate on the picture of Lord Vishnu in the heart. Imagine that Lord Vishnu is seated there with His four hands in the centre of a blazing sun of light, with conch, disc, mace and lotus.

Mentally visualise the picture, from head to foot as you have done in Trataka. Do mental Puja also. Offer flowers, Arghya, Sandal paste, incense; burn camphor, etc., mentally. Similarly you can meditate on Lord Siva, Krishna, Devi. Instead of concentrating at the heart, you can concentrate at the space between the two eyebrows (Trikuti). Practise this Saguna meditation for two years and then take to Nirguna meditation. You can do meditation while sitting or standing or walking. For beginners a sitting posture is necessary. Repeat your Guru Mantra or the Mantra of the Ishta Devata mentally. Associate the ideas of purity, infinity, eternity, immortality, Vyapaka, Paripurna, Sat-Chit-Ananda, Akhanda, Advaita, Chidakasa, etc., with Om repetition.

Samadhi

Samadhi is deep sleep with the full knowledge of the Self. You get this sleepless sleep when you have burnt the five Jnana Indriyas in the fire of Wisdom, when you have extricated yourself from the clutches of Avidya, Maya or ignorance and when you have controlled all desires. Tadevartha matranirbhasam Svarupa Soonyameva Samadhi —Patanjali Yoga Sutra.

Samadhi Samathovastha Jeevatma Paramatmano —Dattatreya Samhita. This is not a state of nothingness but a state of “everythingness.” You enter into a state of Absolute Awareness, in which time and place disappear; every place is here; every period of time is ‘now’; and everything is “I”. In this state you have obtained Bliss and Eternal Life. During cosmic consciousness, you are in touch with universal knowledge and life.

The Divine principle flows through you. Your little, individual personality is lost. Your individual will has become merged in the cosmic will or Ishvara’s will. You are aware of the oneness of life. You have the one consciousness—CHINMAYA—that the universe is filled with one life, that the universe is full of life. You have Tattva Jnana and you see the real universe, which is the essence or background of the universe of Matter, Energy and Mind. You are in a state of Bliss and Ecstasy beyond understanding and description. This is a cognitive trace or Turiya Avastha where Triputi (knowledge, knowable and knower) exists.
Philosophy Of Sleep

Study the condition of Sushupti Avastha or Jada Nidra, the state of deep sleep. There is neither the play of the mind nor the play of the Indriyas. There are no objects. There is neither attraction nor repulsion (Raga, Dvesha). Wherefrom do you derive the Ananda in sleep? The experience in sleep is universal. There is no difference of opinion here. Everyone says: “I slept soundly. I knew nothing. I was very happy in sleep.” During deep sleep you rest in Sat-Chit-Ananda Atman and enjoy the Atmic bliss which is independent of object.

The difference between deep sleep and Samadhi is that in deep sleep there is the veil of ignorance and in Samadhi this veil is removed. You draw four conclusions from sleep: (1) You exist. There is feeling of continuity of consciousness. (2) There is Advaita. (3) You are Ananda Svarupa. (4) The world is Mithya. Names and forms are illusory. The world is a mere play of the mind. It is only a phenomenal appearance.

When there is mind, there is world. If you can produce Manonasa (destruction of the mind) consciously through Yoga Sadhana, the world will disappear. You will feel the Atman everywhere. Even in the day time, you become one with the Atman whenever a desire is gratified. When you enjoy an object you become mindless (Amana) for a short time. You rest in your own Atman and enjoy the Atmic Bliss (spiritual Ananda). Ignorant persons attribute the happiness to the objects. Just as the dog which sucks a dry bone, foolishly imagines that blood comes from the dry bone,whereas in reality the blood oozes out of its own palate, so also foolish persons imagine that the happiness comes from external objects, while they actually derive the happiness from their own Atman within. They are deluded owing to the force of Maya and Avidya.