Meditation
Dhyaan (Meditation) as taught by Swamiji – Shri Shri Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj is a technique to control the mind by sitting quietly with eyes closed and trying to silence the mind by stopping the thought chain. Dhyaan should be practiced for at least one hour at a stretch, regularly every day. The same meditation was practiced by the rishis and munis since the ancient times.
Swamiji told us that the Non-Physical part of our Being consists of: Manas (Mind = Emotions: Grief, Anger, Fear, etc.); Buddhi (Intellect = Understanding, Analytical Abilities, Learning, etc.), and Aathma (Spirit). In a normal Human Being, about 60 ~ 70 % is ‘manas’ (mind), about 30 ~ 20 % is ‘buddhi’ (intellect) and only the rest 10% is aathma (spirit). Regular meditation helps us increase the ‘buddhi’ and reduce the ‘manas’, allowing the ‘aathma’ to evolve.
Just as we eat food and perform physical exercises to nourish and keep our physical body healthy, we study at school and college to develop our minds and play games, read books, watch TV to entertain ourselves so as to keep our minds healthy, we should perform activities to keep our Spirit also healthy: dhyaan, pooja, manthra, japa, bhajan, etc. Only then we can lead balanced lives.
Anyone aged 5 years or more can practice meditation. Meditation as taught by Swamiji is not associated with any religion or god. People who have been initiated into or associated with other faiths or methods of meditation may also practice this meditation. It is not necessary that the initiate become Swamiji’s devotee to practice meditation. He or she can continue practicing their faith and also practice meditation. Meditation will only deepen their own faith and help them progress on the spiritual path.
Benefits of Dhyaan
Psychological, Physical, Social as well as Spiritual benefits accrue with the regular practice of meditation.
Let us understand them in detail.
Physical Benefits
- Reduced tension brings down the blood pressure to normal levels
- Good for the heart, kidneys, brain, etc.
- Our General health improves,
- Energy gets renewed.
Psychological Benefits
- Mental Tension is reduced.
- We develop the ability to control our‘manas’ ( 1 mind = emotions)
- We learn to utilize our buddhi (intellect) to suppress our manas
(mind). - Students can study better, memory increases, presence of mind improves.
- We do our work better – quality and productivity increase.
Spiritual Benefits
- So long as our ‘manas’ (mind) dominates, our spirit (aathma) refuses to reveal itself
- With continued regular practice of meditation, gradually our ‘buddhi’ develops and consequently our ‘manas’ diminishes, allowing our ‘aathma’ to blossom.
- We begin to have wonderful experiences.
- It deepens our spiritual ‘saadhana’ irrespective of our faith and we have darshan of our ‘ishta daiva’.
- As regular daily meditation is increased to 3 ~ 4 hours at a stretch, we begin experiencing ‘samaadhi’.
- Swamiji told us that with sustained practice of meditation, we can achieve the ultimate goal of spiritual saadhana – ‘Aathma Saakshaathkaara’ which is the same as ‘Bhagawath Saakshaathkaara’.
Social Benefits
- As we develop the ability to control our emotions,
- We stop reacting to provocations and
- Instead respond to situations and learn to deal with them calmly
- Our relationships with family members, classmates, colleagues, friends and neighbors will improve and become more fulfilling.
- Consequently, Societies will improve – become more conscious, sensitive and supportive.
- We will elect representatives responsibly leading to
- Better Administration; Better Governments: Villages – Towns – Cities – Countries
World Peace through Meditation
Swamiji warned repeatedly about the World Governments’ (false) claims about how secure atomic and nuclear weapons are.
HH cautioned us that even if a single Nuclear Weapon falls into the hands of a mad man, it could be catastrophic. Is that ‘Pralaya’?
Today, more than two decades later, with the unfortunate proliferation of terrorism, ‘pralaya’ seems imminent.
Solution:
Neutralize or Change the terrorists’ ‘Belief System’
Only Meditation at the Global level can accomplish that.
How do we protect ourselves from ‘pralaya’?
