Tug of War inside Mind

How often have we felt that a part of our own self wants to be in this world, while another part yearns to be closer to the God within? There is so much to do, both in our professional and personal life, both in our material and spiritual worlds, that there is constant tug of war inside our mind.

It is not that we do not yearn or value the spirit within, the God and His grace. But when we come face to face with daily grinding of day to day life, professional pressures of this competitive world, we struggle to stay afloat, to make sure that there is food at table, loan installments being paid within time, school fees of children being paid, and social relations being maintained to some level .

We are so preoccupied with coping to stresses of day to day life, in striving for professional success in this world that we awaken each morning with an anxiety to a mind cluttered with problems and daily to do lists. We often find ourselves struggling for time, and as a result totally neglect our contact with inner self through meditation.

That is where our lives have become a medley of total contradictions. The mystics explain to us that just as a needle has a natural pull towards a magnet, our soul has a natural inclination towards its source the Lord. And because meditation is the only possible path we can traverse to go within and meet our Creator, we will never find true happiness unless we channelize our energy towards meditation.

So we constantly remind ourselves that whatever we acquire and accumulate during this life money, property, name and fame none of it will go with us when we die. And as long as we are in this human body, we should make use of it and search for our real home. American playwright, Sam Shepard writes about home:

I feel like I've never had a home, you know? I feel related to the country, to this country, and yet I don't know exactly where I fit in... There's always this kind of nostalgia for a place, a place where you can reckon with yourself.

Is Meditation Difficult?

Paramhansa Yoganand states:

The soul loves to meditate, for in contact with the Spirit lies its greatest joy. If, then, you experience mental resistance during meditation, remember that reluctance to meditate comes from the ego; it doesnt belong to the soul.

Logically, if the Lord had designed the path leading back to Him, within us, there cannot be anything more simple and natural than just following it. Then why we find it difficult? Perhaps we are too complicated to practice something so simple. We keep our mind busy in analyzing, raising queries and doubts. Saints advise to practice more than analyzing.

Meditation, one of the most commonly used terms in the West, could mean different things to different people. For some to meditate is simply to contemplate(I will meditate on this). For others meditation is an attempt to connect with something larger than ourselves. For some, Yoga and meditation are synonyms. For Buddhists meditation is mindfully observing the breath. Whatever their approach, people tend to agree that meditation generally helps to reduce stress and achieve serenity and calmness. Saints explain meditation as the process of raising your consciousness through which self-realization and God-realization are obtained. Osho says:

Mindfulness is Buddhas word for meditation. By mindfulness he means: you should always remain alert, watchful. You should always remain present. Not a single thing should be done in a sort of sleepy state of mind. You should not move like a somnambulist, you should move with a sharp consciousness.

Most of us are looking for quick results in meditation and hence encounter this frustration. Saints explain to us that everything will unfold at the right time. We have to learn to be patient and submit to the Lords will. After all, He is more anxious to see us reach out true Home than we are.

A disciple was having difficulty with his meditations. He asked Sri Paramhansa Yogananda, Am I not trying hard enough?The Master answered, You are trying too hard. You are using too much will power. You become nervous. Just be relaxed and natural.As long as you try to meditate, you wont be able to, just as you cant sleep so long as you will yourself to sleep. Will power should be used gradually. Otherwise, it may become detrimental. Thats why it is better, in the beginning, to emphasize relaxation.

Bring Simplicity in Life

We have to work to bring simplicity into our lives. We have become too much worldly and are forever craving for more: more property, more money, more security, latest car, latest mobile.

We are amazed that there are people around us who can live humbly and simply. We have heard accounts of simple, innocent people who followed the mystics instructions and experienced their consciousness leaving their bodies to higher spiritual regions. So what is our intellect, knowledge and literacy worth if it cannot help us achieve the main purpose of human life. As Henry David Thoreau (American philosopher) talked about simplicity, he said:

I do believe in simplicity. It is astonishing as well as sad, how many trivial affairs even the wisest thinks he must attend to in a day; how singular an affair he thinks he must omit. When the mathematician would solve a difficult problem, he first frees the equation of all encumbrances, and reduces it to its simplest terms. So simplify the problem of life, distinguish the necessary and the real. Probe the earth to see where your main roots run.

Contentment

Saints explain to us that contentment is an important aid to meditation. A mind that is forever craving for more is a restless one, and hence will not allow the body to sit still in meditation. We cannot have control over the one without the other. If the mind is uneasy and erratic, the actions of the body will be the same, so we have to learn to develop an attitude of gratitude towards the Lord for giving us so much in abundance.

For most of us, contentment means being satisfied with our financial or social situation but saints give a very broad definition of it. They say that if one does not gain any object despite of his great efforts, or succeeds to a very small extent only and yet remains calm and collected and does not feel troubled in his mind, he is said to have contentment. When one is surrounded by troubles on all sides, is not honored by anyone, is talked ill of by everyone and is faced with defeat on all sides, but does not feel aggrieved by the thought that others are happy, then it is a sign of contentment.

Cutting off the Attachments

We are stuck in this whirlpool of birth and death due to our deep attachments. Our roots stretch back not only through this life but to billions of previous lives. The only way to get out of this is to cut these roots with the sword of Holy Word. As Christ says in the Bible: I come not to send peace but a sword. When we go through worldly suffering sometimes a feeling of detachment is created in us. These sufferings make our stay in the world so miserable that we automatically look for that peace within, and we feel the need to give more time to our meditation.

A Happy Ending

Let us be thankful that, despite of our miniscule efforts in meditation to become one with the Creator, they story of our life will definitely have a happy ending. We will succeed in our endeavor because God is with us, and will be with us, all the way. The end is guaranteed to be happy, but the Lord still wants us to put in that miniscule effort of attending to our meditation regularly, and living in his Will. It is the only way we can thank Him for everything that He has blessed us with.