Eka-Gratha and Pro-Golf ( a Newsweek research)

[Guest guest]

Pranams.

 

Eka-Gratha is one of our core spiritual discipline (skill). In fact

one might argue that the essence of Patanjali's Yoga is aimed at

developing Ekagratha.

 

Ekagratha has lots of practical benefits. Lessening of thoughts in

general, ability to focus our attention on anything at our will,

ability to learn quickly etc etc are all beenfits of developing that

skill.

>>

If you have trained your mind to give full attention to one thing at

a time, you can achieve your goal in any walk of life. Whether it is

science or the arts or sports or a profession, concentration is a

basic requirement in every field.

>> (excerpt from Eknath Easwaran http://www.nilgiri.org/nilgiri.cfm?

pageid=5).

 

It is good to note that Western researchers are gradually catching up

to what is one of our core spritual discplines.

The Newsweek article

"Don't Think Twice—Or At All, for That Matter" in the

June 2nd issue compared the brain activation of Amateur and

profesional golfers.

 

http://www.msnbc.com/news/920091.asp#gol

 

Some interesting points from that article. I have added some

comparision notes:

 

* Professional Golfers, as a rule, know how to keep focus

( http://www.nilgiri.org/nilgiri.cfm?pageid=2053

The one-pointed mind, once we have obtained it, gives us tremendous

loyalty and steadfastness. Like grasshoppers jumping from one blade

of grass to another, people who cannot concentrate move from thing to

thing, activity to activity, person to person. On the other hand,

those who can concentrate know how to remain still and absorbed. Such

people are capable of sustained endeavor.)

 

* The better the golfer, the less brain activity he shows in the

seconds before he makes his shot.

(Note :one of the benefits of developing Eka-Gratha is lessening of

thoughts in general. The mind well trained in meditation responds to

a light, almost effortless touch.. http://www.nilgiri.org/nilgiri.cfm?

PageID=2052)

 

* When some LPGA golfers were asked what they thought about just

before taking a shot, they answered: nothing.

( http://www.nilgiri.org/nilgiri.cfm?PageID=626

In a sense, our mind is in overdrive all the time. But when we have

learned to meditate, we can actually shift the mind out of overdrive

and down into fourth gear, then to third, to second, and eventually

to first. We may even learn how to put our mind into neutral and park

it for a while by the side of the road. )

 

regards

Sundar Rajan

 

 

advaitin, "Sundar Rajan <avsundarrajan>"

<avsundarrajan> wrote:

> advaitin, "Madathil Rajendran Nair

> <madathilnair>" <madathilnair> wrote:

> > Namaste.

> >

> > Thanks for the brilliant and very useful quote from Shri Eknath

> > Easwaran.

> >

> > Some personal thoughts (you can call them doubts as well)on

> egAgrata

> > that crossed my mind in this context:

> >

> > Is ekAgrata (advaitic) really single-pointedness? If we are

> dealing

> > with spikes, nails and spears, well that may the be correct

> > translation. But, not in our advaitic quest.

> >

> > I do not know how ekAgrata is defined in Sanskrit. My

> interpretation

> > would be: agre eka iti ekAgrata (one finally or at the end is

> > ekAgrata). Advaitically, it cannot be agrata eka iti ekAgrata

> (one

> > in front is ekAgrata).

> >

> >

> Ekagratha or one-pointedness refers to the mind. My earlier post

was

> to show that this spiritual discipline also has very practical

> benefits. Regarding Advaita - In Katha Upanishad 1.3.12 "He (the)

> supreme reality is seen through a pointed and fine intellect"

>

> Lord Krishna has repeatedly enjoined in the practice of dhyana or

one

> pointedness as in 6.10 'A yogi should constantly concentrate' and

in

> 6.12.

>

> Sundar Rajan