COLLECTIVE MEDITATION

 
Meditation is essentially an individual matter in the sense that it is not for society but for one's own spiritual advancement. Isolation of the individual from social surroundings is almost always necessary in meditation. The ancient yogis took to the mountains and caves in search of seclusion. Undisturbed silence is necessary. However, there is no need to go to mountains and caves in search of these conditions; for even in towns the quiet, silence and seclusion necessary for meditation can be found....

Though meditation is essentially an individual matter, collective meditation has advantages. When aspirants who are in harmony with one another meditate together, their thoughts have a tendency to augment and strengthen one another; this is particularly noticeable when the disciples of the same Master are collectively engaged in meditation upon their Master.

But if collective meditation is to yield its full advantages, each aspirant must be concerned with the course of his own meditation and not with what others are doing. Though in the company of others, he has to be oblivious of the world, including his own body, and to be exclusively cognizant of the object agreed upon before the beginning of the meditation. Intelligently conducted, collective meditation can prove to be of immense help to beginners, although advanced aspirants invariably meditate by themselves.