Page 94 - Meditation – Pujya SriRamchandraji Maharaj

The general view that concentration is the initial step for meditation is a grossly mistaken notion. Most of the people are induced to believe that for practicing meditation it is necessary to start practicing concentration first. This fallacy has perhaps arisen out of the wrong interpretation of the term ̳Dharana‘ which according to the routine of Ashtanga Yoga precedes ̳Dhyan‘ or meditation. But ̳Dharana‘ simply means attentiveness and not concentration as commonly understood. If we examine this question in the light of our daily routine, we find that when we think over some of our worldly problems we naturally pass through the three steps implied in Dharana, Dhyan and Samadhi. In all cases, we first fix our attention on the thing and then begin to think over it in a continued way. Sometimes, when our thinking becomes very deep, we feel lost in it, which may rightly be presumed to be a state of concentration. Thus, it would be wrong to presume that concentration is the preliminary step for meditation. Besides, if we first try to concentrate we must necessarily resort to physical force for suppressing the activities of mind in order to create a state of suspension, which is definitely a wrong course
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