concentration

[Guest guest]

"...Now the Tapas of Manas. The first complaint is that the Manas is

unwilling to concentrate. The more you concentrate, the more it flickers and

brings

thoughts. When you put the senses and body in Tapas, the mind thinks that the

'Jeevi' is asleep.. let me go for a ride' ...thinking so , it starts to run

wildly. There will be no concentration. Many thoughts come. The thoughts that

the

mind generated then, takes you through a tipsy turny emotional ride of your

past. You remember many old and unwanted happenings and events. Then the mind

paints a frightening future. Some frightening.. some pleasurable.. some related

to the Indriyas .... some sinful but pleasurable ... some about your friends

and neighbors .. some thoughts trusting them some thoughts suspecting them..

Like his the mind scans your existence and life when you sit for meditation. IS

this why you sat for meditation ? The mind is not under control. You with a

sincere motive sat for Dhyana. But the mind, like a bird. keeps fluttering.

 

  Here, you need to hear some sounds, so that the mind concentrated on that.

That is why Swamiji says listen to music when you meditate. The mind will be

engrossed is music. After listening to the music for some time, the mind will

get tired and tries to sleep. That state of a sleeping mind, even for just ten

minutes, is worth it. Every day this exercise is necessary. This is the Tapas

of Manas.

 

  Next is Vachika Tapas [ Verbal Tapas] For this purpose we sit for Satsang

and do bhajans. Our mouth will be chanting "Hare Rama Hare Rama- Rama Rama Hare

Hare. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna - Krishna Krishna Hare Hare. (Swamiji

gesticulates with funny actions. Swamiji cleans the ears. Swamiji scratches

head,

back, Swamiji yawns.....) Is this the Vaachika Tapas ? The Indriyas, The Manas

the eyes all will be very active while we chant. Chanting like a tape recorder.

 

  Many devotee perform Anagha Vrata. The scene will be like this. "The

devotee invites all his family members and friends to witness the Vratam. He

sits to

perform the Vratam and somebody enters the house. He looks at them , smiles ,

invites them inside and beckons them to sit. while he is doing this, the

priest would have chanted the next shlokas. The next door neighbor would be

watching the television with full sound. You will hear more of the TV sound that

the

priest's Mantras. The other neighbor's children will be playing cricket with

full noise and shouts.

 

  After this fiasco called Vratam, he writes a letter to Swamiji " Swamiji, I

performed Anagha Vrata. This is my twelfth Vrata, I spent five thousand

rupees and served feast for two hundred people." Is this what Swamiji wants ?

NO!

Swamiji wants your concentration to improve. Vaachika Tapas demands that you

forget everything when you sing a bhajan...."

 

from <A

HREF="http://www.dattapeetham.com/india/talks/gurupurnima96.html">http://www.dat\

tapeetham.com/india/talks/gurupurnima96.html</A> Jai Guru

Datta