Monday, November 5, 2012

Benefits of Meditation


Agni (fire) is of two kinds, viz., Samanya Agni (ordinary fire) and Visesha Agni (special fire). Samanya Agni is hidden in all trees and woods. It is of no use for burning purposes. Visesha Agni that is formed by rubbing a match or rubbing two pieces of wood is useful for cooking and other purposes. Similarly, there is Samanya Chaitanya (ordinary intelligence or consciousness) that is pervading everywhere. There is also Visesha Chaitanya (special intelligence). Samanya Chaitanya cannot destroy the ignorance of human. It is only the special intelligence that can destroy the root of Ignorance, the primitive ignorance that envelops the Svarupa (Brahman or Existence). This special intelligence is developed when a man meditates on the Infinite with a pure heart.
In contemplation, you are in spiritual contact with the unchanging Light. You are cleansed of all the impurities. This Light cleanses the soul which touches it. So, within yourself, if you have an open heart devotedly lifted up to God, the Light of His purity and love, illumining this open soul, will consume all your shortcomings in the fire of Divine Love. The Light brings enhanced energy and great comfort.
This purifying process leads to a deeper insight into Truth. This is the action of Grace of the Lord upon the soul in meditation. In this in-flowing Grace, there forthwith arises that Light of the mind into which God is sending a ray of His unclouded Splendor. This Light is vastly potent. If you can meditate for half an hour, you will be able to engage yourself with peace and spiritual strength in the battle of life for one week through the force of this meditation. Such is the beneficial result of meditation. As you have to move with different minds of a peculiar nature in your daily life, get the strength and peace from the meditation and you will have no trouble and worry then.
All actions, whether internal or external, can be done only when the mind is united with the organs. Thought is the real action. If you have control over the mind by steady practice, if you can regulate your emotions and moods, you will not do foolish and wrong actions. Meditation will help a lot in checking various emotions and impulses.
Meditation acts as a powerful tonic. It is a mental tonic as well. The holy vibrations penetrate all the cells of the body and cure the diseases of the body. Those who meditate will save doctors’ bills. The powerful, soothing waves that arise during meditation exercise a benign influence on the mind, nerves, organs and cells of the body. The divine energy freely flows like flow of oil from one vessel to another from the feet of the Lord to the different systems of the aspirants.
Considerable changes take place in the mind, brain and the nervous system by the practice of meditation. New nerve-currents, new vibrations, new avenues, new grooves, new cells, new channels are formed. The whole mind and the nervous system are remodeled. You will develop a new heart, a new mind, new sensations, new feelings, new mode of thinking and acting and a new view of the universe (as God in manifestation). The fire of meditation annihilates all foulness due to vice. Then suddenly comes knowledge or Divine Wisdom which directly leads to Mukti (Liberation) or final emancipation’s.
Real peace and bliss manifest only when the subtle desires are thinned out and thought get extinguished. When you fix the mind either on God or Soul even for five minutes, Sattva Guna (Pure Nature) is infused into the mind. Subtle desires are thinned out and thoughts becomes less and less. You will feel peace and bliss during the five minutes. You can compare this Bliss from meditation with the transitory sensual pleasures. You will find that this Bliss from meditation is a million times superior to sensual pleasure. Meditate and feel this Bliss. Then you will know its real value.
You will get the full bliss of the divine glory only when you merge deep into silent meditation. When you are on the border-land of divinity of God, when you are at the threshold of God, when you are in the outer skirts, you will not get the maximum peace and bliss. These are the benefits that are derived by the Yogic students who practice meditation systematically. They are peace, contentment, fearlessness, peculiar spiritual bliss, unruffled state of mind in worldly difficulties, steadiness, inspiration, intuitive perception, pure qualities and absence of anger, egoism and like and dislike. Develop the divine vision, wisdom by concentration, purification and meditation.
Reference
Mind – Its Mysteries and Control by Sri Swami Sivananda

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