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Meditation/Yoga
Posted by: Paaras Kaur (IP Logged)
Date: October 02, 2007 04:24PM

I'm in an academic program where a lot of students experiment with a lot of different kinds of meditations (pranayama, diaphragmatic breathing etc. etc.). When discussions take place they are always about what yoga/meditation seminar that people have recently been to. The interesting thing is that most of the people in my program deny religion. They meditate for stress reduction and balance only, but they don't associate meditation with religion and really try to separate religion from spirituality.

I was thinking that the meditation these people do is most likely to try and reduce "mental noise". What happens then? What if you're successful in shutting your mind up for half an hour, what then? Once you've completed your meditation, your mind will start racing again, won't it? What's the highest level of meditation that you can achieve without having any religious/spiritual goals? Let's say a person achieves a consistant state of meditation (clear mind) from doing yoga/meditation, and they are in full control over their body, what then? There doesn't seem to be any clear goals with this form of meditation. I don't think it's possible to separate spirituality from religion because the end result of a high spiritual state is nothing useful...It's only when you have a dharam that reaching such a state would seem useful. This may seem obvious to some people, but it's something that has been on my mind lately.

Any thoughts?

 



Re: Meditation/Yoga
Posted by: Harinder Singh (IP Logged)
Date: October 03, 2007 06:01AM

Even in my college, people do this art of living, yoga etc. thing. But its all about Gurmantar and rest all meditations are just challikkian of this extremely chanchal mind. This mind can only be slowed by living an extremely disciplined life centred on Naam and bani abhiyaas,nuthing else will work. These days people want shortcut. They want to date, do haha hehe, watch movies, eat outside poisonous food and then they also want to slow their burning mind and as a result run after these meditation techniques.
GUR BIN GHOR ANDHAAR||

 



Re: Meditation/Yoga
Posted by: kulbir singh (IP Logged)
Date: October 03, 2007 07:05AM

This is an interesting topic Bhain Paaras Kaur has brought up. Today, Yoga has become so prevalent that even amritdhari Sikhs are doing some form of Yoga. Swami Ramdev has helped immensely making Yoga a mainstream thing in India. Even in a Muslim country like Pakistan, Ramdev is the most loved Indian, ahead of even Amitabh Bachan the movie star.

During Siri Guru Nanak Dev jees times the Sidhas the accomplished Yogis were the most spiritually elevated beings. Many shabads in Gurbani and even a full baani called Sidh Gosht is dedicated to differentiating Sikh mysticism from the Yogic mysticism. Many of the Yogic terms like Dasam Duaar, Anhad Shabad, Beena, Kinkree, Ira, Sukhmana, Pingla, and Kundalini have been adopted in Gurmat and re-defined to explain Gurmat principles. In the end of Siri Guru Nanak Dev jee Maharaj has declared openly that without Naam there is no Yoga:

SHABDAI KA NIBERA SUNN TU AUDHOO, BINN NAAVAI JOG NA HOYEE||
(Listen to the conclusion of our discussion, O Sidhas, without Naam there is no Yoga).

In the light of pankitis like the above and in the presence of baanis like Sidh Gosht, its appalling that even amritdharis are practicing Yoga for curing diseases. Why do they resort to Yoga when they have Naam and Gurbani? What is there that Naam and Gurbani cannot cure or help accomplish?


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I was thinking that the meditation these people do is most likely to try and reduce "mental noise". What happens then? What if you're successful in shutting your mind up for half an hour, what then?
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Immense shakti lies in mann and through mann or through thoughts of mann, things get manifested in the world. Eh Mann Shakti, eh mann Sheeo||. This mann can become roop of Shatki and that of Shiv depending upon its disposition. Most of the times mann is on the run and if manmukhs can achieve success in slowing down the mind for even half an hour it bring great results for them (or anyone else too). Their diseases get cured and this slowing down of mind results in them exerting some control over their mind. This injects some good morals in them too. In short, it must be making them better individuals i.e. they are better off reducing the mental sound than not trying to control their mind at all.

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Once you've completed your meditation, your mind will start racing again, won't it? What's the highest level of meditation that you can achieve without having any religious/spiritual goals?
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You are right that their mind will start racing again but there is still some benefit in trying to control their mind. Without religious or spiritual goals too it is beneficial to them because it will put them on path to controlling their mind. Perhaps in their next life they will go for spiritual goals. Its written by some Gursikhs that many of the prominent Gursikhs were prominent sages or Yogis in their previous births. They came to Guru-ghar to fulfill or complete their bhagti. A person who japps kirtam Naam can reach very high spiritual mandals but will need Satnaam (the true Naam) to reach the topmost destination of Sachkhand. Same way, perhaps non-spiritual meditation will lead these people to spiritual meditation and eventually to Gurmat meditation of True Naam.

Having said the above, I would like to reiterate that there is absolutely no comparison between the Yoga mediation and Gurmat Naam meditation. Gurmat Naam meditation is truly Ishaq-e-Haqeeqi i.e. love of Vaheguru whereas Vaheguru is not there in Yogic meditation. Vaheguru is the essence of Bhagti. Other forms like Hare Krishna are far superior to Yogic mediation but Gurmat is superior to all because it involves True Naam.

Daas,
Kulbir Singh

 



Re: Meditation/Yoga
Posted by: Mehtab Singh (IP Logged)
Date: October 03, 2007 08:23AM

As usual a wonderful post by Bhai Kulbir Singh ji.

Gurujee has also said that Yoga also adds to one's haumai, as to how much disciplined he/she is. As long as this haumai persists, one will always remains light years away from Vaaheguroo.

 





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