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Source: The Hindu

(http://www.hinduonnet.com/2002/02/11/stories/2002021103170600.htm)

Miscellaneous

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Religion

 

 

Meditation helps tame one's mind

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHENNAI, FEB. 11. Whatever activity we may be involved in, we can surely

practise awareness of the Divine Presence in every situation. Introducing the

act of remembering God into our daily chores will help to prevent or overcome

many a distracting thought, which may gain entry into our mind. Useless and

often, damaging desires crop up, which can be easily stifled. But it is not so

easy to control the mind. A verse says that it may be possible to get on the

back of an elephant or even ride on a lion but to tame the mind is almost an

impossibility. But should we, on that account, give up our efforts? It is here

that meditation on God will help us to think of the ``Self''. Disturbance from

outside (in the form of sense perceptions) or from inside (from the

sub-conscious) can be turned aside by constant practice. For attaining

concentrated meditation on God, an unrelenting watch over our daily

thought-habit is required. God in human form has not left us helpless but on the

other!

hand has given an eight-pointed formula in His Bhagavad Gita, detailing how to

meditate, how to discover inner peace, who can adopt this method, what are the

preparations, what will be the obstacles and what are the advantages, in one of

the (18) chapters promising to give us the means by which we can give up our own

known weaknesses and positively grow into a healthier and more potent life of

virtue and strength.

 

The Lord has said that by constant and steadfast application, a person can

subdue the mind. For him who is temperate in food and recreation, moderate in

his exertion at work and careful not to sleep too long or too little meditation

can put an end to all problems. The most essential requirement is effort and

one-pointedness. Mind under different circumstances is both a friend and a foe,

depending on the control of the Self or losing grip over it. A story is told of

a potter who was taking his goods in a cart for sale but was grieved when it got

caught in slush. Unable to move it he prayed to God who came but said ``I cannot

help unless you too lend one hand to push it when I can extend mine.'' It is the

nature of the mind to jump from one perception to another. Lord Krishna tells

us, in His graded exposition, how to deal with both the physical and mental

aspects of our organism, said Swami Omkarananda in a discourse. Meditation

enables maintaining equanimity and treating all!

alike.

 

 

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