Swami Chinmayananda, one of the greatest exponents of Vedanta in modern times, takes us through the thought process necessary to gain control of our inner world. He first shows us the logic behind meditation and then teaches us the specific techniques for applying meditative practice to our daily lives.When meditation becomes a natural part of our day, we find our lives transformed and our minds at peace.
Chinmayananda Saraswati, also known as Swami Chinmayananda and born Balakrishnan Menon, was an Indian spiritual leader and teacher who inspired the formation of Chinmaya Mission in 1953 to spread the message of Vedanta. The organization, which was founded by his disciples and led by him, has over 300 centres in India and internationally. He was a disciple of Sivananda Saraswati at Rishikesh, who founded the Divine Life Society. He was later advised by Sivananda to study under Tapovan Maharaj in Uttarkashi in the Himalayas.
I was introduced to this book by Acharaya Vivekji who leads our Geeta study group. It is simply amazing. My mediation chair and altar were incorrectly set up when I started reading the book. The altar now faces east and my chair faces the altar. I have a picture of Swami Chinmayanda on a small table next to the altar. I have added the practice of japa to my daily routine.
The book devotes a chapter (18) to the Gayatri mantra. I bought the CD "The Power of Gayatri" and listen to it daily. You can listen online at http://www.in.com/music/album/the-pow.... I also bought "Om Music for True Meditation" which has Suresh Wadkar repeatedly saying "om" for an hour.
Has a very holistic approach to meditation and righteous living. Background of meditation traditions covered in scriptures is covered very well other than explaining a value based approach to life. The meditation techniques are explained in very simple language with various options suited to any one. An extremely illustrative and practical book for new as well as experienced meditators.
Sw. Chinmayananda ji is an exponent of Advaita Vedanta. He can be credited to taking Vedanta to the English speaking population in the 20th century. In this book, he gives a detailed account of what meditation is, and how it can be practiced. Needless to say, he goes by Vedantic interpretation of the very purpose of meditation. For those interested in Vedanta and wanting to practice meditation, this is a great book to read.
The book gives one of the most practical formats of practicing meditation. I have already started using the methods given in the book and started seeing better concentration. As the book says it does take a lot of practice before we jump into results. It is a must read for all those who want to start meditation to free up their minds.
Brilliant book! An excellent guide to understand spirituality and how meditation can help you on the path of spirituality. A must read for anyone who is keen to understand meditation, how we think and how to live a meaningful life.
Enjoyed this book for it’s guidance and insight in the search for happiness. A must read for practical seekers with the nitty gritties of how to meditate.
It is good in first half maybe upto 20 chapters. After that it becomes repetitive. I am agnostic, skeptic but also look for actual content. No doubt This book has some really good chapters. But overall averages out.
“Holding the mind in joy, and so in quietude, stop all willing and thus win the final victory over the mind.”
That’s right; ‘mastery over the mind’ is the motto of this great piece of literature. An astounding yet simple portrayal of ‘how the mind that is nothing, but a dead matter can provoke a lot of problems and how to gain mastery over it.’ The author, Swami Chinmayananda Ji teaches us the basics and the logic behind meditation, its necessity, and the process. Also, he describes various methods through which one can incorporate meditation and its benefits in life such as Japa yoga, thought-parade and many more.
The book starts with the basics of meditation, various sheaths of the human body and how to get started; in further chapters, process and aid to meditation are also described precisely. The book motivates you to keep a spiritual diary and track your progress. Moreover, a sample of the spiritual diary is given at the end of the book. Also, the author dedicated the last part of the book only to the practice of meditation, which actually encourages you to practice it on a daily basis.
The connection between the different chapters and the narration of the book is flawless. Language is transparent. The way the book is written and the vocabulary is impressive. The pace is also good. This book helped me a lot on my spiritual journey, reveals to me the meaning and purpose of meditation and the goal of life.
To tell you the truth, the essence of this book lies in the understanding of the reader. If you are a spiritual reader like me or has even a little interest in spirituality or want to learn the art of meditation, then this is the book for you. It will help you to channelize your energy in to the right direction and anyone, who is a beginner or an experienced practitioner in meditation, can read this book.
‘Toward the acme of life hurry without haste; hasten slowly.’