Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2012 21:34:02
From: Viireshvar Deva viira@ezmail....
Subject: Sadhana Point: Padmasana
To: AM-GLOBAL
Baba
"Vanoma'jhe giye path ha'riye se sandya'y a'mi kendechi, tumi ja'no..." (PS 2584)
Purport:
Baba, that very evening when I went to the forest and lost the path, I was sitting there crying constantly for Your grace & guidance. Baba, You are well aware about all this. O' my dearmost, I tearfully requested You again and again to please give me some direction and to guide me as to what I should do. Baba, I am depending on You completely. I have deep love for You. Baba, You are omniscient - You are the Knower of everything - so You are aware about all this.
Baba, that night under the tree where I was sitting it was so dark; the moon's light could not even pierce through the branches [1] (sha'kha') of the trees nor through the leaves and flowers. On that occasion, black clouds were also in the sky. All around me there was darkness [2] (a'ndha'r). In that cimmerian darkness, the lamp [3] (diip) which I had in my hand also got extinguished. That made it even more dark all around. Baba, with no hope in sight, on that fearful night I was shouting for Your help - repeatedly again & again I was calling: 'Baba, please listen and help me get out of this frightening situation'.
Baba, ultimately You graced me and came close. You removed all those branches and leaves which were blocking the moonlight and You blew away those black clouds to some far distant place in the sky. Baba, You made everything effulgent. You graciously came very close, gently held my hand, and lovingly wiped away all the dilemmas and confusion from my mind. Baba, You are ever-gracious; You are Love-Personified...
END NOTES FOR PRABHAT SAMGIITA #2584:
[1] Branches (sha'kha'): In this metaphor, the branches of the tree represent dogma since they are blocking the moon's effulgence - i.e. Baba's divine teachings. The sense is that to whatever extent dogma remains in the mind, to that same degree the mind remains away from the path of spirituality (effulgence). Because in that blinded condition - overcome by a dogmatic mind - one cannot understand or receive Baba's divine guidelines, i.e. dharma.
[2] Darkness (a'ndha'r): In the above song the darkness represents a sadhaka's own confusion about how to move ahead in life. Because of their own dogma, the sadhaka is completely unsure about which direction to proceed or how to advance. When dogma is in the mind, then side by side ignorance and confusion are also there.
[3] Lamp (diip): As we know a lamp gives light amidst all the darkness. In the above Prabhat Samgiita, the devotee entered the forest with his lamp. This sadhaka had been moving along the path of righteous - i.e. he was following Baba's teachings like 16 points, yama and niyama etc. Yet when difficulties arose in his life, then in his confused state that sadhaka immediately forgot about all those good things. That's to say, when trouble began the sadhaka became overwhelmed and left his dharmic practices due to his own bondages, internal enemies, and shortcomings. That is why the song says that his own lamp got extinguished: Because the sadhaka stopped practicing Baba's teachings.
Namaskar,
Here Baba talks about one of our main asanas for meditation.
Baba says, "Padmasana (lotus posture): Place the right foot on the left thigh and the left foot on the right thigh. Clench the jaws and press the tongue against the roof of the mouth. You can maintain this posture as long as you like." (Caryacarya - 3)
Just as sleeping needs to be done in a lying posture, ximilarly for better sadhana one should sit in padmasana. No doubt margiis are aware about this rule but even then review is needed because some are no longer in the habit of sitting in this posture, while still others have become obese which leads to discarding this rule.
In addition, by seeing some sit in the wrong way, confusions can arise on such basic points as to which leg to bend first or how to place the palms. Or people just plain forget to keep the tongue back, the molar teeth pressed, the eyes closed, or the spine erect.
Hence for one or another reasons any or all of these points can get forgotten or missed.
Not to mention that at DMS and retreats I have seen how some people keep their hands clasped together and their fingers interlinked, but this of course is also not proper.
So about all these aforementioned points Baba has given the guideline in the above noted quote from Caryacarya part 3 and in the Senior Acarya Diary. So it is Baba's mandate that we should be strict in following all these points properly, as they are integral for enhancing one's movement on the path of sadhana.
Namaskar,
Viireshvar Deva
From: Viireshvar Deva viira@ezmail....
Subject: Sadhana Point: Padmasana
To: AM-GLOBAL
Baba
"Vanoma'jhe giye path ha'riye se sandya'y a'mi kendechi, tumi ja'no..." (PS 2584)
Purport:
Baba, that very evening when I went to the forest and lost the path, I was sitting there crying constantly for Your grace & guidance. Baba, You are well aware about all this. O' my dearmost, I tearfully requested You again and again to please give me some direction and to guide me as to what I should do. Baba, I am depending on You completely. I have deep love for You. Baba, You are omniscient - You are the Knower of everything - so You are aware about all this.
Baba, that night under the tree where I was sitting it was so dark; the moon's light could not even pierce through the branches [1] (sha'kha') of the trees nor through the leaves and flowers. On that occasion, black clouds were also in the sky. All around me there was darkness [2] (a'ndha'r). In that cimmerian darkness, the lamp [3] (diip) which I had in my hand also got extinguished. That made it even more dark all around. Baba, with no hope in sight, on that fearful night I was shouting for Your help - repeatedly again & again I was calling: 'Baba, please listen and help me get out of this frightening situation'.
Baba, ultimately You graced me and came close. You removed all those branches and leaves which were blocking the moonlight and You blew away those black clouds to some far distant place in the sky. Baba, You made everything effulgent. You graciously came very close, gently held my hand, and lovingly wiped away all the dilemmas and confusion from my mind. Baba, You are ever-gracious; You are Love-Personified...
END NOTES FOR PRABHAT SAMGIITA #2584:
[1] Branches (sha'kha'): In this metaphor, the branches of the tree represent dogma since they are blocking the moon's effulgence - i.e. Baba's divine teachings. The sense is that to whatever extent dogma remains in the mind, to that same degree the mind remains away from the path of spirituality (effulgence). Because in that blinded condition - overcome by a dogmatic mind - one cannot understand or receive Baba's divine guidelines, i.e. dharma.
[2] Darkness (a'ndha'r): In the above song the darkness represents a sadhaka's own confusion about how to move ahead in life. Because of their own dogma, the sadhaka is completely unsure about which direction to proceed or how to advance. When dogma is in the mind, then side by side ignorance and confusion are also there.
[3] Lamp (diip): As we know a lamp gives light amidst all the darkness. In the above Prabhat Samgiita, the devotee entered the forest with his lamp. This sadhaka had been moving along the path of righteous - i.e. he was following Baba's teachings like 16 points, yama and niyama etc. Yet when difficulties arose in his life, then in his confused state that sadhaka immediately forgot about all those good things. That's to say, when trouble began the sadhaka became overwhelmed and left his dharmic practices due to his own bondages, internal enemies, and shortcomings. That is why the song says that his own lamp got extinguished: Because the sadhaka stopped practicing Baba's teachings.
== SADHANA POINT: PADMASANA ==
Namaskar,
Here Baba talks about one of our main asanas for meditation.
Baba says, "Padmasana (lotus posture): Place the right foot on the left thigh and the left foot on the right thigh. Clench the jaws and press the tongue against the roof of the mouth. You can maintain this posture as long as you like." (Caryacarya - 3)
Just as sleeping needs to be done in a lying posture, ximilarly for better sadhana one should sit in padmasana. No doubt margiis are aware about this rule but even then review is needed because some are no longer in the habit of sitting in this posture, while still others have become obese which leads to discarding this rule.
In addition, by seeing some sit in the wrong way, confusions can arise on such basic points as to which leg to bend first or how to place the palms. Or people just plain forget to keep the tongue back, the molar teeth pressed, the eyes closed, or the spine erect.
Hence for one or another reasons any or all of these points can get forgotten or missed.
Not to mention that at DMS and retreats I have seen how some people keep their hands clasped together and their fingers interlinked, but this of course is also not proper.
So about all these aforementioned points Baba has given the guideline in the above noted quote from Caryacarya part 3 and in the Senior Acarya Diary. So it is Baba's mandate that we should be strict in following all these points properly, as they are integral for enhancing one's movement on the path of sadhana.
Namaskar,
Viireshvar Deva
