What is Meditation?
- By Swami Tejomayananda
- • Oct 31, 2019
Let's start with the most basic question:
What is Meditation?
Swami Tejomayanandaji has very aptly defined meditation as effortless awareness of one's true nature.
Generally, meditation is thought to be an action. Some think that when one sits still in a particular posture with eyes closed, one is meditating. Repitition of the name of the Lord, softly or mentally is called japa. It is meant to make the mind pure, subtle and concentrated as it prepares the mind for meditation.
Abidance in one's own nature is meditation. It is easy for one who has gone through the process of listening to the scriptures from his Guru, thereafter reflected upon it. For gaining firm abidance in the Self, the practice of meditation is necessary. This is not like practising a skill or an action. It is the strengthening of the knowledge of one's true nature.
The practice of meditation is the attempt to withdraw attention of the mind from the objects of the world to the Self. The body, mind and intellect are extrovert by nature. The principle behind the practice of meditation is that so-called action leads to the cessation of actions of the body, mind and intellect.
Kathopanishad says,"When the five organs of perception along with the mind and intellect cease functioning, that state they call the Supreme."
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