Dhyana yoga in Hinduism means contemplation and meditation. Dhyana is taken up in Yoga practices and is a means to Samadhi and self-knowledge. The various concepts of Dhyana yoga and its practice originated in the Sramanic movement of ancient India, which started before the 6th century BCE (pre-Buddha, pre-Mahavira), and the practice has been influential within the diverse traditions of Hinduism. Dhyana yoga is also found in other Indian religions such as Buddhism and Jainism. It is described in numerous Upanishads of Hinduism, and in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras – a key text of the Yoga school of Hindu philosophy. Having the unique importance of Dhyana yoga in the day-to-day life of every one of us, Siddha Spirituality of Swami Hardas Life System accepts the concept and appeals to everyone to practice it for well-being.
What is Dhyana yoga?
Dhyana, a Sanskrit word meaning “contemplation and meditation,” is the seventh limb of yoga in the Ashtanga yoga system, also known as the eight-limbed path. The term dhyana derives from the two Sanskrit root words—dhi, which means “mind,” and yana, which means “moving.” Dhyana may also originate from the Sanskrit word dhyai, which means “to think of.” The ancient Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita lists Dhyana yoga as one of the four yoga disciplines along with Bhakti yoga, Jnana yoga, and Karma yoga. In the Gita, the deity Krishna describes dhyana as the “yoga of meditation.”
How to safely practice Dhyana yoga?
The goal in Dhyana yoga is for your mind to perceive yourself and the external world as one connected being. Follow the following steps to progress toward this state of being:
Begin meditation practice with Dharana
There are three elements of awareness that you may experience during Dharana meditation: (1) your origin of consciousness, (2) your thoughts and feelings, and (3) your meditating objects—such as a mantra, the breath, or an external object, like a candle.
Eliminate your thoughts and feelings
As you ease into dhyana, gently set aside thoughts and feelings to better concentrate on the meditation. Without thoughts and feelings, you will be focused on your consciousness and your meditating object.
Add a mudra
Practicing meditation with a mudra or hand pose can help to focus your attention. With palms facing up, place your right hand over your left hand in your lap. Bring your thumbs together to form a triangle representing the three jewels of Buddhism, also known as the Triratna: Buddha, Sangha (community), and Dharma (divine law).
Practice
It takes time to learn how to silence your thoughts and feelings. In the beginning, you may only experience dhyana for a few uninterrupted moments, but with practice, you can prolong this time period. Spend more time practicing Dharana to best prepare for dhyana.
Where does Dhyana yoga fit within the Ashtanga yoga?
The eight limbs of Ashtanga yoga outline ways to live a purposeful life. The earlier limbs focus primarily on basic ethical teachings, and the later limbs—including dhyana, the seventh limb of yoga—focus on internal concepts like meditation. The eight limbs of yoga are:
Yamas: Social restraints and moral codes of yoga.
The Yoga Sutra describes five different yamas, including Ashimsa (non-violence), Asteya (non-stealing), Satya (truthfulness), Aparigraha (non-possessiveness), and Brahmacharya (celibacy or fidelity).
Niyamas: Observances, rules, and guidelines
The Yoga Sutra describes five different Niyamas, including:
- Saucha (cleanliness),
- Santosha (contentment),
- Tapas (self-discipline),
- Svadhyaya (self-reflection), and
- Ishvarapranidhana (surrender to a higher power).
Asana: Yoga postures or poses
This limb emphasizes the importance of caring for the body and developing the discipline to advance spiritual growth.
Pranayama: Use of breath
Pranayama consists of breathing techniques that can reduce stress and improve physical and mental health. In pranayama, you focus deeply on breath control through inhalation, breath retention, and exhalation patterns.
Pratyahara: Withdrawal
Pratyahara is disengaging your mind from external disturbances and controlling your reaction to them. During pratyahara, your five sense organs still detect external stimulation, but you don’t allow them to disrupt your state of mind.
Dharana: Concentration
The goal of Dharana is to bind your consciousness to one particular object, place, or idea. Focusing your attention on one thing helps quiet your mind by closing off a path for other thoughts to seep in.
Dhyana: Meditation
Dhyana is similar to Dharana, except during dhyana, you reach a state of being where you are so completely immersed in your meditation that it becomes a part of your consciousness.
Samadhi: Bliss or enlightenment
Samadhi is the highest state of consciousness one can achieve through meditation. It consists of a yoga practitioner reaching spiritual enlightenment where the self, the mind, and the object of meditation merge together into one.
Every limb builds off of techniques in the previous limb. As such, the first five limbs are important preparatory measures before you dive into the more internal, meditation-based later steps of Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi.
What are the benefits of Dhyana yoga?
Separates illusion from reality
Dhyana yoga enables you to find the truth. It helps you separate illusion from reality and see things for what they are. Deep concentration leads to self-knowledge which provides the answers you need.
Tames mind’s gloomy thoughts
An unsteady mind can bring a lot of problems. Fortunately, the ancient science of yoga has a solution – Dhyana yoga, a peaceful and soothing method for taming your mind’s gloomy thoughts.
The mind gets aware without focus
In the highest level of Dhyana yoga, the mind is aware without focus. There are minimal or no thoughts that occur to bother the mind.
Increases awareness and attentiveness
Dhyana yoga if practiced with Padmasana, restores the energy levels of your body. It calms your brain and increases awareness and attentiveness. The pose keeps the spine straight and helps develop a good posture.
Relieves stress and fatigue
Bhujangasana invigorates your heart and elevates your mood if Dhyana yoga is practiced with this pose. It relieves stress and fatigue. The pose helps in increasing the circulation of blood and oxygen throughout the body.
Removes anxiety, anger, and irritability
Dhyana yoga if practiced with Paschimottanasana, removes anxiety, anger, and irritability. It relieves stress and calms your mind. The pose regulates blood pressure and improves blood circulation.
Origins of Dhyana yoga
The term Dhyana yoga is used in Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism, with somewhat different meanings.
Dhyana yoga in Jain, Buddhist, and early Hindu scriptures
The origins of the practice of Dhyana yoga, which culminates into Samadhi, are a matter of dispute. According to Bronkhorst, the mainstream concept is evidenced in Jain, Buddhist, and early Hindu scriptures.
Dhyana yoga, states Sagarmal Jain, has been essential to Jaina religious practices, but the origins of Dhyana and Yoga in the pre-canonical era (before 6th-century BCE) is unclear, and it likely developed in the Sramanic culture of ancient India, Several Sramaṇa movements are known to have existed in India before the 6th century BCE (pre-Buddha, pre-Mahavira), and these influenced both the Astika and Nastika traditions of Indian philosophy.
Jaina texts: Sutrakranga, Antakrta-Dasanga, and Rsibhashita
The earliest Jaina texts, on Dhyana such as Sutrakranga, Antakrta-Dasanga, and Rsibhashita, mention Uddaka Ramaputta who is said to be the teacher of some meditation methods to Buddha, as well as the originator of Vipassana and Preksha meditation techniques. The Jaina tradition believes Rishabhanatha, the first Tirthankara, to have founded meditation, but there is no historical confirming evidence.
Dhyana as a means of emancipation
The earliest mention of Dhyana in the canonical Jaina texts simply mentions Dhyana as a means of emancipation, but in them, ascetic practices are not emphasized nor is the discussion as systematic as in later Jaina texts or Hindu texts such as the Patanjali’s Yogasutras.
There is no archeological or literary evidence, states Sagarmal Jain, about the origins of systems for Dhyana and Yoga, and there is a great deal of similarity between Jaina, Buddhist, Ajivika, Samkhya, Yoga, and other ancient Indian traditions. The earliest texts, such as Tattvarthasutra suggest that these ideas developed in parallel, sometimes with different terms for similar ideas in various Indian traditions, influencing each other.
Dhyana yoga in Buddhism
Buddhism introduced its own ideas, states Bronkhorst, such as the four dhyanas, which did not affect the mainstream meditation traditions in Jaina and Hindu traditions for a long time. All traditions, Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism, introduced unique aspects and context to Dhyana, and mutually influenced each other.
According to Bronkhorst, while Jaina and Hindu meditation traditions predate Buddhism, the Buddhist terminology such as Samadhi, may have influenced the wording found in one of the several types of Dhyana found in the Mahabharata as well as parts of Patanjali’s Yogasutras.
Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta
Alexander Wynne interprets Bronkhorst as stating that dhyana was a Jaina tradition, from which both Hinduism and Buddhism borrowed ideas on meditation. Wynne adds that Bronkhorst’s opinion “understates the role of meditation” in early Brahmanical tradition. Dhyana was incorporated into Buddhism from Brahmanical practices, suggests Wynne, in the Nikayas ascribed to Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta.
Brahmanical yoga
In early Brahmanical yoga, the goal of meditation was considered to be a nondual state identical to the unmanifest state of Brahman, where subject-object duality had been dissolved. The early Buddhist practices adapted these old yogic methods, pairing them to mindfulness and attainment of insight. Kalupahana states that the Buddha “reverted to the meditational practices” he had learned from Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta.
Hinduism: Upanishads
In Hinduism, state Jones and Ryan, the term first appears in the Upanishads. Techniques of concentration or meditation are a Vedic tradition, states Frits Staal, because these ideas are found in the early Upanishads as dhyana or abhidhyana.
In most of the later Hindu yoga traditions, which derive from Patanjali’s Raja Yoga, dhyana is “a refined meditative practice”, a “deeper concentration of the mind”, which is taken up after preceding practices such as mastering pranayama (breath control) and Dharana (mental focus).
Discussion about Dhyana yoga in Hindu texts
Dhyana Yoga in Vedas and Upanishads
The term dhyanam appears in Vedic literature, such as hymn 4.36.2 of the Rigveda and verse 10.11.1 of the Taittiriya Aranyaka. The term, in the sense of meditation, appears in the Upanishads. The Kaushitaki Upanishad uses it in the context of mind and meditation in verses 3.2 to 3.6, for example as follows:
मनसा ध्यानमित्येकभूयं वै प्राणाः
With mind, meditate on me as being prana — Kaushitaki Upanishad, 3.2
Agnihotra
Beyond the early Upanishads composed before 5th-century BCE, the term Dhyana and the related terms such as Dhyai (Sanskrit: ध्यै, deeply meditate) appears in numerous Upanishads composed after the 5th-century BCE, such as:
- Shvetashvatara Upanishad,
- Mundaka Upanishad,
- Aitareya Upanishad,
- Mahanarayana Upanishad,
- Kaivalya Upanishad,
- Chulika Upanishad,
- Atharvasikha Upanishad,
- Brahma Upanishad,
- Brahmabindu Upanishad,
- Amrita Bindu Upanishad,
- Tejo Bindu Upanishad,
- Paramahamsa Upanishad,
- Kshuriki Upanishad,
- Dhyana-Bindu Upanishad,
- Atharvasiras Upanishad,
- Maha Upanishad,
- Pranagnihotra Upanishad,
- Yogasikha Upanishad,
- Yogatattva Upanishad,
- Kathasruti Upanishad,
- Hamsa Upanishad,
- Atmaprabodha Upanishad, and
- Visudeva Upanishad.
Dhyana yoga in Brahma Sutras
The Brahma-sutras, which distills the teachings of the Upanishads and is one of three foundational texts of the Vedanta school of Hinduism, states that Dhyana yoga is not Prativedam (or, one for each Veda), and meditation belongs to all Vedic schools.
Adi Shankara dedicates an extensive chapter on meditation, in his commentary on the Brahma-sutras, in Sadhana as essential to spiritual practice. His discussion there is similar to his extensive commentary on Dhyana yoga in his Bhasya on Bhagavad Gita and the early Upanishads.
Dharma Sutras
Verse 30.8 of the ancient Vasistha Dharma-sutra declares meditation (Dhyana Yoga) as a virtue and interiorized substitute equivalent of a fire sacrifice.
Dhyana yoga in Bhagavad Gita
The term Dhyana yoga, and related words with the meaning of meditation appear in many chapters of the Bhagavad Gita, such as in chapters 2, 12, 13, and 18. Chapter 6 of the Gita is titled the “Yoga of Meditation”.
The Bhagavad Gita, one of the three key books of the Vedanta school of Hinduism, states four Marga (paths) to purify one’s mind and to reach the summit of spirituality:
- Unselfish Work,
- Knowledge,
- Devotion, and
- Meditation (Dhyana).
Four branches of yoga
The Bhagavad Gita talks of four branches of yoga:
- Karma Yoga: The yoga of work in the world
- Jnāna yoga: The yoga of knowledge and intellectual endeavor
- Bhakti Yoga: The yoga of devotion
- Dhyāna Yoga: The yoga of meditation (sometimes called Raja yoga or Ashtanga yoga)
The Dhyana Yoga system is specifically described by Krishna in chapter 6 of the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna.
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (dated ca. 400 CE), a key text of the Yoga school of Hindu philosophy, Dhyana is the seventh limb of this path, following Dharana and preceding Samadhi. Dhyana is integrally related to Dharana, one leads to the other. Dharana is a state of mind, Dhyana is the process of mind. Dhyana is distinct from Dharana in that the meditator becomes actively engaged with its focus.
Patanjali’s Raja Yoga
In Patanjali’s Raja Yoga, also called “meditation yoga”, dhyana is “a refined meditative practice”, a “deeper concentration of the mind”, which is taken up after preceding practices. The Brahman has been variously defined in Hinduism, ranging from non-theistic non-dualistic Ultimate Reality or supreme soul to theistic dualistic God.
Dharana
The stage of meditation preceding dhyana is called Dharana, which means “holding on”, which is focusing and holding one’s awareness to one object for a long period of time. In Yogasutras, the term implies fixing one’s mind on an object of meditation, which could be one’s breath or the tip of one’s nose or the image of one’s personal deity or anything of the yogi’s choice.
Jangama Dhyana
In the Jangama Dhyana technique, for example, the meditator concentrates the mind to a spot between the eyebrows. According to Patañjali, this is one method of achieving the initial concentration (Dharana: Yoga Sutras, III:
1) necessary for the mind to become introverted in meditation (dhyāna: Yoga Sutras, III:
2) In the deeper practice of the technique, the mind concentrated between the eyebrows begins to automatically lose all location and focus on the watching itself. This step prepares one to begin the practice of Dhyana.
Dhyana
Vivekananda explains Dhyana in Patanjali’s Yogasutras as, “When the mind has been trained to remain fixed on a certain internal or external location, there comes to it the power of flowing in an unbroken current, as it were, towards that point. This state is called Dhyana”.
Dhyana is distinct from Dharana
In Dhyana, the meditator is not conscious of the act of meditation (i.e. is not aware that he/she is meditating) but is only aware that he/she exists (consciousness of being), his mind, and the object of meditation. Dhyana is distinct from Dharana, in that the yogi contemplates on the object of meditation and the object’s aspects only, free from distractions, with his mind during Dhyana.
With practice, the process of Dhyana awakens self-awareness (soul, the purusha, or Atman), the fundamental level of existence and Ultimate Reality in Hinduism, the non-afflicted, conflictless, and blissful state of freedom and liberation (moksha).
Samadhi
The Dhyana step prepares a yogi to proceed towards practicing Samadhi. Swami Vivekananda describes the teachings of Yogasutras in the following way:
Michael Washburn states that the Yogasutras text identifies stepwise stages for meditative practice progress, and that “Patanjali distinguishes between Dharana which is effortful focusing of attention, Dhyana which is easy continuous one-pointedness, and Samadhi which is absorption, ecstasy, contemplation”.
Samadhi is oneness
A person who begins meditation practice usually practices Dharana. With practice, he is able to gain ease in which he learns how to contemplate in a sharply focussed fashion, and then “he is able more and more easily to give uninterrupted attention to the meditation object; that is to say, he attains Dhyana”. With further practice, the yogi “ceases being detachedly vigilant” and enters “a state of fusion with the meditation object” which is Samadhi.
Samadhi is oneness with the object of meditation. There is no distinction between the act of meditation and the object of meditation.
Samyama
A yogi after successfully completing Samyama on “distinction of object and idea” realizes the “cries of all creatures”, states sutra 3.17. A Samyama on friendliness, compassion, and joy leads to these powers emerging within the yogi, states sutra 3.23. The meditation technique discussed in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is thus, states Mircea Eliade, a means to knowledge and Siddhi (yogic power).
Samapatti
By the time the Yoga sutras were compiled, the Hindu traditions had two broad forms of meditation, namely the ecstatic and enstatic types.
Comparison of Dhyana yoga
Dhyana yoga in Buddhism
Dhyana in Buddhism is aiming towards cessation and realization of Shunya (state of null), while Dhyana Hinduism is aiming towards the realization of Atman (soul) and consequent union with Brahman. Nirvana (or Nibbana), the desired end through Dhyana in Buddhism, is the realization that there is no permanent self nor permanent consciousness; while Moksha, the desired end through Dhyana in Hinduism, is acceptance of Self, the realization of liberating knowledge, the consciousness of Oneness with all existence and understanding the whole universe as the Self.
Nirvana of Buddhism starts with the premise that “Self is merely an illusion, there is no Self”, Moksha of Hinduism on the other hand starts with the premise that everything is the Self, states David Loy. The soteriological emphasis in Dhyana, therefore, is different in Buddhism and Hinduism.
Dhyana yoga in Jainism
- Dundas states that Jaina tradition emphasized Dhyana, but its meditation-related literature likely went through two stages of formulation, the early-stage independent of other Indian traditions, one which concerned itself with “cessation of mind and physical activities” rather than their transformation as in other Indian traditions; followed by a later stage, likely post-Yogasutras, where Jaina scholars of different sects restructured the contemplative model to assimilate elements of Hindu and Buddhist techniques on Dhyana. The terminology used in some Jainism texts, however, states John Cort, are different.
The soteriological goals of Jaina spiritual meditation are similar to Hindu spiritual meditation, aimed at experiential contact with the “ultimate self”, wherein the yogi realizes the blissful, unfettered, formless soul and siddha-hood – a totally liberated state of being.
Frequently asked questions
Before posting your query, kindly go through them:
| What is the meaning of Dhyana yoga?
The term dhyana derives from the two Sanskrit root words—dhi, which means “mind,” and yana, which means “moving.” Dhyana may also originate from the Sanskrit word dhyai, which means “to think of.” The ancient Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita lists Dhyana yoga as one of the four yoga disciplines along with Bhakti yoga, Jnana yoga, and Karma yoga. In the Gita, the deity Krishna describes dhyana as the “yoga of meditation.” |
| Where does Dhyana yoga fit in Ashtanga Yoga?
The eight limbs of Ashtanga yoga outline ways to live a purposeful life. The earlier limbs focus primarily on basic ethical teachings, and the later limbs—including dhyana, the seventh limb of yoga—focus on internal concepts like meditation. |
| How to practice Dhyana yoga?
It takes time to learn how to silence your thoughts and feelings. In the beginning, you may only experience dhyana for a few uninterrupted moments, but with practice, you can prolong this time period. Spend more time practicing Dharana to best prepare for dhyana. |
‘भीतर से जाग जाना ध्यान है। सदा निर्विचार की दशा में रहना ही ध्यान है।’ – ओशो
जापानी का झेन और चीन का च्यान यह दोनों ही शब्द ध्यान के अप्रभंश है। अंग्रेजी में इसे मेडिटेशन कहते हैं, लेकिन अवेयरनेस शब्द इसके ज्यादा नजदीक है। हिन्दी का बोध शब्द इसके करीब है। ध्यान का मूल अर्थ है जागरूकता, अवेयरनेस, होश, साक्षी भाव और दृष्टा भाव।
योग का आठवां अंग ध्यान अति महत्वपूर्ण हैं। एक मात्र ध्यान ही ऐसा तत्व है कि उसे साधने से सभी स्वत: ही सधने लगते हैं, लेकिन योग के अन्य अंगों पर यह नियम लागू नहीं होता। ध्यान दो दुनिया के बीच खड़े होने की स्थिति है।
ध्यान की परिभाषा : तत्र प्रत्ययैकतानता ध्यानम।। 3-2 ।।-योगसूत्र अर्थात- जहां चित्त को लगाया जाए उसी में वृत्ति का एकतार चलना ध्यान है। धारणा का अर्थ चित्त को एक जगह लाना या ठहराना है, लेकिन ध्यान का अर्थ है जहां भी चित्त ठहरा हुआ है उसमें वृत्ति का एकतार चलना ध्यान है। उसमें जाग्रत रहना ध्यान है।
ध्यान का अर्थ : ध्यान का अर्थ एकाग्रता नहीं होता। एकाग्रता टॉर्च की स्पॉट लाइट की तरह होती है जो किसी एक जगह को ही फोकस करती है, लेकिन ध्यान उस बल्ब की तरह है जो चारों दिशाओं में प्रकाश फैलाता है। आमतौर पर आम लोगों का ध्यान बहुत कम वॉट का हो सकता है, लेकिन योगियों का ध्यान सूरज के प्रकाश की तरह होता है जिसकी जद में ब्रह्मांड की हर चीज पकड़ में आ जाती है।
क्रिया नहीं है ध्यान : बहुत से लोग क्रियाओं को ध्यान समझने की भूल करते हैं- जैसे सुदर्शन क्रिया, भावातीत ध्यान क्रिया और सहज योग ध्यान। दूसरी ओर विधि को भी ध्यान समझने की भूल की जा रही है।
बहुत से संत, गुरु या महात्मा ध्यान की तरह-तरह की क्रांतिकारी विधियां बताते हैं, लेकिन वे यह नहीं बताते हैं कि विधि और ध्यान में फर्क है। क्रिया और ध्यान में फर्क है। क्रिया तो साधन है साध्य नहीं। क्रिया तो ओजार है। क्रिया तो झाड़ू की तरह है।
आंख बंद करके बैठ जाना भी ध्यान नहीं है। किसी मूर्ति का स्मरण करना भी ध्यान नहीं है। माला जपना भी ध्यान नहीं है। अक्सर यह कहा जाता है कि पांच मिनट के लिए ईश्वर का ध्यान करो- यह भी ध्यान नहीं, स्मरण है। ध्यान है क्रियाओं से मुक्ति। विचारों से मुक्ति।
ध्यान का स्वरूप : हमारे मन में एक साथ असंख्य कल्पना और विचार चलते रहते हैं। इससे मन-मस्तिष्क में कोलाहल-सा बना रहता है। हम नहीं चाहते हैं फिर भी यह चलता रहता है। आप लगातार सोच-सोचकर स्वयं को कम और कमजोर करते जा रहे हैं। ध्यान अनावश्यक कल्पना व विचारों को मन से हटाकर शुद्ध और निर्मल मौन में चले जाना है।
ध्यान जैसे-जैसे गहराता है व्यक्ति साक्षी भाव में स्थित होने लगता है। उस पर किसी भी भाव, कल्पना और विचारों का क्षण मात्र भी प्रभाव नहीं पड़ता। मन और मस्तिष्क का मौन हो जाना ही ध्यान का प्राथमिक स्वरूप है। विचार, कल्पना और अतीत के सुख-दुख में जीना ध्यान विरूद्ध है।
ध्यान में इंद्रियां मन के साथ, मन बुद्धि के साथ और बुद्धि अपने स्वरूप आत्मा में लीन होने लगती है। जिन्हें साक्षी या दृष्टा भाव समझ में नहीं आता उन्हें शुरू में ध्यान का अभ्यास आंख बंद करने करना चाहिए। फिर अभ्यास बढ़ जाने पर आंखें बंद हों या खुली, साधक अपने स्वरूप के साथ ही जुड़ा रहता है और अंतत: वह साक्षी भाव में स्थिति होकर किसी काम को करते हुए भी ध्यान की अवस्था में रह सकता है।
मृत्यु आए उससे पहले पूर्णिमा का चांद निकले उस मुकाम तक ले जाओ अपने होश को।- ओशो
संदर्भ : ओशो ध्यान योग प्रथम और अंतिम मुक्ति, ध्यान का मार्ग और पातंजलि योग सूत्र।
आपके द्वारा प्रस्तुत जानकारी पाठकों के लिए लाभकारी है। धन्यवाद।
Good contribution. Every scholar has some different opinion about Dhyana but it is the same, where one has to reach. Thanks and stay tuned!!
‘भीतर से जाग जाना ध्यान है। सदा निर्विचार की दशा में रहना ही ध्यान है।’ – ओशो
जापानी का झेन और चीन का च्यान यह दोनों ही शब्द ध्यान के अप्रभंश है। अंग्रेजी में इसे मेडिटेशन कहते हैं, लेकिन अवेयरनेस शब्द इसके ज्यादा नजदीक है। हिन्दी का बोध शब्द इसके करीब है। ध्यान का मूल अर्थ है जागरूकता, अवेयरनेस, होश, साक्षी भाव और दृष्टा भाव।
योग का आठवां अंग ध्यान अति महत्वपूर्ण हैं। एक मात्र ध्यान ही ऐसा तत्व है कि उसे साधने से सभी स्वत: ही सधने लगते हैं, लेकिन योग के अन्य अंगों पर यह नियम लागू नहीं होता। ध्यान दो दुनिया के बीच खड़े होने की स्थिति है।
ध्यान की परिभाषा : तत्र प्रत्ययैकतानता ध्यानम।। 3-2 ।।-योगसूत्र अर्थात- जहां चित्त को लगाया जाए उसी में वृत्ति का एकतार चलना ध्यान है। धारणा का अर्थ चित्त को एक जगह लाना या ठहराना है, लेकिन ध्यान का अर्थ है जहां भी चित्त ठहरा हुआ है उसमें वृत्ति का एकतार चलना ध्यान है। उसमें जाग्रत रहना ध्यान है।
ध्यान का अर्थ : ध्यान का अर्थ एकाग्रता नहीं होता। एकाग्रता टॉर्च की स्पॉट लाइट की तरह होती है जो किसी एक जगह को ही फोकस करती है, लेकिन ध्यान उस बल्ब की तरह है जो चारों दिशाओं में प्रकाश फैलाता है। आमतौर पर आम लोगों का ध्यान बहुत कम वॉट का हो सकता है, लेकिन योगियों का ध्यान सूरज के प्रकाश की तरह होता है जिसकी जद में ब्रह्मांड की हर चीज पकड़ में आ जाती है।
क्रिया नहीं है ध्यान : बहुत से लोग क्रियाओं को ध्यान समझने की भूल करते हैं- जैसे सुदर्शन क्रिया, भावातीत ध्यान क्रिया और सहज योग ध्यान। दूसरी ओर विधि को भी ध्यान समझने की भूल की जा रही है।
बहुत से संत, गुरु या महात्मा ध्यान की तरह-तरह की क्रांतिकारी विधियां बताते हैं, लेकिन वे यह नहीं बताते हैं कि विधि और ध्यान में फर्क है। क्रिया और ध्यान में फर्क है। क्रिया तो साधन है साध्य नहीं। क्रिया तो ओजार है। क्रिया तो झाड़ू की तरह है।
आंख बंद करके बैठ जाना भी ध्यान नहीं है। किसी मूर्ति का स्मरण करना भी ध्यान नहीं है। माला जपना भी ध्यान नहीं है। अक्सर यह कहा जाता है कि पांच मिनट के लिए ईश्वर का ध्यान करो- यह भी ध्यान नहीं, स्मरण है। ध्यान है क्रियाओं से मुक्ति। विचारों से मुक्ति।
ध्यान का स्वरूप : हमारे मन में एक साथ असंख्य कल्पना और विचार चलते रहते हैं। इससे मन-मस्तिष्क में कोलाहल-सा बना रहता है। हम नहीं चाहते हैं फिर भी यह चलता रहता है। आप लगातार सोच-सोचकर स्वयं को कम और कमजोर करते जा रहे हैं। ध्यान अनावश्यक कल्पना व विचारों को मन से हटाकर शुद्ध और निर्मल मौन में चले जाना है।
ध्यान जैसे-जैसे गहराता है व्यक्ति साक्षी भाव में स्थित होने लगता है। उस पर किसी भी भाव, कल्पना और विचारों का क्षण मात्र भी प्रभाव नहीं पड़ता। मन और मस्तिष्क का मौन हो जाना ही ध्यान का प्राथमिक स्वरूप है। विचार, कल्पना और अतीत के सुख-दुख में जीना ध्यान विरूद्ध है।
ध्यान में इंद्रियां मन के साथ, मन बुद्धि के साथ और बुद्धि अपने स्वरूप आत्मा में लीन होने लगती है। जिन्हें साक्षी या दृष्टा भाव समझ में नहीं आता उन्हें शुरू में ध्यान का अभ्यास आंख बंद करने करना चाहिए। फिर अभ्यास बढ़ जाने पर आंखें बंद हों या खुली, साधक अपने स्वरूप के साथ ही जुड़ा रहता है और अंतत: वह साक्षी भाव में स्थिति होकर किसी काम को करते हुए भी ध्यान की अवस्था में रह सकता है।
“मृत्यु आए उससे पहले पूर्णिमा का चांद निकले उस मुकाम तक ले जाओ अपने होश को।” – ओशो
संदर्भ : ओशो ध्यान योग प्रथम और अंतिम मुक्ति, ध्यान का मार्ग और पातंजलि योग सूत्र।
स्वामी हरदास जीवन पद्धति में भी पूजनीय स्वामी हरदास जी ने “सिद्ध ध्यान योग” का निर्माण किया है, जिसे सर्व साधारण व्यक्ति सहजता से सिखकर अभ्यास कर सकते हैं।
Nicely explained. Dhyana is most important as it leads to Samadhi, which is the ultimate aim of every yogi. Please stay tuned and communicate your precious thoughts to all readers, so that everyone avails the benefits and enhances their knowledge.
Thanks a lot for your kind attitude. Have a nice day!!