Meditation

Divine Life Society Publication: Dialogues From The Upanishads by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda

Om Sri Sadguru Paramatmane Namah

Meditation is the royal road to attain Godhead. It is the Grand Trunk road which takes the aspirant direct to the destination of Divine Consciousness. It is the mystic ladder which takes the Yogic students from earth to heaven. It is the Divine ladder of Yogins which pushes them to the heights of Asamprajnata Samadhi. It is the step in the staircase of Chidakasa to take the aspirant to the highest storey of Advaita-nishta and Kaivalya Mukti of Vedantins. Without it no spiritual progress is possible. It is a rope-bridge that allows the devotee to glide easily into the other shore of Bhava Samadhi and drink the honey of Prem and nectar of Immortality.

O Prem! There is a place where you will neither hear any sound nor see any colour. That place is Parama Dhama or Padam Anamaya (painless seat). This is the realm of peace and bliss. There is no body-consciousness here. Here the mind finds rest. All desires and cravings melt away. The Indriyas remain quiet here. The intellect ceases functioning. There is neither fight nor quarrel here. Will you seek this silent abode through silent meditation? Solemn stillness reigns supreme here. Rishis of yore attained this place only by melting the mind in the silence. Brahman shines in native effulgence.

Forget the body. Forget the surroundings. Forgetting is the highest Sadhana. It helps meditation a great deal. It makes the approach to God easier. By remembering God, you can forget all these things.

Taste the spiritual consciousness by withdrawing the mind from the sensual objects and fixing at the lotus feet of the Lord Who is ever shining in the chambers of your heart. Merge within by practising deep, silent meditation. Plunge deep. Swim freely in the ocean of Sat-chit-ananda. Float in the divine river of joy. Tap the source. March direct towards the fountainhead of Divine Consciousness and drink the Nectar. Feel the thrill of Divine Embrace and enjoy Divine Ecstasy. I shall leave you here. You have attained the state of immortality and fearlessness. O Prem! Fear not. Shine now. Thy light is come.

Practise regular, systematic meditation at the same hours daily. You will get the meditative mood easily. The more you meditate, the more you will have inner spiritual life, wherein mind and Indriyas do not play. You will be very close to the source, Atman. You will enjoy the wave of bliss and peace.

All sensual objects will have no attraction for you now. The world will appear to you as a long dream. Jnana will dawn in you by constant, deep meditation. You will be fully illumined. The curtain of ignorance will drop now. The sheaths will be torn. The body-idea will vanish. You will realise the significance of the Mahavakya, ‘Tat Tvam Asi’. All differences, distinctions, qualities will disappear. You will see everywhere one infinite, illimitable Atman, full of Bliss, Light and Knowledge. This will be a rare experience indeed. Do not tremble with fear like Arjuna. Be bold. You will he left alone now. There is nothing to see or hear now. There are no senses. It is all pure consciousness only.

Thou art Atman, O Prem. Thou art not this perishable body. Destroy the Moha for this filthy body. Do not utter in future, "My body." Say, "this instrument." The sun is setting now. It is drawing within all the rays. Now sit for meditation. Again have a dive in the sacred Atmic Triveni within. Collect all the rays of the mind and plunge within quite deep into the innermost recesses of the heart. Give up all sorts of fears, cares, worries and anxieties. Rest in the ocean of silence. Enjoy the eternal peace. Your old Jivahood is gone now. All limitations have disappeared. If the desires and old cravings try to hiss, destroy them by the rod of Viveka and the sword of Vairagya.

Keep these two with you always for some time till you get Brahmi-stithi (fully established in the Atman).

Om is Sat-chit-ananda. Om is Infinity, Eternity. Sing Om. Feel Om. Chant Om. Live in Om. Meditate on Om. Roar Om Om Om. Hear Om. Taste Om. See Om. Eat Om. Drink Om. Om is thy name! May that Om guide you! Om! Om! Om! Om Santi.

 Excerpts from: Meditation - Dialogues From The Upanishads by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda