How to Progress in Meditation?

 

By practicing authentic and regular meditation, one makes oneself capable of freeing from worldly bondages and merging with the infinite, sky-like divine essence, which is supreme bliss, the highest state, and immortality.

Meditation means freeing oneself from all impurities and dissolving into supreme purity, which is beyond the mind, ego, and the fluctuations of consciousness.

Meditation is essentially about improving oneself from within. When we meditate, we practice controlling and calming our emotions and thoughts. However, even though it may seem like a simple process, many people find it extremely difficult. Why is that?

In meditation, we only need to be free from thoughts for a little while. Thoughts are not mountains that we cannot move, yet after a while, it starts to feel as if they are as immovable as mountains.

In reality, meditating is not about moving a mountain but about moving away from it. People often meditate with the mindset that they must cut through the mountain of thoughts, but the truth is that we simply need to distance ourselves from it. When we detach from it, it dissolves on its own.

When a new practitioner begins meditation, they may think, “I need to control my thoughts and desires, so I will stop the river of thoughts.” However, this does not work because the method of stopping thoughts is itself an agitation of the mind, which makes the flow even stronger.

Our mind is so powerful that it can even overpower those who attempt to control it forcefully.

This cannot be achieved in just a day or two. That is why we must engage in authentic practice and self-improvement to make our powerful mind simple and gentle. One who attains simplicity gains access to the doorway of meditative success.

Attain Simplicity and Practice Self-Improvement

Simplicity and self-improvement mean freeing ourselves from the control of objects and desires that constantly occupy our minds.

For example, a person who is fond of food keeps thinking about eating—what they will eat in the morning, in the afternoon, at night, where they will find a particular dish, and so on. Similarly, some people constantly think about women, while others think about material possessions such as jewels, vehicles, or clothes.

You need to recognize what occupies your mind and, with a focus on purity, forcefully distance yourself from such thoughts. Initially, this practice deeply impacts the mind, making the person restless, but after some time, this restlessness fades away, and so does attachment.

Take Support of Devotion and Awaken Purity in the Self

 

Faith in God and divine contemplation can also open the door to success. If you have virtues like faith and devotion, life naturally becomes simple and meaningful. When we remain absorbed in devotion to God, the doors of meditation automatically open.

Devotion is inherently free from worldly attachments and impurities. Through heartfelt worship and divine contemplation, we lead the self towards purity, which is inseparable from God.

 

Practice Karma Yoga

If you wish to dive into the infinite depths of meditation, it is essential to understand that meditation cannot be practiced without Karma Yoga. Karma Yoga means performing actions without attachment to their results. When we engage in any activity, including meditation, we are performing karma, and in this state, the bondage of action may arise if we start thinking about the outcome of our actions.

 

For example, if someone cooks a delicious meal, their attention is primarily on the result. Most of the time, it is the attachment to the outcome that drives people to act. Similarly, someone who desires honor may start acting to impress others.

 

The same can happen with meditation. You need to understand why you are meditating. Are you meditating to gain something, or are you meditating to dissolve yourself?

 

The bondage of karma compels a person to do only those activities where they see a possibility of gaining something, meaning where their self-interest lies. This is why most people struggle with meditation—because their mind tells them, “If there is nothing to gain, why do it? Do something else!”

 

That is why it becomes essential to cultivate the mindset of a Karma Yogi, who performs all actions without attachment to the results. A Bhakti Yogi can also replace a Karma Yogi in this regard, as a true devotee does not act for personal gain but for the sake of God.

 

Seek Spiritual Knowledge

 

Spiritual knowledge purifies a person. Turning inward, freeing oneself from all worldly bondages through wisdom, is also a means of achieving meditative success. Without knowledge, liberation is not possible because practice without wisdom does not yield significant results. Bondage arises due to ignorance. If a person does not correctly analyze ignorance and knowledge, the path of meditation remains unclear.

Studying the greatest spiritual scriptures, such as the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Vedanta, and Tripura Rahasya, leads one towards purity and enlightenment.