Meditation is the key to attain Self-realization. Great works are accomplished by men of meditation. Spiritual wisdom cannot be gained without meditation. Just as the magnifying glass concentrates the rays of the sun, and such concentrated light is able to burn the cotton held behind the glass, similarly in meditation one is able to bring the rays of the Self to a highly concentrated state to burn all impurities of the mind.
In meditation, the dissipated energy of the mind is brought together toward one goal. It is really a great power, when mind is concentrated on one subject. When the mind flows in one direction, having God as its aim, the spiritual energy awakens, centers of consciousness blossom, the eye of wisdom opens, and man attains the superconscious state.
A man of meditation will eventually attain perfection. Masters and angels appear to him; wisdom smiles at him, and God leads him onward and forward in reaching the highest enlightenment. A man of meditation shall attain success in every endeavor.
Even as a honey bee completely gets lost tasting the nectar from a lotus, similarly the yogi in meditation tastes the nectar from the lotus-feet of God and gets lost in that bliss. This absorption is samadhi or the superconscious state--the culmination of meditation.
The mind in meditation is compared to an uninterrupted flow of oil that is poured from one vessel to another; or the continuous flow of a river into an ocean. When the mind is not running toward the objects of the senses and the pleasures of ego, but flows within--then you are sure that you are on the path of right meditation. It is a great help when you fix your mind in the brow center (ajna chakra), meditating on God as light there. Gradually the mind will merge with the light and become illumined. It is equally great when one meditates in the heart's lotus, feeling God as love. This leads to the experiences of universal love.
As we ascend the higher ladders of meditation, the strong knot of attachment will be rent asunder. The mind becomes pure like clear crystal. It is the feeling of guilt and sin that makes a man weak. The fire of meditation burns mountainous sins and guilt feelings in a trice. Thus, the man of meditation attains the strength of spirit. Divine virtues dwell in him, and he is drawn more and more toward the kingdom of heaven. Drinking the nectar of immortality, he attains the highest blessedness.
As you go deeper in meditation, the light of God surrounds you and protects you from the invasion of Satan. As soon as evil thoughts or negative vibrations arise in your own mind or attack you from outside, immediately that brilliant light of God burns the evil thoughts and destroys the negative vibrations. Thus, the halo that surrounds the yogi protects him from all satanic forces. This light grows in its dimension day after day, as the yogi enters into the higher heights in meditation. This light is visible clearly to a clairvoyant and even laymen are able to see the radiance that surrounds a servant of God. This light or aura is known as tejas or brilliance.
Oh, what an inexhaustible treasure is this meditation!
Ojas
Through meditation the seminal energy is transformed into ojas or creative energy. The very source of energy, the kundalini shakti, is awakened in the meditator by the virtue of meditation. This ojas manifests in him as divine wisdom (jnana shakti), will power (iccha shakti) and creativity (kriya shakti).
As the flow of the sex energy is turned upward, this fire of kundalini cures all his physical and mental illnesses and makes him healthy and happy. His body shines like molten gold, and one can see the yellow, blue-colored rays springing from his body, bringing healing to humanity.
This highest meditation is illustrated here thus:
A humming bee picks up a worm and throws it into its niche in a tree. Thereafter, it continuously buzzes and hums as it circles around and around in front of the worm. The poor worm, terribly afraid of death, imitates the bee and hums. In a short while the worm is transformed into a bee and becomes fearless.
Similarly, afraid of death and rebirth and the Ocean of Karma, we turn to God or Guru and meditate on them in such a way that one blessed day we are transformed into God-consciousness. It is true that the meditator looks exactly like the object of his meditation. The very chosen deity upon whom he meditates constantly appears through that devotee to other people. Such is the "oneness" the meditator or a true devotee attains. Such is the practical nature of meditation.
There are mainly two types of meditation. One is gross and the other is subtle.
Pictures of father, mother, preceptor, angels or saints, whoever inspires you and reminds you of God; holy images of Krishna, Rama, Buddha, Jesus or any prophet who makes your heart leap with joy and mind become meditative, such a picture or image you can keep in front of you and meditate upon. Most of all, if you are fortunate to meet a selfless, compassionate Guru, thoughts of him will be highly inspiring. Hence the saying, "The feet of the Guru are the root of meditation."
The holy image or picture of an incarnation of God or a prophet is also highly beneficial. It is a characteristic of our vital and mental sheaths to remember things of importance. If you constantly think and meditate on God through such saints, again and again, there is no doubt that God will appear to you in their form.
"On whatever form a man meditates, I shall appear to him in that very form," says Lord Krishna in the Gita.
As such a meditation gets deeper and deeper, you are able to enter into conversation with your chosen deity. You are able to see and talk to the deity; you are able to hear the voice of the deity or the prophet with whom you are in contact. This is a very profound and sweet experience. Such experiences inspire you to be nearer to that deity always, until you develop a definite contact with that deity. Saints constantly remain in touch with the Lord, and the Lord is at their beck and call.
Instructions on Yogic Meditation
Select a calm spot on even ground; free from worms, germs, dirt, dust, reptiles, fire or anything which disturbs your body and mind. The place should be clean, very pleasing to the eyes and the mind, and a place which is not frequented by man. Such a secluded, clean spot inspires one to meditate. Spread the holy grass (kusha) mat below to sever the mind from the gravitational pull of the earth and spread the deer-skin and a thin cloth above it. Take a firm decision in your mind that you will never get up from the seat until you experience a higher state of consciousness. Keep your body erect, the trunk, neck and chest straight and steady. Conquer laziness, sleep, and sloth. Withdraw your senses from all outward attractions and fix your mind in the heart's lotus. Take the help of OM as a ship which will take you across the ocean of the mortal waters of samsara (ocean of karma).
Meditating on the Word that is OM, feel how much you have progressed in the path of spirituality. In other words, the meditation should be such a great spiritual discipline and progress should be clearly experienced after each mediation.
Yogic diet should be observed during the period of sadhana (spiritual discipline). Keep a simple vegetarian diet such as rice, vegetables, fruits, fruit juices, milk, buttermilk, porridge, nuts, fresh water and the like. Do not stuff the stomach before meditation, for it will end with sleep instead of samadhi. After sitting in a posture straight and steady, you should practice pranayama: take a deep inhalation and, while retaining the breath, mentally gaze into one of the chakras, preferably the heart's lotus, the brow center, or the thousand-petaled lotus. You may even meditate on a pillar of light that covers all the chakras through the spine up to the thousand-petaled lotus. Now practice pranayama until the prana or the breath becomes so subtle it is as if you are not breathing at all. As it reaches subtler stages, the mind also becomes more meditative. As a charioteer curbing the turbulent horses drives them toward the destination very carefully, similarly, let the seeker, controlling the turbulent senses by the reins of mind, reach the destination of peace.
As the meditation becomes deeper and deeper, due to the opening of the lotuses along the spine, varieties of mystical experiences shall come to you. You may see flashes of lightning, or smell very fragrant smoke. You may see the sun, moon, and mystical fire. You will experience the fragrant breath of God encompassing and embracing you. Sometimes you may see many colored scenes, fireflies, or the soothing rays of the sun or moon. You may hear the voices of angels or celestial music, or you may taste nectar or meet great masters in your mystic vision.
Sometimes you may hear the beautiful drum of Lord Shiva and at times the beautiful music of the flute of Krishna. You may have the blessed experience of listening to the Sermon on the Mount or the Ten Commandments, or the voice of the Buddha or Mohammed, or any saint with whom you are in contact. Sometimes you may hear some mystical language, or you may speak an unknown language during such experiences. Such mystical experiences might come to you, making you satisfied in your spiritual sadhana and inspiring you to go still deeper in your mediations. None of these experiences should stop you from continuing your meditation, thinking that you have reached the summit. These are milestones during your pilgrimage towards the Truth.
It is also noteworthy that in some cases none of these experiences will come at all, but nevertheless the devotee may spiritually progress. After meditation you may have found transcendental peace or universal love. You may have gained the strength to withstand hunger, lust, and thirst for enjoyment. Let it be known that these mystical experiences are not a must for spiritual realization, but they mostly appear to the sensitive, emotional, or intuitive devotee. There is no doubt that such experiences strengthen the faith of the devotee in marching towards the goal of realization.
Meditation on earth, water, fire, air and space or ether; or the first five chakras (beginning from the base of the spine up to the throat center, these chakras are the counterparts of the five cosmic elements) might lead the devotee towards conquering the five elements. The presiding deities over the earth, water, fire, air and ether may bless him with miraculous powers or siddhis. When one conquers the five cosmic elements, the whole body of such a yogi shall be filled with the fire of yoga. Once this yogagni (light of yoga or mystic fire) pervades his body, he shall have no more sickness, old age or even death, the scriptures declare. Such a one has destroyed death and can keep his body young, materialize or dematerialize in many places simultaneously, or live as long as he wants.
(Essence of Bhagavad Gita and Bible, p. 58.)