Friday, May 27, 2005
Meditation and Concentration
Chi. Manjula Derangula asked "While doing meditation, if some body speaks to me, I feel very disturbed and angry. Hence I'm afraid of meditation and I stopped it. I think My mind is losing conciousness by doing this meditation. Please tell me something about my concerns. Should I continue the meditation?"
Swamiji replied as:
"CHI MANJULAJI! JAI SRIMANNARAYANA! YOU ARE THINKING THAT YOU ARE MEDITATING. NO DOUBT, YOU ARE FEELING SOME JOY IN THAT STATE. SO, IF SOMEBODY IS DISTURBING YOU BY TALKING TO YOU OR MAKING SOME NOICE ETC., YOU STARTED FEELING THAT YOUR JOY IS LOST, AND HENCE YOU FELT ANGRY OR DISAPPOINTED ETC, RIGHT? THAT IS OK.
MEDITATION, ALWAYS, WILL BE LIKE A CREEPER. A CREEPER ALWAYS NEEDS A SUPPORT, OTHERWISE, IT WILL NOT GROW WELL NOR YEILDS GOOD FLOWERS OR FRUITS. SO ALSO WITH THE MEDITATION, IT NEEDS SOME FORM OR NAMAM, TO GROW WELL. IF THAT SUPPORT IS SOMETHING MUNDANE, YOUR MEDITATION IS MUNDANE. IF THAT IS DIVINE, YOUR MEDITATION WILL BECOME DIVINE. THE MOMENT YOU TAKE THE SUPPORT OF THAT SOMETHING, YOUR ATTENTION WILL BE FOCUSED ON THAT.
HERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES. A MOTHER TO HER CHILD, A HUSBAND TO HIS WIFE, A BUSINESSMAN TO HIS CUSTOMER OR PRODUCT SO ON. IN THE SAME WAY A DEVOTEE, TOWARDS HIS GOD. THAT FOCUS, IF BLENDED WITH LOVE TOWARDS GOD, YOU CALL IT MEDITATION. IT ALWAYS SEARCHES FOR GOOD QUALITIES IN THE LOVED ONE. THAT IS THE REASON, A BUSINESSMAN ALWAYS TRIES TO SPEAK ALOUD ABOUT THE GREATNESS OF HIS OWN PRODUCT. THE HUSBAND WILL CONSTANTLY TRIES TO ATTRACT THE ATTENTION OF HIS WIFE BY SEVERAL MEANS, BY THINKING HER BEAUTY ETC. SO ALSO, A DEVOTEE IF LOVES GOD, THINKS ABOUT THE GOOD QUALITIES OF THAT GOD ONLY OR FEELS THAT EVERY QUALITY IS A GOOD QUALITY ONLY.
NOW, WORLDLY THINGS ARE VERYMUCH LIMITED WITH SPACE AND TIME ETC., IF THEY ARE IN ONE PLACE,THEN THEY CANNOT BE IN OTHER PLACES. IF SOME ITEM IS IN ONE TIME, THAT PARTICULAR ITEM MAY NOT BE THERE BEFORE THAT TIME. AND IT MAY NOT EXIST AFTER SOMETIME.
SO, LOVING OR MEDITATING UPON SUCH MUNDANE THINGS OR BEING, WILL BE LOST, WHEN THEY GO AWAY OR LOST THEIR FORM. BUT GOD IS NOT SUCH A LIMITED BEING WITH TIME AND SPACE. HE IS ALL-PERVASIVE. SO MEDITATING UPON HIM WILL NOT BE LOST, IF WE UNDERSTAND HIM AND START DOING SOMETHING WITH HIM. AS WE KNOW THAT HE IS NOT LIMITED TO IDOL ONLY, HE IS THERE IN EVERY OBJECT AND EVERY PERSON WE LOOK AROUND, THEN, NO MATTER, WHO IS SPEAKING WITH YOU, IT IS GOD ONLY IN THAT FORM IS DOING SOMETHING WITH YOU. YOU DO NOT WANT TO SHOW ANGER ON GOD, RIGHT! NOW, WHERE IS THE QUESTION OF DISAPPOINTMENT OR DISTURBANCE? IN EVERY SOUND YOU HEAR, THERE IS GOD, IN EVERY WORD YOU HEAR THERE IS GOD AND IN EVERY PERSON THERE IS GOD.
TRY AND TRY AGAIN, WHICH IS CALLED "SA:DHANA". YOU CAN, FOR SURE, OVERCOME THE PROBLEM YOU ARE FACING." ¶ 9:32 PM
Swamiji replied as:
"CHI MANJULAJI! JAI SRIMANNARAYANA! YOU ARE THINKING THAT YOU ARE MEDITATING. NO DOUBT, YOU ARE FEELING SOME JOY IN THAT STATE. SO, IF SOMEBODY IS DISTURBING YOU BY TALKING TO YOU OR MAKING SOME NOICE ETC., YOU STARTED FEELING THAT YOUR JOY IS LOST, AND HENCE YOU FELT ANGRY OR DISAPPOINTED ETC, RIGHT? THAT IS OK.MEDITATION, ALWAYS, WILL BE LIKE A CREEPER. A CREEPER ALWAYS NEEDS A SUPPORT, OTHERWISE, IT WILL NOT GROW WELL NOR YEILDS GOOD FLOWERS OR FRUITS. SO ALSO WITH THE MEDITATION, IT NEEDS SOME FORM OR NAMAM, TO GROW WELL. IF THAT SUPPORT IS SOMETHING MUNDANE, YOUR MEDITATION IS MUNDANE. IF THAT IS DIVINE, YOUR MEDITATION WILL BECOME DIVINE. THE MOMENT YOU TAKE THE SUPPORT OF THAT SOMETHING, YOUR ATTENTION WILL BE FOCUSED ON THAT.
HERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES. A MOTHER TO HER CHILD, A HUSBAND TO HIS WIFE, A BUSINESSMAN TO HIS CUSTOMER OR PRODUCT SO ON. IN THE SAME WAY A DEVOTEE, TOWARDS HIS GOD. THAT FOCUS, IF BLENDED WITH LOVE TOWARDS GOD, YOU CALL IT MEDITATION. IT ALWAYS SEARCHES FOR GOOD QUALITIES IN THE LOVED ONE. THAT IS THE REASON, A BUSINESSMAN ALWAYS TRIES TO SPEAK ALOUD ABOUT THE GREATNESS OF HIS OWN PRODUCT. THE HUSBAND WILL CONSTANTLY TRIES TO ATTRACT THE ATTENTION OF HIS WIFE BY SEVERAL MEANS, BY THINKING HER BEAUTY ETC. SO ALSO, A DEVOTEE IF LOVES GOD, THINKS ABOUT THE GOOD QUALITIES OF THAT GOD ONLY OR FEELS THAT EVERY QUALITY IS A GOOD QUALITY ONLY.
NOW, WORLDLY THINGS ARE VERYMUCH LIMITED WITH SPACE AND TIME ETC., IF THEY ARE IN ONE PLACE,THEN THEY CANNOT BE IN OTHER PLACES. IF SOME ITEM IS IN ONE TIME, THAT PARTICULAR ITEM MAY NOT BE THERE BEFORE THAT TIME. AND IT MAY NOT EXIST AFTER SOMETIME.
SO, LOVING OR MEDITATING UPON SUCH MUNDANE THINGS OR BEING, WILL BE LOST, WHEN THEY GO AWAY OR LOST THEIR FORM. BUT GOD IS NOT SUCH A LIMITED BEING WITH TIME AND SPACE. HE IS ALL-PERVASIVE. SO MEDITATING UPON HIM WILL NOT BE LOST, IF WE UNDERSTAND HIM AND START DOING SOMETHING WITH HIM. AS WE KNOW THAT HE IS NOT LIMITED TO IDOL ONLY, HE IS THERE IN EVERY OBJECT AND EVERY PERSON WE LOOK AROUND, THEN, NO MATTER, WHO IS SPEAKING WITH YOU, IT IS GOD ONLY IN THAT FORM IS DOING SOMETHING WITH YOU. YOU DO NOT WANT TO SHOW ANGER ON GOD, RIGHT! NOW, WHERE IS THE QUESTION OF DISAPPOINTMENT OR DISTURBANCE? IN EVERY SOUND YOU HEAR, THERE IS GOD, IN EVERY WORD YOU HEAR THERE IS GOD AND IN EVERY PERSON THERE IS GOD.
TRY AND TRY AGAIN, WHICH IS CALLED "SA:DHANA". YOU CAN, FOR SURE, OVERCOME THE PROBLEM YOU ARE FACING." ¶ 9:32 PM
