Meditation is very high stage of spiritual elevation
and
normally it differs than what normally most of the people know, understand and practice.

Restraint, religious observance,
the appropriate posture of sitting, serenity of breath,
withholding of the mind along with the physical organs,
retention,
meditation and perfect absorption of thought in the Supreme Spirit, are
indicated as the eightfold features of yog.

That way,
meditation is last but one stage
to
perfect absorption of thought in the Supreme Spirit.
Without attaining the capacity of retention
which is the sixth stage,
no one can touch the stage of meditation.

But certainly this stage can be achieved
through
an ordained action.

And for meditation,
one will have to reach to the state
in which the mind is supreme.

Restraint of breath is the same as restraint of mind.

Pran is the breath that is inhaled,
whereas apan is the breath which moves out.
Sages have found by experience that along with breath
we also imbibe desires from surrounding environment and,
similarly, transmit waves of inner pious as well as impious thoughts
with our exhalations.

Non-assimilation of any desire from an external source
is
the offering of pran as oblation,
whereas suppression of all inner desires is the sacrifice of apan,
so that there is generation of neither internal desire nor grief
because of thoughts
of
the external world.

So when both pran and apan are properly balanced,
breath is regulated.
This is pranayam,
the serenity of breath.

This is the state in which the mind is supreme,
for
restraint of breath is the same as restraint of mind.

After reaching to this stage,
one can touch the stage where withholding of the mind
along with the physical organs happens
and
then comes the level of retention.

Meditation is one stage higher to this
and
we feel that meditation is very easy destination
to talk about
and
to reach,to learn
and
to teach.

Bow down in lotus feet of revered Gurudev
for
such learning to me.

_/l\_
Humble Wishes!!!