WHAT IS MEDITATION ?

Defining Meditation

Like so many ancient, spiritual terms that once had clarity and context, the word “meditation” has been given a life of its own in modern parlance.  And, while all attempts to seek this state called “meditation” are to be revered and celebrated, there is merit in returning to the ancient sources which first defined dhyāna.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali define meditation as:

tatra pratyayaika-tānatā dhyānam. तत्र प्रत्ययैकतानता ध्यानम् ।।

“In that [concentration or its locus], the single [unbroken]...