यदा विनियतं चित्तमात्मन्येवावतिष्ठते ।
निःस्पृहः सर्वकामेभ्यो युक्त इत्युच्यते तदा ॥ ६-१८॥

यथा दीपो निवातस्थो नेङ्गते सोपमा स्मृता ।
योगिनो यतचित्तस्य युञ्जतो योगमात्मनः ॥ ६-१९॥

यत्रोपरमते चित्तं निरुद्धं योगसेवया ।
यत्र चैवात्मनात्मानं पश्यन्नात्मनि तुष्यति ॥ ६-२०॥

yadā viniyataṁ cittamātmanyēvāvatiṣṭhatē .
niḥspr̥haḥ sarvakāmēbhyō yukta ityucyatē tadā .. 6-18..

yathā dīpō nivātasthō nēṅgatē sōpamā smr̥tā .
yōginō yatacittasya yuñjatō yōgamātmanaḥ .. 6-19..

yatrōparamatē cittaṁ niruddhaṁ yōgasēvayā .
yatra caivātmanātmānaṁ paśyannātmani tuṣyati .. 6-20..

18. When a very well controlled mind remains stable in the Self alone, detached from all desires, then one is called joined in yoga.

19. As a lamp in a place without breeze does not tremble—this is the simile of a yogi whose mind is controlled practicing the yoga of the Self.

20. Where the mind ceases, withdrawn through the observance of yoga, where one sees the self in the Self, one is satiated in the Self.

…

In most great meditative traditions of the world, the breath is the center for focusing the mind. Only those teachers who do not have direct experience with the path of meditation and who have lost the sensitivity for the well being of their students prescribe a gross object as a focal point. With the breath as an object, the student is first led toward concentration, which gradually becomes more subtle. Following this fine thread of breath, he attains inwardness. The mind then acquires the capacity of subtlety, and one develops a penetrating sense of internal observation.

Concentration and meditation should ultimately lead one to Atman alone. One-pointedness of mind is an important requisite to help one accomplish that. When one learns to concentrate on the breath and removes all the defects that he finds in his breathing patterns, he tries to understand who it is that is inhaling and exhaling. There are traditions that believe in the coordination of mantra with the breath at this stage. Mantra is a Sanskrit word, sound, syllable, or set of words. It is a means to remove all the impurities of mind. There are a few mantras that are used while inhaling and exhaling that do not disturb the flow of the breath. The sadhaka reaches a point in his practice where he not only breathes the air but constantly remembers the mantra with each inhalation and exhalation. That leads the mind to constant awareness of the mantra. When the consciousness of the mantra is deepened, the mantra is able to guide the mind in the inner world.

The student is then taught to be aware of the inner light that already burns without flickering. When the mind experiences that light, it elevates itself to a state of joy that it did not experience before. That light which is within us is the finest and best form upon which to meditate. Without that light we would not be able to see, observe, verify, and discriminate anything in the external world. It is the light of consciousness that is experienced in a concentrated form. The mind then begins to see clearly; it is no longer clouded. Then the light of consciousness and mantra become one, because at that stage the mantra is not actually remembered, but its meaning and feeling are revealed. At first one remembers and repeats the mantra in a gross way, but gradually it is experienced in a more subtle way. When one develops the feeling of constant awareness of the mantra, it unites with the mainstream of consciousness where light and sound are inseparably mingled. That is a perfect state of concentration. One has then attained profound control of the mind, and he experiences a constant closeness and union with the Self-illumined Atman. When the sadhaka has mastered the art of concentration, his mind is fixed on the Self only. The mind of an ordinary person is dissipated, disturbed, and fickle, but the mind of the sadhaka attains steadiness. Such a sadhaka has mastered and controlled the usual flow of mental energy that goes out to the external world. From the very beginning the object of concentration must be carefully chosen. At first it should be the breath and later breath with mantra well coordinated and united. In a higher stage sound and light are united, and in the highest state pure Consciousness alone exists.

Editor’s Note:

This article has been shared as part of the ‘Book of the Month’ study in honour of Gurudeva Swami Rama’s Birth Centenary Celebrations. We will study the Perennial Psychology of the Bhagavad Gita by Swami Rama during April 2025.