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Note this. When there is a peculiar disease prevalent in a particular country, the drug that can cure it is also found in that very country more so than anywhere else. Though available after vigorous search in other lands, it will not be so good, or as plentiful. Similarly, this specific drug is available now, in this Kaliyuga! It is now in this Yuga that the ghastly evils of injustice, immorality and falsehood infect the world. That is the reason why the Sastras have been proclaiming again and again, with greater and greater emphasis, that in this Kali age there is no means of salvation other than the Nama! Of the four Yugas, the Kali Yuga is the best on account of this. Nama, Japa and Dhyana strain out the evil in mankind. Human nature is guarded and protected by these three. Hence, the fruits of Dhyana are greater than those secured with great difficulty through Yoga, Yajna or Pranayama.

For every item of work, one-pointedness is very important. It is not correct to say that the qualities and attainments needed for temporal progress and spiritual progress are different from each other. The spiritual is only the purification of the temporal. Success or failure in both depends on concentration or Ekagratha. This too is but Sadhana or spiritual discipline. There are two paths along which this Sadhana may proceed:

  • (1) No-pointedness and
  • (2) Many-pointedness.

No-pointedness is the stage of Sleep; it is also called Thamoguna. Many-pointedness is the result of Rajoguna, turning the vision of the opened eye on creation and its sights. Avoiding both these, without falling into these two extremes, if the eye is neither closed as in sleep nor opened wide as in the fully awakened stage, but half-opened and directed to the point of the nose, the Sathwaguna will become one's nature and concentration of the mind can also be acquired easily.

Of course, this does not mean that mere fixing the sight on the tip of the nose is enough. Fix it there in the beginning and then turn the vision on to the Name and Form you have in mind; that is Dhyanam. Next