| Meditation in the Gita |
| Peace of Mind Cannot be obtained during sleep. To achieve peace of mind We have to invest many silence-years in spirituality. Make this a psychic realisation and not just a mental conviction. |
Meditation and Contemplation
By Philippe L. De Coster, B.Th.,D.D.
Preface
Meditation or “entering the silence” is the kind of prayer which is the subject of this study, to quicken our
responsiveness to the Supreme Being or Spirit of God, that we may grow along the philosophy of the Bhagavad Gītā
as part of the Vedic Sacred Scriptures, and ourselves.
This sort of prayer “meditation” is for spiritual development, which is not consecutive thinking. We hold the mind
fixed on a single subject or sentence that expresses some one truth concerning the Divine Nature as the Sacred
Word “OM” or “AUM”, until that truth permeates the consciousness.
“For the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Kŗşna, and to subdue it, I think, is more difficult
than controlling the wind.” (Gītā 6: 34)
Great concentration is the necessary preliminary to the state of meditation, and we should not attempt the practice
in the beginning for more than five or ten minutes at a time. Regularity in practising is essential for success in
training the mind to attend to one thought only in this unfamiliar way. Whenever the attention strays, we recall it
by repeating the meditation; and at first, an almost constant repetition is necessary. It helps to steady the mind if we
periodically recall what is our purpose, namely, communion with the Supreme Being, meaning with God. Such
recollection keeps the repetition from becoming purely mechanical, and we may soon form the habit of repeating the
words with ever-increasing interest and expectancy. When the state of meditation is reached, the need for repletion
disappears, since the attention remains steady without further effort; heart and mind are absorbed by the wonder of
drawing near to the Supreme Being, the Godhead Divinity.
The subject of our meditations in the light of the Bhagavad Gītā is always the Divine Nature. However, a meditation
can only be successful, if our way of life is correct, and is summarised in “Yama and Niyama” :
The Ten Commandments of Hinduism, also known as sage Patanjali's Yoga Sutra.
Five Yamana:
1. Non-violence (Ahimsa):
Restraint from harming other living creatures, engendering love for all creation and a feeling of oneness with all.
2. Truth (in thought, word, and deed):
Restraint from falsehood, leading to good Karma. Shun abuse, obscenity, falsehood, calumny, and ridicule.
3. Non-stealing:
Restraint from theft, leading to true wealth. Do not take what belongs to another without permission.
4. Continence (Brahmacarya):
Restraint from incontinence (of body, speech, and mind) leading to spiritual energy.
5. Non-coveting:
Restraint from greed, leading to release from time. Avoid hoarding or collecting things one does not require
immediately ~ have faith in God and oneself to provide.
Five Niyamana:
1. Purity (of body, thought, and word):
Observance of cleanliness, leading to freedom from sensuality.
2. Contentment:
Observance of the joy of tranquillity (true happiness).
Seek the peace of Truth, know the love of God, and do your duty. Develop infinite patience.
3. Ardor (Tapas):
Observance of purification, self-discipline, and Austerity, leading to special powers.
Make conscious effort to achieve ultimate union with the Divine, and destroy all desires. The aspirant requires
endurance, unflagging enthusiasm, continuous effort, courage, and hope.
4. Study:
Observance of contemplation, leading to a unique apprehension of reality.
5. Devotion:
Observance of unshakable faith in Self, Guru, and God, leading to Samadhi.
Dedicate all work and its result, and your will, to God; and, in true love, lose any feeling of ‘I’ and ‘mine’.
Because of our fatal habit of drowsily believing that we already understand the Sacred Scriptures which is for us the
Gītā which would reveal this Nature to us, it is wise at times to use some less familiar sentences that rouse us into
alertness as we will see further ahead.
From the outset it is an advantage to grasp the fact that just reading a book about meditation will leave us much as
we were before. We have to come to grips with the subject by using the sentences in the way described. The
foundation words, on which most of the sentences for meditation, at least in the beginning, are as follows:
Love, Wisdom, Beauty, Truth, Knowledge, Joy, Light, Peace, Goodness, Power, Righteousness, Freedom, Grace,
Holiness, and Life.
Each one of these words stands for the Supreme Being, God Himself, and can have the great words “I Am” or “OM”
(AUM) before it.
“Aum” is a single, indivisible sound, the vibration of the Supreme Being. “Aum” is the seed-sound of the cosmos,
the entire universe, for with this sound “God” set in motion the first vibration of His creation. The most powerful of
all mantras is “Aum”. “Aum” is the mother of all mantras. At every second the Supreme Being is creating Himself
anew inside “Aum”. “Aum” knows no birth or death. Nothing else but “Aum” existed, exists and will forever exist.
“Aum” is a single Sanskrit word represented in English by three letters, but pronounced as one syllable. The syllable
“Aum” (OM) is indivisible, but each portion of it represents a different aspect of the Supreme Being. The “A”
represents and embodies the conscious of the Supreme Being as Creator, the “U” embodies the consciousness of the
Supreme Being as Preserver, and the “M” embodies the consciousness of God as “Transformer”. Taken together,
“Aum” is the spontaneous cosmic rhythm with which God embraces the universe.
The sound “Aum” (OM) is unique “Aum” is “Anahata”, or unstruck, the soundless sound. A spiritual master (yogi)
can hear “Aum” self-generated inside himself, deep in his heart. There are different ways to chant “Aum”. When
you chant it loudly, you feel the supremacy of the Supreme Being. When you chant it softly, you feel the gladness of
the Supreme Being. When you chant it silently meditatively, you feel the peace of the Supreme Being, a peace that
the world outside cannot give.
The Cosmic “Aum” brought forth by the Supreme Being is an infinite ocean. The personal “Aum” chanted by you
and me is a drop in the ocean, but it cannot be separated from the ocean, and it can claim the infinite ocean as its
very own. This is very strongly felt in meditation. When we chant “Aum”, we touch and call forth the cosmic
vibration of the Supreme Being.
It is far better to chant “Aum” loudly, so its sound can vibrate even in your physical ears and feel it through your
entire being. This will put you at peace. This will convince yourself and give you a greater sense of satisfaction
together with a feeling of satisfaction in your achievement. When chanted loud, the “M” sound should last at least
three times as long as the “Au” sound.
As for us, human beings, weak and fragile, so easily inclined to make mistakes, the chanting of the “Aum” purifies
totally, washing away all wrongdoing. Indeed, in a twinkling of an eye the power of “Aum” transforms darkness into
light, ignorance into knowledge and death into immortality. Just by repeating “Aum” we can realise the Supreme
Being.
The following meditation, ending our preface before further deepening study, will be found helpful in both
establishing the awareness of the Higher Self or Soul and inducing its Presence. The organisation of the human body
and mind reveals in its detailed perfection the Divine Plan. The soul makes its entry at birth into matter as a spark
of omnipotent life. The ways in which we can call upon the Soul are numberless, from the prayer of the simple folk,
turning a prayer wheel as they pass upon their way, to the high reaches of mystical contemplation and intensive
application to self-realisation which is of the Soul. All actions that raise our eyes towards it not only lift us, but
attract and invoke aid. Laws of vibration as found in “Aum” bring us in rapport with the object of our prayer or
invocation as the “Gāyatrī Mantra.” If faithfully and correctly carried out, the daily practice of recognising the
Higher Self, calling upon its presence, its qualities and its protection cannot but bring it to our aid and increase our
sense of its reality.
Meditation Outline on Integration with the Soul
Preparation:
Sit quietly for a few moments, gradually relaxing all tensions; lengthen the breathing to a slow but easy rhythm; still
the thinking as far as possible and direct it upwards to the lighted area of the Higher Self or Soul centre.
Invocation:
Chant “Aum” three times. Open the lips by making a round opening and chant a strong, soft, audible, continuous,
humming sound of OM (as O…o..o..o…o..M..mm..…m) with complete sincerity while slowly exhaling through the
mouth. Let the mind and eyes be focused at an imaginary origin of the Omnic sound situated at the pituitary gland
inside the brain four inches deep from the mid-brows. The mid-brown is also known as the Shiva centre, Christ
centre, or the sixth Chakra. The place near the pituitary gland is called the soul centre, or the seventh Chakra.
Or, if you can, as learned by a guru (spiritual master), chant the “Gāyatrī Mantra”.
Aum Bhûr Bhuvah Svah
Aum Tat Savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhîmahi
Dhiyo yo nah prachodayât
Aum
Oh, Creator of the universe
May we receive thy supreme sin-destroying light
May thou guide our intellect in the right direction
Aum
Visualisation:
Visualise the “sin-destroying light” surrounding you and realise that it can be worn like a cloak throughout the day.
Integration:
End the meditation session with the Sacred Word “Aum”, as explained above.
Or, by chanting the Pranayam Mantra as such if you know the correct tune as taught by your guru or spiritual
master:
Aum Bhuh, Aum Bluvah, Aum Svah, Aum Mahah,
Aum Janah, Aum Tapah, Aum Satyam
Aum Tat Savitur Varenyam Bhargo Devasya
Dhimahi Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat.
Aum Apo Jyotih Raso’mrtam Brahma Bhur
Bhuva Svar Aum
Translation
The word Aum holds the seven spheres of existence: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether, Intelligence and Consciousness.
We meditate upon the eternal Aum, the creative principle of light manifested through the Sun, bestowing wisdom,
bliss and immortality – the quintessence of earth, atmosphere and heaven.
May it lead us to enlightenment and energise our consciousness.
At early stage, starting meditation, the whole exercise need only take five minutes at least, but it is important to
carry it out at the beginning of the day. By so doing, one aligns himself with the Higher Self before going out to meet
the day’s commitments.
By Philippe L. De Coster, B.Th.,D.D.
Preface
Meditation or “entering the silence” is the kind of prayer which is the subject of this study, to quicken our
responsiveness to the Supreme Being or Spirit of God, that we may grow along the philosophy of the Bhagavad Gītā
as part of the Vedic Sacred Scriptures, and ourselves.
This sort of prayer “meditation” is for spiritual development, which is not consecutive thinking. We hold the mind
fixed on a single subject or sentence that expresses some one truth concerning the Divine Nature as the Sacred
Word “OM” or “AUM”, until that truth permeates the consciousness.
“For the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Kŗşna, and to subdue it, I think, is more difficult
than controlling the wind.” (Gītā 6: 34)
Great concentration is the necessary preliminary to the state of meditation, and we should not attempt the practice
in the beginning for more than five or ten minutes at a time. Regularity in practising is essential for success in
training the mind to attend to one thought only in this unfamiliar way. Whenever the attention strays, we recall it
by repeating the meditation; and at first, an almost constant repetition is necessary. It helps to steady the mind if we
periodically recall what is our purpose, namely, communion with the Supreme Being, meaning with God. Such
recollection keeps the repetition from becoming purely mechanical, and we may soon form the habit of repeating the
words with ever-increasing interest and expectancy. When the state of meditation is reached, the need for repletion
disappears, since the attention remains steady without further effort; heart and mind are absorbed by the wonder of
drawing near to the Supreme Being, the Godhead Divinity.
The subject of our meditations in the light of the Bhagavad Gītā is always the Divine Nature. However, a meditation
can only be successful, if our way of life is correct, and is summarised in “Yama and Niyama” :
The Ten Commandments of Hinduism, also known as sage Patanjali's Yoga Sutra.
Five Yamana:
1. Non-violence (Ahimsa):
Restraint from harming other living creatures, engendering love for all creation and a feeling of oneness with all.
2. Truth (in thought, word, and deed):
Restraint from falsehood, leading to good Karma. Shun abuse, obscenity, falsehood, calumny, and ridicule.
3. Non-stealing:
Restraint from theft, leading to true wealth. Do not take what belongs to another without permission.
4. Continence (Brahmacarya):
Restraint from incontinence (of body, speech, and mind) leading to spiritual energy.
5. Non-coveting:
Restraint from greed, leading to release from time. Avoid hoarding or collecting things one does not require
immediately ~ have faith in God and oneself to provide.
Five Niyamana:
1. Purity (of body, thought, and word):
Observance of cleanliness, leading to freedom from sensuality.
2. Contentment:
Observance of the joy of tranquillity (true happiness).
Seek the peace of Truth, know the love of God, and do your duty. Develop infinite patience.
3. Ardor (Tapas):
Observance of purification, self-discipline, and Austerity, leading to special powers.
Make conscious effort to achieve ultimate union with the Divine, and destroy all desires. The aspirant requires
endurance, unflagging enthusiasm, continuous effort, courage, and hope.
4. Study:
Observance of contemplation, leading to a unique apprehension of reality.
5. Devotion:
Observance of unshakable faith in Self, Guru, and God, leading to Samadhi.
Dedicate all work and its result, and your will, to God; and, in true love, lose any feeling of ‘I’ and ‘mine’.
Because of our fatal habit of drowsily believing that we already understand the Sacred Scriptures which is for us the
Gītā which would reveal this Nature to us, it is wise at times to use some less familiar sentences that rouse us into
alertness as we will see further ahead.
From the outset it is an advantage to grasp the fact that just reading a book about meditation will leave us much as
we were before. We have to come to grips with the subject by using the sentences in the way described. The
foundation words, on which most of the sentences for meditation, at least in the beginning, are as follows:
Love, Wisdom, Beauty, Truth, Knowledge, Joy, Light, Peace, Goodness, Power, Righteousness, Freedom, Grace,
Holiness, and Life.
Each one of these words stands for the Supreme Being, God Himself, and can have the great words “I Am” or “OM”
(AUM) before it.
“Aum” is a single, indivisible sound, the vibration of the Supreme Being. “Aum” is the seed-sound of the cosmos,
the entire universe, for with this sound “God” set in motion the first vibration of His creation. The most powerful of
all mantras is “Aum”. “Aum” is the mother of all mantras. At every second the Supreme Being is creating Himself
anew inside “Aum”. “Aum” knows no birth or death. Nothing else but “Aum” existed, exists and will forever exist.
“Aum” is a single Sanskrit word represented in English by three letters, but pronounced as one syllable. The syllable
“Aum” (OM) is indivisible, but each portion of it represents a different aspect of the Supreme Being. The “A”
represents and embodies the conscious of the Supreme Being as Creator, the “U” embodies the consciousness of the
Supreme Being as Preserver, and the “M” embodies the consciousness of God as “Transformer”. Taken together,
“Aum” is the spontaneous cosmic rhythm with which God embraces the universe.
The sound “Aum” (OM) is unique “Aum” is “Anahata”, or unstruck, the soundless sound. A spiritual master (yogi)
can hear “Aum” self-generated inside himself, deep in his heart. There are different ways to chant “Aum”. When
you chant it loudly, you feel the supremacy of the Supreme Being. When you chant it softly, you feel the gladness of
the Supreme Being. When you chant it silently meditatively, you feel the peace of the Supreme Being, a peace that
the world outside cannot give.
The Cosmic “Aum” brought forth by the Supreme Being is an infinite ocean. The personal “Aum” chanted by you
and me is a drop in the ocean, but it cannot be separated from the ocean, and it can claim the infinite ocean as its
very own. This is very strongly felt in meditation. When we chant “Aum”, we touch and call forth the cosmic
vibration of the Supreme Being.
It is far better to chant “Aum” loudly, so its sound can vibrate even in your physical ears and feel it through your
entire being. This will put you at peace. This will convince yourself and give you a greater sense of satisfaction
together with a feeling of satisfaction in your achievement. When chanted loud, the “M” sound should last at least
three times as long as the “Au” sound.
As for us, human beings, weak and fragile, so easily inclined to make mistakes, the chanting of the “Aum” purifies
totally, washing away all wrongdoing. Indeed, in a twinkling of an eye the power of “Aum” transforms darkness into
light, ignorance into knowledge and death into immortality. Just by repeating “Aum” we can realise the Supreme
Being.
The following meditation, ending our preface before further deepening study, will be found helpful in both
establishing the awareness of the Higher Self or Soul and inducing its Presence. The organisation of the human body
and mind reveals in its detailed perfection the Divine Plan. The soul makes its entry at birth into matter as a spark
of omnipotent life. The ways in which we can call upon the Soul are numberless, from the prayer of the simple folk,
turning a prayer wheel as they pass upon their way, to the high reaches of mystical contemplation and intensive
application to self-realisation which is of the Soul. All actions that raise our eyes towards it not only lift us, but
attract and invoke aid. Laws of vibration as found in “Aum” bring us in rapport with the object of our prayer or
invocation as the “Gāyatrī Mantra.” If faithfully and correctly carried out, the daily practice of recognising the
Higher Self, calling upon its presence, its qualities and its protection cannot but bring it to our aid and increase our
sense of its reality.
Meditation Outline on Integration with the Soul
Preparation:
Sit quietly for a few moments, gradually relaxing all tensions; lengthen the breathing to a slow but easy rhythm; still
the thinking as far as possible and direct it upwards to the lighted area of the Higher Self or Soul centre.
Invocation:
Chant “Aum” three times. Open the lips by making a round opening and chant a strong, soft, audible, continuous,
humming sound of OM (as O…o..o..o…o..M..mm..…m) with complete sincerity while slowly exhaling through the
mouth. Let the mind and eyes be focused at an imaginary origin of the Omnic sound situated at the pituitary gland
inside the brain four inches deep from the mid-brows. The mid-brown is also known as the Shiva centre, Christ
centre, or the sixth Chakra. The place near the pituitary gland is called the soul centre, or the seventh Chakra.
Or, if you can, as learned by a guru (spiritual master), chant the “Gāyatrī Mantra”.
Aum Bhûr Bhuvah Svah
Aum Tat Savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhîmahi
Dhiyo yo nah prachodayât
Aum
Oh, Creator of the universe
May we receive thy supreme sin-destroying light
May thou guide our intellect in the right direction
Aum
Visualisation:
Visualise the “sin-destroying light” surrounding you and realise that it can be worn like a cloak throughout the day.
Integration:
End the meditation session with the Sacred Word “Aum”, as explained above.
Or, by chanting the Pranayam Mantra as such if you know the correct tune as taught by your guru or spiritual
master:
Aum Bhuh, Aum Bluvah, Aum Svah, Aum Mahah,
Aum Janah, Aum Tapah, Aum Satyam
Aum Tat Savitur Varenyam Bhargo Devasya
Dhimahi Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat.
Aum Apo Jyotih Raso’mrtam Brahma Bhur
Bhuva Svar Aum
Translation
The word Aum holds the seven spheres of existence: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether, Intelligence and Consciousness.
We meditate upon the eternal Aum, the creative principle of light manifested through the Sun, bestowing wisdom,
bliss and immortality – the quintessence of earth, atmosphere and heaven.
May it lead us to enlightenment and energise our consciousness.
At early stage, starting meditation, the whole exercise need only take five minutes at least, but it is important to
carry it out at the beginning of the day. By so doing, one aligns himself with the Higher Self before going out to meet
the day’s commitments.