Swami Vivekananda placed a great value on meditation throughout his life and teachings. A crucial component of both is meditation. He has been interested in meditation practice since he was a child, and he currently does it often. Ramakrishna, his meditation master teacher, learned the truth about being a Siddha who practised dhyana (meditation expert). On December 24, 1892, Vivekananda travelled the whole of India before reaching Kanyakumari. He meditated there for the first three days while perched on a large rock, and on the fourth day, he decided to devote the rest of his life to serving others. The choice taken at Kanyakumari in 1892 is often cited, as evidenced by the city’s name. He believed that he spent significant time thinking in the days preceding his death (July 4, 1902).
As is often thought, Vivekananda first introduced meditation practice to Western European countries. In his book Raja Yoga and other seminars, he spoke extensively on the various advantages of meditation and the proper manner to practice it. He claimed that via the practice of “meditation,” one might connect their soul to God. He continued by stating that meditation is a kind of prayer. Once the mind has been trained to maintain concentration on a certain internal or external place, he defined the state he named “meditation” as the power pouring in a continuous torrent, as it were, towards that spot. You can download Meditation and Its Methods PDF.
| Book | Meditation and Its Methods |
| Author | Swami Vivekananda |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 160 |
Summary Meditation and Its Methods
How Mindfulness Meditation Can Aid in Happiness
The Formula for Eternal Joy, The key to unlocking the door to enlightenment, is meditation. All religious activities, including prayers, rituals, and festivals, have meditation as their ultimate purpose. After you’ve prayed, you may want to think about giving. According to a certain school of thinking, anything might increase someone’s spiritual vitality. However, this way of thinking is unique to the human psyche and is thus always present. The use of specific phrases, flowers, pictures, temples, and ceremonial practices like the waving of lights are its inspirations. People can only actively engage in something when they are aware of it. This is the benefit of intermittently meditating throughout the day. Over time, we will build our skills gradually and quietly. This is not a joke; it is not a matter of minutes, years, or even millennia. Rest easy! It’s crucial to keep tugging. It’s important to pull freely and consciously. By millimetres at a time, we’ll advance. We’ll begin gathering real experiences and stuff that belong to us alone. These include the satisfaction that is no longer subject to the debilitating effects of mourning and the untouchable assets in terms of wealth and achievement.
The Search for Truth
We learn how to cultivate these attitudes via yoga training. It is pointless to describe religion without first experiencing a sincere religious experience. Why are there so many violent crimes committed in God’s name? More individuals have been killed in the name of God than for any other reason because they were happy to give their mental approval to the customs of their forebears and wanted others to do the same. More people have perished in the name of God for this one reason alone than for any other. Who is a person to say that they can sense the presence of God or their soul? Our capacity to recognize and experience them determines both their existence and the existence of a soul. If any of these false assertions, it is preferable not to believe them. Acting hypocritically is preferable to claiming to be an atheist. The Vedas claim that once a person understands the truth, realizes it, and feels it within his heart, all doubts, darkness, and crookedness will be gone. Man craves knowledge of and direct encounters with the truth.
The most pleasant state of mind
How hard it is to manage one’s thoughts! It has been likened to a manic-afflicted monkey. He was the kind of monkey always on the go; it was just who he was. And if that wasn’t enough, someone encouraged him to drink too much alcohol, further exacerbating his rage. Soon later, he was stung by a scorpion. The discouraged monkey immediately realized that things had substantially worsened; scorpion bite victims often have miserable days. Things became worse as a demon started to creep inside of him. Which word best sums up the monkey’s irrational agitation? The human mind is comparable to the monkey’s in that it is always active since that is how it is fundamentally made. But as it sips the wine of yearning, it becomes inebriated and behaves more erratically. One becomes envious of another’s success after achieving their own life goals. If you didn’t believe you were so important that you had to put yourself above all others, the world would be better. How difficult it must be to rein in such thinking!
A difficult project
The three primary nerve currents are Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna, and according to yogis, each of these currents might be found inside the spinal column. These currents go by the names Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna. The Ida and Pingala nerve clusters are located to the left and right of each other, respectively. In contrast, although in the centre, the Sushumna is empty and devoid of nerve clusters. This Sushumna has been sealed off and is thus of little importance to the average man since he requires the Ida and the Pingala to operate. These nerves continually transmit and receive electrical currents, which are then utilized to send and receive instructions to numerous organs and other parts of the body through other nerves. The first and most important step in the enormous amount of work ahead of us is to concentrate on attempting to control all of the deeply ingrained beliefs that are now second nature to us. Even if the awful behaviour occurs on a conscious level, its causes originated in the unconscious, where they were repressed and eventually gained strength. In this first phase of the investigation, the management of one’s unconsciousness is examined. The transcendence of one’s conscious state is the next level.
As a consequence, it is clear that a two-pronged approach is necessary. The Ida and the Pingala, the two regular currents already existent, must be in good working order first to govern the subconscious’ activity. Secondly, this process must continue even after gaining awareness. The Yogi had been practising self-concentration for years before coming to this realization. A current that has never entered this new passage will do so now that the Sushumna has opened. This stream, continuously ascending, will eventually reach the multiple lotus centres, which we’ll refer to as the symbolic brain. Finally, realizing that he is already God, the Yogi.
Introspection
You should hire a different site just for this activity if you have the means to do so. That chamber has a religious purpose. Hence you are not permitted to sleep there. One must enter the chamber after taking a shower and being mentally and physically clean. Flowers should always be available since they provide the ideal environment for yogis. Using peaceful pictures while decorating is a great additional suggestion. Both in the morning and at night, incense should be burned. Fighting, wrath, or impure thoughts are not permitted there. It would help if you only invited those interested in hearing what you have to say and who share your beliefs. The room will then begin to gradually fill with a holy aura, which will soothe you just by being there, regardless of how you feel—whether you are unhappy, uncertain, or otherwise anxious. A few churches and temples may still have it, however. The vast majority of these buildings are no longer useful for the purpose they were first designed. As long as there are holy vibrations present, it is anticipated that the area will continue to be lit. If you don’t have the money to rent a space, that’s alright since you may practice anywhere you like.
The Requirements for Meditation
In addition to areas with many anthills, dangerous animals, other fauna, four crossing roads, loud sounds, or unsavoury personalities, yoga should not be practised in areas with fire, water, or dry leaves. Particularly India may benefit from this. Do not try to practice when your body is weak or unwell or when your mind is exceedingly pathetic and sad. Relocate to an area that is hard to find so that no one can disturb you. Avoid visiting questionable websites. Opt for a beautiful part of your home or a stunning location instead of lovely furnishings. Before starting your practice, you should honour God, your Guru, and all previous Yogis.
