Meditation (“Dhyana”) has currently captured the world’s attention. Today, it is a grand hobby and a fashion statement for the world’s billionaires; for others, it is a way of life. It is a known fact that whatever influential people do, the masses quickly follow. This isn’t just my observation; it was stated by Sri Krishna himself in the Bhagavad Gita: “I have no need to perform actions, yet I am engaged in action. This is because it is the nature of the world to imitate what the great and influential do. If I were to abandon action, the affairs of the world and this entire creation would come to a standstill.” In modern worldly affairs, human nature remains the same. When it became publicized that the legendary actor Rajkumar practiced Yogasana and Pranayama, didn’t thousands of people start learning them? This is exactly why modern Yoga Gurus first target celebrities, politicians, industrialists, and media influencers. Their shrewd calculation is that if they can give these influencers a taste of Yoga, others will follow suit.
Meditation is becoming appealing to people for various reasons. For true spiritual seekers, it is an essential path. For others, the reasons vary: stress relief, emotional management, mental and physical health, gaining vitality, increasing intelligence and memory, enhancing focus, or simply wanting to feel “light” by forgetting anxieties. Meditation makes all of this possible. Recently, people are turning to meditation even to escape the extreme addiction to digital devices.
Today, America’s Silicon Valley and Northern California are transforming into massive meditation centers. The very engineers and wealthy elites who made the world addicted to Facebook have now reduced their own social media usage. Most Silicon Valley experts and entrepreneurs now believe that children should be restricted from using smartphones until they are 16. These digital tycoons know exactly what kind of addictive “poison” they have spread; hence, they are making every effort to ensure they (and their children) do not fall prey to that illusion. Meditation has emerged as a helpful tool for this purpose.
Guidance on the Path of Meditation and Yoga
Meditation is not an ordinary thing. What is the nature of the mind and intellect? What is meditation, and what is it not? How do we achieve self-control? There are many layers to understand: stages of mental restraint, principles of meditation, observation, posture, concentration, mindfulness, alertness, preparation, eligibility, obstacles on the path, and levels of bliss. Meditation is not an act we perform; it is a state we achieve. We must reach the state of meditation. To facilitate this, certain actions and preparations are required, but many people mistake these mere preparations for the state of meditation itself.
The true specialty of Yogasana and meditation is that they require neither a special place nor money. A farmer can spread a towel on his shoulder and practice Yoga anywhere. Unlike a gym, Yoga needs no machines or financial investment. One can meditate comfortably on a mat, grass, or a seat of leaves. In several countries (excluding India!), meditation is being prioritized in school education. In the corporate world, the belief that “meditation is the cure for stress” has taken deep roots.
But look at the irony: “Meditation Retreats” have cropped up that charge exorbitant fees to those fleeing corporate greed. Teaching meditation has itself become a corporate industry. Consequently, it is difficult to find someone who provides correct knowledge about meditation for free. Those who seek inner peace after losing it in the pursuit of money are now mostly finding “Meditation Gurus” who are themselves obsessed with money. It is a time when seekers lament, “Alas! These high-tech ashrams are thirsting for the very money we tried to leave behind.” It is difficult for the poor to find a “Guru.”
Many ask: “Can everything be learned through books? Can’t meditation be learned that way too?” The answer is both “Yes” and “No.” Just as authentic textbooks are necessary for any subject, they are necessary for meditation. Our ancestors wrote many texts detailing techniques and practices. From this perspective, the answer is “Yes.”
However, if you give a complex manual for building a nuclear reactor to someone who hasn’t even finished first grade, can they build it? Can one sing just by reading the theory of music? Can one swim just by reading a manual? From this perspective, the answer is “No.”
There is a third perspective too. Meditation is not like swimming or technology. While there is a science of nutrition, you don’t need to teach a hungry person how to eat. It is a natural, innate action. Who taught animals the process of reproduction? Nature provides the inspiration. Similarly, the state of meditation is everyone’s natural internal state. If we receive information that reminds us of everything we have forgotten through our artificial lifestyles, the rest of the work is ours. We must find our own meditative state within ourselves. No one can “teach” it or “give” it to us.
Thus, just as one receives instruction from a Guru, one can also get appropriate information through books. A Guru being present to answer doubts is an advantage, but books must anticipate those questions. Beginners often have doubts about small things; we need books that understand and explain these nuances.
Many have written about meditation in the past. The Bhagavad Gita explains how to prepare for it. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras provide essential points in aphoristic form. The Buddhist tradition has texts describing various meditation methods (Vipassana being the most popular today). Many have written “roadmaps” of what one might experience during meditation.
Contrary to some propaganda, Buddha was not the founder of a dissenting religion; he belonged to the Sanatana Dharma tradition. The Dhammapada is very close to the Upanishadic tradition. It was later Buddhists, more than the Buddha himself, who argued that one could realize the truth through Samadhi without believing in God. There is no proof that Buddha either explicitly advocated for or denied the existence of God. In Sanatana Dhyana Yoga, the belief that it is difficult to cross the “Maya” (illusion) without divine grace is clear. There isn’t much difference between the “Samadhi” of the Vedic tradition and that of the ancient Buddhist tradition. The difference lies in the state beyond Samadhi—the Vedics call it Fullness (Purnatva), while Buddhists call it Emptiness (Shunyatva). Many modern Lamas and monks have written books on meditation in English and other languages.
Swami Vivekananda gave great importance to Raja Yoga (the Yoga of Meditation). His writings offer useful information. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was a great practitioner of the Shat-Chakra tradition and had links to the Kriya Yoga of the Nath Panth. Many monks of the Ramakrishna Order have written English books for modern audiences—Swami Yatiswarananda’s book on spiritual life and Swami Paramananda’s book on concentration are popular. Others like Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (Transcendental Meditation), Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Sudarshan Kriya), and Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev (Isha Kriya) have spoken simply about meditation, and their words are available in book form. Osho (Rajneesh) provided extensive information on meditation and Tantra in his unique style.
The one who captured the full depth and breadth of meditation was Sri Aurobindo. His The Synthesis of Yoga is a “hard nut to crack” even for advanced seekers. His specialty was analyzing the knowledge behind the paths of Yoga. However, the most prolific writer on meditation was Swami Sivananda, founder of the Divine Life Society. Few have written as many simple manuals as he did, explaining the inner workings of meditation so clearly.
Dhyanayoga in the Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita is a wonderful guiding text, not a narrow sectarian book. It harmonizes various paths of Yoga. Mahatma Gandhi said, “It is like a mother to me. Whenever I face a problem, I turn to this mother, and I find verses that offer solace and guidance.”
In the past, Justice S.N. Srivastava of the Allahabad High Court suggested the Gita be declared the national scripture of India. Justice Anil R. Dave of the Supreme Court stated that if he were a dictator, he would make the study of the Gita compulsory from Class 1.
While visionaries like Sri Aurobindo, Tilak, and Vivekananda drew inspiration from it, many famous foreigners like Aldous Huxley, Robert Oppenheimer, Emerson, Hermann Hesse, and Henry Kissinger were also influenced. However, the fact that these “great men” praised the Gita is not the ultimate proof of its greatness. Even if they were never born, the Gita’s importance would remain unchanged. Similarly, the criticisms of writers like Ambedkar do not diminish its value. The Gita’s importance comes from its internal strength and inner light, not external endorsements.
What is the core of the Gita? Is it Jnana, Karma, or Bhakti? Is its view Advaita, Dvaita, or Vishishtadvaita? Many Acharyas have written commentaries, claiming their own philosophy is the heart of the Gita. Everyone has the freedom to agree or disagree.
Interestingly, Krishna knew everything but did not preach to Arjuna until he was asked. Only after Arjuna surrendered, saying, “I am confused… tell me what is decisively good for me; I am your disciple” (2:7), did Krishna begin his discourse. At the end, Krishna says in Chapter 18 (Verse 67): “Do not tell this to one who lacks penance, who lacks devotion, who has no desire to listen, or who finds fault in Me.” Those who lack the urge to learn or true curiosity are “outsiders” to this knowledge. Forced promotion—“Come, learn this, it’s a passport to heaven”—is the way of misguided missionaries, not spiritualists. The Gita has religious, spiritual, and political elements, but it is followable only for those who believe. Those without faith have the freedom to be as they are.
Adi Shankaracharya wrote in his Brahma Sutra Bhashya: “Even if a hundred Shrutis (Vedas) say that fire is cold, we should not accept it if it contradicts our logic and experience!” What does this mean? In the Indian tradition of knowledge, logic, experience, and discernment take priority over books. Ours is a knowledge-based society, not a book-based one. The Gita says, “There is nothing equal to knowledge.” Knowledge can never have a single source or a single path. The Western and Middle Eastern idea that “everything to be known is in this one book” is not Indian. That is why Indian emperors never declared a single book as the “official” guide of the state—a phenomenon seen only in the Roman Empire, under Islamic Caliphs, or the Papacy.
Hijacking by the Wicked
The recognition of meditation and Yoga in the West is also a matter of concern. The mercantile mindset that hijacks any useful tool or service and stamps its own brand on it—patent piracy—is rampant there. The Indian sentiment is “Knowledge has no discrimination,” but the wicked exploit this to claim, “We have the patent on this knowledge.”
It took 70–80 years for Yoga and meditation to become globally known. Since the late 19th century, Indian Yogis have popularized it abroad. Initially, Westerners were hesitant, fearing that Yoga was a “Hindu concept” and that practicing it would violate their Christian faith. Many churches even issued decrees against learning Yoga.
Today, in the 21st century, the scene has changed. In America, books like Holy Yoga (2007) and similar websites are making noise. They offer “Christian Yoga” packages, music, and volunteers. A massive marketing plan is in place. Brooke Boon, the author of Holy Yoga, claims that Yoga has no religion and is an “open-source” system that anyone can modify. She explicitly states in her preface, “This is not Hindu Yoga. This is Christian Yoga, modified to facilitate a relationship with Jesus Christ.” While one culture can adopt elements of another, it shouldn’t be like a predator eating another animal until the original disappears into the predator’s blood and flesh. Researcher Rajiv Malhotra calls this “Digestion.” Greek culture was “digested” by the European Church centuries ago. Now, Yoga is facing the same fate.
Brooke Boon teaches traditional Hatha Yoga asanas but gives them new names. She claims the purpose of meditation is to connect with Jesus and has modified the concepts of Chakras and Samadhi. This “Cultural Piracy” aims to use Yoga to draw people toward the “Good News” of the Gospel.
Some American churches, like the Southern Baptists, actually oppose this “Christian Yoga,” arguing that if they use Yoga for Jesus, they would be forced to accept Hindu concepts and abandon biblical ones like “Original Sin” and “Judgment Day.” They realize that Yoga is a path of self-realization that has no room for prophets, intermediary institutions, or commanding scriptures. Thus, new organizations like “Women of Grace” urge people not to join “Holy Yoga,” fearing it will “corrupt” them.
India’s intention was for the benefits of Yoga to reach the whole world. Yogis did not intend to convert Westerners to Hinduism. Indeed, anyone—even atheists—can practice asanas and pranayama for health. In that limited sense, Yoga is “secular.”
However, one cannot claim Yoga is entirely secular. For those seeking spiritual depth, the background of Vedic philosophy, seed mantras (Beeja Mantras), and deities is essential. Just as taking a mango from a temple courtyard isn’t an act of worship, practicing asanas for health isn’t “Hinduism.” But at the spiritual level, its Vedic roots cannot be denied.
The techniques of Yoga were discovered by Rishis, and the moral “copyright” belongs to them. In the Vedic tradition, one must acknowledge the Rishi and the Chandas (meter) before chanting a mantra. This moral consciousness existed in India long before the modern concept of patents.
Anyone can practice “secular” Yoga (while giving moral credit to its discoverers). But to take the core concept of Yoga, distort it, and change it for another religion’s agenda is not just unethical—it is a crime of Cultural Piracy. No “Tom, Dick, or Helen” has the right to replace Ganesha with Mary in the Muladhara Chakra or the Holy Ghost in the Sahasrara.
Along with “Beer Yoga,” “Nude Yoga,” and other “fun” versions in the West, we now have “Holy Yoga” with the ulterior motive of conversion. All of these must be opposed.
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