𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐣𝐮𝐧𝐚’𝐬 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧? 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬.

Who does not have Arjuna's lament?

Most of us meditate with training wheels — techniques, mantras, and apps that help us balance the mind. But when balance becomes effortless, Arjuna’s question — “How can I control the mind?” — becomes the doorway to true Dhyāna. (From the series “Tesla = Dhyāna”)

Caption:

Two journeys, one word. The first needs balance and support — the second moves by Grace. (As introduced in the earlier article “Meditation ≠ Meditation.”. See Posts here

🕊️ The Arjuna Question

“O Kṛṣṇa! The mind is restless, turbulent, strong and obstinate. I think controlling it is more difficult than restraining the wind.” — Bhagavad Gītā 6 · 34

Every sincere meditator becomes Arjuna for a moment. The battlefield is inward — the mind refusing to obey. The same question that once echoed on Kurukṣetra arises today on the cushion:

“How can I control the mind?”

⚖️ Two Meditations, Two Goals

Secular meditation seeks calm within the self — focus, composure, stress relief. Spiritual meditation seeks transcendence — seeing the Self beyond the self.

Two Meditations, Two Goals

Swami Bhajanananda of the Vedanta Society of Southern California writes:

“Trying to drive the mind inward, as a shepherd drives sheep into the pen, is not meditation. True meditation is the result of the natural inwardness (pratyak-pravāṇatā) of the mind caused by an inward pull.”

That inward pull arises only from one’s higher center of consciousness — the spiritual heart. Until this center awakens, the mind continues its habitual outward flow, however refined the practice.

💡 Why Meditation Is Hard

The Kaṭha Upaniṣad (2.1.1) says the Lord “made the senses outgoing.” Our awareness is built to move outward; perception itself is extroverted.

As Swami Bhajanananda further notes:

“In most people this higher center remains dormant or veiled, but through continence and prayer it can be developed. Unless the aspirant discovers this spiritual center, his or her mind will wander during meditation.”

Until that awakening, practice remains ordinary concentration — valuable, yet not transformative.

🔑 The Secret of Dhāraṇā and Dhyāna

From From Sorrows to Bliss — Definitive Answers, Motivating Narratives, Scriptural Expositions and Incisive Essays of His Holiness Jagadguru Śrī Abhinava Vidyātīrtha Mahāsvāmin:

Q: “Many people find it difficult to do dhyāna as their mind wanders in many directions. What advice would Your Holiness give to enable such people to practise dhyāna well?”

Śrī Mahāsvāmin: “Actually, dhyāna is a secret. The Guru instructs only after keeping in mind the competence of the disciple. As for mind-control, though it is difficult, it is quite possible.”

Here the Jagadguru points to competence and guidance. Dhyāna is not a public method but a sacred transmission; readiness decides what can be given.

When someone protested that mind-control was impossible, His Holiness replied with humor:

“Give a bundle of hundred-rupee notes to the person who says it is impossible to control his mind. Ask him to count them without mistakes. When he finishes, ask whether his mind wandered. He will reply, ‘It did not.’ The mind does not wander when one feels there must be no error. Why should it wander if such seriousness is brought to dhyāna also?”

The Jagadguru thus restores confidence: the mind can be trained — provided the heart values meditation as deeply as the salary packet.

Abhyāsa and Vairāgya — The Classical Formula

“O son of Kuntī, the mind is difficult to control; yet by practice (abhyāsa) and dispassion (vairāgya), it can be restrained.” — Bhagavad Gītā 6 · 35

Jagadguru Śrī Abhinava Vidyātīrtha Mahāsvāmin often cited this verse: Practice (abhyāsa) builds the power of continuity; Dispassion (vairāgya) frees the mind from its cravings. Together they create the soil in which stillness can take root.

📊 Stage 1 — Dhāraṇā (Concentration) in the Meditation Monitor

Tying it back to our Meditation Monitor..Meditation Monitor

Dhāraṇā is the foundation — the training-wheels phase where attention learns balance.
It covers 0 – 49 % across the three internal metrics: Absorption · Peace · Joy.

Sub-Stage	Key Features	Practice Focus
1A · Scattered Mind (0 – 25 %)	🌪️ Thoughts jump, restlessness dominates.	Be patient, count breaths, keep sessions short (5–10 min).
1B · Building Foundation (25 – 40 %)	💭 Moments of clarity, frequent lapses.	Daily rhythm, guided sessions, celebrate small wins.
1C · Emerging Stability (40 – 49 %)	🌊 Longer focus, first taste of inward pull.	Extend sittings (15–20 min), begin silent meditation, journal insights.

At ~50 %, practice crosses into Dhyāna (Peace) — awareness flowing like taila-dhārāvat, “a steady stream of oil.”

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🌿 From Effort to Grace

Stage 1 is driven by self-effort, powered by abhyāsa and vairāgya. As inwardness ripens, effort transforms into receptivity. Stages 2 (Dhyāna — Peace) and 3 (Samādhi — Bliss) unfold when the higher center awakens. The process shifts from training to trust, from control to Grace.

Most aspirants dwell within Dhāraṇā. That work is noble — it builds the vessel. Yet, as both Swami Bhajanananda and the Jagadguru remind us, the final stillness does not come by force. It comes when purity, devotion, and maturity invite the Guru’s karuṇā — the compassion that completes what discipline begins.

And the seriousness and lifelong commitment required for this inner journey rarely arise on their own. They blossom only when the goal of the path — the direct realization of the Self — is implanted by a Self-realized Guru. Such a Guru transmits not just method, but meaning; not just instruction, but inspiration.

Because in the end,

Practice steadies the mind, dispassion frees it, and Grace fulfills it.

And for that, Guru’s grace may be needed.

⚡ Closing Graphic Banner

Role of Grace

When the training wheels fall away, the journey doesn’t stop — it deepens. Practice steadies the mind. Dispassion frees it. Grace drives it home.

— From the series “Tesla = Dhyāna”

Tags: #Meditation #AdvaitaVedanta #Dhyana #BhagavadGita #Guru #SpiritualPractice #TeslaDhyana