First get the body used to Sitting

Get the body used to sitting. Poor body. It has no say. It is dumb. The mind takes it for a ride. And when it can’t take it for a ride, then the mind goes anyway. For example, it can go to India now, just by thought. So, the mind is the bird that can take its nest (the body) anywhere. First anchor the nest. The mind will try and try but one day it will give up. It is now restricted. That will be a huge advancement.

And all sitting meditations won’t be the same. One out of 7 days x 5 times, only one day might be good. That is enough! It takes several attempts but only 1 sperm creates the egg. But those other efforts are necessary. Therefore, stopping the body (the nest), then stopping the mind (the bird) is needed to warm and hatch the egg of enlightenment!

How Sitting helps

Make the body sit. While sitting, You and Thoughts exist. Then Thoughts decrease. Nee mattum Iruppa, You alone are. This ‘I alone AM’ will give you a new experience. Attention will go on that. As you start getting used to ignoring the mind, it will lose its hold on you. So keep on sitting for Dhyanam regularly. The mind will resist. But after a few tries, it will give up resisting. ‘IT’ will take over. An understanding will come. After that, you have no control. It is like bringing a horse to the edge of the river and pushing its head into the water. The drinking will happen automatically.

Why do we insist on sitting in Meditation? (as opposed to walking or running). When you sit and you are not there, there will be an experience. That experience teaches you that it is not the posture, rather it is your absence that causes the experiences. So, YOU NOT THERE -> EXPERIENCE. This you will get initially only when you sit. Since you’ve been running all along (body with mind) you think that running means you can’t lose yourself. That’s why ‘you’ make the body sit. It is a  misunderstanding. Lack of struggle is due to lack of ‘you’. Not running. But based on past data and seeing so many seekers and saints you have programmed in you the guidelines that to be in that state one must sit. Posture does not matter. But initially, it helps.

Increase the frequency and duration of meditation. And practicing Awareness during the day will strengthen the ability to sit for a longer time in meditation. Only while sitting you will see the Truth. Only practicing during the day with Presence will make sitting possible. Create an environment and mental framework for sitting down.

Why sitting is important

Sri Mahaprabu once again uses letters to simplify his explanation of why one has to make the body sit.

Your target is 5 times a day of meditation

Set the mind for five times a day. One hour of meditation plus two hours of free time. Like this five times during the day. 6 hours of sleep. Plan your schedule accordingly for those two-hour gaps. Only if you do this, Ātma will let GR go (GR = ego. Substitute your initials here.) Right now it is a mental understanding. Next is a spiritual understanding. Since poison is at the spirit level. Then a final decision will come to drop GR. Only then Ātma will decide to drop GR. Once he decides to drop, then the movement is faster.

Don’t sit for meditation with expectation

It is a universal need of the mind to find something better than the present. You are always interested in knowing if there is something more interesting than this. In summary, the belief is that the moment which will make me happy is somewhere in the future and somewhere else. This is the expectation. But behind this is the biggest foolishness or ignorance. Because IT is always here and now.

Start from the point of I don’t know. Acceptance of the experience is the solution. In meditation, develop the attitude of accepting with an open mind. “I don’t know anything. I am here to observe.” Let there be interest, but not expectation. Don’t sit for meditation in order to attain. Go inside to know. Like an objective scientist. He does not know what he is going to find, so he observes carefully. Watch where it takes you.

Don’t get stuck to experiences in Meditation.

Don’t go in looking for experiences, either new or ones that you had earlier. While going in don’t hold on to anything. Let go and dive in. It is like, you want to jump into a well for a nice swim, but you are holding onto the wall. You want to enjoy the water. But then why are you holding on to the wall? It is meaningless. (Laughing.)

So don’t hold on to anything. If in Dhyanam you are paying attention to experiences or expecting something, that is not going to help you. Attachment is not just outside. Inside too. You can easily become attached to your inner experiences.

Keep bringing the attention

In small things bring your attention to your existence. Make all else unimportant. This decision brings a Total Surrender in you. That Surrender brings about an inner Transformation. Take a strong pledge that hereafter I will not do anything without this inner contact. Whatever I do, first I will bring this inner contact. Only then the task. Even if I am meeting with the President or God. You have to work hard and you can work hard. Have faith in my words. Start your practice immediately. Come to a point where this practice is alone important for me. Only if you can stay in this state for a long time, only then something can happen inside. This decision and standing on this decision is the key to happiness.

The futility of Attempts

So, whenever you are making an attempt you should NOT make the attempt. But when will that happen? Only after so many attempts have been made. (laughing!)

GR: I was trying to achieve 5 hours of Dhyanam as you recommended.

Mahaprabu: I know that you can try and that you have the time. But you don’t know that only after so many attempts you will reach a point of not making attempts. That is how the mind is. Even though you don’t get Ātma Jnāna it will satisfy you that you have made attempts! See, because you made attempts you learned that Ananda can’t be found by looking for it. But if you did not make that attempt will you have got this clarity? No!! It is like this: Let’s say for example that you are a beggar with absolutely no food left to eat. By staying home for sure you will not get anything. Only by begging there is even an opportunity possible. You might not get it the first several times but one day you WILL get it. Unknown to you some person will happen to pass by that street you are begging in and simply give it to you and go. Similarly, you have to try it in different ways till it CLICKS. The ‘so many attempts’ will make it click even though the attempts themselves didn’t give it to you. It cannot be avoided. It is the process of ripening.

Surrender is the way

Bhagavan initiated self-enquiry for all beginners and visitors, but for those who surrendered to him, he attended to them very closely. Example Annamalai Swami. He came to the ashram to sit in meditation but he was made to work and serve with Awareness for 9 long years. But the Guru was with him all along. Where the disciple is, the Master is. Once the disciple follows the Guru’s words, Guru will follow the disciple.

Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi himself wrote: “When you get associated with your Master, the attachments in you will go away. All other relations will be cut. When this happens, the association with your ego will break. Thus detached from ego, mind, and identity they will find themselves in that eternal peace; unoscillating state. So, develop a strong relationship with the Guru. Avar Inakkam Pen.”

Bhagavan also said ‘Everyone indeed wants to attain moksha, but when I say “Give yourself unto me” they are unwilling to comply. Then how will moksha be attained?’

See, there is no mention of enquiry, meditation, etc. Why associate with Guru? Because Surrender will happen. There you will lose your ego, the decision-maker. Then an emptiness will happen which is the real transformation.

Meditator, Seeker are all only roles

Existence is not an idea. Meditation is an idea. And so Meditator is also an idea only. That Existence is existing, has existed and will exist without the idea of a Meditator.

The role of a Disciple is the last one. Once you have become a disciple, the Master will not let you play the role of Meditator or Seeker. Meditator is before Disciple. Since Meditator, and Seeker are all ideas. I have to lose the role/idea of seeker, meditator. Disciple is NOT a better meditator. It is an evolution. A seeker or meditator can become a Disciple. The Master will not allow me to play any role, and finally not even the role of Disciple either. Finally at the nothingness of Ego, the fullness of existence reveals itself. Without the knowledge of the Disciple, this will happen. It is an Evolution.

It is like this: So far you have been flying in the air. Now you are driving a car on the road, but think you are flying, and are therefore driving in fear. Fear can’t be denied. Until you are Realized, this fear will continue. The Guru plays the role of the passenger in your car, who is also afraid, even though he knows that we are actually safe on the ground. He plays the role so that the disciple accepts the Master as the Guru.

Continuous Effort – Not just in Meditation

Master is always aware and in a training mindset 24×7, each and every moment. This is why just being in the presence of the Master, near him is enough. It is needed. Like a poor boy who saves a few coins daily becomes rich. Similarly bringing awareness and meditating constantly is needed because habits are so ingrained. Like breaking branches. Some come off easily. Some are so flexible that every fiber has to be twisted and ripped one of the other till the branch drops. Similarly, continuous effort is needed for the mind also. If you bring awareness continuously without giving any gap then the detachment will happen. Detachment from the world, detachment from the body, detachment from ‘i’ will happen.

Only if you put in continuous effort you will obtain the effortless State continuously. The main thing is continuity. That’s why continuous effort is needed. When you think, walk, move, talk. Because even a single thought has a ripple effect. So every moment you must be aware. Like two Taps, right and wrong (dirty water). You must be careful which one you are opening.

Take time during the day to sit, close your eyes and review how the day went so far. Where did we commit mistakes? What is our true nature? Then in the day-to-day activity this must consciously be corrected. That is Dhyanam. Otherwise you will easily get addicted to sitting in meditation. It can become almost an irrecoverable addiction. Getting used to a routine and sitting in Dhyanam, inertia will set in. Similarly one who’s always active also has inertia as it is hard to make him sit. Your meditation should not depend on whether you’re sitting or not. It is in no way related. If THAT wants to make the body sit, the body will obey and sit (the brain obeys and coordinates). When THAT wants the body to move, the brain will simply obey and carry it out. Right now a third entity has come in the way. The mind. This drives. When it says sit you are sitting. When it says move you are moving. This also looks like a natural flow but you are deceived. Until you shift from this to THAT, a Master is needed.

Mahaprabu never teaches Meditation

Nobody can teach meditation. First understand that. It is not an act. It is a state which is happening each and every moment, always. It alone is existing. All other things are existing, based on this permanent Existence. Through everything what is flowing? Meditation is flowing.

Mahaprabu can help you build the attitude in which you can come in touch with this Meditation that is always happening. Techniques will not work. When you follow techniques you are relying on remembering it. Techniques are what? Shortcuts. To reduce time. So after meditation with technique, what will you do? You’ll need tremendous patience to stay there. Then which technique will teach you patience? Patience cannot be a technique because all techniques are for those who are not patient! All kinds of techniques are used by whom? The mind only. By techniques the mind is not destroyed.

So a real Master always insists on the right attitude. He will ask you to develop the right attitude i.e. Keeping patient, doing everything without a hurry. Techniques are for the mind, Attitudes belong to the heart. No technique can give you love, which comes from the heart. All techniques are used for the external world. If you still want a technique, then tell your mind ‘Yes here is your technique: “No more techniques”’. Let it go off and follow that.

If only we could remember this one thing

In every living organism there is a common thing. That is not made of bone or flesh. Behind the bone and flesh and blood, definitely something is existing which has no name, no form, which has the feeling of its own Existence and it knows that it is Existing, and in whose presence the organism lives and functions. The same thing is existing in ALL living beings. This you need to remember. That’s all. This is the sadhana. If you remember this, it is enough. It is also in non-living beings but in a different state, where it is static, passive, not dynamic as in living things.

First remember continuously that something exists behind the bone, flesh and blood that has a feeling of Existence, knows it Exists and is formless. This is in all beings. This feeling, this remembrance we should have throughout the day. This must be your deepest practice. Not forgetting this is the sadhana.

It is a simple fact to remember. But even this we simple thing we are unable to do. As this is the case, think about how strong the mind is. Think about how weak we are, and how much strength we need to build to remember this simple fact, but throughout the day. Either through meditation, or through Devotion, or through Satsang, or through Parayana, or through Surrender. All these things collectively help us develop the strength to keep remembering this simple fact. Not forgetting this is the Sadhana. If you do this, it is over.

So, find out why you aren’t remembering it. Where are you missing it? What should you do to make sure you don’t miss? That’s all.