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Introduction To Yoga
By Elizabeth Penning

Meditation With and Without Seed

The next step is our method of meditation. What do we mean by
meditation? Meditation cannot be the same for every man.

Though the same in principle, namely, the steadying of the mind, the
method must vary with the temperament of the practitioner.
Suppose that you are a strong-minded and intelligent man, fond of
reasoning.

Suppose that connected links of thought and argument
have been to you the only exorcise of the mind. Utilise that past
training. Do not imagine that you can make your mind still by a
single effort. Follow a logical chain of reasoning, step by step,
link after link; do not allow the mind to swerve a hair's breadth from it.

Do not allow the mind to go aside to other lines of
thought. Keep it rigidly along a single line, and steadiness will
gradually result. Then, when you have worked up to your highest
point of reasoning and reached the last link of your chain of
argument, and your mind will carry you no further, and beyond
that you can see nothing, then stop.

At that highest point of thinking, cling desperately to the last link of the
chain, and there keep the mind poised, in steadiness and strenuous quiet,
waiting for what may come. After a while, you will be able to
maintain this attitude for a considerable time.

For one in whom imagination is stronger than the reasoning
faculty, the method by devotion, rather than by reasoning, is the
method. Let him call imagination to his help.

He should picture some scene, in which the object of his
devotion forms the central figure, building it up, bit by bit,
as a painter paints a picture, putting in it gradually all the
elements of the scene He must work at it as a painter works
on his canvas, line by line, his brush the brush of imagination.

At first the work will be very slow, but the picture soon begins to
present itself at call. Over and over he should picture the scene,
dwelling less and less on the surrounding objects and more and
more on the central figure which is the object of his heart's devotion.

The drawing of the mind to a point, in this way, brings it under control and
steadies it, and thus gradually, by this use of the imagination.
he brings the mind under command. The object of devotion will be
according to the man's religion.

Suppose--as is the case with many of you--that his object of
devotion is Sri Krishna; picture Him in any scene of His earthly life,
as in the battle of Kurukshetra. Imagine the armies arrayed for battle
on both sides; imagine Arjuna on the floor of the chariot, despondent,
despairing; then come to Sri Krishna, the Charioteer, the Friend
and Teacher.

Then, fixing your mind on the central figure, let
your heart go out to Him with onepointed devotion. Resting on
Him, poise yourself in silence and, as before, wait for what may
come.

Author Details:
Elizabeth Penning, copywriter for various web sites writing articles about natural health and other related subjects.

Article Source: Articles from Simply Top

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