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June 6th Study Circle

Study Guide - Aradhana Continuous Worship: Listening is the first step in the Ninefold worship. Any form of worship done with sincerity and love will take us to the 'Experience' that is 'Samaadhi'.

"The state of mind which goes with japa has been described as the state of Samadhi".
1. Samadhi should not be understood as blankness or darkness of the mind. It is the single point single pointed activity of the mind. Mind has to be quietened but needs to be active. Absolutely still. Only way to still the mind is to give it a single task for a long time. This will result in absolute quietness.
2. First step is to stabilize the mind. After that Swami asks to give up even the repetitions of the mantra.
3. Eknath Easwaran ran meditation schools in CA. In his meditation technique, the participants were advised to repeat a short phrase. It was a peaceful calming phrase. Single pointed activity.
4. There was a question on whether we can make our own mantra? The participants felt that we can make our own simple mantra. In Dhyana Vahini, Swami advises thus: " one has to meditate on one’s own favourite name and form, with Om added". So you can add Om to any diety you follow and make a mantra. Shirdi Sai baba advised not to worry about any mantra and just need to be loving. You can use a trigger word that is your favorite. A bandit named Ratnakar became the sage Valmiki by chanting 'MaRa MaRa', that when repeated becomes Rama Rama, and wrote the great Ramayana epic.
"Samādhi can admit nothing other than Brahman - Samādhi is of two types, differentiated and undifferentiated. In differentiated samādhi, the threefold nature of knower, knowing, and known will still persist. When it is realized that the knower is Brahman, knowing is also Brahman, and the thing to be known is also Brahman, then there is no more agitation or activity; that is undifferentiated samādhi".
1. Savikalpa and Nirvikala Samadhi: Sarvikalpa: If I know I am meditating, that is Sarvikalpa. We are focused, repeating, thoughts are coming. I am differentiated from my goal. Nirvilkalpa: State of pure bliss, one is bliss. No thoughts, nothing to go away. Nothing other than One at that stage.
2. Seer and Seen, Taking it backward from the eye - intellect to aatman. When there is awareness, there is a movement between intellect and the atman - Sarvikalpa. When there is no awareness of the movement, then there is nirvikalpa. That is the journey Swami wants us to take.
3. For those interested in learning more about this, there is a book called 'Seer and Seen' from Ramakrishna Mission with detailed breakdown ("Drik Drishya Viveka").
"Samādhi is the ocean to which all spiritual discipline flows. The seven streams of inner sense control, outer sense control, posture, regulation of the breath, mind control, concentration, and meditation on the Divine all find their consummation in samādhi". This is the Eight fold path of yoga from Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Yama (Inner sense control), Niyama (outer sense control), Aasana (posture), Pranayama (regulation of breath), Pratyahara (withdrawal of senses), Dharana (concentration), and Dhyana (meditation) resulting in Samadhi.
.How do we practise the above in our daily lives?
1. Yama, Niyama are embedded into our daily lives, we get up at a certain time, sleep, pray, eat what we need to eat, bhajan, study circle, service activities, etc.
2. Doing yoga asanas
3. Niyama - can also be external practices, such as light/jyoti meditation, reading about Swami
4. Yama: Internal sense control - reducing desires, free attachments
5. Breathing: We need to be careful with Pranayama and it has to be done under supervision with a master.
6. Meditation: Person should be sitting upright with their neck upright. We should not have any expectations during meditation.

Questions:

What’s the true meaning of Samādhi? A: Equal mindedness - ability to deal with ups and downs, being happy in daily life.
What do we understand by “differentiated” and “undifferentiated” Samādhi? What is the relationship between them? A: Discussed above. They are stages of the journey.
How can simple practice of continuous repetition (Japa) lead to the state of Samādhi? A: Mind will get engaged - Quieting the mind - Monkey sitting at the tip of the nose observing breath - incessant practice.

Prashanthi Vahini: We continued with the chapter on Prayer

"Of what avail is prayer? Will the Lord gratify all that we ask for in our prayers? He gives us only what, according to Him, we need or deserve, is it not? Will the Lord like to give us all that we ask for in our prayers to Him? Under such circumstances, what is the use of prayer?"
1. Don’t ask me for things that you can get from the world. Ask for things that you cannot get from the world. Love and Peace.
2. If I ask for something I think I will get peace. Why don't you ask for peace directly instead? As we don't know what that material object gets us.
3. Instead of asking for ourselves, we can also ask for the welfare of the world rather than for ourselves.
On praying for world peace, Swami says: "If I can do it, you can do it too". How is that possible? We didn't get enough time to address this. We will pick this up in this Sunday's session.

May 30th Study Circle

Last week, we continued discussing the study guide on " Aradhana- Continuous Worship" that was prepared for Aradhana Day. We completed the 'Practice' module and began discussing 'Experience' module. A summary of our discussions are as follows:

"Nine-fold Devotional Worship":
1. Dr.Hislop practiced holding Swami's hand all the time, demonstrating 'Sakhyam' - Being the Lord’s friend and companion.
2. Arjuna was best the friend of Lord Krishna, and knew the boundary between the friend and God. Swami is very fond of that relationship. Arjuna was not unafraid to ask questions. Normal folks are generally hesitant to ask questions to a person/God that they respect. Arjuna could stop Krishna midstream in the conversation. Dr. Hislop was also similar in asking questions to Swami.
3. Offering worship or Archanam- It is scriptural and ritualistic that follows a prescribed way and is done continuously. Fire rituals are also Archanam. Example: Swami performed Ati rudra maha yagna that is very complicated - many priests were involved and divided into groups with a 'Yajamana' (master of the yagna) or a foreman of priests. It was the mode of worship in Dwapara yuga. Worship has to be done exactly the way it is prescribed.
4. "Recognize the true significance of the nine-fold path- Recitation of the Name, meditation, devotional singing yoga, good deeds - do these constitute spiritual practice? Not at all. To transform bad into good is true spiritual practice. To turn sorrow into happiness is spiritual practice": We are good at mechanics, as a result we forget the purpose. We assume all good things will happen. A story: Cat and meditation: There was a mischievous cat that used to bother a Zen master during meditation by rubbing against the body, etc. The Zen master asked the disciple to find a basket and put the cat in the basket till meditation. This became a ritual after the master was gone - people would search for cat before meditating. Similarly, in India as a practice during eating on a banana leaf, the guests are given a straw. A holy man asked for one straw/toothpick to make sure any rice that would go outside the leaf would be picked, washed and eaten so as not to waste food. That became a practice and people keep silver/golden stick/straw next to the banana leaf.
5. Do we need to practice all the 9 steps? What if someone cannot sing (Kīrtanam - Singing the Glory of the Lord ).
  1. In the book "Prashanti: Pathway to peace", Prof. Kasturi elaborates on this and says these are actually the steps. Start with listening to Swami's message, discourses and His stories. Singing doesn't mean singing in public. As long as it comes from the heart it is fine. In the Hindu ritualistic worship, there are 16 steps and singing to the lord is one of them. Singing can be to ourselves and doesn't need the gift of singing.
  2. Swami gives several exemplars for each of the steps. One can follow any of them with sincerity and others will automatically follow. For Pada Pooja,-Bhratha, brother of Lord Rama was an exemplar of Pada Pooja. He refused to rule the Kingdom with him sitting on the throne. Instead, he put the paduka (symbolic of footwear) on the throne and ruled. Eventually, Bharath became like Rama.
6. Questions:
  1. What’s the important first step in Nine-fold devotional worship, and why? A: Listen first. If we don't listen to Swami, we won't follow Him.
  2. How does worship and spiritual practice help us transform bad into good … sorrow into happiness? A: Affirms your faith; Equanimity - we notice what is happening to me is bad - my outlook changes, my outlook of bad changes. Ultimately we look at bad as good - How can we see that an ailment is good? Something that was supposed to happen has happened. Frustration is a way of remembering Swami - it is an opportunity to remember Swami. Makes us think of Him.
  3. What are the four types of worship and how do they help the spiritual seeker? A: They help us focus; Gross/Concrete to subtle to less subtle (gradient)-formless to form.

We will continue with the "Experience" module today.

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