Mystic Experiences of Sadhakas(Med 61)
Swami Sivananda
"I
had some peculiar sensation near my solar plexus in my meditation some
three years back, that is to say, I noticed the whirling sensation of a
flywheel rotating around. Then I came across some peculiar sights. I saw
with the physical eyes a sort of white or blue hue of light all around
the people's head and also on the surface of the buildings. When I gaze
at the open, grand expanse of sky in daytime I notice a living worm-like
white light moving hither and thither. When I work intently in my
office, white shining lights flash across my eyes. Sometimes little
sparks of light are noticed on my books. This gives me a peculiar joy
and I begin to chant the name of the Lord: ‘Sri Ram, Jaya Ram, Jaya Jaya
Ram.' Nowadays when I am cycling to my office a round light-like ball
is seen and is visible till I reach my destination. The same thing
appears at times when I gaze at the beautiful Akasa." ......... "S."
"I meditated for five hours daily for a month in Gangotri. One day I had a great deal of dejection for two hours. I could not find any peace. I found it difficult to bear the mood of dejection. I then sat on the bank of Ganga and began to meditate upon Mahatma Gandhiji. It gave me solace then. After a few days I saw meditating on Sri Ramachandra for one and a half hour. This Saguna meditation automatically turned into a Nirguna type. I felt perfect Santi for 10 minutes. My mind was fully engrossed in the meditation on OM. This continued for half an hour. One day I had a different kind of experience. I opened my eyes after meditation. I found everything as Brahman without the help of reasoning. I had this mood the whole day. A Brahmachari spoke to me for one hour on that day. I was only hearing but my mind did not attend to his speech. It remained in the same mood. I could not recollect even a word of his speech.
"On another occasion I meditated for half an hour. I had a very ecstatic mood. But owing to some distraction from sounds from outside, the ecstatic mood dropped down. Again I began to meditate. I saw a beautiful light at the bottom of my heart. As soon as that light disappeared, I began to weep unconsciously. Somebody came to me and called me by my name. I did not know anything. He shook my body. I stopped weeping a little and looked at his face and wept again and again for 25 minutes." ......... "V."
"I observed Mouna as a trial for the first time from 26-2-32 to 4-3-32."
"Mistakes":-Occasionally I had to express my ideas by gestures. On the last three days I uttered the words ‘Yes,' ‘enough,' ‘what' absent-mindedly. I had the wrong imagination as if there was pain in the jaws. I had a great curiosity for speaking.
"Benefits":-I was able to do more work, reading, Japa and meditation for a longer period than usual. I could not sleep before midnight. The ideas of books were rolling on till midnight. No room for anger and irritability. I was not able to get anything by heart. I tried to get by heart a few Slokas but could not. It was due to my previous habit of uttering once or twice loudly. ........."Ram."
"I did Pranayama for a month and then began to hear some sweet melodious sounds or Nadas of different sorts, viz., flute, violin, bell-sound, Mridang, sounds from cluster of bells, conch sound, drum sound, sound of thunder, sometimes from right ear only, while at other times from both the ears." ......"N."
"During concentration I used to smell extraordinary sweet fragrance and good smell." ........"R."
"I used to see during meditation in my Trikuti a blazing sun, a dazzling light and brilliant star. The vision was not steady at all." ........"G."
"I used to have Darshan of some Rishis in my Trikuti during the course of concentration. I used to see my Ishtam, Lord Krishna, with flute in his hands." ......... "S."
"I used to see at times coloured lights, red, green, blue and white in Trikuti during my meditation. Sometimes I used to see a blue expansive sky. I myself appeared as a dot in that blue sky." ......... "V."
"During meditation I used to see several Devatas and Devis with lustrous Tejomaya bodies with beautiful ornaments." ........"R."
"Sometimes during meditation I used to see a big void only." ......... "T."
"During concentration I used to see my own face in the centre of a big light. Sometimes I used to see the faces of my friends. I could clearly recognise them." ......... "R."
"I used to feel a current of electricity passing from my Muladhara to the back of the neck when I sat for meditation. Even at ordinary times I used to feel this." ......... "K."
"During meditation some astral entities with ghastly hideous faces and long teeth, black in colour used to threaten me. But they did not do any harm." ........ "A."
"When I sat for meditation I used to get jerks of the legs and hands. Sometimes my body used to jump from one place to another." ......... "M."
"I used to see palatial buildings, rivers, mountains and gardens during my meditation." ......... "S."
"I used to meditate with open eyes. One night I saw in front of me a brilliant light. In the centre of the light I saw Lord Krishna with flute in hand. My hair stood on end. I became speechless. I was struck with awe and wonder. It was 3 a.m." ......... "S."
"One day I had deep meditation. I separated myself actually from the physical body. I actually saw it as a slough thrown out. I was floating in the air. I had a peculiar sensation of a mixture of extreme joy and extreme fear. I stayed in the air for a couple of minutes only. Owing to great fear I suddenly entered back into the physical body. I slowly glided with a peculiar sensation into the physical body. The experience was thrilling." ......... "S."
UDDALAKA'S EXPERIENCE
The sage Uddalaka was not able to master Samadhi which leads one into the blissful realm of Reality, because the monkey-mind jumped speedily from one branch to another sensual objects. He seated himself in Padmasana and uttered Pranava (OM) with high-sounding intonation. Then he started his meditation.
He forcibly controlled his mind. With great difficulty he separated the senses from the objects. He dissociated himself completely from all external objects. He closed the avenues of the body. He fixed his mind on the heart. His mind was freed from all Vikalpas. He destroyed all thoughts of objects just as a warrior kills with his sword his foes who rise against him again and again.
He saw before him a radiant light. He dispelled Moha. He passed through the stage of darkness, light, sleep and Moha. He eventually reached the stage of Nirvikalpa Samadhi and enjoyed perfect calmness. After six months, he woke from his Samadhi. He would spend in one sitting, days, months and even years in deep Samadhi and then wake up.
"I meditated for five hours daily for a month in Gangotri. One day I had a great deal of dejection for two hours. I could not find any peace. I found it difficult to bear the mood of dejection. I then sat on the bank of Ganga and began to meditate upon Mahatma Gandhiji. It gave me solace then. After a few days I saw meditating on Sri Ramachandra for one and a half hour. This Saguna meditation automatically turned into a Nirguna type. I felt perfect Santi for 10 minutes. My mind was fully engrossed in the meditation on OM. This continued for half an hour. One day I had a different kind of experience. I opened my eyes after meditation. I found everything as Brahman without the help of reasoning. I had this mood the whole day. A Brahmachari spoke to me for one hour on that day. I was only hearing but my mind did not attend to his speech. It remained in the same mood. I could not recollect even a word of his speech.
"On another occasion I meditated for half an hour. I had a very ecstatic mood. But owing to some distraction from sounds from outside, the ecstatic mood dropped down. Again I began to meditate. I saw a beautiful light at the bottom of my heart. As soon as that light disappeared, I began to weep unconsciously. Somebody came to me and called me by my name. I did not know anything. He shook my body. I stopped weeping a little and looked at his face and wept again and again for 25 minutes." ......... "V."
"I observed Mouna as a trial for the first time from 26-2-32 to 4-3-32."
"Mistakes":-Occasionally I had to express my ideas by gestures. On the last three days I uttered the words ‘Yes,' ‘enough,' ‘what' absent-mindedly. I had the wrong imagination as if there was pain in the jaws. I had a great curiosity for speaking.
"Benefits":-I was able to do more work, reading, Japa and meditation for a longer period than usual. I could not sleep before midnight. The ideas of books were rolling on till midnight. No room for anger and irritability. I was not able to get anything by heart. I tried to get by heart a few Slokas but could not. It was due to my previous habit of uttering once or twice loudly. ........."Ram."
"I did Pranayama for a month and then began to hear some sweet melodious sounds or Nadas of different sorts, viz., flute, violin, bell-sound, Mridang, sounds from cluster of bells, conch sound, drum sound, sound of thunder, sometimes from right ear only, while at other times from both the ears." ......"N."
"During concentration I used to smell extraordinary sweet fragrance and good smell." ........"R."
"I used to see during meditation in my Trikuti a blazing sun, a dazzling light and brilliant star. The vision was not steady at all." ........"G."
"I used to have Darshan of some Rishis in my Trikuti during the course of concentration. I used to see my Ishtam, Lord Krishna, with flute in his hands." ......... "S."
"I used to see at times coloured lights, red, green, blue and white in Trikuti during my meditation. Sometimes I used to see a blue expansive sky. I myself appeared as a dot in that blue sky." ......... "V."
"During meditation I used to see several Devatas and Devis with lustrous Tejomaya bodies with beautiful ornaments." ........"R."
"Sometimes during meditation I used to see a big void only." ......... "T."
"During concentration I used to see my own face in the centre of a big light. Sometimes I used to see the faces of my friends. I could clearly recognise them." ......... "R."
"I used to feel a current of electricity passing from my Muladhara to the back of the neck when I sat for meditation. Even at ordinary times I used to feel this." ......... "K."
"During meditation some astral entities with ghastly hideous faces and long teeth, black in colour used to threaten me. But they did not do any harm." ........ "A."
"When I sat for meditation I used to get jerks of the legs and hands. Sometimes my body used to jump from one place to another." ......... "M."
"I used to see palatial buildings, rivers, mountains and gardens during my meditation." ......... "S."
"I used to meditate with open eyes. One night I saw in front of me a brilliant light. In the centre of the light I saw Lord Krishna with flute in hand. My hair stood on end. I became speechless. I was struck with awe and wonder. It was 3 a.m." ......... "S."
"One day I had deep meditation. I separated myself actually from the physical body. I actually saw it as a slough thrown out. I was floating in the air. I had a peculiar sensation of a mixture of extreme joy and extreme fear. I stayed in the air for a couple of minutes only. Owing to great fear I suddenly entered back into the physical body. I slowly glided with a peculiar sensation into the physical body. The experience was thrilling." ......... "S."
UDDALAKA'S EXPERIENCE
The sage Uddalaka was not able to master Samadhi which leads one into the blissful realm of Reality, because the monkey-mind jumped speedily from one branch to another sensual objects. He seated himself in Padmasana and uttered Pranava (OM) with high-sounding intonation. Then he started his meditation.
He forcibly controlled his mind. With great difficulty he separated the senses from the objects. He dissociated himself completely from all external objects. He closed the avenues of the body. He fixed his mind on the heart. His mind was freed from all Vikalpas. He destroyed all thoughts of objects just as a warrior kills with his sword his foes who rise against him again and again.
He saw before him a radiant light. He dispelled Moha. He passed through the stage of darkness, light, sleep and Moha. He eventually reached the stage of Nirvikalpa Samadhi and enjoyed perfect calmness. After six months, he woke from his Samadhi. He would spend in one sitting, days, months and even years in deep Samadhi and then wake up.
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