Hari
Om
'Freedays' are the 'gather our thoughts' days;
Q&As; a general review of the week so far…
Last
Freeday, the idea of 'commitment' was presented. Daily reading of the teachings
here does indeed show some level of commitment to yourself. Something draws the
reader back for more. Not just reading/shravanam, though; also deep
contemplation/mananam is asked of you, and meditation/nididhyaasanam. Then
there are the practical measures of japa, bhajans, daily dedication of
activity… and keeping a measure of it all.
The
measure you have been asked to utilise for the duration of teachings at this
blog is "the note book"… At Sandeepany, we got through a copious
number of such notebooks. They are treasured as much as the texts which were
studied. It is in these notebooks that one can find where one's thinking 'was
at' in an earlier stage of Vedantic understanding. This can raise a laugh, or
bring a shrug of embarassment. The understanding of oneself as a human being is
what benefits most profoundly from study of this philosophy; if, in the
process, a true sense of Spirit and connectedness arises also, so much the
better.
 |
` © Yamini Ali
MacLean
|
What
is more, if one is of a different faith-structure background, particularly of
Christianity, one can return to reading the familiar scriptures with a fresh
and sometimes amazed 'eye'.
The
further one progresses in the study of Vedanta, the deeper becomes one's
appreciation of the sameness of things within our global community.
At
the very least, in the note book, you ought to have been noting down all the
regularly used Sanskrit terms. Making yourself familiar with them does help
when listening to discourses on the 'tube'… and it ought to be seen by now that
the English versions of many of the key terms are just inadequate. Each time
the word saadhana is used, for example, we know that it means daily practice,
but it can also be used in context of 'means' or 'instrument', as in "make
me an instrument of your peace, Lord"; saadhana is not simply going
through rote chanting or japa, or habitual morning prayers; it is exercising
the mind-body connection with only the Higher as focus in order to cleanse
ourselves at all levels. When we are asked to attend to our saadhana, it is not
that we must think, "oh another chore for the day". It is to be
embraced with fullness of heart, Love, ambition even. Ambition to raise
ourselves little by little to an increased vibration of energy and experience
in each and every day. In knowing this, we can also transform our every
thought, word and deed into saadhana.
...and
we can note it in the book so as to have a measure of our progress.
Make
the book pretty. If it is a cheap stationer's book, cover it with pretty paper.
If you can afford it, buy an artisan notebook. Keep
the book by your altar/meditation space. Treat this journal of your
Self-discovery with the respect it deserves; cherish what it represents. Have
the ambition to one day look back upon it and be able to say without fear or
shame, "yes, I was blind but now I see".
