Types of Meditation

When you see the concrete figure of your favorite Lord with open eyes and meditate, it is the concrete form of meditation. When you reflect on the image of Lord by closing your eyes, it is also concrete form of meditation, but it is more abstract. When you meditate on the infinite abstract light, it is still more abstract meditation. The former two types belong to Saguna form of meditation, the latter to Nirguna form.

Even in Nirguna meditation, there is an abstract form in the beginning for fixing the mind. Later on, this form vanishes and the meditator and the meditated become one. Meditation proceeds from the mind only. The help of the mind is always needed either for perception of an object or for the understanding of Soul. When you read a book with absorbing interest and attention, your mind gets fixed to the ideas. Even so, in Nirguna meditation of Soul (formless Dhyana), the mind is fixed on one idea, viz., that of Soul.

EXERCISES IN SAGUNA MEDITATION

Sit on Padmasana in a solitary room. Close your eyes. Meditate on the effulgence in the sun, splendor in the moon, glory in the stars, beauty in the sky. This is one kind of meditation for beginners.

Meditate on the Himalayas or any mountains. Imagine that the river takes its origin from the icy region, flows through different places and enters the Sea. Mountain, River and the Sea— these three thoughts only should occupy your mind. First, take your mind to icy region, then along the river and finally to the sea. Then, again take it to the icy region. Rotate the mind in this manner for 15 minutes. This is another kind of meditation.

Imagine that there is a fine garden with lovely flowers. In one corner, there are jasmine flowers. In another corner, there are beautiful cabbage roses. In the third corner there is the ‘lady of the night.’ In the fourth corner, there are Champaka flowers. Now, meditate on these four varieties of flowers. First meditate on jasmine. Then take the mind to rose, then to the ‘lady of the night’ and finally to the Champaka. Again rotate the mind as above. Do this again and again for fifteen minutes. Gross meditations like these will prepare the mind for finer abstract meditation on subtle ideas.

Meditate on the magnanimity of the ocean, its infinite nature. Compare the ocean with the Infinite Brahman, the waves, foams and blocks of ice to the various names and forms. Identify yourself with the ocean. Become silent. Expand. Expand.

EXERCISES IN NIRGUNA MEDITATION

There is a living, universal Power that underlies all these names and forms. Meditate on this Power which is formless. This will form an elementary Nirguna meditation without any form (formless Dhyana).

There is no world. There is neither body nor the mind. There is only one Chaitanya (pure consciousness). I am that pure consciousness. This is Nirguna meditation (without attributes).

Sit on Padmasana. Open the eyes. Gaze steadily on the formless air only. This is also another method of formless meditation. Concentrate on the air. This will lead to the realization of the nameless and formless Soul, the One Living Truth.

Imagine that there is a Parama, Ananta, Akhanda Jyotis (supreme, infinite effulgence) hidden behind all the phenomena with an effulgence that amounts to the blaze of crores of suns together. Meditate on That. That is also another form of Nirguna meditation.

Concentrate and meditate on the expansive sky. This is also another kind of Nirguna, Nirakara meditation. By the previous methods in concentration, the mind will stop thinking of finite forms. It will slowly begin to melt in the ocean of Peace, as it is deprived of its contents, viz., forms of various sorts. It will become subtler and subtler also.

MEDITATION ON MIND

Mind is Brahman or Soul or God in manifestation. Mind is God in motion. As Brahman is approachable by means of the mind, it is only proper to meditate upon the Mind as Brahman. “The mind should be adored as Brahman; this is intellectual worship.” (Chhandogya Upanishad, III-18).

REFERENCE

Mind – Its Mysteries and Control by Sri Swami Sivananda