"The quality of life depends on the state of our mind. It is
the state of our mind that determines our happiness and contentment. Therefore we must do something to elevate our
mind and fill it with sublime thoughts".
- Swami Mukundananda
Listen to Swami Mukundananda's interview with Renee Lobo of ITV. Some questions that Renee asked Swamiji were:
Why is Spiritual practice so important in today's time?
What is the most important element of Spiritual Sadhana?
What is the secret of focusing the mind?
It is so difficult to control the mind which keeps throwing up thoughts all the time. How can we control it?
What is the good time for engaging in Spiritual Sadhana?
Is it possible to think of the Divine even when we are engaged in our day to day activities?
The supreme divine nectar of Braj Ras is showering down everywhere in
Braj, but gyanis (who practice the path of knowledge) are wandering around
aimlessly, without any knowledge about this.
jehi khojata gyani
jana lakhana
The Impersonal Supreme Brahm, whom the millions of gyanis search for...
charihu– vedana
ki pratishakhana
in every branch of the four Vedas ...
hari 'alakha'
imi lage bhakhana
and at the end, accepting their defeat, declare that he is imperceptible
...
vrinda vipina
sakhina anchala pata,
lipata rahyo soi
dhaya
In the dense forests of Braj, that same Brahm is found running after the
gopis and embracing their ‘anchal’ (upper end of the sari) to get their love.
jehi shankara
ura-antara dhyavata
That Supreme Lord, whom Lord Shiv always meditates upon in his heart,
jako bheda veda
nahin pavata
Whom even the Vedas could not understand,
nirvikalpa,
nirlepa, batavata
Whom they define as Absolute and Unattached,
soi nikunja
bicha bhanulali ke,
charana palotata
jaya
The same Supreme Lord can be seen gently massaging the lotus feet of
Radha Rani with love and adoration in the inner groves of Vrindavan.
jehi mayavasa
vishva charachara
That Supreme Brahm, whose external potency Maya controls the animate and
the inanimate of the universe,
brahmanda-nayaka
vidhi, hari hara
And makes the governors of the universe, Brahma, Vishnu and Shankar...
nachata jyon nata
paravasha banara
dance under its control like a monkey under the control of its
master,
tehi dai chhachha
neku si chhorina,
kotina nacha
nachaya
In Braj, that same Brahm, the almighty lord of Maya, is made to dance
innumerable times by the young gopis just for a handful of buttermilk.
jaki bhrikuti-vilasa
pralayakara
That Brahm, who can destroy the entire universe simply by a slight crease
of his eyebrows,
jake dara ka–pata
dara, thara thara
And out of whose fear, Fear itself trembles with fear,
namahi jako
bhava bandhana-hara
And whose name itself possesses the power to destroy the unbreakable
bonds of Maya
tako ukhala ba–dhi
yashoda, lai sa–ti darapaya
In Braj, that same Almighty Brahm is seen tied up to a mortar wheel by
his mother Yashoda who is causing him to tremble with fear merely by holding a
little stick in her hand.
jehi lagi japi
tapi, bharamavata
That Supreme Brahm, for whom millions of aspirants wander, practicing
severe austerities and chanting on beads,
yogi yoga agini
jari javata
And great ascetics burn themselves in the yogic fire,
nija bala kripa
kora nahin pavata
They fail to receive even a speck of his grace, as they are trying to
attain him by relying on their own strength
so 'kripalu' nija
maya goda hita,
paryo dharani
bilakhaya
Says Shree ‘Kripalu’, “That same supreme, unattainable, imperceptible
Brahm of the gyanis, is rolling on the ground and crying bitterly for mother
Yashoda to take him into her lap.”
"If every eight year old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation" - Dalai Lama
5 BENEFITS OF KIDS MEDITATION
Improved Concentration: Children learn to focus their minds on important tasks at an early age. This especially helps them in concentrating on their studies in school and also in other activities like sports, music, etc.
Improved Self-esteem: At a very tender age, through meditation children learn to channelize their abundant energy into constructive areas. This in turn induces a sense of achievement and self-confidence in them.
High Emotional Quotient: Kids learn to manage their emotions better as they release stress through meditation. Managing emotions is the key to success in both personal and professional lives. Often people start working on their emotional quotient much later in life. But if parents can proactively teach their children to develop a high EQ, they for certain can pave way for their child's success.
Sound Health: The quality of thoughts and the condition of the mind have a great impact on our health.Most people don't know the fact that majority diseases originate from the mind itself. Instead, they suppose it to be physical and tend to treat it accordingly. Therefore, when children learn to meditate, they also derive the benefit of sound health by cleansing their mind.
Happy People: If children derive all the above benefits, they will undoubtedly become happier and positive individuals. When they will brim with spiritual thoughts, they will develop loving relations will people around them. Life will be a beautiful journey for them.
By teaching meditation to your kids, you will gift them everlasting peace and happiness, something they will cherish and pass down to generations.
"Humility is the king of virtues on the spiritual path; we
must sincerely desire it and work on our mind and intellect to develop it.
Before God-realization pride exists in everyone because it is the first flaw
created by maya and the last flaw to leave. But very few people detect they
have pride because it resides in the intellect and so the intellect by itself
is unable to see its own flaw".
- Swami Mukundananda Meditation is a means of elevating the mind to Divine
consciousness, for reaching the ultimate goal of life. When you begin your meditation practice keep the following points in mind:
Why is the mind disturbed and unable to focus?
The mind is made of material energy and the material energy, Maya, has three modes,
or gunas – sattvaguna, rajoguna and tamoguna.As these gunas vary throughout the day, a person’s thoughts too
keep fluctuating. It is very natural for the mind to fluctuate due to its intrinsic gunas. If it remained at the highest
consciousness all day, there would be no need for spiritual practice.
What is the mind and am 'I' distinct from the mind?
The mind is a subtle machine provided along with the body to the soul. It is fascinating machine that continuously generates thoughts, feelings, ideas, perceptions, and stores knowledge and memories. Since 'you' are the soul seated within the body and the mind is another part in the body, you are definitely not the mind. The fact that you are distinct from the mind, places a greater responsibility on you to consciously control it, and channelize its potential to lead an elevating life.
How will meditation help in focusing the mind?
At present the thoughts in our mind are scattered and so they keep fluctuating. Meditation helps us to concentrate our thoughts in a particular direction. By repeated practice we can learn to concentrate the mind and hence increase the utilization of our mental and intellectual faculties. Moreover, the object we meditate on, influences our consciousness. Hence, through meditation people also strive to develop a calm and positive outlook.
Why is the technique of
Roop Dhyan Meditation particularly beneficial?
Different
meditation techniques all over the world use different techniques to
concentrate the mind. Some meditate on the breath, others on the centre of the eyebrows,
other on the psychic centers in the spinal column, yet others on a still lake,
and still others on a light, etc. These may improve our concentration but
they fail to address the most important issue of "cleansing of the
mind".Remember the mind
is made of three modes of material nature, hence if we fix the mind on anything
material, even if it is in the mode of goodness, our mind will always remain in
the material realm which is impure. God and His Supreme Bliss lie beyond
all these three modes of material nature. Hence, to achieve eternal
bliss or the Supreme goal of one's life, one will have to attain a divine consciousness.
And this can be done only by fixing the mind on a divine object.
Even if you wish to eternally imbibe all noble qualities like
honesty, humility, compassion, perseverance, etc. it can be done only by fixing
the mind in the Divine realm.
What
is the Divine realm that I should focus my mind on?
Beyond the material
realm is the Divine realm. It consists of God- His Names, Forms,
Virtues, Abodes, Pastimes, and Saints. If we fix our mind anywhere in this area, it will become pure.
This instruction was given to Arjun by Shree Krishna:
When Radha Rani rides on her palanquin, the Supreme Lord
Shree Krishna himself walks ahead of it, clearing the path, and alerting people
that her highness, the Queen of Barsana is coming.
Lakhi
‘kripalu’ bali jata kahata jaya, jayati jayati maharani
Says Shree ‘Kripalu’, “Watching this divinely wonderful
scene, I sacrifice my all and glorify my Queen Radha again and again.”
"Knowledge will lead to faith, and faith will lead to love"
- Ramayan
In this lecture Swami Mukundananda answers some questions about God that often come up in the minds of people. Take this wonderful opportunity to gain knowledge and dispel such doubts about God. This will help you progress on the path of spirituality with ever increasing love, faith and surrender.
Some questions answered in this lecture are:
Does God have a form or is He formless?
How does God descend in the world, is it like ordinary children or a divine appearance?
Why does God perform leelas or pastimes?
What is the difference between a human body and God's body?
