From ~~~ Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, T.371
D.:
How are lust, anger, acquisitiveness,
confusion, pride and jealousy overcome?
M.:
By dhyana.
D.:
What is dhyana?
M.:
Dhyana is holding on to a single thought and putting off all other
thoughts.
D.:
What is to be meditated upon?
M.:
Anything that you prefer.
D.:
Siva, Vishnu, and Gayatri are said to be equally efficacious.
Which should I meditate upon?
M.:
Any one you like best. They are all equal in their effect.
But you should stick to one.
D.:
How to meditate?
M.:
Concentrate on that one whom you like best. If a single thought
prevails, all other thoughts are put off and finally eradicated. So
long as diversity prevails there are bad thoughts. When the object
of love prevails only good thoughts hold the field. Therefore hold
on to one thought only. Dhyana is the chief practice.
A little later Sri Bhagavan continued:
Dhyana means fight. As soon as you begin meditation other
thoughts will crowd together, gather force and try to sink the single
thought to which you try to hold. The good thought must gradually
gain strength by repeated practice. After it has grown strong the
other thoughts will be put to flight.
This is the battle royal always taking place in meditation.
One wants to rid oneself of misery. It requires peace of mind, which
means absence of perturbation owing to all kinds of thoughts.
Peace of mind is brought about by dhyana alone.
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