RAJA YOGA BY SWAMI SIVANANDA (MESSAGE 22) The section `Uddhava's Meditation' now continues.

---------------------------------------------------------It will be remembered from last week's reading that, Uddhava asked Lord Krishna: "O lotus-eyed! How to meditate on Thee! What is the nature of that meditation?" And that: Lord Krishna replied: "Be seated on the meditation seat that is neither low nor high, with your body erect and in an easy posture. Place your hands on the lap. Fix your gaze on the tip of the nose (in order to fix the mind). Purify the tracks of prana by inhalation, retention and exhalation, and then again in the reverse way (i.e. first breathe in by the left nostril with the right nostril closed with the thumb. Then close the left nostril with the ring finger and the little finger and retain the breath in both the nostrils. Then remove the thumb and breathe out through the right nostril. Reverse the process by breathing in through the right nostril, retaining the breath in both nostrils and letting out the breath through the left nostril.) Practise this pranayama gradually with your senses controlled. " Lord Krishna now continues "OM with the sound of a bell extends all over, from the muladhara upwards. Raise the OM in the heart by means of prana (twelve fingers upwards) as if it were the thread of a lotus stalk. There let bindu (the fifteenth vowel sound) be added to it. Thus practise pranayama accompanied by OM, reciting the latter ten times. Continue the practice three times a day, and within a month you shall be able to control the vital air. Within the body the lotus of the heart has its stalk upwards and the flower downwards, facing below. It is also closed. Meditate on it, however, as facing upwards and full-blown, with eight petals and with pericarp. On the pericarp, think of the sun, the moon and fire, one after another. * See chapter on Om "Meditate on the following form of Mine within the fire: First meditate on all limbs. Then let the mind withdraw the senses from their objects, and with the help of the intellect, direct the concentrated mind completely towards My whole body. Then give up all other features and concentrate only on My smiling face. Do not meditate on anything else. Then withdraw the concentrated mind from that and fix it on the akasha (ether). Give up that also and being fixed in Me (as Brahman) think of nothing at all. You shall see Me in Atman as identical with the Atman in all, even as light is identical with another light. The delusions about objects, knowledge and action shall then completely disappear." This is a beautiful exercise for meditation prescribed by Lord Krishna Himself in the Bhagavata Purana.

VEDANTIC MEDITATION In vedanta, or the path of jnana, the terms 'manana' and 'nididhyasana' are very frequently used. Manana means driving away all thoughts of worldly objects and increasing the thought-currents of God or Brahman into a steady stream. Manana is preceded by hearing of the scriptures (sravana) and followed by nididhyasana of a constant nature with zeal and enthusiasm. (Nididhyasana is deep intense meditation.) The mind is perfectly established in the Absolute; no worldly thought will intrude. The contemplation is like the steady flow of oil. Direct realisation follows nididhyasana. Just as the drop of water when dropped on a hot iron is absorbed, as it were, by the hot iron, so also the mind and the reflected consciousness become absorbed in Brahman. The balance left is Consciousness-absolute. (Sravana, manana and nididhyasana of the vedantic sadhana correspond to dharana, dhyana and samadhi of raja yoga of Patanjali Maharishi.) Even vedantic students have the ideas of all-pervading ether and light for their meditation in the beginning. They get help from the external elements. When you meditate or assert, negate the three bodies and identify yourself with the indwelling essence. Deny the names and forms. If the mind constantly dwells on sensual objects, the conception of the reality of the universe will surely increase. If the mind ceaselessly thinks of the Atman, the world appears like a dream. Free yourself from the base thoughts of the mind and the various useless imaginations. Make ceaseless enquiry of the Atman. Mark the word 'ceaseless'. This is important. Then only will there be the dawn of spiritual knowledge. Do not mistake either the physical body or the mind, the prana, the intellect or the senses, for the pure eternal Atman. The higher Self is entirely distinct from these illusory vehicles. Meditate on the following formulae: I am the All OM OM OM I am all in All OM OM OM I am the Immortal Self in All OM OM OM I am the living Truth OM OM OM I am the living Reality OM OM OM I am the witness of the three states OM OM OM I am Light of lights OM OM OM I am unattached OM OM OM I am Sun of suns OM OM OM I am existence, knowledge, bliss absolute OM OM OM (sat-chit-ananda svarupoham) I am indivisible, homogeneous, pure consciousness alone OM OM OM (akhanda ekarasa chinmatroham) My essential nature is infinite bliss OM OM OM (bhumananda svarupoham) I am witness OM OM OM (aham brahma asmi) I am pure consciousness alone without any special characteristics OM OM OM (nirvisesa chinmatroham) I am unattached OM OM OM (asangoham) You can do meditation while sitting, standing or walking. For beginners a sitting position is

necessary. Repeat your guru mantra or the mantra of the tutelary deity mentally. Associate the ideas of purity; infinity; eternity; immortality; all-pervading, all-full, existence, knowledge, bliss Absolute; continuous, non-dual, limitless intelligence etc., with OM repetition. Man tries to grasp the abstract through forms. After the mind has been purified, an abstract image is formed in the purified mind by listening to spiritual discourses and holy scriptures and contemplation of God. This abstract image melts later on in deep meditation. Here thinking ceases. What is left behind is pure Existence alone. The mind should be adored as Brahman. This is intellectual worship. Mind is Brahman or God in manifestation. Mind is God in motion. As Brahman is approachable by means of the mind, it is only proper to meditate upon the mind as Brahman. Allow the one idea of Brahman to flow gently and continuously. Drive out foreign or extraneous worldly ideas gently. Try to keep up the thought of Brahman alone to the exclusion of all other thoughts, by repeating OM or 'I am Brahman' mentally very often. The idea of infinity, the idea of an ocean of light, the idea of all-knowledge and all-bliss, should accompany the mental repetition of OM. FORMULAE FOR MEDITATION There are some Upanishad mantras which will help you to go near Brahman or God and to establish yourself in Him. They are formulae for vedanta meditation. "Atma antaryami amritam" this comes in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. "This Atman is the immortal inner ruler." He rules the mind, the subconscious mind and the senses. The word 'antaryami' takes you very near Brahman (makes you feel that Brahman is very close to you). He is not far, He is the inner ruler. You will have to constantly meditate on this formula which will destroy body consciousness. One all pervading Substance exists. If you meditate on this formula again and again, it is quite sufficient for you to attain Self-realisation. You are not this perishable body. You are the immortal Atman, the inner Ruler. The second formula comes in the Kenopanishad: "Mind of minds, prana of pranas, ear of ears, eye of eyes." He is very close to you. 'Mind of mind' He gives light to this mind. Mind borrows its light from the supreme light of lights, which is self-effulgent. 'Prana of pranas' you live on account of prana, prana is life but the prana itself derives its power and energy from the Atman or Brahman. 'Ear of ears' He makes the ear to hear. 'Eye of eyes' He gives light to the eye. The eye sees on account of the light that it gets from the Self. Similar is the case of the other organs also. So, how close Brahman has come to you! Remember this formula. It will help you to attain Self-realisation quickly. Brahman is near to you and you are near Brahman. The third formula is from the Gurustotra: brahmanandam paramasukhadam kevalam jnanamurtim

dvandvatitam gaganasadrisham tatvamasyadi lakshyam, ekam nityam vimalamachalam sarvadhisakshibhutam bhavatitam trigunarahitam satgurum tarn namami. I prostrate myself before that guru, the Existence, devoid of the three gunas, beyond comprehension, the witness of all mental functions, changeless and pure, one and eternal, transcending the pairs of opposites, expansive like the sky, reachable through the sentences like 'Thou art That', the bliss of Brahman, the giver of supreme happiness, the mass of absolute wisdom. 'Sarvadhisakshibhutam' He who is the witness of all intellects. The word 'sakshi' is a very significant term. He is the witness of the intellect, He is behind the intellect, He permeates the intellect, He is the all, He is the inter-penetrating Presence. 'Ekam nityam' means one and eternal, 'vimalam' free from impurities, 'achalam' immovable. Where will He move? He is allpervading. These are the terms on which you have constantly to meditate. Brahman can be attained only through some formulae. The mind wants some prop to lean upon. The above formulae will help you to attain Self-realisation. They will bring you nearer to God and Brahman. Have a strong conviction. The fourth formula is a little kirtan which we used to sing: dinabandhu dinanatha, vishvanatha he vibho pahimam trahimam, prananatha he prabho. 'Vibhu' He is the all-pervading Lord of the universe. 'Prananatha' He is the Lord of the pranas. He is the Lord of the mind. 'Vishvanatha' He is the Lord of the universe. This formula will also help you to remove all doubts and to attain Self-realisation quickly. The following are wonderful formulae for devotees: 'Protect me.' 'Be pleased.' 'I take refuge in Lord Rama.' 'I take refuge in Lord Krishna.' They are formulae for effecting total ungrudging selfsurrender. Life is short, so we cannot master all the various kinds of scriptures. The essence of all the scriptures is contained in these few formulae. These are quite sufficient for attaining Self-realisation. Every formula has got unimaginable and infinite power; in fact all powers. You need not study the twelve classical Upanishads. If you meditate constantly on these formulae, negating the body, sublating all names and forms and taking out the existence-consciousness-bliss, you can attain realisation quickly. Therefore, let us not worry about the study of scriptures. What is wanted is constant enquiry and dispassion which will enable you to attain God-realisation easily. Even while you work, remember that you are the witness. Remember this point well. Meditate on the above ideas and keep the bhava (inner feeling) during your work also. You can take up any one of the above formulae according to your taste. If the mind wanders, bring it back to the point again and again; or you can rotate the mind from one formula to another, and finally fix it on one formula alone, when the mind has become steady. The mind will

now become like the steady flame of a lamp in a windless place. The one formula also will drop by itself. You will rest in your own essential nature, the thoughtless state of pure bliss. Samadhi or superconscious state will ensue now. Enjoy the bliss of the Atman. Rejoice in the inner immortal Self. MEDITATION ON MAHAVAKYAS Mahavakyas are the sacred sentences of the Vedas. They are four in number: 1. Prajnanam Brahma Consciousness is Brahman. 2. Aham Brahma asmi I am Brahman. 3. Tat tvam asi That thou art. 4. Ay am Atma Brahma This Self is Brahman. The first is in the Aitareya Upanishad of the Rig-veda. The second is in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad of the Yajur-veda. The third is in the Chhandogya Upanishad of the Sama-veda. The fourth is in the Mandukya Upanishad of the Atharva-veda. The first is a lakshana vakya (characteristic sentence) which gives a definition of Brahman and imparts tatbodha jnana (the knowledge of That). The second is an anubhava vakya (sentence of experience) that gives sakshi jnana (witness knowledge). The third is upadesha vakya (instruction) which bestows Siva jnana (auspiciousness, knowledge) the guru instructs the disciple. The fourth is sakshatkara vakya (direct experience) which confers Brahma jnana (direct knowledge of Brahman). You can take any mahavakya and meditate on it as you do on OM. When you meditate on 'Aham Brahma asmi' (I am Brahman) constantly feel that you are pure existence absolute, knowledge absolute, bliss absolute, all-pervading Brahman. Lip repetition will not produce much benefit. You must intensely feel from the subjective heart. Gradually you will be taken to the superconscious state through deep feeling. Sit in your asana on a folded blanket. Face north or east and constantly feel: 1. Infinity I am. 2. Eternity I am. 3. Immortality I am. Meditation on the mahavakyas is tantamount to meditation on OM. You can take either 'I am Brahman' or 'That thou art' mahavakya, and meditate on its significance. Deny, negate or throw out the sheaths of body, prana, mind, intellect and bliss and identify with the one essence that lies behind them. Meditate. Purify your mind. Practise concentration in a solitary room. Then squeeze out the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita from your heart. Do not depend upon imperfect commentaries. If you are sincere you will understand the real intention of the sages of the Upanishads and Lord Krishna, and you will know what they really meant when they uttered those wise verses.

Unfold the divinity that is lurking in your heart by concentration and meditation. Do not waste your time. Do not waste your life. POSITIVE MEDITATION Meditate on the following ideas: 'I am the All' and 'I am all in all'. In this meditation the body and the world are taken as Brahman, as expressions of Brahman. They are included. It is highly preposterous to think that Brahman is by itself full of bliss and that which is expressed out of Brahman is full of misery, pain and sorrow. Pessimism should be shunned. It is the individual's creation that is at the bottom of all pain and misery. There is nothing wrong in God's creation. This does not give the least pain. On the contrary, it is desire, anger, the idea of mine, thine, 'I am the doer', etc. that causes all trouble. This is due to nescience which causes identification with the limited mind. Repeat the above idea mentally at all times. Feel you are the All. Feel that your shakti (energy) is working in all bodies. Constantly dwell on these ideas: 'All bodies are mine.' 'All lives are mine.' 'All pains are mine.' 'The whole world is my body.' 'All joys are mine. 'Jealousy, anger, hatred and egoism will all vanish. In the samadhi of positive meditation the jnani sees within himself the world as a movement of ideas. He is both saguna (with attributes) and nirguna (attributeless). NEGATIVE MEDITATION 'I am not the body. I am not the mind. I am essentially existence, knowledge, bliss absolute (sat-chitananda svarupa).' Meditate on the above ideas constantly. Feel you are sat-chit-ananda always, all through the twenty-four hours. Negate the body idea. Incessant sadhana is necessary to remove the feeling 'I am the body', due to beginningless impressions. If you can go above body consciousness and can leave the body at will, three-fourths of your sadhana is over. Then there remains only the drawing of the curtain, the removal of the veil of ignorance. That can be done quite easily. Even when you move about, even when you are at work, always feel that you are the all-pervading, infinite Brahman. This is important. Thinking, concentration and effort to separate yourself from the body should go together. In negative meditation the jnani dwells in pure, attributeless Brahman. He has no consciousness of the world. NIRGUNA MEDITATION Nirguna means without gunas or attributes. It does not mean that Brahman is a perfect void, but that there are no such perishable qualities as the blue colour of a cloth, etc., in Brahman. Further there are no qualities and possession of qualities in Brahman. Brahman is the embodiment of infinite divine attributes. This is the significance of the term 'nirguna'. Brahman is bliss itself. Brahman is knowledge itself. Brahman is beauty itself. Brahman is light itself. Even in nirguna meditation there is an abstract image in the beginning. For instance, meditation on ice and its qualities is concrete meditation, while meditation on oxygen and hydrogen is abstract meditation. Meditation on the physical form of your father is one form of concrete or saguna meditation, while meditation on the qualities of your father is abstract meditation. Meditation on a green leaf is one kind of concrete meditation, while meditation on green-ness is abstract meditation.

Meditation on the void, on the blue sky, on the all-pervading light of the sun or an infinite ocean of light and on the formless air or all-pervading ether are all types of nirguna meditation. SIMPLE NIRGUNA EXERCISES 1. There is a living universal power that underlies all these names and forms. Meditate on this power which is formless. This will eventually terminate in the realisation of the absolute, quality-less, formless Consciousness. 2. Sit in padmasana with closed eyes. Concentrate steadily on the formless air. Meditate on the allpervading nature of the air. This leads to the realisation of the nameless and formless Brahman, the one living Truth. 3. Sit in your meditative pose. Close your eyes. Imagine that there is a supreme, infinite effulgence hidden behind all these names and forms, which is tantamount to the effulgence of millions of suns put together. This is another form of formless meditation. 4. Concentrate and meditate on the expansive blue sky. By these methods of concentration the mind will cease thinking of finite forms and will slowly begin to melt in the ocean of peace, as it is deprived of its contents. The mind will become subtler and subtler. There are various other ways in nirguna meditation: laya chintana (concentration of the mind with a view to dissolve it) of OM, laya chintana of antahkarana (mind) and laya chintana of elements (progressive meditation from the gross to the subtle on OM, mind and elements); anvaya vyatireka method (the method of positive and negative assertions); neti-neti method (I am not body; I am not mind); the method of meditation on 'I am sat-chit-ananda Brahman' (existence, knowledge, bliss absolute) and 'I am sakshi' (the witness); adhyaropa-apavada method (method of rejecting the illusory superimposition of one thing on another, e.g. seeing a snake in a rope, and refutation); bhava-tyaga lakshana method (the method of abandoning the idea of the word meaning of 'Thou art That' and contemplating on what it means in essence); repetition of OM with its meaning, etc. and soham (I am He) meditation, which is associated with the breath and where the mind is fixed on the breath, etc.. SAGUNA AND NIRGUNA MEDITATION COMPARED Isa, Prasna, Katha, Tapaniya and other Upanishads elaborately treat the method of contemplation of Brahman as devoid of qualities. Badarayana in a chapter of the Brahma Sutras which deals with the nature of the qualities of Brahman, mentions positive attributes like 'joyful', 'intelligent', etc., as well as negative attributes like 'measureless', 'colourless', etc. Both kinds of attributes refer to the Absolute and yet the contemplation of such a Brahman can be called nirguna meditation or meditation on conditionless Brahman. The chief distinction between the contemplation of the conditioned (saguna) and the unconditioned (nirguna) Brahman is that in the former the devotee looks upon it as really connected with those attributes, while in the latter, positive and negative

qualities are not viewed as essentially connected with it, but as suggesting its absolute nature. Hence, 'joyful', 'intelligent', etc., do not enter into the essence of the contemplated Brahman, but act as a gateway for grasping its true nature. In the contemplation of the conditioned Brahman, those and similar other properties form a part of the contemplation. The term 'nirguna' does not mean that Brahman is a negative concept, or that Brahman is a nonentity or zero. It means that the qualities found here in limitation are found illimitably in Brahman. It means that the attributes are Brahman's essential nature and that Brahman does not possess perishable qualities of matter like the blue colour of a cloth, but possesses all auspicious qualities. Brahman is nirguno-guni (without and with attributes). It does not mean that Brahman is formless. It means 'He has not got a limited form as that of objects, but has an unimaginable form'. What form can you attribute to infinity? Many have a crude idea of Brahman. They say "Brahman is a block of stone because he has no qualities. He is a regular void, a zero." No. No. They are entirely mistaken. They have not made an enquiry into the nature of Truth. They have various doubts. They have a gross intellect which is unfit for philosophical investigation, discrimination, reflection, ratiocination, etc. They have not studied the infallible Upanishads, the right means of knowledge, the right source of wisdom which gives an accurate knowledge of Brahman. The Upanishads are infallible because they tally with the experiences of realisation and appeal to the reason of every thinker and philosopher. Their authority is more valid than that of perception or inference. Brahman is extremely subtle. He is finer than a thousandth part of a point of a hair divided into a thousand parts. A subtle, calm, pure, sharp-pointed, clear and one-pointed intellect is needed for understanding and meditating on Brahman. Many people suffer from suspicion and doubts regarding the validity of the Upanishads and the true nature of Brahman. They should purify their minds by selfless service, study the Upanishads, develop the four-fold qualifications and have constant satsang. Then they will have an intellectual conviction and an intellectual grasp of Brahman. By hearing the scriptures and meditating on them and by deep meditation they can reach Brahman. This is the royal road. So, Brahman is full of auspicious qualities. He is a lump of luminosity. He is a solid mass of knowledge. He is really more solid than the Himalayas. Knowledge is more heavy and more concrete than a huge block of stone. In saguna meditation the devotee considers himself as entirely different from the object of worship. The worshipper makes a total, unreserved, ungrudging self-surrender to the Lord. He respects, honours and adores the Lord and depends on Him for everything for food, protection and his very existence. He looks always for help of any sort from the Lord. There is nothing independent for him. He is an instrument in the hands of the Lord. His hands, legs, senses, mind, intellect and physical body belong to the Lord. A devotee does not at all like the idea of merging as a jnani does. He likes to have his separate entity as a servant and to serve, worship and love the Lord always. He does not like to become sugar but likes to taste sugar and eat sugar, whereas the jnani becomes the sugar itself, as it were. This method of worship is one of contraction. Suppose there is a circle. You have a position in the centre. You contract yourself to a point and merge in the point. This is saguna meditation. This is suitable for people of emotional temperament. The vast majority of persons are fit for this line of worship only. In nirguna meditation the aspirant takes himself as Brahman. He denies and sublates the false

adjuncts or fictitious environments as egoism, mind and body. He depends upon himself, he has absolute self-reliance. The aspirant asserts boldly. He reflects, reasons out, investigates, discriminates and meditates on the Self. He does not want to taste sugar but to become a solid mass of sugar itself. He wants merging. He likes to be identical with Brahman. This method is one of expansion of the lower self. Suppose there is a circle. You have a position in the centre. You expand by sadhana to a very great extent so that you occupy the whole circle, and envelop the circumference. This method of meditation is suitable for persons of fine intellect, bold understanding, strong and accurate reasoning and powerful will. Only a microscopic minority of persons are fit for this line of meditation. It is comparatively easy to meditate on 'Aham Brahma asmi' (I am Brahman) when you are seated in a steady posture in a solitary closed room. But it is very very difficult to keep up this idea amidst crowded surroundings, while the body moves. If you meditate for one hour and feel that you are Brahman, and if for the remaining twenty-three hours you feel that you are the body, the sadhana cannot produce the desired result. So at all times you must try to keep up the idea that you are Brahman. This is very very important. A worldly mind needs thorough overhauling and a complete psychological transformation. Concentration and meditation bring about the construction of a new mind, with a new mode of thinking. A contemplative life is diametrically opposite to worldly life. It is an entire change altogether. Old impressions of the world have to be thoroughly annihilated through constant and intense practice carried on with zeal for a long time, and thereby new spiritual samskaras (impressions) have to be created. MEDITATION AND ACTION Man consists of Atman, mind and body. The Atman has two aspects, changeless and changing. The latter is called the world and the former God. World also is nothing but God in manifestation. God in movement is the world. It is not that the world does not exist, but it has a relative existence. Atman is all-pervading, all bliss, all powerful, all knowledge, eternally perfect and pure. It assumes these names and forms, called the world, of its own free will. There is no desire, because there is no outside object. This will is called cosmic energy (shakti). It is Atman in action. In nirguna Atman, the cosmic energy is static. In saguna, it is dynamic. Atman has no desire, because it is perfect and because there is nothing which is objective to the Atman. Desire implies attraction, which presupposes imperfection. It is the very negation of will, which is the decision for action from within.