Meditation on Om
Om (also AUM) is described as having four parts a, u, m and a dot used to indicate a nasal humming sound when it is chanted. These are related to four states of consciousness: waking, dreaming sleep, deep sleep and the self-knowing, transcendental state.
Audible and mental chanting of Om is useful. Listening to it while meditating is more useful. The progressive stages of practise can be :
• With attention and awareness focused in the spiritual eye and crown chakra, listen in the ears (or space around your head) to hear subtle sounds behind the ringing sounds that may first be heard. Continue listen until the sound that is heard is constant. Consider that sound to be an aspect of Om vibration.
• Merge your attention and awareness in the sound until you are aware of being one with it. Meditate in Om.
• With awareness in crown chakra, direct attention to the source from which Om emanates until you are established in pure consciousness.
When meditating in Om, remain alert, yet surrender. Avoid impatient, effort-driven concentration. Sit until your mind is calm and meditation flow spontaneously.
Meditating in Om can result in comprehension of what it is, its characteristics, and its sources. That is why meditation in Om is said to be the direct way to self and God-knowledge.
It is the mind of man which chains him to the world or lead him to Moksha (liberation). Man is not only a living being made of bones, flesh and bloods. He also has a mind endowed with various type of samakaras. Right from his childhood whatever he see, learns, experiences or imagines, is turned into Samakaras. His unfulfilment desires, his joys of success, his sorrows and memories of all type remains buried in the depth of his mind and it is they which contribute mostly towards the formation of his Samakaras.
Desire are born in the mind. The fulfilment of one desire lead us to the pursuance of several others. But the desires are unlimited. Therefore, the fulfilment of all of them is impossible. The unfulfilment of desires or their suppression is the root cause of all sorrows and tensions.
There are several means by which a sadhaka tries to control the mind. Japa, tapa, yajna, karma, janana are some of them. But the best of all these is Dhyana. As the Dhyana grows and matures, the mind goes on becoming more and more pure; its fold open up; the old samakaras are dissolved, and the mind becomes free from impurities; one then progress from the unconscious state and from conscious to superconscious state i.e., state of Samadhi.
Dhyana is essential for all,. Ascetics, grithasthis (family men), student, doctors, lawyers, shopkeeper, men and women, all are benefited by the practise of Dhyana. It is useful for patients as it is for healthy men. Even if it is not perfect, Dhyana is a must for at least five minutes daily for everybody.
Some prerequisites of Meditation (Dhyana)
• The place for Dhyana must be clean, airy and free from all types of disturbance. It is better if it is practised at one particular place everyday.
• The best time for Dhyana is Brahma_Muhurta, i.e. the time between two and a half hour before sunrise till sunrise.
• Dhyana is also beneficial if practised before going to bed at night. One should practise it for a few minutes at night after washing one’s hand, feet and face. This ensures peaceful and sound sleep.
• While practising Dhyana, one should sit in a comfortable posture e.g. :- Padmasana, Siddhasanaor Sukhasana. If it is practise within four hours after taking meals, one should better sit in Vajrasana. Always sit erect, so that the hind of the head, the neck and the spines should form a straight line. There should be no tension in mind. The eyes should be closed with hands resting on the knees in Jnan Mudra.
• The body should remain stable in Dhyana just like a rock; but there should be no stress and strains. All body movements should remain suspended while practising it.
• But the most essential factor of Dhyana is meticulous regularity. It should be practised daily without any break whatsoever.
Benefits of Meditation (Dhyana)
Every practitioner of Dhyana is benefited from its practise it is a remarkable useful practise for those who gets worried or agitated easily or those who suffer from insomnia and lack of self-confidence. Swami Vivekananda has likened mind to a drunken monkey which is stung by a scorpion and is visited by a ghost. Mind by its very nature is shifting and unstable. But when it gets drunk with the wine of lust, is stung by the scorpion of jealousy and is visited by the ghost of ego, then its control is well-nigh impossible. But the practise of pratyahara, Dharana and Dhyana leads it to stability, peace and concentration. We then no longer remain the slave of the mind; rather mind becomes our obedient servant. This is the way to peace and growth.