Question: I noticed that you said not to say a mantra, at the beginning of the meditation. I personally find it relaxing to do an internal prayer. Is that appropriate with your technique?
Babaji:
To begin with you can do a prayer and then try to go to meditation. Try to avoid any repetition during meditation because basically repetition of a mantra or any prayer is like a preliminary round exercise to enhance the concentration of the mind. Eventually in long term practices, when the mind becomes quiet on its own, without any external anchor of any such sight or sound, then it easily goes introverted and gets absorbed into the Self, enabling such a person to get Self Realized. So this is why this is the highest meditation that is taught like that. However, if you have become inclined since long practice, you can try to do it before, a little bit of prayers, if you want to chant anything, then try to go into meditation. Avoid repetition of any mantras or any such name during meditation because the mind has to become quiet. Because repeating the mantra also, it is the same principle, the mind is going into millions of thoughts, try to make it to stick to one thought. This is also one of the techniques of meditation, so at least it becomes single pointed and then you can try to give up that thought also, abandon, then the mind can go introverted.
