What is Meditation ( Spiritual Practice )
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Baba Nam Kevalam
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Anand Marg --The Path of Bliss
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Practical Tantra
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Many people mistakenly believe that meditation is an instant product: just sit down and the process works magically, lulling the meditator into a thoughtless world of bliss, stillness and internal beauty. When these experiences do not come in the first weeks of meditation, new practitioners suppose they're doing something wrong or that their technique is defective. Consequently they discontinue the practice because of simple misunderstanding.
So what is to be expected in the first weeks of meditation? "The mind is like a mad monkey stung by a scorpion", said the great yogi Ramakrishna, and everyone who starts meditation and tries concentrating knows this to be true. Especially in the beginning, the mind is uncontrollable and unruly. As you sit down many thoughts arise ... you drift off thinking of something else; sounds and noise from without sidetrack your internal concentration, your body won't stay still and you finally get up thinking that nothing has happened.

But it has! By constant practice your capacity to hold your mind steady is building. Much as the body of an athlete in training acquires great physical strength and stamina, so too the struggling meditator develops mental strength and the capacity to concentrate. It is only after a time that the stage comes when we can truly fix our mind on the object of meditation and hold it there - then true meditation is performed.
Another puzzling experience for some is that the mind appears even more unsteady after commencing meditation. More thoughts than usual arise in the mind and this is taken to mean that the process is not being done correctly. Just the opposite is true. The function of meditation is to internally work on the mind by clearing out all the distortions and impressions our past actions have registered upon our subconscious mind. It's like cleaning house: in the middle of the process the house may look even messier than when we started, but by persevering and not quitting mid-stream we get it clean. So, as we continue to meditate, the mind becomes clearer and clearer.
Meditation is the effort to control and develop the mind to realise one's true nature. It is the means by which we can realise our full potential on all levels of existence: physical, mental and spiritual.

“Spirituality provides humanity with that subtle and tremendous power with which no other power can be compared. Therefore, with spirituality as the base, a rational philosophy should be evolved to deal with the physical, psychological and socio-philosophical problems of the day. “
- Shrii Shrii Anandamurti
“Spirituality is not a utopian ideal but a practical philosophy which can be practised and realised in everyday life. Spirituality stands for evolution and elevation, not for superstition and pessimism.”
2. Meditation: Directing the Stream of Consciousness
“Real education is that which leads to liberation. “
Meditation is often viewed as sitting quietly, contemplating thoughts or analysing personal problems. Others believe it to be a practice of forcing the mind not to think, or to think of nothing, hence giving peace associated with escape from daily problems. But none of these images truly fits the yogic concept of meditation.
In yogic terminology, meditation is called 'dhyana', which literally means 'flowing of the mind'. It is a state of pure concentrated contemplation in which the mind flows unobstructedly towards Cosmic Consciousness. At first the meditator may only be able to concentrate for a few seconds at a time, but with each effort his or her ability to direct mental energy increases.
When meditation becomes so profound that all feelings of individuality are consumed by the one thought of Cosmic Consciousness, the aspirant achieves total mental absorption, known as 'samadhi'. In this state the transcendental ecstasy of union with Cosmic Consciousness is felt. Yogis refer to this Cosmic Bliss as 'anandam'. Here the mind is liberated from all bondage and is merged in the blissful realisation of universal consciousness.

The meditational practices of Tantra systematically help to control and direct mental energy. To direct the mind during meditation, we need a point to concentrate on. The mind wants to go towards that which is enjoyable, hence by the use of a 'mantra', or special sound vibration, the mind is directed towards that which is most enjoyable - the bliss of Cosmic Consciousness. Mantra literally means 'that which liberates the mind'; it is a sound vibration upon which the mind is concentrated during meditation. Mantras are in a language called Sanskrit - an ancient language known for its subtlety and exactness in expression. It was developed many thousands of years ago by yogiis while in deep intuitional states.

There are various types of mantras, such as the mantras for collective chants and ceremonies, as well as those for meditation. The most effective mantra for meditation is the 'Ista Mantra' (Ista means goal). It is a personal mantra through which the aspirant identifies him/her own self with the goal in meditation, being the Cosmic Consciousness.

Qualities of the Ista Mantra

Pulsative: The mantra is comprised of two syllables which can be coordinated with breathing - one syllable is used on breathing in and the other on breathing out. In this way, natural breathing keeps the mantra fixed in the mind and in turn the mantra makes breathing regulated and rhythmic. Deep, regular breathing produces calm and collectedness, conducive to meditation, while breathing which is short, quick and/or irregular we associate with excited or agitated states of mind.
Concentrational: Merging the mind in pure Consciousness is often misunderstood to mean making the mind void or empty. However the mind cannot function without entertaining some object or thought. The mantra provides a focal point by which one can penetrate beyond the endless stream of thoughts and images which constantly pass through the mind.
Ideational:
Every word or sound vibration is a symbol. Upon being spoken, or generated, it creates a mental picture. For example, if a person mentions the word 'flower', our minds conjure up images of flowers. This mental association is called psycho-physical parallelism, as the vibration of a particular physical form invokes a similar vibration in the mind.
"As you think so you become", a simple platitude, in this case has real application. People who constantly associate themselves with limited objects find that expansive thoughts and magnanimous ideas do not come easily. Their outlook is generally narrow and self-centred. On the other hand, those who constantly consider the welfare of others and endeavour to fathom profound ideas are more inclined to broadmindedness and expansive thoughts. Even greater are the vistas of those who reflect on the Infinite, the Universal Consciousness, and Its expression in all things. Such mental association is called psycho-spiritual parallelism.
To help achieve greater psycho-spiritual parallelism, the underlying meaning of all Ista Mantras is always the Infinite.
Vibrational: The sound vibration of the mantra is itself adapted to suit the individual's mental vibration. Normally a person likes those things which have a vibration closely parallel to his or her own. People of different nations prefer different music, colours, and so on, according to their own mental vibration. One type of music may be soothing to one person but meaningless to another, so too are individuals more suited to particular mantras.
The method of using the mantra is also important, for if the mantra is used without properly preparing the mind, much of its efficacy is lost. The mind firstly must be freed from the normal tensions, attachments and distractions of everyday life, and then detached from the senses themselves. Only after fulfilling these prerequisites can it have its full effect. Important preparatory processes are taught together with the Ista Mantra.

Mantra and Kundalini

Besides the above-mentioned effects, the Ista Mantra has a further important function, namely awakening the 'sleeping divinity' or latent spiritual energy of human beings. This spiritual energy, known as the 'kundalini' in Sanskrit, is related to the control of different psychic energy centres of the body called 'cakras'. The aroused kundalini passes through the different cakras, resulting in the control of their corresponding psychic and physical functions. Through the control of these psycho-physical tendencies, one can fully control and develop the mind, allowing it to expand to a state of complete realisation - a complete expression of pure Consciousness.

Shrii Shrii Anandamurti JI
Universal Spiritual Master

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