Meditation For A Fresh Mind

Thu, 07/16/2015 Bad Antogast, Germany

(Below is a continuation of post What Makes A Great Warrior)

Dear Gurudev, I know that it is a recommended not to think during meditation, but all my best ideas come to me exactly when I sit for meditation in the morning. I don’t want to miss them and so I let my mind work during meditation. Am I doing something wrong.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

It is quite natural that when you are more relaxed great ideas come to you. Write them down but don’t stop mediation, continue.

For some of you morning meditation is deeper, and for some others afternoon is better. For some body types, the body is awake and full of activity in the morning and so in the morning you may not be able to meditate. Never mind, you can do it in the afternoon before lunch. Meditate when the body is a little tired, and a little hungry. You should not be too tired, then you will go to sleep.

Initially, getting a little tired helps because the rajas in the body has completed its time. Tamas is total sleep, so before tamas comes in and once rajas is finished, in between the two states you can experience sattva, and that is when you can go deep in your meditation.
So, for some meditating in the afternoon may be better, and for some meditating in the evening may be better.

If you cannot meditate twice a day, then you must meditate at least once a day. If you don’t meditate even once then you will be stinking, just like how you would stink when you don’t brush your teeth.
Brushing the teeth is dental hygiene, meditation is mental hygiene. You must meditate, never mind even if you are bombarded with thoughts, just sit for twenty minutes and relax. Listen to the meditation CDs, it will help you. Meditate even when the mind is chattering. Play some bhajans, do some chanting, all this will also take you into deep mediation.

Dear Gurudev, isn’t it an addiction to do sadhana every morning instead of making breakfast for my husband, or meeting friends, or watching TV and playing with my grandson?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

You doing mediation is in no way contradicting you making breakfast for your husband or for yourself. It’s not an alternative for breakfast. Meditation is not a choice for breakfast. This is like asking, should I use the toilet or should I brush my teeth? You need both.

If you don’t want to do something you will find one hundred excuses not to do it. But when you want to do something, you can do it in spite of your busy schedule. Everyone has only twenty four hours in a day, and in that you should take a little time for yourself. Sit on your bed and meditate before your husband wakes up. No one can disturb you at that time.

Don’t think you are obliging me or someone else by meditating. You are not meditating for me, nor is it an obligation towards anybody. Meditation does so much good to your nervous system and brain, so you should do it.
You don’t need to be so fanatic and say, "I am not going to answer the phone or attend to the knock on the door because I am meditating". Get up and attend to that. If the children are crying first attend to that. Attend to any emergency and then sit and meditate.

Please talk about Yagnas and the effect they have on us.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Yagnas are an ancient science that work on the subtle level of consciousness.

If you open a transistor, you will find a circuit diagram on a piece of metal chip. Our cell phone chips have this too. In the same way, there are certain diagrams which are there in this universe for energy to move. The ancient people knew this and they called these diagrams Yantras.

They Yantras are geometrical figures, and are a very important part of any yagna. They are used along with the five elements (Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether), specific chants and specific rituals to activate certain energies in the atmosphere.

Yagnas cleanse the subtle atmosphere from negative energy and infuses positivity. People throw negative thoughts and negative emotions into space, and that has to dissolve and disappear somewhere, and that’s when they use these Yantras, Mantrasand Tantras in the Yagnas.

In a Yagna, many different things are done in a specifically designated manner to produce a definite effect. It is very beneficial to participate in a Yagna, and its effects are more for those who meditate. When the people who sit for the yagna and the people who are performing the yagna are both meditators then the impact is more. Sometimes people do it just as a ritual, then its impact is not that great.

There are different Yagnas for health, happiness, progress and removing obstacles in life.

Can we alter our time of death by taking better care of ourselves and by praying. Or when it’s time to go, no one can alter that?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

This is a mystery. There is a possibility to extend life if the soul desires it. But that should be an innate desire from the soul and not from someone else. Sometimes, someone else’s desire can also work, but that is only sometimes.

This is a well-guarded secret as to when someone is to exit from this planet. Meditation, yoga and taking good care of oneself will definitely have an impact.

Dear Gurudev, I want to win a minimum of 10 million Euros from the national lottery. I will give 90% to different Art of Living projects. Please somehow send me the correct lotto numbers to make this happen.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

If you want to donate 90%, then you should work hard and earn that money. That’s a better way to do it. Don’t look for easy money. Easy money will go away easily as well.

There is ethics in spirituality also. If the coach himself is playing the game, what will the players do? The coach has a role to play. So, don’t ever expect me to give you the numbers of a lottery ticket.

It is good that you have a sense of humor, that is needed. We should have a sense of humor and not take things too seriously. So if you are dreaming of it, you will get it in the dream only. A dream wish will come true in the dream only.