Meditation: The Spiritual Practice

“When all the senses are stilled, when the mind is at
rest but alert, when the intellect wavers not, then is
known the highest state of Divinity.”
—Katha Upanishad101

        Meditation is the art and technique of experiencing divine power within. In Hindu theology, meditation is closely associated with God; thus was born the sacred Hinduism. Many a sage sat on mountaintops, in caves, in forests, and on riverbanks and meditated deeply, for long periods of time. Even so, meditation is essentially an esoteric practice. An inert mountain or forest cannot be a substitute for an awakened and spiritual mind. In the sages’ vast sojourns, varied ingenious techniques were discovered, which were then passed on to the disciples, thus creating a chain of guru/shishya, or the teacher/disciple relationship.

     It is believed that the sages from the ancient time of the Indus-Saraswati civilization practiced both yoga and meditation. Yoga and meditation are first mentioned in the earlier Upanishads, such as Brhadarayaka, Katha, and Svetavatara. So, too, these are described in the ancient epic scripture of the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita.102 It was Patanjali (240–180 BCE), however, who compiled the famous Yoga Sutra, which outlines the eight-point program of Ashtanga yoga:
1. Yama (the don’ts): This deals with ethical restraint. The instinctive  behavior of the individual enrolling in meditation and yoga needs to be ethical and full of consideration for others. Nonviolence in thought, word, and action becomes the code of conduct. Truthfulness, non-stealing, continence (brahmacharya), patience, firmness, compassion, honesty, moderate diet, and purity are other necessary requirements.
2. Niyama (the do’s): This deals with the cultivation of virtuous and spiritual qualities. Observance of remorse, contentment, chastity, faith, worship, study of scriptures, spiritual intellect, japa (uttering God’s name), and austerity are all prerequisites in this category. Japa has been accorded the highest merit in the Hindu theology. It is believed that uttering the name of God, sincerely, with every breath, causes such vibrations that it will transform the inner being (antahkaran) of the individual. If a person utters the name of God, earnestly and regularly, all his vices will be diminished markedly over a period of time. Japa may be done while performing any other daily activity; thus, it is the simplest way of attaining divine grace.
These Yamas and Niyamas have been adapted from the Vedic scriptures and are described in more detail in a separate chapter with regard to a code of conduct in the Upanishads.
3. Asanas: the practice of body postures, exercising with relaxation.
4. Pranayama: control of breathing techniques, to concentrate thoughts and usher vitality to all parts.
5. Pratyahara: to internalize attention without any distraction. Search of the Divine within one’s own self has always occupied the attention of Hindu seers. The mind needs to be pure and spiritual, in the turiya state. Turiya, which literally means “fourth,” represents the higher mind, beyond the waking, sleeping, and dreaming states. It is the state of mind beyond the clamor of desires and cravings.
6. Dharna: to focus on a chosen object Spiritual Divine, disregarding any other interruption.
7. Dhyana: to meditate on the field of inquiry, with laser beam attention. Hindu Rishis have repeatedly encouraged the development of the art of concentration without straining oneself. Often, the answers to many difficult
questions sprout from within. Gradually, one may learn to tap knowledge from the cosmic consciousness of the Divine.
8. Samadhi: to ultimately unite and merge with the source; the state of self-realization.

     Pranayama, or breath control, has earned much attention. Pranayama is essentially directed toward purifying and quieting the mind, which is the seat of all emotions—anger, fear, hatred, and jealousy. In place of these negative emotions, positive feelings of truth, love, and service are cultivated gradually. With the help of this technique, it is believed that many physical and mental disorders can be effectively corrected. Watching the breath by itself, in inhalation and exhalation, is considered an effective antidote to stress. In the opinion of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, “The mind’ is ever wandering; breathing control may be an effective whip to guide it on the right path.”103
 The final step, samadhi, literally means “union with God” (Sam: with; adhi: Lord). There are two stages of Samadhi. One is savikalpa samadhi—savikalpa means separateness; in this Samadhi, the devotee feels himself at a separate and lower level than God. The second is nirvikalpa samadhi—nirvikalpa means having no separateness. In this higher stage of samadhi, the devotee completely merges with the Divine.

     The role of the awakening of chakras through mind concentration and subtle visualization has been the subject of intense study and has occupied the attention of both spiritual and scientific scholars in recent times. The art and science of Raja yoga, or meditation yoga, is closely associated with the awakening of the chakras in tune with various breathing exercises (pranayamas). There have been many different techniques, such as Kundalini yoga, Kriya yoga, Siddha yoga, Nirvana-Sahasrara, and Sudarshan yoga, with some variations. The seven chakras—the Muldhara chakra at the base of the spine, the Svadishthana chakra at the base of the genitals, the Manipura chakra at the navel level, the Anahata chakra at the level of the heart, the Visuddha chakra at the level of the medulla oblongata opposite the throat, the Ajna chakra between the eyebrows, and the Sahasrara chakra above the topmost point of the head—symbolically represent an ascending degree of higher consciousness in an individual. The essential philosophy of these different types of meditation is to gradually awaken the higher chakras of the superior mind. Starting from the lower pelvic and spinal levels, meditation works its way to the highest Sahasrara chakra.

       Hindu sages also envisaged a system of subtle channels, or prana, which criss-cross throughout the body and mind. These are not anatomical channels like blood vessels and nerves. According to learned sages, alongside the physical or anatomical channels of body, there exist the invisible energy channels, through which the vital current of life force, the prana, flows. In a subtle and spiritual way, the deep-breathing exercises, the pranayamas, have a nourishing effect on the prana energy channels. Prana channels represent the ultimate micro-tissue life activity. The increasingly popular health procedure of acupuncture/acupressure also appears to be based on similar invisible channels. Up until now, the Prana energy has remained outside the domain of scientific recording; the future may explore this phenomenon more precisely.

      It is believed that pranayamas have a major effect on the body through tissue microcirculation at the brain and other parts of the body. Modern medicine has endorsed the beneficial effects of many of these meditation techniques in countering the harmful effects of stress on the human system. Many leading medical authorities now recognize that through the practice of meditation and yoga, one can regulate heart rate, blood pressure, and other vital phenomenon, hitherto considered as beyond the influence of voluntary control.

    Swami Sivananda has discussed the extensive techniques of kriyas and sadhanas (spiritual practices) for arousing the Kundalini chakras and obtaining occult powers, or siddhis. He has, however, in the end also made a remarkable suggestion by introducing Sivananda’s Pranayama. In this he has completely simplified the whole process:
Sit comfortably on a chair, sofa, or easy chair. Draw air through both the nostrils, as long as comfortable. Retain as long as comfortable. Repeat your ishta mantra or simply “Om,” while retaining the breath. Then exhale as long as comfortable. You need not observe any ratio between the inhalation, exhalation, and retention; but let the inhalation and exhalation be deep and full.

 [While doing this simple kriya], feel and visualize the awakening and upward rising of the Kundalini chakra from the lower pelvic spinal Muldhara, gradually toward the head, until the final point of the Sahasara chakra is reached.104
     This simplified technique by a highly recognized authority in our modern times once again affirms the great dynamism of the Hindu religion.

      The best time for meditation is considered to be before dawn, brahmamuhurta, when the mind is in its most pure and receptive form. A second meditation before retiring, however, is also highly recommended, as it improves the spiritual quotient significantly.105 Indeed, the process of meditation need not be mystical or complex and confusing. A simple, straightforward, and sincere attempt to develop the spiritual virtues gradually is the main aim of true meditation. It has been said that while the science of psychology often delves into the subconscious, traversing through myriad past guilt and shame, meditation focuses on the super-consciousness, the treasure trove of divine virtues.

   Paramhans Yogananda wrote, more than half century ago, “The one thing that will help to eliminate world suffering—more than money, houses, or any other material aid—is to meditate and transmit to others the divine consciousness of God that we feel.” Hindus have an abiding faith that the meditations of sages protect the world in a  subtle spiritual manner. Sitting in the high Himalayas and other places in their infinite solitude and purity, these Rishis send divine blessings in the form of vibrations, which have a profound and extraordinary effect, even when the Rishis appear to be doing nothing!

     There have been many research studies on meditation at U.S. universities and elsewhere throughout the world. More evidence is accumulating that this technique “significantly helps in relieving stress and depression, builds up the positive mood, and actually contributes toward increase in the immune quotient.” No wonder, then, that in the United States alone, more than ten million adults practice meditation regularly. It is now offered freely in schools, hospitals, law firms, government buildings, corporate offices, and even prisons. There are specially marked meditation rooms at airports. At the Maharishi University in Fairfield, Iowa, even the young students meditate twice daily. Meditation is now often recommended by medical professionals to prevent or slow down chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure, heart ailments, cancer, and infertility. There are even reports of brain changes, as observed by MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) techniques, after meditation.106 Scientists have discovered palpable thickening of some critical areas of the brain cortex in monks who perform meditation over prolonged periods.

      The meditation and yoga system involving the chakras and pranayamas is often claimed to be associated with the attainment of many mystical, supernatural powers, or siddhas (miracles). Although generally the spiritual masters do not encourage the exhibition of such miracles, the holy books of all religions contain innumerable accounts of such phenomenon, which remain mostly uncontested and unconfirmed. Human perceptions are limited, but famous aphorisms of Christ—“Be thou whole” and “Walk on the water with faith” —are examples of such supernatural miracles. Spirituality, regarded as the science of super-consciousness, may account for such events, which are normally beyond the comprehension of the human mind. In this regard, Charles Robert Richet, who won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1913, wrote “Metaphysics is not officially a science, recognized as such. But it is going to be. Our five senses are not our only means of knowledge.”107 The concept of transcendence, of banishing the constraints of time and space, becomes vindicated. Many yogis have demonstrated astonishing evidence of living without any food or water for extended periods of time. It is believed that they may draw their energy directly from the cosmos, just as plants get energy with the help of chlorophyll. Others can live in the icy Himalayas, sitting naked, without a flutter.

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