Dhyana Vahini - Post 8

Chapter III

Yearn for the right thing!

 

Swami continues,

 

“There are two types of people: one set on accusing themselves as sinners and the other flattering themselves as great. Both types are being worried by their own mental aberrations! What they both need is mental satisfaction, and this can be obtained by meditation. 

 

Through meditation, understanding will increase and wisdom will grow. For this, a person should develop interest in and a taste for meditation —that is to say, a yearning that admits of no other step and that will not tolerate any obstacle. Of course, one may yearn to hear music and derive joy there from or see the bodies of near relatives who have died and derive sorrow therefrom. Yearning may thus have pleasant or even unpleasant consequences. 

 

Yearning must have the strength to inspire endeavor. In fact, yearning is but dormant endeavor, and endeavor is yearning in action. When yearning is weak, endeavor declines; when one is strong, the other is also active.

 

Meditation gives concentration and success in all tasks. Through meditation alone, great personages and sages (rishis) have controlled their mental activities, directed them toward the pure (sathwic) path, established themselves at all times in contemplation of the Lord, and finally succeeded in achieving union with the Godhead. First, yearning, then selection of the goal, then concentration, and, through the discipline, conquest of the mind —that is the object of meditation.

 

One must give up the craving for material comfort and the attachment to sense objects. One must direct the false fears, the absurd desires, the sorrow, the worries, and the artificial pleasures that now fill mind. That is to say, one must discriminate and train oneself to realize that everything is as illusory as the ghost in the well! Everyone needs this self-education. The pathetic condition of everyone is due to its absence. Meditation is the remedy for this state of mind.”

 

Glimpses from yoga sutra on withdrawal of senses

 

In Yoga, Pratyahara is the withdrawal of the senses of cognition and action from both the external world and the images or impressions in the mind field. The senses are said to follow the mind in the same way the hive of bees follows the queen bee. Wherever she goes, they will follow. Similarly, if the mind truly goes inward, the senses will come racing behind. 

 

Withdrawing the senses does not mean just regulating the physical sense organs, such as closing the eyelids or sitting physically still. The senses are a mental function, and whenever that mental function is drawn to the objects of the mind field, there is active engagement of the senses. 

 

The willingness or unwillingness to withdraw attention from sensory experience is a significant dividing line between those who experience true meditation and those who experience only physical relaxation.

 

Swami Rama writes,

 

“All the things in the world have a name and form. Is there any form that does not go through change, death and decay? So, name and form are temporary aspects of that something which goes on changing. There is one word in Sanskrit for this world, samsara. It continues, goes on, like a river that goes on flowing. One mass of water passes, yet another mass comes, fills that gap and there is no gap at all. There is continuity. We will all go away, others will come. There will be continuity.

 

Herein lies a secret for the sadhaka, the aspirant. To turn the consciousness within, you will have to use a method of withdrawing the senses from the external world. If you analyze two things in your life, one called pain and another called pleasure, you will come to know that pain and pleasure, these two stimuli, are received when your senses contact matter. 

 

So all the time, with the help of your senses, you are in contact with the objects of the external world. You do not know how to withdraw your senses. That is why on the eight runged ladder of yoga, ashtanga yoga, the fifth rung, pratyahara or sensory withdrawal, is very important. You should learn to withdraw your senses, to turn inward, because the senses make you contact the external world and that’s why you feel pain and pleasure. You have to be free from pain and pleasure; you can be free!”

  

Love.

 

Dhyana Vahini - Post 7

Chapter III

 

Swami continues,

 

“Living is either pleasant or unpleasant, depending upon one’s basic attitude toward life. See how the same object becomes pleasant once and unpleasant on another occasion! The thing welcomed with great fondness at one time becomes hateful at another time and there is not even the desire to see it. The condition of the mind at those times is the cause of this state. Therefore, it is necessary to train the mind to be always pleasant.

 

Control the temper of the mind

 

The waters of a river leap from mountains, fall into valleys, and rush through gorges; tributaries join at various stages, and the waters become turbid and unclean. So too, in the flood of human life, speed and power increase and decrease. These ups and downs might happen at any moment during life. No one can escape them. They may come at the beginning of life, at the end, or perhaps in the middle. So, one has to convince oneself firmly that life is necessarily full of ups and downs and that, far from being afraid and worried over them, one should welcome them as adding to one’s experience. One should not only feel like this, but one should be happy and glad whatever happens! Then, all troubles, whatever their nature, will pass away lightly and quickly. For this, the temper of the mind is essential.

 

Introspection by a devotee

 

Dear All,

 

It is easier said than done, but we must always get inwards when trouble get mounted on us as to why we are facing all those troubles and tribulations and from where they come to us though we believe sincerely that we  are pursuing a path of nobility, a path of Sadhana , a path of righteousness.

 

Does God ever give us any trouble?? If He does, then the expression of “Love” shall be separated from God. God knows only to Love. He cannot love and cause us pain, He cannot assume both these roles at the same time.

 

It is we, through our past deeds, have accumulated our karmas and hence, it is we who have to face them and clear them and come out successfully.

 

Paramahamsa Yogananda says,

 

“Everything the Lord has created is to try us, to bring out the buried soul immortality within us. That is the adventure of life, the one purpose of life. And everyone’s adventure is different, unique. You should be prepared to deal with all problems of health, mind, and soul by common sense methods and faith in God, knowing that in life or death your soul remains unconquered.

 

Never let life beat you down. Beat life! If you have a strong will you can overcome all difficulties. Affirm, even in the midst of trials: “Danger and I were born together, and I am more dangerous than danger!” This is a truth you should always remember; apply it and you will see that it works. Don’t behave like a cringing mortal being. You are a child of God!”

 

 

Concentration and one-pointedness are the keys

 

Every minute, from inside and outside, promptings and temptations arise and accumulate in people. One cannot attend to all of them at the same time, so one fixes attention on only the most important one. This is called concentration (avadhana). Concentration is needed to grasp any subject well. Purposefully directing attention on a subject and fixing it there is one-pointedness (ekagratha). This is also a condition of the mind. Concentration and one-pointedness help to focus effort on any selected task.

 

Concentration is essential for all. It is the foundation of all successful endeavour. It is needed not only for meditation but even for worldly affairs and ordinary living. Whatever the task one is engaged in, doing it with concentration will develop both self-confidence and self-respect, for they are the result of the attitude of one’s own mind. The mind may lean on either the bad or the good, and concentrated attention must be employed to keep the mind attached only to good prompting. Success or failure in the good task depends upon one-pointedness.

 

One-pointedness will increase power and skill. But it cannot be won without conquering the worldly cravings that distract the mind. This one-pointedness, this conquest of the mind, is acquired by the exercise of meditation.

 

Introspection by a devotee

 

Swami started with control of mind and then teaches us on concentration and one pointedness.

 

It is like gathering the grains scattered on the floor, consolidating them at one place, settling them as one single heap and then, preparing to cook them for a sumptuous meal.

 

First of all, we have to gather our wandering mind, wandering thoughts and bring them to one place. Prayer helps to a great extent in this.

 

Then, through intensified prayer or through Dhyana or meditation, we intensity our concentration on a single object, may it be the beautiful image of venugopala with flute on His hands or on SELF, which is objectless awareness.

 

Swami Sivananda writes,

 

“Purify the mind first through the practice of right conduct and then take to the practice of concentration. Concentration without purity of mind is of no avail. There are some occultists who have concentration. But they have no good character; that is the reason why they do not make any progress in the spiritual life.

 

He who has gained abstraction (withdrawing the senses from the objects) will have good concentration. You will have to march on in the spiritual path step by step and stage by stage. Lay the foundation of right conduct, postures, regulation of breath and abstraction to start with. The superstructure of concentration and meditation will be successful then only.

 

If you want to increase your power of concentration you will have to reduce your worldly activities. You will have to observe the vow of silence every day for two hours or more.

 

(From the author- "In Practical and challenging life, if 2 hours is almost impossible, then at least  45 min to one hour, which has to be dedicated on contemplation on whatever we have studied/ read/ listened,  related to Spiritual sadhana. In that one hour, you and the object of meditation are there, nothing else, not even this creation must exist")

 

When concentration is deep and intense all other senses cannot operate. He who practices concentration for three hours daily will have tremendous psychic power. He will have a strong will-power.”

 

 

Love.

 

 

Live Session Tomorrow on "Moksha Gita - Part 5 - Avidya"

 

https://youtu.be/kry0_jG0G_E