Swami Tadananda
Editor’s Note: Swami Tadananda is President of Ramakrishna Mission in Fiji. He will conduct Meditation Sessions from Friday, April 13, 2018 to Sunday, April 15, 2018 at the Waitetuna Retreat Centre, 391, Cofswell Road, RD 1, Raglan 3295. The Centre is about 20 minutes from Hamilton and about two-and-half-hours drive from Auckland. There would be 25 reserved seats at $150 per person for two nights.
Further information can be obtained from Kumaran Ramakrishnan on 021-973663 Email: kumaran.ramakrishnan@googlemail.com; or from Javahir Lal (Jailal on 021-02635162 javahirlal@yahoo.com
This article is a preliminary presentation of meditation for beginners as a tool for the development of the vast and untapped subjective or inner spiritual dimensions of human beings.
The aim is to teach meditation as a proven scientific technique to strengthen and purify the mind, comprising of our inner mental, intellectual, emotional, moral and ethical aspects of being, by systematically harnessing the power of the inner Pure Consciousness within us all.
As the concentration of the mind and will-power develops, the mind becomes a better channel for the flow of the inner knowledge, bliss, power, beauty and strength.
Divine birthright
These powers potential in us are our divine birthright.
An impure and untrained mind is like a high impedance to the expression of the inner powers. Deprived of the inner power, we become weak and suffer physically, mentally, emotionally and so on.
The same mind, when purified and concentrated through meditation and other Yogas, can ultimately become a super-conductor for the spiritual current.
Then the infinite power of the spirit shines through in all its glory, transforming our thoughts, words and deeds.
Nourished by the spiritual power the strengthened mind easily overcomes all challenges that the external world can throw at us.
Having identified the primary cause of all our ailments such as anxiety, stress, depression etc. we now also have the remedy thereof.
Training of the mind
Therefore, education in its true sense ought to be the training of the mind to make it a better instrument through which we can connect to our core Pure Consciousness and avail its powers to creatively and easily overcome the various challenges we face in our internal and external lives.
Swami Vivekananda said, “The training by which the current and expression of will are brought under control and become fruitful is called education… Perfecting the instrument and getting complete mastery of my own mind is the ideal of education. We must have life-building, man-making, character-making assimilation of ideas.”
Moreover, meditation not only self-empowers us to live a better life, it is a powerful tool for totally destroying the darkness of spiritual ignorance and bestowing the supreme gift of freedom and enlightenment. Life in its spiritual perspective.
World as a gym
This world is the great gymnasium where we come to do exercises to make ourselves strong. The various challenges in life are the exercises which help in the manifestation of our inherent strength – physically, emotionally, intellectually, morally and ethically and spiritually. We should not run away from them but face them boldly with the faith that within us are all strength needed for success.
Life in general is a constant struggle between forces of external nature and internal man.
We are products of the experiences of these struggles.
Most societies develop a formal system of education to empower us with knowledge and skills to fight the battle of life better.
Therefore, it makes sense that a good education should teach us both about the external world we live in as well as about the various dimensions of our inner nature.
Unfortunately, such is not the case.
Most of the attention of the education system is on the study of the external world – the macrocosm; very little attention is given to the microcosm – the training and development of the mind – the internal instrument upon which depends much of our happiness and suffering, knowledge and ignorance, success and failure, and so on.
Sublime dimension of the self
Seekers of Truth about the inner nature of man who dived deep with themselves discovered that behind the physical body are increasing profound and sublime dimensions – the psychic, mental, moral and ethical, intelligence and ultimately the spiritual man of the nature of Pure Consciousness as the Self or Atman.
This Self is of the nature of Infinite Existence, Knowledge, Bliss, purity, immortality, love and all that is good and great.
The Self permeates and nourishes all the other aspects of our personality from intelligence to the physical body which serve only to cover and limit the manifestation of grandeur of the Spirit within all of us.
Thus, man is really a spiritual being having a human experience.
The ignorance of the glory of our spiritual Self is the cause of all our suffering and misery.
It is a tragedy that while there is infinite knowledge and bliss within us, there is so much ignorance and suffering outside.
Swami Vivekananda proclaimed to the world that “So long as we have no knowledge of our real nature, we are beggars, jostled about by every force in nature; and made slaves of by everything in nature; we cry all over the world for help, but help never comes to us; we cry to imaginary beings and yet it never comes. But still we hope help will come and thus in weeping, wailing and hoping, one life is passed, and the same play goes on and on.”
A choice before us
We cannot change the outside world, but we can definitely change ourselves. Instead of complaining about the affairs of the world due to weakness, the wise focus their energies, time and efforts on awakening and manifesting the power within.
It is all a question of relative perception.
To the weak, everything is a problem – hence all their constant grumbling, criticising about the people, world, weather etc. To the strong, these same things are insignificant and do not appear as problems. We must remember that the world will not change much. Instead, we have to change – subjectively and the world around us will automatically adjust itself.
To a tiny ant, a small stone is a huge obstacle, but the same stone is not even noticed by an elephant. We have the option to remain as tiny ants or grow into mighty spiritual elephants.
Fountain of Power
Swami Vivekananda beautifully proclaims, “The infinite power of the spirit, brought to bear upon matter evolves material development; made to act upon thought evolves intellectuality and made to act upon itself makes of man a God.”
Vedanta is philosophy as well as a practical science of unfolding or ‘discovering’ the infinite possibilities potential in every being.
All knowledge depends upon calmness of mind.
Swami Vivekananda, who himself was a ‘Dhyanasiddha’ (perfected in meditation) proclaimed, “Within us there is the lion – the eternally pure, illumined and ever-free Atman; and directly one realizes Him through meditation and concentration, this world of Maya (relativity) vanishes. What is Meditation? There is the infinite joy, infinite knowledge, infinite power, beauty, purity and strength within us all.
“Meditation is the gate that opens that to us. Prayers, ceremonials, and all the other forms of worship are simply kindergartens of meditation…. It is meditation that brings us nearer to truth than anything else. The concentrated mind is a lamp that shows us every corner of the soul. Meditation is the focusing of the mind on some object. If the mind acquires concentration on one object, it can be so concentrated on any object whatsoever….”
Controlling thought waves
Meditation is one of the great means of controlling the rising of thought waves.
By meditation, you can make the mind subdue these waves and if you go on practising meditation for days and months, and years, until it has become a habit, until it will come in spite of yourself, anger and hatred will be controlled and checked.
All minds are the same, different parts of one Mind.
He who knows one lump of clay has known all the clay in the universe.
He who knows and controls his own mind knows the secret of every mind and has power over every mind.
The uncontrolled and unguided mind will drag us down, down for ever – rend us, bind us; and the mind controlled and guided will save us, free us.
Beginner’s Guide to Meditation
First have faith that in the core of our being is that point of stillness, perfect peace and poise and Divine consciousness.
Meditation is the key to open the door to this ‘Kingdom of Heaven within,’ to ‘peace that surpasses all understanding.’
Regular practice of this simple process of withdrawing the mind from external objects to the inner centre of your being will give you the inner balance and poise.
Through sustained regular practice, you will find it easier to enter within your mind, away from all external distractions.
The following are the basic steps for universal guided meditation technique suitable for beginners.
Step 1 Time and Place: Time and place for meditation: The purer the mind, the easier it is to control. In the morning and evening, the mind remains highly imbued with pure (Sattva) ideas; those are the times when one should meditate with earnestness. Choose a quiet place for meditation free from any distractions.
Step 2 Posture and Prayer: Close your eyes. Sit in a steady and comfortable posture keeping the head, neck and chest relaxed and upright.
Step 3 Breathe in and out deeply and slowly and rhythmically: The flow of breath and activity of mind are interrelated. By harmonising the flow of breath, the mind achieves some degree of balance and becomes conducive for meditation.
Step 4 Pray for the welfare of all beings, for those whom you love and care for as well as others: Say to yourself: “May all be joyful and at peace.” Send out your prayers to the East and the West; to the North and the South; above and below and in all directions.
Step 5 Internalisation of the mind: Now, gradually withdraw your mind from the external world and focus it within on your true nature – the Divinity within you. In the position of the heart, visualize a beautiful lotus – fully bloomed, fresh and fragrant.
Visualise a light shining from the centre of the lotus and filling your whole body and mind.
In the centre of the light is the divine flame of the nature of beauty, intelligence, peace, knowledge, goodness, perfection, strength, fearlessness and all excellences.
To help in concentration of the mind, you may, if you wish, replace this flame with any Divine form of your choice such as Shiva, Krishna, Christ.
Step 6 Establish the inner connection and rhythm with the Divine within you: Harmonise your breathing with the expansion of the inner light as follows: With each breath visualise that (a) The light of knowledge becomes brighter, removes all darkness and fills your whole being with knowledge (b) The Light of peace become brighter, removes all inner disturbances and fills your whole being with tranquility (c) The Light of Purity becomes brighter, removes all imperfections and fills your whole being with inner Purity (d) The Light of strength become brighter, removes all weaknesses and fills your whole being with infinite strength; You are full of light, knowledge, strength, purity, peace, joy and all excellences. In a relaxed way, focus your whole mind on this divine light/living form full on compassion and love. Keep the mind anchored there. You may repeat the Universal sound OM.
Step 7. When the mind wanders away, repeatedly bring it back to concentrate on the inner light/form. How are we to know that the mind has become concentrated? The idea of time will vanish. The more time passes unnoticed the more concentrated we are
Step 8: Concentrate in this way for 10 minutes to start off. Gradually increase the duration to comfortably meditate for at least 30 mins.
Step 9: At the end of your meditation session, offer the fruits of your meditation to the Divinity within you.
Step 10: Vivekananda Quotes
Open your eyes, maintain silence for a while.
There are 52 inspiriting quotes from Swami Vivekananda. Take one per week to ponder over deeply for two minutes after your meditation and reflect upon the same during the day. Try to apply these teachings in your life and they will awaken the power within.
Step 11: During the day, try to maintain an undercurrent of connection with the Divine presence within you, watching, guiding, protecting, nourishing you all the time. Thus, meditation itself is the medication for our holistic health of the body, mind and spirit.
When we are weakly connected to the infinite power house of knowledge, bliss, strength, etc. at the spiritual core of our being, the emotional, intellectual, moral, ethical dimensions of our being are not sufficiently nourished and exercised.
Without this nourishment and exercises, the inner strength is not manifested. Let us take inspiration from Swami Vivekananda’s call: “Arise, Awake and Stop not till the Goal is reached.
Photo Caption: Swami Tadananda (Picture Courtesy: FBC Fiji)
