Relevance of the Bhagavadgita to Humanity : 27-1. Swami Krishnananda.

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Monday, October 10, 2022. 07:00.
Chapter 27: The Practice of Meditation-1.

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Chapter 27: The Practice of Meditation - 1.

yogī yuñjīta satatam ātmānaṃ rahasi sthitaḥ,

ekākī yatacittātmā nirāśīr aparigrahaḥ (BG 6.10)

śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya sthiram āsanam ātmanaḥ,

nātyucchritaṃ nātinīcaṃ cailājinakuśottaram (BG 6.11)

Some preliminary instructions to the primary level student in the practice of yoga are given here: the outer forms of preparation, the physical appurtenances necessary, and the very first step that is to be taken. The way of meditation is being described here.

This is one system of meditation, the way which is almost akin to the prescriptions of Patanjali Maharishi. Some commentators on the Bhagavadgita, the foremost of them being Madhusudana Saraswati, tag on a large portion of the sutras of Patanjali in their expositions while commenting on these verses of the Sixth Chapter. Madhusudana Saraswati sees a vital connection in these verses between what Bhagavan Sri Krishna must have been having in his mind at the time of his speaking and the methods prescribed in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

There are several ways, methods, of meditation. One particular method is here specially mentioned, namely, the directing of the mind to a chosen spot or ideal by being seated in a posture called the yoga asana, the position of the body assumed in meditation. In a calm and quiet undisturbed spot, you should seat yourself. There should not be anything outside which will distract your attention. There should be nothing which you will resent, nothing that will interfere with you, disturb you, annoy you or cause your mind to oscillate out of the point of attention. A pure spot is a sucha desa. Fresh air, beautiful sceneries, mountaintops, riverbanks, the shade of large trees, and so on, which are conducive to composed thinking, such spots are to be selected for meditation. And there one should be seated in intense satisfaction within oneself. This is important. Only a satisfied mind can settle. The unsatisfied mind is unsettled, and concentration or meditation is the settling of the mind. It has to remain like undisturbed water, without ripples or waves, and therefore, no wind of desire or distraction should blow over it.

The instruction here is that outer conditions have a definite influence upon the internal states of mind. This is something very obvious. We know very well how we think differently in different kinds of atmosphere or environment. In a holy place we think in one way, in a judiciary we think in another way, in a marketplace we think in a third way, and so on. The atmosphere of the place to a large extent interferes with our mode of thinking. Hence, such an environment may be chosen for being seated in meditation, which will add to the satisfaction of the mind and not distract it or pull it aside in other directions than the chosen one. Here in this beautiful spot well chosen, one must be seated.

We have similar references in the Brahma Sutras, for instance, in which there are long discussions in connection with the need to be seated for meditation rather than be in any other posture. What posture other than sitting can we assume? Can we stand and meditate, or lie down and meditate? Here it has been very carefully told us that the mind cannot concentrate while the body is standing, because it is necessary for the mind to bestow some attention on the fact of standing in order that the feet be planted properly, fixed firmly on the ground. If we are totally unconscious of standing, we may fall down. Hence, the standing posture is not suitable for meditation. A lying posture also is not suitable because there will be a tendency to go to sleep. Due to the relaxed condition of the body the eyes will slowly close and the mind will so relax itself that it will know nothing. Therefore, a middle course has to be chalked out of not standing or lying down, but sitting.

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To be continued ..

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