PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS = POST-12 :VERSE.12 = PATANJALI, LORD KRISHNA & ADI SANKARA ALL EMPHASIZE ONLY 2 WAYS FOR MIND CONTROL

PATANJALI

YOGA SUTRAS

POST-12

CHAPTER.1 : SAMAADHI PAADHA

Summary of

First 11 Aphorisms : Practical Aspects

Patanjali, as we have all seen, is very BRIEF. He doesn’t use one word more than what can convey the briefest possible Indicator meaning. So, here are the practical aspects  from the first 11 Verses.

Be in the Now; Be in the present. This is an essential part of the discipline of Yoga.

Practice Yoga as a Discipline. Be a devoted disciple of the discipline of Yoga.

Work on the mind and master it. Yoga works on the Mind. Do not remain the servant of  the mind.

Be a witness. This restrains the mind. As witness who has restrained the mind – you will stand in your true form. If you do not restrain the mind and master it – you will be the slave of Chittha Vritthis and assume you to be them.

Your Mind works in five types of Vritthis, some times, these are painful and some times, these are painless.

These are (1) right Knowledge having valid proof; (2) wrong knowledge without valid proof; (3) Delusion / fantasy (4) deep (dreamless) sleep and (5) remembering or recall.

Right knowledge comes to us from (i) Direct Perception; (ii) Sound Reasoning and (iii) Scriptural testimony and other competent evidence. All Sciences come from right knowledge.

Wrong Knowledge is - perceiving a thing as some thing that it actually is not. This arises from the weaknesses of our sense instruments; the fickleness of the mind,  nature of external environment; our habits; time and space effects; and many such reasons.

Fantasies or Delusions :Some times, sounds we hear are likely to mislead us into various fantasies and delusions in the absence of any real object to support such imagination or fantasy. Internal confusion, negativity and substances like LSD etc are causes of fantasizing.

Dreamless, deep sleep is also considered a Chittha Vritthi – since, we feel the freshness effect of that sleep, after we get up. Dreamless sleep equalizes all, the king, the beggar and all those in between. All support for other chittha Vritthis must fall – for deep sleep to ensure. It is as if a superior force is carrying you into itself for rejuvenating you.

Memory : What has once been learned and experienced, may be recalled again and again by the Chittha, when it needs it, or even, when it does not need it. This happens as long as these experiences are not lost in the memory or otherwise changed by some other experience.

In final analysis – Chittha Vritthis are –

(i)                  Storage processes for knowledge (right  and wrong),

(ii)                 Swinging between past memories and future fantasies and

(iii)                Deep, dreamless sleep.

Do you find any thing else, which Patanjali has not found? When is the Chittha in the Present; or, in the Now?

We all know, that NOW is the only time, when we actually live. But, mind does not want to stay in the NOW and is much afraid of staying in the NOW. Unless the five Chittha Vritthis are totally controlled, and restrained, there is no way, mind stays in the present. But, we have seen earlier, that mind is too strong but fickle for us to control. It doesn’t easily obey us. Then, how to make the mind obey us? Let’s see now :

Aphorism.12

abhyaasa vairagyabhyam tannirodhah

abhyasa = by repeated practice

vairagyabhyam = by non-attachment, by dispassion

thath = of that or those

nirodhah = control, master, quieten

Through (i) repeated practice and (ii) non-attachment to them – all the five Chittha Vritthis (thought patterns / modifications) can be restrained or regulated and mastered.

Lord Krishna also mentions these two great weapons only for controlling the mind and its modifications.

We want to regulate and restrain each Chittha Vritthi. This must be practiced consciously, all the time. Again and again, the mind will go back to its uncontrollable ways. Again and again, we must bring back the mind within our control.

Patanjali has already indicated one very effective way of practice. Be a witness. Stand behind the thought-filled mind and watch what the mind is doing. The moment, the witness starts watching – the mind’s power comes down drastically. As the witnessing progresses, the mind’s wayward ways shrink gradually and it begins to take orders from you (first from Buddhi, who starts the witnessing process; and then from the Self, who takes over the witnessing process).  But, again and again, mind goes behind the thoughts which keep on arising in it. Suddenly, you find that you have forgotten the witnessing process you started and are again identifying with some thought process.

There is a confusion in many people as to who is the witness? Is it not also a thought? How can a thought in the mind control other thoughts in the mind?

Do not worry about such questions. You can be a witness. The moment you try to be a witness – you know you are a witness now. No one needs to prove it to you. Now, it is your experience. You know, you are a witness of thoughts created by the mind. Never mind, if mind starts the process of witnessing. Finally, if you persist in the witnessing – you also know that from mind – control is passing to Buddhi, from which, the witness function goes to the self. The Self now stands in its own true form. To bring us to this stage only, the whole science of yoga is intended.

As a beginner, either you are yourself the THOUGHT; or, you are yourself the  WITNESS. You are switching roles between the two roles very frequently.

Witnessing  requires great care, caution and also consistent practice.

Becoming a Thought – is however a very unconscious process. One moment of non-witnessing makes you go behind the thought and become the thought yourself.

So, a supportive weapon also is needed to strengthen you. That weapon is NON-ATTACHMENT, or, Dispassion. Suppose, you develop non-attachment to sense-objects and they cease to interest you, that non-attachment supports your efforts in being an efficient witness and thereby control the thought modifications. This also is a gradual process as below explained.

You must replace your strong Thaamasic temptations with strong Raajasic temptations initially and thereafter with strong Saathvic temptations.

You must replace thaamasic food with raajasic food and then with saathvic food.

You must surround your life with Sathsang – i.e., strong friendships of the wise and the learned. Adi Sankaracharya emphatically says – that sathsang leads you easily to non-attachment to sense pleasures and chittha Vritthis. Lord Krishna also advocates the same measures.

Thus – there are only two measures for Mind-control. (i) Constant and consistent practice and (ii) Non-attachment.

The first one basically works on the senses and mind inside us.

But, the second one works on the Sense- objects all around us in the outside world which tempt us always.

I must repeat here – that the falling off, of sense modifications does not lead in any way to a lack of joy in our life. On the other hand, it introduces a joy of  more permanent type in our life, in place of the fleeting pleasures.

So – no one should think that (i) Practice of sense control and (ii) Non-attachment to sense objects  leads to a dry life.

It actually leads us to a permanent, infinite joy. The real test of progress in spirituality or Yoga is the continuous enhancement in your serene Joy and the falling off, of all fears.

Let us therefore understand more about these two principle weapons for Mind-control in the coming Aphorisms.

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SATHYA SAI BABA = THE LIVING LEGEND FROM INDIA = WE JOIN DEVOTEES IN PRAYING FOR HIS HEALTH AND LONG LIFE

Sathya Sai Baba

The 85-year-old spiritual guru, Satya Sai Baba, was admitted to a super-speciality hospital at Prashanti Nilayam (near Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh) on March 28 in a critical condition after complaining of breathlessness. He has been on a ventilator since, but his vital systems are said to be in a stable condition. The latest medical bulletin by doctors is re-assuring. 

Leaders like Chandra Babu Naidu and Kalaignar karunanidhi have expressed their best wishes for his speedy recovery. Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy has appealed to devotees not to spread or trust rumours and to maintain their calm. 

For lakhs of devotees, Sathya Sai Baba is god-like. This blog had carried some of his beautiful quotes in an earlier Post, in the URL : http://wisespiritualideas.blogspot.com/2011/02/great-quotable-quotes-from-sathya-sai.html

We can see his extraordinary but down-to-earth wisdom and his compassion for people in all his sayings. His work so far has been truly extraordinary and reaching out to the poorest of the poor.

We join all his devotees in praying for his health and long life.

May God bestow on this spiritual giant, long and healthy life.

*   *    * Ohm   *   *   *

PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS = POST-11 :VERSE.11 = ARE WE NEVER IN THE NOW? =

PATANJALI

YOGA SUTRAS

POST-11 :VERSE.11

CHAPTER.1

SAMAADHI PAADHA

Summary Of First 10 Aphorisms :

Now, the discipline of Yoga starts, says the first aphorism. Being in the Now; in the present, is an essential part of the discipline of Yoga.

For being in such a discipline, the reader must be a devoted disciple of the discipline. He must have respect for the Guru and the Science of Yoga.

Yoga is the restraining of the mind and all its modifications; in fact, all work done in the mind. Where (outside mind or inside?) and how (by what process) do you restrain them and what happens then? This is the discipline of Yoga.

When Chittha Vritthis are restrained - the watcher / witness (the real self) returns and abides in his real form, unobstructed by the veil of Chittha Vritthis. For the first time, we perceive our real self. Patanjali has emphasized that the Self is the WITNESS and not the doer of any thing.

When the chittha Vritthis are not restrained and the watcher/ witness is not abiding in his real self, he identifies himself with the chittha Vritthis; Which means, he is not conscious of his Self.

These Chittha Vritthis are of five types. They may be either painful or painless.

These are (1) right Knowledge having valid proof; (2) wrong knowledge; (3) Delusion / fantasy (4) deep (dreamless) sleep and (5) remembering or recall.

Right knowledge comes to us from (i) Direct Perception; (ii) Sound Reasoning and (iii) Scriptural testimony and other competent evidence. All Sciences come from right knowledge.

Wrong Knowledge is - perceiving a thing as some thing that it actually is not. Wrong knowledge arises from the weaknesses of our sense instruments; the fickleness of the mind,  nature of external environment; our habits; time and space effects; effects of alcohol; negative moods like anger, desire, lust, hatred etc; friendship of the untruthful, negatively minded persons; reading books written by or listening to the spoken words of all such negative persons

Fantasies or Delusions :Some times, sounds we hear are likely to mislead us into various fantasies and delusions in the absence of any real object to support such imagination or fantasy. Internal confusion and negativity is a major cause of this. Other cause is substances like LSD. Some times, positive fantasizing about one;s own strength, beauty etc can lead people to perform better than what they normally can.

Dreamless, deep sleep is also considered a Chittha Vritthi – since, we feel the freshness effect of that sleep, after we get up. Dreamless sleep equalizes all, the king, the beggar and all those in between. All support of other chittha Vritthis must fall – for deep sleep to ensure. It is as if a superior force is carrying you into itself for rejuvenating you.

The last of chittha Vritthis, “remembering” is now to be seen :

Aphorism.11

anubhootha vishaya asampramoshah smrithih

anubhootha = some thing experienced

vishaya = the objects of experience

asampramoshah = not lost or changed

smrithih = remembering

What has once been learned and experienced, may be recalled again and again by the Chittha, when it needs it, or even, when it does not need it. This happens as long as these experiences are not lost in the memory or otherwise changed by some other experience.

But for memory or smrithi, our ordinary life becomes impossible. Whom so ever or what so ever you see, smrithi is right there to aid you to deal with it.

Smrithi is always of the past experiences.

Fantasies are always of the future, though they take the past and modify them into fantasies.

Nidraa is the cessation of both memories of the past and fantasies of the future and putting to rest, the body and the Chittha itself. Yet, it is considered a Chittha Vritthi as, Chittha refreshes itself in the process and feels it on waking up. Right knowledge and wrong knowledge are both store houses, or, data banks, recorded in the Chittha, from which memories and fantasies are drawn.

All futuristic planning and thinking is in a way, a fantasy into the future. All past is memory (or,smrithi) only. Rest of Chittha Vritthi is storing process – either right knowledge or wrong knowledge. When Chittha is done for the day, it is put into a deep, dreamless sleep. If there are dreams, they also come under memory of the past or fantasy of the future.

In final analysis – Chittha Vritthis are –

(i)                  Storage processes for knowledge (right / wrong),

(ii)               Swinging between past memories and future fantasies and

(iii)            Deep, dreamless sleep.

Do you find any Chittha Vritthi, which Patanjali has not described?

When is the Chittha in the Present; in the Now?

Is it Never?

Or, Do we start the discipline of Yoga Now? Yes. Its is Now !

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PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS = POST-10 :VERSE.10 = SLEEP = ARE YOU THE ONE TO SLEEP (or) SOME ONE TAKES YOU INTO SLEEP??

PATANJALI

YOGA SUTRAS

POST-10 :VERSE.10

CHAPTER.1

SAMAADHI PAADHA

Summary So Far :

Aphorism.1:“now, the discipline of Yoga” begins. For being in a discipline, one necessarily has to be a devoted disciple of that discipline. One must have respect for the Guru and the Science.

Aphorism.2 :Yoga is the mastering / controlling /restraining of the oscillations of (in fact, all types of work done in) chittha.

Aphorism.3:When Chittha vritthis are restrained (kept outside the chittha itself!) - the watcher / witness (the real self) returns and abides in his real form , unobstructed by the veil of Chittha.

Aphorism.4 : When the chittha Vritthis are not restrained and the watcher/ witness is not abiding in his real self, he identifies with the chittha Vritthis.

Aphorism.5 : Vritthis are of five types and they may be either painful or painless.

Aphorism.6 : The five types of chittha Vritthis are (1) pramana is right Knowledge having valid proof; (2) viparyayah is wrong knowledge; (3) vikalpah is imagination / fantasy (4) nidra is deep sleep and (5) smritayah is remembering or recall.

Aphorism.7 : Direct Perception; Sound Reasoning; Scriptural testimony and other competent evidence are the valid sources of right knowledge. For all worldly affairs – we need such right knowledge so that people can lead healthy, harm-free lives. All Sciences come from right knowledge.

Aphorism.8 : Wrong Knowledge is - perceiving a thing as some thing that it actually is not. Our sense perception can many times result in Mithya Jnanam or wrong knowledge – due to various reasons, like, (i) the imperfections in our sense instruments, (ii) age related effects on the senses and the brain (iii) their habit-bound nature, (iv) nature of external environment, (v) effects of time and distance on objects, (vi) effects of substances like alcohol etc (vii) internal negative moods like anger, desire, lust, hatred etc. (viii)friendship of the untruthful, negatively minded persons (ix) reading books written by or listening to the spoken words of negative persons

Aphorism.9 : Shabda jnana anupaati vastu shunyah vikalpah

Some times, sounds we hear are likely to mislead us into various fantasies and delusions in the absence of any real object to support such imagination or fantasy. Internal confusion and negativity is a major cause of this. Other cause is substances like LSD. Some people frequently tend to live away from truth in fantasies. Fantasizing can some times be Positive. It has been built into the minds of some classes and races that they are stronger and more valourous than others, though, in fact, they are just like any others. But, the constant fantasy of strength and valour creates such a mood in them and makes them fight longer even with stronger opponents – and frequently win over them, thus bolstering their fantasy. But, the negative side of it is – they are fighting most of the time of their lives – to prove their fantasy – than living their life happily .

Aphorism.10

abhava pratyaya alambanaa vritthi nidraa

abhava     = absence, not occurring or existing

pratyaya   = the cause, notion,

alambanaa = support, base or foundation

vritthi        = Chittha Vritthi; various modifications of mind

nidraa       = deep sleep

Nidraa is another modification of mind – in which total absence (of thought patterns), is the basis or support for it. 

But, such dreamless, thoughts-less, sleep itself is a Chittha Vritthi or modification of the mind, in itself. 

The five senses stop their activities temporarily. Eyes do not see. Ears do not hear. Nose does not smell. Tongue does not taste. Skin does not sense touch. All five senses temporarily stop their functions and take rest. Mind also stops its functions and takes rest. This Nidraa Chittha Vritthi therefore has, as its basis, absence (of thoughts).

Sleep therefore connotes a temporarily non-functional mind. It is purely temporary and mind comes back into its own – after a period of Nidraa. Here, we are referring to dreamless sleep, since Nidraa is based on the total absence of thoughts and dreams do have thoughts as basis. There is no self awareness at all in Nidraa.

This Chittha Vritthi is very essential for rejuvenation of the praana sakthi in us. When mind falls asleep, the body becomes totally inert – except the vital life organs in us.

Give yourself adequate sleep. Patanjali and Lord Krishna both say that - a person who does not sleep adequately is unfit for Yoga. This person is not giving himself adequate Praana Sakthi for yoga.

Likewise, a person who sleeps too much is also unfit for Yoga. He is trying to live away from reality and is taking sleep as an alternative to life.

Moderation in sleep is therefore essential for success in yoga.

The next time you go to sleep – Just watch out – Are you the one trying to get into sleep, or, is there an unseen force, taking you into sleep, without your effort!

You will know the answer instantly. There are many forces in and around you, guarding you in many ways.

Surrender to the force of sleep reverentially.

There is a certain welcome compulsiveness to nidra. The greatest of the greats and the lowest of the low are all equalized in nidraa. We are all equal in Nidraa. 

The king can’t sleep any better than the beggar on the street – what ever the king may do for the purpose. Nidraa is a boon to all – including to the best of yogis.

Whether the Yogi can qualitatively enhance his nidraa also, in some way – we will see some time later.

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PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS = POST-9 :VERSE.9 = FANTASIZING & DELUSIONS = CAUSES

PATANJALI

YOGA SUTRAS

POST-9 :VERSE.9

CHAPTER.1

SAMAADHI PAADHA

Summary So Far :

Aphorism.1:“now, the discipline of Yoga” begins. For being in a discipline, one necessarily has to be a devoted disciple of that discipline. One must have respect for the Guru and the Science.

Aphorism.2 :Yoga is the mastering / controlling /restraining of the oscillations of (in fact, all types of work done in) chittha.

Aphorism.3:When Chittha vritthis are restrained (kept outside the chittha itself!) - the watcher / witness (the real self) returns and abides in his real form , unobstructed by the veil of Chittha.

Aphorism.4 : When the chittha Vritthis are not restrained and the watcher/ witness is not abiding in his real self, he identifies with the chittha Vritthis.

Aphorism.5 : Vritthis are of five types and they may be either painful or painless.

Aphorism.6 : The five types of chittha Vritthis are (1) pramana is right Knowledge having valid proof; (2) viparyayah is wrong knowledge; (3) vikalpah is imagination / fantasy (4) nidra is deep sleep and (5) smritayah is remembering or recall.

Aphorism.7 : Direct Perception; Inference or Sound Reasoning; Scriptural testimony and other competent evidence; are the valid sources of right knowledge. For all worldly affairs – we need such right knowledge so that people can lead healthy, harm-free lives. All Sciences come from right knowledge.

Aphorism.8 : “viparyayah mithya jnanam athad roopa pratisthaam”.

Wrong Knowledge is - perceiving a thing as some thing that it actually is not. Our sense perception can many times result in Mithya Jnanam or wrong knowledge – due to various reasons, like, (i) the imperfections in our sense instruments, (ii) age related effects on the senses and the brain (iii) their habit-bound nature, (iv) nature of external environment, (v) effects of time and distance on objects, (vi) effects of substances like alcohol etc.

All knowledge we are gaining is, in effect, wrong perception and wrong knowledge only to a certain extent because, sense instruments and mind are  imperfect recipients and processors of all knowledge – but they are good enough for normal, living.

There is also another cause and source of wrong knowledge. It was said in ancient times that – Desire, anger, greed, lust, pride, and hatred (and also fear) are our internal enemies which cloud out all truth from us and take away all of our happiness.

If some one has written even a history text in anger or hatred, he is bound to have interpolated many falsehoods into it. So, these are all sources of wrong knowledge.

But then, the first requirement for acquiring right knowledge is - we must be willing to come out of our wrong knowledge. For reasons of gaining right knowledge only – wise people advocated meditation, listening to the wise, reading books of great wisdom and so on – and specifically advised against intoxicants, friendship of the untruthful and the unwise and reading books written by the unwise.

There is an ancient proverb from the wise that – “do not look at the roots of  the sage, the river and the tree”. Their roots will be too humble and too ordinary – but, their ultimate is so useful to the world that we need to look at this finality and not at the roots.

Now – we will examine Aphorism.9 :

Aphorism.9

Shabda jnana anupaati vastu shunyah vikalpah

shabda     = sound, verbal expression

jnana        = knowledge,

anupaati   = following, sequentially

vastu        = real object

shunyah    = devoid, empty

vikalpah    = imagination, delusion, fantasy

Verbal delusion or fantasy follows from words or sounds having no corresponding reality of actual objects.

Some times, we hear different sounds. But, they are likely to mislead us into various fantasies and delusions in the absence of any real object to support such imagination or fantasy.

Fear, anger, desire, lust etc can act as a back drop to create in us various images in tune with these internal moods. Even the sounds we hear may be fantasies and not real.

There may not be any real person or object, as we have imagined.

Many drugs like LSD create a world of total fantasy in the addicts;and they become gradually incapable of living without such fantasies triggered by these drugs.

For that matter, any person, living away from truth in fantasies for any other reason, also will find it difficult to come back to reality.

At this point, it is worth mentioning that most people (1) do want right knowledge (2) but do acquire wrong knowledge of objects and persons and (3) do indulge in fantasies and imaginations to satisfy their, certain inner urges.

The purpose of these yoga sutras is to make people capable of acquiring only right knowledge and live with it; and then, go even beyond such worldly right knowledge to acquire  the knowledge of their innermost core, which is beyond all ordinary means of right knowledge.

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MEDITATION = SATHSANG = AT PALAMANER= CHITTOOR DT,ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA = YOGA SWEEPING THIS SMALL TOWN = WORTH EMULATING BY OTHERS

A SATHSANG ON

MEDITATION

AT PALAMANER

Palamaner is a municipality in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh, India. What is special about it - is its beautiful, cool climate and, in recent past, its obsession with Yoga and Meditation.

WIKIPEDIA has this to say further about Palamaner :

“It is located on the National Highway 4 which connects Bangalore and Chennai. Being on the border of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, Palamaner has a mixture of languages and cultures. In the year 2010, population was around 47000.

Palamaner is surrounded by valleys, hills, waterfalls and forests. The forest around the town is the only place in Andhra Pradesh with wild elephants. The forests of Palmaner have been declared as an elephant sanctuary, the Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary, by the Government of AP; assisted by the Government of India.

Palamaner is a starting spot for trekking in the forests spread 200 km around the borders of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu which covers forest areas containing wildlife, waterfalls and hilly regions for rock climbing and river rafting.”

I was associated with many places in this District in my childhood and one of them was Palamaner.

I was therefore pleasantly surprised by an invitation to me by “the  world pyramid spiritual society, Palamaner” to conduct a Sathsang on Meditation (Dhyanam)  on April,1^st,2011.

I agreed, finding the huge enthusiasm among the organizers of the Sathsang irresistible.

They are conducting a  meditation festival for 45 days (one mandala) starting from 19-3-2011. Each day, a temple premises or a convenient location is selected for Group Meditation (for about an hour). From what I heard in today’s Sathsang, there are 500 regular meditators in this town, though the group meditation is done with about 70 persons daily – possibly due to space and other logistical constraints at different places. The selection of a different temple on each day so far (14 days so far) shows that there a good number of temples at this place – which provide adequate space for group Meditations.

This makes Palamaner certainly special among the many towns of Andhra Pradesh (and India) where this ancient science of India is not yet  such a living science.

SATHSANG (Dated 01-04-2011)

This day’s Sathsang is scheduled at the open top of a house on which they had established a pyramid meditation centre.

Today’s group consists of 85 (plus) people. The age of participants ranges from small kids of 10 Yrs age to those around 70 years of age. Males and Females were equal in number with a slight bias in favour of women.

People from nearby villages also had assembled for the group meditation and the Sathsang. After all the group members finished their meditation, we started the Sathsang on Meditation.

Here are some Questions I explained at the Sathsang :

How is it that 85 people could come together for the Sathsang?

Lord Krishna has explained in Dhyana Yoga chapter of Gita that whatever Dhyana yoga you have practiced in your previous Birth does not go waste. It comes along with you into the next birth. You will  be given opportunity to start off where you left off – by finishing your first lessons quickly. You may even be born in a yogi’s family. So, here are you all – possibly continuing your association with yoga and meditation from your previous birth and who knows, possibly associated in some way with each other in such previous births. Now, is the opportunity to go to greater heights in this unique science.

Your experience now is with your physical body, your thoughts and your emotions . How much do you know them?

Your knowledge and experience of your physical body is limited to the outermost layer of your skin. You have not seen or any way experienced even the second layer of your skin or any thing below that – like your blood vessels, nerves, bones, internal organs etc. You also do not even want to see any of them. How they all function – you know from science books – not from personal experience.

When you get up in the morning – it is not because of your decision, but, because, of an unseen force prompting you, that makes you wake up.

When you go to sleep, you do not go to sleep on your decision. An unseen force of Nature draws you into sleep. When you become hungry, it is not your decision. When you feel the urge of nature’s calls, like urination, defecation, sex etc, all these are unseen forces of Nature acting on you and not your conscious decisions.

The heart beats, the lungs breathe – not on your orders, but independent of them.

Suppose, Nature gives one day free TO YOU TO ORDER your heart, lungs, and all other organs to function better than they are doing at present – that day, no, that minute, you are dead. You can’t, even a few minutes, efficiently order a single organ to perform well or ill. Your capabilities are just not enough to run this magnificent machine called your physical body. There are also many different  types of tiny living cells inside us. It is a whole world living inside our physical body. There are also many invisible organs functioning inside. All of them are programmed to function in particular ways, for particular purposes, for particular duration.

There are so many, secrets associated with this body, which can be unraveled, only through the science of Yoga and not through any physical sciences. Our experience and direct perception of our own physical bodies is however limited to the outermost layer of the skin – which constitutes perhaps less than 1 / 1000^th part of our body.

Think of your mind – your thoughts, now.

When you get up, do you put some switch on and say – now on, I am going to think. When you fall asleep, do you put some switch off and say – now, I am stopping to think. No, there is no such on-off switch in your control. The thoughts start on their own automatically or on the prompting of some other force (not you) and stop only when you fall off totally asleep. Likewise, you can’t stop thinking of a Guerilla you see by your decision. The more you try to forget, the more you remember it. On the other hand, some times you forget, not by your decision, but by an independent mechanism inside. Your thoughts are really not your thoughts. It is an independent stream of thoughts on which you have little control. It is this uncontrollable thought mechanism that we wish to bring under some control through the process of meditation.

Our Emotions –Now.

Do we want to get angry? We do not, perhaps. But, we do get angry. We become jealous; We hate; We are swamped by desires, by lust, by pride and by greed.

In the ancient days – the sages said “kama, krodha, lobha,moha,madha,mathsyaraanaam, dehe thistathi thaskaraah… thasmaath jaagaratha, jaagrathaah”  

It means :beware of the six internal thieves in you, your desire, anger, greed, lust, pride and hate; they are constantly stealing away your most precious treasure - your happiness; beware of them always..”

Now, see – your body is not under your control; your thoughts are not under your control; your emotions are also not under your control. And, these are the only three which are within your conscious experience.

What does Yoga & Meditation do in this context?

Meditation gives you a much greater awareness of your body’s internal functioning, and a lot more efficiency to your internal organs. That way, it gives you much greater Health and happiness. It gives you much greater control on your thought processes and on your emotions.

It gives you better relationship with all people around you. A greater calmness within you. A greater capability to enjoy life. A much lesser inclination to yield to the six internal thieves.

You will live longer, more healthily and more happily. You will lose all of your fears gradually – including the fear of disease and death. Therefore, when death comes, you go as happily as you lived. Death will be very graceful and kind to you when it comes.

Now– a few pointers to a successful meditation experience:

1.   Sit comfortably. Any asana which is comfortable for you will do. Patanjali says – sukham, sthiram asanam. Lord Krishna said the same thing too.

2.   Keep your head, neck and spine in a straight line – but comfortably, not with stiffness.

3.   Sit in a calm, clean place, preferably alone.

4.   A Sathsang of meditators, is, of course, a great help, in the initial stages. Adi Sankara has commended Sathsang in many ways.

5.   Watch your breathe.This is a good method.

6.   Another good method is - Watch your thoughts. Watch them calmly as they pass through your mind. Do not generate thoughts by your efforts. Do not go behind those thoughts. Just watch them as a silent witness. As a watcher. Be a comfortable watcher. Be a joyful watcher. Do not make efforts to watch.

7.   Just watch – and your thought stream will slowly slow down and may die down.

8.   Do not expect any experiences. Do not be taken back or taken away by any experiences. Be there as a comfortable watcher or witness. Let things happen.

9.   Do not seek progress. Things will happen on their own. When the strong Police man is watchful, the thief becomes weak and runs away on his own. You will be successful.

At the end I asked them to adopt a few Life style changes – being Sadhakas and meditators.

1. 

1.   In future, never say a meaningless word like Hello on the Phone. Say a beautiful “Namaskaram”, (on the phone) which is the meditators’ way; preferably with folded hands, if you are meeting the person. Let this change take the town by storm and  be the beginning of a cultural change.

2.   Make it a point to appreciate and praise openly, any good deed done any where by any one. This is the way to encourage every one to do good deeds.

3.   If your wife cooks a good dish today – make it a point to appreciate. It is usual to point out shortcomings in meals to the one who prepared it; but, it is becoming rare to appreciate a good meal / good dish.

4.   If your husband does a good deed to you, appreciate. If any one wears a good dress which you like within, say that openly. If some one does you a good turn in some way, or to some one you know – appreciate.

5.   If your wife / husband looks more beautiful / handsome, appreciate. Age, or length of your marital life must not matter. Keep your love of your partner always alive. Find goodness and beauty in every one and in nature and develop an appreciative heart. This is the meditators’ way.

6.   The great Sage Vasista and his wife Arundhati, had over 100 sons. Almost every sage lived in forests with his wife and marriage was never an obstruction for meditation, to them. What obstructs – is the non-dharmic ways of sense pleasures.

7.   Bad things don’t go away if you ask them to go away. Filling good things in you is the way to drive out bad things. Fill your life with all good things.

8.   And, achieve all success in your Meditation and Yoga.

At the end – I taught them a simple meditation for promoting their health. The Sathsang was thus an exceptional success. I heartily wish all meditators of Palamaner all success in their yogic sojourn.

Why I write this here is – Here is a good example for all others to emulate. My dear readers - Please Come together in your town too and form Meditation societies.  Organize mediation trainings and Sathsangs. Let this wonderful cultural change sweep through the entire world. Let there be Health and happiness and great awareness in living in all people. Let there be Joy and Love in all.

Let each home turn into a heaven on earth. Let each heart become big enough to contain and protect the whole world in it.

Sarve Janah Sukhino Bhavanthu

Lokah Samasthah sukhino Bhavanthu

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