THE MASTER ANSWERS PART 10, Mysticism, reading, forums, Numerology, Sun Signs, Divination

Posts: 5115 · Posted: Thu Aug 19, 2010 9:39 am

Q Would that mean that that is part of our karma too, when we have these pitfalls as we travel on the path?

A Well, sister, sometimes definitely it is due to our karma, and at other times there are so many things playing in the way. They are Kal's (the Negative Power's) devices to keep us away, to make us frustrated, to frighten us from going ahead, to tempt us in many ways. Sometimes we become their victims too; but as long as we are conscious that we are victims, we are conscious of our destination, we are conscious of travel on the path and we want to travel on the path, then we do succeed. The guiding hand is always there to steer us through all those pitfalls, to steer us through all those weaknesses. We pierce through and we do come to the Light. There are many factors to that.

Q Ultimately we are saved by God's grace? In meditation there seems to be sort of a technique. It is almost as if our are pushing buttons, it seems?

A No. I follow your question. Excuse me for interrupting. Meditation is not mechanical. We have to work upon it hard. We have to build the atmosphere of meditation around us. It is not a matter of snatching one or two hours every day and forgetting all about it the rest of the day. We practice because we want to live with it. We live in that atmosphere which we build around ourselves through meditation. That is our fort, which saves us from all the temptations and vices. Meditation is not a push-button affair. It is not physical. You see, it is trying to stop our thoughts from running out. This is just a means. The real meditation is to be in touch with the Sound inside. By this method and means we try to withdraw to this point, the eye center. The actual meditation is to be attached to that Sound inside. That is real meditation. But this is a very strong means, and most important to that end.

Q The initiate may divide the two and one-half hour meditation period into several periods until he can sit for the full two and one-half hours at one stretch. Does initiation help one to sit in meditation for two or three hours at one time?

A I have discussed this question many times. Normallly, we should devote one-tenth of our time to meditation. We, in INdia, have a practice we call seva (service). This initiation into giving of our time to meditation is also giving our seva to the Lord. In seva we always like to give one-tenth of what we have. So, one-tenth of our time is to be devoted to meditation of the Lord. And if we are not lucky enough to give two hours and thirty minutes daily , which comes to one-tenth of our whole time, at one time, we can easily do it in two or three sittings. But we should try slowly and slowly to do it all in the morning at one stretch. Till we can do it all at one stretch, there is absolutely no harm in doing it in two or three sitting. Every moment that we spend in His memory, in His love, in devotion and meditation, is accounted for and credited to us, and we get its benefits.

So, whatever time we can give, we should try to give it. And this is not only the mechanical meditation of giving two hours and thirty minutes, and then forgetting it the rest of the time. Our whole day, every day, should be lived in Sant Mat. We have to live in meditation in our whole life, in our dealings with everybody. It is not only that particular time spent in sitting in meditation that matters; it is our whole living that matters. We have to live the teachings. We have to live in Sant Mat, for Sant Mat, in that atmosphere, day and night. That helps in the long run, and not only the daily two hours and thirty minutes. It must be a part of our life. We have to live it.

Q I have felt that when I attempt to meditate in the center between the eyes, it becomes rather mechanical and I get the feeling that I am sort of twisting God's arm mentally or, without actually saying so, depending on some inner experience, but if I try five minutes of simple prayer I feel as if I am closer and please God much better?

A Well, brother, that is why I always say that mechanical meditation will not help us so much. We have to live in meditation; we have to build up that atmosphere of meditation, of that bliss and peace; live in that meditation, live in that bliss and peace. The mechanical meditation we do need in order to concentrate our mind. If you do a thing every day, we get used to it and develop it into a habit. Similarly, mechanical meditation, as you may call it, if we do it every day, we get so much into the habit of concentration that we forget whether we are doing it mechanically or we are doing it with love and devotion. Until the real love and devotion comes to us, we hardly feel that we are doing anything. We hardly feel we are in love with that. But in order to create that habit within us, we have to start with some way or another. Mere mechanical meditation will not help unless you live in that meditation, become part of that meditation, merge into that meditation. Your whole life should be that of love and meditation. Your whole life should be that of love and meditation, and not just one or two hours of trying to concentrate.

Q If one gets greater pleasure from a devotional approach, should one not stick to it?

A Brothers, it is wonderful if one can get a devotional approach. The object of Repetition or Simran is only to concentrate or to withdraw to the eye center, and this is just a means. The end is to attach ourselves to that Sound, or that Shabd, that Nam, inside. If, by any other practice you can concentrate, and you can bring your consciousness back to the eye center, you are most welcome to do it; there is absolutely no harm in doing that.

Q Why does pain, grief, and loneliness turn one to God, while pleasures, mink coats and wealth turn one away from God?

A Sister, as you have heard in my discourse, we should not look to God as an escape from these worries, or from these miseries, nor should we forget Him in time of pleasure and affluence. We should look to Him in time of pleasure and affluence. We should look to Him with devotion or love; we must base our meditation on love, not on fear. The basis of spirituality is love, not fear. We should not try to worship the Lord thinking that in return should not try to worship the Lord thinking that in return. He will relieve us of our miseries or with the idea to fulfill any of our desires. This is a very inferior type of meditation, inferior type of worship of the Lord. We should worship the Lord thinking that in return He will relieve us of our miseries or with the idea to fulfill any of our desires. This is a very inferior type of meditation, inferior type of worship of the Lord. We should worship Him because we love Him, because we want to go back and merge into Him. With that devotion and love we should try to worship Him. But naturally when we are in agony, when we are in trouble, we want somebody to lean on. And, there cannot be anyone better to lean on than the Lord. So, in time of worries and turmoil, we naturally look to Him, we try to lean on Him. Well, even that is all right. It is a blessing in disguise. But that should not be our reason for worshiping Him. It must come out of love, and not as an escape from reality, from the world.

Q Maharaj Ji, if as you just said, mentally we are talking to our friends, if mentally we are talking with our Sat Guru, does that mean any spiritual enrichment, or not?

A The only advantage is that when you are talking mentally to your Master, you are not talking mentally to other people, and in that way you do not let your thoughts be scattered into the world. Then it will be easier for you to concentrate, spiritually, at the eye center. If you will let your thoughts spread out to the whole world, naturally it will take time to withdraw your consciousness to the eye center. So, it is always better to remain within our own self, or to remain within our Master, to live within.

Q Even if it is just a chat with him in our mind?

A Whatever it may be. It is always good; at least we feel happy about it always.

Q Is it a subsitute for Bhajan?

A No. There is no substitute for Bhajan.

Q Many people feel that with a ouija board they get a person's vibration. It is a type of wood, a small board on legs, which rests on a larger board marked with words, letters of the alphabet, etc., and they get messages. Do you get more of that with your own personal vibrations?

A Sister, I do not know about that. More or less these messages are from our mind, our higher mind; but we are also influenced by other people's mind. We are always influences by the company we keep.

Q Master, when attempting meditation the mind continually runs out and runs after trifles. Would you please explain that matter for corrections?

A Brothers, it is a constant struggle with the mind. It is not so easy to control our mind, when we have given it such a loose hold, It has been spreading in the whole world all of our life; not only in this life, but also in previous lives; it has got into the habit of running out and not staying at all in its own place. So, naturally it takes time to curb it, to bring it back, to withdraw the consciousness to the eye center. It takes time. We want to achieve this in a day or two, but we have to make a regular habit of doing it. When we form a habit of something, automatically we succeed. For example, a child starts learning to climb the stairs. He struggles very hard; sometimes he falls and he may scrape his head, hands, body or feet; he again tries and again falls, but he does not stop trying.

You see, we have all come from the same staircase. We have come down so many steps that we do not feel that we have come from that staircase. In trying to go back up, in the beginning the very first step seemed like the Himalayas for us, but now we do not feel those steps at all. But how? By regular practice. We have made a habit to climb, and now we climb without even being conscious of it. So, we have to make a regular habit of concentrating our mind. That is why saints suggest punctuality and regularity in meditation.

Q There is no special technique, the thing?

A Brother, there is no American short cut. (laughter). You see, Americans are always worrying about how to save time, and how to save dollars and get the maximum. There is no such way in Sant Mat. There is no such way in the devotion of the Lord.

Q It is slow and steady that wins the race, is that it?

A Surely, but we have to be regular and punctual, and live in it. We have also to form a habit of meditation and then slowly and slowly the mind comes back. If every day you do the same thing, ultimately the mind comes back to its own point. It is a constant struggle with the mind, and you cannot fix any time limit or any short cuts on this path.

Q And it is all up, of course, to ninety-nine percent of one's friends and associations?

A Brothers, being with them, we are not to be affected by them. We have to detach ourselves by this constant practice. We will be with them, we will move with them, we will work with them, yet we will not be affected by them. They are, of course, pulling strings, trying to pull us outwards' but there is much more forceful pulling inside that just withdraws us. When you water a tree and a storm comes with great speed, it uproots it from the ground. So, all these group meetings, this hour of discussion, the company of the saints and satsang, this atmosphere of love and devotion, all this is like watering the tree. And when that storm, that severe storm that is Shabd or Nam, comes, our roots are loosened, and we are off -- detached while living our life in this world.

Q Well, will it not take about a million years?

A We are assured that it will take not more than four lives, at the most.

Q Are people who are emotionally disturbed, redy for meditation, or should psychiatry be undertaken?

A Sister, everybody is ready for meditation. Meditation is a treatment for all ills. You will be happy, you will be contented, you will not miss anything, you will not feel frustrated. All these nervous diseases and the like come by all these things. The purpose of meditation is to keep our thoughts concentrated and to be happy within ourselves.

Q Psychiatry does the opposite thing; it scatters, or brings one in contact with one's problems.

A I do not know what that actually is, but the cause of all that is the mind. You see, when we are meditating, we are happy, we are contented within ourselves, then how can we have any mental troubles? Mental trouble is only a symptom: it is not the cause of the disease. You have to root the cause of the disease.

Q Through meditation?

A That is right.

Q One of the brothers asked if you would recommend taking ccertain drugs to keep awake during meditation?

A I am glad he has only asked to take drugs to keep awake. I am glad he did not ask to take drugs to concentrate. People take drugs to keep awake, and then take drugs to go to sleep again. You see the folly of it?

Q You do not recommend them?

A For certain diseases or bodily ailments drugs are essential. To take them for keeping awake is not right.

Q In line with the same type of thinking, do the saints give any credence to the use of color meditation as a tuning fork? Light is color, as I understand it, the different rays or colors are emanations of God, the same as your Sound Current?

A Sister, it is not the outside colors we have to contemplate on. Those colors are inside. They are a reflection of the five elements. You will understand inside, when you will see those colors.

Q Do you think that each and every one has to meditate in the same position?

A No, posture is not of much importance, but it has certain advantage. You people are not used to squatting, so it is perfectly all right for you to select your own posture, in which the body is comfortable so that there is no disturbance because of uneasiness. Yet the posture should not be such as will induce sleep, because one should remain alert. We should not have to wrestle with the body during meditation; it is the mind that we have to control. We have to forget the body. If we are wrestling with it, our mind will be always concerned with the body. Then how can we concentrate? But these postures which are explained to us at the time of initiation are very good from the point of view of health and for keeping alert so that sleep does not overtake one during meditation. For example, if you squat and keep your hands as you are told, your backbone will remain straight; there will not be any pain due to congestion or any other discomfort in the body; nor does this posture give any gastric trouble or other undesirable results as from incorrect or unhealthy postures. But if you cannot squat, you can sit in any way that you find convenient and comfortable. The prescribed posture is such that you do not need anything at all to support you. You do not need a chair, nor do you need any other support. This is for the average man who has nothing with him, as even then he can sit in that posture. Nothing external is needed. One needs only the desire to meditate and thus be in constant communion with Him.