Meditation & Its Practices

Swami Adiswarananda

Description

The complete sourcebook for exploring Hinduism's two most time-honored traditions of meditation. Meditation is a subject of universal interest, practiced by seekers of all traditions on the quest for serenity, peace, and blessedness. Among the many traditions of meditation in Hinduism, Yoga and Vedanta have passed the test of time, proving as vital today as they were throughout the ages in helping seekers overcome the maladies of life and attain the greatest spiritual fulfillment. In one comprehensive volume, Meditation & Its Practices illuminates the principles of the Yoga and Vedanta meditation traditions, the meaning of meditation, its goal of Self-Knowledge, the methods by which concentration is developed, and the ways of achieving self-control. Defining key concepts in clear terms, this complete guidebook covers every aspect of this ancient spiritual practice, including:

• Goals and Benefits of Meditation
• Objects of Meditation
• Methods of Concentration
• Posture, Physical Condition, Eating Habits, and Spiritual Exercises
• Mystical Experiences and Realizations
• Obstacles in Meditation and Ways of Overcoming Them

Drawing on both classic and contemporary sources, this comprehensive sourcebook outlines the scientific, psychological, and spiritual elements of Yoga and Vedanta meditation, the results of which lead not to the seeker's dreams and visions but to the transformation of his or her character.

Sujets

• Mindulness
• Ved?nta
• Vedanta
• Meditation

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 29 octobre 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781594734021
• Langue: English

Extrait

Also Available from the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center and SkyLight Paths
Meditation Its Practices
A Definitive Guide to Techniques and Traditions of Meditation in Yoga and Vedanta
Swami Adiswarananda
Minister and Spiritual Leader of the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center of New York
Meditation Its Practices:
A Definitive Guide to Techniques and Traditions
of Meditation in Yoga and Vedanta
First Quality Paperback Printing 2007
First Hardcover Printing 2003
2003 by Swami Adiswarananda
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Page 464 constitutes a continuation of this copyright page.
For information regarding permission to reprint material from this book, please mail or fax your request in writing to SkyLight Paths Publishing, Permissions Department, at the address / fax number listed below, or e-mail your request to [e-mail] .
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Adiswarananda, Swami, 1925-
Meditation its practices: a definitive guide to techniques and traditions of meditation in Yoga and Vedanta / Swami Adiswarananda.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN-13: 978-1-893361-83-6 (hc.)
ISBN-10: 1-893361-83-7 (hc.)
1. Meditation. I. Title: Meditation and its practices. II. Title.
BL627.A33 2003
294.5 435-dc21
2003007147
ISBN-13: 978-1-59473-105-1 (quality pbk.)
ISBN-10: 1-59473-105-5 (quality pbk.)

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As a lamp in a windless place does not flicker -that is the figure used for the disciplined mind of a yogi practicing concentration on the Self.
-B HAGAVAD G ITA 6.19
Contents
Preface
Introduction
PART ONE: THE PROCESS OF MEDITATION
1. The Meaning of Meditation
2. The Meditative State
3. The Goal of Meditation
4. The Benefits of Meditation
5. Meditation in the System of Yoga
6. Meditation in Vedanta
7. The Sacred Texts on Meditation
8. The Three Key Factors in All Meditation
PART TWO: OBJECTS OF MEDITATION
9. Objects of Meditation in Yoga and Vedanta
10. Meditation on a Divine Form
11. Meditation on a Divine Incarnation
12. Meditation on the Lord as Inmost Self and Supreme Teacher
13. Meditation on Virata Purusha, the Cosmic Person
14. Meditation on the Sacred Word Om
15. Meditation on the Gayatri Mantra
16. Meditation on the Great Vedic Sayings
17. Meditation on a Sacred Text, Word, or Mystic Syllable
PART THREE: CENTERS OF CONSCIOUSNESS
18. The Centers for Meditation
19. Dualism, Nondualism, and the Centers
PART FOUR: METHODS OF CONCENTRATION
20. Withdrawal and Concentration of Mind
21. Posture
22. Time and Place, Spiritual Vibrations, and Geographical Directions
23. Physical Condition, Eating Habits, and Exercise
24. Self-Analysis
25. Mystic Worship
26. Japa , or Repetition of a Sacred Word
27. Pranayama , or Control of Breath
PART FIVE: PROGRESS IN MEDITATION
28. Milestones of Progress
29. Mystical Experiences and Realizations
30. The Transformation of Character
31. The Sacred Texts on Progress in Meditation
PART SIX: OBSTACLES IN MEDITATION
32. Obstacles in Meditation and Ways of Overcoming Them
Notes
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
About SkyLight Paths
Copyright
Preface
M editation is a subject of universal interest. It is practiced by spiritual seekers of all traditions, in some form or another, for serenity, peace, and blessedness. The time-honored teachings of meditation, as embodied in the systems of Yoga and Vedanta, serve as a source of inspiration to seekers all over the world. Among the many traditions of meditation in Hinduism, the traditions of Yoga and Vedanta are generally regarded as the two mainstream teachings. While both Yoga and Vedanta strive for the same goal, the two systems differ in their approach to that goal. The present book is a study of the subject of meditation and its practices following the methods and teachings of these two systems.
There are four universal principles of Yoga and Vedanta: divinity of the individual soul, unity of existence, oneness of the Ultimate Reality, and harmony of religions. Divinity of the soul is the unshakable spiritual basis of freedom and self-fulfillment. The unity of existence is the foundation of all ethical virtues. Self-love is the mainspring of a man s action and the raison d tre of his love for others. But Yoga and Vedanta remind us that the true self of a person is the self of all beings. While the Ultimate Reality is one, the names, forms, and symbols describing It are various. They are frail attempts of the human mind to name the nameless and to attribute form to that which is formless. Oneness of the Ultimate Reality teaches us to remain loyal to our own ideal, but to show positive respect to the ideals of others. All religions are fundamentally the same. Unity in diversity is the law of life and so it is in matters of religion. Different seekers following different paths are all trying to reach the same goal. The methods of meditation in Yoga and Vedanta do not cater to emotionalism or any form of sentimentalism. They are precise, scientific, and psychological. They do not measure success in meditation by the seeker s dreams or visions, which are personal and private, but by transformation of his or her character. Following these methods of meditation, many have attained direct perception of truth and the fulfillment of life. These traditions, methods, and teachings of Yoga and Vedanta have passed the test of time, and they are as alive today as they were in the past.
In support of the presentations in the book, extensive citations have been made from orthodox texts. These texts include Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali; Upanishads; Bhagavad Gita; Uddhava Gita (The Last Message of Sri Krishna); Vivekachudamani (The Crest Jewel of Discrimination); Aparokshanubhuti (Direct Experience of Reality); The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna; Sri Ramakrishna, the Great Master; Vivekananda: The Yogas and Other Works; The Teachings of Holy Mother, Sri Sarada Devi; The Laws of Manu , and others. Teachings on the subject of meditation that remain scattered over many texts have been brought together in this volume for the convenience of spiritual seekers. The explanations given with the texts are based on the orthodox interpretations of Yoga and Vedanta.
The book is the result of painstaking research of several years. Many have worked hard to make this publication possible. I am deeply grateful to Martin Sulzberg, Barry Zelikovsky, Rob Baker, Priscilla Carden, Lisa Meyer, Mary Jo Krey, and others for reading and editing the manuscript and giving valuable suggestions. I will feel greatly rewarded if the book is of help to spiritual seekers in the practice of meditation.
S WAMI A DISWARANANDA
Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center
New York
Introduction
L ife in this world is not what it appears to be. It is plagued by pairs of opposites, such as pain and pleasure, birth and death, and hope and disappointment. It is subject to six changes: birth, subsistence, growth, maturity, decline, and death. Dangers and difficulties pursue us everywhere. Uncertainties at every step of life create anxiety, fear, and hopelessness. As we grow older our optimism turns into pessimism. Youthful dreams of happiness and fulfillment rarely come true. It is said that a human individual is born crying, lives complaining, and dies disappointed. Asked by a king about the meaning of life, a sage once replied, A man is born, he suffers, and he dies. More than twenty-five hundred years ago Buddha said that if all the tears that had flowed from human eyes since the beginning of creation were gathered together, they would exceed the waters of the ocean.
Responses to the problem of suffering have been various. Believers in a millennium live with the hope that someday a prophet or an Incarnation of God will be born and usher in a golden age of peace and happiness. There are others who try to cope with the problems of life. Dangers and difficulties, uncertainties and changes, they say, are inevitable and nothing can be done about them; and so we must learn to live with them. Transcendentalists try to withdraw from life and seek solace and serenity on the spiritual plane. So-called pragmatists maintain that this life is the only life we have, and so we must enjoy it to the full. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Progressivists believe that through the advancement of science and technology someday all evils and ills will be eliminated, and then there will be only good. Hardened materialists choose to fight the ills of life solely by material means. People of faith consider life inherently corrupt and sinful and are of the opinion that any attempt to improve it is futile. They bear with life and practice virtues, hoping for compensation hereafter. But none of the above solutions really helps us to