Dhyana - Meditation as the Flow of Contemplation
- Daniel McKenzie
- Sep 7
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 27
Meditation is one of the most recognized words in the spiritual lexicon, yet few terms carry as much confusion. In Vedanta, dhyana (dhyāna) has a precise meaning: the continuous flow of similar thoughts, undistracted by dissimilar thoughts. It is not the absence of thought but the disciplined directing of thought.
Swami Dayananda describes it as sajatiya-pratyaya-pravaha — a stream of like-thoughts — with vijatiya-pratyaya-rahita — the exclusion of unlike-thoughts. For example, meditating on the chosen form of the Lord (ishta-devata) means deliberately returning the mind to that object whenever it wanders. The “bringing it back” is not a failure but part of the very definition of dhyana.
Two primary forms are distinguished:
Meditation on Saguna Brahman — devotional focus on pure awareness with attributes (Ishvara; God), a form of prayerful contemplation.
Contemplation (nididhyasana) on Nirguna Brahman — reflection on the Self, expressed in mahavakyas such as “I am purnah, I am satya-jnana-ananta-svarupah.” This is not an attempt to produce silence but to assimilate the vision of the shastra (scripture).
For the seeker, dhyana is part of antaranga-sadhana — inner discipline — while karma yoga is bahiranga-sadhana, outer discipline. Together, they prepare the mind for steadfast knowledge (jnana-nishtha). When dispassion (vairagya) matures and the body-mind-sense complex is brought under mastery, dhyana becomes natural: a steady commitment to the vision of the Self.
Thus, in Vedanta, meditation is not a mechanical practice for producing altered states, but a deliberate mental activity aligned with knowledge. Its highest form is not the suspension of thought but the sustained assimilation of truth: that the Self is already free, whole, and limitless.
Root & Meaning
Dhyāna = meditation, from the root dhyai (“to think, to contemplate”).
Defined as the uninterrupted flow of similar thoughts, excluding unlike-thoughts.
Scriptural References
Bhagavad Gita (6.10–15): outlines meditation as a steady discipline for the yogi.
Bhagavad Gita (18.52–54): describes the contemplative life of a renunciate, free of likes and dislikes .
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (3.2): defines dhyana as uninterrupted attention on a single object, the step before samadhi.
Traditional View
Classified as an internal discipline (antaranga-sadhana), complementing karma yoga (external discipline).
Two types:
Saguna Brahma vishaya dhyana — meditation on the Lord with attributes (devotion, prayer).
Nirguna Brahma visaya nididhyasana — contemplation on the Self as revealed by shastra.
A necessary practice for converting indirect knowledge into steady abidance (jnana-nishtha).
Vedantic Analysis
Dhyana is not the absence of thought but a deliberate flow of thought.
Wandering of the mind is not a failure; returning it to the object is itself part of dhyana.
Its ultimate role in Vedanta is nididhyasana: deep contemplation on mahavakya statements until their meaning is fully assimilated.
Dhyana thus serves as a bridge between intellectual understanding and lived clarity.
Common Misunderstandings
Meditation as blanking the mind: In Vedanta, meditation is thoughtful and purposeful.
Confusing dhyana with samadhi: Dhyana still involves effort and redirection; samadhi is effortless absorption.
Seeing dhyana as optional: For knowledge to become steadfast, dhyana is essential, especially for those with lingering habitual errors.
Vedantic Resolution
Dhyana purifies and steadies the mind, creating the condition for knowledge to take root. The culmination is nididhyasana: the mind abiding in the truth “I am Brahman.” This is not a new experience but the assimilation of what is always the case.
