Dangers of Meditation by Vamanadeva Shastri

Source: http://antaryamin.wordpress.com/2013/02/12/dangers-of-meditation-by-vamanadeva-shastri/

Ojas


Without “ojas”, exercises in meditation and yoga lack the proper foundation. Perhaps, the first question for an individual attempting real yogic practices is: “Do I have the ojas to sustain it?”



["Ojas" refers to the subtle energy of water as the stored-up vital reserve, the basis for physical and mental endurance... On an inner level, it is responsible for nourishing and grounding the development of all higer faculties.]



Prana is held by ojas, which is its conductor. If we increase prana without ojas, adding energy without being able to ground it, we may disturb, if not derange, the mind and nervous system.



All forms of meditation are not good for everyone, any more than all foods or herbs are. For this reason, Ayurveda recommends the proper lifestyle and an integral approach to meditation that considers both our different faculties and the nautre of the individual.



More about Ojas, and Increasing it



Diet

Ojas, as a subtle material substance and essence of the tissues, requires the material support of a right diet. This invilves a nutrituive vegetarian diet with the use of whole grains, seeds and nuts, oils, root vegetables, dairy products, sweet fruit and natural sugars.



Brahmacharya

Control of sexual energy (Brahmacharya) means reducing the discharge odf reproductive fluid. This is crucial for developing additional ojas.



Control of the Senses

Control of the senses requires reducing the amount of energy lost through sensory indulgence, which includes avoiding most forms of entertainment, particularly through the mass media. Much energy is lost through the eyes and ears. This is part of the practice of pratyahara or withdrawal from the senses in Raja Yoga. Overuse of the motor organs can also deplete ojas., particularly too much talking because the vocal organ is the most important of these.



Preliminaries to Meditation

Most meditation disorders are caused by imbalanced development of prana, tejas and ojas. Their main cause is insufficient ojas. Without he proper ojas, increased tejas can burn up the nadis of the subtle body.



Meditation should be grounded in a proper lifestyle, particularly a sattvic diet, sattvic impressions and sattvic associations. Without these, we may not be capable of real meditation, even if we want to practice it.



If we merely sit silently without any tools to calm the mind first, we may simply get lost in our own thoughts and end up more confused and distrubed.



Meditation, particularly of a passive nature, opens up the subconscious mind. If you are NOT ready to handle it, this can cause complications.



(pgs. 88, 95-97, 100, 102, 288-289, Yoga and Ayurveda)