Dhyan Yoga - The Yoga of Meditation

Meditation Center At Aryasamaj Kailash Greater Kailash 1

By Col. Gopal Verma, Greater Kailash-1

 

युञ्जन्नेवं सदात्मानं योगी नियतमानस:।
शान्तिं निर्वाणपरमां मत्संस्थामधिगच्छति॥ 

In the Bhagavad Gita in chapter 6, which is known as Dhyan Yoga (The Yoga of Meditation), Yogiraj Krishan defines dhyana as the practice of steadying the mind and fixing it on the Supreme/atman, withdrawing it from sense objects. Thus dhyan enables achievement of  atma-sakshatkara (self realization) which ultimately leads to yoga - union with the Divine. Dhyana is the meditation which is focused, sustained contemplation of the Self. 

Bhagwan Krishan also instructs about performance of dhyan in various other shloks of the dhyan yog giving detail narrative of place, posture and process etc. Regarding choosing a place to dhyan or to meditae Yogiraj  prescribes a clean solitary place with a firm seat, not too high or low, with kusha grass, deer skin, cloth to sit with a firm posture while holding body, head, neck straight with both eyes fixed on tip of nose without looking around. While performing the act one's mind should be free from desires and possessiveness and be one-pointed, controlled and serene. Thus he states that through practice and detachment, one should gradually withdraw one's mind from all thoughts and fix it on oneself and whenever mind wanders it should be brought to the free state. 

Dhyan ultimately leads to samadhi when it becomes deep and unbroken and in a state of complete absorption. Dhyana is for all yogas: It’s part of Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Jnana Yoga. Dhyana is not merely relaxation or mindfulness but should be goal oriented towards self/God realization and should be perform as a disciplined disciple which requires niyam (principle) and life style changes while being integrated with selfless action and devotion. 

The great philosopher of the twentieth century Osho earlier known as Bhagwan Rajnish views dhyan not as a sit still meditation but as an amalgamation of  awareness and aliveness where there was no concentration nor any control. He often stated that meditation is not something you do but it is something which you become and it is a state of being. Unlike Yogiraj Krishan, Osho considered concentration as focusing one's mind on one object which creates tension. He asserted dhyan as choiceless awareness which meant watching everything like thoughts, breath, sounds, body, without picking or rejecting. Further opposing the control of mind he asserted that mind cannot be controlled by the mind but instead should be watched by as it slows down by itself. He also prohibited seriousness as he stated seriousness is a disease and dhyan should be playful, joyful and celebratory. His approach towards dhyan  was of chaos and silence where first one would breath, scream, cry, laugh, dance, throw out tensions followed by silence as after exhaustion, sitting comes naturally when real dhyan happens by effortless witnessing. Hence meditation happens when madness is thrown out first. 

Principally Osho's dhyan has elements of witnessing, totality, no suppression, life affirming with no goals. Witnessing is not identifying with thoughts as you are not the mind while totality stresses upon doing all activities whether eating, walking or sex with total awareness which translates into dhyan. The element of no suppression forbades fighting the mind and not to force celibacy or silence but understand and transcend. The principle of life affirming tells that dhyan is not escape but is falling more deeplhy into life, love, body, senses but with awareness. Osho emphasises meditating not to get enlightenment but being here as dhyan itself is the goal and being here at the moment is enough. So Osho's approach to dhyan meant no mind which is the door to the divine and if you can be a witness to your mind then you have already gone beyond the mind.

While delivering his address on one of the international Yoga days Prime Minister Narender Modi stated that  meditation takes you from self to society. When you’re calm within, you serve better outside. He emphasizes dhyan as an essential for youth to have clarity, concentration, decision-making.Founder of Aryasamaj, Swami Dayanand Saraswati  regarded Dhyan (meditation) as an essential part of spiritual development and for the realization of God. Principally Swamiji for dhyan emphasized on the meditation of the formless God and based on the yoga philosophy of Patanjali. 

Aiming to purify the mind and develop noble character while performing dhyan the meditator or dhyani should contemplate on God's omnipresence who is just and merciful. Swamiji stressed on truthfulness, self-control, non-violence, purity and service (sewa) as necessary foundations for successful dhyan with the goal of achieving self realization, proximity to God, Liberation (Moksha), development of wisdom and virtue and freedom from mental disturbances and ignorance.

Dhyan is therefore not merely a relaxation technique; it is a Vedic discipline aimed at purifying the mind, cultivating virtue, and drawing the soul closer to God. A nation of meditators is a nation of discipline, unity, and resilience.

With the aim of adopting vedic discipline, purifying the mind, cultivating virtue, and drawing the soul closer to God a daily dhyan session is organized by Aryasamaj Kailash, Greater Kailash 1 at its Rajiv Chaudhri Meditation Hall which is located at the fourth floor of Brijmohan Munjal Vedic Kendra. There is vedic sandhya and meditation class every day from 6 pm to 6:40 pm where all interested persons are welcome. 

The sessions are conducted by very learned Acharya Prashant of Aryasamaj and are open to all for which no money is charged. 

- Col Gopal Verma (Retd)