In the ancient tradition, a seeker who wished to meditate would first find a state of balance—neither drowsy nor restless, avoiding all unnecessary exertion. He would seat himself upon a soft, pleasant, spacious, and level surface, ensuring it was clean and pure. Settling into a posture such as the lotus or svastika, he would begin by offering respectful salutations to his teachers and elders, honoring each in proper order. With devotion, he would align his neck, head, and chest in a straight line, his gaze soft and unfixed, the head slightly raised, and his teeth gently apart. The tongue would rest motionless, touching the tips of the teeth. He would protect his vital organs with his heels, and carefully place his arms crosswise above his thighs, the back of the right hand resting upon the left palm. Raising his back gently and keeping his chest firm, his gaze would settle at the tip of his nose, unmoving, not wandering in any direction. His breath would become steady and gathered, his body motionless like a stone. In this stillness, he would contemplate Lord Shiva, envisioning Him within the innermost sanctum of his own heart. In the very center of the heart’s lotus seat, the seeker would worship through the sacrifice of meditation. He might focus at the base of the body, the tip of the nose, the navel, the throat, or the palate. Alternatively, his attention could rest at the midpoint between the eyebrows, at the gateway, on the forehead, or at the crown of the head—each a sacred seat of Shiva and the Goddess, established in due order. Within these places, whether veiled or open, the seeker would visualize lotuses of varying petals: two, sixteen, twelve, ten, six, or four—each as prescribed. Between the eyebrows, a radiant lotus of two petals would shine like lightning. Within this lotus, at its center, the right and left petals would gleam, each with the hue of lightning, each marking the end of a sacred syllable. The sixteen vowels, from the east and in order, would adorn the sixteen petals at the root of the bulb. The letters from ‘ka’ to ‘tha’ would be arranged in sequence upon the petals, while the pure white lotus would bear the letters from ‘ḍa’ to ‘pha’. On the lotus glowing like smokeless fire, the letters from ‘ba’ to ‘la’ would be set, and upon the golden lotus at the root center, the letters from ‘va’ to ‘sa’ would be established in order. Among these sacred lotuses, wherever the seeker’s mind became especially absorbed, there he would contemplate the divine forms of the God and the Goddess with unwavering understanding. He would visualize a pure form—no larger than a thumb, shining all around, shaped like a clear lamp flame, adorned entirely with its own radiance. This form might appear as a crescent moon, a star, a grain of rice, or the fiber of a lotus stalk, or even as a ball of kadamba flowers or a drop of frost. If mastery over the elements was desired, the seeker would meditate in this way. For each element, he would contemplate its presiding deity in a gross form, ascending through Brahmā and the other divine forms up to Sadāśiva, each associated with creation and the eightfold forms. The scriptures of Shiva describe these gross forms—fierce, mixed, and peaceful—as declared by the great sages. Those who are free from desire for results and skilled in meditation should contemplate them accordingly. Meditating on the fierce forms destroys sin and disease; meditating on the mixed or gentle forms brings liberation, though not immediately, but with the gentle form, peace, wisdom, and liberation are especially attained. Thus, all attainments are accomplished in their proper order, without doubt. Some yogis, believing that by remembering Lord Śrīkaṇṭha all desired attainments are swiftly realized, meditate upon Him with devotion. Others, seeking stability of mind, practice meditation on gross objects; when the mind is steady upon the gross, it becomes steady in the subtle as well. When Shiva is meditated upon, all attainments are directly accomplished; if other forms are chosen, the seeker should always contemplate the form of Shiva within them. The meditator must observe the steadiness of his mind, returning to meditation again and again. At first, meditation involves an object; then, gradually, it becomes without an object. Yet, among the wise, it is understood that meditation without an object does not truly exist, for any continuous flow of the intellect is called meditation. Therefore, the intellect operates only when there is no object, and meditation with an object is like the rays of the rising sun. Subtle meditation is considered without an object—there is nothing higher in the ultimate sense—while meditation with an object is based on a form. Meditation without an object is pure awareness, formless in nature; whether with or without a seed, this alone is meditation. Because both formless and form-based meditation are valid, one should begin with meditation on an object, which is with a seed, and ultimately progress to meditation without an object, without a seed, to attain all perfections. Through breath-control, the states of peace and other qualities of the Goddess are gradually realized. These states are peace, deep tranquility, radiance, and supreme clarity—each the cessation of all calamities. The destruction of darkness within and without is called deep tranquility; illumination both inner and outer is called radiance. The state of well-being that arises is known as clarity by the wise. When the intellect attains such clarity, all causes—external and internal—quickly become favorable. The meditator, the meditation, the object of meditation, and the purpose of meditation—knowing these four, the meditator should practice steadfastly. One who is endowed with knowledge and detachment, whose mind is always undistracted, who has faith and a serene self—such a one is truly called a meditator by the wise.