Jyoti Meditation (Light Meditation)

you as you close the eyes. There too, Pavitra Atmaswarupa! (Embodiments of the mind should be kept busy with Divine Atma) intense activity. We should command When we give work to the mind and the mind to take the flame and install it keep it continuously busy then the in the recesses of our heart. mind will not trouble us. A monkey on In the lotus of our heart, we must a tree has a tendency to go up and imagine that the flame is ablaze with a down and up and down because of its bright glow. Then, this flame must fickle nature. If we keep the monkey in travel throughout the body, through one place, it cannot stay still and will the limbs, the stomach, the eyes, the perform monkey tricks. Therefore, the mouth, the ears, and through every part monkey trainer who begs in front of of our body. After it has been moved every house commands the monkey to through the entire body, then the flame go up and down the pole. In the same must be brought out of the body. You manner, the mind is like a mad must imagine that the same flame is monkey. Therefore this “monkey shining brightly in all members of your mind” must be entrusted with some family. Then you must see that the absorbing work. same flame is shining brightly in your If you sit in the Dhyana (meditation) as neighbors, in the people of your locality a first step, this monkey mind will not and in your friends. At a later stage, you be in our control, so you should entrust should see that this same flame is the duty of a watchman to this monkey shining brightly, even in your enemies. mind. This monkey mind watches who Then, Isa Vasyam Idam Sarvam is going in and who is going out- (Everything is permeated by God). watching the breath, “So” as we inhale, Because the flame is shining bright in and “Ham” as we exhale - this process the eyes, you will not have bad vision. goes on and the monkey is kept busy Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya (Lead me from watching the breath going in and darkness to light). Where there is light, coming out. By doing this exercise for there is no darkness. Because the flame about 5 minutes the monkey mind will is in your ears, you will not hear come under control. After keeping the anything bad. Because the flame is mind focused on the breath for 5 shining bright on your tongue, there minutes in this manner, have a picture will not be any scope for uttering bad that is dear to your heart, or a flame in words. Because the flame is shining front of you. Look at the flame steadily bright in your feet, your feet will not go with your eyes wide open. The flame to bad places. Because the flame is that you have been holding in your residing in your hands, your hands will vision with your eyes open imagine not undertake any bad actions. This now—the same flame kindled within process of meditation, in which we

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make this one flame travel around, While meditating on the flame, if you makes us realize that the same Para- have any divine form you worship or Brahma Jyoti (divine light) pervades any form you adore, you may visualize everything. that form in the flame and meditate. It On Deepawali day (Festival of Lights) is the best form of meditation to think we keep a row of candles and with one that the chosen form that you adore candle, we light all others. With one and worship is in this Jyoti (flame). In flame, we are able to kindle myriad true meditation you realize the oneness others. The Jyoti (flame) that kindles is —that from one Para-Brahma Jyoti called Para-brahma Jyoti (The eternal, (supreme-divine light) all other flames universal flame – divine light) and the have come. Jyotis (flames) that are kindled are called Today, various types of mediation are Jivan Jyotis (individual flames). In the propagated. There are many who end, the flame that kindles and the preach these techniques, but have not flames kindled are identical. Ultimately, experienced meditation. These are all these two flames are recognized to be artificial types of meditation. If it were identical; it is said that the one who so easy to sit in meditation and knows Brahman will ultimately become transcend body consciousness, why Brahman (Brahmavid Brahmaiva Bhavati). would the great masters and the seven Therefore, the Jyoti Meditation (Light rishis of yore spend so many years in Meditation) is the highest type of meditation in order to transcend the meditation. limitation of the body? Many say that The body goes on changing, but the within a few minutes the body flame does not undergo any change. A consciousness is forgotten and they small example to show this – You have reach a stage of trance. They call this a tub full of water. If one keeps taking state meditation. Simply because the a glass full of water from this tub, there body consciousness is lost, we cannot will be a time when there will not be call it meditation. If one drinks two any water in the tub. At one place we bottles of wine, one will lose body have dumped a truck-load full of sand. consciousness. Is this meditation? No. If each person carries away a basket full In true meditation one should lose the of sand, eventually, there will not be body consciousness and experience the any sand. But, out of one single flame, Atmic-consciousness or Super- one can light a million flames and still consciousness. People in the West, the original flame will remain. So this because of the depression and Jyoti (flame) does not diminish, and is frustration in their lives, are not subject to change. propagating such types of meditation that make them forget body consciousness. According to Indian

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tradition, this cannot be called Dhyana beyond the senses. So, when we move (meditation). forward from the stage of Some people say Dhyana is concentration which is below the concentration. This is not correct. I am senses, we gradually reach the stage of holding a paper in My hand. I am contemplation. And when we cross the reading what is there on the paper. boundaries of contemplation, we reach There I read, “District Sevadal the area of meditation. So there are Conference”. In order to read what is three stages, concentration, printed on the paper, My eyes must be contemplation and meditation. focused on the letters while holding the Concentration can be compared to the paper in My hand. I must think with state of the “One you think you are”. My mind and the intelligence must Contemplation is the state of what inquire. Intelligence, mind, hands and “Others think you are”. Meditation the eyes must concentrate and work in enables us to recognize the state of the conjunction and only then it is possible “One you really are”. to read this paper. So too, only with the coordination of all the senses, it is (Excerpt from Bhagawan Sri Sathya th possible for us to read. Therefore, Sai Baba’s divine discourse on 25 concentration is necessary for reading. May 1979) Another type of concentration is required for writing and walking. It is not possible for us even to eat if we cannot differentiate various types of food, whether an item is appadam (crispy Indian snack), or a chapati (unleavened flat wheat bread) or potatoes. To drive a car, concentration is very essential. This concentration is below the senses and is essential to perform routine and daily activities. It is so natural that in order to achieve concentration one need not undertake the practice of meditation. Therefore, concentration is not the same as Dhyana (meditation). Concentration is below the senses; meditation is beyond the senses. We must travel from below the senses to

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