Guest guest Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Namaste: I find myself sleepy when I am selfish. When I am " working for God " , I am not tired. Maa will often say: " G.O.D., go on duty, after we have had a meeting or a short rest. She states that if one is working for God, one will be filled with energy. Swami is a living example of this teaching. He sleeps for a short while and goes back on duty. He takes a short " power " nap, and goes back on duty. Living a life focused on God, a purpose driven life, puts one into the flow of shakti. I pray for the discipline and devotion to live the life which will bring me into this flow of shakti. I am grateful for the example of Maa and Swami. I know what a God Centered life looks like through their example. Jai Ma Jai Swami vishweshwar , Siva Kumar <sufi116 wrote: > > Dear Kumari > (I apologize for the error in spelling your name in the last email) > Namaste! I really enjoyed reading your perspective. I agree it is the degree of emotional relationship with God that counts. > > I have a long way to go! > > Thank you for your the detail in your reply. > > Best Regards > > Sivakumar > > ty_maa <dsjames wrote: > Dear Sivakumar, > > Everyone, including those inclined more to karma yoga, like myself, > get sleepy at times when we need to be alert. The best answer that I > know to the problem is the teaching given in the Gita: that our mind > can be our helper, and it can also be our enemy; so we must lift > ourselves up by our own mind. That is, we must inspire our own self > when we are in the downswing of tamas. > > I remember that the great swamis in the tradition of Sri Ramakrishna > would sometimes say to their young disciples, " meditate and pray as > though the very Devil has his fingers in your hair! " > > When we feel sleepy it is time to remind ourselves why we have taken > up spiritual practice. For many, to become a little calm and peaceful > is the goal; but if our meditation, prayer, and karma yoga is to lead > us to God-realization, them we must be up and doing: " This is no time > for sleep and laziness! " That very attitude of mind has the power to > break the tamas. > > Sri Ramakrishna would let the young college students who visited him > on weekends sleep for a couple of hours at night, then he would wake > them up and say " Be up and doing! Will you sleep your life away? I > very much dislike that line in the song that says, 'thus striving, > some day I may attain Him'. People with that attitude are like soggy > cornflakes (flattened rice soaked in milk) nothing whatever will be > attained that way! " So, we can ask ourselves, when sleep starts to > overpower us, Do I want to be soggy cornflakes, or do I want to > realize God? > > Many people seem to think the mantra is like a magic word that will > do all the work if they just repeat it enough times. I believe that > attitude puts many devotees to sleep. To me, real religion is > Relationship: the power of the mantra brings our attention on God, no > doubt, but then, it is the degree of emotional relationship with God > that one has that determines the degree of Divine Presence one feels. > > Sri Ramakrishna repeated over and over again that " longing for God is > the one thing needful " . He asked everyone, " Can you shed tears for > God? Can you cry for God " . Worldly people shed buckets of tears for > worldly things; who can cry for God? " > > He said that in his sadhana period he would retire to the forest and > open his mouth so wide that it would seem to encompass the heavens and > the earth, and cry out " MAAAAAA! " He didn't do it one time only, but > all night long--year after year. He said that his eyes didn't close in > sleep for twelve long years. And, I believe that with that kind of > longing for God, that kind of emotional intensity, or bhava, it would > be hard to go to sleep. > > These are the things that come to mind in regard to the question of > sleep during meditation. I hope that it, or some part of it, may be > helpful in some way. > > With love, > Kumari > > , Siva Kumar <sufi116@> wrote: > > > > Namaste All, > > > > How does one overcome sleep during sadhana? I have a reasonably busy > schedule (like anyone else), so I set aside the late hours(no > disturbances) of the day for my japa sadhana. On most days I > experience a natural flow and I can cruise along for a longer time. > Good! But at other times, owing to the late hour, sleep sometimes > comes in waves and the japa mala slips from my hands. > > > > I tried shifting my sadhana to the early hours - I sometimes feel > sleepy then as well. > > > > I tried coffee and tea - with limited success. I found the drug > store caffeine tabs fairly effective., but I am not sure if I should > take this regularly. > > > > Question: Any suggestions on overcoming sleep - Tamas? Is 8 hours of > sleep a necessity for the human body? How do sages handle sleepiness). > > > > Thank you all for your patience. > > > > Best Regards. > > > > Sivakumar > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Mobile. > Try it now. > > > Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Search. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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