Guest guest Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Tapasya of mind“The practice of serenity, sympathy, meditation upon the Atman, withdrawal of the mind from sense-objects, and integrity of motive, is called austerity of the mind.†(Bhagavad Gita 17:16) Sri Ramakrishna often said: “the mind is everything,†so this is of extreme importance.Manaprasada means a mind that is peaceful, clear, calm, and of a positive disposition towards others. Saumyatwam, means gentleness, benevolence, and mildness. Maunam is silence in the sense of stillness, or absence of mental chatter. In such positive silence intuition manifests and dominates, imparting a knowing that is beyond mere talk. Atmavinigraha, is self-restraint, self-control. It is not mere discipline, but real mastery of the mind–and therefore of the entire being. Bhavasamshuddi is purity of the state of being, including the entire state of mind and heart. What Krishna describes is a state, a condition, of the mind, not a veneer of speech and action that may mask just the opposite of what he describes.As my beloved friend, Swami Sivananda, put on the wall of the satsang hall as a motto, and which he even had printed on pencils he gave out: BE good; DO good. First we must be what we aspire to; then we can act truthfully and positively. In the West we continually get cause and effect reversed, thinking that if we act and speak in a certain way it will make us what we appear to be. That is terribly wrong. We must get to the root of things, to the consciousness of which the mind is an instrument. We must practice tapasya of mind.Swami Nirmalananda Giri From Chandigarh to Chennai - find friends all over India. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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