ekagratha

[Guest guest]

In one's spiritual practice, it is important to develop ekagratha (unwavering

attention). If you are unable to remain in dhyana, it implies your bhakthi is

deficient. To get closer to Swamiji, one must develop bhakthi; to understand

him, ekagratha is required. Once ekagratha/bhakthi is developed, remaining in

dhyana is easier than falling off a cliff - you will naturally slip into it with

very little effort. In Shiva Kathamrutha, Swamiji stresses the importance of

dhyana. There is no surer test of your sattvic nature, than your ability to

slip into uninterrupted dhyana. If you are unable to do so, this means you have

excess Tamasa gunam. What is the remedy? Meditate on Shiva - Ravana requested

Siva that his Atma lingam bless anyone who meditates on it, with destruction of

Tamasa gunam ( " TamOgunatmaka roga hara " ). Tamasa gunam is like jiddu (oiliness)

- a clean mind (chitta shuddi) is necessary to be able to progress in

spirituality. It is the

main purpose of all practices - without a shudda chaitanya - all else is

useless. The end result of developing a clean mind (pure like crystal) is that

one remains immersed in positive thinking, one has continuous contact with Sri

Swamiji in dhyana, and an experience of subtle ananda (bliss) follows. Clean

mind doesn't mean a " good mind " - it means a mind that is innocent - a mind that

is awake - a mind that has no distractions - a mind that responds calmly to any

situation no matter how dire. This helps you not only in spirituality, but in

your regular life. " Dhyanam " leading to sleep is a sure sign of too much tamas.

Dhyanam should refresh the mind, as if you have awoken from a deep sleep, but

whereas in sleep you are unaware, in dhyanam you are fully conscious -

heightened sensory awareness - as if you have seen, touched, tasted, or felt for

the first time. People mistakenly think that people who are immersed in dhyanam

become absent-minded -

quite the opposite is true - Swamiji is in a state of perpetual dhyanam - yet,

nothing escapes his attention. Many psychoses can be cured by remaining in

dhyanam for extended periods. You regain the freshness of a young mind.

 

It's rather funny - people assume that when Swamiji is asking them questions -

that he doesn't know the answer; they fail to realize, he has a point, no matter

how silly the question seems. He always has a point. Even if he's asking you

something as simple as " what is our next plan? " - your duty is to answer

appropriately, but keep in mind, he's not asking because he doesn't already

know. To understand Swamiji, language is not necessary - but a keen observation

is. To have keen observation, one must be silent, not externally, but

internally - don't interfere with the information coming in through your sensory

organs - just listen - let the mind collect the information without

interference. Listen carefully. If you are watchful enough, you may even hear

His voice, and receive appropriate guidance as and when needed.

 

The simplest way to develop ekagratha? Listen to Swamiji's CDs respectfully.

What do I mean by respectfully? By this I mean that one should listen to Sri

Swamiji's songs, as if Swamiji is in the room. Too often, we listen as if its

an afterthought. We talk all kinds of nonsense, even though there is a Swamiji

bhajan being played - instead of focusing our heartfelt attention on the song

itself. Later, when we are asked to repeat what we hear, or what we have seen,

we find ourselves at a loss. The reality is, you don't have to have taken years

of sangeetham classes to sing well - you have to develop the ability to listen.

Listen, before you speak. Listen. To listen with rapt attention is the easy

(easiest) way to grow spiritually. Swamiji has made it so simple - all you have

to do is listen. When you are listening, you are fully present. In this

presence, you will experience a silence that is so full that it fills your

entire being.

Wholeheartedly listen. Everything else follows.

 

Jaya Guru Datta!

 

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Gurorangripadme ManaScenna Lagnam tata: kim! tata: kim! tata: kim! tata: kim!?