Tejomoyee Ma discusses the three phases of spiritual practice that purify the mind and help attain to the Supreme.
1. Shravan - the process of hearing about spiritual things. The teachings need to penetrate our being, we must let them into our heart and mind. How? By listening with apt attention. By connecting our mind to the 5 senses. Otherwise if we are distracted when listening then it won’t go into our hearts at all.
2. Manan - the process of contemplating on the subject. After we have heard the spiritual talk, the information must take time to be assimilated into our mind, to settle in and be made sense of. Hence we contemplate after about what was said and how it makes sense to us. In the beginning we may need to exert some intention to turn this wheel of the mind but then our mind will automatically begin to dwell and contemplate on the subjects because we will see their manifestations in our daily life.
3. Nididhyasana - Letting the new spiritual thoughts run through our mind all day long, until they become a one continuous flow.
People’s minds are usually dwelling and obsessing about all kinds of worldly things all day long (and night too!). Much of this happens subconsciously. We have to become very conscious about what goes on in the mind. What the practice of Nididhyasana does is gently replace these worldly thoughts with spiritual thoughts. Otherwise, how can one develop and progress if their minds are thinking more about the world than about God?
Being forceful is not the solution either, or it will backfire. Bhagavan says to be gentle and enjoy the present moment, enjoy the world. But do it in a spiritual manner. Suffuse your life with pleasant spiritual thoughts and contemplations, and seamlessly your heart and mind will become purified, and great happiness and bliss will start to permeate your life. Topics can include the teachings you heard, how they make sense in your life, chanting of spiritual songs, repeating your mantra, thinking about your teacher, etc.
Eventually even the spiritual thoughts will need to go, as they are just used in the process. (Editor further notes): Sri Ramakrishna used to say that we use one thorn to take out another. Then both thorns are thrown away. So in this process, we should be flexible, not rigid. We shouldn’t get attached even to the thoughts of God/spirituality. Then working in this way, one day, all thoughts will cease by themselves. The moment this happens, even if for a fraction of a second, the person goes into Samadhi and sees the truth. Then the mind changes forever.
All this practice becomes effortless with time. Spiritually begins to attract the practitioner because of it's pleasantness, lightness and truth.
Biography of Tejomoyee Ma
1. Shravan - the process of hearing about spiritual things. The teachings need to penetrate our being, we must let them into our heart and mind. How? By listening with apt attention. By connecting our mind to the 5 senses. Otherwise if we are distracted when listening then it won’t go into our hearts at all.
2. Manan - the process of contemplating on the subject. After we have heard the spiritual talk, the information must take time to be assimilated into our mind, to settle in and be made sense of. Hence we contemplate after about what was said and how it makes sense to us. In the beginning we may need to exert some intention to turn this wheel of the mind but then our mind will automatically begin to dwell and contemplate on the subjects because we will see their manifestations in our daily life.
3. Nididhyasana - Letting the new spiritual thoughts run through our mind all day long, until they become a one continuous flow.
People’s minds are usually dwelling and obsessing about all kinds of worldly things all day long (and night too!). Much of this happens subconsciously. We have to become very conscious about what goes on in the mind. What the practice of Nididhyasana does is gently replace these worldly thoughts with spiritual thoughts. Otherwise, how can one develop and progress if their minds are thinking more about the world than about God?
Being forceful is not the solution either, or it will backfire. Bhagavan says to be gentle and enjoy the present moment, enjoy the world. But do it in a spiritual manner. Suffuse your life with pleasant spiritual thoughts and contemplations, and seamlessly your heart and mind will become purified, and great happiness and bliss will start to permeate your life. Topics can include the teachings you heard, how they make sense in your life, chanting of spiritual songs, repeating your mantra, thinking about your teacher, etc.
Eventually even the spiritual thoughts will need to go, as they are just used in the process. (Editor further notes): Sri Ramakrishna used to say that we use one thorn to take out another. Then both thorns are thrown away. So in this process, we should be flexible, not rigid. We shouldn’t get attached even to the thoughts of God/spirituality. Then working in this way, one day, all thoughts will cease by themselves. The moment this happens, even if for a fraction of a second, the person goes into Samadhi and sees the truth. Then the mind changes forever.
All this practice becomes effortless with time. Spiritually begins to attract the practitioner because of it's pleasantness, lightness and truth.
Biography of Tejomoyee Ma
So nice
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