Life 42 (Feb 22 - May 22)

[winston]

What is the goal of meditation, and its prerequisites?

To describe anything in words is difficult; it might even cause boredom. But to demonstrate it by deeds, is easier and more pleasant!

To make people understand by doing meditation, is better than by talking about it! My writing on it and your reading it will not make it easy.

Through meditation, people reach the divine experience of realising the Atma within themselves.

Through meditation, spiritual aspirants are able to cast off sheaths of ignorance, layer after layer. They withdraw their sense perceptions from contact with worldly objective experiences.

The process that aims at this holy consummation deserves to be called meditation.

For this process, one must be equipped with good habits, discipline, and high ideals.

One must be full of renunciation toward worldly things and their attractions.

Whatever the situation, one should conduct oneself with enthusiasm and joy.

Whatever is done must be dedicated not for the eking out of a livelihood but for earning Atmic bliss (Atma-ananda)!

- Dhyana Vahini, Ch 02.

Utilise your intelligence and thoughts for achieving that bliss that comes
from leading a life of righteousness and goodness.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

The Umbrella Mind

A closed mind causes separation and suspicion.

Like an umbrella, a mind is only useful when it is open.

The first step toward maintaining an open mind, is to understand the nature of mind or self.

- Gerry Shishin Wick Sensei, “Zen in the Workplace”

[winston]

How can we attain peace in life through practical ways?

Peace is the best treasure, without which power, authority, fame, and fortune, are all dry and burdensome.

The Sage has sung that there can be no happiness without inner peace.

To earn this peace and to be unshakably established in it, man must develop teady practice and full detachment.

From birth to death, man is the slave of habits and practices.

One must examine these and rely more and more on those that lead him towards subjective joy rather than objective pleasure.

Subjective joy can be acquired by harmony in the home, mutual co-operation among the members of the family and the community, acts of service to others, and concern for the welfare and prosperity of the society in which one is living.

- Divine Discourse, Apr 20, 1975.

Unless individuals develop mutual regard and tolerance and cultivate equal-mindedness towards each other, there can be no peace and harmony in the community.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Exposing the Mind

Much like a cloud that hides the warming brilliance of the sun, the superficial dimension of the mind conceals the mind’s deeper possibilities.

It is the superficiality of this conventional dimension of mind, as well as the deeper possibilities that exist beneath this dimension, that the process of meditation works to expose and reveal.

- Will Johnson, “How to Sit—And Why It Matters”

[winston]

Why is it necessary to train our minds, today and every day?

It is very necessary to train the mind to be always pleasant.

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 should also be happy and glad with whatever happens! Then, all troubles, whatever their nature, will pass away lightly and quickly. For this, the temper of the mind is essential.

- Dhyana Vahini, Ch 3.

Living is either pleasant or unpleasant, depending upon one’s basic attitude toward life.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Allow Yourself to Be Loved

Being cared for is what drives our ability to care for others.

Without being open and vulnerable to receive care, our ability to care for our children, family, patients, students, and others is built on a fragile foundation.

- John Makransky and Brooke D. Lavelle, “Sustainable Compassion for Those Who Serve”

[winston]

Dewdrops on a Summer Morning

The things of this world are as fragile as dewdrops on a summer morning.

So you must entrust yourself not to these things but to immeasurable life, which is our home ground.

- Interview with Taitetsu Unno, “Even Dewdrops Fall”

[winston]

Wielding Patience Against Anger

Patience is the only thing that defeats anger.

Don’t be disappointed if you can’t do it right away.

Even after years of practice, you may find that you’re still losing your temper.

It’s all right. But you will also notice that the power of anger has weakened, that it doesn’t last as long and does not as easily turn into hatred.

- Nawang Gehlek, “Anger and Patience”

[winston]

Is meditation only for spiritual aspirants?

Purposefully directing attention on a subject and fixing it there, is one-pointedness. 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’s the foundation of all successful endeavours. It’s needed not only for meditation but even for worldly affairs and ordinary living.

Whatever task one’s engaged in, doing it with concentration, will develop both self-confidence and self-respect, for they are the results of the attitude of one’s own mind.

The mind may lean on either bad or good, that’s why concentrated attention must be employed, to keep the mind attached only to good promptings.

Success or failure in good tasks depend 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.

- Dhyana Vahini, Ch 3.

Meditation gives concentration and success in all tasks.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Why should we tune in and cleanse our minds?

The Minister was telling you to attend the discourse on Scriptures but there is no good in that if you lean on to a pillar of the Hall and doze off.

It is not the sound but it is the meaning that matters; it is not the ear but it is the heart that must drink in the Scriptures.

He wanted you to seek and enjoy Satsangam (good company); along with that sangam (congregation), there must be self-examination also - how much you have succeeded in escaping from the senses and nearing the Divine.

The mind binds and the mind liberates. So train the mind and win.

It is a wild elephant, which can be tamed with the goad of Soham. Do not feed it with conceit, hate, envy and greed.

Let the name of the Divine echo ever in the ear and the mind will be tamed.

- Divine Discourse, May 22, 1965.

Do not pay more attention to the outside world than necessary; but, concentrate more on the inner springs of joy.

Source: radiosai.org