Meditation also has a very important place in Indian knowledge tradition. This tradition is thousands of years old and meditation has been considered as a major means of self -realization and mental purification in many spiritual paths including Yoga, Veda, Upanishad, Buddhist and Jain philosophy.
Meaning of meditation: The word ‘meditation’ is made up of ‘D’ metal of Sanskrit, which means – ‘Thinking, meditating, bringing concentration’. The aim of meditation is to concentrate the mind and join the soul or Brahma by being introverted.
Various forms of meditation in Indian knowledge tradition:
1. Meditation in Vedas and Upanishads: In the Upanishads, meditation has been described as the path of attaining enlightenment. ‘Dhyanam Self -Vidya’ – Meditation is the knowledge of the soul. In Mandukya Upanishad, the attention of Omkar (4) is said to be the means of attaining Brahma.
2. Meditation in Patanjali Yogasutra: Meditation is the seventh part in Ashtanga Yoga – Yama, Niyam, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahar, Dharna, Dhyan, Samadhi. According to Patanjali – ‘Tatra Pratyakatanata Dhyanam’, that is, in any one subject, the constant concentration of the mind is meditation.
3. Meditation in Buddhist tradition: Buddha adopted Vipassana and Samath (Shamath) meditation methods. Meditation is extremely effective in Buddhist traditions like ‘Anapanasati’ (meditation of breath) and ‘Vipassana’ (as it is as it is).
4. Meditation in Jain tradition: Meditation in Jainism is the medium of purification of the soul. There are four types of meditation mentioned – Aartha, Rudra, Dharma Meditation and Shukla Meditation, in which Shukla Meditation is the path of salvation.
5. Meditation in the path of devotion: Devotee saints connected meditation with the remembrance of God, Nomination and thinking of Leelas. Saints like Meera, Tulsidas, Kabir etc. described meditation as the path of love and dedication.
Benefits of Meditation: Mental peace and concentration, spiritual development, freedom from anger, stress and fear, spiritual experience and enlightenment. In Indian knowledge tradition, meditation is not only mental practice, but intensive practice converting life. This is the bridge leading to Brahma beyond the boundaries of the body and the world.
Careful specific methods and their practical practices are extremely rich and diverse in the Indian tradition. Here I am currently presenting some major attention methods and their practice plants, which you can include in your practice.
1. Omkar Meditation (ॐ Meditation)
legacy: Vedas, Upanishads, Yoga
Method: Sit in a quiet place (Padmasana, Sukhasana), close your eyes, breathe deeply and pronounce ‘ॐ’ while leaving. Take full care of the sound (feel the echo of ॐ). Practice for 10–15 minutes.
Benefits: mental peace, energy balance, internal stability
2. trataka meditation (null or stable vision attention)
legacy: Hatha Yoga
Method: See the flame or black point of a lamp without blinking the eyes, keep the mind completely focused on that point, if the eyes start burning, then close it and mentally look at that image.
Benefits: Concentration, memory power, visual improvement
3. Vipassana Meditation
legacy: Buddhist
Method: Sit calm and focus on your self-confidence, do not stop any thought or feeling, only ‘see and go’. This process increases awareness
Benefit: Insight, introspection, purification of mind.
4. Manas Chanting Meditation (Nammran)
legacy: Devotional yoga
Method: Chant the name of a mantra or God (eg ‘Rama’, ‘Om Namah Shivaya’, ‘Hare Ram Hare Krishna’), keep in mind that the sound of the name is echoed in the mind, do not come out.
Benefit: The purification of the heart, the association with God, the awakening of compassion and devotion.
5. Chakra Meditation
legacy: Tantra, Kundalini Yoga
Method: Focus on the 7 chakras of the body (from Muladhara to Sahasrara), feel the color, mantra and location of each cycle. Imagine that energy is flowing upwards.
Benefit: Energy balance, awareness, spiritual awakening.
Focusable things in the practice of meditation:
place: Choose a cool, clean and secluded place. Time: Brahmamuhurta or evening is superior. Currency: Keep the back straight, body stable.
Regularity: It is necessary to practice daily
Result: Initially there may be disturbance, but gradually the mind is stable.
The purpose of meditation: Mental peace and stress relief, improvement in concentration and memory, spiritual development and self -realization, experience of energy awakening/ Kundalini Shakti, devotion and deepening with God, improvement in sleep and freedom from anxiety, positive thinking and emotional balance, intuition and depth of meditation. Astrology has a very important and ancient place in Indian knowledge tradition. It is considered an integral part of the Vedas and is deeply connected in the Sanatan tradition of Hindu culture.
