Sharing Sanjivani -Part 4

Chapter- (518) How could a person follow AATMANIGRAH?

(518) How could a person follow AATMANIGRAH?

शिवप्रसादेन विना न सिद्धिः शिवप्रसादेन विना न बुद्धिः।

शिवप्रसादेन विना न युक्तिः शिवप्रसादेन विना न मुक्तिः।।

Even when Guru blesses his pupil, he would not be able to know how to control his senses. As Vedas say that without blessings of Aadi Shiv no one could get knowledge, no techniques could be learned, no accomplishment of any Siddhi, or no liberation could be observed. First of all, a pupil should be a great devotee then only he would be able to understand आत्मा-अनात्मा . Here we understand Atma as mind and आत्म विनिग्रह means to control our mind. A mind always provides two things thoughts and determination. Thoughts vary in quality. They come and go, but when a thought is stuck in our mind and we could not come out from its hold, it becomes our determination संकल्पम्.

Every decision does not become firm determination but when it becomes our firm determination, we try to accomplish that desire because of two factors. It may satisfy our Ego or it may satisfy our Envy. Thought can be visible to the mind as we see our image in a mirror but the difference is that a mirror never holds anything while determination is like a camera it is like a film or a video. It captures pictures.It could be a still photograph or it may hover our mind continuously as a video shows moving pictures. The frequency of pictures of some thoughts creates movements and we feel the temptation to accomplish it. It may be about success, a lovable person, or any kind of achievement. A person thinks continuously that he would not concentrate on Dhyan. His determination is lost. His focus is disturbed and hence he wants to control his mind . He should practice controlling his mind and he should try to be free from thoughts inspired by ambition, ego, jealousy, or envy.

And for that, he should use the content of knowledge. Lord Shri Krishna says to Arjun, "O Arjun try to make a U-turn of your thoughts, whenever a mind roams here and there because a mind is unsteady by nature. It is very difficult to control it and it is more difficult to focus the mind on anything, especially during meditation."

यतो यतो निश्र्चरति मनश्र्चञ्चलमस्थिरम्।

तत्स्ततो नियम्यैतदात्मन्येव वशं नयेत्।।(भगवद्गीता ६-२६)

Lord Krishna shows tricks to control our thoughts and reminds us to correct the mind's attitudes and to control our thought processes. Lord Krishna says," O Arjun! Try to control your mind whenever it takes diversion. First of all, If you think about any person, event, happenings or situation try to control your thoughts. It may be done through meditation . Secondly, if you are not able to control your mind, let him roam about persons, places, things, or situations but try to see Paramatma in everybody or in everything. Thirdly, when you try to meditate or concentrate your mind on God, all the worldly things and memories would try to occupy your mind, but you should not be afraid of anything, as you are used to the Sansar and worldly things and it would take time to abandon all the worldly fascination about things, persons and thoughts. Hence whenever you try to meditate or sit alone in solitude, worldly things would try to occupy your mind. Further, as you see Sansar with your physical eyes, you think of it as real and hence you think of everything, even persons as yours. This illusion would not allow you to concentrate on Paramatma but the moment you think everything belongs to Paramatma and when you try to see Paramatma in everybody, you would establish your conversation with God naturally.