Inner chattering does not stop

To a friend who is having much problem in concentrating while being in maunvrat as Karta bhava does not vanish and inner chatting does not stop.

In one of the bhajans disciples of Osho sing –

"Nahin jeetna hai is mun ko, mun ko sirf samajhana hai.
Yeh sevak se nahin hai jyada, is se nahin ulajhana hai.
………
Mun kaa koi dosh nahin hai, is ka kaam bahakna hai.”

You might have also heard of a story –

“One person approached a guru with a request for getting some mantara to achieve sidhies. Guru did not find the man eligible for a mantara or sidhies. Just to ward him off, the guru asked him to be in the monastery for a month do some chores and come after that. The person did all what was told and came back. Guru again told him to do the same things for another three months and come back. He did that sincerely and came again. Seeing the persistence of the person and at the same time not finding him fit for initiation, the guru found a way out. He gave him a mantara with the condition that when he recites it, he should not be thinking of monkeys. The person said that is not a problem at all and he never had any thoughts of monkeys all his life. He happily came back to his place took bath and sat for recitation of mantara. As soon as he remembered of the condition, the monkeys started jumping all over in his mind. He tried, tried and tried but the very attempt to ensure that the thought of monkeys is not there, there were monkeys all over. He was getting neurotic. He went back to the guru and requested him to take back the mantara and get him free from the monkeys.”

It is, therefore, necessary to understand the nature of mind. This understanding alone leads to state of freedom. The mind works at three levels.

At one level random thoughts involuntarily pop up in mind. These (information inputs) are necessary for the reason that but for random thoughts one would not be able to switch over from one activity to another when the situation demands it. At this level, options are tossed up without value judgement and without any suggestion to act or not to act on the information. This process does not consume any life energy (prana) because one is not causing them to arise. It is just happening – existentially. All great inventions, spiritual revelations (vedas, upnishads) and great works of art like poetry, dance, paintings etc. are the results of this functioning of mind. While in meditation, one should not try to stop this process knowing that it is the basic nature of the mind (Mun kaa koi dosh nahin hai, is ka kaam bahakna hai) and it is a help rather than a hindrance – one would definitely fail if one tries to stop it.

Now suppose you watch a TV serial and sit in meditation after that or the next morning and when trying to concentrate on some object of meditation, the face of TV artiste comes before your eyes, it is OK. The mind has stored a photo or recorded a thought which just pops up – no harm. If we go a little deeper, every image, thought or emotion is nothing but a manifestation of energy (may call it god) – so where is the problem if god appears in those forms. One needs to understand this deeply and thereby peacefully co-exist with the random thoughts that pop-up – not attaching any importance to their rise and dissolution.

Paramhamsa Nithyanandji says that anyone who claims that he becomes thoughtless in meditation is telling a lie (or mistaking sleep for meditation) – even when there is no other thought, the thought that “there is no thought now” is still there. In the state of Samadhi alone one would become thoughtless – not before that.

At the next level, the mind latches on to one of the random thoughts and starts thinking (mind selects a thought for being pursued on account of preferences and prejudices caused by genetic coding and social conditioning – strengthened by repetitive behavior). Here one is involved in the process. The consumption of life energy in this process is low. That is why if one simply (without anxiety) thinks in connection with planning and execution of a task (or while joyfully playing), one does not feel mentally tired or exhausted. If this process starts in the mind while meditating, one should not feel disturbed knowing that this is how the mind functions. At this stage when one remembers that one has strayed from the practice (nama japa, mantra, watching breath, looking at Ajna Chakra, body awareness etc.), the trick is to affectionately bring back the mind to the practice. Bhagvatam says that when the mind strays from the image of the god “to use bahala fusla kar vapas le aao.” Knowing that to stray is the nature of mind – it is not unusual – it is meant and trained to be in that mode – one has to be very patient with it – as soon as one comes to know that mind has strayed – bring it back affectionately. To be one with the infinite, one needs to have infinite patience.

What I have stated above actually works. Being in a state of thoughtlessness may be a final culmination of sadhana but it is not necessary for a sadhaka. Let me tell you, in 25 years of my sadhana, I have never experienced state of thoughtlessness. Still I am almost free (being modest) from all attachments and ambitions and my body and mind are often filled with joy. And Gurus view me as an advanced sadhaka.

Another thing to know is that the frequency and duration of being caught with a thought (straying from object of sadhana) depends upon level of life energy which one has. If one is low on this energy (predominance of tamas) the frequency and duration would me more. Person will be sucked into repetitive thought pattern and will find it difficult to come out of it. It is, therefore, necessary to know as to how to raise the level of life energy (level of consciousness) and work for it. Before discussing that, first let us have a look at the third level at which mind functions.

The third level is where the thinking process triggers an emotional reaction or desire. When emotion or desire is triggered, it acts like a hole in a pot (making the pot empty) or short circuit in an electric circuit (if a very low resistance wire is connected in parallel to an appliance, the current does not pass through the appliance and it stops working). In this state all the life energy is consumed by the emotion or desire and the person looses the control over the mind – the thinking process stops as life energy is not available to that part of the mind which is responsible for thinking. While on the issue, let us not forget that nothing which we are endowed with is useless. This process was also essential in primitive stages of human evolution for survival inasmuch as in the state of danger to life, the emotion of fear or violence will channel all energy to help one to escape from the situation or finish the aggressor (fight and flight syndrome) – the thinking process which necessarily involves time would have been an impediment in such a situation.

But now that there is as such no threat to the body, there is no use of emotion of fear (anxiety) and violence (anger). But these are seated in the inner layers of the mind and the superficial layer (conscious mind) of the mind has no control when emotions get activated. That is why one finds it difficult to come out of anxiety or depression. When one is low on life energy, one has nothing which can help one to come out of the repetitive thoughts or emotions.

So thoughts will come, emotions will arise. This is the nature of mind. If we have higher level of consciousness (life energy – prana), we can come out of it immediately like a child or a saint and become available to the next moment – not bogged down by the past event(s). If life energy is low (we are dominated by tamas), we get caught up by the thoughts and emotions and have no ability to come out of it.

That is why Paramhamsa Nithyananda says that 90% of sadhana is breaking tamas. Osho also asked his disciples to start with dynamic meditation – involving lot of chaotic breathing and physical action.

Now the real thing. How to raise the level of consciousness? Simple – increase the intake of life energy (prana) and reduce its leakage which takes place on account of emotions and desires.

For increasing the intake of life energy (and thereby breaking tamas) one has to bring back one’s breathing process to normal like that of a child (stomach should be made to contract and expand while breathing and not the chest), deep and fast breathing for a while (say 7 to 10 minutes), taking up yogic exercises, brisk walk etc. Paramhamsa Nthyananda’s Nithya Dhyan is also very effective – it is less vigorous – seven minutes of chaotic breathing, followed by 7 minutes of humming and other simpler steps.

And for avoiding emotional reaction (anxiety, sadness, guilt, feeling of uselessness etc.), maun accompanied by some nama japa or mantara (to engage the mind in some activity – it cannot remain idle) and blessings of an evolved one (a master) would help. There is no easier way to get charged (with life energy) and thereby avoid grip of thoughts and emotions than Satsang – being with the evolved ones and with the ones on the path (sadhakas). The japa and mantara in fact do not greatly help unless received from a master – it is his energy that makes them effective.

As for the Karta bhava, it never leaves anyone in any form of sadhana other than bhakti. Reason is simple – in every other form of sadhana, one is supposed to do something and obviously if one is doing it (trying to concentrate) the sense that “‘I’ am doing it” cannot be separated from the act. But even in other forms of sadhana, if one undertakes them playfully (with regularity of course) and with infinite patience (though putting all the effort into it) – there will not be much of a problem. Karta Bhava will continue in subtler form but at the same time one would become sensitive to presence of energy in a charged place (samadhi of a master, temple etc.) or in the presence of master or advanced sadhaka. This opens one to the mystery of existence – one is overwhelmed! That starts the process of dissolution of Karta Bhava and leads one to trust in the intelligence of the existence. This feeling of getting overwhelmed by the reach of the masters and the existence which acts through them gives rise to devotion (bhakti) – one follows the master without doubt even if it is against one’s convictions (sheesh uthaye bhui dhare). In the state of bhakti, there is no Karta Bhava and one is consequently unburdened. The reason being that bhakti, like love, is its own reward – joy by itself, not for fulfillment of any other object. Karta Bhava remains till there is goal to be achieved – in the state of joy (bhakti) there are no questions and no Karta Bhava.

Bhagawat Geeta first takes one through Gyan Yoga, Karma Yoga and Dhyana Yoga. This does not, however, dissolve the confusions (or ego or sense of “I”) of Arjuna. Then Krishna first overwhelms Arjuna with a glimpse of the infinite (mysteries and immensity of existence) and when in that state ‘ego’ has no place to stand, tells him to leave everything and surrender to him. Geeta ends with bhakti yoga. This is how it is.

Till one pursues spiritual quest on one’s own, Karta Bhava will never go. The thoughts would keep arising while one tries to meditate. Effort will eventually tire one out. Consequently one would either give up the quest out of frustration (less likely to happen) or will come in contact with a guru (to seek a way out) who will patiently (no hurry) and lovingly lead him onto the path of Bhakti. Karta Bhava effortlessly dissolves in the presence of a guru leading to bhakti – a way full of joy – all responsibility is his (guru or god).

You have reached a crucial stage in your quest (hare ko hari nama) – this is the purpose of all sadhana – the door is going to open now!