Power of meditation and chants

Viswamitra · Jan 2, 2014

[FONT=&quot]It is very common now that young minds with new ideas argue how meditation and chanting can help in real life and question its value. Unless one experiences effects of true meditation and chants, it is difficult for someone to understand its essence and purity. It requires a lot of intensity and commitment to learn real meditation and chants and that is why there is so much criticism and negativity. Everyone in the world has two different personalities one pleasant for outside world and another for internal emotions. Whatever little happiness one could achieve in life is also lost quickly of one sees friction in his/her family. One ends up losing his/her peace of mind when one is pursued by physical obstacles and trouble.

For example, a cart can’t move on its own unless bullocks are yoked to it. Unless the bullocks are trained in the task of drawing carts and until they get used to the road they need to pass, it is difficult to make the cart move seamlessly. Likewise, inner consciousness cannot move on its own until it is attached to the externally related bullocks known as mind and intellect. The path should be familiar and known to mind and intellect and they should be trained to understand the right direction. If this is done, the journey will be easy and safe. Instead of this, if the mind and intellect have no knowledge of the roads such as truth, righteousness, peace and love, and if they have never once trodden that path, the cart, consciousness might not reach the destination it should reach. Even if the mind and intellect are trained to pull the cart but did not understand the road and direction, they will drag the cart to familiar post and the accustomed mire of confusion, injustice, cruelty, indiscipline and falsehood. The journey will become tedious and never ending.

While meditation helps the mind to develop concentration, the repetition of the name of the Lord or chant helps the mind to be disciplined and not wander around negativities. The mind is nothing but a cauldron of thoughts and it is developed into an independent entity by one’s own actions not over the lifetime but over several lives. When thoughts are the cotton, the thread that is made out of it is desires. The intermingling of our desires constitutes the mind giving an impression that it is an entity by itself. As long as one has desires in life, the mind continues to be stronger. Therefore, it is important to develop a strategy to put a ceiling on desires. But there are some strong desires that are difficult to resist. In order to fulfill those desires, one needs to develop concentration of the mind without any distraction. When the wayward mind fleeing in all directions is plunged in the contemplation of the name of the Lord through chanting, the effect will be like the concentration of the rays of the sun through a magnifying glass. The mind with scattered thoughts when trained on concentration through the converging lens of consciousness, that thought manifest itself into determination with all its might destroying all the huddles with ease.

Mind is endowed with unlimited powers and in order to gain that power, one must strive to practice meditation and chanting. What use it is if one has all that is needed to cook a nice food but doesn’t know how to cook? Mind is given as a tool to make spiritual progress in life and once a person makes spiritual progress, all other benefits come with it. The mind flies at a tangent all the time and chants help the mind to discipline itself to focus on the priorities and improve concentration.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Mind is the moon that should orbit the consciousness to draw as much power as it could.

The very same mind that is perfectly capable of taking us down the pursuit of worldly pleasure and makes us believe that we are the mind is also capable of making us to achieve substantial spiritual progress through constant pursuit of meditation and chants. When chants discipline the mind and keep it focused, the meditation cleanses the mind from negativity and draw positive power from our consciousness. While mind is perfectly capable of drawing enormous power, we should prepare the mind to receive such powers. The mind that draws infinite power from consciousness has the potential to make right decisions for life, love the fellow beings, remains truthful and peaceful.

When our mind is soaked in love for the fellow beings, when its decision are soaked in righteousness, when it is in absolute peace with no fear in life and when it operates with no intent to harm the fellow beings, it means it is in communion with our consciousness. When the mind is in communion with the soul, it is permanently placed in truth and transcend from transient joy day to day to permanent bliss.[/FONT]

EverHappy · Jan 2, 2014

Dear Viswa Sir,

First of all what a lovely topic and for me personally- a perfectly timed article. I have grown up listening to the merits of meditation but have not practised it albeit not out of doubts of its benefits but out of sheer lack of discipline. It was only this morning that I set out a list of objectives for myself this year, and learning to meditate came up towards the top of the list.

My perspective used to be and still is to a large extent that, the act of silencing one's mind i.e. absence of thoughts is meditation. And thus, I considered silent prayer or a moment spent in admiring God's creation as meditation. My Balvikas guru used to guide us in silent sitting back when I was a kid, when it was easier to practise it than it is now. Nevertheless I aim to learn jyoti meditation this year. For the larger goal of loving all beings around me kith or kin, friends or foes equally. My lord says see me in all beings, living and non living things. I know this is far far away but, inspires me to take one step towards it.

I believe my reading of this article and having the proviledge to respond to it although a complete novice is an indication that I must pursue this goal sooner than later.

[/QUOTE]When the mind is in communion with the soul, it is permanently placed in truth and transcend from transient joy day to day to permanent bliss.[/QUOTE]

This statement sums it all up. I have been very fortunate to experience true bliss and pray that it permeates the whole world.

Wish you a Very Happy New Year and good health.

Srama · Jan 2, 2014

Dear Viswa sir,

been meaning to write since morning, but well I have been enjoying the snow since morning and just about getting ready to shovel. Recently I was reading an article about how even brushing one's teeth can be meditative. I wish we all could bring about that kind of mindfulness into our lives V sir. I am sure you will believe me if I say that raking leaves, gazing up to the stars, mowing the yard and shoveling the snow are meditative for me certainly, if not all the times at least at the times I see them in amazement and wonder. But sir these do not bring me any closer to sitting down in meditation every day, same time, same place kind of meditation and so your statement of what's the point in having all the ingredients to cook if one cannot cook applies to me more than anyone else! Well, I will continue to work on falling off the wagon getting back on, which I have been doing forever anyways. As for chanting, I am a big believer in that do that ever so often - not just while I sit down to light the lamp but I do use it more ardently when negative thoughts come to mind or when mind goes back into the past events especially the painful ones or when I tend to think about people, in a negative way.

It indeed is a good reminder for all of us to calm ourselves down at least with either one of them to start with, starting this New year!

Viswamitra · Jan 2, 2014

Dear EverHappy,

I love your IL name as much as I liked your excellent first response. After all, each one of us are in constant pursuit of happiness forever and you remind all of us by your IL name. Please don't assume based on what I wrote here that I am so much disciplined. I am no role model and when I scribble things like this, it helps me improve to commit myself into such activities with rigor an discipline as well. If I had half of your determination and aspirations you have at your age, I would have been happier. I am going to be 60 in May 2014.

It is the Will of the Lord that I get your response first. I always call sitting erect in one place with an intent to silence our mind as silence sitting as it is not meditation. The real meditation comes only after we make substantial progress in concentration and contemplation to get one-pointedness. Meditative state is where the mind is in communion with the consciousness and loses its identity. It is such a nice background you have in silent sitting in Balavikas from your guru. Jyoti meditation is an excellent place to start. If you are planning to start meditation, I strongly suggest that you should read Dhyanavahini. It is interesting you mentioned about seeing Lord in all beings, living and non living beings. You should watch the you tube video of a speech given by Isaac Tigrett in Dallas, Texas.

I am a novice myself and I am glad that I wrote it at a time when you were aspiring to do meditation. Thank you for your kind words and I wish this new year brings you prosperity, health, wealth, joy and peace. Let the Lord be with you always.

Viswa

EverHappy · Jan 2, 2014

Dear sir,

Thank you for your sweet and appreciative response. I am humbled to receive this response from someone of my father's age. I am blessed to be receiving such indications from all angels I look at. This new year has already brushed through with a big challenge and a very tough decision to make. However, miraculously I am drawn to Satcharita Parayan, I am drawn to your meditation thread and many other thoughts. I see how God puts one challenge in front of you and opens a number of channels we can draw inspiration from.

Dhyanavahini and the other vahini series are on my list of must reads but thank you for suggesting this, I will get to it first. I have watched a couple of videos of Isaac Tigrett, I think one was from Souljourns. I will look up you tube.

This article of yours has made my urge stronger to get into this path of meditation. The day I think I have made some progress, I will surely think of you and will also let you know how I get on with it.

Thank you very much Sir, and a Happy New Year again!

Viswamitra · Jan 2, 2014

Dear Sabitha,

Thank you for your response. I timed this only to publish it on the very first day of the year. The learned people say having an appointment with the Lord at certain time makes the Lord show up at that time. I am a big believer that developing an attitude that the Lord is always with us gives us the satisfaction of invoking him at anytime of the day, seek his help and behave well throughout the day. I am so happy to hear that you resort to chanting when your mind goes back into the past events or when it delves in negative thoughts. What a great time to chant the name of the Lord!

I am not qualified to tell you this but let me attempt to share my understanding in a humble fashion with you. Silent siting at regular time everyday is intended to discipline the mind to concentrate and contemplate on one thought. If someone already has deep amount of concentration on contemplation on actions they do most of the time, all one needs to do is to develop that into an art all the time and there is no need for separate time to discipline the mind.

Essence of Bhagavad Gita tells us that doing our actions skillfully with complete dedication, lovingly with no categorization of preferences of likes and dislikes and selflessly without any expectation of the fruits of the actions, it is considered meditative state in the path of action (Karma Yoga) 24/7. No life can exist without action and if we enjoy our actions to the fullest extent whether it is spending time with our child, petting a dog, cooking with love, teaching with dedication, watching the flowers blossom, gazing at the sky and the stars, watching the beauty of a mountain, enjoying the rain and for that matter merging with splendor of the Prakrit (nature) is an act of meditation.

Path of devotion, path of knowledge and path of action are all leading to only one destination. If fills our heart with love, provide infinite bliss and saturate our understanding.

Viswa

kkrish · Jan 3, 2014

Hi Viswa
After reading your opening post I felt a little uncomfortable about the way I have been living my life all these years.
I do not meditate nor do I chant regularly - apart from the two Ganesha slokas I say when I light the lamp everyday.
After that i have time only take care of running the household - cooking, cleaning, rushing to work, and then keeping communication with family and friends, dealing with the day-to-day issues that come up, etc.
It is not because I do not want to or did not take time to understanding the benefits, but because I have only so much time to take care of all the other things life places in my path.

However, thanks to your response to Sabitha, I feel better now.
I definitely give my hundred percent in whatever I do. I am careful that whatever job I take up, I compete it, so that I do not spend much time going back to correct it.
While not aiming at perfectionism, I certainly aim at excellence.
This goal requires a lot of concentration of the mind and therefore every day when I leave my work or when I go to bed I do so with a sense of satisfaction that I used that day productively.

I was taught that doing a job with dedication and sincerity is a service to God and Godliness itself.

I just hope that I won't be categorized as a non-conformist because I do not chant or meditate the way they are broadly understood.

Viswamitra · Jan 3, 2014

Dear Kamala,

Meditation and Chants are only tools to manage a disturbed mind. Assuming those who don't practice meditation or chant regularly as non-conformists is taking it too far. There are many in this world who neither meditate nor chant but do very well in this world without any doubt. While emphasizing the benefits of something, a few words might give a mistaken impression that life without them is a waste. I apologize if I had given that impression and certainly that was not my intent.

It is my understanding as well that doing things skillfully, lovingly and selflessly without looking for fruits is a service to God and meditation 24/7. As a matter of fact, those who lead ideal and purposeful life following those disciplines are practitioners of scriptures than those of us who are still trying to discipline the mind through meditation and chants. I am a big believer that God does not expect us to worship but lead an ideal and purposeful life.

For some people, disciplining the mind comes naturally. You and Sabitha are perfect examples of that. Your commitment and attitude towards day to day work is such that it automatically generates a lifestyle of fulfillment. For people like me, extra steps are needed to learn disciplining the mind through other tools. When I write something like this, kindly don't assume that I am a very disciplined person with daily meditation and chants. I am not. Actually when I write something like this, it helps me discipline my mind.

Frankly, in my mind, people like you and Sabitha are perfect role models for me to learn how to lead an ideal and purposeful life. I am far away from Nishkama Karma.

Viswa

kkrish · Jan 3, 2014

Dear Viswa
Thanks for the clarification.
Oh no, I certainly did not think you were telling life was waste. It was just that I wondered if I had wasted my time.

Thanks for the compliment. However, only Sabitha will fit what you described.

I have many flaws that I recognize every hour and try to correct; I for one always believe that there is room for improvement.
Sometime the stump is "how do I do it?" Perhaps that is when meditation, chanting, introspection, to name a few will come to our aid.

I have just begun reading "Theivathin Kural" (God's voice) It is a tough book for a simple mind like mine, but I'm sure to glean some gems of value from it.

Thanks for the thread.

Viswamitra · Jan 3, 2014

Dear Kamala,

What a timing! I had this series of books since April 2013 gifted by someone who is so dear to me. I wanted to read this book since last April 2013. My life was very eventful since my last visit to India. I last my father in law, my wife was away for 3 1/2 months and I was hospitalized for a day for heart cath and so on. My wife is a quick reader and she is already into 3rd volume and I am just beginning to read it as well in this new year 2014.

Viswa