January 31, 2013
Blessed Day to you.
Have you ever spent time with Chapter 6 of the Bhagavad Gita? Where Krishna explains meditation... what, why & how?
Krishna explains that once we have our minds well-trained we can live in a steady state of enlightened awareness with nothing shaking us out of it. He says that we should continue to work at steadying our mind until we actual master it.
Arjuna hears this and points out the the mind it very hard to master, that it is like trying to control the wind. To master it seems impossible.
Felicia: I sing my boys to sleep every night. I sometimes think it would be a great time to sneak in some meditation. Do you have a suggestion for a mantra that I could sing to them?
Hi, Felicia. What a great thing to do. Certainly that time of lucidity as one is falling asleep is a special clarity that we too seldom experience. Chanting any mantra is sweet and powerful. Of course, singing any lovely thoughts will have a deep impact, too. If you are familiar with the Gayatri Mantra, and sing/chant it with love, it will (1) be sooo soothing, (2) bring the benefits of the Sanskrit alphabet resonating to awaken all of their chakra petals so that they have an even fuller experience of themselves and life, and (3) prepare them for meditation. The Gayatri Mantra is particularly used to help one be ripe for meditation. But you can really chant/sing any mantra or song with a loving energy and that will truly serve them. Do they see you taking time to sit and meditate? If so, they might tune into your energy when you are doing that and be drawn to join you. Last week we spoke about letting them create their own sacred space if they would like to, and then invite them to do as you do. This is a great way to introduce them to meditation. Then they would easily grasp the idea of moving into a meditative state while going to sleep along with your singing.
A little more of Bhagavad Gita 6, The Yoga of Meditation.... When Arjuna tells Krishna that the idea of stilling and mastering the mind is almost impossible, Krishna actually agrees with him, telling him that indeed the mind is a real challenge to control, but that with steady practice it will come under control and mastery, and that it is vital to do this. Krishna then gives him guidelines as to how to go about that. Krishna tells him to set up a nice space to practice. Make it comfortable, a little off the floor or ground... a little insulation to keep you from being affected by the energy from below, but not too high up - you still want to be grounded. Then put some cushion and insulation for your seat, and finally something clean that you can remove and keep clean so that your seat can be fresh and pure for your sitting.
He tells Arjuna to sit upright avoid looking around. Keep the eyes focused on one point, which can be either external or internal. Here Krishna tells Arjuna to focus on the tip of the nose, but don't get stuck on that one place. He later gives him another focal point for the eyes' attention. The real point is to use that focus to quiet and steady the mind.
Once set up and settled, Krishna says to sit... which means spend some time in this endeavor. He says to have a high intention ("Think of me and only me." - be after the Divine, the Absolute and nothing else!) be calm and fearless. Actually make a vow to sit for some period, but don't over do it. When you make a commitment, keep it. So, do not make it too difficult. Perhaps a few minutes, or repeating your mantra for a mala, or chanting through a chapter of a scripture, etc.
Saraswati: Dearest Jayadeva, may I ask a question about the use of crystals/gemstones during meditation? Do you use them for their special properties or keep them on an altar?
Saraswati Maa, good question. The answer is Yes. What I mean is that it is both useful to have them on your altar, especially if they move you to see you space in a nice way, and you can use them for their special qualities, too. Having anything that you feel good about there makes your altar space special and a nice place to spend some time. And if you enjoy some special gemstones, seeing them on the altar will feel good. If you know that they have some special qualities that you are looking for in your life or to enhance your state of mind and the atmosphere about you, feel free to use them on your altar with that intention. It is ok, too, to use them for those purposes by placing them on the body, if that is something your are familiar with and inclined to do. Keep it simple. Remember why you have an altar and what you are doing there. But if you are familiar with a gemstone's qualities and “powers,” and that feels right for your meditation space, then certainly welcome that to your altar. In fact, by noting it as you sit to meditate your mind will enhance the effect so that the gemstone(s) can have a lovely effect for your benefit. Their energy may help to draw you into your meditative state even more easily. For others reading this who may not be familiar with gemstones 'effects” but simply enjoy their beauty and how they feel, that is fine. There is no need to worry about having something strange taking place because there are gemstones there. They will only bring positive influences. Relax and enjoy.
Time is up for this morning. Feel free to submit questions at any time. I will try to address them during the week or at next week's chat.
Love always,
Jayadeva
