The Meditation Book

O manual de meditação mais completo da atualidade, escrito por um Mestre espiritual genuíno.

528 páginas. Em inglês. Papel pólen 80g.

Conteúdo:

Chapter 1
INNER PEACE AND JOY         1
The benefits of meditation
Why do we meditate? 
What can be gained from meditation?

Chapter 2
THE ULTIMATE AIM OF MEDITATION         9
Oneness with God
God-realisation: becoming one with infinite Peace, Light and Bliss. 
The experience of God. 
What is enlightenment? 
What is Nirvana?

Chapter 3
BREATHING AND RELAXATION         19
First steps on the path of meditation
Proper breathing: essential to good concentration and deep meditation. 
Exercises: The most effective spiritual method of breathing. 
Finding peace when stressed. 
Pranayama: simple breathing exercises.

Chapter 4
CONCENTRATION         29
Paving the way for meditation
Finding your object for concentration. 
Concentrating from the heart centre. 
Various concentration techniques.

Chapter 5
MEDITATION         47
How do I start?
How do you find the best meditation technique for yourself? 
Preparing to meditate. 
Correct posture. 
Open or closed eyes in meditation? 
Creating a place to meditate. 
Meditating before or after eating? 
Meditation exercises for beginners.

Chapter 6
MEDITATING ON THE SPIRITUAL HEART         73
Illumination from the soul
Why meditate on the spiritual heart? 
The heart chakra: the seat of the soul. 
Exercises: Meditating on the heart. 
Pitfalls.

Chapter 7
SILENCING THE MIND         95
The root of all spiritual progress
Quieting the wandering mind in meditation. 
The transformation of the mind. 
Positive thoughts and creative ideas during meditation. 
Exercises: Practical ways to silence the mind.

Chapter 8
THE HOUR OF MEDITATION         119
Daily food for the soul
When is the best hour for meditation? 
How long and how often should I meditate? 
The role of regularity and punctuality. 
Overcoming sleepiness before meditation.

Chapter 9
ASSIMILATION ñ RETAINING THE EXPERIENCE OF 
MEDITATION         157
Charging your inner battery
Keeping your joy and peace after meditation. 
Methods to assimilate what you have received.

Chapter 10
DIET AND LIFESTYLE         171
Removing obstacles in the spiritual life
Is a vegetarian diet helpful for meditation? 
Fasting and losing weight  support for the soul? 
The effects of smoking, alcohol and drugs on spiritual growth. 
The benefits of physical fitness. 
In which case and how to combine yoga exercises and meditation?

Chapter 11
MANTRA AND JAPA         189
Dynamic power in the form of a vibrant sound
Chanting mantras to purify our being and still the mind. 
Choosing the most beneficial mantra for your practice. 
Why is spiritual purity so important? 
Doing japa in the right way. 
The significance of AUM. 

Chapter 12
SOULFUL MUSIC         215
Elevating your consciousness
Is it beneficial to play spiritual music during meditation? 
Singing and meditation. 
The impact of vital and soulful music. 
Which songs to select for attaining God-realisation?

Chapter 13
INCREASING RECEPTIVITY         227
How can I always meditate well?
Exercises to increase receptivity for peace and delight. 
Gratitude: the key to progress. 
How to maintain a positive consciousness consistently?

Chapter 14
PRAYER AND MEDITATION         247
Talking and listening to God
The difference between prayer and meditation. 
The best ways to pray. 
Let Thy Will be done.

Chapter 15
LISTENING TO THE INNER VOICE         259
Knowing Godís Will
Answering your own questions through your daily meditation. 
How do you know if something is Godís Will? 
True peace of mind through the acceptance of Godís Will. 
The difference between the voice of the mind and the inner voice.

Chapter 16
SERVING HUMANITY         275
Meditation in action
How prayer and meditation serve the world. 
The proper attitude while serving. 
Inner peace and outer peace. 
What is Karma Yoga?

Chapter 17
DIVINE LOVE         293
How to love oneself and others
How to develop divine love for oneself and for humanity? 
Loving with wisdom. 
Love for people with bad qualities.
Chapter 18
UNDERSTANDING SUFFERING         307
Can meditation heal our human sufferings?
Is meditation able to cure physical ailments? 
What causes suffering? 
Ordinary healers and healing done by a God-realised soul. 
What is karma? 
The best way to get rid of bad karma.

Chapter 19
CONQUERING NEGATIVE EMOTIONS AND 
THOUGHTS         323
Cultivating peace of mind and joy
How to conquer fear, depression, anger, jealousy, insecurity, doubt and pride? 
The cause of fear and depression. 
The power of humility. 
Exercises to conquer bad feelings and thoughts.

Chapter 20
SOLVING PRACTICAL PROBLEMS         361
Daily benefits of meditation
The best cure for human frustration. 
Protect yourself with inner peace. 
Dealing with people in a bad mood. 
How to break bad habits. 
The soulís will-power.

Chapter 21
PERSEVERANCE AND PATIENCE         377
Failures are the pillars of success
Overcoming difficulties while practising meditation. 
Dealing with ups and downs. 
Methods to escape from dry periods.

Chapter 22
COLLECTIVE MEDITATION         393
Is it good to meditate with others?
Group meditation: mutual inspiration and help. 
How to receive the maximum benefit during collective meditation in a group? 
Whom should I choose to meditate with?

Chapter 23
INNER EXPERIENCES         403
The fruits of meditation
Am I meditating well? 
Inspiration from inner experiences. 
Inner light: the significance of colours. 
Seeing the future. 
How to receive increasingly higher inner experiences.

Chapter 24
DEVELOPING INTUITION         421
Guidance from within
The easiest and safest way to develop oneís intuition.

Chapter 25
SAMADHI         429
Exalted states of consciousness
What is samadhi? 
The three stages of samadhi: savikalpa samadhi, nirvikalpa samadhi and 
sahaja samadhi. 
Nirvana: an escape from the world?

Chapter 26
THE SPIRITUAL MASTER         441
Your private tutor
What is a Guru? 
Reaching the Goal the fastest way. 
How can one recognise a true spiritual Master? 
Choosing your Master.
Chapter 27
MEDITATING ON SRI CHINMOYíS PATH         455
The path of the heart
Sri Chinmoyís support. 
Inner guidance. 
Help to find your best form of meditation. 
Meditating and concentrating on Sri Chinmoyís picture. 
Love, devotion and surrender.

SOURCES         479

EXCERPTS OF SOURCES         489

SOURCES OF INTERSPERSED POEMS 
AND APHORISMS         489

INDEX        491

ABOUT THE AUTHOR        503

PREFACE