Mind and Meditation - Part 1

Mind and Meditation - Do not try to drive away the unimportant and irrelevant thoughts. The more you try, the more will they return, the more strength will they gain. You will only tax your energy and will. Become indifferent. Fill the mind with Divine thoughts. The others will gradually vanish. Get yourself established in Nirvikalpa Samadhi through constant meditation.

Three Doshas Of The Mind There are three Doshas or defects in the mind viz., Malam, Vikshepa and Avarana. The impurities of the mind such as Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada, Matsarya are termed Malams. This is removed by the practice of Yama, Niyama and Nishkama Karma Yoga. Vikshepa is tossing of the mind. It is removed by Upasana, Trataka, Yoga and Pranayama. Avarana is the veil of ignorance. This is removed by the study of Vedantic literature, meditation and Jnana.

Mind: Its Mysteries And Control

Mind is Atma Sakti. It is an illusory power of God or Brahman. The seat of the mind is heart. It is formed out of the subtlest essence of food. A Vritti is a wave that arises in the mind-lake. There are three Gunas in the mind, viz., Sattva (purity), Rajas (passion) and Tamas (inertia, darkness). Control the Vrittis. Increase your Sattva. If you entertain thoughts of hatred you are really a murderer of that man against whom you foster such thoughts.

You are committing suicide, because those thoughts rebound upon only you. Hatred ceases only by love and not by hatred. Your thoughts, sentiments, moods and emotions produce their strong impressions on the face. The face is like an advertisement board wherein is what is going in the mind is specified. As the first thought is the thought “I” and as this thought “I” is at the base of all other thoughts. Ahamkara is the seed for the mind.

Buddhi (Bheda Buddhi) is the cause for this differentiation (this little “I”, the self-arrogating false personality), and is again the cause of Ahamkara. Destroy this false egoism and the Bheda Buddhi by Brahma Bhava, Vichara and rest in your own natural Satchidananda Svarupa.


Trataka

Trataka is one of the Shat Karmas in the light of Hatha Yoga philosophy. Trataka also plays a very prominent part in Raja Yoga and Jnana Yoga. Trataka is focussing of one’s own energy towards an object or thing or an idea and observing every detail and dissecting, analysing, consciously and subconsciously drawing to itself every possible bit of information regarding it both within and without. Trataka lies at the base of will-power.

This is a preliminary Sadhana for a Yogic student. A Jnani concentrates his attention on an abstract thought—“Aham Brahma Asmi. I am all purity. I am all power,” etc. It is really an up-hill work or a tremendous task for people of average intelligence to concentrate on an abstract thought. To begin with, you will have to concentrate on concrete object. Keep the picture of your Ishta Devata in front of you. I shall tell you now how to do Trataka on Lord Vishnu.

“Dhyeya sada savitri mandala madhyavarti, Narayana sarasijasana sannivishta; Keyuravan, Makara kundalavan, kirti harih hiranmaya vapuh; Dhrita sankha chakra gada pane dvarakanilayachyuta.”


from - yoga in daily life