How To Do Roop Dhyan - 10 Steps

Roop Dhyan (Devotional Meditation), The Essence Of Devotion

Roop Dhyan (devotional meditation) is the core practice of bhakti. 'Roop' means the form and 'dhyan' means to remember or meditate upon. So 'roop dhyan' means to affectionately remember the form of Radha Krishna.

The reason this is so important is that to purify the mind, it must be attached to Radha Krishna. Those moments we spend remembering Them purify our mind; this is the purpose of doingbhakti. As our mind purifies, we will enter into bhao bhakti (when the feeling of affinity for Radha Krishna stays in the heart all the time). When our mind is fully purified, we will receiveprema bhakti (the ultimate Divine Bliss) through the Grace of God and Guru.

If we are not remembering Radha Krishna, then the bhakti we are practicing will be an empty physical practice. It will not purify the mind. Thus, we should learn how to do roop dhyan.
Practice Roop Dhyan (Devotional Meditation) – 10 Steps



1 Close your eyes and form an image of Radha Krishna (one, the other, or Both together). You can take the help of a picture of Radha Krishna for your imagination, but you should form your own mental image of Them according to your own liking of features and decorations.
2 If you have difficulty forming an image of Them, open your eyes to look at the picture, then close your eyes and try again.
3 Imbue your imagined form with Divine feelings. Know that Radha Krishna are omnipresent, so They are also in your imagined form. Feel that real Radha and Krishna are before you, because, in fact, They are.
4 Use all of your senses: see Radha Krishna before you; hear the sound of Their voice, anklets, or Krishna's flute; smell the fragrance of Their flower garlands and the oils They wear, etc.
5 Feel a deep relationship with Radha Krishna. Know that you are eternally related to Them. You can feel that you are Their child, and They are your mother and father; or feel that you are Their servant, and They are your loving masters; or feel that They are your best friend; or feel that They are your own child and you are Their mother or father; or feel that They are your Divine Beloveds.
6 You can perform some service to Them in your meditation, like fanning Them, offering food or drink, decorating Them with beautiful ornaments, etc. You can talk with Them, walk with Them, and play with Them.
7 Meditation can also include Their Divine abode: imagine that you are sitting in a most beautiful Divine garden of Vrindaban abode, Yamuna river is flowing nearby, the weather is pleasant and the atmosphere is filled with the divine perfume of uncountable kinds of fragrant flowers that are blooming all over Vrindaban.
8 You can remember any leela of Radha Krishna that you have heard described; or invent your own leela – there is no restriction. You can also join in the leela.
9 You can sing or listen to kirtan (chanting) while doing roop dhyan. Kirtan that describes the form of Radha Krishna, Their decorations, Their qualities, Their leelas, or Their abode can help to guide your meditation. Read more on "Why we do kirtan"
10 You can also meditate with open eyes, while beseeching Radha Krishna to appear before you in Their Divine form. Try to feel humble, and sincerely long for Their vision while shedding tears for Them.