Saturday, October 8, 2011

From ‘Walking with a Himalayan master’ by Justin O'Brien


“The key to meditative posture is the spinal column. Keep it erect,” he instructed. “In this way, the lungs are free to breathe and the energy of the body can travel uninterruptedly.”



Mantra, “that which removes the disturbances of the mind.” ……. Mantra is a sacred sound – a vibration – that affects reality …… the vibration of the mantra affects the energy levels composing one’s nature, manifesting the qualities specified by the particular vibrations of the mantra.



Progress in life only comes when we understand ourselves ……. We are never truly satisfied with just belief. Christians especially hold themselves back …… Faith can never make an intelligent person secure. Borrowed beliefs are not very helpful since they are not tested by experience …….



Swamiji told us that when the body undergoes a profound expansion of conscious energy, it needs preparation. Otherwise an imbalance will occur when the power opens. Some teachers of yoga allow their students to have a taste of the pure universal force, guiding them through the experience, but usually a student is asked to prepare the body and mind through regular practice

When yogis reach a certain level of pacification within, the natural sensory powers, such as hearing, are expanded enormously. The range of their acuity far exceeds normal hearing distances. In fact, the yogi can focus his hearing awareness to any location.



Apparently, continuous meditation on the space between the two eyebrows stimulates the pineal gland to deposit a sandy secretion that forms a circular pattern beneath the skin resembling the shape of the eye. When the biological secretion has reached a certain consolidation, the power of sight can be manifested there without the customary physical eyes. When this third eye or divya chaksu is used, a wide range of energy levels can be perceived.



…… Ramana Maharshi ….. was the reincarnation of Shankara, the great eighth century philosopher-yogi



“Sir,” the young man ….. “it has been said that you are an incarnation of the apostle Peter.”

Swamiji looked at the young man, saw his sincerity, and answered softly, “If I say yes, I will be bragging; if I say no, I will be lying.”



“People have habits of irregular breathing due to demands and stresses of life. Unless these habits are corrected, you will be held back from going to tranquility. In inspecting the flow of your breath, first note if the exchange is jerky, or shallow, or noisy, or interrupted by long pauses during the flow. Then make the flow smooth, deep, silent, and close down the gaps between the exchange. …. note how gentle and fine the breathing becomes. Both mind and breath will become subtle. Those moments lead to peace.”



“…. to seriously study breath behavior you need to have both nostrils open simultaneously. Then you can study the conditions of the mind and even the realms of intuition and pre-cognition.”



Mantras are sounds …… vibrations …. The more you remember the sound quietly, silently, without moving the tongue, even without using breath, the more the sounds vibrate and transform the whole personality … When you remember your mantra continuously, your practice is called japa. When you continue assimilating it and make it a predominate part of your nature, it is then called ajapa-japa.



Someone says you look pretty, and you feel good about yourself; someone says the opposite, and you brood. Who is controlling whom? …… You have to decide whether you want to direct your life or just be a conglomeration of sense impressions with an endless parade of thoughts



He talked about the importance of resting for a few minutes after each meal, making sure that the right nostril flowed freely, for this assisted in digestion

No comments: