Concentration and Meditation by Swami Sivananda

Concentration and Meditation by Swami Sivananda

It is a great book. Many methods of developing concentration is detailed in this book.

There are various forms of meditation. One method may not be suitable for another. So we need a find a suitable method for each of us. Different kinds of meditation is mentioned in this book. Select the one which suits you.

To succeed in meditation we need to oversome some obstacles. The methods to overcome the obstacles are mentioned in the book

Purchase link:

Divine Life Society
https://www.exoticindiaart.com/book/details/concentration-and-meditation-IDF824/

About the Author:

Born on the 8th September, 1887, in the illustrious family of Saga Appayya Diskhita and several other renowned saints and savants, Sri Swami Sivananda had a natural flair for a life devoted to the study and practice of Vedanta. Added to this was an inborn eagerness to serve all and an innate feeling of unity with all mankind.

His passion for service drew him to the medical career; and soon he gravitated to where he thought that his service was most needed. Malaya claimed him. He had earlier been editing a Health Journal and wrote extensively on health problems. He discovered that people needed right knowledge most of all; dissemination of that knowledge he espoused as his own mission.

It was divine dispensation and the blessing of God upon mankind that the doctor of body and mind renounced his career and took to a life of renunciation to qualify himself for ministering to the soul of man. He settled down at Rishikesh in 1924, practiced intense austerities and shone as a great Yogi, Saint, Sage and Jivanmukta.

In 1932 he started the Sivanandashram. In 1936 was born The Divine Life Society. In 1948 the Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy was organized. Dissemination of spiritual knowledge and training of people in Yoga and Vedanta were their aim and object. In 1950 he undertook a lightning tour of India and Ceylon. In 1953 he convened a 'World Parliament Reliogions'. He is the author of over 300 volumes and has disciples all over the world, belonging to all nationalities, religions and creeds. To read his works is to drink at the fountain of Wisdom Supreme. On 14th July, 1963 he entered Mahasamadhi.

PREFACE		vii
INTRODUCTION		viii
STOTRAS		xiii
CHAPTER ONE THEORY OF CONCENTRATION
1	What is Concentration?	3
2	Where to Concentrate?	4
3	Aids to Concentration	6
4	Antarmukha and bahirmukha Vrittis	11
5	Know the Ways of Mind	12
6	Reduce Mind-Wandering	16
7	Tap All Powers	19
8	Story of Concentration	21
9	Yoga Prasnottari	36
CHAPTER TWO PRACTICE OF CONCENTRATION
1	Attention	39
2	Practice of Concentration	44
3	Concentration in Every Walk of Life	46
4	Gist of Yoga of Concentration	48
5	Exercises in Concentration	53
6	Concentration on a Chair	54
7	Concentration on Anahata Sounds	57
8	Trataka or Gazing	59
CHAPTER THREE PRELIMINARIES FOR MEDITATION
1	What Is Meditation?	61
2	Necessity for Meditation	62
3	Fruits of Meditation	63
4	Brahmamuhurta - Best Time for Meditation	70
5	Meditation Room	72
6	Places for Meditation	73
7	Cave-Life for Meditation	76
8	Preparation for Meditation	77
9	How to Meditate	78
10	When and Where to Mediate	84
11	Requisites for Meditation	85
12	Three Sittings for Meditation	89
13	Qualifications-for Practising Meditation	90
14	How Many Hours to Mediate	93
15	Aids to meditation	94
16	Asanas for Meditation	95
17	Regularity in Meditation	96
CHAPTER FOUR PRACTICE OF MEDITATION
1	Practical Aspect of Meditation	98
2	Real Rest in Meditation	100
3	Visualisation	101
4	Yoga of Meditation	101
5	Seclusion and Meditation	105
6	Reach the Highest Peak	110
7	Errors in Meditation	113
8	Instructions on Meditation	115
9	Twenty Hints on Meditation	122
10	Exercises in Meditation	124
11	The State of Meditation	128
12	Practice of Samyama	133
13	Prasnottari on Meditation	134
CHAPTER FIVE KINDS OF MEDITATION
1	Selection for Meditation	138
2	Meditation in Different Paths	141
3	Preliminary Meditation	145
	(A) Meditation on a Rose	145
	(B) Meditation on a Buffalo	146
	(C) Meditation on Mahatma Ganghiji	148
	(D) Meditation on 12 Virtues	148
	(E)Meditation on Divine Songs	149
	(F) Meditation on Gita Slokas	150
4	Saguna Meditation	150
	(A) Meditation on Ishta Devatas	150
	(B) Meditation on Virat Purusha	152
	(C) Meditation on Gayatri	153
5	Nirguna Meditation	154
	(A) Meditation on Ideas	154
	(B) Vedantic Meditation	157
	(C) Assertions for Vedantic Nididhyasana	158
	(D) Vedantic Contemplation	158
	(E) Meditation on Om	160
	(F) Meditation on "Soham"	162
	(G) Meditation on Mahavakyas	164
	(H) Positive Meditation	165
	(I) Negative Meditation	166
6	Saguna and Nirguna Meditation Compared	166
7	Meditation and Action	169
CHAPTER SIX PHYSICAL OBSTACLES IN MEDITATION
Introduction		172
1	Aimless Wandering	173
2	Cessation of Sadhana	173
3	Deha-Adhyasa	174
4	Diseases	174
5	Discussing Too Much	175
6	Environments	176
7	Evil Company	176
8	Fault-Finding	177
9	Habit of Self-Justification	178
10	Impulses	178
11	Impure and Immoderate Food	78
12	Irregularity in Sadhana	179
13	Jerks	180
14	Lack of Brahmacharya	180
15	Ojas	181
16	Lack of Yama and Niyama	182
17	Lingual Diarrhoea	182
18	Need for a Preceptor	183
19	Overeating, etc	185
20	Poor Health	185
21	So-called Friends	186
22	Social Nature	187
23	Tandri-Alasya-Nidra	187
24	Vulgar Pleasures	189
25	Wealth	189
CHAPTER SEVEN MENTAL OBSTACLES IN MEDITATION
1	Anger	190
2	Backbiting	192
3	Depression	193
4	Doubt(Samsaya)	194
5	Dreams	195
6	Evil Thoughts	196
7	False Tushti	199
8	Fear	200
9	Fickleness	201
10	Five Hindrances to Meditation	201
11	Force of Old Samskaras	201
12	Gloom and Despair	202
13	Greed	202
14	Hatred	203
15	Impatience	205
16	Independent Nature	205
17	Jealousy	206
18	Lower Nature	207
19	Manorajya	211
20	Memory	212
21	Mental Talking	214
22	Moha	214
23	Obstacles in Yoga	215
24	Other Obstacles	216
25	Prejudice, Intolerance and Bigotry	217
26	Rajas and Tamas	218
27	Sankalpas	218
28	Tamas or Inertia	218
29	Three Obstacles	219
30	Trishna and Vasana	220
31	Vikshepa	220
32	Vishayasakti	221
CHAPTER EIGHT HIGHER OBSTACLES IN MEDITATION
1	Ambition and Desire	223
2	Moral and Spiritual Pride	224
3	Religious Hypocrisy (Dambha)	224
4	Name and Fame (Kirti and Pratishtha)	225
5	Elementals (Bhuta-Ganas)	228
6	Visions	228
7	Siddhis	229
8	Kashaya	230
9	Laya	230
10	Rasasvada	230
11	Tushnimbhuta Avastha	231
12	Stabdha Avastha	232
13	Avyaktam	232
Valediction		233
CHAPTER NINE EXPERIENCES IN MEDITATION
1	Various Experiences in Meditation	235
2	Anahata Sounds	239
3	Lights in Meditation	240
4	Mystic Experiences of Sadhakas	244
5	In the Hours of Meditation	247
6	Vision of God	250
7	Feeling of Separation	252
8	Cosmic Consciousness	254
9	Blissful Experience	258
10	Mind Moves	261
11	Bhuta-Ganas	262
12	Glimpses of the Self	262
13	Jyotirmaya Darshan	265

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