Method of Meditation

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Method of Meditation

 

Dear Scott Zimmerle,

The method of meditation that has been described by you is really

wonderful. I have been practicing this method for more than 4 years now

developing wonderful results in the field of memory and concentration.

I usually take one Mantra from the Rigveda, try to understand its

spiritual significance, which is considered the fruit of the Mantra by

great authorities like Bhagavan Yaska, then repeat it in my mind and

meditate upon it. I mean I meditate upon the sound of the words, then on

the words and then eventually on the object that is being described by

those words. Bhagavan Patanjali mentioned "Dharana" in the first Sutra of

the third chapter from the Yoga Sutras, where the Sanskrit commentators

like Bhagavan Vyasa and Shri Vijnana Bhikshu have mentioned various

objects to "establish the mind upon". Why shouldn't one take a Mantra as

an object for Dharana and then Dhyana? The Dheya (object of meditation)

can be anything according to the commentators there. It can be an internal

object or also an external one. Why can't we take a Mantra from the Vedas

or a Shloka from the Gita? In fact this is really a wonderful process and

I have endlessly benefited from this personally. I have learnt by heart

the entire Gita and the first 8 Principle Upanishads, and now I'm learning

Rigveda by heart thanks to this method of meditation.

My Father many times told me "These scriptures have to remembered by

heart, only then you can close your eyes and meditate upon their meaning.

Only then the object described in them would be revealed to you. If you

don't do this, you would be lost in those black letters and forget the

object being described by them."

I love this and I'm glad to know that somebody else is practicing in a

similar way, but many people, including some ex-TM-teachers, seem to laugh

at me when I mention this method of meditation. But wish they would

understand and know how wonderful it is!

Love,

Siddhartha