– With the practice of pranayama there is a measured positive, qualitative, productive and creative change in a person. The avidya accumulated within a person gets destroyed and there is a growth of knowledge. There is incremental sharpness in memory and concentration powers of the mind. The person becomes disease free and is bestowed with good health.
– Most of the disease originates from anxiety, mental dis-balances. That’s why one should always prevent ourselves from these. Then only we can be healthy. For mental health, the daily practice of pranaydma in early mornings is very essential.
– Maharsi Patanjali in Yogadarsana has mentioned four types of breathing practice- bahya pranayama, abhyantara pranayama, stambhavrtti pranayama and bahyabhyantara visayaksepi pranayama.
– When the flow of mind stops, then sense-perception organs (like the eyes etc.) break the relation with their ‘visayas.’ The senses remain calm and stop their work.
– This condition is pratyahara. With the accomplishment of pratyahara, the practitioner has mastered the senses. One may concentrate the mind upon on any subject one wants. Similarly, one can effortlessly withdraw the attention. Both these difficult processes are rendered natural by pratyahara.
– To worship Isvara, one must close the eyes to restrain and stabilize the mind. The process of focusing or restraining the mind in any of these regions – in the forehead, in the middle of the eyebrows, nasal region, throat, heart or navel is called dharana or contemplation. With the practise of dharana or stabilizing the mind in a chosen region of the body, there arises a firmness in the quality of thoughts regarding the gunas (qualities), karmas (actions) and svabhava (nature) which lead to Isvara. The dharana of the qualities or subjects that lead one towards Isvara does not fragment often. Even if the contemplation breaks, it can be recalled and recreated with natural ease.
– Dhyana or meditation is the state of unbroken reflection about the gunas, karma and svabhava of Isvara, while renouncing other subjects.
– To be in a state of dhyana is to be wakeful, alert while being at ease every moment and to be rational. When we are alert, rational and at ease, then we naturally diverge from the inauspicious and shift towards the auspicious.
– To be immersed in dhyana means to enter the beyond into the boundless, infinite, and immeasurable world. Creation and solution are best found in the state of voidness. Through dhyana only one can enter the ultimate voidness and realise the conscious awakening of the damd.
– Dhyana is not a process of turning away from this world or separating oneself from nature or of shutting oneself within. It is the medium to realise the Truth of the Universe. Can this world give us anything except the sorrow? The sorrow which leads us to by relating power, wealth, honour, shelter, food, clothes to us.
– The meaning of dhyana is to go beyond the worldly perception, onto a pedestal of prajna-prasada (purity of knowledge and wisdom) from where we can see the world inside us with impartiality and uniformity as wise witnesses. In this condition, there is no discontent either with the desire to receive the unobtainable or with the unobtainability itself. In this state, one begins to realise the manifest beauty of Isvara in the universe around oneself.
– Dhyana is not stupor or confusion but it is the path towards complete realization of truth through the highest stage of awakened ritambhara prajna (truth apprehending decisive knowledge). When the denseness and confusion of the intellect is completely erased, then the mind of the practicioner becomes nirbija (seedless) of past samskaras. This seedless pure mind destroys the samskdras towards visaya-vasna just as roasting destroys the germinating capacity of of gram. That purest mind becomes the pdtra (vessel) where the Brahma or Paramatma can descend. The Brahma consists of bliss without a trace of sorrow. It is said – Anandam Brahma vyajaniyat.
– Meditation of the Paramatma results in control over mind and senses, increase in concentration, sharpening of memory, correction of wisdom and quickness in decision making. Samskaras that were unpleasant are destroyed and positive impressions increase. Inner strength is awakened, and sentiments of patience, tolerance, forgiveness, sympathy and selflessness are heightened. Bliss, peace, fearlessness and solutions are developed within.
– Mind becomes non-defective and non-reflective through breathing exercises that help the pure and divine thoughts to arise in the inner self. With dhyana, there is a realisation of the self. With self-realization one starts to generate self-honor, self-belief, self-contentment, self-happiness, self-power and self-wealth within. With that consciousness prevailing in the world, the bloody disputes which disrupt the peace for gains of power, wealth, honour and strength come to an end.
– The world is embroiled in wars and disputes because of notions of honour, power, wealth, power and arrogance. When the person realizes the truth of the self through dhyana, and awakens the spiritual wealth, peaceful kingdom and unending power within, then there shall be an end to all the disputes and wars.
– The benefits received through dhyana cannot be obtained through any medicine or worldly gifts like wealth, sweets, rich clothes, ornaments or even respect and honour. We should have a clear understanding that dhyana does not cause any disease. In fact, if one has a disease then it can be cured by dhyana.
– Herbert Benson, M.D in his book “The Relaxation Responses” has mentioned that Yogaldhyana alleviates mental and physical stresses and regulates blood pressure. John Kate Jen, Ph.D. has demonstrated that anxiety and discomfort can also be decreased by dhyana.
– Meditation bestows on us the Godly and divine qualities like knowledge, wisdom, strength, happiness, bliss, sympathy, love, patience, tolerance, freedom, fearlessness, vitality
and brightness etc. With the destruction of bad samskaras (impressions), good samskaras are formed; there is control over mind and senses, and concentration, memory and wisdom increases. Ultimately one realises Isvara and thereafter obtains success in all physical-worldly tasks.
– If we do not practice dhyana then we can not remove bad samskaras of the past. We get afflicted by physical and mental diseases and are unable to obtain the ultimate goal of our life, that is, separation from all sorrows. We can not imbibe the divine qualities like sympathy, love, patience, sacriice, zestfulness, independence and fearlessness. We are unable to accept and follow the conducts of righteousness, ideals and justice. We are unable to get peace and relaxation, or concentrate and control the mind. It is mentioned in ‘Manusmrti’ that the person who does not meditate daily in the early morning and dusk, should be separated from the category of cultured to and transferred to uncultured. That is why those who do not meditate are accumulating sin and are punished by Isvara. It is not true that the dhyana should only be done by aged people. Dhyana should be practised from childhood onwards.
– By receiving the true knowledge about Isvara, through guidance of teachers that impart true knowledge, by following rules and restrictions, and keeping the body healthy in general, by practising daily dhyana and vairagya (non-attachment) towards world, one obtains success in dhyana.
– Those who do not accept the existence of Isvara, do not receive the benefit of dhyana. Devotion and a keen interest and faith towards Isvara are necessary for a meditative person. In dhydna, the practitioner’s faith should be innocent, like that of a child, who cheers when thrown into the air, and does not fear, knowing that we would not let any harm befall
it.
