question related to sadhana..Living in the Present

[Guest guest]

Namaste all,

 

 

Shree Veena-Nair-ji wrote

>>

I find the discussions in this advaitin forum very interesting

especially because some of the contributors explain concepts simply,

giving nice practical illustrations and that to a beginner on the

spiritual path is of immense help. My humble thanks for that. I

especially applaud the recent posts on 'sadhana' and 'living in the

present instance'.

>>

Thanks Shyam-ji and Veena Nair-ji for your kind words of

encouragement. Veena Nair-ji also mentioned

>>

More than a discussion of the advaithic concepts, it is the

discussion of how to go about realizing those concepts in our daily

lives that is of most importance and the posts in the last few days

are very valuable in this regard.

>>

 

I couldn't agree with you more, Veena-ji. Just to recap from my

earlier message,

>>

>

> Basically, the subject can be broken down into 2 parts:

> (1) Learning to live in the present - Books by Dr. Wayne Dyer,

> Eckart

> Toole, Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn and the whole subject of 'Mindfulness'

> deal

> with this. All these describe ways of effectively managing the

mind

> in

> stressful situations.

> (2) Spiritual disciplines that let you habitually live in the

> present

> without having to consciously 'manage' on a on-going basis. more

> about

> this latter.

>>

After I had posted me message I found that I left out one of my

favorite writers on this subject, Sri Eknath Easwaran. Easwaran was

a English lecturer at Berkeley and in later years set up a

Meditation center in Napa valley. More info can be found at

http://www.easwaran.org Continuing on the first part (1) Learning

to live in the present, here is some outstanding material from Sri

Eknath Easwaran's article "Living in the Present". His words echo

strongly with my own observations and hence the reason for this

posting.

 

Are we really 'alive' or Sleepwalking?

======================================

 

Sleepwalking is a fascinating phenomenon. I once read about

a whole family afflicted with this problem. On one occasion everyone

got out of bed, still sound asleep, to go to the kitchen for a

midnight snack. In the morning no one could explain where the

food in the refrigerator had gone.

 

In the eyes of the Compassionate Buddha, all of us are sleepwalkers.

We go through the motions of living with little more awareness than

someone who is dreaming. If we could watch our thoughts, we would

find that instead of being HERE and NOW, our attention is constantly

wandering everywhere and everywhen else – to the past, to the

future, to Never-Never Lands that reality has never visited.

 

Beneath the surface level of consciousness,perhaps forty percent of

our attention is imprisoned in the past – in vain regrets,

futile lamentations, nostalgic memories.

"If only I could become twenty-fi ve again, with the glow of youth

on my cheeks and the sparkle in my eyes, what would I not

do?" This sort of thing.

 

And another forty percent is trapped in the future. "Just wait till

I get my degree. After that let me become the president of

the university. Then let me get the Nobel Prize, and then finally

let me become the dictator of the whole world. Then I am going to be

happy."

 

It sounds ridiculous, but if we could listen in on our thoughts this

is the kind of thing we would hear.

 

Bankrupt for the present

========================

 

When most of our attention is trapped in the past and future, the

Buddha would say, we are bankrupt for the present. We are complete

paupers here and now. That is why, when a little problem comes, we

sometimes feel as if we have been crushed by the Himalayas. The

burden is not the problem; that is only an anthill. It is the

bankruptcy of resources for the present that makes us feel unable to

cope with the challenge.

 

(Please note the direct relevance to the question posed on 'mental

agitations and dealing with it'. Swami Paramarthananda in a speech

on 'Dealing with Worry' refers to worry as a VIRUS. Like a computer

virus saps 'CPU' resources, worry saps our inner resources. Another

humurous remark from the Swamiji: Past is gone, future has not yet

come, present is the true 'Present (gift)' from the Lord)

 

Training to live in the present

===============================

 

All of us want to be completely alive, to live one hundred percent

in the present moment. What prevents us? More urgently,

how can we bring such a state of mind about?

 

One clue is provided by a penetrating remark by the great American

psychologist William James. This is a direct quotation:

"The faculty of voluntarily bringing back a wandering attention,

over and over again, is the very root of judgment,

character, and will. An education which should include this faculty

would be the education par excellence."

 

In that one sentence we have the secret of life: the key to genius,

to success, to love, to happiness, to security, to fulfillment. We

live where our attention is. If attention wanders all over

the map, our lives cannot help being scattered, shallow, and

confused.

 

By contrast, complete concentration is the secret of genius in any

field. Those who can put their attention on a task or goal and keep

it there are bound to make their mark on life.

 

(Interesting to note William James echoes Lord Krishna's words 'yato

yato niscarati manascancalamasthiram..' Gita 6.26)

 

More to follow..

 

regards

Sundar Rajan

[Guest guest]

Namaste all,

 

Continuing on the topic 'Living in the Present' from my previous

message advaitin/message/33094 :

 

We saw a quote from the great American psychologist William James on

the importance of attention in education.

 

Training attention –"voluntarily bringing back a wandering attention

over and over again" – is also at the center of both yoga and

buddhist traditions. The Buddha placed great emphasis on what he

called "mindfulness"; in other traditions also, attention is

considered the essence of true prayer. Even if you do nothing in

prayer but bring your mind back whenever it wanders, Saint Francis

de Sales says, your time is very well spent.

 

One thing at a time - secret of learning to live completely in the

present moment

=================================================================

 

But meditation claims only a small part of the day. Training the

mind is very much like training a pup. If you try to teach a puppy

to obey you for half an hour and then let it do whatever it likes

the rest of the day, you will never have a well-behaved pet – and if

you try to teach your mind this way, it will tear up your

relationships, bully you into indulging it, and generally make a

mess of your life.

 

Outside the time of meditation, then, what I recommend is simple but

intriguingly difficult: do only one thing at a time and give it your

full attention. This is the key to doing a good job of any kind, and

the secret of learning to live completely in the present moment.

 

At first this advice will seem impractical, even nonsensical. But I

assure you that it can be done – and that as your mind grows

accustomed to giving your best attention to one thing at a time, you

will fi nd yourself actually accomplishing more without

pressure, burnout, tension, or fatigue.

 

Attention, desire, and will

===========================

 

Training attention begins on the surface level of consciousness, the

level of physical activity, the topmost level of the mind. But as we

get deeper, we see that in training attention we are also training

our desires and our will.

 

Even on the surface level we shall find we don't have much control

because of compulsive distractions which are the order of the day.

The essential problem in doing one thing at a time is that we don't

really want to – or, more accurately, the mind doesn't want to. It

is used to doing whatever it likes.

 

The wandering mind gets bored easily, so it likes to combine a task

like brushing one's teeth with reading the Wall Street Journal or

listening to a cassette on learning Italian.

"Why waste time on your teeth?" the mind wants to know. "Why not do

something interesting too?"

 

Actually, the Buddha would say, it is doing two things at once that

truly wastes time. All we are doing is teaching the mind to do what

it likes.

 

When you really need it..

=========================

The problem with this (lack of control) is not found in moments of

dental hygiene. It is discovered in times of crisis, when we can't

stop thinking about something painful or oppressive no matter how

much we desire to.

 

Just when we most need some control over our attention, we are

helpless. The answer is to train attention at every opportunity,

even in little things, so the capacity is there when we need it.

 

Actually, the Buddha would say, there are NO little things. Every

moment is unique; every moment is precious.

 

And life is a garland of such moments. When we are completely awake

in the present, every moment is fresh; nothing is ever stale.

 

Focusing on the task - use of the mantram

=========================================

 

There are, I agree, many times in the day when we are doing

mechanical chores – washing dishes, for example – that simply do not

require much attention. At such times I recommend repeating the

mantram or Holy Name: Rama, Rama; Om mani padme hum – whichever you

have chosen. Repetition of the mantram keeps your awareness in the

present while your hands are engaged.

 

Past and future

===============

 

One of the most precious benefits this skill brings is the capacity

to live completely in the present, with all your inner resources at

your beck and call.

 

When we dwell upon the past, what happens is that attention is bent

away from the present, which is real, towards some memory, which is

not real. And the will is not operative there, so we cannot bring

attention back to the present. If the will were operative, it

could hold attention in the present so it would not stray into the

past at all without our consent.

 

With this one apparently simple skill, the burden of the past is

relieved completely.Past injuries are not real; their power comes

from the attention we give them. Without attention, they have no

more power than a ghost.

 

This is also the secret of forgiveness, not only of others but of

ourselves. Only when we cease to feed a past wrong with our

attention can we truly "forgive and forget."

 

In practice, this means that whenever you catch your attention

wandering into the past – not only to painful memories, but any

foray into the past – repeat the mantram and bring your

attention back to what you are doing here and now. If the pull of

the past is compulsive, combine the mantram with a fast walk and

then throw yourself into vigorous, concentrated work, preferably for

the benefit of others.

 

Similarly, fears, anxieties, and insecurities often refer to the

future. What about our stocks and shares? What about our job? What

about this? What about that?

 

No one has ever benefited from worrying like this. The mind is being

bent into the future – which, again, is an unreal world where the

will cannot operate. If we can keep attention in the present, it

will not stray into the future. Then we simply cannot be plagued by

anxieties or uncertainties; they will get no attention at all. We

will have the confidence to face whatever comes.

 

from Sri Eknath Easwaran's article "Living in the Present"

(http://www.easwaran.org )

 

So far we have seen practical ways of learning to live in the

present. Next I will discuss Spiritual disciplines that let you

habitually live in the present without having to

consciously 'manage' on a on-going basis.

 

regards

Sundar Rajan

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "Sundar Rajan" <avsundarrajan

wrote:

>

> Namaste all,

>

>> Outside the time of meditation, then, what I recommend is simple

but intriguingly difficult: do only one thing at a time and give it

your full attention. This is the key to doing a good job of any

kind, and the secret of learning to live completely in the present

moment.

> At first this advice will seem impractical, even nonsensical. But I

> assure you that it can be done – and that as your mind grows

> accustomed to giving your best attention to one thing at a time,

you will fi nd yourself actually accomplishing more without

> pressure, burnout, tension, or fatigue.

>

 

SrIgurubhyo NamaH

 

Namaste Sundar Rajan ji for those elevating ideas. I am reminded of

an account about Sri Abhinava Vidyateertha Mahaswamigal, rendered by

the author in the book : Edifying Parables, under the chapter:

Glimpses of Select Facets of Acharyal. I quote a page from this:

 

Concentration and Punctiliousness

 

One day, Acharyal sat down in a coconut grove and asked me to read

the first 50 verses of Vidura Neeti nd select compositions of

Bhagavatpada. As I began chanting verses from the Vidura Neeti,

Acharyal partially closed His eyes. When I came to the 22nd verse, I

heard a swishing sound. Before I could react, a big leaf-stalk and a

coconut fell from a tree in the vicinity and landed on the ground

with a big thud less than a meter from Acharyal. So concentrated was

He on the import of the verses that He was totally oblivious of what

had happened.

 

After reading from the Vidura Neeti, I passed on to the compositions

of Bhagavatpada, such as ManIShA Panchakam and Brahmaanuchintanam.

Acharyal listened motionless with a light smile. He opened His eyes

only a few moments after I had finished. Suddenly, He winced in

pain. Unseen by me, and unfelt by Him, an army of ants had been

biting Him o His legs and hands. His feet were red and swollen.

 

He knew by rote the verses that He had asked me to read out and had

Himself mentally recited them on hundreds of occasions. Yet, He

concentrated upon them with such intensity that He remained totally

unaware of even loud extraneous sounds and injury to His body. He

was never inattentive to anything taken up by Him.

 

Acharyal has said, 'One should perform all one's actions in a

meticulous manner. Even a minor task ought not to be performed

carelessly. The time allocated to it may be small and other tasks

may receive priority over it but, when one is engaged in it, one must

treat it as important.'

 

Acharyal normally utilised an ochre hand-kerchief made of cotton. It

used to get crumpled now and then. However, Acharyal had the habit

of refolding it in such a way that it then appeared as if it were a

freshly-laundered and well-ironed cloth with the edges forming

perfect straight lines. It was not as if Acharyal did the folding at

the exclusion fo other activities. He has folded His hand-kerchief

impeccably even while giving a serious discourse or reading a book.

 

In the course of His evening Ahnikam, He used to take up water in a

spoon from a vessel, chant the Pranava and put the water into another

vessel. This arghya Pradaanam He did over a hundred times in keeping

with the Ahnikam procedures meant for a Sannyasi. He performed the

arghyam in sucha beautiful way that not a single drop of water spilt

on the ground, His hand movement was the minimum possible and the

speed perfectly suited His rhythmic chant of the Pranava. The public

had no access to His Ahnikam room and so it was not as though His

optimal performance was meant as a lesson for another. (unquote)

 

Dear Sundar Rajan, your posts on this topic are very interesting and

useful.

 

Namaskarams,

subbu

Om Tat Sat

[Guest guest]

Namaste all,

 

Continuing on the topic 'Living in the Present'

from my previous messages

advaitin/message/33094,

advaitin/message/33129

 

Here is an article by Sri Eknath Easwaran - sheds light on ekagrata

and living in the present. [Note that there are references to

Buddhism, Patanjali Yoga and American Football in this article, but

please rest assured that one does not become any less a vedantin

because of that :-)]

 

===================================================================

 

The Still Center

 

One of the factors that deepen meditation, according to the Buddha,

is sati, "mindfulness." The Sanskrit term used in yoga psychology is

ekagrata, from eka, "one," and agra,"point."

 

In my Eight Point Program I call it "one-pointed attention."

Whatever you are doing, focus your mind on that completely; make

your mind completely one-pointed on what you are doing. That is the

way to effective, excellent work. This is not just spiritual

counseling; it is comprehensive counseling for every aspect of

living.

 

When I go to a movie or to the theater, I have trained my mind to be

so one-pointed that once the show starts, I am not aware of anything

else. This means I get the greatest

enjoyment.

 

Similarly, music lovers naturally close their eyes when listening to

a great performance. They don't want their attention to leak out

through their eyes; all their attention is on the music.

 

That is why we close our eyes in meditation, too: so that our

attention can be completely absorbed in the words of the

inspirational passage. It is this absorption that takes

the words deep, deep inward – and with the words, the power of the

focused lives of the great saints and sages who bequeathed their

wisdom to the ages.

 

In the depths of consciousness these words explode with meaning that

transforms our daily lives. When you are really concentrated,

awareness is withdrawn from the senses into that concentration.

 

The great scientist or artist absorbed in their work will not hear

disturbances around them. They are not aware of distractions.

That is why I said that one-pointed attention is the key to

excellence in every field.

 

I can give you an illustration from an unexpected quarter:

 

Joe Montana, the great quarterback of the San Francisco "49ers"

(49ers is a well know football team from San Fransisco), whose

performance in American football reminds me of Pele in soccer. This

is from an article by Lowell Cohn in the January 24, 1989, edition

of the San Francisco Chronicle – just after the spectacular climax

of Super Bowl XXIII, which Mr. Cohn calls with understandable

exuberance "two minutes and 39 seconds of pure magic."

 

The title is "Montana Was Cool in the Eye of the Storm":

 

"Despite his off -field manner, which is often ordinary, even

prosaic, Montana is special because when he faces danger, he is at

his best. …What we don't know is how he

does it." (The Buddha would say he does know how Joe does

it: he is completely concentrated.)

 

"Reporters asked Montana's teammates what Montana did in the huddles

to rally them for the winning drive. The answer was always the same.

"Nothing.

 

"No one remembers Joe bursting into the huddle and

telling the 49ers to `Win one for Walsh!' . . . There wasn't

one instant when Joe ordered Tom Rathman to block better

or told Bubba Paris to be on his toes or said he hated the

Bengals. He was removed from all that. In fact, he was outwardly

calm. . . .

 

"Asked what he said to the team at the beginning of the

final drive, Montana searched his memory and then said

apologetically, `I didn't say anything at the beginning of the

drive. Someone said that we had enough time, but I don't

remember who.'

 

"Montana simply went about playing quarterback," Cohn

continues, "as if the 49ers were ahead and there were still

two quarters to go. Randy Cross, who has heard Montana

call plays for the better part of a decade, said Joe's voice was

the same as it was during the first drive or the most meaningless

exhibition game of preseason." The same concentrated

mind whether the event is big or small.

 

"So what is it that makes Joe special? Just this: Montana

has the ability not to get caught up in the emotion of the

moment. When other guys feel the sweat on their palms,

Montana is totally focused on the next play. No distractions.

No sickening fear. He doesn't worry about what will happen

if a play fails. He doesn't tell himself he'll be a hero if he

connects for a touchdown. In fact, he seems to have no concept

of personal heroism at all. Although what he does is heroic

to us, he experiences himself merely as a man doing a job."

 

I would say, "as a man doing a one-pointed job." In order

to get afraid, attention has to wander. If it doesn't, there's no

attention left for fear.

 

 

Now comes the most intriguing sign of genius:

"There is something else. Sometimes things happen in

slow motion for Joe." No one has described this phenomenon

more precisely than the Compassionate Buddha. In

profound concentration, the thinking processes slow down.

It happens naturally when the mind is one-pointed.

 

"Sometimes things happen in slow motion for Joe. At the

most crucial times, the world slows down and things get

big, and he feels as if he has total control." (He does: control

of his own mind.) "He was in that world when he threw the

winning pass to John Taylor.

 

 

" `It happened sort of in slow motion,' Montana admitted.

He had dropped back to pass, and suddenly, everything

slowed down and became totally clear. Joe saw two

defenders go after Roger Craig, and he saw Taylor break

into the clear, and he threw his pass as if only he and Taylor

inhabited the field. Then he lost sight of the ball, heard the

screams of triumph, and the world returned to normal

speed." If Joe takes to meditation, he'll go far.

=================================================================

>From a talk by Eknath Easwaran as "The Wisdom of the Buddha"

 

 

regards

Sundar Rajan

[Guest guest]

Namaste all,

Continuing on the topic 'Living in the Present'

from my previous messages

advaitin/message/33094,

advaitin/message/33129

advaitin/message/33210

 

Sri Mahadevadvaita had asked a question:

>>

Honestly, I don't meditate but would like to so I want to

hear from others who have been doing it for sometime.

>>

I had posted some links on meditation last year (message #26147) and

will be covering more on this subject in this thread on Sadhana.

 

In today's message, we will look at some basic findings from Western

Physiology on stress and its effects and how "Meditation" is used as

a anti-dote.

 

Modern stress medicine has coined the term "fight or flight

response" to describe bodily/mental reactions to stress. Dr. Herbert

Benson, a Harvard Cardiologist discovered "relaxation response", as

an antidote to the fight or flight response in the mid 70's and

wrote a best selling book on the same topic.

 

You can find more details here about the "flight" response and its

anti-dote "relaxation response":

 

http://www.relaxationresponse.org/

 

Note that these are findings from western medicine and have nothing

to do with any religion or spiritual framework.

 

A few key points:

 

1. What is interesting is the steps outlined by Dr. Herbert Benson

to elicit the "relaxation response" (see below) are almost exactly

the same as what we would call mantra japa or any basic meditation.

 

2. Western physiology has "scientifically" shown that a regular

practice of meditation delivers beneficial physiologic and

emotional benefits "as predictably as flipping a light switch causes

the light bulb to shine

(http://www.relaxationresponse.org/Neimark.htm)

 

3. One of the key findings by Dr. Benson is that "Meditation" or

what is called "relaxation response" has to

be performed DAILY akin to BRUSHING TEETH for optimum benefits.

 

We don't need any scientific confirmation for our nitya karmas such

as Gayathri Japa - but if any one was looking for one or if you want

to persuade scientific minded youngsters to do their daily japa,

here it is!

 

How to Elicit the Relaxation Response Step by Step

==================================================

Steps to Elicit the Relaxation Response

1. Sit quietly in a comfortable position.

2. Close your eyes.

3. Deeply relax all your muscles,

beginning at your feet and progressing up to your face.

Keep them relaxed.

4. Breathe through your nose.

Become aware of your breathing.

As you breathe out, say the word, "one"*,

silently to yourself. For example,

breathe in ... out, "one",- in .. out, "one", etc.

Breathe easily and naturally.

5. Continue for 10 to 20 minutes.

You may open your eyes to check the time, but do not use an alarm.

When you finish, sit quietly for several minutes,

at first with your eyes closed and later with your eyes opened.

Do not stand up for a few minutes.

6. Do not worry about whether you are successful

in achieving a deep level of relaxation.

Maintain a passive attitude and permit relaxation to occur at its

own pace.

 

When distracting thoughts occur,

try to ignore them by not dwelling upon them

and return to repeating "one."

With practice, the response should come with little effort.

Practice the technique once or twice daily,

but not within two hours after any meal,

since the digestive processes seem to interfere with

the elicitation of the Relaxation Response.

 

 

* or any soothing, mellifluous sound, preferably with no meaning.

or association, to avoid stimulation of unnecessary thoughts.

 

Like Brushing your teeth

=========================

 

The key to deriving the benefits of the relaxation response is to

practice it daily. Dr. Benson recommends at least 10 to 15 minutes,

once to twice a day. This will produce the maximum benefit. When I

first learned this technique from Dr. Benson's, I remember him

telling us his dental analogy.

 

He told us to treat the relaxation response the same way you treat

brushing your teeth. Do it because you know it is good for you.

Don't worry whether you think you had a "good relaxation response"

or not. You wouldn't say to yourself: "That was a good tooth

brushing!" would you? Whether you "felt" it was a calming, relaxing

experience or not, the physiologic benefits of doing the relaxation

response are measurable, predictable and repeatable. The quieting of

the mind that results from eliciting the relaxation response is

critical in order to open up our perceptual world, away from

negativity and fear. This freedom allows us to be more awake, more

aware and more conscious of the attitudes and beliefs we choose when

living our daily lives.

 

 

regards

Sundar Rajan