Understanding Dhyaana

Monday, 9th October 2017

Now-a-days, people have a general feeling that Dhyaana is a good exercise. Yes; it is true. Dhyaana is a very good exercise, not only for the internal organs, but for the body as well. But, most of the people are confused about the purpose, function as well as method of Dhyaana. They have no idea about the subjects like, what is Dhyaana, what is its purpose, how it should be practised, what are the varieties of it etc.

First of all, let me tell you that Dhyaana cannot be taught. Each one must try to find out his/her own method/methods of Dhyaana by practising and doing experiments with it in various ways. It can be understood only through trial and error method. It is so, because Dhyaana is a natural behavior just like sleeping, having food and sexual relationship. The purpose of sleep, food and sex should be understood properly before involving in them, if you want to do them effectively. Similarly, the purpose of Dhyaana also must be understood.

The purpose of Dhyaana is to consciously and directly connect with Mother Nature. You are always dependent upon Nature. But you are not aware of the fact; on the contrary, you think that you are a separate individual and forget that you have no existence other than that of the Nature.  To re-establish the link with Mother Nature is called Dhyaana. Your thoughts and emotions are the reason to break your link with the Nature. Thoughts and emotions of greed, anger, envy etc. are to be checked; the thoughts and emotions of love, acceptance, compassion etc. must be established inside to connect with Nature. Love, acceptance, compassion etc. are the higher feelings of Nature. So the thoughts must be managed and re-arranged in this way to re-link with Nature. So to re-define it, Dhyaana is the management of your thoughts and emotions.

Thoughts and emotions are to be observed and managed. There are several ways of exercises to practise Dhyaana through which thoughts and emotions can be observed and managed. Just as the bright rays of Sun re-appear when the covering of the clouds is removed, the joy of re-established connection with Mother Nature is experienced when the thoughts and emotions are transformed.

Dhyaana must be practised through day-to-day activities. All actions you do in a day are the methods of practising Dhyaana. Your house hold activities, work for livelihood, creative activities and even relaxation can be considered as Dhyaana. But this statement may seem to be very absurd. This needs to be understood properly for effective practice.

Let’s listen to the words of Sri Aurobindo in this matter. He categorizes Dhyaana into three different methods. He calls the three categories as Meditation, Contemplation and Self-Observation. In other words, they are three different methods of managing your thoughts. Always it is important to Observe your thoughts and Manage them. But the question is how to do it. Sri Aurobindo’s direction is helpful. (The Integral Yoga, Selected Letters of Sri Aurobindo)

Sri Aurobindo says, “Meditation means properly the concentration of the mind on a single train of ideas which workout a single subject.” Train of ideas refers not to one single image or one word; but it represents a number of images and words interconnected with some common basis. For example, remembering what happened yesterday from morning to evening can be considered as Meditation. Or reflecting upon the meaning of a Sloka from Bhagavad Gita also can be considered as Meditation. Meditation in this sense is useful in day-to-day life, very much. Meditation is needed for house hold management, office management, planning your work, assessing your work, preparing for examinations etc.

Please see the second category of Dhyaana, called Contemplation, mentioned by Sri Aurobindo, “Contemplation means regarding a single mental object, image or idea, so that the knowledge about the object, image or idea may arise naturally in the mind by force of concentration.” Focusing mind upon a form of a deity or Manthra comes in this category. Contemplation is more useful in life during creative thinking; like when you are planning your work, or creating story, situations or expressions of emotions in art etc.

Sri Aurobindo suggests another category of Dhyaana, which in my personal experience, is more useful for a spiritual seeker.  It is a training in non-attachment; Or in other words, Abhyaasa to develop the habit of Vairaagya. Sri Aurobindo mentions Swami Vivekananda when he says about this category of Dhyaana. He continues, “There is a passage in which Vivekananda advises you to stand back from your thoughts, let them occur in your mind as they will and simply observe them and see what they are. This may be called concentration in self-observation.” This happens in life when you are really involved in a work of art; reading a creative literature, listening to a music, watching a play, appreciating a painting etc. This kind of Dhyaana is very important for a Yogi who is trying to observe his thoughts and emotions and to manage them.

These three ways of Dhyaana are needed in life, in time to time. The Saadhaka must be capable of selecting what is needed in each circumstance. The difference between Meditation and Contemplation is that the Saadhaka is following mental streams just with a gathered attention in the former, where as the mental vibrations are more concentrated in the latter. Thoughts and emotions are not restricted that much in the former, and they are in more focused state in the latter. Sri Aurobindo discriminates, “Meditation is the easiest process for the human mind, but the narrowest in its result; contemplation more difficult, but greater; self-observation and liberation from the chain of thought the most difficult of all, but the widest and greatest in its fruits.”

Learning self-observation, observing and distancing from the thoughts, is the practice of Jnjaana Yoga. Self-knowledge is developed through this practice of observation, through which the maturation of the personality happens in reality.

Practise OM (Observation and Management) to do proper Dhyaana in proper time, according to your purpose. Be victorious in life; and in mind.