Overcoming Obstacles in Meditation — Swami Bhaskarananda

Recorded at the Vedanta Society of Western Washington on November 5, 2017.In this lecture, Swami Bhaskarananda examines the obstacles that arise in meditation and the means of overcoming them. He begins by emphasizing the importance of thought: every thought leaves an impression in the mind, and the accumulated effects of those impressions shape tendencies, character, and behavior. Because the mind is a person's closest companion, spiritual life requires learning how to make it calmer, purer, and more concentrated. Drawing on Vedanta, he describes meditation, or dhyana, as intensely concentrated thinking in which the mind becomes like a laser beam. Such concentration, he explains, enables the mind to penetrate beyond the ordinary limitations of time and space and move toward direct knowledge of the Divine. He also cites the Katha Upanishad to describe the first step in meditation as pratyahara, the withdrawal of the mind from external sense objects so that it can be turned inward toward the divinity present at the core of one's being.The second half of the lecture presents two traditional classifications of obstacles to meditation. From Sadananda Yogindra's Vedantasara, Swami Bhaskarananda discusses four: laya, or sleep; vikshipta, the wandering of the mind; kashaya, a sense of dryness or reluctance to meditate; and rasasvada, attachment to intermediate spiritual experiences that can prevent further progress. He then turns to nine obstacles described by Patanjali, including illness, lack of interest, doubt, delusion, lethargy, attachment to sense pleasures, erroneous understanding, failure to attain concentration, and inability to retain concentration once attained. For each, he offers practical remedies: meditate when rested, patiently observe a wandering mind, use devotional music or reading to revive interest, avoid overattachment to visions or pleasant experiences, maintain a moderate and healthy lifestyle, and persevere through periods of discouragement. Through personal anecdotes and examples, he stresses that progress in meditation is gradual and requires repeated practice over many years. The goal is not merely relaxation or unusual experiences, but stable concentration leading ultimately to the realization of divinity.