Silence the thoughts skillfully
Question:
Ekta ji, Jai Guru Dev ! What is the power of thought, how much importance should I attach to it, can I dismiss all the thoughts that spring up, life (mundane chores) runs on Thoughts, so called actions spring out of thoughts, good thoughts bad thoughts, spiritual thoughts are still thoughts. How do I go deeper? Some other enlightened beings like Buddha , Dalai lama, quote that “You are what your thoughts are”… The thoughts seem conditioning of my desires and also in turn shape up what my ego is, for coming future. It is a vicious cycle. The irony is this question+ Format of the question, desire to ask you, too sprung up from thoughts that crisscross the awareness. How should I go on about day to day activities, when the mind/thoughts acts like a constant Outlook calendar pop ups telling me what to do. How much importance should be attached?
Awareness of a thought dissolves it and I transcend it, what does it take to leap into the other dimension and be in life?
Answer:
That’s a question and answer right there! You said that “awareness of the thought dissolves it and then you transcend it.” This is the answer my dear, this is called ‘Sakshi bhava’. This needs to be a repetitive practice. Be a true Sakshi, a true catalyst to the mind and its ‘minding’ 😉 You have the answer, then why does the question arise? A question is also a thought? Let us help this question transcend to Silence!
How is thought generated?
The movement of thought is inherent to mind. But how is this movement generated? This movement of thought is propelled by the movement of Prana.
What is Prana?
Prana is the expression of the energy of the Brahman consciousness. Movement of Prana is inherent to Consciousness, just like waves are inherent to the Ocean!
Just like waves are constantly in motion, Prana is constantly vibrating. The entire existence is ‘vibrating Prana!’ And everything is made up of Prana. Whether it is a drop, a ripple, a wave, froth or bubble, everything is just Water. Like that, whether it is a living creature [insect, bird, animal, human] or non-living object, it is just Prana….. vibrating Prana!
When one first enters the physical plane, one first develops a pranic body, then the subtle body [mind] is born and finally the physical body is born.
The Prana is in constant motion in the Pranic body:
The Prana is a magnet on one side of a wall and mind is like the iron fillings on the other side of the wall. This wall is the distinction between your Pranic body and Subtle body [mind]. The Prana moves up, the mind goes up, the prana moves down, the mind moves down. Thus the only way to transcend the ‘movement of thought’ is to practice ‘restraint of Prana’.
What tool to use to restrain this Prana?
You will find the tool on the other side of the Pranic body…What is on the other side of the opposite wall? It is the physical body. The pranic body is wedged between the physical body and the subtle body [mind]. And the tool is the breath. Why breath? Because that is the most tangible for mere mortals like us, who are still scampering in the physical plane of existence unable to conceive the higher subtler dimensions.
Breath….Why? How?
The Prana in your pranic body is the magnet that affects the iron fillings of breath in the physical body and thoughts in the subtle body. If Prana moves up, thoughts are generated and move up, breath also moves. For e.g. If your Prana is rajasic, its movement is erratic, the thoughts are feverish, the breath is also shaky. On the other hand, after meditation, when Prana is in a state of Satva, the breath is calm and smooth and so is the mind. Haven’t you experienced this? So now you know that Prana affects both the breath and the mind.
The ancient sages discovered this Truth and then skillfully reversed the roles.
Two role reversal solutions were provided for attaining silence:
Solution 1] Regulate the breath – This breath then calms down the Prana, which in turn calms down the Mind! How? Same formula – Breath now acts as the magnet and calms the Prana which in turn calms the mind. [In this case, Prana and mind become the iron fillings]
Solution 2] Observe your thoughts – When you sternly observe a mischievous child, he freezes. Just like that, by being a witness to the thoughts [not getting involved in them] and just sitting on the fence, the erratic movement of thoughts stop. This pause in the movement of Thought brings about a pause in the movement of Prana and that in turn calms down the breath as well. This is called being a Sakshi!
Secret formula is out now 🙂 This is the process of how a thought moves and how it can be restrained so that you experience the silence by going beyond the physical, pranic and subtle bodies. And being able to transcend these three bodies, and dissolving in the ‘silence of the self’ is called ‘meditation’.
That Silence is beyond the capture of words. It is inexpressible bliss! Bask in Silence!
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Beautifully explained..
Thank you so much
I had the same doubts
Now they are cleared
Bahut sundarata se samjhaya hai, bahut bahut dhanyavaad, Jai Guru Dev 🙏