Guest guest Posted December 11, 1999 Report Share Posted December 11, 1999 >"Anand Natarajan" <anandn > >So in other words whichever deity you are meditating on is really nothing but your conceptions and your ideals. Is'nt that a limitation and a play of the ego itself ? Sure, but it can be a useful one. Sometimes it takes a thief to catch a thief. :-) W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 11, 1999 Report Share Posted December 11, 1999 >RainboLily > >....one cannot be in thought and be in God.... You'll still be "in God", but if you're "in thought" you won't realize it. (Probably this is what you meant :-) W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 19, 1999 Report Share Posted December 19, 1999 Anand asks: >¤I have this question. I know of one way to practise formless >mediatation that can lead to a non-dual experience and that is ¤by >seeking the source of the " I" within (The Ramana method). However most >advaita schools (Like the Ramakrishna ¤math) would advice to meditate in >the region of the spiritual heart on a deity and repeat a suitable mantra. >This is also ¤supposed to lead to non-duality in the long run. >¤My simple question is will meditation on a deity cause weakness of the >mind? Jan says: >If meditation is pleasant, one forgets self; most thoughts are centered >around "I". If meditation isn't pleasant, it will be very difficult to >forget self. Meditation on a personal God makes the mind onepointed (only >thoughts about the deity are present) and if there is surrender and >devotion, meditation will start to "live a life of its own" and life >becomes meditation itself. This is far more important than the method used. I agree - meditation on a personal deity will strengthen the mind by accustoming it to being one-pointed. The mind will become more flexible, able to be one-pointed about any object before it. In addition, if you choose a deity that resonates with you and that has meaning, this can be pleasant, and help the mind achieve focus and concentration. My Chinmaya Mission teacher would recommend Durga, as She is a rajasic goddess who slays ignorance of our true nature. The teaching being, that it is that ignorance about our true nature that makes us not know the truth, so that then we believe a falsehood, namely, that some aspect of the body/mind/intellect is our true nature. When it is time to meditate without object, you will know, and will feel a very sweet and subtle pull in that direction, having felt that your meditation *with* object has gone as far as it can. Regards, --Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 20, 1999 Report Share Posted December 20, 1999 Ok. So far so good. I would like to ask one more question. Who is the personal deity? Whatever conception you have of your personal deity be it Durga devi, Shiva , Krishna, Budha, Christ ,you impose the restrictions of your ego on them because they are your thoughts. So in other words whichever deity you are meditating on is really nothing but your conceptions and your ideals. Is'nt that a limitation and a play of the ego itself ? How do you know the deity without being limited by our mind ? Sincerely, Anand The only way I know is by energetic experience, which is not of "thoughts" but of surrender to energetic flow, one cannot be in thought and be in God.. so directed meditation, then surrender to meditative energies, whether sitting or walking, etc., then seeing, feeling, being.. Love and Light, ~ Rainbo ~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 20, 1999 Report Share Posted December 20, 1999 Ok. So far so good. I would like to ask one more question. Who is the personal deity? Whatever conception you have of your personal deity be it Durga devi, Shiva , Krishna, Budha, Christ ,you impose the restrictions of your ego on them because they are your thoughts. So in other words whichever deity you are meditating on is really nothing but your conceptions and your ideals. Is'nt that a limitation and a play of the ego itself ? How do you know the deity without being limited by our mind ? Sincerely, Anand On Sun, 19 Dec 1999 18:35:35 Greg Goode wrote: >Greg Goode <goode > > >Anand asks: >>$I have this question. I know of one way to practise formless >>mediatation that can lead to a non-dual experience and that is $by >>seeking the source of the " I" within (The Ramana method). However most >>advaita schools (Like the Ramakrishna $math) would advice to meditate in >>the region of the spiritual heart on a deity and repeat a suitable mantra. >>This is also $supposed to lead to non-duality in the long run. >>$My simple question is will meditation on a deity cause weakness of the >>mind? > >Jan says: >>If meditation is pleasant, one forgets self; most thoughts are centered >>around "I". If meditation isn't pleasant, it will be very difficult to >>forget self. Meditation on a personal God makes the mind onepointed (only >>thoughts about the deity are present) and if there is surrender and >>devotion, meditation will start to "live a life of its own" and life >>becomes meditation itself. This is far more important than the method used. > >I agree - meditation on a personal deity will strengthen the mind by >accustoming it to being one-pointed. The mind will become more flexible, >able to be one-pointed about any object before it. > >In addition, if you choose a deity that resonates with you and that has >meaning, this can be pleasant, and help the mind achieve focus and >concentration. My Chinmaya Mission teacher would recommend Durga, as She >is a rajasic goddess who slays ignorance of our true nature. The teaching >being, that it is that ignorance about our true nature that makes us not >know the truth, so that then we believe a falsehood, namely, that some >aspect of the body/mind/intellect is our true nature. > >When it is time to meditate without object, you will know, and will feel a >very sweet and subtle pull in that direction, having felt that your >meditation *with* object has gone as far as it can. > >Regards, > >--Greg > A FREE web-based e-mail service brought to you by the PC World Technology Network. Get your FREE account today at http://www.myworldmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 20, 1999 Report Share Posted December 20, 1999 In a message dated 12/20/1999 5:09:53 PM Eastern Standard Time, wedonley writes: << ....one cannot be in thought and be in God.... You'll still be "in God", but if you're "in thought" you won't realize it. (Probably this is what you meant :-) W >> Yes, true, and in energy, in the flow, thought is aligned :-) so, still true *g*. Bo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 20, 1999 Report Share Posted December 20, 1999 :-) Warren E. Donley wrote: > "Warren E. Donley" <wedonley > > >RainboLily > > > >....one cannot be in thought and be in God.... > > You'll still be "in God", but if you're "in thought" you won't realize it. > (Probably this is what you meant :-) > > W Yes comes a stage after much devoted meditating where the silence is present simultaneously with thought. But when first starting I was taught meditation is the transcendence of thought into thesilent still Source (God) as Rainbo my friend expressed.) Hi Rainbo :-) Bye now, Love, Colette Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 20, 1999 Report Share Posted December 20, 1999 On 12/20/99 at 8:30 AM Anand Natarajan wrote: ¤"Anand Natarajan" <anandn ¤ ¤ ¤Ok. So far so good. I would like to ask one more question. Who is the personal deity? Whatever conception you have of your personal deity be it Durga devi, Shiva , Krishna, Budha, Christ ,you impose the restrictions of your ego on them because they are your thoughts. ¤So in other words whichever deity you are meditating on is really nothing but your conceptions and your ideals. Is'nt that a limitation and a play of the ego itself ? ¤How do you know the deity without being limited by our mind ? ¤ ¤Sincerely, ¤ Anand Isn't an ego, trying to overcome perceived restrictions of a path, like a dog chasing its tail? In a path of self-enquiry the same restrictions will show up: as expectations due to the belief that one path is better than another, with predictable results when the expectations aren't met soon enough. Instead of speculating on how the unruly, doubting mind will behave in various paths, it might be useful to read a biography, for instance of Ramana; it will show that self-inquiry, surrender and devotion aren't mutually exclusive. Perceiving limitations, borders and separation is a typical restriction of the ego.... Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.