[Advaita-l] Meditation: eyes open or eyes closes or either (Sanju Nath)

[Sanju Nath]

Thank you for the references.  It is helpful.

Sanju.

On Fri, Jul 3, 2015 at 10:02 PM, Kalivaradhan krishnamurthy via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> HariH OM!
>
> I have been following the discussions on this topic which is very good for
> beginners to Meditation.
>
> I found two references in the internet which are quite revealing and
> informative:
>
> 1.  The Mahabharata Book 12: Santi Parva SECTION CXCVI of Shanti Parva
> Mahabharata
>
> http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m12/m12b023.htm
>
> "Sitting on kusa grass, with kusa in hand, and binding his coronal locks
> with kusa, he should surround himself with kusa and have kusa for robes.
> Bowing unto all earthly concerns, he should take leave of them and never
> think of them. Assuming equability by the aid of his mind, he should fix
> his mind on the mind itself. Reciting the highly beneficial composition
> (viz., the Gayatri), he meditates with the aid of his intellect on Brahma
> alone. Afterwards he leaves off even that, being then absorbed in
> concentrated contemplation. 4 In consequence of his dependence on the
> strength of the Gayatri which he recites, this concentrated contemplation
> will come of itself. By penances he attains to purity of soul, and
> self-restraint, and cessation of aversion and desire. Freed from attachment
> and delusion, above the influence of all pairs of opposites (such as heat
> and cold, joy and sorrow, etc.), he never grieves and never suffers himself
> to be drawn towards worldly objects. He does not regard himself as the
> actor nor as the enjoyer or sufferer of the consequences of his acts. He
> never, through selfishness, fixes his mind on anything. Without being
> employed in the acquisition of wealth, he abstains also from disregarding
> or insulting others, but not from work. The work in which he is employed is
> that of meditation; he is devoted to meditation, and seeks meditation
> unalterably. By meditation he succeeds in bringing about concentrated
> contemplation, and then gradually leaves off meditation itself. In that
> state he enjoys the felicity which attaches to the abandonment of all
> things. Having thoroughly mastered the principle of desire he casts off his
> life-breaths and then enters into the Brahmic body."
>
> 2.  Guide to Meditation - SAGUNA AND NIRGUNA FORMS OF MEDITATION
>
>
> http://www.sivanandaonline.org/public_html/?cmd=displaysection&section_id=934
>
> SOME USEFUL HINTS :
>
>
> In meditation, do not strain the eyes. Do not strain the brain. Do not
> struggle or wrestle with the mind. It is a serious mistake. Many neophytes
> commit this grave error. That is the reason why they get easily tired soon.
> They get headache and they have to get up very often to pass urine during
> the course of meditation owing to the irritation set up in the micturition
> centre in the spinal cord.
>
> Make no violent effort to control the mind. Do not wrestle with it with
> force. It is a mistake to do so. But, rather allow it for a while and let
> it run and exhaust its efforts. The mind will jump now like an untrained
> monkey first. Gradually, it will slow down. Then you can fix the mind on
> your Lakshya either on a concrete form or on an abstract idea.
>
> Both these sites offer very useful hints on Meditation techniques
>
> --
> Kalivaradhan
>
> *" आ नो भद्राः क्रतवो यन्तु विश्वतः " ( ऋग्वेद १.८९ )*
>
> *"Let Noble thoughts reach us from all directions! "*
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