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Meditation in Yoga
 CHAPT£R-·I
M£DITAT'ION IN t'OGA

Yoga's interest lies in the study of human nature and

its unfoldment from the primary perspective of consciousness. It

investigates questions concerned with the range of the human

mind and body, the normal attitudes one should have in order to

cope with life calmly and intelligently. These and other similar

questions · are treated extensively by the philosophy and

psychology of the 'Sutras' (of Pratanjali).

For society, yoga poses a critique of culture.

Whenever society becomes complacent or discouraged with its

current level of civilisation, yoga quietly insists upon ·a special

feature of human nature. No matter how bogged down or over

whelmed man may become with his involvement with society, he

possesses, according to yoga philosophy, a transcendental

nature. In spite of his endless worries and tribulations, yoga

reminds man that he is more than his body, his mind, his

career, his success or failure with life. For he possesses a centre

of wisdom and strength within that makes his nature wider than
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history.

In yoga philosophy a distinction is made between the

soul and its manifestations. People can't help but identify with

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 their ethnic ong10ns or national territories. As a result, they

forgot that these qualifications denote, like the chopsticks of

-' · China or the saris of India, oii:ly a cultural preference, within a

society cultural protocol only expresses the imaginative art of

human communication; it cannot disclose universal insight for

human development. Cultural appeasement is only temporary; it

cant resolve the quest for human happiness. On the other hand,

yoga, being outside cultural frame works, addresses itself to the

root problems of life and the means of human fulfillment.

People live in culture and history. They grow

accustomed to their habitudes and cannot easily avoid being

provincial and sectarian in their desires. Yoga recognises that

beneath the multitude of desires lies a fundamental one that

every one shares but rarely satisfies a desire to know

experientially the ultimate meaning of their human existence

and the nature of hum'.3Il happiness.

·Human nature is without exception, o_ne in its kind of

being. The differences in personality are obvious but still this

amazing variety does not prevent thoughtful reflection from

discerning a common nature shared by all. Appraised of cultural

differentiations, people still uphold themselves as one human

family, and one kind of being.

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 Yoga, in its study of human nature, out lines its

remarks from a universal perspective. Yoga does not _explain how

to be a better carpenter or Icelander, Yoga goes deeper and

explains how the carpenter's or Icelander's similar human

nature can reach its inner potential as a human being.

Yoga can be also described as concepts. The reflected

ideas of yoga are systematically and coherently out lined in

Patanjalis 'Sutras' and the 'Samkhya Karika'. The concept of

yoga, however, is not the revelation of it's truth. Yoga'.s power

comes not from the idea but from the actual evoking of the

interior laws of man's nature. Yoga postulates that people carry

+ within themselves the impulse or appetite towards self-

perfection. People want to actualize their total nature, to

experience life as richly, as enjoyably, as maturely as possible.

The personal troubles man encounters, including emotional

distress and disease, are symptomatic of his inability to regulate

and develop this inherent appetite for life.

Yoga further recognizes that man's nature is multi-

leveled, a combination of vegetative, sentient, rational, and

intuitional forces that should function organically for his well

being. This inability, more over, to achieve this integrated

condition as an abiding state results primarily from his self

ignorance. Yoga treats suffering as the temporary product of

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 man's failure to understand himself, which can be eradicated

through the discipline of trne knowledge about his_ nature. All

the dimensions of his consciousness and all the levels of his

nature must beco·me involved in this holistic enterprise. ·

Yoga, therefore, is an applied philosophy of human

nature'. This definition departs from the modern conception of

philosophy as a theoretically coherent version of life Yoga's

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purpose is not to arrive at correct concepts in order to satisfy the

intellect, but rather to stimulate the latent potentials in man

that will bring him to final conscious realization. With that aim

in mind, it offers itself as a systematic program for peaceful

living in full self-awareness. On that prospect alone should yoga

pass or fail.

Meditation 1n yoga 1s a search within oneself on

various levels that finally a leads one to that centre from whence

consc~oness flows. A proper method of meditation helps one to

discover the ultimate unifying principle of the universe. When

methods for spiritual growth are properly understood and rightly

practiced they will guide one toward the only _ way of

transcending the self and going to the super conscious state.

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,• In other words, when one is moved by the deeper

problems and starts questioning oneself, mere promises in the

scriptures are not satisfying. When one understands the

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importance of life and its purpose, then one turns to the

philosophy .of. meditation and finds the solutions therein.

Patanjali, for instance, in the yoga sutras, outlines a systematic

and detailed training programme that is free of religious bias.

From the very beginning meditation requires a

seeking, questioning, and logical mind, aided by the right

method. In addition, the seeker must perform action self-lessly,

with love, one pointedness, self-purity and righteousnes·s. Other

wise the yoking of the mind is not possible. Thus can meditation,

in its creative and dynamic aspects, be practiced. But first one

must develop the right spiritual attitude through performing

selfless action in the external world. This is called meditation in

action.

Another method of meditation is to sit in a calm,

quiet place, on a firm seat, in a relaxed and comfortable posture,

and then become aware of the breath and make the mind one-

pointed by allowing it to attend to the flow of breath. When the

mind has become concentrated, the 'mantra' (a sound or word to

make the mind one pointed) given for meditation should be

remembered. Constant remembrance of ·the mantra leads the

student to a higher state of mind, and such a mind is capable of

going beyond it limitations. Finally, when the mind goes beyond

the dimensions of its own created conditions, there dawns Divine

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 consc10usness, known 1n the Christian world as Christ
. .
consc10usness.
_·j....
This second type of meditation has been practiced by

yogis and monks who have devpted their whole lives to realizing

the Truth.

1) First, they withdraw their sense awareness from the objects of

the world and their physical selves.

2) Second, they concentrate the mind on a mantra, and then.

3) When the mind starts flowing like a stream of oil, it becomes

one pointed and can transcend the limitations of emotional

and rational boundaries.

Thus new habits are formed and old habits are cast

off. This is called spiritual rebirth. In other words when the mind

constantly thinks of God, meditation becomes a constant

remembrance, and it flows like an unbroken stream. In such

case there cannot be any -bondage. Constant re_collection and

cease less prayer become a means to liberation, and meditation

becomes constant remembering. So in order to have an

unbroken memory of God, one should meditate regularly. The

mind should flow unceasingly toward God within. Then, one

constantly lives, moves, and has his being in God, and the body

becomes a temple.
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 Theology says that God exists and we should believe

1n Him. Philosophy says we should know the . relationship

between the individual, the universe, and the Creator.

Meditation gives a direct vision of God in the temple

of the body. A mediator does not have to search, roam or wander

in pursuit of God, a meditator finds the beloved within. The

ignorant will keep searching on the sense plane, for all the

distractions are at the outer gate of the temple. But when one
. .

enters into the inner chamber, shutting the outer gate, one finds

his m~jesty, the center of Christ consciousness ---" ('Meditation

in Christianity, Swami Rama page 15.) "Then one is reborn and

becomes a free citizen of the kingdom of God. Such a person

becomes universal. The practice of love is the natural awareness

of God, and those who are constantly aware of the reality of the

lord within become the beloved of the lord. They alone gain

liberation; they receive direction and can guide others."

("Meditation in Christianity". Swami Rama p. 15).

But one of the greatest problems for a seeker of the

kingdom of heaven within is the finding of the true teacher.

There is a dictum in the yoga tradition that one finds the teacher

he deserves. If one is not · prepared to go through rigorous

discipline and total self control of wiU,' emotion, desire, and

action, he will put the mantle of a teacher on someone who

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 himself is not willing to undergo the strict disciplinary training

and therefore advocates none. Unfortunately the word 'guru' has

;J:-. become so common place in the English language that anyone

who can touch his nose to his knees or who can pop a 'Nirvana
Pill' into his mouth is advertised as a guru. This being the case,

some of the greatest masters are trying to work in relative

anonymity and accept only a select number of aspirants. Their

aim is not to herd the masses but to train and initiate a few

chosen teachers. These gurus have a few common qualities that

makes them recognizable to the genuine seeker - they follow a

recognizable and traceable tradition in their homeland which can

--+ be dated to a known antiquity.

2. The second test is to see for how long the teacher followed

the disciplines under the teacher followed the disciplines

under the master.

3. Above all, third, is whether the teacher can initiate: which

means, can be alter and induce states of higher

consciousness in his diciples.

The tradition of meditative teaching in ·a long,

unbroken line of master/ disciple relationships goes back many

+, thousand years, and the spiritual force and the tradition that
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gave birth to the rishis of the Vedas, to Zarathustra and the

Buddha, continue at this tinie and will produce similar giants in

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 the future. These adults of humanity do not rise out of a

vacuum; they are the rare few stars who received such mighty

_;j.._ initiations of the spiritual power at the hands of their own

masters.

The meditative practice of the yogis 1s designed to

heighten the intensity of this force -field which has 72,000

channels in man, of which the central most, 'sushmna', flows

through the spine. It is described as a pure white streak of

lightning, 1/10,000th of a hair's breadth thick, from the base of

the spine to the top of the head. As one receives a jolt from the

highly intensified force-field of a master, the ego burns in the fire

of knowledge, the mind is washed clean and then like Arjun in

the 'Bhagvad Gita' (Chapters 9-11) the initiate experiences a

cosmic vision and the light like millions of golden suns.

Condense all that light into a pinhead in the center of a diamond

and the master says to his disciple, "That luminous Self you

are." 'Tat Tvam asi.' This initiation is referred to as 'Shakti-

chalana', quickening of the energies, and 'shaktipata', descent of

energies. This eternal line of initiations never started and shall

never end. All the rest of the yoga teaching is of children playing

with thimblesful of water on the shores of the cosmic ocean of

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/ divine energy.

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 The founding patriarch of this illumination of

'shaktis' is no man, as the guru himself is not a person. The

texts state categorically," The golden womb alone is the teacher

of yoga and no other". Whoever understands the meaning of the

phras~, 'Golden womb', he alone is a teacher of yoga. Whatever

mantras are given to the initiates today in any school of

meditation are revelations, received through the initiations into

the golden womb of Mother Energy. And however many may

pretend, only a few experience it. There is no method of

meditation, no practice of yoga discipline, that is not included in

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this "royal path or raja yoga. Each school claims the monopoly

-}- over the most effective method of meditational practice, but they

all ·have originated from this one royal branch and return to it for

a fresh infusion from century to century.

"Terrible is the face of the lord, no one shall see it and

yet live". Moses, too, was allowed a glimpse only of the shadow of
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God. Arjuna pleaded to Krishna, Desist: my sourroundings are

burning and I cannot endure this vision any more. Please, divine

Krishna, return to the gentle form that is familiar to me. "The

quickening of these cosmic energies is not for a man whose

nerves have been weakened with uncontrolled passions and

whose mind is a nest of the hornets of ego. It a piece of iron

should wish to become a magnet, it must accept in total

surrender the initiation of 'shakti pata', the transfer of energy

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 that the magnet would give it. Then the iron becomes a magnet,

the disciple becomes a guru. In the school of Superconscious

_;.... Meditation we can only give a start to the seeker and hope that a
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few will have the courage to jump in and fewer yet the courage to

cross the fiord.

This tradition of the masters has experimented in

depth with the fullest realization of human potential, but the

definition of human potential differs. from that of modern man.

The man of today measures his power over his sorroundings and

wants to make steel pliable in his fingers and to explode

uranium nuclei with a touch. To the yogi's mind this may

+ develop the fullest potential of steel and the nuclei, but his prime

concern 1s to make man's body pliable his breath prolonged,

respiratory rhythms harmonious with cosmic rhythms and to

burst into the plane of divine energy by exploding with intense

inner concentrations the foci of the barriers of mind.

The ancient yoga teachers had under taken a deep

study of the working of the psychic apparatus consisting of

'buddhi', intellect, ahankar', self-sense, ' man as, mind, five

senses and five motor organs. Patanjalis 'yoga' is the effort to

-+ attain purity of body mind and soul. But restraint of sense

/
organs does not imply deliberate suppression of desires, for such

a suppression has a temporary effect. The heat of yogic penance

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 is used in refining the mind of its defilements as in the process

of refining gold. The intention here is to burn the_ extraneous

)ii...__ impurities and to bring out the pure metallic gold. Just as
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malice, killing and plunder are expressions of natural

tendencies, so are the sublime expressions such as compassion

to living beings, freedom from covetousness and sympathy, "The

science of yoga affirms that saintliness and truthfulness are the

expressions of a highly cultured mind, i.e. the most healthy state

of mind. The traditional yogis and yoga masters show the way to
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realize these possibilities." (from the 'Times of India, Iro., article

'Taming 1-2-2000 Raja and -Tama with Sattav's Force' by

-+ Takteertha laxman Shastri Joshi).

Human nature is, without exception, one in its kind

of being. The differences in personality are obvious but still this

amazing variety does not prevent thoughtful reflection from

discerning a common_ nature shared by all. "yoga, in its ·study of

human· nature, outlines its remarks from a universal

perspective'.

Yoga teaches self knowledge and self awareness

through a systematic method of exercise, pranayam and

concentration. Proper breathing methods makes one aware and

-+ sensitive to one's own inner nature. "One gains an awareness of

controlling and studying his nature in a direct and immediate

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 sense: a dynamic knowledge nither than a theoretical knowledge
. .
of one's being". (Justin O'Brien" 'Yoga and Christi~ity' p. 9).

"Yoga establishes its rightful claim to true knowledge

through practice, not through intellectual coherence." (Justin

O'Brien : 'Yoga and Christianity'. 'page 9). Verification is always

made by the individual. One can immediately submit a

particular practice to personal scrutiny for yoga is a

transformative process for which one accepts responsibility.

Yoga, therefore is an applied philosophy of human

nature. This definition departs from the modern conception of

philosophy as a theoretically coherent version of life. Yoga's

+ purpose is not to arrive at correct concepts in order to satisfy the

intellect, but rather to stimulate the latent potentials in man

that will bring him to final, conscious realization. With that aim

in mind, it offers itself as a systematic programme for peaceful

living in full self-awareness. On that prospect alone should yoga

pass or fail.

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 MEDITATION IN YOGA

"The science of meditation has been practiced and

studied by aspirants sought to make their lives more serene,

creative, and fulfilling.

Meditation gives the capacity to improve health,

relationships, and the· skillfulness of all activities.

This is because meditation can give you something

that no other technique can accomplish. It introduces you to

yourself on all levels and finally leads you to the center of

consciousness within, from where consciousness flows. (Preface

+ to 'Meditation And It's Practice', Swami Rama.)

One simply has to become aware of this fact,. that the

mind is in direct control of the senses, breath and body. _It is the

mind that influences the senses and causes them to function in

the external world. It is the mind ·that desires to perceive the

world through the senses and to conceptualize .and categorize

those sense perceptions.

All sadhana as (spiritual practices), techniques and

disciplines are actually · means to train the mind. And the

foremost part of the training is to make the mind aware that

Reality lies beyond it self, and that is the immortality of the soul.

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 The mind is the finest instrument that we possess. If

it is understood well, the mind can be helpful to our sadhana ;

however, if the mind is not well ordered and disciplined, it can

distract and dissipate al lour potentials.

There are four distinct functions of

mind:

manas,

buddhi,

aham kara,

and chitta.

These four should be understood and their

functioning should be coordinated. 'manas' is the lower mind,

through which the mind interacts with the external world and

takes in sensory in pressions and data. Manas also ·has the

tendency to doubt and question, which can cause great

difficulties if this tendency becomes excessive.

'Buddhi' is the higher aspect of mind, the doorway to

inner wisdom. It has the capacity to decide, judge, and make

cognitive discriminations and differentiation. It can determine

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 the wiser of two courses of action, if it functions clearly ~d if

man as will accept its guidance.

'Ahamkara' is the sense of 'I' ness, the individual ego,

which feels itself to be a distinct, separate entity. It provides

identity to our functioning, but ahamkara creates our feelings of

separation, pain, and alienation as well.

'Chitta' is the memory bank, which stores

impressions and experiences, and while it can be very useful,

chitta can also cause difficulties if its functioning is not co-

ordinated with the others.

To establish coordination among various

modifications of mind one has to learn to (1) watch the mind's

functioning through actions and speech and (2) at the same

time, observe the thinking process within. (Meditation and

Practice], Swami Rama, pp. 82-84). The meditator rea lly becomes
an internal explorer' and investigator who is studying the

internal reactions and processes of the mind on both the

conscious and the unconscious levels. The meditator is an

internal researcher. Meditation helps you to fully know and

understand all the capacities of the mind-memory,

-f'-· concentration, emotion, reasoning, and intuition. Then they

beyond the usual states of mind and consciousness.

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 "To research the inner world one needs a burning

desire to know his inner potentials and states". (Swami Rama

~ "Choosing A Path' page lb).

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