The Wandering Mind and the Path of Return

The Wandering Mind

and the Path of Return - Light and Sound on the Path

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Be empty of worrying.

Think of who created thought!

Why do you stay in prison

When the door is so wide open?

-- Rumi

"'The ocean of birth and death' is people's thoughts. Random thoughts come from nowhere in an instant, occurring and passing away, impossible to stop altogether. The recurring of a thought is 'birth,' the passing away of a thought is 'death.' In the space of a single day, we are born and die thousands of times, so transmigration is right in front of us -- no need to wait until we die to experience it." (Chen Yingning, commentary on a Taoist text)

"The individual soul (jiva), bound by illusion (maya), remains in the cycle of death and birth. This is the cause of one's suffering. In order to escape from this cycle of death and rebirth we must experience realization of the Supreme Being." (Maharshi Mehi)

"The mind is your servant, like fire it is a good servant but a bad master, you see. It won't let you go unless you progress." (Kirpal Singh)

In the Book of Amar Mul, Dharam Das

asks how it is that Jivas [souls] fail to realize their

unity with God. Sat Guru Kabir replies:

"All the Jivas came from Satya-Loka [True, Eternal Realm]

undefiled and devoid of Karma.

The clouds lift up the water from the ocean

and rain down pure water,

but in contact with the earth the water becomes impure.

Then is the Jiva embraced by Maya [illusion];

the body at birth is defiled by Karma.

As the air purifies the impure water,

so does Gyan [Gnosis, Spiritual Acquaintance]

remove Karma and the purity of the Jiva is restored.

Knowing itself, it separates itself from the water

and being disembodied

reaches the Durbar [The Abode, Satya Loka].

The Atma [soul] mingles with Paramatma [God],

as the rivers flow into the ocean.

Only in this way

can Paramatma be found.

The Atma [soul] without Shabda* is blind

and cannot find the path.

He who sees Atma-Raam [God, Supreme Soul] is present everywhere;

all he sees is like himself,

there is nought else beside God.

'I am he, I am he; the true, Kabir.'"

* Shabda: The Positive Power, Current of Divine Light and Sound,

Tagged: know thyself, kabir, amar mul, soul, supreme soul, God, realization, sant mat, sat lok, karma, maya,

"Love is like a deep sea. Only that lover (of God) who will dive into it fearlessly shall be able to get the pearl of ultimate happiness in it. And one who will not be able to muster up enough courage to dive into it, shall remain sitting at the beach. He will remain without love in this world. How will he get the pearls of ultimate happiness then?" (from the Sakhis of Guru Kabir)

Transcending Mind in Meditation Through the Divine Sound Current

Kabir taught, "Subjugate the mind by finding the inner Sound; this precisely is the sahaj (natural) yoga. The True or Unstruck Sound (Word) is our very essence; this body of ours is otherwise unreal or impermanent."

Sant Charandas Ji further says, "By meditating on the Word, the practitioner becomes the same as God or Brahman. By practising this meditation, all obstacles are removed."

In the Nadabindu Upanishad it is written about the Nada Dhyan [Cosmic Sound Meditation] that, "Sidelining all worries and all effort, one should mainly focus on the exploration of Nada. By experiencing this, the mind gets dissolved into the Nada. The mind thus, absorbed in the Nada, does not crave anymore for the sensory objects."

Nada itself is Brahma [God]. We should absorb our mind in this very Nada. Adi Shankaracharya has stated in the Yogataravali:

"Lord Shiva, the propounder of the Yoga Shastra, has listed 25,000 ways of dissolution of mind. Amongst these, Nadanusandhana (the practice of meditating on the inner Sound) is the best as well as the easiest way.

"I bow to Thee O Nada!

You elevate me on to the highest throne.

It is only with your grace

that my prana-vayu (vital life-air)

and my mind

get dissolved

in the highest echelon

of the Supreme Lord.

"Therefore, renouncing all sorts of worries, with an alert and focused mind.... those who yearn for union with the Highest should meditate on the Divine Sound within".

(Yoga of Inner Light and Sound, by Swami Achyutanand Baba,

published by Santmat Satsang Samiti, Chandrapur, India)

When the Mind Wanders During Meditation - Pratyahara - The Art of Refocusing

Swami Achyutanand: The mind is, by its very nature, fickle and prone to frequently straying from manas japa [simran, zikhr, mantra of sacred name or names] and manas dhyan. When this happens during meditation, it should be immediately brought back to focus on its due target. Thus, perseveringly practicing pratyahara (the process of applying the mind back, again and again, every time it drifts away, to the selected target), the mind slowly gains in strength and is able to concentrate on its goal. With the mind getting focused thus, the inner Current: the Current of Light, is subsequently easy to grasp, facilitating the journey ahead [the inward journey]. This is why, Gurudev (Maharshi Mehi Paramhans Ji Maharaj) has stated:

"The mind (while attempting to focus on a fixed target during meditation) often goes astray with numerous thoughts. In all such cases when the mind wanders away from the target (as soon as its flight to objects or subjects other than the target is apparent), immediately bring it back, again and again, and refocus on your target.

"Thus practicing 'pratyahara' (the technique of repeatedly bringing the mind back to focus on its target or goal every time it strays), acquire the state of 'dharana' (the state of mind consisting of being focused on the target for a short duration) [an increment of time spent in quality meditation]."

Move ahead and ascend within yourself, counsels Maharshi Mehi Paramhans, "Holding onto the Current in the Inner Sky, then move further ahead."

We will have to merge into the Current of Light that is there within our own body. Those practitioners who assiduously practice meditation will behold wonderful spectacles within.

(Yoga of Inner Light and Sound, by Swami Achyutanand Baba, Translated Into English by Pravesh K. Singh)

"Through regular and rigorous practice of the Yoga of Light (Drishti Meditation) ... the shaking of the attention would automatically subside as the attention (surat) slowly matures (becomes absolutely fixed or stilled). The Tenth Door (Til Dwara or Third Eye) will break open under the piercing thrust of the focused gaze ... So keep on gazing at it constantly with all your attention, says Maharshi Mehi Paramhans Ji Maharaj." (quoted in, Yoga of Inner Light and Sound, by Swami Achyutanand, translated into English by Pravesh K. Singh)

"Knowledge of the Sar Shabd (True Sound, Essence of Reality) has such power that it can quickly destroy the karmas of the present life. This is indeed very desirable fruit of such knowledge that needs to be thoughtfully considered and understood. Knowledge of the Essence of Reality dawns within and gives enlightenment." (Brahm Nirupan of Kabir)

"Contemplating on the Sat Shabd [True Sound], even for half of a moment, confers much more spiritual merit than living in the holy city of Kashi for millions of years." (Brahm Nirupan of Kabir)

"Listen to the Sound Current every day when you are free, and do Simran even while walking. Then all your worldly work will by done by the Master Himself. Do not worry in any way. The Lord Himself has given you this Way to meet Him, so you should consider this your great good fortune and you should always hold onto the Sound Current. One day it will surely take you to Sach Khand." (Baba Jaimal Singh)

"The morning time is the best for you to practice Bhajan [listening to the Sound Current]." (Huzur Maharaj)

For the Sar Bachan Radhasoami Poetry Volumes, See: https://santmatradhasoami.blogspot.com/2019/01/radhasoami-books-e-books-e-library-on.html

Happy Earth Day 2011!

Happy Earth Day 2011!

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We Are All In This Together

The vegan revolution will never include violence; it is a celebration of the joy and beauty of life, and an awakening to the beauty and potential of our shared life on this planet. The only strategy for each of us is how to love and give more deeply, fully, and authentically, and in harmony with our unique talents and gifts. Together, we are transforming our world! (Dr. Will Tuttle)

Why Hindus Don't Eat Meat

(Excerpts from, Hinduism Today)

 

By Dr. Jai Maharaj

Vegetarianism is the key to good health and happiness.  The Hindu view is multi-dimensional, including the ecological, medical and spiritual, as is evident in the following excerpts from Hinduism Today:

 

Besides being an expression of compassion for animals, vegetarianism is followed for ecological and health rationales.

 

Reasons

 

In the past fifty years, millions of meat-eaters -- Hindus and non-Hindus -- have made the personal decision to stop eating the flesh of other creatures. There are five major motivations for such a decision:

 

1. The Dharmic Law Reason

 

Ahinsa, the law of non-injury, is the Hindu's first duty in fulfilling religious obligations to God and God's creation as defined by Vedic scripture.

 

2. The Karmic Consequences Reason

 

All of our actions, including our choice of food, have Karmic consequences. By involving oneself in the cycle of inflicting injury, pain and death, even indirectly by eating other creatures, one must in the future experience in equal measure the suffering caused.

 

3. The Spiritual Reason

 

Food is the source of the body's chemistry, and what we ingest affects our consciousness, emotions and experiential patterns. If one wants to live in higher consciousness, in peace and happiness and love for all creatures, then he cannot eat meat, fish, shellfish, fowl or eggs. By ingesting the grosser chemistries of animal foods, one introduces into the body and mind anger, jealousy, anxiety, suspicion and a terrible fear of death, all of which are locked into the the flesh of the butchered creatures. For these reasons, vegetarians live in higher consciousness and meat-eaters abide in lower consciousness.

 

4. The Health Reasons

 

Medical studies prove that a vegetarian diet is easier to digest, provides a wider ranger of nutrients and imposes fewer burdens and impurities on the body. Vegetarians are less susceptible to all the major diseases that afflict contemporary humanity, and thus live longer, healthier, more productive lives. They have fewer physical complaints, less frequent visits to the doctor, fewer dental problems and smaller medical bills. Their immune system is stronger, their bodies are purer, more refined and skin more beautiful.

 

5. The Ecological Reason

 

Planet Earth is suffering. In large measure, the escalating loss of species, destruction of ancient rainforests to create pasture lands for live stock, loss of top-soils and the consequent increase of water impurities and air pollution have all been traced to the single fact of meat in the human diet. No decision that we can make as individuals or as a race can have such a dramatic effect on the improvement of our planetary ecology as the decision not to eat meat.

 

History

 

The book Food for the Spirit, Vegetarianism and the World Religions, observes, "Despite popular knowledge of meat-eating's adverse effects, the non-vegetarian diet became increasingly widespread among the Hindus after the two major invasions by foreign powers, first the Muslims and later the British. With them came the desire to be 'civilized,' to eat as did the Saheeb.  Those actually trained in Vedic knowledge, however, never adopted a meat-oriented diet, and the pious Hindu still observes vegetarian principles as a matter of religious duty.

 

"That vegetarianism has always been widespread in India is clear from the earliest Vedic texts. This was observed by the ancient traveler Megasthenes and also by Fa-Hsien, a Chinese Buddhist monk who, in the fifth century, travelled to India in order to obtain authentic copies of the scriptures.

 

"These scriptures unambiguously support the meatless way of life.  In the Mahabharata, for instance, the great warrior Bheeshm explains to Yuddhishtira, eldest of the Paandav princes, that the meat of animals is like the flesh of one's own son.  Similarly, the Manusmriti declares that one should 'refrain from eating all kinds of meat,' for such eating involves killing and and leads to Karmic bondage (Bandh) [5.49]. Elsewhere in the Vedic literature, the last of the great Vedic kings, Maharaja Parikshit, is quoted as saying that 'only the animal-killer cannot relish the message of the Absolute Truth [Shrimad Bhagvatam 10.1.4].'"

 

Scripture

 

He who desires to augment his own flesh by eating the flesh of other creatures lives in misery in whatever species he may take his birth.  Mahabharat 115.47

 

Those high-souled persons who desire beauty, faultlessness of limbs, long life, understanding, mental and physical strength and memory should abstain from acts of injury.  Mahabharat 18.115.8

 

The very name of cow is Aghnya ["not to be killed"], indicating that they should never be slaughtered. Who, then could slay them? Surely, one who kills a cow or a bull commits a heinous crime. Mahabharat Shantiparv 262.47

 

The purchaser of flesh performs Hinsa (violence) by his wealth; he who eats flesh does so by enjoying its taste; the killer does Hinsa by actually tying and killing the animal. Thus, there are three forms of killing: he who brings flesh or sends for it, he who cuts off the limbs of an animal, and he who purchases, sells or cooks flesh and eats it -- all of these are to be considered meat-eaters. Mahabharat Anu 115.40

 

He who sees that the Lord of all is ever the same in all that is -- immortal in the field of mortality -- he sees the truth. And when a man sees that the God in himself is the same God in all that is, he hurts not himself by hurting others. Then he goes, indeed, to the highest path.  Bhagavad Geeta 13.27-28

 

Ahinsa/ahimsa is the highest Dharma. Ahinsa is the best Tapas.  Ahinsa is the greatest gift. Ahinsa is the highest self-control. Ahinsa is the highest sacrifice. Ahinsa is the highest power. Ahinsa is the highest friend.  Ahinsa is the highest truth. Ahinsa is the highest teaching.  Mahabharata 18.116.37-41

 

What is the good way? It is the path that reflects on how it may avoid killing any creature.  Tirukural 324

 

All that lives will press palms together in prayerful adoration of those who refuse to slaughter and savor meat.  Tirukural260

 

What is virtuous conduct? It is never destroying life, for killing leads to every other sin.  Tirukural 312, 321

 

Goodness is never one with the minds of these two: one who wields a weapon and one who feasts on a creature's flesh.  Tirukural 253

 

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