What Are The Obstacles On The Path Of Meditation

1:14:22

1:14:22

What Are The Obstacles On The Path Of Meditation

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Meditation

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Freedom, Happiness, and wisdom We will follow the four-step approach as taught and passed on to us by great masters of Eastern wisdom. Learning the principles - I do not know, let me know it. Clarity and conviction - I do not understand it; let me understand it. Practice - I do not experience it; let me practice it. Change in life- I do not change; let me share experience and find out how to correct if there is a problem.

Meet your Teacher

Gilbert, AZ, USA

Meet your Teacher

Gilbert, AZ, USA

Transcript

The hormonal shifts in our brains and our bodies. There are chemical misfirings or whatever in our brains that can influence our moods. I understand we can use all the tools to divert, Et cetera, And there is some reality of chemistry in our bodies, To wake up feeling like crap, For example, And have to have the pep talk. Yes, Yes, Yes, It's a beautiful question, And that is why we need to study again and again until the knowledge is settered in our mind and we get out of the illusion. Having said that, Now understand what we are learning. What I say the Eastern wisdom, And the Eastern wisdom separates the real self from the non-self. First, And that real self, That real self cannot be affected, Influenced, Dictated by any chemical, Any hormone, Anything in the, From outside. That is the second point. So once I understand that there is an entity within all of us, Which we see real self, It is the pure consciousness that is beyond the impact of any chemical, Any brain, Any thought in the mind. Now comes your question, That it is a reality that the hormone, It is the reality that the hormone influences us. So who we are, Are we the real self or are we the brain? We are not the brain, We are not the chemicals. This is the third point. Now comes the fourth point, Which is the essence of the Eastern wisdom. What is that essence? Until we evolve and awaken to real self, The brain is using the consciousness under limitations. Then your statement is true. As long as the brain is using the consciousness, Then we definitely will be influenced and dictated by hormonal imbalance or balance. Right? Now, What happens when we learn and study Eastern wisdom? We reach to a state where consciousness is using the brain. Consciousness is using the brain. When the consciousness is using the brain all the time, You need not to worry about these things. So what happens? Consciousness is all knowing and it is using the brain. It will take care of itself. Until then, Your statement is true. After that, Your statement breaks away and melts away. Melts away. Now the fifth point, What we are looking for. The Eastern wisdom says we are looking for discovery of the real self. So when I discover my real nature, That is our goal. That is our goal. So once you discover your real nature, These things become secondary in your life. It appears the same way. Today this hormone is good, Tomorrow that hormone is bad. Today is a good morning and tomorrow is a bad morning. I brought you to the same thing. So you see that what we are, Where we started the journey, We started the journey in Yoga Sutra. You see that Yoga Sutra has 195 principles, 195 Sutra. And there is a very small little book, Sadhana Panchakam that we did last year. So it contains only 40 steps. Right, Then why to study the different texts? That question may come. So understand that why? And there is a second point, Leslie, I will expand your question. In a way that I'm doing all this, I'm attending the lessons, I'm doing all the practices, Still I am suffering. And those who are not doing any practice, They are also suffering. You know, See that I'm going against my own profession. Why the hell we should study? Those who are not doing, They are also suffering. And those who are doing, They also suffering. So few people return like a peacock. Okay, So what is the reason? The reason is that I have not assimilated the knowledge very well. So when I have not assimilated the knowledge very well, Then what should I do? I should continue to study and practice. Okay, Are you clear? Why I have not assimilated the knowledge? One day I say, Oh, I have reached to the peak. And then other day, It is a bad morning, As usual. So it means I have not assimilated the knowledge clearly. Why I have not assimilated the knowledge? We are not going to blind belief. Everything is very much logical, Rational in the journey of the Eastern. Answer your question. Why I have not assimilated the entire knowledge? Now see the other scenario. I have assimilated the entire knowledge. Then I am the highest level of a seeker. I live, Work, Think and speak in peace, Happiness, Love and wisdom. Take it, It is an awakening. That is one situation. And the other situation is, I have not assimilated the knowledge, But answer why? It is because of hormone. It is because of vagandite or non-vagandite, Et cetera, Et cetera. No. Something is left in my mind. What we say the defects in the mind, The impurities in the mind, The ignorance in the mind. It is still there. That is why it is not working. What should I do? Next question, Answer. I should continue to study, Gain the knowledge, Continue to the practice until this knowledge is settled perfectly and 100%. So when it is settled 100%, Then what happens? You are there. You know. It is not the thought bad or good morning. Again, Leslie, I'm again using the same word. Not for you, But for everyone. Now this mind does not perceive outer conditions are responsible for my misery. It is only the mind. That is the first answer. And the second answer, The knowledge to settle in the intellect takes time. Takes time. That is why we have kindergarten, Primary, Middle, High school, Bachelor's, Master's, PhD, I mean there is an MD. Knowledge takes time. Just by birth, Can you enroll into PhD? You see, Knowledge takes time to settle. So many of you have been continuing the journey, But to make this understand, I have, My mind should be calm and relaxed to understand this principle. Otherwise, You don't do that enough. I'm also suffering. You are also doing yoga and meditation and you are also suffering. What is the difference? So when we take it at the surface level, It will not work. So we have understood in the beginning that what exactly is this Eastern wisdom or yoga to settle into the highest state of meditation. Then we understood what exactly is the cause of suffering. If you remember, Recall. There are five groups of thought pattern, Objective states of the mind, And there are five subjective states of the mind. Then we came down, We said, Okay, We have understood. So then what is the next question? What is the practice? Then we have understood what exactly is the practice. So I always say, Regular practice with wisdom, With the knowledge inside in the intellect is there, That continues to seek the real self and searching becomes the practice. So there are two parts of the practice. Actual, Whether you're breathing long and deep, Saying, Oh, That is a practice, But do you keep your knowledge of the self in the intellect? If you don't keep the knowledge of the self in the intellect in the field of awareness, Then another problem comes. I've been doing the practice for the last 10 years, Nothing happened. Nothing will happen. Why should anything happen? Why should anything happen? You're doing it habitually. Instinctively. Knowledge is not there, Settled in the intellect. Why should it happen? It should not happen. Who is saying? I'm not saying, You know, I don't know anything. Patanjali is saying this. Understand, Knowledge. So that is why the teacher gossips again and again and again and again, You know? That is why in the beginning I gossip before the practice. But it's a good gossip. It is directed to a particular goal. And once we understood, Then we Patanjali said, The four stages of meditation, And then the final stage of meditation, Where we enter into the total emptiness state of the mind. And when we have an emptiness, The knowledge of the reality, Knowledge of the real self reveals, This is what Leslie I was saying, That consciousness, That consciousness is now using the brain. You are done with everything. So we have done it. And after that, We understood what we have understood. In the next few sutras, We have understood that where we are heading to. And in the last week, We understood Om is the designator of the real self, The name. Like your name is Leslie, David, So same way the real self. But the way I know David, Say for example, So I know by the attributes of the David. I do not link David to someone else except Jerry. See, This is the knowledge. So do I keep that knowledge of the Om in the mind? And I do the practice continuously, Regularly without break, What happens? I reach to the highest state. Clear? I summarized all the sutras. Then the last week we considered that if we regularly practice with wisdom, Then all the obstacles are removed, Even by Om meditation. Whether you say that Om three meditation or Om meditation. Normally we have three steps. So you see that? So Om meditation. So now Patanjali is very clever, Very intelligent. So now he's asking that why you don't succeed, There are nine obstacles. He did not talk in the very beginning. If he talked in the beginning, Then you will say, Who will do this practice? Let me take a drink, Relax and sleep. Finished. You see the journey, The way you understand, The greater, The deeper the understanding, Knowledge takes time to settle. So what he says, I will just name and then we will go one by one. Byadhi means disorder in the body level. That is why we cannot become steady, But why we cannot become steady, While practicing meditation, We will take in detail. Another word that he says the second obstacle is Theans. Theans means dullness. I have a private guidance, You know, I coach her. She is in Phoenix, So she was laughing and she told me last week, You see that? When I woke up in the morning at five, My mind said, No, I don't want to join today. So let me send you an email to you not to join. But the next moment I said, I have to progress. You see, The knowledge settles, Takes time. And then she joined. And before that, She was telling me that every, For the last three weeks, My mind says, No, No, No, No, I don't want to join today, I'm not feeling well. Dullness, Problem. I'm just pointing and then we will go in detail. Third is Sansaya. Sansaya means doubt. Do you doubt me? Doubt me, Nothing will happen. If you have doubt about the knowledge, Remove that doubt. That is more important. And the beauty of the masters is that, Do you remember I talked in a couple of times, What exactly means the doubt? The doubt for anything in the world means the knowledge is sleeping. Simply remember I have a doubt. I have a doubt about Kate, No, Knowledge is sleeping. Let me remove that doubt, Let me get more knowledge. And your own mind makes fun of you, What the hell you are making a doubt? There is nothing to doubt. Now I have the right knowledge. So here the knowledge is about the journey, About the real self. And the next one is known as Pramadha. Biyadhi, Stay on, Sansaya, Pramadha. Pramadha means carelessness, Negligence. I am sure where the money, Where the mind knows the money is coming, You are never careless. Do you see that? Daniel is love. But where the question of knowing my real self comes, I become negligent. And I have heard you weird guy, When I'm suffering, You might also be suffering. You see the doubt has come first, And the second because you are also suffering, Hence let me also become careless. Careless, Careless about you, No, Careless about yourself. So you see that the series of these obstacles prevents you to succeed in meditation. Five, One, Two, Three, Four, No, Four I have taken. Then the fifth one is Alasya. Alasya means laziness, Indolence, Sloth. John was saying, Can I point you out? If you don't want me to point you out. He admitted that, You know, I was, I went into sleep. So we have to understand why the sleep comes and how to get rid of it. Avirati, Next one is Avirati, Overindulgence. Or you can say clinging to the things. Okay, Close my eyes. I say close your eyes. And the mind is still enjoying the pasta that I had eaten yesterday. See, We have to go very deep. Why we have to go very deep? To understand each and every aspect. Oh, These are the challenges. That is an obstacle. That is why I do not succeed. Oh, Include hormone also. Avirati is that over, Then there comes the Branti. Branti means delusion, Delusion. I say pay attention to the breath and you associate breath with some kind of pleasure outside. Come on. This is the nature of the mind. I'm pointing out so that you can work on your mind and you know it is happening. It is happening. Branti, Delusion, There are hundreds of delusions. Then another problem comes, Non-attendment of results in meditation. I don't get the result. I practice, I practice, I practice. So what happens when you don't get the result? You start comparing yourself with others. That is also a great obstacle. See that? Now the ninth one is, I have covered all the nine? No, I have covered, I think the ninth one is known as Darshan, Alabdhu Bhumika. It is very wonderful way the Patanjali has put it. So let me translate into English that just see that you are already into that state of meditation, But you don't recognize it. You are in your home, Two-pack, Three-pack, Four-pack. It depends on capacity. And now you are intoxicated and you say me, Say, Take me to my home. You are already in your home. Do you see that? Did you understand that? That is the last of state. No, You are at your home. You are on intoxicated, You are drunk and you say to me that, Why don't you take me to my home? You are already in your home, But you don't recognize it. You don't realize because you are intoxicated. Same way the mind is intoxicated with lot of thoughts and ideas, Et cetera, Et cetera, Et cetera. I think I covered all Anavasthita. And yeah, There is ninth one, I think, Chitta Vickshepa, Darshan, Alabdha Humika. And Vickshepa is normal. Vickshepa means distraction, Inattention, Confusion. Confusion. So these are the nine obstacles that prevents you to succeed in meditation. To realize and recognize the journey of the Eastern Western. So we will take a one and one after the other, The way the Byasa has given the commentary on these. So now comes the fundamental problem and then we will start our journey. If I feel I am ignorant, Ignorant means I have an incomplete knowledge. What is the solution? Satsang, This is Satsang. This kind of a gossip is Satsang. You are listening and learning again and again and again and again, So that incomplete knowledge becomes the complete knowledge. That is known as Satsang. Shravanam, The step is Shravanam, Listening and learning from a crazy teacher. If you have doubt, So where is the doubt in your mind? What I said doubt means knowledge is sleeping. Then you have to sit every day, Contemplate and reflect on these principles, What you have learned from the teacher. So if you do not contemplate and reflect on these principles the doubt will continue. And one day you will say, What a crazy beard guy. He has a big beard. That's why he claims that he knows everything. So still the doubt is sleeping. No, It has nothing to do with me. I carry that tradition. So contemplation and reflection, What will happen? The intellect will settle in discernment and dispersion. Now the intellect says, I know I have yet to achieve it, But I know what it is. And if you have a false knowledge in the mind, Then practice, Practice, Practice, Practice. Is everything clear? So we will take up one obstacle, Two obstacles in couple of sessions in the future and we will understand. So understand there is no doubt. So what will happen? The moment I sit, I make my position and I sit. So I know that I can sit for about three to four hours. No issue at all. No issue. Provided if I sit in Padmasana, The Lotus pose. Because the intellect is constantly removing those obstacles inside and makes you, Keeps you in there. So I'm repeating again and then we will start. What is that? First thing, If I'm ignorant, Ignorant does not mean that you are not intelligent. I'm not saying that. Master is saying ignorant means incomplete knowledge. Mind, Is there a real self? No. Mind objects to it, Reacts to it. Then I must listen to the teacher again and again and again and again and again and again. Why? So that he gives a different perspective, Cross referencing and it goes into your head. If I have doubt, What should I do? Do I have a little five minutes, 10 minutes time to contemplate and reflect? Doubt will be removed. It is a universal principle by more than 3000 teachers. They realize that this is what it is. And then the last one, Last one what I said. Last one what I said. So what I said, If I have false knowledge in the mind, Then I should practice, Practice and practice, Practice, Practice, Practice. So let us go for practice. Eyes are closed. Eyes are closed. Now see based on these three, We will go. So first is, Eyes are closed. Why we close the eyes? The intellect knows it fully, It is aware. Why it is aware? Because the real self is within me. I have not to pay attention. What the mind brings at this moment, About the room, About others, About my anxiety, About my challenges, Not this time. And then I look at the body. So when I look at the body, I make it little subtler. You see that? I am using I word as if it is you are using for yourself. So I take my mind to the neck joint. Intellect is aware of what I'm seeking. See that? Intellect is aware, I'm coming to your house. Practice is driving. So, So I feel sensation, Comfortable and, Comfortable and steadiness. Check again, Is the mind looking in within space? Oh, Yes. So doubt is not there. See how simple even I can give you one practice only on one step, Which you feel it is being comfortable for the whole one hour. With that, That awareness and attention, We have to go deeper, Then the success touches our feet. Look at the shoulder joints. So mind is aware, Yes, I'm looking. Not only looking, You experience the sensation, Comfortable and steadiness. Check the mind is looking within or it jumps outside. So then you know, The understanding between the success and the failure. I'm also talking and I'm listening to what I'm talking. And I feel and I live into that awareness. It will happen to everyone. It's not a big deal. Looking at the entire body, All the joints of the body, Move the mind and all the joints of the body, One after the other. And my friends, You experience sensation, Being comfortable and steadiness. Check again, You see what I said? Practice means we have studied that regular practice with wisdom and the wisdom contains two elements, Discernment and dispassion with a goal in the mind. Then what happens? Your comfort is at the highest level. You already know, I strictly adhere to the traditional wisdom. There is nothing that belongs to me. So being carefree, Another way to become carefree, Become aware of the world, Just outside your body, The room, The articles, Colors in the forms and the shapes, Just an awareness. See the mind is not attached there to anything. Then, Then to the body, Then to the breath, Then come to the thoughts. This is the exact meaning, Meaning let there be a thought, Let it come, Let it go. So what does it mean, Let it come and go? You are aware of the space behind all the thoughts. Check, Are you aware? These thoughts have been continuing its journey since I started speaking and understanding the language, What the heck, Why should I pay attention? The intellect says. What happens then? You may be surprised if I say the body does not want to move because of mind, Yes. And now, Now we move to the next step. Look at the head and the neck, Outside, On the skin, Mind and the intellect, Mind says I'm not going anywhere. So you experience sensation, Relaxation and stillness. You see that I'm joining the two part obstacle, Mind is going somewhere and mind is not going anywhere. The result is sensation, Relaxation and stillness. Look inside, Why? Intellect is seeking the real self. So the mind naturally is looking inside in the state of calmness and quietness. Yes, How simple. Look at the right arm. I am simply said look at the right arm and the mind is ever ready. It moves to an experience of sensation, Relaxation and stillness and it is looking inside. Why it is looking inside? You know it. So you may have an experience of calmness and quietness. Now, Looking at the left arm, Same thing happens. I need not to say. Chest in the belly, Middle portion of the body, Sensation, Relaxation and stillness and inside, Calmness and quietness. See that? Right leg. Outside sensation, Relaxation and stillness and calmness and quietness. You see that? Today I'm using very few words, Few instructions. When we live into that awareness, Which the master talks about, We are the left leg, Outside sensation, Relaxation and stillness and calmness and quietness. And calmness and quietness, The entire body. Oh, Entire body. So you see that? If the mind is totally free, It says yes. You instantly experience sensation in terms it may be tingling, It may be numbness, It may be freezing. So intellect says I have recognized and I accept it. Continue. And the intellect is somewhere else. Dissegment is not there. You know what used to happen. And then you experience the sensation, Relaxation. Now you see that? You made the outer instruments, Which is body and the breath, Free from obstacles. What is the state of wellbeing, Physical wellbeing? The body is not complaining. In that state, Simply look deep inside the head, In the space, Pick up a point as if you are hammering mentally, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Mentally. Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh. It is quick, Fast and loud. The intellect is aware that your mind is not rushing to any other thought in between. That is the practice. Means what mind has to work on the mind, Bypassing the body and the breath. You're doing it mentally. Let us start. As quick, As fast. Where? In your mind. Who is doing it? Mind. Who knows it? Intellect. The intellect will realize, Oh, Some thought has entered in between them. And you do it faster. Increase the speed. No way. Continue. I am giving you personalizing the practice based on the fact that you all are seekers. Beautiful. Continue. The intellect knows I will take an exit only when I find the real self. It is aware of it. So it prevents the mind. I am giving you personalizing the practice based on the fact that you all are seekers. Intentionally, I am not seeking. Not speaking too much. Not speaking too much. Not speaking too much. No, Stop the hammering, Almost singing, Oh, While moving the mind without the breath from the crown of the head to the belly button. Oh, With love and a feeling. And you know, Oh means the real self, The consciousness. And move the mind again from the belly button to the crown of the head singing mentally, Oh. Only the mind is moving the breath. You bypass. You don't disturb the body and the breath, Only the mind is still working on the mind but with a reference to a particular center, The center of action at this moment. Sc Lorenzo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .