Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Regularity in Meditation By Sri Swami Sivananda

VIVEKANANDA 
Regularity in Meditation
Whatever spiritual practice you do, either Japa (repetition of  a mantra or any of the names of God), practice of Asana, concrete meditation on Saguna-Murti (on an image of God) or Pranayama, do it systematically and regularly every day. The reward of this practice is immense. You will get Immortality or Eternal life (Amritatvam). All desires will melt there. You will get eternal satisfaction (Nitya Tripti).

Meditate, meditate. Concentrate, concentrate, my dear friends. Never miss even a single day owing to laziness. Laziness is the greatest enemy of a Sadhaka. Life is short, time is fleeting and obstacles are many in the spiritual path. Conquer them one by one by exertion and prayer. If you are sincere you will get various sorts of help from within, from without, from the helpers of the astral plane, from Jivanmuktas who are scattered in all parts of the world and from Amara-Purushas, (such as Sri Vyasa, Vasishtha, Kapila Muni, Dattatreya of Girnar Hills, Agastya Muni of Podia Hills, Tirunelveli).

Just as you take food four times, morning, noon, afternoon and night, so also you will have to meditate four times a day if you want to realise quickly. You must be systematic and regular in your meditation.

Just as cannabis indica, opium or alcohol gives you intoxication, even if you take a small quantity, and lasts for some hours, so also the God-intoxication that you get from regular meditation, lasts for some hours if you meditate for half an hour daily. Therefore be regular.

When you meditate, when you develop divine or Sattvic virtue, a spiritual road is constructed in the mind. If you are not regular in meditation, if your dispassion wanes, if you become careless and non-vigilant, the spiritual road will be washed away by the flood of impure thoughts and evil Vasanas (subtle desires). Therefore be regular in your meditation. Regularity in meditation is of paramount importance.

SWAMI SIVANANDA
When you practise meditation, Japa, Kirtan, Pranayama or self-enquiry, worldly thoughts, cravings and Vasanas are suppressed. If you are irregular in meditation and if your dispassion wanes, they try to manifest again. They persist and resist. Therefore, be regular in your meditation and do more vigorous Sadhana. Cultivate more dispassion. They will be gradually thinned out and eventually destroyed.


Peace, love, harmony