Meditation by Swami Satchidananda

Author:Swami Satchidananda [Satchidananda, Swami]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BookMasters
Published: 2011-12-19T23:00:00+00:00

Asato Ma Sad Gamaya

Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya

Mrityor Mamritam Gamaya

Lead us from unreal to Real

Lead us from darkness to the Light

Lead us from the fear of death to

knowledge of Immortality

OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

OM Peace, Peace, Peace

Loka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu

May the entire Universe be filled with

Peace and Joy, Love and Light.

Meditation on a Form or Visual Symbol

The mind can be steadied by practicing repeated concentration and meditation on a visual form. The particular form can differ according to the individual's temperament and taste. Some examples are: the steady flame of a candle, a picture of a beloved saint or teacher, the symbol OM, a yantra, etc.

Form meditation usually begins with tratak, or steady gazing at the form. As you practice this, you may simultaneously repeat your chosen mantra. This steady gazing progresses into clear mental visualization of the object of concentration. An example of form meditation is given below.

A yantra is a mystic symbol in the form of a geometric diagram. Those who went into deep meditation experienced something in the unconscious levels of the mind. Upon returning to normal consciousness, they expressed what they had experienced in the form of mantras, or mystic sounds, and yantra s.

This yantra is a diagram of the entire cosmos. As God begins to manifest, the first expression is sound vibration. But when God manifests as sound, you can't see anything. What is the smallest expression that you could see? The bindu or dot. It should be the smallest possible particle. But, of course, if it is that small we can't see it, so in the yantra it is shown as a large dot in the very center. The bindu represents the first physical expression, the very core of the cosmos.

The next expressions are the three rings surrounding the bindu. They represent the three gunas, or basic qualities of nature: sattva (balance), rajas (activity) and tamas (inertia). In the yogic thinking, everything in this universe manifests uniquely because it results from a unique combination of these three.

Then you see the hexagon around the three rings. This can be very well explained with an example from science. If you take a photograph of a crystal, you will see that its normal shape is six-sided.

That's why the yantra has the six triangles around the center. It means that the first speck of matter expresses itself as more complex matter like a crystal.

The six triangles are actually a combination of two larger triangles, one pointed down, the other up. As one triangle passes through the other, we get this six-sided figure. The triangle with apex upward represents the positive, or masculine aspect; the inverted triangle is the negative, or feminine, aspect.

In Sanskrit this concept is called Siva-Shakti. It is a combination of the male and female, equally represented. There is no inferiority or superiority for either aspect; they blend together perfectly.

Whichever way you turn the yantra, they remain the same. So it makes a complete whole, and this itself represents the entire nirguna (unmanifest) as well as saguna (manifest) aspects of the Supreme.

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