For one in whom imagination is stronger than the reasoning faculty, the
method by devotion, rather than by reasoning, is the method. Let him
call imagination to his help. He should picture some scene, in which
the object of his devotion forms the central figure, building it up,
bit by bit, as a painter paints a picture, putting in it gradually all
the elements of the scene He must work at it as a painter works on his
canvas, line by line, his brush the brush of imagination. At first the
work will be very slow, but the picture soon begins to present itself
at call. Over and over he should picture the scene, dwelling less and
less on the surrounding objects and more and more on the central figure
which is the object of his heart’s devotion. The drawing of the mind to
a point, in this way, brings it under control and steadies it, and thus
gradually, by this use of the imagination. he brings the mind under
command. The object of devotion will be according to the man’s
religion. Suppose—as is the case with many of you—that his object of
devotion is Sri Krishna; picture Him in any scene of His earthly life,
as in the battle of Kurukshetra. Imagine the armies arrayed for battle
on both sides; imagine Arjuna on the floor of the chariot, despondent,
despairing; then come to Sri Krishna, the Charioteer, the Friend and
Teacher. Then, fixing your mind on the central figure, let your heart
go out to Him with onepointed devotion. Resting on Him, poise yourself
in silence and, as before, wait for what may come.
This is what is called “meditation with seed”. The central figure, or
the last link in reasoning, that is “the seed”. You have gradually made
the vagrant mind steady by this process of slow and gradual curbing,
and at last you are fixed on the central thought, or the central
figure, and there you are poised. Now let even that go. Drop the
central thought, the idea, the seed of meditation. Let everything go.
But keep the mind in the position gained, the highest point reached,
vigorous and alert. This is meditation without a seed. Remain poised,
and wait in the silence and the void. You are in the “cloud,” before
described, and pass through the condition before sketched. Suddenly
there will be a change, a change unmistakable, stupendous, incredible.
In that silence, as said, a Voice shall be heard. In that void, a Form
shall reveal itself. In that empty sky, a Sun shall rise, and in the
light of that Sun you shall realise your own identity with it, and know
that that which is empty to the eye of sense is full to the eye of
Spirit, that that which is silence to the ear of sense is full of music
to the ear of Spirit.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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