Satsang Bhavan Lectures of Swami Sivananda
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25. MEDITATION
Now I will talk a few words on meditation, dhyana yoga. To meditate is our foremost duty. It is for that we have taken our birth here. To concentrate, to purify, to meditate and realise our essential divine nature is our foremost duty. Realisation cuts the knots of avidya, kama and karma and gives us permanent satisfaction and everlasting peace and eternal bliss.
There are various kinds of meditation—saguna dhyana for devotees, nirguna dhyana for vedantins and jyotir dhyana. Jyotishamapi tat jyotih tamasah paramuchyate, jnanam, jneyam, jnanagamyam, hridi sarvasyavishtitam—'Light of lights, which transcends darkness. which transcends inertia, which is attainable through knowledge, which is seated in your heart'. Nowhere you will find this in the western philosophical books. It is only a realised sage like Lord Krishna that can, give the summum bonum of human existence, the essence of all scriptures, in one word—jyotishamapi tat jyotih. What is the nature of Brahman? It is Light of lights. It is seated in the hearts of all. You study Western philosophical books ten or fifteen volumes, and at the end you will find yourself to be an agnostic. That is the difference between the teachings of Eastern sages and the writings of Western philosophers. That Light of lights which transcends darkness, which transcends the three gunas is close to you, closer than the jugular vein, closer than your breath. How to obtain this? Through wisdom, through meditation, you will have to obtain this. Every indriya is a light. Ear is a light; eye is a light. Every sense perception is a jyoti, because through the organs of perception you get knowledge of this world. Each is a light. Intellect is a light. Prana is a light. He who gives light to these—these Light of lights—is your own Atma.
antar jyotih bahir jyotih,
pratyak jyoti paratharam,
jyotin jyoti swayam jyoti,
atma jyoti sivosmyaham.
If you meditate on this, you will attain jnana and will be established in the supreme Light of lights.
na tatra suryo bhati, an chandra tarakam
nema vidyuto bhanti kutoyamagnih.
tameva bhan tamanubhati sarvam
tasya bhasa sarvamidam vibhati.
(Katha Upanishad, II.5.15)
The sun does not shine there, neither the moon, nor the stars, nor the lightnings. Through its Light all the objects of this world are illuminated, the senses and mind are illuminated. The mind, intellect and senses borrow their light from the ultimate source, the fountain source for everything. There is another upanishadic verse:
satyena labhyastapasa hyesha atma,
samyagjnanena brahmacharyena nityam,
antah sareere jyotirmayo hi subhro yam
pasyanti yatayah ksheenadoshah.
(Mundaka Upanishad, III.1.5)
The method of attaining the self is given. By truth, by tapas, cosmic consciousness by constant practice of celibacy you will find it in your own body. Jyotirmaya—Light of lights. Subhro—bright, self-effulgent. It is attained by those who are free from all doshas, who are free from all the thirteen evil vrittis. Fear is a dosha. Sleep is a dosha. He who has controlled sleep by meditation on the Atma, who has stopped the vibration of prana, beholds the light of lights. The world exists because prana vibrates. Where there is vibration of prana there is life. He who has controlled the prana becomes immortal. He who has conquered sleep attains the Light of lights. He rests in his own Atma and enjoys the supreme bliss.
So let us practise meditation, either saguna dhyana or nirguna dhyana or jyotir dhyana and become one with the supreme Light of lights and free ourselves from the trammels of karma and become jivanmuktas and bhagavatas in this very birth, not in the unknown future, but in this very birth.
26. FORMULAS FOR MEDITATION
There are some upanishadic mantras which will help you to go near Brahman or God and to establish yourself in Brahman. They are formulas for vedantic nidhidhyasan.
Atma, antaryamy amritam—this comes in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. This Atman is the inner ruler, immortal. This indicates the real, immortal nature of Brahman and his being the inner ruler. He rules the mind, he rules the subconscious mind, he rules the indriyas. The word, 'antaryami' takes you near Brahman. He is not very far. He is the inner ruler. The word 'antaryami' makes you feel that Brahman is close to you. So this formula helps you in vedantic nidhidhyasan and takes you near Brahman. Atma, antaryami, amritam—you will have to constantly meditate on this formula. This will destroy dehadhyasa, body consciousness. One all-pervading substance exists. Again and again if you meditate on this formula this is quite sufficient for you to attain self-realisation. You are not this perishable body. You are the Atma, the inner ruler, immortal.
The second formula is that which comes in Svetaswatara Upanishad and very often quoted by vedantic students. It is very helpful in vedantic nidhidhyasan and brings you near God.
eko devah sarvabhuteshu goodah
sarvavyapi sarvabhu tantaratma,
karmadhyaksha, sarvabhutadhivasa,
sakshi cheta kevalo nirgunascha.
(Svetasvatara Upanishad VI.11)
There are three terms here through which you can have nearness of Brahman. Antaratma—He is the innermost self, Atman, the source for the mind, body and indriyas. That is the only reality. Karmadhyaksha—'He supervises all your actions—mental actions, thoughts, feelings and sentiments'. Karmadhyaksha is a word which takes you near Brahman. Sarvabhutadhivasa—He is the indweller in all beings. He is not in Mount Abu or Mount Kailas. He is very close to you, and you have come very close to him. Sakshi, antaratma—these are the formulas for meditation. Eko devah savabhuteshu goodah—'Hidden in all beings'. Sarvavyapi—innermost Atman, pratyagatma. Sakshi—who witnesses thoughts, feelings and sentiments. So meditation on this mantra that is found in Svetaswatara Upanishad is useful for getting oneself established in one's own satchidananda swaroopa. Upanishads are vast and Srutis are countless, but a few words like this are formulas for vedantic meditation which will help you to attain self-realisation.
The third formula comes in Kenopanishad. Manaso manah, pranasya pranah, srotrasya srotram, chakshushah chakshuh—'Mind of minds, Prana of pranas, Ear of ears, Eye of eyes, Tongue of tongues'. He is very close to you. 'Mind of mind'—He gives Light to this mind. Mind borrows its light from the supreme Light of lights, param jyoti, self-effulgent. Pranasya pranah—'You live on account of prana'—prana is life, but the prana itself derives its power and energy from the Atman or Brahman.
Srotrasya srotram—'He makes the ear to hear'. Chakshushah chakshuh—'He gives light to the eye'. The eye sees on account of the light that it gets from the self. He gives the tongue the power to taste various kinds of objects. So, how close Brahman has come to you. Remember this formula of Kenopanishad. This will help you to attain self-realisation quickly. Brahman is near you and you are near Brahman.
And the fourth formula is from the Gurustotra;
brahmanandam pramasukhadam kevalam jnanamoorthim,
dwandateetam gaganasadrisham tatwamasyadi lakshyam,
ekam nityam vimalamachalam sarvadheesahshibhutam,
bhavateetam trigunarahita satguram tam namami.
Sarvadheesakshibhootam—The word 'sakshi' is a very significant term. He is the witness of the intellect. He is behind the intellect. He permeates the intellect. He is the interpenetrating presence. Ekam, Nityam—'one' and 'eternal'. Vimalam—'free from impurities'. Achalam—'immovable'. Where will he move? He is all-pervading. These are the terms on which you have to constantly meditate. Brahman can be attained only through some formulas. The mind wants some prop to lean upon. The above formulas will help you to attain self-realisation. They will bring you nearer to Brahman and God. Have strong conviction.
There are three kinds of doubts: samsayabhavana, asambhavana and vipareeta bhavana. As you find in the Gita, the excited senses carry away even a wise man. Therefore, how powerful is the mind! Ekam, Nityam—if you meditate on this formula, you will have a strong conviction about the existence of Brahman. 'Sravan' destroys samsayabhavana, 'manan' destroys asambhavana and 'nidhidhyasana' destroys vipareeta bhavana. When the aspirant is not established in his own satchidananda swaroopa, all of a sudden he doubts if there can be an all-pervading Brahman. Samsaya comes in. Then asambhavana—how can the individual soul, with a limited, perishable body, identify himself with the supreme, all-pervading substance? Then vipareetabhavana—he begins to identify himself with the body, in spite of all his meditation. Through sravan, manan and nidhidhyasan, you should destroy samsayabhavana, asambhavana and vipareetabhavana. Through these vedantic formulas you should annihilate these three doubts.
The fifth formula is a little kirtan which I used to sing.
deenabandhu deenanatha, viswanatha he vibho,
pahi mam, trahi mam, prananatha he prabho.
Prabhum prananatham, vibhum viswanatham. Vibhu—'He is the all-pervading Lord of the universe'. Prananatha—'He is the Lord of the pranas. He is the Lord of the mind and he is the Lord of the senses'. Viswanatha—'He is the Lord of the universe'. This formula will help you to attain self-realisation quickly and remove all doubts and bring you nearer to God or Brahman.
deenabandhu deenanatha, viswanatha he vibho,
pahi mam, trahi mam, prananatha he prabho.
These are wonderful formulas of bhaktas. They will help you to attain self-realisation. 'Pahi mam', 'trahi mam', 'prasida', 'Sri Rama Saranam Mama', 'Sri Krishna Saranam Mama', 'Palaya Mam'—these are formulas for effecting self-surrender, total, ungrudging self-surrender.
Sastras are endless. Life is short. So we cannot master various kinds of puranas and darshanas. The essence of the Vedas, the essence of all the scriptures, is contained in these few formulas. These are quite sufficient for attaining self-realisation. Every formula has got achintya sakti (unthinkable power), ananta sakti (infinite power) and sarva sakti (all powers). You need not study the twelve classical Upanishads. If you can meditate constantly on these formulas, negating the body, sublating all names and forms and taking out the asti-bhati-priya (existence-consciousness-
Let us remember these formulas and attain self-realisation here and now. May Lord bless you all with health, long life, tushti and kaivalya moksha.
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