Sunday, May 07, 2006

6. Get connected to Naam through Simran… (The Method part II)

Our awareness generally is focused outside and rarely do we go inside. Naam is within us. The first thing we face when we close our eyes is constant stream of thoughts. This through attractions of daydreaming or fear based thoughts prevents our awareness to go further. We have to go beyond.
A brief idea of structure of our body will give clarity to our goal.
- everything in essence has manifested out of consciousness.
- everything is vibration and changing. Our world at macro level appears solid but at micro i.e. subatomic level there is vibrating energy field.
-our physical body has within it an ethric body which is made up of subtle energy. This ethric body is an exact replica of physical body having all organs. The acupuncture meridians are in the body. This body also has the energy chakra long known to yogis.
-next finer energy body is emotional body and characterizes our psychological condition. -Next fine layer is our mental body. And further fine layers are in spiritual realm.(more details will be written in some other post)

When we close eyes the first layer which is our physical body disturbs a newcomer with an itch here or a pain there. The thoughts and emotions from the next layers keep our awareness occupied. Thoughts are energy patterns .Even the thought energy of others influence us.
Guru Sahib advices us to seek sadh sangat (company of spiritually oriented people and recite/sing Gurbani in there company).During early morning hours (before six) there is minimal thought disturbance, our awareness can go inside easily. Evening hour is another suitable time.
Let us now come to the method proper.

-- Sit in a quite place. Close your eyes. Briefly observe your breathing. Then take your awareness to your head area. Mentally say the command “relax” then feel the scalp relaxing, the forehead relaxing, the eyes relaxing, the nose relaxing and so on. Know that your intention has the creative power of Karta Purakh .You are Jyote Swaroop . Take your awareness to other body parts one by one from head to toe , command “relax” and FEEL THE BODY RELAXING. This will ensure that the physical body does not disturb you further during Simran.

-- With body relaxed start the Jap of Guru Mantra – WAHEGURU. It can be voiced initially and then spoken inside the head only. LISTEN to the JAP. Keep listening as Guru Sahib has advices in Japji Sahib at page 3 of SGGS “ By Listening-your awareness goes into sehaj (a peaceful spiritually connected state). You will automatically feel a pull that takes and keeps you inside not disturbed by incessant thoughts.

-- Keep your awareness inside the head at a point approximately centre between two ears .When you do simran with eyes open keep your awareness focussed around this point.

--At this stage set aside the ego (the makes for an illusion of separateness).FEEL HIS PRESENCE. Don’t dwell on separateness. FEEL all is HIM.

--Do this Simran daily, even with eyes open .When walking look at objects of the world the trees, houses, everything FEEL HIM in them .They have been created out of consciousness so are HIM.When looking at them ,FEEL that HE is actually looking, when driving FEEL HIM actually driving ,holding stearing and so on same simran can be done for other chores.You are not you here but HE who is walking,talking,looking,etc.During this time keep your awareness inside.
Look up in Shree Guru Granth Sahibji , there are a number of Shabads for doing this simran .

--Through daily Simran kirpa is received. Kirpa also comes as per Hukam (Laws and systems that run the universe).When conditions are satisfied Kirpa comes and you actually start feeling HIS presence.The NAAM connection.

Do take a step .You have gurbani to guide and to live with.We have Naam connections at different levels.Shabad in SGGSji and Shabad inside takes us deeper.

...contd