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Three Types of Meditation In Hinduism

To meet the needs of three different mental types, three kinds of meditation have been developed in Hinduism:

Three Types of Meditation

1)     meditation on visual images
2)     meditation on sound symbols
3)     meditation on the self

Each aspirant should know which of mind his/her is – form oriented, name oriented or self oriented.

Vedic pratikopasana was of two types: sampad and adhyasa.

In sampad upasana an inferior object is used as a symbol to represent superior Reality. The symbol is unimportant, the attributes of the higher Reality dominate the meditative field.

In Adhyasa upasana the symbol chosen is itself a superior object and dominates the meditative field. Upon this symbol the attributes of the Reality are superimposed, but the symbol is as important as the attributes.

SourceTypes of Meditation, Prabuddha Bharata, June 1981

A true aspirant should aim to free from the clutches of form. Mediation should help on to merge in the Supreme Source.