Hari OM
Monday is AUM-day; in search of meditation.
How are you finding it, the five-minute discipline? For those who consider themselves established in meditative practice, the tight, highly focused 'emptying' is still a challenge. There will be some who are truly advanced in technique. Mostly though, it pays to re-establish the basics. Think of the driver who keeps insisting that the car is responding exactly how they know it should...but what has happened, in fact, is that they have adapted with the car as its wheels have become unaligned, or the brakes are down to bare metal. Neither is a problem - until they are required to behave as they should in fully functional state. Returning to the garage for regular checks is a 'must', to ensure optimum operational output.
Apart from anything else, it is quite possible that daily practice has not been undertaken. This five-minute exercise is an excellent way to establish the routine, such that it becomes a habit.
'A' is for attitude.
As we go through the early days of these researches, whether or not they start to make a difference for us, and whether sooner rather than later, will depend a lot on our attitude. This short exercise discipline itself will already be highlighting this. Has it even been attempted? In attempting, has the self-monitoring been accurate? Have we begun to understand how much is governed by the mind? Is there an understanding blossoming as to how much the physical has a grip on the "I" and that "I", after all, is not really in control here right now?!
For those who have achieved a good level of meditative ability, attitude still requires checking... as long as "I the meditator" exists, true meditation does not.
Certainly benefits are gained along the way. This is not at all being denied you. However, in terms of Vedanta, as stated last week, there is a definite goal and that goal is of the ultimate unity of consciousness. One of the key upanishadic teachings is;
This is from the Kaivalya Up. It appears also in Mundaka Up... the nature of the upanishads is that the methods, purpose and goal are constantly reinforced be repetition and contextual adaptation.
Kaivalya is considered an 'advanced' text.
When you started at school, had you been handed the periodic table or Human Anatomy, it is entirely possible that you would have looked at them and thought "oh pretty patterns, lovely symbols, nice pictures"; but the full import of the part played in the whole of Nb, Fr and Y, of the Sartorius, Rectus Femoris and Vastus Medialis... well, for the understanding of these, you must work. Thus, the seniors' book is taken from you and is replaced with the starter volume. One element at a time; from the external of the body down to what makes it 'tick'. One of the things that may keep the truly keen on track in their study is to, occasionally, get peeks of what there is ahead and to talk with those who have already wrestled with the puzzles.
The श्लोक /shloka (verse) given here equates to that found in the New Testament - Matthew ch5 v.8;
Empty yourself. That is the injunction.
Monday is AUM-day; in search of meditation.
How are you finding it, the five-minute discipline? For those who consider themselves established in meditative practice, the tight, highly focused 'emptying' is still a challenge. There will be some who are truly advanced in technique. Mostly though, it pays to re-establish the basics. Think of the driver who keeps insisting that the car is responding exactly how they know it should...but what has happened, in fact, is that they have adapted with the car as its wheels have become unaligned, or the brakes are down to bare metal. Neither is a problem - until they are required to behave as they should in fully functional state. Returning to the garage for regular checks is a 'must', to ensure optimum operational output.
Apart from anything else, it is quite possible that daily practice has not been undertaken. This five-minute exercise is an excellent way to establish the routine, such that it becomes a habit.
'A' is for attitude.
As we go through the early days of these researches, whether or not they start to make a difference for us, and whether sooner rather than later, will depend a lot on our attitude. This short exercise discipline itself will already be highlighting this. Has it even been attempted? In attempting, has the self-monitoring been accurate? Have we begun to understand how much is governed by the mind? Is there an understanding blossoming as to how much the physical has a grip on the "I" and that "I", after all, is not really in control here right now?!
For those who have achieved a good level of meditative ability, attitude still requires checking... as long as "I the meditator" exists, true meditation does not.
Certainly benefits are gained along the way. This is not at all being denied you. However, in terms of Vedanta, as stated last week, there is a definite goal and that goal is of the ultimate unity of consciousness. One of the key upanishadic teachings is;
Kaivalya is considered an 'advanced' text.
When you started at school, had you been handed the periodic table or Human Anatomy, it is entirely possible that you would have looked at them and thought "oh pretty patterns, lovely symbols, nice pictures"; but the full import of the part played in the whole of Nb, Fr and Y, of the Sartorius, Rectus Femoris and Vastus Medialis... well, for the understanding of these, you must work. Thus, the seniors' book is taken from you and is replaced with the starter volume. One element at a time; from the external of the body down to what makes it 'tick'. One of the things that may keep the truly keen on track in their study is to, occasionally, get peeks of what there is ahead and to talk with those who have already wrestled with the puzzles.
The श्लोक /shloka (verse) given here equates to that found in the New Testament - Matthew ch5 v.8;
Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God.Written centuries later it is an almost literal rendition of s.4 and, again, we find an essential truth reiterated. In Vedantic understanding 'heart' means 'mind' because it is mind which 'feels' (refer BMI tutorials).
Empty yourself. That is the injunction.