Meditation and Contemplation are..!

Meditation and contemplation are two different states of mind, but they complement each other in the practice of yoga. Meditation is whereby a person trains his or her mind to rest relax in a certain frame which leads the person to connect to the origin of consciousness. However, contemplation is whereby the person thinks about something and maintains that train of thought. Contemplation is an adjunct practice to meditation which helps the person practicing meditation to meditate properly. When one is meditating, he or she will focus the mind on something like their breathing or a mantra, but will not lead to a train of thought. It is somewhat like a suspension of the mind on a particular support, which is the person’s inner focus. The person does not focus on anything outside of the self while meditating, but rather focuses on things within, for example their pulse or a space inside their body such as the heart. When one talks about contemplation, however, they mean it is a thought about something. It implies an inquiry and a train of thought.

Meditation involves localizing the mind without the usual contents of the mind, and does not involve an inner dialogue as would be the case with contemplation. Meditation is like a vibratory pattern which the person sets for the mind to rest in. it is not an expression of what a person desires but rather a localization of the mind. It is about maintaining an inner focus without emptying the mind as some people are wont to do. Since the mind is reflective in nature, the person who is trying to meditate should give the mind a structure around which it will coalesce; something on which the mind can reflect, which is that object that might be the person’s breathing pattern, their heartbeat or even a particular compartment in their bodies. It is around this object that the energy of the mind will be concentrated, and it is the point at which organization and structure will be attained. The attention that this concentration invokes leads the individual to the primary source of consciousness, and this is the main reason for meditation; to reach the innermost part of one’s consciousness. It may be likened to getting in touch with one’s true self.

Meditation sets the mind upon a single vibratory pattern and causes the individual to come to a deeper level of consciousness. Gradually, the mind then becomes trained to be at peace regardless of the circumstances that might surround the individual, and the mind is awakened to its deeper capabilities like intuition and tranquility, and finally the person experiences exceeding joy that cannot be compared to any other. In contemplation, people become one with their creator and discover who they are. While contemplating, people do not see their existence as though they are human being but rather they envisage a dynamo made up of bliss, light and peace. In the spiritual journey, a person should first learn how to meditate before he or she can start contemplating.

Meditation is the way through which a person speaks to God. The yogi attains meditation and contemplation through the exercise of full attention. That is, he remains keenly aware of his surroundings and puts on an attitude of learning and through this he can attain mindfulness. There is so much that the yogi can learn from his surroundings when he engages all his senses of sight, sound, taste and smell, and even the sixth sense. In yoga, meditation and contemplation practices are intended for the individual to achieve enlightenment or self-realization, to awaken to an ever peaceful center of consciousness in which the yogi becomes one with absolute truth.

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