Swami Vivekananda and meditation

Vivekananda is considered as the introducer of meditation to the Western countries. In his book Raja Yoga and lectures, he widely discussed meditation, its purpose and procedure. He described "meditation" as a bridge that connects the human soul to the God. He defined "meditation" as a state "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."

Meditation in Vivekananda's life

Meditation, which gives an insight to the depth and breadth of the mystical traditions of India, was developed by Ancient Hindu Sages. He propagated it to the world through his lectures and practical lessons. He stressed the need to concentrate on the mind, which is a lamp that gives insight to every part of our soul.

Vivekananda defined meditation, first, as a process of self-appraisal of all thoughts to the mind. He then defined the next step as to “Assert what we really are — existence, knowledge and bliss — being, knowing, and loving,” which would result in “Unification of the subject and object.”

Vivekananda's meditation is practiced under the two themes of “Meditation according to Yoga” which is considered a practical and mystical approach, and of “Meditation according to Vedanta” which means a philosophical and transcendental approach. Both themes have the same end objective of realizing illumination through realization of the “Supreme”.

Childhood

Vivekananda was born on 12 January 1863 in Calcutta (now Kolkata). From his very childhood, he was deeply interested in meditation and used to meditate before the images of deities such as Lord Shiva, Lord Rama, and Sita. He was able to practice deep meditation at the age of eight.

In his childhood, when Narendra was playing meditation with his friend, suddenly a cobra appeared, frightening Narendra's friends, who then fled. But Narendra was absorbed in meditation and did not notice the cobra nor hear his friends' calls.

Youth (1881—1886)

When Vivekananda (then Narendra Nath Dutta) met Ramakrishna in 1881, the latter found Vivekananda dhyana–siddha (expert in meditation). Between 1881 and 1886, as an apprentice of Ramakrishna, he took meditation lessons from him, which made his expertise on meditation more firm. Narendra wanted to experience Nirvikalpa Samadhi (the highest stage of meditation) and so requested Ramakrishna to help him to attain that state. But Ramakrishna wanted young Narendra to devote to the service of mankind, and told him that desiring to remain absorbed in Samadhi was a small-minded desire. He also assured him that one could go to "a state higher even than that" by serving mankind, because everything is God's own manifestation. This dictum of Ramakrishna deeply influenced Narendranath.

Experience of Nirvikalpa Samadhi in Cossipore Garden House

Narendranath first experienced Nirvikalpa Samadhi at Cossipore Garden House in Calcutta. One evening, when he was meditating with his friend Gopal (senior), he suddenly felt a light behind his head. As he concentrated on the light, it became more luminous. Narendra concentrated further on the light and found it getting subsumed in to "the Absolute". He became unconscious. When he regained consciousness after sometime, his first question was "Gopal–da, where is my body?" Gopal felt worried and informed this event to Ramakrishna.

Meditation at Baranagar Math

After the death of Ramakrishna in August 1886, Narendra and few other monastic disciples of Ramakrishna converted a dilapidated house at Baranagar into a new math (monastery). There they practiced religious austerities and meditation. Narendra later reminisced about his days at the Baranagar math:

We underwent a lot of religious practice at the Baranagar Math. We used to get up at 3:00 am and become absorbed in japa and meditation. What a strong spirit of detachment we had in those days! We had no thought even as to whether the world existed or not.

Meditation during the Wandering years

Between 1888 and 1893, Narendranath travelled all over India as a Parivrajaka Sadhu, a wandering monk, and visited many states and holy sites. During his tours he always wanted to live in secluded locations where he could stay alone and concentrate on meditation. During these lonely years, he reportedly gained inspiration from the words of Gautama Buddha—

Go forward without a path,
Fearing nothing, caring for nothing!
Wandering alone, like the rhinoceros!
Even as a lion, not trembling at noises,
Even as the wind, not caught in the net,
Even as the lotus leaf, untainted by water,
Do thou wander alone, like the rhinoceros!

Once when Narendra was meditating under a peepul tree in the Himalayas, he realized the oneness of man and all other objects in the universe and that man was just a miniature of the whole universe, i.e., the human life follows the same rules as applicable for the whole universe. He wrote about this experience to his brother-disciple Swami Ashokananada.

Kanyakumari resolve of 1892

Vivekananda reached Kanyakumari on 24 December 1892 and meditated for a three-day stretch, from 25 December to 27 December, on a large mid-sea rock, on aspects of India's past, present, and future. There he reportedly had a "Vision of one India" and took the resolve to dedicate his life for the service of humanity. This resolve of 1892 is known as "Kanyakumari resolve of 1892".

Meditation in the West

In 1893 Vivekananda travelled to the West and participated in the Parliament of the World's Religions, which was held in Chicago in that year. Between 1893 and 1897, he conducted hundreds of public and private lectures and classes in the United States and England. Even during these active days he continued meditating on a regular basis, and his hectic work schedule could not disturb his meditations.

Meditation on 4 July 1902

Vivekananda died a few minutes after 9 pm on 4 July 1902. Even on that day, he practiced meditation for many hours. He also sang a devotional song on Hindu goddess Kali. This was his last meditation.