Guest guest Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 Abhyasa (Practice) Devotee: Can this path of enquiry be followed by all aspirants? Maharshi: This is suitable only for ripe souls. The rest should follow different methods according to the state of their minds. Devotee: What are the other methods? Maharshi: They are stuti, japa, dhyana, yoga, jnana, etc. Stuti is singing the praises of the Lord with a feeling of great devotion. Japa is uttering the names of the gods or sacred mantras like 'Om' either mentally or verbally. Dhyana. When one is in dhyana the mind does not contact the objects of the senses, and when it is in contact with the objects it is not in dhyana. Therefore those who are in this state can observe the vagaries of the mind then and there and, by stopping the mind from thinking other thoughts, fix it in dhyana. Perfection in dhyana is the state of abiding in the Self. Yoga. The source of breath is the same as that of the mind, therefore the subsidence of either leads to that of the other. The practice of stilling the mind through breath control is called yoga. Fixing the mind on psychic centers such as the sahasrara (lit. the thousand petalled lotus) yogis can remain any length of time without awareness of their bodies. As long as this state continues they appear to be immersed in some kind of joy. But when the mind emerges (becomes active again) it resumes its worldly thoughts. It is therefore necessary to train it with the help of practice like dhyana whenever it becomes externalized. It will then attain a state in which there is neither subsidence nor emergence. Jnana is stilling the mind and realizing the Self through the constant practice of dhyana or enquiry (vichara). The extinction of the mind is the state in which there is cessation of all efforts. Those who are established in the spontaneous effortless state have realized their true nature, the Self. The term 'silence' (mouna) and inaction refer to this state alone. All practices are followed only with the object of concentrating the mind. As all these mental activities like remembering, forgetting, desiring, hating, attraction, discarding, etc., are modifications of the mind, they cannot be one's true nature. Therefore to know the truth of one's being and to be it, is known as release from bondage and the destruction of the knot (granthi nasam). Until this state of tranquility of mind is firmly attained the practice of unswerving abidance in the Self and keeping the mind unsoiled by various thoughts is essential for an aspirant. Those who follow the path of enquiry realize that the mind which remains at the end of the enquiry is Brahman. Those who practise meditation realize that the mind which remains at the end of the meditation is the object of their meditation. As the result is the same in either case it is the duty of aspirants to practise continuously either of the these methods till the goal is reached. - From Self-Enquiry THE MAHARSHI Nov./Dec. 1996Vol. 6 - No. 6 Produced & Edited byDennis HartelDr. Anil K. Sharma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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