EPISTLE OF SWAMI SIVANANDA - 8

            Epistle of Swami Sivananda - 8 

Meditation is freeing the mind from thoughts of sense objects. Mind dwells on God and God alone during meditation. Have perfect ethical perfection. Then alone you will be established in deep meditation.

Meditation follows concentration and samadhi (super-conscious state) follows meditation.

- - -

Be courageous. You will come across various obstacles in meditation. You will have to conquer sleep, distraction, a taste for sensual pleasure, laziness, etc.

Practise asanas regularly. 

Do a little tratak (gazing) and pranayama (yoga breathing). Do vichara (enquiry). Cultivate vairagya (dispassion). You will conquer all obstacles.

Samadhi is that state of pure consciousness, the supreme blissful state where the jivatma (soul) becomes one with Paramatma (Supreme Being).

- - -

Light diet, dispassion, discrimination, contact with a teacher, are necessary for the practice of meditation.

Meditation when persisted in and perfected, brings about the experience of super-consciousness or samadhi, the ultimate state of self-awareness or realisation.

- - -

When there is tension in the mind, when you cannot meditate, do kirtan or singing the Lord's name. You will get relaxation and concentration.

Kirtan is nectar. Kirtan is divine food for the soul Kirtan develops divine love. Kirtan produces bhava samadhi (ecstasy of devotion).

- - -

Samadhi leads to direct, intuitive realisation of the infinite. It is an inner divine experience, beyond the reach of speech and mind.

A jnani or sage will always be in samadhi, although engaged in worldly actions.

One without full even mindedness will never be able to go into samadhi even though he sits in padmasana for several hours. When all cravings cease, when one gets equal vision, he attains jnana vision and Brahmic bliss.

Epistle of Swami Sivananda - 8 (...continued) 

Spiritual experiences differ in sadhakas (seekers) according to the nature of their sadhana (practice) and the yoga they are practising. Some hear anahat (mystic) sounds in the ear. Some see brilliant lights. Some have vision of rishis (sages), mountains, rivers, etc.

Some experience cosmic consciousness. This is a rare experience. It cannot be expressed in words.

- - -

Maya is the illusory power of the Lord. Maya hides the real and makes the unreal appear as real. Maya is shuddha (pure) satva.

Do not enquire now into the origin of maya. Strive for its destruction. Maya is indescribable. It can be crossed - through the grace of God acquired by self-surrender. When jnana is attained, then you will know all about maya.

- - -

Avidya is ignorance. It is the cause for bondage. Vidya is the cause for liberation.

Destroy the root of avidya through knowledge of Atman.

Avidya is the causal body of the individual soul. It is impure satva. It is mixed with rajas (activity) and tamas (inertia).

Avidya is the cause for births and deaths. Mind and body are the effects of avidya.

- - -

Samadhi is union with God. It is a state of eternal bliss and eternal wisdom. It cannot be described in words. In savikalpa samadhi there is the triad, knower, knowledge, and knowable.

In samadhi mind, intellect and senses cease functioning. All dualities vanish in toto.

Meditate ceaselessly and enjoy the supreme bliss of nirvikalpa samadhi.

- - -

Please note the difference between sleep and samadhi. Sleep is an inert state. But samadhi is a state of pure awareness or pure consciousness.

When a man returns from sleep, he is heavy and dull. He has no experience of wisdom of Atman. But when the yogi comes down from samadhi, he is full of wisdom of Atman. 

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888