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Meditation in the practice of Yog is an important achievement. However, in present times it has become not only a source of making money but also a means of entertainment and pass time. These days many camps and centres have come up, in the name of meditation using artificial means and machinery. In these camps thousands of participants can participate together. After some time a participant can participate together. After some time a participant is considered to be an expert in meditation and is awarded a certificate and he can be appointed as a trainer in yog at any other camp or centre. In ancient times in India this expertise was achieved after constant long practice in isolation and in the close proximity of seers, after excercising complete control over mind and becoming free from all pleasures and desires of the mundane world. Today while enjoying all material pleasures many institution are giving certicifaces in yog expertise.
Meditation is a subject of absolute solitude, which only a recluse exercitent in the refuge of some spiritual master saint can attan after restraining his mind in a constant state of meditation for a long time. Those who love meditation for them it is imperative to know what is meditation, how to practise it and what is its outcome. With the help of some artificial means to be in a state of thoughtlessness for sometime is it meditation or something else. Let us think this now.
The artificial means and instruments do relax a person who is in a state of great tension or stress for sometime. But this is no permanent remedy to be free from mental tension or stress. The ancient Indian seers through constant practice of meditation percieved God and became free from all unhappiness in life for ever.
Due to the problems of the mundane world sometimes the mental tension becomes so extreme that there may be heart attack or other serious complications. There are others who join these centres and camps to get rid of addictions. Just sitting in a posture for sometime and leeking at an object is not meditation. But no one so far has achieved meditation through such means nor did these methosd help any one get rid of addiction, tensions or stress, while meditation by itself is an achievement and something permanent and its ensuring outcome and result is also everlasting in nature. Through artificial means it is impossible to get rid of unhappiness and problems in life.
Related to woes and worries, an incident about Buddha readily comes to mind. Once, after meditation Buddha was concentrating his mind on the in and outgoing breath and listening the rhythmic subtle sound waves arising from it. A king came up to him, bowed before him and supplicated his problem. Buddha answering him said, friend! I can certainly set aside your problem and unhappiness but you should promise me that there would never come this unhappiness in your life again. The king said, how is that possible? As one impressions; the impressions of previous several births create turmoil again and again. There fore, Ah master! how can I say with certainly that there will not come any unhappiness again in my life Buddha said, friend! I show you such a path shich will set you free from all unhappiness, and it will never thouch you life again. Saying so, he told him the entire process of meditation and bade the king farewell reverentially. Bhaggwan Buddha himself used all the time in meditation and asked all mendicants to do the same. It is because of this strict rule the followers of Buddha increased in many countries, Sitting for a long time in meditation when the body started achieving than they would start roving meditation. Mind should not get lethargic and sleepy, the roving meditation was made compulsory for all including himself, because indolence and sleep are inevitable after meals.
Bhagwan Buddha semonised the king on the efficacy of meditation and also assured him freedom from unhappiness. This is literally true, because so long impressions continue to from and last till then unhappiness in life is inevitable.
Pleasure or pain depend on impressions. Mind is the creator of them. Those who like meditation and practise sholud therefore think wheather these artificial means of meditation can restrain these impressions and assuage their power. Do these artificial ways and means not create one more additional impression which is a great obstruction in the real process of meditation, just as artificial ways of worshippping are an obstruction in the achievement of the supreme. Artificiality like hypocrisy is also an impression. All these impressions can be exterminated only through the real process of meditation as ordained by our ancient seers.
" Dhyan Heyastad vrattyah" (Yogdarshan 2/11)
All dispositions should be destroyed by meditation. Here sage Patanjali has called impressions also as dispositions, Because wheather the meditation is about the mundane woried or about the supreme this power of meditation is supernatural and is called a disposition. This disposition to meditate creates impressions. So long there is even a single impression there can be no happiness and peace.
Everyone wants peace, but the crowd of impressions is a great hindrance like the crowd at the booking window of a railway station. These impressions go on pushing ahead and affect man's life. Every living being of this world is constrained to lead his life according to these impressions. It is only through meditation one can get rid of these impressions. But what is meditation? and who is to be meditated upon? When one understands this full well then only complete success is possible. Gathering perfect peace man can bring back his memory and see the desired object.
"Nashto moham smratilabdha, twatprasadanmyachut;
sthitosmi gat sandeh, karashye vachanam tav. (Geeta)
Bhagwan ! by your grace my allurement is destroyed and I have regained my memory. Who am I, and what is my real identity and ordained dury? I have no doubts in this regard. I will now I remember, where I had kept. Doubt always consists of uncertainties. When one thinks with concentration he reaches to a certain conclusion and he can precisely recollect wha thas been forgotten. This was exactly the condition of Arjun in refusing to follow Yogeshwar Krishna's command. Same Arjun, when his memory was restored says, I will follow what you command. It is so because memory makes a person conscious of his duty and his true self.
As a Yogi (Meditator) attains some mastery, he starts getting some supernatural experiences which further strengthen his faith in God. He begins to meditat with greater enthusiasm.
Once, Primal Yogi (meditator) God Shiva was wandering about in forest with Sati. All of a sudden they saw God Ram Searching for Seeta. When Bhagwan Shiva outtered, 'Sacchidanand !' and saluted him, Sati was surprised, and was full of seruples. She thought an ordinary person who seems to be very deiected searching for a woman like a lunatic how can he give happiness to others? Bhagwan Shiv reading her thoughts, asked her to go and see for himself. Sati disguised as Seeta thought that Seeta whom he is seeking and lamenting after may be relieved considerable. But Seeing Sati Bhagwan Ram recognised her, He said what makes you wander alone here in the forest. Where did you leave shankarji? Bhagwan Ram understod her feelings and did some supernatural things which frightend Sati. Sati was astonished and also ashamed and came back to Shiva. When asked by Shiva, she lied that she did not try to test Ram. She just bowed as she had not bowed earlier when she had seen Ram, Shiva saw everything in meditation what Sati had done. For telling a lie and for her disguise as Seeta Shiva renounced Sati from his heart.
Tab dekhau Shankar dhari dhyana, Sati to kinha maram sab jana;
Shiv sankalp kinha mann mahi, yahi tan sati Bhent ab naahin.
Similarly, an incomparable devotee and servitor of Bhagwan Ram, Hanumanji, during war recognised Lav and Kush through mediation right amidst war had saluted them. Is such an achievement possible through artificial means and machinery? it is impossible.
Meditation through which our seers experienced uncountable majestisties of the supreme and percieved him and got assimilated in him rising above pleasure and pain, virtues and vices. The process to attain that state of mediation is only adamantine faith and chanting his name, culminating in absolute restraint of mind.
"Dhyanavasthito tadgaten manasa pashyanto yam yogino;
yasyat na viduh surasur ganah devay tajou namah."
The quintessential supreme, our seers perceived in the sate of absolute assimilation of mind in meditation; the essence which can not be know? by intellect by deities or demons; I offer my salutation to such supreme God.
seers perceive the supreme in meditation but in artificial meditation one see only the material objects only.
Everything of this material world is subject to change and is perishable. Even meditation done on any material object will perish like that material object, while meditation is an everlasting achievement. In this world the supreme alone is everlasting and changeless (Sthadur achaloyam sanatanah)
Concentrating in such supreme and restraining all dispositions and mind a yogi overcomes all pleasures and pains attains his real self. With this attainment the outcome of meditation also comes to an end. Bhagwan shiv whom he meditated upon and was emancipated, that process is told here by shiv himself.
"Jehi eh gavahin ved budh, jahi dharahin muni dhyan;
soi Dasrath sut bhakt hin, koushal pati bhagwan."
Whose glories are sung by vedas and seers like knowledge incarnate and whom recluses mediate upon is only one, the son of Dashrath and the ruler of Koshal the emancipator of his devotees. The same supreme and ruler of Koshal is my adorable also. Is there any such thing in the artificial meditation system? Sages just meditate only upon the supreme and this is the only prescribed, ordained method (Jehi shruti gaw dharahi muni dhyana). This is not at all possible in the present artificial meditation system. Now the question arises that the supreme who is not the sbuject of mind and intellect; who has no form or attributes, how is he to be meditated upon?
"Akath anaam anaadi aroopa;
Anubhav gamya akhand anoopa."
All enlightened sages have suggested that one should concentrate his attention on the spiritual master who is assimilated with the supreme and consistantly meditate on the image of the spiritual master all the time of day and night, chanting the name of the supreme and offering him services. In this way he will certain by perceived that indescribable, nameless and unseen supreme. This is a unanimous experience of all seers.
"Omityekasharam brahm vyaharanmaamnusmaran;
yah prayati tyajan deham sa yati parmaamgatim."
One who has restrained his senses and chanting mya name and meditates upon me while giving up his corporeal body, he attains the supreme abode that is me. Meditation should be on the infant Ram, not on young Ram, ruler Ram, nor even on Ram who killed Ravana. What does this infant stand for?
Infact attained enlightened sages are like an innocent child free from disorders. These disorders and impressions are the cause of unhappiness. Therefore to meditate upon the image of such an enlightened sage. who has become free from such disorders, the process becomes easy for an exercitent. The son of Brahma, seer Sanakadi though very old was as innocent as a child free from all disorders.
"Dekhahi Balak bahu kaaleena, Brahamanand sada lay leena."
Revered Paramhansji Maharaj and Gurudev Bhagwan offen say that physically an enlightened sage looks quite large but his intrinsic nature is like a child. Can one even think a child with any disorder of thought? The seers have advised to follow such enlightened sages, as innocent as a child. Yogeshwar Shri Krishna has explained the outcome and the result of meditation in chapter twelveth of Geeta. He says . Look ot my form. Paramhansji Maharaj also said the same thing. Mohammad and Jesus Christ also said the same thing that without me no one can attain God.
"Shreyo hi gyanabhyasa gyanatdhyanam vishisyate;
Gyanat karmfaltyagah tyagaschantirnantram."
One should have practice and experience of the spiritual course and also the knowledge of the ways of the mundane world and of deliverance from it. The outcome of practice is meditation. To denounce the reward of action is greater than meditation. Because by doing so a yogi at once achieves the supreme peace. Now the supreme is also no different form one achieved by meditation. Thus its reward is also denounced, because the reward of action also is supreme. Now there remains no attachment about him also. This is the absolute state of tranquility. The result of meditation is supreme peace after which there can never come unhappiness in life. That is why all enlightened sages have laid a great stress on this principle. " Tasya Vaachak Pranavah, Tajjapadastarth Bhavnam". With chanting of Pranav, meditation on the form of God like spiritual master is essential for the gratifying and everlasting result.
"Dhyan moolam guru murti, pooja moolam guru padam;
Mantra moolam guru vackyam, moksha moolam guru kripa."
Guru Nanak Dev has called the realisation of self as the outcome of meditation He said that meditation and realisation are responsible for self realisation.
"Ekai giyaan ekai dhiyaan, Nanak aapan roop pichhan;
Saint Kabir says, in the higher state of meditation the sound of chanting of name arising in breath is automatically caught by the meditator who hears it incessantly and gets lost in it.
"Ras gagan gufa main ajar jhare,
bin baja jhankaar uthe, tahan samajh parai jab dhyan dhare."
All enlightened sages have mentioned about the achievements attained by meditation and the consequent annihilation of all sort of unhappiness. Swami Ram Krishna Paramhansji asked his followers to perceive his form. Revered Paramhansji Maharaj also used to say the same thing. Mohammad and Jesus Christ also said that without me no can achieve the supreme. This is the highest state of meditation and it is impossible to attain through any other artificial method.
To attain this highest state of meditation in which all sorts of unhappiness disappear, sovereign rulers gave up all luxuries and honor took to meditation to make mind free from all disorders and impressions and attain the supreme and thus made their this valuable human life not only purposeful but also become an ideal for the humankind. At present the same word meditation has become word of ridicule and of mere entertainment for so called intellectuals, and also a source of profit making. Is it possible to attain self realisation and get rid of all unhappiness through these artificial means of meditation. No! it can be possible only through our ancient methods and means as practiced and prescribed by our ancient seers. Only then we can redeem ourselves from all woes, worries and unhappiness. The artificial system, like allopathic medicines may give some quick relief but soon its after effects also follow. The real intention of meditation is to redeem from painful long journey through several lives in different forms; and to meditate upon the form of the spiritual master as supreme with incessant chanting of name of the adorable restraining all thoughts, mind and sensed till they are perfectly assimilated in the supreme.
Saints may appear hard from outside but from inside they are softer than butter even.

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