57 - The Art of Meditation | Swami Tattwamayananda

-6th chapter: verses 10, 11, 12, 13, 14<br />-The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on October 16, 2020.<br />-10th verse: “A person who wants to be a Yogi should constantly practice concentration and develop a natural tendency to live in solitude.”<br />-A beginner should not force himself to be in solitude – he should develop the desire naturally by practicing spiritual disciplines. Once he is evolved, he can practice solitude even when he is in the midst of a crowd.<br />-Spiritual practice is one’s individual journey. The seeker should not discuss his experiences in public, as it can affect his inner progress.<br />-When spiritual practices are done with a sense of sanctity and sacredness, it has a positive effect on the mind. It becomes tranquil and focused. The seeker does not feel fatigue in his practice.<br />-When a beginner sits for meditation, his mind may be agitated. This happens because all previous impressions (vrittis) stored in his chittam come to the surface. These vrittis should be restrained by creating counter vrittis through spiritual practices such as karma yoga, prayers, reading of scriptures and holy association. When we meditate, these positive tendencies will also come to surface and nullify the negative ones.<br />-11th verse: “The seeker should sit on a firm seat in a clean place. The seat should neither be too high nor too low. The seat should be made by placing Kusha grass on the ground, then spreading a tiger/deer skin over it and then spreading a clean/soft cloth on top.”<br />-Meditation is a universal spiritual practice. Where you sit and what you sit on – these are relative and subject to changes according to time, culture, geography, and availability of materials.<br />-12th verse: “Seated on that seat, he should subdue wavering of the mind and senses, he should make his mind one-pointed, and he should practice Yoga for the purification of the mind.”<br />-The mind is made one-pointed by stopping the inner and outer wavering of the mind. One should control inner waver