Perceive subtlety and finer elements rather than gross physical elements in everything.
Purify natural tendencies ( vrutti ).
Increase living awareness ( bhava ).
----------------------------------------------------
My two cents ---
This reminds me of the previous blog post "Physical processes and Sadhana." You can appreciate that blog only if you have the ability to perceive subtle rather than gross elements.
This particular verse explains one of the processes to increase your living awareness of God. It starts with a gross physical object or event. Of course you will observe the object or the event according to your previous experiences and memory of it. This particular natural tendency needs to be watched, analyzed and purified and directed towards experiencing the subtle aspects of the event. The more you do this, the better it gets. Even the tiniest success in this process will give you immense joy and appreciation of God almighty. In this way an event becomes an instrument to increase living awareness of God.
Recently I attended a medical conference and one of the symposia needed a ticket to enter the room. Although I was registered for the event, the organizers by mistake did not give me the ticket for the event. While I was explaining the situation to the usher, a bystander overheard the conversation and said "Oh! I have an extra ticket and you can have it."
I was amused and baffled. Apparently this event made my life easier. But why? After a few days I got the answer.
The event needed to be shared on this blog.
On the other hand it is also entirely possible to have a ticket, lose it and not be admitted to the symposium. Will I feel the same way? I sincerely do not know but hope I do.
Ashwin
PUJYA SHREE MOTA
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
PHYSICAL PROCESSES AND SADHANA
Pray for divine energy to enter into you when you eat or drink water. Also pray for the elimination of mental and physical imperfections and weaknesses when you eliminate waste products from your body.
------------------------------------------
My two cents ---
Being a medical doctor, it is hard for me to entertain this concept. But maybe you can. I'm sure there are devotees who can put this quote into practice. You can certainly pause during these activities to remember God almighty.
Any comments?
Ashwin
------------------------------------------
My two cents ---
Being a medical doctor, it is hard for me to entertain this concept. But maybe you can. I'm sure there are devotees who can put this quote into practice. You can certainly pause during these activities to remember God almighty.
Any comments?
Ashwin
Thursday, October 14, 2010
EMOTIONS AND SADHANA
Use emotions, passion, and feelings in the journey of life (Sadhana). Do not let these flow away; at the same time, do not get entangled with them either.
Develop detachment.
--------------------------------------------
My two cents ---
When you sit quietly alone or in meditation or chanting, a flow of emotions and thoughts go through your mind (these are from your previous life experiences). This can be intense at times. It is advised in general to watch these and not get entangled. Pujya Shree Mota advises us to use this technique to develop detachment.
You cannot detach from anything that you consider to be a part of you. So actively watch this play in your mind with the express purpose of considering these thoughts and emotions as foreign and not part of yourself. It is a slow process but the rewards are great. Even a small amount of detachment will go a long way in preventing perceived miseries.
Does it work in real life? Of course it does. This is not a one day process but a continuing project for the rest of your life. You have to use discretion in your actions and follow your inner guidance when confronted with difficult situations. You get better at it as your Sadhana progresses. There is no magic to Sadhana; it is hard work and needs to be done while living in society with all its complexities. In fact, society is the testing ground for your development as per Pujya Shree Mota.
Developing detachment is one of the steps in Sadhana.
Ashwin
Develop detachment.
--------------------------------------------
My two cents ---
When you sit quietly alone or in meditation or chanting, a flow of emotions and thoughts go through your mind (these are from your previous life experiences). This can be intense at times. It is advised in general to watch these and not get entangled. Pujya Shree Mota advises us to use this technique to develop detachment.
You cannot detach from anything that you consider to be a part of you. So actively watch this play in your mind with the express purpose of considering these thoughts and emotions as foreign and not part of yourself. It is a slow process but the rewards are great. Even a small amount of detachment will go a long way in preventing perceived miseries.
Does it work in real life? Of course it does. This is not a one day process but a continuing project for the rest of your life. You have to use discretion in your actions and follow your inner guidance when confronted with difficult situations. You get better at it as your Sadhana progresses. There is no magic to Sadhana; it is hard work and needs to be done while living in society with all its complexities. In fact, society is the testing ground for your development as per Pujya Shree Mota.
Developing detachment is one of the steps in Sadhana.
Ashwin
Thursday, October 7, 2010
GOD'S MANIFESTATIONS AND SADHANA
Experience art, beauty, and purity as gifts from God. Pray that the BHAVA (love and devotion) behind these creations descends and permeates into you.
---------------------------------------
My two cents ---
A group of us visited the holy site "Kailash", the mountain abode of Shiva, in the year 2000. All of us came under its spell, from the day that we had our first glimpse of the mountain till we left its sight. This spell was beautiful, awesome, and magnificent. Most of us recognized this spell after it was long gone. Too bad we did not have the awareness of God's hand behind this manifestation while it was unfolding before us. Imagine our joy if we had realized the all pervading hand of Shiva at that time.
For this to happen, it seems more important to be in a relaxed state of mind than to make an active effort to have that experience. So chill out and enjoy!
Ashwin
---------------------------------------
My two cents ---
A group of us visited the holy site "Kailash", the mountain abode of Shiva, in the year 2000. All of us came under its spell, from the day that we had our first glimpse of the mountain till we left its sight. This spell was beautiful, awesome, and magnificent. Most of us recognized this spell after it was long gone. Too bad we did not have the awareness of God's hand behind this manifestation while it was unfolding before us. Imagine our joy if we had realized the all pervading hand of Shiva at that time.
For this to happen, it seems more important to be in a relaxed state of mind than to make an active effort to have that experience. So chill out and enjoy!
Ashwin