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Swamiji as I Knew Him
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Swamiji as I Knew Him
(part 4)
by D. S. Rao
What Is Meditation?
Sitting quietly in any convenient posture we attempt to still the thought process of the mind by withdrawing the consciousness from the sense organs and concentrating it at the bhrikuti, the third eye, the spot between the eyebrows. Before anything else happens, the pituitary gland gets activated. The pituitary is the commander of the endocrine system that keeps the body biochemistry in balance. This takes care of the stresses and strains on the mind and also the health problems.
In meditation each one will have different kinds of experiences, like seeing colors, graphic visions, divine figures and the like. It all depends on the disposition (prarabdha) of the individual. In the process we use the voluntary system to gain control of the involuntary systems. This takes a long time. One must have faith and perseverance.
The mind is like a monkey. It jumps from one thought to another thought in quick succession. We cannot suppress these thoughts but we can withdraw from them and watch them as a witness. If this attitude of witness consciousness is developed we have put our first steps forward. Swamiji had perfected this during His sadhana. Another difficulty we experience is that the mind always dwells on the past or the future; rarely on the present. This will be so with most of us in our meditations. The objective of the exercise is to live in the present, to live for this moment. We do not know what happens at the next moment. Trikarna sudhi is synchronizing the mind, speech and action. This is important in sadhana (spiritual practice). If we make effort his Grace will flow into us.
Initially we concentrate on the first four steps of raja yoga: yama, niyama, asana and pranayama (do’s, don’ts, posture and breath control). These are in the control of the voluntary system. Pratyahara is the withdrawal of the consciousness from the senses. The Creator has designed the consciousness as outward going. It requires tremendous effort on our part to make them inward looking. With our consistent effort comes the Guru’s Grace. Once we get into the realms of the involuntary then the progress becomes very fast. A normal healthy mind takes a million years to fully evolve. This could be compressed into one lifetime through meditation. Here time moves very fast. Unless we meditate we cannot progress and unless we progress we will not meditate. We must go through these experiences and overcome these limitations with his Grace.
There are certain do’s and don’ts in meditation. Same time, same place and same duration as far as possible. It is preferable to take a bath before meditation. Avoid it immediately after meditation. After meditation one has to take ten to fifteen minutes rest to relax the body and mind. It is most beneficial to observe mouna (silence) after meditation, the duration depending upon the duration of the meditation. This will allow internalization of the benefits of meditation. If we talk immediately after meditation the divine energies that flow into the system cannot be assimilated. They get frittered away. When the meditation process gets internalized into our way of life, with integration of personality a teacher becomes a better teacher, a soldier becomes a better soldier, a doctor a better doctor, and a dancer a better dancer. Any one can meditate and improve his lifestyle. You lead a better life, more integrated, more harmonious and free from all tensions. You get internally focused. The whole world you see outside is also inside you. The microcosm works exactly on the same principal as the macrocosm. You meditate and discover the truths.
Swamiji was emphatic on one point. If you meditate regularly whatever you need will come to you automatically. Food will come to you. Books will come to you. Health will come to you. You do not have to run after them. They will reach you. All this is within the realm of my experience. The essence of Brahma is mouna. Whoever understands this and practices it is indeed blessed. His Grace flows into such individuals in ample measure.
Raja Yoga & Meditation
In raja yoga there are eight steps: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi (do’s, don’ts, posture, breath control, withdrawal of senses, concentration, meditation, and enlightenment). One should read the Bhagavad Gita to understand these steps clearly. Meditation is the seventh step. Instead of starting with yama niyama (do’s, don’ts) we start at the highest level. This is the gift of Swamiji for the benefit of the vast humanity. After initiation one has to follow the instructions mechanically for some time. Before long, the inner mechanism will be set in action by Swamiji. From that time on you get instructions internally. There will be no need for any external inputs. The trance which he has left behind is a great boon for devotees to work for his cause. One thing is certain, if we put one step forward he will put ten steps towards us. It is for us to know what the right steps are and move forward. If we are sincere he is always there guiding us. He is meant for us. We may fail him in our ignorance, but he will never fail us.
Sleep & Samadhi
There are many similarities between deep sleep and samadhi. In both states the body and mind undergo deep relaxation. In deep sleep we are unconscious while in samadhi we are conscious. Another difference is that in deep sleep the ego is temporarily subdued while in samadhi the ego is completely eradicated. In deep sleep consciousness withdraws from chakra to chakra unto its source while in samadhi consciousness gets concentrated and focused on each chakra and the kundalini moves from chakra to chakra in the same order. Kundalini unfolds the seven planes of consciousness while it moves from chakra to chakra. The net effect is that in sleep you are unconscious and in samadhi you are fully conscious.
Sleep operates through the involuntary system. The whole meditation exercise is aimed at bringing this involuntary system within control of the voluntary system. Movement of consciousness from the sense organs follows the following order:
muladhara chakra earth principle smell I plane
swadhisthana chakra water principle taste II plane
manipura chakra fire principle sight III plane
anahata chakra air principle touch IV plane
visuddhi chakra ether principle sound V plane
Once the consciousness withdraws from the five sense organs it remains in the ajna chakra (the chakra that is the third eye), the seat of the mind, in the dream state and then moves into sahasrara (crown chakra), its source. This is the direction of consciousness when we sleep. This happens without our knowledge. In samadhi the kundalini (latent spiritual force located at the base of the spine) moves in the same pathway with full awareness. When you come out from samadhi you are egoless and super conscious. You become a yogi. From sleep you come out just the same as you were before. In most of the scientific discoveries, whether it is Newton, Maxwell or Einstein, they all had their conscious mind stumble upon the subconscious and that gave them a deep insight into their experiments and thus helped them make the inventions. It is true of every invention. He willing a scientist comes out with an invention. How much should be revealed to science is His will only.
Yoga Nidra & Meditation
Yoga nidra, yogic sleep, is a relaxation technique and meditation is a concentration technique. Immediately after meditation we relax for some time in savasana. That is the time when we get into yoga nidra involuntarily. Yoga nidra occurs in the border line of waking and dreaming states. Generally this lasts for about ten to fifteen minutes when we retire for sleep. This period could be prolonged for longer periods of relaxation using certain techniques. As the mind is fully withdrawn, one pointed yoga nidra is the best time for deep relaxation.
When we relax after meditation we are generally conscious and will be experiencing dream state also. Most of the visions and instructions come at this stage because the ego is totally absent here. The ego operates only in the conscious. It does not operate in the subconscious or the unconscious. Dream state is when the conscious is fully withdrawn from the sense organs. The ego is temporarily withdrawn. In this state the mind and body enter into deep relaxation. I generally relax with face up for about three minutes until I experience some dream. Then I turn right and wait for the dream state. Then I turn to the left and wait for the dreams. Once this process is complete I consider the relaxation is over. The whole exercise takes about ten to fifteen minutes. Sometimes I may go into deep sleep lasting about an hour. Meditation is the best remedy for insomnia.
In yoga nidra one relaxes completely. For this to happen the necessary condition is total withdrawal of the senses. This relaxation occurs in deep sleep also. Like meditation, yoga nidra is another technique used to reach the higher levels of consciousness. Yoga nidra uses techniques akin to hypnosis. In yoga nidra the mind is completely withdrawn from the senses and becomes one pointed. This helps concentration. In advanced stages this leads to meditation and samadhi.
Swamiji has full control of his involuntary system so he can withdraw consciousness from his senses at will. We cannot do it so easily. For us this state comes only while relaxing after meditation or in deep sleep. When we sleep it is nidra. When Swamiji sleeps it is yoga nidra because he is conscious. Through yoga nidra one can enter into samadhi. In that state the body can remain for fourteen days. Then it fails. When Swami Vivekananda experienced the state of samadhi Ramakrishna Paramahansa woke him up and told him that he had to fulfill his mission in the world and until then the key will remain with him. Unless we come to those levels it is indeed very difficult to understand these phenomena. They have to be experienced internally.
Food & Meditation
For one who meditates the food needs generally go down. There are no rigid rules and one has to generally develop his own choices depending on what suits his meditation exercises. The general principle is to eat easily digestible, freshly cooked vegetarian foods free from spices and fats. Fruits and salads will go well with these foods. Processed foods and stored foods are best avoided. It may not be good to change the habits overnight. It is better to effect the changes slowly. One has to make an effort in this direction depending on the stomach signals. The focus must shift from the taste buds to the needs of the digestive system. What the taste buds demand may not necessarily be what the 250,000 billion cells in the body might need.
Another thing to be borne in mind is that the food we eat is divided into three parts. The gross part is eliminated through the eliminatory organs, the middle part goes to sustain the body, and the fine part sustains the mind. So we have to always be careful of what we eat because it has a direct bearing on the mind. Mind has three components: satva, rajas and tamas (the qualities of balance, action and passivity). By eating satvic (balanced) food the mind becomes satvic. This develops mental clarity which means the mind gets more focused. The Bhagavad Gita gives detailed guidelines in the matter of food. Until the goal is reached rigid control on food is necessary. Once the sadhana is completed food habits could be relaxed. Swamiji is the best example for this. Food becomes prashad when offered to Guru or God.
(Bhagavad Gita IV:24) “Sacrificial paraphernalia, sacrificial fire, offerings of oblations and ghee by the brahmin are all Ultimate Truth. Ultimate Truth is certainly attainable by being fully absorbed in spiritual activities.”
We eat just to sustain the body — no indulgence in food. We eat to live and not live to eat. That is sadhana as food is concerned. Lunch is the main meal when the digestive system is very active. Breakfast and dinner have to be light as per individual needs. Fasting per se is not important but fasting between meals is very good. The digestive system gets some rest.