Abiding in the Self!
Question:
There is a sort of ‘bond’ between the awareness and the mind. The awareness goes out every time (away from the self to the world). And this connection or bond must be broken. How can I break this connection? I know that I have to take a step back every time I notice I am not with the self anymore. But what makes the consciousness go out every time and not stay in the self where it feels peaceful and still?
Answer:
What makes a little child put his hand into fire? What makes a person fall into addictions like drugs, alcoholism or chain smoking? What makes an innocent mind turn to a terrorist?
It is simply their inability to distinguish between what is good for them and what is bad, they ignore their power of discrimination – Viveka. Once they understand this, a maturity of intellect happens, Viveka is sharpened. That’s all that is required, right? It may be difficult to sharpen the Viveka but it is never impossible.
It is exactly the same situation where the mind is lost in the Prakriti – external environment of people situations and things. The moment this mind realizes that it is not the Prakriti and it is the Purusha purely, this attraction towards the Prakriti starts fading away. It takes some time to fade away as the impressions of Prakriti were created again and again repeatedly in several lifetimes. But with incessant effort in applying this knowledge, one definitely unites with the Purusha- the Self.
So how to break away from this Prakriti?
1. Recognition, that ‘I am the Purusha’ – Company of the holy ones, scriptural knowledge [like Patanjali, Ashtavakra, Bhagwad, Yoga Vasishtha] and application of knowledge [abhyasa] will help in the recognition.
2. Putting constant attention on the recognized ‘Purusha’ – This helps in erasing the impression of Prakriti by the eraser of the Purusha. Constant application of the knowledge, reading the same knowledge again and again, repetition of bhajans, chants, again and again helps purify the consciousness by erasing the impressions of Prakriti.
3. Dropping the attachment that you might develop to this Purusha is the third step. Otherwise your mind will develop a new raaga for enlightenment and you will be stuck in the same chaotic Prakriti. Purusha is nothingness! It is not something to be attained. You are Purusha! You realize that only after you drop everything, after you drop all this Prakriti. It is not a question of attaining something. It is a game of losing everything, then only can you WIN!
4. Abiding in the Self – Once you have immersed yourself in the Purusha completely being devoid of even the expectation of being centered always, being devoid of the expectation of not getting lost in the Prakriti, being devoid of the expectation of enlightenment even, then you reach a point of nothingness! Then only nothingness exists, you don’t!
Abide in the Self!
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Thanks for the question. Yes, I experience this as well. I believe it is our awareness touching the plane of the soul.
I have often felt this at very large meditation gatherings in India and elsewhere. There may be 80,000 people and yet it is as though I am completely alone in the nameless, formless presence.
It is a sublime “aloneness” but not loneliness.
This experience may come and go. I don’t try to repeat it but only witness it when it comes.
It is a nice experience and shows that the inner connection is expanding.
good meditating,
b
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This is one of the states of mind where your consciousness becomes choiceless and it is called the alpha state of mind.
It is more like watching a movie without involving in it. It is more like being witness to whatever is happening and consciousness remains vaguely aware of the passage of time.
Alpha state of mind leads to theta state of mind and if you remain alert theta state (rare insights) of mind leads to the delta state (absolute reality) of mind.
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A good intellectual question!!
There is a body-mind. But, what is this self-identity ?
I look like a certain person. I eat certain food. My brain has certain memories and certain patterns. All the organs are same as everyone. Where the heck is the ‘I’ in all these ?
This thing moves, eats, smiles, sleeps, works, thinks, feels, and does many things. But, where is the ‘I’ in all these ?
Think ?
Think of all the stray dogs in the street, or the thousands of ants marching in the tree trunk. Could you imagine an ‘I’ for every fellow, or are they just another ant and just another dog who live without the need of a specific ‘so and so’ identity ?
Now, think about the trillions and trillions of organisms moving around. They are there. But, why should they all be Mr X, Ms Y, and so on ? Except for social convenience, do these identities make any sense in the realm of truth ?
There is space inside a pot. The pot now says it is a pot. The space outside tells the space inside that you are the same pure space, and this pot form around you doesn't change it. You are still not the pot. You never were the pot, and never will be the pot. Always and always, you are the same space with no identity as pot or bucket.
‘No one is looking and no one is answering’ means no ‘identity’ is looking and no ‘identity’ is answering.
who exactly do they think they're talking to?- To an organism that has assumed a psychological identity while there is none.
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“Mindful meditation" is often a term used in Zen Buddhism. According to Zen, every act can be performed as a meditation. That means you have to be very conscious and aware of what you are doing.
For example, you are typing an answer to a question. You are seated on the chair before a computer or a laptop. You are aware of the contact of your body with the chair. You are aware of the computer or the laptop before you. You are aware of the contact of your fingers with the keyboard. You are aware of your finger movements as you flip your fingers from one word to another on the keyboard. Your mind is totally with what you are doing. This can be called “Typing Meditation”.
Similarly, you are in the kitchen cooking a food. Being aware or conscious of the entire process of cooking can be termed “Cooking Meditation". Like that you can go on…performing thus, every act can be performed as meditation.
Then there is the famous “Walking Meditation” which has been much popularised in the recent times by the famous and legendary Viatnamese Buddhist monk Thich Naht Hanh. It's an extremely graceful one! There are videos of Thich Naht Hanh's Walking Meditation. It's a sight to be seen and experienced! The grace, the elegance, the majesty and the dignity with which he walks is something to be seen and it's worth seeing! The very seeing has a calming effect on the mind. Here are some pictures of Thich Naht Hanh's Walking Meditation….
Thich Naht Hanh walking with young children
Thich Naht Hanh walking with his brother monks in the Plum Village, France
Here is a very beautiful poem by Thich Naht Hanh on Walking Meditation…
Walking Meditation Poem — Thich Naht Hanh
Take my hand. We will walk. We will only walk.
We will enjoy our walk without thinking of arriving anywhere. Walk peacefully. Walk happily. Our walk is a peace walk. Our walk is a happiness walk.
Then we learn that there is no peace walk; that peace is the walk; that there is no happiness walk; that happiness is the walk.
We walk for ourselves. We walk for everyone always hand in hand. Walk and touch peace every moment. Walk and touch happiness every moment.
Each step brings a fresh breeze. Each step makes a flower bloom under our feet. Kiss the Earth with your feet. Print on Earth your love and happiness. Earth will be safe when we feel in us enough safety.
The standard meditation is what's performed by sitting in a particular posture like Sukhasana, Padmasana or the Siddhasana, closing the eyes, placing one palm upon the other and focusing the mind on an object of one's liking, say some divine form…here meditation can become limited to the act of sitting and performing only.
In the Standard Sitting Meditation, you watch your breath, you watch your thoughts, feelings and emotions without judging, without criticising, without labelling, and without condemning all that you watch. When you can remain totally unaffected by what you are watching, then the watcher starts watching itself…you yourself become the object of your meditation.
Thich Naht Hanh in the Standard Sitting Meditation
On the other hand, the scope of Mindful Meditation is much more. It not only includes the Standard Meditation but also includes every minute act of human life!!
Or to put in a different way, the Mindful Meditation can be a wonderful preparation for the Standard Sitting Meditation. The only difference being in the objects of awareness.
The final question…. What is the best type of meditation that would help someone that has been through a rough time in life?
The best type of meditation that would help someone that has been through a tough time in life is a combination of the Mindful Meditation and the Standard Sitting Meditation. Both these are equally important and great in their own places.
Thanks for reading
Nirvritananda
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