Question:

When the storm of emotions hit (it did yesterday LOL) I kept reminding myself to “watch for it”. The emotion was anger and disappointment but when it was surging the high wasn’t under control. I was constantly reminding myself that the anger and fear are my imagination of something that “could or couldn’t happen in the future but once I spoke about it and “emptied” my mind it subsided. This time I was not lashing at the person who the anger was directed towards (Thank God for AVG!). Today, I am my calm tranquil self and I am able to laugh at the situation I was in for 2 days and be a SAKSHI!  I wish I could be a SAKSHI throughout the situation…and not even have to “express” myself and empty the garbage on someone else and stir their mind! Applying 5 Principles-Kshama with Arjava but it is becoming a pattern how many times do I keep forgiving?

Answer:

Understand that it will take a long time, not a very long time but sufficiently long time. You must keep practicing; it is like any skill. If you want to learn to be a handwriting expert, how long will it take? Can you become one overnight? Ok, how much time will it take to be a professional guitarist? Can you do it in 1 month? 2 months? 6 months? Everybody’s skill level varies. Everybody body will take their own time to perfect any of these, the same applies to the spiritual sharpening of the mind.

The mind has become very blunt with the constant raagas and dveshas conditioning. It needs to sharpen with the fire of Gyana and Dhyana. The sharpening will need some time and effort. You will need to go through this fire. This is called Tapas. Tapas is not walking on hot burning coals and whipping yourself with a hunter or living in a hut in minus zero temperatures in the Himalayas. Learning to sharpen the mind and increase your awareness is Tapas. Disciplining the body is Tapas. Weighing every word, you say is Tapas. Practicing Sakshi Bhava again and again and again, come what may, is Tapas.

Don’t count how many times I have to keep applying this knowledge or that principle. Have infinite patience! That is a prerequisite on this path. Infinite patience and incessant effort will definitely get you there. Keep walking! Keep walking – Charetveti Charetveti! Don’t stop until you reach a stage where you are in Sakshi Bhava all the time, every moment of the day!