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geetha.suresh
20 November 2013, 04:34 AM
Namaskara Babaji Jai Srikrishna

I want to know How easily do the meditation?

How to build up concentration in a easiest manner?

c.smith
20 November 2013, 11:36 AM
Hari Om!

Am far from the most qualified to answer your query but would like to offer what I've found works for many.

Do What You're Already Good At!

I understand this needs clarification.

Have you ever been to the cinema or perhaps been so intensely involved in a book that you've noticed nothing around you? The story line has taken you to a place of full concentration, perhaps even a one pointed concentration. Yes, meditation in a basic form!! Now apply it to god, mantra, a point on the wall, a divine work, etc. Get so involved, focus, concentrate - meditation will come easily.

Yes, this seems over simplified and perhaps even very "Western", but many of my Western friends claim that they would like to meditate and ask for pointers not realizing that they are already achieving it in some form.

From this simple point all things begin. Water the seedling and the plant will grow.

Realize that the teacher is within. Attend satsang. Become inspired. So many things come to mind and looking back, they were all "easy".

Am also a huge advocate of Yog Nidra.

All the best to you on your journey.

Om

Amrut
22 November 2013, 03:58 AM
Namaskara Babaji Jai Srikrishna

I want to know How easily do the meditation?

How to build up concentration in a easiest manner?

Namaskar,

First step for meditation is often related to breath. Just observe Breath. Do not control it, do not try to force yourself to concentrate too much not breath. When thoughts come, do not get upset. It is natural, just be aware of thought, peacefully shift your focus back to breath.

Do this for 10 minutes daily, maybe 2 times a day, before going to sleep and immediately after waking in morning.

Aum

the sadhu
22 November 2013, 11:55 AM
hello,

Inquire into your senses...
What does the world look like without useing the eyes?
Or who is feeling this here-ness? (The nervous system)

SuryaVedanta754
24 November 2013, 06:27 AM
Meditation On God

(from various sources)


Meditation on God does not have to be complex. A very simple version is what is called Ramanama in Hinduism.

Here is Mahatma Gandhi on Ramanama (repetition of the name of God):


http://www.mkgandhi.org/momgandhi/chap15.htm


The same practice is used to virtually all the major religions.


Instead of using the name "Rama" one can use, Krishna, Rama, Shiva, Lord, Almighty or whatever name feels right for you.

So, just sit in a quiet place and silently repeat the name, while thinking about the form of God you have chosen.

The Sri Ramakrishna path called this meditating upon one's "Chosen Ideal."

One can do this for 3 - 5 minutes every day. Or one can do it for 5 - 15 minutes per day or even longer.

Meditation does not have to be more complex.

As one gets deeper and deeper into this meditation, one can imagine being in God's presence, imagine God in a human form, sitting next to you, imaging being at God's feet, or alone with God in a cave in some high mountain, completely removed from all civilization.

Meditation starts out with a mental idea and mental imagination. But that is just the door to real meditation. Real meditation uses that key to unlock what, in fact, becomes the descent of God and our absorption in the consciousness of God.

yajvan
26 November 2013, 10:39 AM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté


Namaskara Babaji Jai Srikrishna

I want to know How easily do the meditation?
How to build up concentration in a easiest manner?
You have been given advice, but none have asked, what do you wish to accomplish?

iti śivaṁ

silence_speaks
19 December 2013, 04:04 AM
Dear geetha.suresh ji,
:) Concentration is automatic when there is interest. It need not be built ... If you feel you lack concentration on a specific thing, it just means you are not interested in it.

Meditation is also similar... long before you sit down for meditation, you have to become meditative. unfortunately everyone will tell you how to bring the mind back to meditation ... but no one would comment on why the mind is not in meditation in the first place !!

please message me if you want further clarification on this .

No fruitful conversation can take place in the thread itself as the time taken by our admins to approve these posts is at-least a couple of days !!

Love!
Silence

Believer
20 December 2013, 09:38 AM
Namaste,

No fruitful conversation can take place in the thread itself as the time taken by our admins to approve these posts is at-least a couple of days !!
That is a very uncharitable thing to say and unbecoming of a person like you.

Posts are moderated only for new members for quality control. I am sure that the OP is a very patient person as he/she has waited for one month to get your comments. Free use of the forum space is like a gift horse that one should not look in the mouth.

Pranam.

Believer
21 December 2013, 10:22 AM
Namaste,

This has turned into a very educational thread. Here is some of the wisdom expressed by various members,

A philosophical observation:

Concentration is automatic when there is interest. It need not be built ... If you feel you lack concentration on a specific thing, it just means you are not interested in it.

Meditation is also similar... long before you sit down for meditation, you have to become meditative. unfortunately everyone will tell you how to bring the mind back to meditation ... but no one would comment on why the mind is not in meditation in the first place !!

The practical approaches:

Have you ever been to the cinema or perhaps been so intensely involved in a book that you've noticed nothing around you? The story line has taken you to a place of full concentration, perhaps even a one pointed concentration. Yes, (that is) meditation in a basic form!! Now apply it to god, mantra, a point on the wall, a divine work, etc. Get so involved, focus, concentrate - meditation will come easily.


First step for meditation is often related to breath. Just observe Breath. Do not control it, do not try to force yourself to concentrate too much not breath. When thoughts come, do not get upset. It is natural, just be aware of thought, peacefully shift your focus back to breath.

"Long before you sit down for meditation, you have to become meditative." - we should start winding down from the earthly thought process long before we actually sit down for meditation. With practice and regular observance, our whole existence will become one long meditative state!

Pranam.

silence_speaks
23 December 2013, 12:19 AM
Dear Believer,
:)



"Long before you sit down for meditation, you have to become meditative." - we should start winding down from the earthly thought process long before we actually sit down for meditation. With practice and regular observance, our whole existence will become one long meditative state!


While this is true, what I wanted to bring out was slightly on a different line. Suppose a person is afraid of a shadow - he thinks its a ghost. Now he goes to a guru and he gives him a "Mantra" to chant whenever that ghost is near ... and so he tries to chant the mantra... but is not able to concentrate on it.
:)
Whats the problem and whats the solution ??

Love!
Silence

Vega
23 December 2013, 08:50 PM
All you need to do is sit there and blank out. I find the process simple, but gaining momentum into a long mediation period is somewhat hard in a sitting position, so I meditate while lying down since it seems to be more conducive to getting into a meditative state. While lying down, I am able to meditate for several hours.

As for my usual mind set and emotional set, I am normally neutral, therefore I am not thinking or feeling anything most of the time, so therefore I am mostly meditating during my waking hours.

Believer
24 December 2013, 01:15 PM
Namaste,

All you need to do is sit there and blank out. I find the process simple, but gaining momentum into a long mediation period is somewhat hard in a sitting position, so I meditate while lying down since it seems to be more conducive to getting into a meditative state. While lying down, I am able to meditate for several hours.

As for my usual mind set and emotional set, I am normally neutral, therefore I am not thinking or feeling anything most of the time, so therefore I am mostly meditating during my waking hours.
Good that you are 'normally neutral' and are in a perpetual meditative state. This thread deals with people who drive in busy traffic, who go out to make a living, get pressured by customers and/or bosses, have to worry about paying their bills, have to worry about raising children the right way and a million other things. So, average people are NOT 'in neutral' and need to 'blank out' a couple of times a day to calm down. They need pointers in 'entering' a meditative state when their minds have been going on at 100 miles an hour. And they need to do it at their place of work sitting up, not lying down in a hallway. :) Renunciates and ascetics already know how to meditate. It is the common householder who is all wound up, stressed out and agitated due to the stresses of life who needs to find a way to calm down. My being normally in neutral state does not help them in getting into the same state one bit. Healthy people don't need to see a doctor, only the sick ones do.

Pranam.

ameyAtmA
25 December 2013, 02:41 AM
Namaste,

Good that you are 'normally neutral' and are in a perpetual meditative state. This thread deals with people who drive in busy traffic, who go out to make a living, get pressured by customers and/or bosses, have to worry about paying their bills, have to worry about raising children the right way and a million other things. So, average people are NOT 'in neutral' and need to 'blank out' a couple of times a day to calm down. They need pointers in 'entering' a meditative state when their minds have been going on at 100 miles an hour. And they need to do it at their place of work sitting up, not lying down in a hallway. :) Renunciates and ascetics already know how to meditate. It is the common householder who is all wound up, stressed out and agitated due to the stresses of life who needs to find a way to calm down. My being normally in neutral state does not help them in getting into the same state one bit. Healthy people don't need to see a doctor, only the sick ones do.

Pranam.

Namaste Believer

Very realistic. I am sure you will agree that if these gṛhastha (householders) resorted to Hari Kirtan, there life will be so beautiful, and eventually, thanks to HarinAm, they will break the knots (granthI) of attachment (AsaktI), so then they will be calm about paying bills and raising children or driving in traffic at a later stage.

This is so because all toubles become insignificant and duty becomes devotional service, once Mukunda MAdhav Govinda is in their lives and heartṣ So much, that the person who diliberately tries hard to agitate you gets angry at your indifference and stomps away :)

Meanwhile, while they are NOT YET in such a state, all they have to do is let Hari kirtan run in the mind, aloud, on a simple music player or the computer, while driving or paying bills or at home while with family. mṛdunga or not, kartAL or not, sankirtan or not, together or alone, it matters noṭ.

At work? they can have Mukunda and His nAma anywhere and everywhere, (not just on visible screen-saver wallpaper or on the desk), and nobody needs to know :)

Mainly this will take all the worries away due to change in perspective and so the mind will not be on the worrisome thoughts anymore. Leave the worry-burden at KRshNaś Lotus Feeṭ.

So, I would say why bang the head against the wall ? This goes totally with what silence_speaks has been saying - 'first become meditative', then it will be naturaḷ.

Our way of "first becoming meditative" is this Hari sharaN (taking shelter of Hari) while simultaneously letting it sink in --- that this mind, thoughts, personality, image, desire that everything should turn out right, desire that everyone should call me good, ... are not 'me', are of no consequence, are not real, are not the shAsvat (eternal) or ultimate Trutḥ. Only the original pure consciousness, the SELF iṣ. The SELF is certainly not all this, no. (This is the "shadow mistaken as ghost" in silenceś' post # )

bhAgvat dharma.
science of bhakti yog. dnyAna yog.

hari bol hari bol hari hari bol , mukunda mAdhav keshav govinda boḷ...
shri KRshNa govinda rAm shri madhusudan, giridhara gopinAtha madana mohan,
hare harAya namo KRshNa yAdavAya namo, yAdavAya mAdhavAya keshavAya namo...

yajvan
25 December 2013, 12:35 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté

All the writings above are good, well intentioned and properly directed, yet one must ask , what is the state or condition of the abhyāsin¹ or śiṣya¹ ? We can consider 3 + 1 types:


The first is that student that is like wood... it takes substantinal effort (tapas) to ignite the the flame of sādhana or said another way, to reduce/eliminate the vāsanā-s (impressions in the mind) that are in play.
The second type of student is that of milk - it takes some effort in churning, yet cream is produced from the effort.
The third type is that of a gem - just some polishing is needed for this gem to be clear and reflect the brilliance of Being.
The fourth is that where little-to-nothing needs to be done; just a nudge from the teacher, or an insight will be enough for
this fully-ripened being to re-recognize his/her real status (ātma-svarupa¹).iti śivaṁ

words

abhyāsa - initially means reaching to; its secondary meaning is repeated or permanent exercise and also means the effort of the mind to remain in its unmodified condition of purity (sattva).
śiṣya - student
svarūpa - one's own form or shape.

Amrut
25 December 2013, 10:55 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté

All the writings above are good, well intentioned and properly directed, yet one must ask , what is the state or condition of the abhyāsin¹ or śiṣya¹ ? We can consider 3 + 1 types:


The first is that student that is like wood... it takes substantinal effort (tapas) to ignite the the flame of sādhana or said another way, to reduce/eliminate the vāsanā-s (impressions in the mind) that are in play.
The second type of student is that of milk - it takes some effort in churning, yet cream is produced from the effort.
The third type is that of a gem - just some polishing is needed for this gem to be clear and reflect the brilliance of Being.
The fourth is that where little-to-nothing needs to be done; just a nudge from the teacher, or an insight will be enough for
this fully-ripened being to re-recognize his/her real status (ātma-svarupa¹).iti śivaṁ

words

abhyāsa - initially means reaching to; its secondary meaning is repeated or permanent exercise and also means the effort of the mind to remain in its unmodified condition of purity (sattva).
śiṣya - student
svarūpa - one's own form or shape.

Namaste,

These are excellent points. I have slightly different e.gs

1. Wet wood -takes time to catch fire and extinguish
2. Dry wood - immediately catches fire, but burning takes time
3. Fire Cracker - Blasts immediately

Hari Aum

silence_speaks
26 December 2013, 05:03 AM
Friends,
:) My take is this: what purpose does it serve to categorize people thus ?
All that is required is to aid the student see the Truth.
This kind of categorization can only create complexes in people ... inferiority or superiority: both are dangerous.

Lets just be simple beings ... may be some get faster and some take a little time ... but in essence we are all that Self alone. So lets concentrate on how to help each other through simple clues and suggestions that can take them a long way.

Even if sama, dama etc are lacking in some ways... whats needed is the suggestion as to how one may improve there and correct oneself.

Love!
Silence

JaiMaaDurga
26 December 2013, 09:02 PM
Namaste,

There are several good points raised in previous replies.
As far as categorization is concerned, I am thinking the point of
mentioning was simply to elaborate that one who wishes to provide good
information when questions are asked must understand not only the
question, but the questioner- "To each according to their ability".

This is why yajvan's first reply is significant; "None have asked 'What do
you wish to accomplish?'"

In the absence of specifics, such a reply as Indiaspirituality's first in this
thread can certainly do no harm. Since the OP has not replied, this seems
to have become more a theoretical and indirect conversation, rather than
an attempt to answer the OP. Yet the potential audience must always be
supposed to consist of any mixture of knowledge/ignorance, yes?

Such is the nature of the Internet forum, as opposed to interaction in
person- the lack of context requires far more patience and caution, for
the equivalent level of clarity for all parties involved ;)

JAI MATA DI

yajvan
30 December 2013, 02:47 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté


You have been given advice, but none have asked, what do you wish to accomplish?

Some plausible answers in ascending degree of brilliance:


I do not know what I wish to accomplish.
Others are doing it, it seems right to do.
I wish to calm the mind
I wish to gain peace
tajjaḥ saṃskāro 'nyasaṃskārapratibandhī || 50 from patañjali’s yogadarśana (the yoga sutras of Patañjali).
tajjaḥ = sprung from or ~ therefrom~
saṃskāro 'nya = saṃskāra + anya
saṃskāra = memory , mental impression or recollection , impression on the mind of acts done in a former state
anya = other
pratibandhī = prati + bandhī = again , in return + prey , spoils
prati = again , in return
bandhī = prey , spoils
hence,
therefrom this impression ( i.e. of samādhi) any other impressions (saṃskāra-s) are spoiled ( or becomes prey)
or, I wish to remove passed impressions and establish samādhi perpetually.
I wish to have the Self reveal itSelf to Itself.iti śivaṁ

silence_speaks
02 January 2014, 12:22 AM
Dear Yajvan ji,
:)

To my knowledge there is just one reason behind all these:
I am a lacking individual.



"I do not know what I wish to accomplish."
= I lack something that I do not know.
"Others are doing it, it seems right to do."
= I lack something that others have and that something can help me!
"I wish to calm the mind"
= I lack calmness of mind
"I wish to gain peace "
= I lack peace.
"I wish to remove passed impressions and establish samādhi perpetually."
= I lack a vasana-less samadhi state
/* Ashtavakra gita says: this indeed is your bondage that you try for samadhi! */
"I wish to have the Self reveal itSelf to Itself."
= I lack a Self that reveals itself to itself.
/* why? Is not the Self Every Revealed ? Has it got to reveal anew ? */


"I Lack" is the problem.

Solution is to inquire "Who Lacks"!

Love!
Silence

markandeya 108 dasa
30 March 2014, 07:15 AM
Pranams wise Sages,

I find the Buddhist traditions uphold a good process for meditation, and we as students Veda know that this tradition was born from the yogis and acetics that practiced Dhyana

http://www.acchttp://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/gunaratana/wheel351.htmlsstoinsight.org/lib/authors/gunaratana/wheel351.html

I hope this can be helpful

Dandavats in the dust of all the Sadhakas

Markandeya

atlast
03 June 2014, 05:32 PM
Hello Geetha ...
I will offer a little help in how to control the mind in a post in which I will give soon. I will title it ... "Meditation & Mind".

jaysam
08 July 2014, 12:39 AM
hello,
More and more these days we see countless recommendations to practice the age old art and science of meditation. Most, if not all, extol its seemingly magical power on the human psyche through its purported benefits. These recommendations and claims have stood the test of time as they are universally accepted and well justified. Let us revisit and explore this divine gift we all posses.Allison Eaton (http://www.allisoneaton.com/) 35-year meditation teacher offers quick tips and guidelines to help you evaluate which meditation practice might be best for you.

PreetiM
19 September 2014, 02:30 AM
Hi,
Meditation is very necessary for our busy life. I have a very tight schedule and have no time for the meditation and morning exercises but still I devote my 15 minutes for meditation. Last year, on the vaastu pooja of my new house, my best buddy gifted me an Electronic Hawankund, which later seems very useful for me. Every morning I use to on this electronic hawankund which continuously chants mantras and aartis. It is very helpful for me as it keeps me free from stress and creates a peaceful environment.