Journal of Gyansagar Science Foundation 2013 04 01

Author(s): Sanjeev Sogani, Vimal Jain
Publisher: Gyansagar Science Foundation

Page 60

The Art and Science of Meditation
Dr. Sudhir
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo00000000000000000000000oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo0000000000000000000 We exist in atleast 3 forms: Physical body, Mental- it one achieves enlightenment Illumination. It's a state Emotional body and Spiritual body. We spend most of of altered consciousness, 4th stage, according to some the time of our day and our life, our whole energy after neuroscientists. It's a spiritual ecstasy with neurological our physical body: its care taking, its exercises, wellbeing manifestations. It's not hallucination. and its pleasures. Somehow, we are not taught to take care of our mental and spiritual bodies, their exercises There are different views about defining meditation: some and their pleasures and wellbeings.
call it as "stability of mind", some call it "concentration
on one target", one can say as "unified thought process", Meditation is one powerful way to correct these while others calls it a "thoughtlessness state". One mistakes. You can call it as the exercise of mind to keep considers it as "introspection", others as "lack of activity" it healthy and free of perversions. Actually, in the depth or" leaving -giving away". While others define it as either of Meditation, one experiences a dialogue with ones "intentional self regulation" or "dedication process "or own self/soul. However, let us keep the discussion of soul even "staying connected constantly to supreme force"... aside for a while, atleast we are aware of our faculty of Whatever one calls it, basically it is a hard work. It demands mind.
highest form of discipline which comes through constant
awareness, not only of the things about you outwardly, Our miseries as human being are primarily due to our but also inwardly. According to shri J.Krishnamurthy, Its thoughts, emotions, desires-aspiration, ego, perceptions, an effortless, choice less, constant neutral awareness. liking-dislikings (raga-dwesha), attitude and our constant shifts between past and present tense. If we carefully
Benefits of Meditation analyse, these are all the functions of our mind. If we learn to improve on these, our miseries would be gone.
There are several advantages of meditation. Real And meditation teaches us to improve on all these
meditation can restore physical, mental and emotional aspects.
health. It can be helpful in controlling several lifestyle
disorders, Psychosomatic disorders including high BP, Peace and happiness are sought for by each and every
coronary artery disease, diabetes, asthma, rheumatism person. But our search for them is in outside world. At
etc. In this stressful life, it's a powerful weapon or some stage, we realize that peace and happiness actually
antidote to acute as well as chronic stress. It improves reside in our own selves. The day we begin internal
concentration and sharpness. It reduces reactivity to a journey, we start getting peace and happiness. This
situation or a person, so one remains serene. internal journey is gifted and guaranteed by meditation.
Actually a person who does meditation has a totally All great prophets, religious path makers and saints have
different attitude towards everything. Thus meditation done meditation in some or other form to achieve the
improves interpersonal relationship, job performance, greatness and enlightenment. From oriental and western
cultivate positive emotions and removes negativity of spiritual texts, it is clear that Right from Lords like Shiva,
person. It helps in controlling anger and conquering Mahavir, Buddha to Rama, Krishna, Patanjali and from
fear. In all, it brings inner peace, patience and happiness Christ to Prophet Mohmmed to Asho Jarthushtra to
and thus changes quality of life for better. Higher sate recent most saints.....all have meditated for a prolonged
of meditation brings intuitive knowledge, healing power, time during their self realization or enlightenment
magnetic personality and occult powers. process.
The neurochemistry of meditation is entirely the reverse So, if we really want peace and happiness and eliminate
of stress. Meditation up regulates parasympathetic our miseries or if we want to experience god, we must
system, while stress up regulates sympathetic system - meditate.
responsible for increase in heart rate, respiration, blood
pressure etc. Definition: Meditation is thinking deeply or spiritually about a subject; as per dictionary definition. It's a
As per our oriental spiritual texts and our spiritual masters, complex cognitive task. It is more than relaxation,
we should meditate for much higher gain than above concentration, contemplation or posturing. Through
mentioned physical and mental benefits. The real purpose
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