Swami Shivapadananda on meditation technique

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

Taken from Mother Radha’s
notes, written at Swamiji’s feet.

Day 219

When thinking becomes
thoughts, you have reached the goal. It is like a clay pot in space, no one
fills it up with space. We are inside God, but no one puts God there.

Devotee: When I meditate with closed eyes it is like there are two
places to meditate, inside and outside. Swamiji: That is because you are not
concentrating. Push the world away and concentrate in the inside place.
Meditate like this with eyes closed for a long time – you will see bright light
there – very bright light.

Question: What can I do about falling asleep whilst meditating?
Swamiji: Do pranayama – 4 [mentally count four on intake]:16 [hold the breath – retention]:8 [mentally count 8 on exhalation] – or
hold the breath as long as you can. You fall asleep because you are breathing
shallowly. Sleep comes from within you, so you are the possessor of sleep. When
you give it a chance, sleep takes over and you become insentient.

The Devi Mahatmyam says Mother is Shakti and Vishnu is the
container.
Vishnu’s Shakti is Seshnag [the serpent] – ours is Kundalini [the primordial energy stored in the muladhara chakra at the base of the spine, in the region of the perineum]

There are two kinds of dreams: 1) Impressions in the mind which build
up, like bubbles in water – for example: a bull is chasing me. I get fearful
and at night I dream of this and scream – that means the impression of fear
came out. 2) Seeing. This is a peep into the past or into the future. For
example your mother died yesterday and you dream of her – that means you see
the past. Seeing happens when the mind is calm and pure, otherwise it is like
clouds over the sun.