THE PROCESS OF MEDITATION(MED 88)

THE PROCESS OF MEDITATION(MED 88)
Swami Chidananda

Glorious immortal Atman! Meditation is the noblest exercise of the supreme blessedness of human birth. It is the exercise of the deepest part of your being. Meditation is emptying yourself of all the deepest part of your being. Meditation is emptying ourselves of all that is non-God and filling the mind with God. A continuous and unbroken flow of loving God-thought is the very essence of meditation. It is a state of mind, when the entire mind is filled with God and God alone, nothing else besides God.

I always remember the saying that an empty mind is devil’s workshop. Anything can come into the mind when it is empty. Uttering a half-truth is more dangerous than a hundred per cent falsehood. So, to those people who seem to have grasped the meaning of the process of meditation and who completely ignore the true process, I repeat: “Meditation is filling the mind with God-thought.” And therefore, it means emptying the mind of all that is non-Atman, non-Divine. It is only a part of the process. The actual process is to fill the mind with God. God-awareness is always there. If you empty the mind, a void is not created, because the mind is filled with God. And where He is, the world cannot be. It is said, “Where there is the Supreme, there is no desire for the world.” God says, “I am a jealous Master. I will not tolerate the presence of anyone else in that place which is meant for Me.” The heart of the individual is the royal throne of God, and if there are other things there, He says, “No, it is not ready for Me to come.” So, meditation is emptying ourselves of all that is non-God and filling the mind with God.

You should start the day with a prayer; “O Lord, I come with love before Thee to the altar. I seek to humbly offer myself to Thee. Raise my consciousness to the realm of Thy great Divine nature. May You be pleased to lift me unto Yourself. I pray that the clamour of the senses may not intrude upon this solemn moment. I want to think of You and You alone. I want to be completely absorbed in Thee.”

Do not try to subdue the mind. Do not try to forcefully evict the thoughts. Do not use force. You should not waste your energy in a negative process. Do not think of the thoughts. If other thoughts arise in the mind, do not be concerned, just ignore them and hold tight to the Divine. Just say, “No matter what you do, I shall think of the Lord.” If the mind begins to fall away from the divine idea, chant Om, Om, Om . . . The mind takes the form of that idea upon which it dwells with love during in-gathered attention and concentration.

I pray to the Divine that He may bless you all with wonderful concentration of mind and success in deep meditation.