#155 , IS INTENSE MEDITATION OR EXTENSIVE MEDITATION NECESSARY?

Indian writers, blog writers, preachers and speakers credit Swami Vivekananda with taking Yoga and Meditation to the American doorsteps.

A large number of Centres function globally, both on Internet and outside, marketing Yoga and Meditation Camps and Courses. It is a multi billion dollar business.

The real question which occurs to a mind is, does the world require so much of yoga and meditation?

To my humble mind, the answer is, the world does not definitely need the marketed quantities of the yoga and the meditation.

ARGUMENTS
When a person knows the transitoriness of the mundane pleasures, sheds ignorance, and cultivates equanimity and renunciation, he does not need meditation. The next step for him is to practice his renunciation in the true spirit. Though he cannot stop his worldly activities absolutely, because every month bills arise from hisher consumption of resources which heshe draws from the society. For the food, clothes, shelter and some other basic needs, heshe has to pay. Now, though skin separates himher from the external world, in hisher mind such division (called duality) ceases to exist. The joys and sorrows of the world will become hisher sorrows. This is the true liberation. We can call this liberation because, humans become free from the bondage of "I" and "My".

The Carnatic music composer Tyagaraja's S`ankaraabharanam lyric called "Manasu Swaadhiina maina" (If a person's mind is under control) depicts the mind set up of such liberated person.

1. The person who has his-her mind under control, needs no rituals and no mantras (chants). (Telugu: Aa ghanuniki mantra tantramu leelaa).

2. The person who knows that he-she is not the "body", need not perform any penance (Telugu: tapasu ceeya neela).

There is no need for such realised person to go into imagined ecstasies. When a person knows that heshe himherself is the Universal Spirit itself, what will he meditate upon? His work will be with the human society, plant society, animal society, mountains, rivers, clouds and the nature. Heshe becomes a flute of reed for the nature to play music through himher.

Teaching of this knowledge will not take more than one hour. But getting rid of the illusions and delusions is a problem both for a gnaani (knowledgeable person) and agnaani (ignoran person). Even if a person is willing to get them rid of, the society will not allow him-her to think and act freely. This is the social bondage.

Just as meditation and yoga are superfluous, the monasteries and temples also become redundant. They remain just empty shells.

Comments

bhattathiri said…
The American justice Dept. have recently approved the power of yoga and meditation vide a recent judgement in the American court." Man Who Slapped Wife Sentenced to Yoga, It's Anger Management, Says Judge." First there was house arrest. Now there's yoga. A judge ordered a man convicted of slapping his wife to take a yoga class as part of his one-year probation. "It's part of anger management," County Criminal Court at Law Judge Larry Standley said of the ancient Hindu philosophy of exercise and well-being. "For people who are into it, it really calms them down. " Standley, a former prosecutor, said the case of James Lee Cross was unique. Cross, a 53-year-old car salesman from Tomball, explained that his wife was struggling with a substance abuse problem and that he struck her on New Year's Eve during an argument about her drinking. "He was trying to get a hold of her because she has a problem," Standley said after the court hearing. "I thought this would help him realize that he only has control over himself." The sentence came as a surprise to Cross, who was told to enroll in a class and report back to Standley on his progress. "I'm not very familiar with it," Cross said of yoga. "From what I understand, it may help in a couple ways, not only as far as mentally settling, but maybe a little weight loss." Darla Magee, an instructor at Yoga Body Houston in River Oaks, said she would recommend that Cross take a basic yoga class emphasizing breathing and including a variety of postures -- forward bends, back bends and twists. "Yoga can help us to get rid of many emotional issues we might have," she said. "It's a spiritual cleanse." Prosecutor Lincoln Goodwin agreed to a sentence of probation without jail time because Cross had no significant criminal history http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2365341.
Yoga which is one of the greatest Indian contribution to the world has got vast potential in all fields. In Tihar jail India Yoga is experimented among the inmates and found successful. Their criminal mentality is changed. This study aimed at investigating the effect of Vipassana Meditation (VM) on Quality of Life (QOL), Subjective Well-Being (SWB), and Criminal Propensity (CP) among inmates of Tihar Jail, Delhi. To this effect the following hypotheses were formulated. 1. There will be a significant positive effect of VM on the QOL of inmates of Tihar jail. 2. VM will have a positive and significant effect on SWB of inmates. 3. Criminal propensity (CP) of inmates will decrease significantly after attending the VM course. 4. There will be significant difference in SWB and CP of experimental (Vipassana) group and control (non-Vipassana) group. 5. Male and female inmates will differ significantly in SWB and CP, as a result of VM. In the famous "Time" magazine the importance meditation and yoga, an ancient Indian system, is high-lighted that the ancient mind- and spirit-enhancing art is becoming increasingly popular and gaining medical legitimacy. It is a multi billion dollar business in US. In many Universities it is accepted as subject and included in the Syllabus. In the latest famous book "Inspire! What Great Leaders Do" written by Mr.Lance Secretan recently published by John Wiley and sons, the benefit of meditation is elaborately described for good corporate governance. By practicing transcendental meditation, or TM, many people have got relief from back pain, neck pain, depression. The mind calms and quiets, . What thoughts you have during meditation become clearer, more focused. Anger, anxiety and worries give way to a peace. In the world exorbitant medical expenses one can definitely make use of meditation. Maharshi Mahesh Yogi and Sri Ravi Sankar are popularizing this. The Iyengar Yoga institute in US is famous. Food habits should be to keep mind and body in pace. one can get more than enough protein and other essential nutrients by eating a balanced vegetarian diet of fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, dairy products, nuts and seeds. A vegan diet (without dairy products) is also adequate, as long as you eat enough protein-rich wholegrains, legumes, nuts and seeds. In any case, your body will "tell" you what you need to eat. If you have a particular craving for any type of food, it may mean
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Unknown said…
Your citing of an unqualified poet to back your point. He is a mere entertainer.
Maya means illusion. Have you ever considered that you are hampered by this making ascertains with your imperfect mind and senses to propogate unqualified opinions. Self realised souls come in desciplic succesion going back to source. The eternal constitutional position of the soul- jiva atma is servant. Chanting is not for our benefit but for the pleasure of
their Lordships. God is none different from His name. Halo be thy name.
We are not the doers or controllers. Welfare work is a very temporary none wholesome fix without understanding cause of problem. Read: the science of self realisation

Your servant.
Anonymous said…
The American Judge's decision is rather like compelling a convict for social work. That is also the result of decades of marketing Indian Spirituality abroad.

paddy's comments probably arise because he is ignorant of Thyagaraja; naturally, Thyagaraja did not at all attempt to "market" his spirituality but left behind thousands of songs for the future generations to learn "sadhana" through them.

The marketed spirituality is akin to advertised drugs; many of these are harmful. My great grandfather used to instruct us that the only thing we should do to an ochre-robed sanyasin is to provide food 'if' he comes for Bhiksha at our doorstep. Otherwise we should never, never become their sishyas or visit them, get upadesams etc., mainly because most of the wandering as well as rich sanyasins conform to Sankaracharya's famous dictum:

"...udara nimiththam bahu kR^tha vEsham."
Unknown said…
Your grandfarther becomes an authority how? This is just sentiment. You could have had many grandfarthers life after life in different species dear fellow.
Bhagavad Gita 4.2
www.asitis.com
Chapter 4. Transcendental Knowledge

TEXT 2

evam parampara-praptam
imam rajarsayo viduh
sa kaleneha mahata
yogo nastah parantapa

SYNONYMS
evam--thus; parampara--disciplic succession; praptam--received; imam--this science; raja-rsayah--the saintly kings; viduh--understood; sah--that knowledge; kalena--in the course of time; iha--in this world; mahata--by great; yogah--the science of one's relationship with the Supreme; nastah--scattered; parantapa--O Arjuna, subduer of the enemies.

TRANSLATION
This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.

PURPORT
It is clearly stated that the Gita was especially meant for the saintly kings because they were to execute its purpose in ruling over the citizens. Certainly Bhagavad-gita was never meant for the demonic persons, who would dissipate its value for no one's benefit and would devise all types of interpretations according to personal whims. As soon as the original purpose was scattered by the motives of the unscrupulous commentators, there arose the need to reestablish the disciplic succession. Five thousand years ago it was detected by the Lord Himself that the disciplic succession was broken, and therefore He declared that the purpose of the Gita appeared to be lost. In the same way, at the present moment also there are so many editions of the Gita (especially in English), but almost all of them are not according to authorized disciplic succession. There are innumerable interpretations rendered by different mundane scholars, but almost all of them do not accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, although they make a good business on the words of Sri Krsna. This spirit is demonic, because demons do not believe in God but simply enjoy the property of the Supreme. Since there is a great need of an edition of the Gita in English, as it is received by the parampara (disciplic succession) system, an attempt is made herewith to fulfill this great want. Bhagavad-gita--accepted as it is--is a great boon to humanity; but if it is accepted as a treatise of philosophical speculations, it is simply a waste of time.
www.asitis.com

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