Meditation Support

The Daily Meditator: September 2006

Dear Meditator,

The Art and Science of Meditation is the theme for this issue of the Daily Meditator. Currently, there are over one hundred articles on our site. I wanted to highlight for you a few of these articles, preceded by the following short selections.

"Never meditate to the point of mental fatigue, strain, or boredom... If you feel joy in meditation, stop meditating when the joy begins to diminish. One rule for right eating is to leave the table a little hungry. Apply this rule to meditation. In that way, you'll always look forward to your next time for meditation.

" On the other hand, make an effort to meditate a little longer at least once a week… Gradually you'll break the habit of thinking you can meditate only for short periods."
- Meditation Keys for Beginners by Swami Kriyananda

" The mind, in meditation especially, must be so perfectly still that not a ripple of thought enters it. God, the Subtlest Reality, cannot be perceived except in utter silence. Much of the teaching of yoga, therefore, centers on techniques designed specially for developing concentration."
Concentration on the Breath Leads to Inner Stillness by Swami Kriyananda

"Knowing how important concentration is, people sometimes become discouraged over their inability to hold their minds steady in meditation. We need to realize, however, that completely quieting the mind is the goal of meditation, and not something we will necessarily experience right away.

"Paramhansa Yogananda said that most people do everything only half-heartedly, using one-tenth of their concentration. To be successful in meditation it is essential that we concentrate with our full attention, otherwise our efforts will be mechanical, diffused, and lack power. Spiritual awareness depends on two things: the amount of energy and how that energy is focused. You can increase your level of energy and focus by commanding your mind's attention with such practices as chanting, prayer, yoga postures, breathing exercises, and the Energization Exercises. These practices generate a strong flow of energy, which then can be used for meditation.

"Yogananda said, "[While] directing your conscious mind from the material world, you must realize…that effort is not enough…You cannot withdraw your mind successfully from anything unless you withdraw your energy also." Deep states of concentration are possible only when our life-force is interiorized, because the mind follows the direction of the flow of prana in the body. When the energy flows outward, our attention goes outward, too, while reversing it interiorizes the mind."
Concentration is Everything by Bharat Cornell

"Yoga is an art as well as a science. It is a science, because it offers practical methods for controlling body and mind, thereby making deep meditation possible. And it is an art, for unless it is practiced intuitively and sensitively it will yield only superficial results.

"Yoga is not a system of beliefs. It takes into account the influence on each other of body and mind, and brings them into mutual harmony. So often, for instance, the mind cannot concentrate simply because of tension or illness in the body, which prevent the energy from flowing to the brain. So often, too, the energy in the body is weakened because the will is dispirited, or paralyzed by harmful emotions.

"The spine is the highway to the Infinite. It is within your own self that God must be realized. Whatever places of pilgrimage you visit outwardly, and whatever outward rituals you perform, the ultimate 'pilgrimage' must be within. And the ultimate religious rite must be the offering of your life-force on the altar of inner God-communion."
What is Yoga? by Paramhansa Yogananda

"One of the… most common, mistakes on the spiritual path is to equate progress with psychic phenomena of various kinds… Visions, voices, and other mental or psychic phenomena are no sign in themselves of genuine exaltation of consciousness. Swami Sri Yukteswar said that many devotees renounce worldliness only to seek it again on the subtler level of astral phenomena.

"The basis of all true progress is right attitude. If you are becoming more kind, more self-giving, more calm, you may be sure that you are progressing whether you see visions or not. If you are succeeding in relinquishing your likes and dislikes, and are learning to accept even-mindedly whatever experiences life sends you, then you have much cause for rejoicing. If you find that you have fewer and fewer desires for the things of this world, know that you are truly finding freedom. And more important still, if your love for God is growing ever deeper, know that you are fast approaching Him. And if through all the trials of life you always feel joy inwardly, a joy that nothing can shake, know that you have Him already to a wonderful degree."
Signs of Spiritual Progress by Swami Kriyananda

"The Buddha said that stilling the mind is the most challenging yet rewarding task we will ever undertake. We shouldn't be surprised when we meet challenges along the way. Yet every effort toward inner calmness helps us transform ourselves over time. St. Teresa of Avila said, "A meditation is well done if all you did was fight distraction." In other words, a good meditation can be defined as one that you do! Every time you meditate—no matter how restless or peaceful you feel—remember you are doing the most central of all spiritual activities for discovering true, inner joy.

"George Washington's greatness as a general, it has been said, was not in his victories, which were few, but in his ability to keep his army in the field, no matter how difficult. This persistence eventually defeated the British and brought America its freedom. Likewise, your persistence in meditation will eventually free you. The path of meditation requires consistent, life-long practice—you cannot expect to reach perfection in a few short months or years. However, the devotee who meditates regularly will find more and more that God's love and joy are singing in his heart."
Long-Term View of Your Meditation Practice by Bharat Cornell

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