MEDITATION EXERCISES

MEDITATION EXERCISES

I
Place a picture of Lord Jesus in front of you. Sit in your favourite meditative pose. Concentrate gently with open eyes on the picture till tears trickle down your cheeks. Rotate the mind on the cross, on the chest, long hairs, beautiful beard, round eyes, and the various limbs of his body; and the fine spiritual aura emanating from his head, and so on. Think of the divine attributes such as love, magnanimity, mercy and forbearence. Think of the various phases of his interesting life and the ‘miracles’ he performed and the various ‘extraordinary’ powers he possessed. Then close your eyes and try to visualise the picture. Repeat the same process again and again.
II
Place a picture of Lord Hari in front of you. Sit again in your meditative posture. Concentrate gently on the picture till you shed tears. Rotate the mind on His feet, legs, yellow silken robes, golden garland set with diamonds, Koustabha gem, etc., on the chest, the earrings, then the face, the crown of the head, the discus on the right upper hand, the conch on the left upper hand, the mace on the right lower hand, and the lotus flower on the left lower hand. Then close the eyes and try to visualise the picture. Repeat the same process again and again.
III
Keep a picture of Lord Krishna with flute in hands in front of you.Sit in your meditative pose and gently concentrate on the picture till you shed tears. Think of his feet adorned with anklets, yellow garment, various ornaments round His necklace set with the Koustabha gem, the long garland of beautiful flowers of various colours, earrings, crown set with the precious jewels of priceless value, dark amd long hairs, sparkling eyes, the tilaka in the forehead, the magnetic aura round His head, long hands adorned with bracelets and armlets, and the flute in the hands ready to be played upon. Then close your eyes and visualise the picture. Repeat the same process again and again.
IV
This is one kind of meditation for beginners. Sit on Padmasana in your meditation room. Close your eyes. Meditate on the effulgence in the sun, or the splendour in the moon or the glory in the stars.
V
Meditate on the magnanimity of the ocean and its infinite nature. Then compare the ocean to the infinite Brahman, and the waves, foams and icebergs to the various names and forms. Identify yourself with the ocean. Become silent. Expand. Expand.
VI
This is another kind of meditation. Meditate on the Himalayas. Imagine that the Ganges takes its origin in the icy regions of Gangotri near Uttarakasi flows through Rishikesh, Hardwar, Benaras, and then enters into the Bay of Bengal near Gangasagar. Himalayas, Ganges and the Sea – these three thoughts only should occupy your mind. First take your mind to the icy regions of Gangotri, then along the Ganges and finally to the Sea. Rotate the mind in this manner for ten minutes.
VII
There is a living Universal Power that underlies all these names and forms. Meditate on this Power which is formless. This will terminate in the realisation of the Absolute, Nirguna, Nirakara (formless) Consciousness.