Many things that we remember are related to unfinished tasks
something that we missed out on.
so
when such thoughts do arise during meditation
should we get disturbed because it reminds us of our duty? No
No
Let it come, make a mental note of it
and revert to this noble process of attending to the presence of Divine light in the heart.
Let the Transmission do its job
The main problem with meditation
which we all face one time or the other,
the biggest problem people often complain about is thoughts during meditation.
Thoughts are always arising in the mind, and
this becomes very noticeable during meditation.
My Guide used to say just as eyes are to see, ears are to hear
nose is to smell, tongue is to taste and so is mind to think.
So when we try to suppress
that very nature of mind which is to think, we are going against nature.
Then what is the solution? Solution is this we need to regulate the mind
We need to train our mind in such a way so that it rests on those ideas, those thoughts, their subjectivity,
so that we can dive deeper into those subjects only without being deviated into others
But in true meditation, we transcend beyond thoughts actually,
when we realise how to transcend beyond thoughts moving
away from the thinking apparatus and try to activate the heart and try to feel
the very essence of that object of meditation, then that meditation is successful.
In a rightful meditation, when it is so effective
one will be able to deduce from daily experiences that yes
even though the meditation may have been turbulent because of thoughts
yet a right meditation would result in a shift in consciousness.
See how your consciousness was before starting meditation and after meditating
for twenty minutes to thirty minutes with the help of this Transmission
Despite turbulent meditation you will often see that the result of this meditation was so refined.
There is absolute refinement within, there is so much settledness within.
Often, we are troubled by the thoughts from the past. Out of guilt, perhaps,
some unresolved matters that they pop up in our minds
and often things that we have not completed, they haunt us during meditation.
We see that during our daily activities,
someone calls from home saying, “Please bring milk on your way from the supermarket”
and by the time we are going to bed at 10 pm or 10:30 pm,
suddenly you realise, “I forgot the milk”. Before going to sleep also many thing
Many things that we remember are related to unfinished tasks
something that we missed out on.
so
when such thoughts do arise during meditation
should we get disturbed because it reminds us of our duty? No
No
Let it come, make a mental note of it
and revert to this noble process of attending to the presence of Divine light in the heart.
Let the Transmission do its job
When thoughts do arise, instead of fighting with them, instead of struggling,
it would be nice if we gently remind ourselves, “I am meditating on the Divine light present in my heart”
If we go on paying attention to thoughts like the way you would pay attention to a barking dog,
it is not going to help us. We have to keep on moving gently and softly,
remaining unmindful of things around us. Be compassionate towards yourself.
Let them arise, they will drop off when we ignore them, but ignoring them in a very passive way.
Try to ignore it, “Oh, I will not think of this, I will not think of this” is not going to happen.
Often things we try to evade come back.
I’d like to share with you a beautiful story I heard about a little boy who served his guru for years
with the hope that one day his guru will teach him how to fly like a bird.
The guru said that he will attempt to do so.
He said, “When you are fifteen, on a full moon night, on your birthday,
I will teach you how to meditate,
meditate in such a way that after meditation you will be able to fly like a bird.”
So that fine day came one day, and the boy was very excited. He goes to his guru and says,“I am ready
please teach me how to fly like a bird”. So the guru tells him “I will teach you a method of meditation,you go home
take a shower, wear clean clothes and sit for meditation
but during meditation don’t think of monkeys and there you go.”
On his way he was very happy, “I will not think of monkeys. How can I think of monkeys?
I have never seen monkeys in my life, so there is no way I am going to think of monkeys”.
He goes home, playing with this thought, how to ignore the thoughts of monkeys.
And just when he is about to start at midnight when the full moon is over his head
and with so much of hope he tries to meditate,
suddenly he remembers that his guruji said, “please don’t think of monkeys.”
And there it goes, he is full of monkeys in his mind.
The things we try to avoid generally pop up again and again. The best is not to pay attention
We have to understand why thoughts come during meditation, especially.
You see, it is not that we were not thinking other times. Some thoughts were not coming during other moments.
They were always there. But during meditation we become cognizant of it
Secondly, when the thoughts are there during other activities,
they come but we are busy doing so many other things,
we are watching thing
and not paying attention to inner consciousness.
So, thoughts though they do arise, they go unnoticed in our conscious mind.
When you meditate, now you are face to face with your own consciousness.
In a mirror you are looking at yourself and it is difficult to evade this.
Especially during meditation. And all kinds of thoughts will come, especially negative thoughts,
something that you did wrongly or something that makes you feel ashamed, sometimes guilty.
Very rarely some noble thoughts may arise. But
whatever be the thoughts good or bad, any distraction, I think, disturbs our meditation.