Path of Fire and Light (02/11) Step 1: Commentary on Yoga Meditation

This series of videos is a commentary by Swami Jnaneshvara on the eight steps of Yoga Meditation as described by Swami Rama in his book Path of Fire and Light, Volume 2 (ISBN 0893891126). It was recorded at Swami Rama Center on the campus of the Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences near Rishikesh (the location of Sadhana Mandir, Swami Rama's ashram) and Dehradun, India. These videos were made primarily for use by visitors to Swami Rama's ashram, which is beside the Ganges at the foothills of the Himalayas in Rishikesh, India, though I hope that all practitioners of yoga meditation enjoy them.

This particular video is commentary on step 1 of the 8 steps, which is to practice sitting for meditation at the same time every day to create additional patterns, new grooves or habits in the mind.

One should practice and do meditation at the same time every day. Regularity in time is very important. A habit is a pattern that is formed. If you repeat the same thing again and again, in time it becomes a part of your personality. It becomes a deep habit. After death, you go neither to hell or heaven, but remain in your unconscious habit patterns. The whole of the theory, philosophy, and psychology of the yoga practices is used to change habit patterns. That changes character and personality. Habit patterns compose the fabric that is called personality. So one can either cultivate good habits and strengthen personality, or allow the mind to be in negative patterns.

Meditation should become a regular habit. But it should not be done as mere ritual. Mere rituals do not become a real part of life, because they are not done with a full heart. Do your meditation at exactly the same time, no matter what happens, and make it prominent in your life. Some days you will stumble, some days you will do it, but finally, if you are persistent, you will have time.

Just as you have times for your essential duties, so also should you set a time for meditating. This is the key point in progress. Determine that no matter what happens, life or death, you will sit down to meditate. Sometimes mind does not want to meditate. Tell yourself that it does not matter; you have to do your duty, and sit down. Many times the mind goes through fluctuations and roams around, but just sit down and just do the practice. You should not fight with your mind; you should have a gentle dialogue with your mind. You will learn many things when you enter into this kind of self-dialogue.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Yoga
• Meditation