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Meditation
- Knowledge :
- 1. Knowledge of the form of the God: Before starting meditation, practitioner of meditation should acquire the knowledge of the goal form, Lord Swaminarayan, as He is supreme God of all the Gods, source (incarnator) of all the incarnations of God, the cause of all causes, only one eternal God.
- 2. The knowledge of the one’s true self (soul): One should believe one’s true self means a soul different and separate from one’s body made of five basic elements and in all fifty-seven. After such separation from body, one should not perceive any characteristics or vices of body in the soul. The soul is immutable immortal, luminous and fundamental characteristic of the soul is only to avail the bliss of the super soul (Parmatma).
- Wisdom: After acquiring knowledge, solidify it by putting it into practice.
- 1. Dedication like chaste wife (Devotedness): Practitioner of meditation should dedicate himself only to the goal form, Lord Swaminarayan, just like chaste wife dedicated solely to her husband. Dedication like chaste wife means, not to harbor dedication, devotion or upasana of any other deities - Gods other than one and only one Lord Swaminarayan He should have nishtha only of Lord Swaminarayan.
- 2. Sankhya: After acquiring the knowledge of the form of the God and one’s true self, soul, wisdom of sankhya should be solidified. Sankhya means nothing is absolute truth except God. Nothing is perpetual, blissful. After grasping the knowledge of the bliss of the form of the God, all worldly pleasure, happiness, enjoyment of sensual pleasure, any person and object are regarded as trifle perishable and worthless. If we look through the eyes of the wisdom of sankhya. We feel equanimity toward good and bad and we are unable to develop love and affection for anyone or anything except Murti.
- 3. Solidify one’s own form: Bhagwan Swaminarayan bestowed grace upon the soul, detached from the body, by granting it association with a Satpurush. That Satpurush guided the soul to realize its true form as an Anadi Mukta. Now, the soul no longer identifies with the body, its faults, nature, relationships, name, form, or any worldly aspects. It now understands, "I am not the body; I am the Anadi Mukta." This realization strengthens its self-identity.
- Conduct:
- પંચવર્તમાન (The 5 Vows) : ધ્યાન કરવા માટે અંતઃ કરણ શુદ્ધ ને પવિત્ર રાખવું અનિવાર્ય છે. આ અંતઃકરણને શુદ્ધ ને પવિત્ર રાખવા માટે ભગવાન સ્વામિનારાયણે પોતાના સંતો-હરિભક્તોને પંચવર્તમાનરૂપી પાળ આપી છે તેનું દૃઢપણે પાલન કરવું.
- 2. Connection with God (Yog): After acquiring the wisdom of sankhya and thereby considering everything except the form of God as false, one should connect with the form of the God means, one should connect oneself with Murti by engaging oneself in the means of devotion such as listening to discourse, singing devotional songs etc.
- 3. Consolidation of the nishkam dharm (Firmness of the Vow of Celibacy): "Brahmacharya," or celibacy, derives from "Brahma," signifying God, and "charya," meaning to walk or wander. It entails wandering in the form of God. Celibacy is essential for those seeking the divine bliss of God. It requires both men and women to transcend bodily pleasures and desires entirely. The most effective remedy lies in mastering control over one's sight and touch senses.
- 4. Mumukshuta A mumukshu is one who has the knowledge of God’s true form as well as, their self’s true form. They also have the knowledge on how to progress forward on the path of meditation. However, mumukshus are not satisfied in acquiring only knowledge. Rather, true mumukshus remain forever alert and eager to progress forward on the path of attaining rajipo and sthiti. Only one such individuals can attain God’s ultimate bliss.
- 5. Technic (latak) of Anadimukta After attainment of position of Anadimukta, the aspirant should do all his routine activities such as eating, drinking, walking, taking bath etc. not as a body but with such conception as Maharaj has made me Anadimukta and kept me in His Murti, so as to elevate to the status of Anadimukta. Someone would call me pappa, some would call me uncle, someone call son… However, they are calling to my body; I am separate from it. I am surely Anadimukta. I am certainly dwelling in Murti. Only Maharaj is there; with this conception latak (technic) one should do all activities dwelling in Murti.
- Meditation
- Tratak : One should choose the Murti by whose darshan one experience much bliss and then with eyes open one should look at the sang Murti with fixed gaze without blinking of an eye.
- Pratilom : After tratak, one should close one’s eyes and contemplate on the same Murti one has had darshan till then in the position/direction as one is sitting. Considering one’s soul separate from body with the conception that one’s soul has become purushottamroop dwelling in Murti. Thus, after solidifying such conception that I am certainly in Murti gaze at the Murti contemplate on that Murti dwelling in Murti is called pratilom Meditation.
- Practice: We should practice repetitively to visualize the Murti. We have solidified in pratilom mode, after tratak. We should gaze at the Murti with intense affection and contemplate on Murti repetitively and study Murti so much by practice that as soon as we close our eyes, we can visualize the entire Murti at a time. In the same way. We should meditate not only for half an hour but should practice as much as possible to connect with Murti by pratilom meditation.
- Grace: When the Murti is solidified by practice of tratak, pratilom meditation, Maharaj and Motapurush bestow grace in our meditation and thereby we can have dazzling luminous darshan of Murti by that grace and we are absolutely convinced that my soul has been transformed into purushottamroop and I am dwelling surely in Murti. This is called the realization of Murti.
- Accomplishment of status of Anadimukta :
- Knowledge acquired by experience (Enlightenment): By means of meditation and grace of Maharaj and Motapurush, we accomplish realization of Murti (God) and thereafter we experience bliss of Murti. After having access to the bliss of Murti in parbhav (divine another world), Anadimukta experiences an ever newer and fresher bliss of Murti. Billions of years pass by enjoying the bliss of that Murti.
- Accomplishment of status (Sthiti): While enjoying the newer and fresher bliss of Murti, in the course of time, Anadimukta also forgets consciousness that I am enjoying the bliss of Murti, and I am Anadimukta. After Maharaj has kept in the Murti graciously, the appearance is only of Maharaj… Not that now I am Anadimukta. Only Maharaj is here… Only Maharaj is here, when he feels like this, then he has accomplished the status of Anadimukta and thereby experience the bliss of each and every fluff of Murti and elevate to the perpetual and ultimate status of mukta. When one accomplishes this status, Maharaj keeps him in His Murti and in his place put His own resolve and give darshan to people by means of that resolve.
1. Five vows of ascetic Sants : (1) Vow of non-lust, (2) Vow of non-greed, (3) Vow of humility, (4) Vow of detachment, (5) Vow of non-gourmandize.
2. Five vows of householders: (1) Vow of non-consumption of liquor, (2) Vow of not eating non vegetarian food, (3) vow of not committing theft, (4) Vow of observance of celibacy (non-adultery), (5) Do not get proselytized or do not proselytize.
