Review by Vishwanath Iyer
About the author – Swami Sivananda:
Swami Sivananda (8 September 1887 – 14 July 1963) or Swami Sivananda Saraswati, the author of Concentration and Meditation, was a doctor turned spiritual teacher and yogi. He founded “The Divine Life Society” and “The Sivananda Ashram”.
He has written many books, but one of his best books is Concentration and Meditation. This is a simple manual on how to achieve success in dhyana and dharana.
Review of the book Concentration and Meditation by Swami Sivananda:
The book Concentration and Meditation begins with the need to control behaviour. Then, it goes straight into the theory and practice of concentration. Next, Swami Sivananda also explains some philosophical and spiritual concepts, which he intersperses with practical lessons for implementation.
Additionally, there is special emphasis on integrating the science of meditation with ancient Indian spiritual ethos. This automatically gives depth to the book and an assured entry into the body of books on Yoga.
Swami Sivananda next addresses similarities and differences between concentration and meditation.
Concentration is the ability to centre one’s focus and attention to a single point, while meditation is the ability to mould awareness to one’s sense of identity.
So, this means that while concentration is a skill that does not require spiritual maturity, meditation is a spiritual activity which requires increased awareness.
The book goes into many small details on the practice and requirements of meditation. It often integrates various elements of Yoga and Indian spiritual scriptures with practices for a cohesive outcome.
Next, Swami Sivananda moves from practice to various experiences, dangers to confront, and precautions a person should take during meditation. Finally, the book has a question-and-answer section which addresses the most common doubts on the subject. Lastly, the final chapters are devoted to the mystical evolution and experience of samadhi.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, Swami Sivananda could not have written the book Concentration and Meditation with such accuracy without personal experience. There is also ample evidence that many students benefited from Swami Sivananda and reached great mystical levels.
Unfortunately, Swami Sivananda sometimes repeats concepts and practices. Also, the book is written in 1950’s English. This could make the book a little tedious, boring or pedantic. Despite this, the book leaves no room for any confusion about the path to be taken: Collect all the scattered thoughts, remove distraction, inertia or laziness, practice attention and single-point focus, live an ethical life, do not be afraid of the various experiences during practice, and you will reach samadhi.
This book is sure to motivate the reader to reach the realm of the mystics.
