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Dharana Darshan-Yogic,Tantric and Upanishadic Practices of Concentration and Visualization
Dharana Darshan is a practical and informative text on the yogic,tantric and upanishadic practices of concentration and visualization,as taught by Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati.These practices,which traditionally have never been taught except through direct transmission from guru to disciple,represent an advanced level of teaching and are intended to meet a need expressed by many serious practitioners for more guidance into the deeper dimension of meditation.The book includes an introduction to the thory of dharana and detailed class transcripts of the techniques. Dharana Darshan is a central text book for all Bihar Yoga Bharati undergraduates and postgraduate courses.School of Y
- GenresSpiritualityNonfiction
439 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
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About the author
Niranjanananda Saraswati
136 books57 followersGuided by his guru, Swami Satyananda Saraswati, from birth, at the age of four Niranjanananda came to live with him at the Bihar School of Yoga in Munger where he received training in yogic and spiritual sciences through yoga nidra.
In 1971 he was initiated into Dashnami sannyasa, and thereafter for eleven years he lived overseas, mastering skills in varied areas, acquiring an understanding of different cultures and helping establish Satyananda Yoga ashrams and centres in Europe, Australia, North and South America.
At the behest of his guru, he returned to Munger, India in 1983 to guide the activities of Bihar School of Yoga. In 1990 he was initiated as a paramahamsa sannyasin and in 1995 anointed spiritual preceptor in succession to Swami Satyananda Saraswati.
Author of many classic books on yoga, tantra and the upanishads, Swami Niranjan is a magnetic source of wisdom on all aspects of yogic philosophy, practice and lifestyle. He ably combines tradition with modernity as he continues to nurture and spread his guru’s mission from his base at Munger.
In 1971 he was initiated into Dashnami sannyasa, and thereafter for eleven years he lived overseas, mastering skills in varied areas, acquiring an understanding of different cultures and helping establish Satyananda Yoga ashrams and centres in Europe, Australia, North and South America.
At the behest of his guru, he returned to Munger, India in 1983 to guide the activities of Bihar School of Yoga. In 1990 he was initiated as a paramahamsa sannyasin and in 1995 anointed spiritual preceptor in succession to Swami Satyananda Saraswati.
Author of many classic books on yoga, tantra and the upanishads, Swami Niranjan is a magnetic source of wisdom on all aspects of yogic philosophy, practice and lifestyle. He ably combines tradition with modernity as he continues to nurture and spread his guru’s mission from his base at Munger.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 25, 2017
This is a textbook of step by step journey into concentration. It goes into the core of static and dynamic practices from breath control, sensory isolation and creative visualization. It's like someone delved into all these priceless ancient wisdom and pulled out every useful bit of information, and then put it all into easy-to-read, plain English
October 16, 2020
Wonder insight into the meditational world.
July 17, 2016
Very practical and informative as promises!!
The knowledge shared is full of the qualities of experience which makes it even more useful and true.
The knowledge shared is full of the qualities of experience which makes it even more useful and true.
July 17, 2024
I wanted to learn more about how concentration practices are relevant for meditation so I thought I'd read this book. I find the author includes a lot of different practices, however, it just left me feeling overwhelmed. It would have been nice if they include the practices in an audio format so that we could listen to them. Most of these practices seem too complicated and would have been best if delivered in an mp3 format. Below are some comments the author makes that I find interesting:
On page 4 in Chapter 1 - Importance of Concentration, the author writes "a concentrated mind is a powerful mind and a dissipated mind is a weak mind. In order to develop mental power you must first develop a concentrated mind. A dissipated mind cannot have mental power. If the thoughts are scattered, they can be brought into concentrated focus by specific concentration practices. Then your mind will become so powerful that you can influence the minds of others. You can influence your character, your health, your whole life. If you have a stomach disorder, you can remove it by willpower alone. How can you develop willpower? The secret is to concentrate the mind on one point." I'm not sure if the science supports this idea of how willpower develops but I do think being able to focus your mind helps.
On page 7 he writes "there is no use fighting with your own mind. Who is fighting with whom? There are not two minds. Consciousness is one, but for the sake of diversity there are various vrittis(definition: https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/...), patterns or modifications of the mind. When you confront yourself you are actually creating a quarrel between your own vrittis. When this confrontation between your own vrittis becomes very intense, then you have a schizophrenic attack. Most mental patients are the victims of their own minds." Not sure I agree with this statement surrounding schizophrenic attacks but we all can become victims of our own minds when we have conflicting thoughts.
On page 10 he writes "the ability to concentrate is the root of all higher qualities in man and it requires strenuous effort. To develop a concentrated mind is harder than earning a degree." I looked him up on Wikipedia but it doesn't say anything about him having a degree so not sure why he would make a statement like that. His Wiki entry says he was "appointed the Head of Bihar School of Yoga. For the next eleven years, he spearheaded the research and development activities at Ganga Darshan, Shivananda Math and the Yoga Research Foundation." Not sure if that is as intense as studying say statistics at the university.
Anyways he continues to write on this page "Concentration is not a superficial practice. It involves diving deep into the inner dimensions of the mind and consciousness. In order to do this we need three things: i) correct method, ii)correct guidance, and iii) correct understanding."
In Chapter 2 - Relaxation and Concentration on page 16 he writes "Generally there are two experiences of life. One is related to the appearance and the other to reality. We are more aware of the appearance and less aware of reality. Our vision has to change. We have to become more aware of reality and less aware of appearance. That is the direction which practices of dharana (concentration) take."
In Chapter 16 - Hridayakasha Dharana on page 234 he is discussing a meditation technique. I like the advice he writes for one of the steps. He writes "Do not dwell upon one feeling or emotion for a long time. Just give yourself enough time to recognize it." I thought this was a useful skill to apply when doing any sort of meditative activity. Give yourself enough time to recognize it.
On page 4 in Chapter 1 - Importance of Concentration, the author writes "a concentrated mind is a powerful mind and a dissipated mind is a weak mind. In order to develop mental power you must first develop a concentrated mind. A dissipated mind cannot have mental power. If the thoughts are scattered, they can be brought into concentrated focus by specific concentration practices. Then your mind will become so powerful that you can influence the minds of others. You can influence your character, your health, your whole life. If you have a stomach disorder, you can remove it by willpower alone. How can you develop willpower? The secret is to concentrate the mind on one point." I'm not sure if the science supports this idea of how willpower develops but I do think being able to focus your mind helps.
On page 7 he writes "there is no use fighting with your own mind. Who is fighting with whom? There are not two minds. Consciousness is one, but for the sake of diversity there are various vrittis(definition: https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/...), patterns or modifications of the mind. When you confront yourself you are actually creating a quarrel between your own vrittis. When this confrontation between your own vrittis becomes very intense, then you have a schizophrenic attack. Most mental patients are the victims of their own minds." Not sure I agree with this statement surrounding schizophrenic attacks but we all can become victims of our own minds when we have conflicting thoughts.
On page 10 he writes "the ability to concentrate is the root of all higher qualities in man and it requires strenuous effort. To develop a concentrated mind is harder than earning a degree." I looked him up on Wikipedia but it doesn't say anything about him having a degree so not sure why he would make a statement like that. His Wiki entry says he was "appointed the Head of Bihar School of Yoga. For the next eleven years, he spearheaded the research and development activities at Ganga Darshan, Shivananda Math and the Yoga Research Foundation." Not sure if that is as intense as studying say statistics at the university.
Anyways he continues to write on this page "Concentration is not a superficial practice. It involves diving deep into the inner dimensions of the mind and consciousness. In order to do this we need three things: i) correct method, ii)correct guidance, and iii) correct understanding."
In Chapter 2 - Relaxation and Concentration on page 16 he writes "Generally there are two experiences of life. One is related to the appearance and the other to reality. We are more aware of the appearance and less aware of reality. Our vision has to change. We have to become more aware of reality and less aware of appearance. That is the direction which practices of dharana (concentration) take."
In Chapter 16 - Hridayakasha Dharana on page 234 he is discussing a meditation technique. I like the advice he writes for one of the steps. He writes "Do not dwell upon one feeling or emotion for a long time. Just give yourself enough time to recognize it." I thought this was a useful skill to apply when doing any sort of meditative activity. Give yourself enough time to recognize it.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews