Quotes from the book "Meditation - Mind and Patanjali's Yoga" - Swami Bhaskarananda

Here are long list of quotes from great book "Mediatation - Mind and Patanjali's Yoga". If you want scratch surface on Meditation, please read this book written by Swami Bhaskarananda.

• Bhakti Yoga - Path of devotion.
• Jnana Yoga - Path of rational inquiry.
• Raja Yoga: Path of psychic control
• Karma Yoga - Path of right action.

Characteristics of a genuine spiritual teacher:

• No ulterior selfish motives.
• Do NOT crave praise, honor, or fame.
• Beyond lust and greed.
• Do not crave money

The food in our stomach cannot be digested by anyone else. So also with spiritual progress, it is we who have to work hard for it. no one else can do it for us.

Success is speedy for the extremely energetic.

Patanjali 8 step discipline to Yoga:

• Yama - Restraining harmful thoughts and impulses. A mind with violent tendencies is NOT suitable for meditation.
• Niyama -  Cultivating good habits.
• Asana - Learning sitting postures suitable for prolonged contemplation. One who can sit firmly and comfortably in a Yoga posture continuously for at least 3 hours is called an Asana-Siddha.
• Pranayama - Learning the technique of rhythmic breathing. The exercise consists of breathing in slowly through the left nostril, say for 5 seconds; then holding the breath for 20 seconds, and finally releasing it slowly for 10 seconds through the right nostril. The second time the process has to be reversed. Inhaling is called Sanskrit Puraka; holding the breath is kumbhaka; and exhaling is Rechaka. The whole process is called Pranayama. 
• Prana - breathing
• vyana - circulation of blood
• apana - eating
• udana - talking/singing
• samana - digesting
• Pratyahara - Withdrawing the senses from their objects of enjoyment. Controlling the mind is Pratyahara.
• Dharana - Fixing the mind on the object of contemplation. It is the preliminary stage of meditation. For instance, we may try to think only of the thumb of our right hand to the exclusion of the rest of the body. When we can successfully do it, it is called Dharana. Dharana matures into Dhyana and Dhyana into Samadhi. Fixing the mind on its object of contemplation for 12 seconds equals one measure of Dharana. 12 measures of Dharana (144 secs - 2 mins 24 secs) equal to one measure of Dhyana. 12 measures of Dhyana (28 mins 48 secs) will constitute of Samadhi. These all are different degrees of concentration.
• Dhyana - Uninterrupted contemplation, also called meditation. One's mind can be one's best friend and also one's worst enemy.
• Samadhi - Total absorption of the mind in the object of contemplation.

Anyone coveting wealth is actually poor. A person with no craving for wealth is truly its master and is the wealthiest of people.

A person is more mind than body. Of the two, more emphasis should be put on developing a pure mind.

Anything that is real has to fulfill two conditions, it has to be both changeless and eternal. Today's imagination is tomorrow's realization. What we intensely think about, we eventually become. Try to mediate at the same time every day.

One way to control a wandering mind is to say to the mind " Go wherever you want, but know that I'll be watching you."

Duhkha:

• Adhyatmika-duhkha - arises on its won in the mind
• Adhibhautika-duhkha - Inflicted by other people or creatures
• Adhidaivika-duhkha - caused by natural calamities.

Mind is like a piece of white cloth. It takes on the color of any dye in which it is soaked. If the mind dwells on other people's defects it becomes impure by absorbing them. Meditators should avoid this hazard by not being critical of others.

3 types of space:

• Mahakasha - physical universe
• chittakasha - Mental space
• Chidakasha - knowledge space

3 types of Japa:

• Vachika japa - chanting aloud
• Upangshu Japa - whispering
• Manasa Japa - silent (preferred): It requires great concentration. It is good NOT to display our spiritual practices.

Vijay Krishna Goswami compares the mind to a tropical forest. Many wild animals are hidden inside it. They are not usually visible. If somebody sets fire to the forest, all the animals start running out. In this analogy the forest is the subconscious mind and the animals are the hidden samskaras. One who sets fire to the forest is the guru. The fire is the siddha-mantra.

Bhagavad Gita tells us how we can judge our spiritual progress with the help of the knowledge of the Gunas. If Sattwa guna is dominant, we made spiritual progress.

• Sattwa - When we are happy, serene, loving and compassionate.
• Rajas - domineering, restless, angry hateful.
• Tamas -  Lethargic, confused, sad.

Bhartrihar:

• If a person be attached to physical enjoyment, he will have fear of disease.
• If he be attached to his social status, he will be afraid of losing it.
• If he attached to his wealth he will fear the hostile kings who may snatch it away.
• If he be attached to honor he will be afraid of humiliation.
• If he be attached to power he will fear his enemies who may render him powerless.
• If he be attached to his beauty he will fear his old age.
• If he be attached to his scholarship he will fear those who may challenge his erudition.
• If he be attached to his good reputation he will fear the wicked who may defame him. 
• If he be attached to his body he will be afraid of death.

All the things of the world pertaning to man are fraught with fear.
Renunciation of attachment alone cause fearlessness.

Spiritual progress mainly consists in first discovering the defects hidden in the mind, and then effectively eliminating them. Only minds completely cleansed of defects can meditate properly and achieve Samadhi. Enthusiasm and regularity in practice are essential.

Happy mind !!!