6. PATH OF MEDITATION

A KARMA-YOGI IS A RENUNCIANT

Lord Krishna said: One who performs the prescribed duty without seeking its fruit for personal enjoyment is both a renunciant and a KarmaYogi. One does not become a renunciant merely by not lighting the fire, and one does not become a yogi merely by abstaining from work. (6.01)

O Arjuna, renunciation (Samnyasa) is same as KarmaYoga. Because, no one becomes a KarmaYogi who has not renounced the selfish motive behind an action. (See also 5.01, 5.05, 6.01, and 18.02) (6.02)

A DEFINITION OF YOGA

For the wise, who seeks to attain yoga of meditation or the equanimity of mind, KarmaYoga is said to be the means. For the one who has attained yoga, the equanimity becomes the means of Self-realization. A person is said to have attained yogic perfection when he or she has no desire for sensual pleasures, or attachment to the fruits of work, and has renounced all personal selfish motives. (6.03-04)

Yogic perfection can be achieved only when one does all activities for the pleasure of God (Chimanbhai). KarmaYoga or the unselfish work produces tranquillity of mind. When one performs action as a matter of duty without any selfish motive, the mind is not disturbed by the fear of failure, it becomes tranquil, and one attains yogic perfection through meditation. The equanimity of mind, necessary for Self-realization, comes after giving up personal selfish motives and desires. Selfishness is the root cause of other impure desires in the mind. The desireless mind becomes peaceful. Thus KarmaYoga is recommended to persons desirous of success in yoga of meditation. Perfection in meditation results in control over the senses bringing forth tranquillity of mind that ultimately leads to God-realization.

MIND IS THE BEST FRIEND AS WELL AS THE WORST ENEMY

One must elevate --- and not degrade --- oneself by one’s own mind. The mind alone is one’s friend as well as one’s enemy. The mind is the friend of those who have control over it, and the mind acts like an enemy for those who do not control it. (6.05-06)

There is no enemy other than an uncontrolled mind in this world (BP 7.08.10). Therefore, one should first try to control and conquer this enemy by regular practice of meditation with a firm determination and effort. All spiritual practices are aimed towards the conquest of the mind. Guru Nanak said: "Master the mind and you master the world.” Sage Patanjali defines yoga as the control over the activities (or the thought waves) of mind and intellect (PYS 1.02). Firm control of the mind and senses is known as yoga (KaU 6.11). Control of the mind and senses is called austerity and yoga (MB 3.209.53). The purpose of meditation is to control the mind so that one can focus on God and live according to His instructions and will. The mind of a yogi is under control; a yogi is not under the control of the mind. Meditation is effortless control of the natural tendency of mind to wander and tuning it with the Supreme. Yogi Bhajan says: A one pointed, relaxed mind is the most powerful and creative mind, it can do anything.

The mind indeed is the cause of bondage as well as liberation of the living entity. The mind becomes the cause of bondage when controlled by modes of material Nature, and the same mind when attached to the Supreme becomes the cause of salvation (BP 3.25.15). The mind alone is the cause of salvation as well as bondage of human beings. The mind becomes the cause of bondage when controlled by the sense objects, and it becomes the cause of salvation when controlled by the intellect (VP 6.07.28). Absolute control over mind and senses is a prerequisite for any spiritual practice for Self-realization. One who has not become the master of the senses cannot progress towards the goal of Self-realization. Therefore, after establishing control over the activities of mind, one should take the mind away from the enjoyment of sensual pleasures and fix it on God. When the mind is disengaged from the sense pleasures and engaged with God, sense impulses become ineffective because the senses obtain their power from the mind. The mind is the ruler of the other five senses. One who becomes master of the mind becomes master of all the senses.

One who has control over the lower self --- the mind and senses --- is tranquil in heat and cold, in pleasure and pain, in honor and dishonor, and remains ever steadfast with the supreme Self. (6.07)

One can realize God only when the mind becomes tranquil and completely free from desires and dualities such as pain and pleasure. However, people are rarely completely free from desires and duality. But, one can become free from the bonds of desire and duality if one uses these in the service of the Lord. They who master their mind get the spiritual wealth of knowledge and bliss. Self can only be realized when the lake of the mind becomes still, just as the reflection of the moon is seen in a lake when the water is still. (See also 2.70)

A person is called yogi who has both Self-knowledge and Self-realization, who is equanimous, who has control over the mind and senses, and to whom a clod, a stone, and gold are the same. (6.08)

A person is considered superior who is impartial towards companions, friends, enemies, neutrals, arbiters, haters, relatives, saints, and sinners. (6.09)

TECHNIQUES OF MEDITATION

A yogi, seated in solitude and alone, should constantly try to contemplate on a mental picture or just the majesty of the Supreme Being after bringing the mind and senses under control, and becoming free from desires and proprietorship. (6.10)

The place of meditation should have the serenity, solitude, and spiritual atmosphere of odor-free, noise-free, and light-free caves of the Himalayas. Massive, gorgeous buildings with exquisite marble figures of celestial controllers are not enough. These often come at the expense of spirituality and help religious commerce only.

The eight steps of meditation based on Patanjali’s YogaSutras (PYS 2.29) are: 1. Moral conduct. 2. Spiritual practices. 3. Right posture and yogic exercises. 4. Yogic breathing. 5. Sense withdrawal. 6. Concentration. 7. Meditation, and 8. Trance, or superconscious state of mind.

One must follow these eight steps one by one under proper guidance to make progress in meditation. Use of breathing and concentration techniques without necessary purification of the mind, and without sublimation of feelings and desires by moral conduct and spiritual practices (See 16.23) may lead to a dangerous neurotic state of mind. Patanjali says: The sitting posture for meditation should be stable, relaxed, and comfortable for the individual’s physical body (PYS 2.46).

The yogic breathing is not the forcible --- and often harmful --- retention of breath in the lungs as is commonly misunderstood and wrongly practiced. Patanjali defines it as control of the Prana --- the bioimpulses or the astral life forces --- that cause the breathing process (PYS 2.49). It is a gradual process of bringing under control or slowing down --- by using standard yogic techniques such as yogic postures, breathing exercises, locks, and gestures --- the bioimpulses that activate the motor and sensory nerves that regulate breathing, and over which we normally have no control.

When the body is supercharged by the huge reservoir of omnipresent cosmic current flowing through the medulla oblongata, the need for breathing is reduced or eliminated and the yogi reaches the breathless state of trance, the last milestone of the spiritual journey. The Upanishad says: No mortal ever lives by breathing oxygen in the air alone. They depend on something else (KaU 5.05). Jesus said: One shall not live by bread (the food, water, and air) alone, but by every word (or the cosmic energy) that comes out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4.04). The cord of breath ties the living entity (soul) to the body-mind complex. A yogi unties the soul from the body and ties it with the Supersoul during the breathless state of trance.

The withdrawal of the senses is a major obstacle in the attainment of the goal of a yogi. When sense withdrawal has been accomplished; concentration, meditation, and Samadhi become very easy to master. The mind should be controlled and trained to follow the intellect rather than let it be drawn towards and controlled by the gross sense objects such as hearing, touch, sight, taste, and smell. The mind is restless by nature. Watching the natural flow of breath coming in and going out, and alternate breathing help to make the mind steady.

The two most common techniques of sense withdrawal are: 1. Focus your full attention on the point between the eyebrows. Perceive and expand a sphere of white, rotating light there. 2. Mentally chant a mantra or any holy name of the Lord as quickly as possible for a long time and let the mind get completely absorbed into the sound of mental chanting until you do not hear the ticking sound of a nearby clock. The speed and loudness of mental chanting should be increased with the restlessness of the mind, and vice versa.

Concentration on a particular part of a deity, on the sound of a mantra, on the flow of breath, at various energy centers in the body, at the mid-brows, at the tip of the nose, and on an imaginary crimson lotus inside the chest center, stills the mind and stops it from wandering.

One should sit on his or her own firm seat that is neither too high nor too low, covered with grass, a deerskin, and a cloth, one over the other, in a clean spot. Sitting there in a comfortable position and concentrating the mind on God, controlling the thoughts and the activities of the senses, one should practice meditation to purify the mind and senses. (6.11-12)

A yogi should contemplate on any beautiful form of God till the form becomes ever present in the mind. Short meditation with full concentration is better than long meditation without concentration. Fixing the mind on a single object of contemplation for twelve (12) seconds, two and one-half (2.5) minutes, and half an hour is known as concentration, meditation, and trance, respectively. Meditation and trance are the spontaneous result of concentration. Meditation occurs when the mind stops oscillating off the point of concentration.

In the lower stage of trance, mind becomes so centered on a particular part of the deity such as the face or the feet that it forgets everything. This is like a dream in a wakeful state where one remains aware of one’s mind, thoughts, and the surroundings. In the higher stage of trance, body becomes still and motionless, and mind experiences various aspects of the Truth. The mind loses its individual identity and becomes one with the cosmic mind.

Superconscious state of mind is the highest stage of trance. In this state of mind, the normal human consciousness becomes connected to (or overpowered by) the cosmic consciousness; one reaches a thoughtless, pulseless, and breathless state; and does not feel anything except peace, joy, and the supreme bliss. In the highest state of trance, the energy center (Chakra) on the top of the head opens up, the mind is merged into the infinite; and there is no mind, or thought, but only the feeling of His transcendental existence, awareness, and bliss only. A person who reaches this state is called a sage.

Attaining the blissful state of trance seems difficult for most people. Muniji gives a simple method. He says: When you are immersed in Him and His work is flowing through you, you become ever happy, ever joyful, and ever blissful.

One should sit by holding the waist, spine, chest, neck, and head erect, motionless and steady; fix the eyes and the mind steadily on the front of the nose, without looking around; make your mind serene and fearless, practice celibacy; have the mind under control, think of Me, and have Me as the supreme goal. (See also 4.29, 5.27, 8.10, and 8.12) (6.13-14)

Hariharananda suggests keeping pinpointed attention penetrating four inches deep between the eyebrows near the master gland — the pituitary. The Bible says: If your eyes are single, your whole body will (seem to) be full of light (Matthew 6.22). Fixing the gaze on the nose tip is one of the gestures of KriyaYoga, recommended by Swami Sivananda to awaken the Kundalini power located at the base. After a little practice each day the eyes will become accustomed, and will become slightly convergent and the two sides of the nose are seen. As you gaze at the nose tip, concentrate on the movement of breath through the nostrils. After ten minutes close the eyes and look into the dark space in front of the closed eyes. If you see a light, concentrate on it, because this light can completely absorb the consciousness and lead one to trance according to yogic scriptures. The beginner should first practice fixing the gaze at the mid-brows, as mentioned in verse 5.27, or at the chest center as hinted in verse 8.12 before learning to fix the gaze on the tip of the nose. The help of a teacher and use of a mantra is highly recommended.

Celibacy is necessary to still the mind and awaken the dormant Kundalini. Celibacy and certain breathing exercises are necessary to cleanse the subtle body. Subtle body is nourished by seminal and ovarian energy just as gross body needs food for nourishment. Sarada Ma warned her disciples not to be intimate with persons of opposite gender even if God came in that form. The role of celibacy in spiritual life is overlooked in the West, because it is not an easy task for most people. The individual should choose the right life partner for success in the spiritual journey if the practice of celibacy is not possible. It is very dangerous to force celibacy on disciples. The scripture says: Just as a King protected by the castle walls wins over the invincible enemy; similarly, those who want victory over the mind and senses should try to subdue them by living as a householder (BP 5.01.18).

Sublimation of the sex impulse precedes enlightenment (AV 11.05.05). One sense organ, attached to its object, can drain the intellect; just as one hole in a water pot can empty the water (MS 2.99). One commits sin by engaging senses to sense objects, and obtains yogic powers by controlling the senses (MS 2.93). Transmutation of the life force of procreative energy leads to yoga. One can transcend sex by beholding the presence of the divine in the body of all human beings, and mentally bowing down to them.

Thus, by always practicing to keep the mind fixed on Me, the yogi whose mind is subdued attains peace of Nirvana and comes to Me. (6.15)

This yoga is not possible, O Arjuna, for the one who eats too much, or who does not eat at all; who sleeps too much or too little. (6.16)

The yoga of meditation destroys all sorrow for the one who is moderate in eating, recreation, working, sleeping, and waking. (6.17)

The Gita teaches that extremes should be avoided at all costs in all spheres of life. This moderation of Gita was eulogized by Lord Buddha who called it the middle path, the right way, or the noble path. A healthy mind and body are required for successful performance of any spiritual practice. Therefore, it is required that a yogi should regulate his daily bodily functions such as eating, sleeping, taking a bath, and rest and recreation. Those who eat too much or too little may become sick or fragile. It is recommended to fill half of the stomach with food, one fourth with water, and leave the rest empty for air. If one sleeps more than six hours, one's lethargy, passion, and bile may increase. A yogi should avoid extreme indulgence in uncontrolled desires as well as the opposite extreme of yogic discipline --- the torturing of the body and mind.

A person is said to have achieved yoga, the union with the Self, when the perfectly disciplined mind becomes free from all desires, and gets completely united with the Self in trance. (6.18)

A lamp in a spot sheltered by the Self from the wind of desires does not flicker. This simile is used for the subdued mind of a yogi practicing meditation on the Self. (6.19)

The sign of yogic perfection is if the mind remains always undisturbed like a flame of a lamp in a windless place.

When the mind disciplined by the practice of meditation becomes steady and quiet, one becomes content with the Self by beholding the Self with purified intellect. (6.20)

Self is present in all living beings as fire is present in all wood. Friction makes the presence of fire in the wood visible to the eyes; similarly, meditation makes the Self, residing in the body, perceivable (MB 12.210.42). A psychophysical transformation (or the superconscious state) of mind in trance is necessary for God-realization. Each of us has access to the superconscious mind that is not limited by time and space.

One cannot comprehend the Infinite by reason. Reason is powerless to grasp the nature of the beginningless Absolute. The highest faculty is not reasoning but intuition, the comprehension of knowledge coming from the Self and not from the fallible senses or reasoning. Self can be perceived only by the intuitive experience in the highest state of trance and by no other means. Yogananda said: Meditation can enlarge the magic cup of intuition to hold the ocean of infinite wisdom.

One feels infinite bliss that is perceivable only through the intellect, and is beyond the reach of the senses. After realizing the Absolute Reality, one is never separated from it. (6.21)

After Self-realization (SR), one does not regard any other gain superior to SR. Established in SR, one is not moved even by the greatest calamity. (6.22)

The state of severance of union with sorrow is called yoga. This yoga should be practiced with firm determination, and without any mental reservation. (6.23)

Yoga is attained after a long time of constant vigorous practice of meditation with firm faith (PYS 1.14).

One gradually attains tranquillity of mind by totally abandoning all selfish desires, completely restraining the senses from the sense objects by the intellect, and keeping the mind fully absorbed in the Self by means of a well-trained and purified intellect and thinking of nothing else. (6.24-25)

When the mind is freed — with the help of spiritual practices — from the impurities of lust and greed born out of the feeling of "I, me, and my", it remains equanimous in material happiness and distress (BP 3.25.16).

Wheresoever this restless and unsteady mind wanders away, one should (witness it and) bring it under the watchful eye (supervision, control) of the Self. (6.26)

The mind plays tricks to wander and roam in the world of sensuality. The meditator should keep the mind fixed on the Self by always pondering that one is the soul, and not the body. Just watch and laugh at the wanderings of the mind and gently bring it back to the supervision of the Self.

The natural tendency of mind is to wander. We know from our personal experience mind is very difficult to control. To control the mind is an impossible task like controlling the wind. Human mind can only be subdued by a sincere practice of meditation, and detachment (Gita 6.34-35). Most commentators, however, have stated mind should be brought back under the control of the Self when it starts to wander during meditation.

Atma is considered superior to the body, senses, mind, and the intellect. (Gita 3.42). Thus we can use the awareness of the Atma to subdue the mind. Pujya Gurudev, H. H. Swami Vishvas Ji has developed a meditation technique based on a slightly different interpretation, given above, of verse 6.26. Vishvas Method of meditation, based on the theory: Never let the mind wander unsupervised, is described below:

Assume a meditative posture given in verse 6.13. It is a very good idea to start any work after invoking the grace of the personal god of your choice that you believe in. Lord Ganesha, and the Guru should be also invoked by the Hindus.

The main aim of meditation, or any spiritual practice, is to get oneself out of the outer world and its activities, start the journey within, and become an introvert. Always keep in mind that you are not the body, or the mind; but Self (Atma) that is separate and superior to the body-mind complex (BMC). Detach your Self from the BMC and make the Self as a witness during meditation. Withdraw your mind from the outside world and fix your gaze at anyone (pituitary gland, the sixth Chakra, front of the nostrils, the heart center, or the naval center) of the centers of your choice where you feel most comfortable. Be a witness of the activities of the mind without becoming judgmental --- good or bad --- about the thoughts coming to your mind. Just relax, take a joy ride in the back seat of the vehicle of mind, and watch the wanderings of mind in the thought-world. Mind will wander, because this is its nature. It will not remain quite in the beginning. Do not be in a hurry to slow down, pressure, or control the mind, and try to bring it back to the concentration on any object, thought, or chant a mantra as commonly taught.

Detach yourself completely from your mind and watch the play of Maya, the mind. Do not forget that your job is to see your (lower) self, the mind, with the (higher) Self, the Atma. Do not get attached or carried away by the thought waves (Vritti) of the mind, just witness or follow it. After a serious and sincere practice, the mind will start slowing down when it will find out that it is being constantly watched and followed. Do not add anything to the process of witnessing the inner world of thought process, called Chitta-vritti. Slowly your power of concentration will increase, the mind will join the inward journey as a friend (Gita 6.05-06), and a state of bliss will radiate all around you. You will go beyond thought to the thoughtless world of Nirvikalp Samadhi. Practice this for half an hour in the morning and evening, or at any other convenient time of your choice. The progress will depend on several factors beyond our control, but just persist without procrastination. Always conclude the meditation process with the triple sound vibration of Aum, and thank God.

WHO IS A YOGI

Supreme bliss comes to a Self-realized yogi whose mind is tranquil, whose desires are under control, and who is free from faults or sin. (6.27)

Such a sinless yogi, who constantly engages his or her mind and intellect with the Self, enjoys the eternal bliss of contact with the Self. (6.28)

Yogananda said: In the absence of inward joy, people turn to evil. Meditation on the God of bliss permeates us with goodness.

A yogi, who is in union with the Supreme Being, sees every being with an equal eye because of perceiving the omnipresent Supreme Being (or the Self) abiding in all beings, and all beings abiding in the Supreme Being. (See also 4.35, 5.18) (6.29)

Perception of oneness of the Self in every being is the highest spiritual perfection. Sage Yajnavalkya said: A wife does not love her husband because of his or her satisfaction. She loves her husband because she feels the oneness of her soul with his soul. She is merged in her husband and becomes one with him (BrU 2.04.05). The foundation of Vedic marriage is based on this noble and solid rock of soul culture and is unbreakable. Trying to develop any meaningful human relationship without a firm understanding of the spiritual basis of all relationships is like trying to water the leaves of a tree rather than the root.

When a person perceives one’s own higher Self in all people and all people in one’s own higher Self, then one does not hate or injure anybody (IsU 06). Eternal peace belongs to those who perceive God existing within everybody as Spirit (KaU 5.13). One should love others, including the enemy, because all are your own self. "Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you" is not only one of the noblest teachings of the Bible, but is an elementary idea common to all paths leading to God. When one realizes that his or her very self has become everything, whom shall one hate or punish? One does not break the teeth that bite the tongue. When one perceives none other than one’s own Lord abiding in the entire universe, with whom shall one fight? One should not only love the roses, but love the thorns also.

The one, who sees One in all and all in One, sees the One everywhere. To fully understand this and to experience the oneness of individual soul and the Supersoul, is the highest achievement and the only goal of human birth (BP 6.16.63). In the fullness of one’s spiritual development one finds that the Lord, who resides in one’s own heart, resides in the hearts of all others — the rich, the poor, the Hindus, the Muslims, the Christians, the persecuted, the persecutor, the saint, and the sinner. Therefore, to hate a single person is to hate Him. This realization makes one a truly humble saint. The one who realizes that the Supersoul is all-pervading, and is none other than one’s own individual self bereft of all impurities collected over various incarnations, attains immortality and bliss.

Those who perceive Me in everything, and behold everything in Me, are not separated from Me, and I am not separated from them. (6.30)

A Self-realized person sees Me in the entire universe and in oneself, and sees the entire universe and oneself in Me. When one sees Me pervading everything, just as fire is pervading the wood, one is at once freed from delusion. One attains salvation when a person sees oneself different from body, mind, and the modes of material Nature; and non-different from Me (BP 3.09.31-33). The wise sees one’s own higher Self present in the entire universe and the entire universe present in one’s own higher Self. True devotees never fear any condition of life such as reincarnation, living in heaven or in hell, because they see God everywhere (BP 6.17.28). If you want to see, remember, and be with God at all times, then you must practice and learn to see God in everything and everywhere.

The non-dualists, who adore Me abiding in all beings, abide in Me irrespective of their mode of living. (6.31)

One is considered the best yogi who regards every being like oneself, and who can feel the pain and pleasures of others as one’s own, O Arjuna. (6.32)

One should consider all creatures like one’s own children (BP 7.14.09). This is one of the qualities of a true devotee. The sages consider all women their mother, other’s wealth a clod, and all beings like one’s own self. Rare is a person whose heart melts by the fire of grief of others, and who rejoices hearing the praise of others.

TWO METHODS TO SUBDUE THE RESTLESS MIND

Arjuna said: O Krishna, You have said that the yoga of meditation is characterized by the equanimity of mind, but due to restlessness of mind I do not perceive the steady state of mind. Because the mind, indeed, is very unsteady, turbulent, powerful, and obstinate, O Krishna. I think restraining the mind is as difficult as restraining the wind. (6.33-34)

Lord Krishna said: Undoubtedly, O Arjuna, the mind is restless and difficult to restrain, but it is subdued by any constant vigorous spiritual practice --- such as meditation --- with perseverance, and by detachment, O Arjuna. (6.35)

Detachment is proportional to one’s understanding of the baselessness of the world and its objects (MB 12.174.04). Contemplation without detachment is like jewels on the body without clothes (TR 2.177.02).

In My opinion, yoga is difficult for the one whose mind is not subdued. However, yoga is attainable by the person of subdued mind by striving through proper means. (6.36)

DESTINATION OF UNSUCCESSFUL YOGI

Arjuna said: The faithful who deviates from the path of meditation and fails to attain yogic perfection due to unsubdued mind — what is the destination of such a person, O Krishna? (6.37)

Do they not perish like a dispersing cloud, O Krishna, having lost both the heavenly and the worldly pleasures, supportless and bewildered on the path of Self-realization? (6.38)

O Krishna, only You are able to completely dispel this doubt of mine. Because there is none, other than You, who can dispel this doubt. (See also 15.15) (6.39)

Arjuna asked a very good question. Because mind is very difficult to control, it may not be possible to achieve perfection during one's lifetime. Does all the effort get wasted? The answer comes:

Lord Krishna said: Spiritual practice performed by a yogi never goes to waste either here or hereafter. A transcendentalist is never put to grief, My dear friend. (6.40)

The less evolved unsuccessful yogi is reborn in the house of the pious and prosperous after attaining heaven and living there for many years. The highly evolved unsuccessful yogi does not go to heaven, but is born in a spiritually advanced family. A birth like this is very difficult, indeed, to obtain in this world. (6.41-42)

The unsuccessful yogi regains the knowledge acquired in the previous life, and strives again to achieve perfection, O Arjuna. (6.43)

The unsuccessful yogi is instinctively carried towards God by virtue of the impressions of yogic practices of previous lives. Even the inquirer of yoga --- the union with God --- surpasses those who perform Vedic rituals. (6.44)

The yogi, who diligently strives, becomes completely free from all imperfections after gradually perfecting through many incarnations, and reaches the Supreme Abode. (6.45)

One must be very careful in spiritual life, or there is a possibility of being carried away by the powerful wind of bad association created by Maya, and one may abandon the spiritual path. One should never get discouraged. The unsuccessful yogi gets another chance by starting over from where one leaves off. The spiritual journey is long and slow, but no sincere effort is ever wasted. Normally it takes many many births to reach the perfection of salvation. All living entities (souls) are eventually redeemed after they reach the zenith of spiritual evolution.

WHO IS THE BEST YOGI

The yogi, who is devoted to meditation, is superior to the ascetics. The yogi is superior to the Vedic scholars. The yogi is superior to the ritualists. Therefore, O Arjuna, be a yogi. (6.46)

And I consider the yogi-devotee --- who lovingly contemplates on Me with supreme faith, and whose mind is ever absorbed in Me --- to be the best of all the yogis. (See also 12.02 and 18.66) (6.47)

Meditation, or any other act, becomes more powerful and efficient if it is done with knowledge, faith, and devotion to God. Meditation is a necessary condition but not a sufficient condition for spiritual progress. The mind should be kept ever absorbed in the thoughts of God. The meditative mood is to be continued during the other times through scriptural study, Self-analysis, and service. It is said that no single yoga alone is complete without the presence of other yogas. Just as the right combination of all ingredients is essential for preparation of a good meal; similarly, selfless service, chanting of Lord's name, meditation, study of scriptures, contemplation, and devotional love are essential for reaching the supreme goal. Some seekers prefer just to stick to one path. They should try all other major paths and see if a combination is better for them or not. Any path can become the right path if one has completely surrendered to God. The person who meditates with deep devotional love of God is called a yogi-devotee, and is considered to be the best of all yogis.

Before one can purify one's psyche by a mantra, or meditation, one has to reach a level whereby one's system of consciousness becomes sensitive to a mantra. This means one's mundane desires must be first fulfilled --- or satisfied by detachment; and one has practiced the first four steps of Patanjali’s YogaSutra. It is just like cleaning the jewelry first before goldplating it.