"Be in SAKSHI-BHAVA ( an attentive witness to your consciousness ) with complete wakefulness"
"Do not form a chain of successive thoughts in your mind"
My two cents ---
In Gujarati the word " SAKSHI-BHAVA " is literally translated as " witness consciousness " and it represents a type of consciousness where you are a detached witness to your thoughts and emotions.
There are various levels of witness consciousness. I will quote an example:
Suppose a husband and wife are arguing about some important issue and you are there and listening the argument.
1) You take either the wife or husband's side according to your own idea of what is right and what is wrong.
2) You do not take a side or give your opinion, yet in your mind you have decided who is right and who is wrong according to your own ideas and beliefs.
3) You still do not take side but you appreciate the viewpoint of both, and decide both are right in their own way. This may not fit with your own ideas and beliefs.
4) You consider the argument as a manifestation and expression of God's design in its own way. There is then no question of taking sides.
Taking the thought little further you will note that " husband,wife and their arguments "is not important but watching the reaction in your mind and emotion is.
What you are attempting to do in real life situations is very similar to sitting in meditation and watching your thoughts and emotions. In this way your life is your meditation and vice a versa.
SO THERE YOU ARE
Watch yourself and decide where you stand. Try to be in higher level witness consciousness and life will be interesting, pleasant and with less conflict.
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When chanting, you can start watching your thoughts. When a thought comes in your mind, just watch it. Do not start thinking further on that particular thought. Instantly you will have another thought. Again, do not get attached to this thought and start thinking about successive thoughts. Just keep watching it. This process is easier said than done, but the process itself is meditation. Chanting will help you to be aware of your thinking and increase wakefulness.
Ashwin Amin
"Do not form a chain of successive thoughts in your mind"
My two cents ---
In Gujarati the word " SAKSHI-BHAVA " is literally translated as " witness consciousness " and it represents a type of consciousness where you are a detached witness to your thoughts and emotions.
There are various levels of witness consciousness. I will quote an example:
Suppose a husband and wife are arguing about some important issue and you are there and listening the argument.
1) You take either the wife or husband's side according to your own idea of what is right and what is wrong.
2) You do not take a side or give your opinion, yet in your mind you have decided who is right and who is wrong according to your own ideas and beliefs.
3) You still do not take side but you appreciate the viewpoint of both, and decide both are right in their own way. This may not fit with your own ideas and beliefs.
4) You consider the argument as a manifestation and expression of God's design in its own way. There is then no question of taking sides.
Taking the thought little further you will note that " husband,wife and their arguments "is not important but watching the reaction in your mind and emotion is.
What you are attempting to do in real life situations is very similar to sitting in meditation and watching your thoughts and emotions. In this way your life is your meditation and vice a versa.
SO THERE YOU ARE
Watch yourself and decide where you stand. Try to be in higher level witness consciousness and life will be interesting, pleasant and with less conflict.
----------------------
When chanting, you can start watching your thoughts. When a thought comes in your mind, just watch it. Do not start thinking further on that particular thought. Instantly you will have another thought. Again, do not get attached to this thought and start thinking about successive thoughts. Just keep watching it. This process is easier said than done, but the process itself is meditation. Chanting will help you to be aware of your thinking and increase wakefulness.
Ashwin Amin
