How should one constantly contemplate upon God?

For this, Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj discloses a secret.  He tells us to chant the divine name of God with every breathe that we take.  Our mind needs a base to which it can get attached.  Otherwise, how will you attach your mind?  So the solution is to firstly, chant his divine name.  When you chant his name, your mind will naturally think about God.  So, chanting of God's name is a very good means of absorbing your mind in God.  Besides chanting, you can also visualize and meditate upon the divine form of God.  The third point is to think and sing the glories of God's qualities.  He is the friend of humble souls and purifier of sinners; He is the ocean of mercy and Grace, more beautiful than infinite cupids.  He is the soul of our soul.  By contemplating upon these qualities of God, we should divert our mind towards him.

You should think about the leelas (pastimes) of God - He is sitting, we are fanning him while he rests, he is sitting on a swing, etc.  You can imagine any leela of God as per your wish and meditate upon it.  In addition to the leelas, think of his divine abodes.  If you are unable to concentrate upon God then you can think about Vrindavan.  Think that the tree nearby is a divine tree from Vrindavan.  From every leaf, the sound of chanting of 'Radhey Radhey' is emanating.  Or, you can meditate on the form of the Guru.  The main point we have to remember is that God has infinite Names, infinite Forms, infinite Attributes, infinite Pastimes, and infinite Associates, and that are all one.  They all reside within each other.  Therefore, God's divine Names, Forms, Pastimes, Abodes, Qualities, and Associates, all belong to the divine realm of God.  By meditating on any of these areas, your devotion is strengthened.  This is the foundation for practicing devotion.  If you attach your mind to any of these divine attributes, it is divine and you will get the divine result. 

Who should we meditate on, Guru or God? Explanation by Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj

 

It is not that the Guru will grant more power upon you if you meditate on him, or that God will bestow less if you meditate on him.  The result is exactly the same whether you meditate on the Guru or God.  However, meditating on Guru is more convenient, in the sense that everything related to him is directly perceptible, whereas we have to make use of our imagination to meditate on God's divine pastimes and actions.

For example, if the Guru has given some prasad to you from his own hand, you will certainly derive great benefit whether you accept it with full faith or not.  It will help you in your devotional practice.  Moreover, the variety of actions or leelas that the Guru performs are done right before your eyes, and so you can easily recall them for meditative purposes and derive great happiness from doing so.  Since God is not yet perceptible to you, you have to imagine his leelas in order to meditate upon him.  In truth, it is much easier to meditate on what we can directly perceive with our own eyes. 

Nevertheless, a devotee is free to meditate on either, depending on his or her personal preference.  What is proper and the best option is that you should meditate on both Guru and God, since by doing so you will not give rise to any conflict in your mind while you are practicing sadhana.

Watch this video lecture by Shree Maharajji on the topic, "Who is a Guru" with
English Subtitles: