Meditation & Its Practices: A Definitive Guide to Technniques and Traditions of Meditation in Yoga and Vedanta [Paperback]

Swami Adiswarananda (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2007

Meditation is a necessity for the soul, a technique for withdrawing the mind so that the spirit can rest and rejuvenate. By practicing meditation, we set in motion a process that leads to the restoration of our well-being--physical, mental, and spiritual.

This comprehensive sourcebook examines the scientific, psychological, and spiritual properties of Yoga and Vedanta, Hinduism’s two mainstream meditation practices, and explains how we can put these teachings into practice to enrich our daily lives. Drawing on the sacred texts of Yoga and Vedanta--including the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, and the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, among many others--this guidebook illuminates the principles of each of these traditions, the meaning of meditation, and the methods by which we can develop our concentration and self-control.

By exploring the transformative powers of this ancient spiritual practice, this inspiring volume shows us time-tested ways to refresh our souls and empower our physical and spiritual selves with innovative ways of meeting the challenges of modern life.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Asserting that meditation leads to direct perception of ultimate reality and samadhi, a "state of blissful superconsciousness," Adiswarananda (Senior Minister of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center of New York City) surveys the vast topic of meditation in the Yoga and Vedanta traditions within Hinduism. He begins by discussing meditation's characteristics, goals and benefits, then explores various objects of meditation, including a particularly informative chapter on the "most sacred of all sacred words," Om. Next, he examines the mechanics of meditation, such as chakras, posture, eating habits and japa, the practice of repeating a sacred word or phrase. He then turns to the tricky subject of charting one's spiritual progress, discussing mystical benefits of meditation, such as visions and psychic powers. (He does caution readers about the subjective nature of such phenomena, insisting instead on the centrality of reason, orthodox Hindu scriptures and especially the real-world transformation of one's character as gauges of effective meditation practice.) Finally, he rounds out the tome with a discussion of obstacles in meditation and methods of overcoming them. The sheer scope of the book allows Adiswarananda to strike a graceful balance between liberal inclusiveness and conservative exclusiveness: one may choose the meditation method that seems most suitable, but straying from that chosen path undermines one's efforts and is "fraught with danger." Yet his microscopic attention to so many intricacies makes distinguishing between Yoga and Vedanta difficult and prevents the book from being a practical, how-to guide to meditation, limiting its appeal to very serious students.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Meditation and Its Practices is an extensive guide to Vedanta meditation, a nondualistic Hindu belief system with four basic principles: divinity of the individual soul, unity of existence, oneness with the Ultimate Reality, and harmony of religions. Under Vedanta philosophy, meditation is the way for the individual to realize his or her oneness with god, or the Ultimate Reality. Swami Adiswarananda, senior minister of the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center of New York, explores the scriptural background of Vedanta and gives explicit, practical instructions for practicing meditation in this tradition. Jane Tuma
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 473 pages
• Publisher: Skylight Paths Publishing (April 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594731055
• ISBN-13: 978-1594731051
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #897,023 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Comprehensive Guidbook of Meditation, June 30, 2006

By 

Krishna Shetty "Krish Shetty" (Manhasset, New York United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Meditation & Its Practices: A Definitive Guide to Techniques and Traditions of Meditation in Yoga and Vedanta (Hardcover)

If Mahatma Gandhi had come across this book, I am certain he would have kept it as part of his personal collection. Swami Adiswarananda's Meditation & Its Practices is a comprehensive and inspiring guidebook on meditation. In this book you will find everything you would ever need to know about Yoga and Vedanta tradition of meditation. The author has painstakingly combined his authentic knowledge with powerful quotes and excerpts from Hindu and non-Hindu spiritual masters and traditions. To the novice reader, the author's style may come across as pedantic, but as he traverses the pages of this book, he is likely to be awed by the author's clarity and the depth of knowledge. Meditation and Its Practices is a book for those who are serious about meditation. If you are on of those willing to invest a little time and patience in reading this book, will find the jewel of meditation. For generations to come, student of meditation and spiritual seeking everywhere will look to this book for its highly respectable content and guidance.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AUTHORITATIVE and PRAGMATIC, September 26, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Meditation & Its Practices: A Definitive Guide to Techniques and Traditions of Meditation in Yoga and Vedanta (Hardcover)

A believer in any and all religions will appreciate the universal and psychological approach of Meditation and Its Practices to explain the core spiritual facts which apply to everyone equally. This book is written for the student whose moral and spiritual education is based on sincere effort, an open mind and practical teachings. I appreciate that the author, Swami Adiswarananda, takes the reader seriously and presents a critical account of the subject which is then left in the hands of the reader to assimilate theory into practice. This guidebook becomes not only a thorough documentation of research on the subject of meditation in Hinduism's systems of Yoga and Vedanta; it looks for a real change and commitment to understanding the nature and final goal of religious and spiritual life, which is self-knowledge and a unity with all souls.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent guide in Vedantic Meditation, August 13, 2004

By 

Meditation-lover (MD, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Meditation & Its Practices: A Definitive Guide to Techniques and Traditions of Meditation in Yoga and Vedanta (Hardcover)

A lot of beginners don't know the difference between relaxation practices and meditation. Variety of products is available to relax our body and mind, they also help us to suppress overactive emotional moods and activate underlying emotions. This book is a meditation incentive, not just a kit for relaxation. This is a product which is must for them who have the concept of Vedantic philosophy, the theory of `true oneness' and know how to empty their mind from sensual pleasures to reach God.