Namaste and welcome back.
In a serene monastery,
Situated in the tranquil mountains,
There lived a devoted monk named Nandini.
She was known as throughout the land for her unwavering commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom.
Nandini spent her days in quiet contemplation and diligent study.
Her deep desire to understand the mysteries of life and the ultimate truth had led her to embark on the path of Gyana Yoga,
The path of knowledge.
One evening as the sun set behind the mountain peaks,
Nandini found herself meditating in her small candlelit cell.
The room was filled with the soft flickering glow of a single oil lamp.
She watched the flame dance and sway,
Casting intricate shadows on the walls.
As she meditated on the flame,
She contemplated the nature of the knowledge and wisdom.
She saw the flame as a symbol of the inner light of knowledge,
Which dispels the darkness of ignorance.
Nandini understood that just as the flame illuminated the room,
Knowledge illuminated the mind and revealed the truth.
She realized that the path of Gyana Yoga was like tending to this inner flame,
Nurturing it until it grew brighter and brighter.
One night as she continued her meditation,
She heard a soft voice within,
As if presence in the room spoke to her.
The voice said,
Nandini,
The path of knowledge is like tending to this lamp.
It requires patience,
Diligence and a steady hand to keep the flame alive.
Nandini recognized the profound wisdom in the voice's words and in the symbolism of the lamp.
She understood the knowledge was not a fleeting spark but a steady flame that needed to be nurtured and protected.
Over the years,
Nandini dedicated herself to the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom.
She delved into the scriptures,
Engaged in profound philosophical debates and sought the guidance of wise mentors.
She knew that the lamp of knowledge needed the fuel of learning and the oxygen of inquiry to burn brighter.
As she deepened her understanding of Vedanta,
She realized that the lamp of knowledge was not just about acquiring information but about self-inquiry and discerning wisdom.
She uncovered the profound teaching of the unity of the self and the universe,
The illusory nature of the world and the oneness that underlies all diversity.
Nandini became a revered teacher in the monastery,
Sharing her wisdom with the fellow monks and seekers who visited from far and wide.
She showed them that the lamp of knowledge was not confined to the walls of her cell but was guiding light for all who sought to understand the ultimate truth.
The message of Nandini's life was clear.
The path of knowledge was a sacred journey of self-discovery,
An illumination of the mind and spirit,
And a way to realize the unity of the self with the universe,
With the ultimate reality.
And so the lamp of knowledge continued to burn bright,
Not just in Nandini's cell but in the hearts of all who followed the path of Jnana Yoga,
Inspired by her unwavering dedication to understanding the ultimate truth.
This story illustrates the concept of Jnana Yoga,
The path of wisdom in Vedanta philosophy.
It emphasizes the importance of nurturing and protecting the inner lamp of knowledge through self-enquiry and discernment between the permanent and changing on the path of self-realization.
With this,
Let's prepare to sleep.
Now before we get started,
Just take a moment or two to get comfortable lying in your bed.
Make sure you are under the covers.
If you do fall asleep during this practice and even if you don't usually go to sleep on your back,
I would like you to begin the practice by lying flat.
Maybe your knee is slightly bent.
You can keep a small pillow under the back of your knees if you like.
Just lie flat on the bed in supine position.
Now gently close your eyes and start taking a few nice big deep breaths,
Breathing in and out through the nostrils only.
As you inhale,
Feel that whole body is getting healed and with exhalation feel that all the cares,
Tensions and worries from the day are flowing out.
Let go of the deep breaths now releasing any tension from your entire body.
It is not necessary to deliberately release tension in each part of the body.
Just develop the feeling of total relaxation.
Just enjoy that feeling of letting go.
Body is relaxed,
Sinking into the bed beneath you.
We are going to have a simple practice to wind down.
Just follow along with the voice and the instructions.
Try not to overanalyze or intellectualize the instructions.
Now gently shift your awareness to your surroundings.
Start to notice all the different sounds present here.
Without getting struck with any one particular sound,
Try to keep your awareness moving from sound to sound.
Observe one sound,
Notice it and then move to the next sound.
Observe this sound and then move to other sound.
Like this,
Keep your awareness moving from sound to sound.
Keep the awareness moving from sound to sound and try to find the most distant sound which you can hear.
Let go the sound awareness and feel your body from within.
Now,
We begin body scan.
I will name a body part.
You just become aware of that body part.
Feel it and then just move to the next body part which is named.
Become aware of the right hand,
Right hand thumb,
Fingers of right hand,
Whole right hand,
Whole right arm,
Right shoulder,
Right side of the chest,
Waist,
Hip,
Whole right leg,
Right foot,
The toes,
Now left hand,
Left hand thumb,
Fingers of the left hand,
Whole left hand,
Whole left arm,
Left shoulder,
Left side of the chest,
Waist,
Hip,
Whole left leg,
The left foot,
The toes.
Feel the both legs together,
The buttocks,
Stomach,
Chest,
Back,
Shoulder blades,
Arms,
The neck,
The head,
Forehead,
Eyes,
Nose,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Mouth,
Lips,
Chin,
The whole face,
The whole head,
The whole neck,
The whole back,
The whole back,
The whole body,
The whole body,
The whole body.
Again we will go through the whole body.
This time a little more slower and in detail.
Starting with the right hand thumb,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Little finger,
Fingers and thumb together,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper part of the right arm,
Right shoulder,
Right armpit,
Right side of the torso,
Right side waist,
Hip,
Right thigh,
Kneecap,
Calf muscle,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth,
The whole right side of the body.
From toes to the fingers,
Fingers to the toes,
The whole right side of the body.
Now go to the left hand,
Become aware of the left hand thumb,
First finger of left hand,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Little finger,
Fingers and thumb together,
Palm of the hand,
Back side of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper part of the arm,
Left shoulder,
Left armpit,
Left side of the torso,
Left side waist,
Thigh,
Kneecap,
Calf muscle,
Ankle,
Left foot heel,
Sole of the foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth,
Whole left foot,
The whole left side of the body.
From toes to the fingers,
Fingers to the toes,
The whole left side of the body.
Now to the back,
Become aware of the lower back,
The right buttock and the left buttock,
Middle back,
Upper back,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Back of the neck,
Back of the head,
The whole back side together.
Now go to the top of the head,
The crown of the head,
Forehead,
Both sides of the head,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
The space between two eyebrows,
Right eyelid,
Left eyelid,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right side cheek,
Left side cheek,
Bridge of the nostrils,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
Upper lip,
Upper jaw,
Tongue,
Lower jaw,
Lower lip,
Chin,
Throat,
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Chest,
Right part of the chest,
Middle part of the chest,
Left part of the chest,
Upper part of the belly,
Middle part of the belly,
The navel area,
Lower part of the belly,
The whole of the right leg,
The whole of the left leg,
Both legs together,
The whole of the right arm,
The whole of the left arm,
The whole of the right arm,
The whole of the right arm,
The whole of the right arm,
The whole of the right arm,
The whole of the left arm,
Both arms together,
The whole of the back,
Buttocks,
Spine,
Shoulder blades,
The whole of the front,
Abdomen,
Chest,
The whole of the back and front together,
The whole of the head,
The whole body,
The whole body,
The whole body,
The whole body.
Become aware of your breath now.
Just feel the flow of your breath in and out through the body.
The breathing is natural,
Automatic.
We are not trying to change the rhythm of the breath.
We are not doing it.
Just witnessing the breath.
Maintain the awareness of breath.
Dual awareness of breath.
Now,
Keeping the awareness on the breath,
Start mentally counting down your breath from 54.
As the breath comes in,
Count 54.
As it flows out,
54.
Breathe in,
53.
Breathe out,
53.
Like this,
Continue.
Not trying to fall asleep,
Just counting down the breath and knowing that it really doesn't matter too much when the sleep comes.
As you lie there in this way,
Both the body and the mind are getting all the rest that they need.
If you lose track of the countdown,
Come back to 54 and start over.
