Meditation 4

What happens when one begins to meditate? Anybody who has tried meditation will agree with Arjuna that it is very difficult to control the mind because it always tends to run away in different directions, it scatters, it runs after sense objects, all the problems and thoughts which have been lying hitherto hidden, surfaces up and gives much pain. It is impossible to attain a complete focus on a subject even it is only for a few minutes.

So what is the way out? The key lies in practice, sadhana. The first thing which is necessary to focus the mind is to think of a form, may be of God, or that of any thing very dear to anybody. Sri Ramakrishna had prescribed to a devotee that she could meditate on the form of her nephew whom she loved very much. Such affection helps in restraining the mind. A form is very essential contrary to the popular belief that “meditation is freeing the mind from all thoughts and making it blank”, because we need something to focus upon, so one single, determined one pointed thought is essential and the thought on any material objects or desires cannot be single or one pointed as one desire very often leads to another and one material thought leads to another.

The second thing is to get rid of gross desires. The desires can be in the gross or latent form. We often do not perceive the latter form. The gross desires like, “I need some money”, “ I need to build a house”, “ I need to have name and fame, do this and that, buy that gold jewelry”, need to be eliminated, and that’s the easier part. The harder one is to remove the subtle or latent desires which would appear at the opportune moment even when gross desires are retrained, and haunt you. Latent desires can be related to name and fame, desire for begetting a son, desire for power and wealth or any shakti or vibhuti (special powers). But again with practice, with sufficient purification of mind, the latent desires can also be restrained.

One should try to get rid of worldly thoughts at this stage. In Gita 3rd chapter the Lord is very categorical – if somebody controls his organs of working (as it happens during meditation) but still thinks in mind of worldly and sensory pleasures, that person is deluded, a Vimudhatman.

The third thing is to expand your heart, to reach out. This is something which you can do in actual practice and this is very good aid in purifying the mind. This means, have care and concern for others, work for others in a spirit of service and not merely out of compassion, feel for others. Before beginning every meditation it helps if we pray, for peace and welfare of others, or if we are atheists we can just wish happiness and joy for others. If we regularly practice welfare work in the spirit of service, sacrifice a part of our lives for others, we are actually practicing karmayoga, through which purification of mind is also possible. The key is to bring in happiness and joy in the lives of others without any self interest, for people you would not even know, not your friends or relatives for whom you care but for absolute strangers. Sri Ramakrishna said to his disciples, “who are you to have compassion? You should serve others as you would serve Shiva or god in a spirit of worship”.