Practice Means Steadiness Of Mind Within

Freedom and Happiness. Yoga Sutra-13 Practice means steadiness of mind within. When we learn the principles of eastern wisdom, we apply discernment that becomes dispassion. The highest dispassion leads to knowledge of real self, awakens to permanent happiness. We will learn from Yoga Sutra, Gita, and other texts together to discover the true nature.

Transcript

Today's journey.

So last week we discussed and understood the very practice of meditation or yoga.

In the beginning we understood that we cleared the wrong notion that the yoga is a set of physical exercises according to Patanjali.

Yoga is the highest state of meditation.

And what happens in meditation?

The knowledge of the reality dawns.

What is that knowledge of the reality dawns?

That is our true nature.

What is our true nature?

It is of the nature of permanent peace,

Happiness,

Love,

And wisdom.

Our nature essentially is happiness,

Love,

Wisdom,

Peace.

The mind has not created.

When you say,

I love you,

Ask yourself from where the love has come in the mind,

From where the happiness has come in the mind.

So we understood last week practice.

So the practice means here is our,

Dear friend,

Meed is there.

Where is Meed?

Okay.

Yes,

Here is Meed.

How are you?

Hello everyone.

Hello.

Meed.

So last week,

Did you go through that?

Did you listen to it and practice?

We understood what exactly is the practice.

So the practice has two components.

One we say simply practice,

But that practice must be done with the dispassion.

The mind,

The intellect has a dispassion.

It brings the dispassion in the mind,

And then I'm doing the practice.

That practice will always succeed.

If there is no dispassion,

The practice will not succeed.

That is why you see millions of people are doing meditation and mindfulness practice.

They say five minutes of meditation,

But when we define meditation,

Transcending the mind means transcending the time.

What do you mean by five minutes of meditation?

When you say five minutes or 10 minutes of meditation,

It is not a meditation.

So,

Now we carry forward.

So there are five sutras,

Five principles,

Or five steps to have a clarity of understanding what exactly is the practice of meditation.

So last week I'm repeating again,

Practice plus dispassion.

And the dispassion comes when the intellect takes over the mind.

When the intellect takes over the mind,

How the intellect separates real from the unreal.

Can you show me where is the anxiety in you?

The moment the intellect takes over and questions,

Where is the anxiety,

The anxiety leaves you.

It will leave you,

But the mind prevents the intellect to even think about it,

To separate anxiety from you.

Okay.

Practice with dispassion.

Dispassion means when I close my eyes,

My mind is not wandering through the sense organs outside in search of a cat.

Let the cat be there where it is.

So he asked me a question,

So I'm explaining.

So after laying the foundation,

Now it's a very,

I would say subtle principle to understand.

Once you understand it,

The meditation practice will always succeed.

So the next principle,

Which says,

Tatra,

Tatra sthito yatno abhyasah Sanskrit.

So we will understand that the literal translation is,

Tatra,

When you are doing the practice,

Tatra means when the mind is living within,

Then you keep the mind living within.

For that you make an effort.

You don't make an effort that I have lot of thoughts,

What should I do?

My mind is crazy,

What should I do?

That has already gone.

So what it says,

We will understand gradually,

You know,

Step by step.

Tatra sthito yatno abhyasah.

If I translate into English,

The practice means steadiness of the mind within.

We started with the first principle.

There are two elements of the practice,

Practice and dispersion.

So now this master is defining what exactly is the practice.

And in the next three principles,

We will understand what exactly is the dispersion.

So in five sutras,

We will understand what exactly is the practice and how we should be doing the practice.

So tatra sthito yatno abhyasah.

The practice means steadiness of the mind within,

Steadiness of the mind within is practice.

Now let me give you one example.

You are driving a car.

What is most important?

What is most important in driving a car?

If you are using a used car or a new car,

That is more important.

You are using a highway or a street to drive in,

That is important.

What is most important?

Or other cars that are driving along with you are more important?

Or you always see what the space in the front.

Your mind is naturally focused on the space in front of you to drive the car.

Which one is important?

You can drive used car maybe 50 years old.

You can drive the new car.

You can drive on the street.

You can drive on the highway.

You can drive with your friend,

Your honey.

What is most important?

You don't lose focus.

Do you see that?

You don't lose focus that there is a space in front of you.

Otherwise you have to stop it.

There is no space.

You change the lane.

You want to speed up.

You change the lane when there is one car in front of you.

Now apply this in case of the mind.

There is a highway which we see inside when the mind is living within.

One thought is causing the problem in front of you.

You change the lane.

Don't fight with the thought.

Why you should fight with the thought?

Why you should blame and complain that I have lot of thoughts?

Just change the lane.

Don't get attached to it.

Do you see that?

With this metaphor when you see that you always succeed in meditation.

You always succeed in meditation.

Are you getting something out of it?

So do you see that the mind remains steady on the space in front of you so that you are able to drive your car smoothly?

Am I making a sense to you?

It's a little subtle.

So once you understand that subtle point,

You can be in meditation anywhere,

Anytime.

Do you have a space in front of you?

You don't see the space in front of you,

But you see the person and then that person,

Mind gets attached with the liking or disliking,

And then the mind starts thinking about it.

Are you aware of the space in front of you?

When I said,

Then you become aware.

Otherwise,

Who cares?

So why you don't care?

Mind is running constantly.

It has millions of thoughts habitually instinctively,

And those thoughts carry likes and dislikes.

That is why you have an anxiety.

Otherwise,

Where is the reason for anxiety?

Just ask yourself,

Where is the reason?

Are you getting it?

Practice is a very subtle,

Practice does not mean that you are going to the gym and you are,

You know,

That is also used for a practice.

So here it is a practice for the mind.

Practice for the mind is,

That mind has or continues the state of,

Lives in that state of steadiness.

That exactly is the practice.

Practice is not,

No,

Let me close my eyes,

Focus on the breath and do all kinds of steps.

They are important from outside,

But inside that steadiness,

If I literally translate this formula,

Tatra,

What is that?

Tatra is theto yatno abhyasa,

Or tatra.

I'm doing the practice of meditation,

Theto,

Steadiness,

Yatno,

Effort.

So I am making a natural effort in driving the car.

I change the lane,

Okay.

Why?

Because there is another car in front of me,

Let me speed up and change the lane.

Let me put the mind on cruise.

That will take you to a meditative state.

Are you getting it?

Little subtle.

So the first principle,

We had two elements.

Practice always regular practice with wisdom.

That wisdom leads to discernment.

Discernment leads to dispassion.

So actually,

If I literally translate the first principle,

Practice with dispassion.

So I normally say regular practice with wisdom.

So what is the wisdom?

Wisdom is applied knowledge.

What is applied knowledge?

Are you paying attention to me at this time or paying attention to your mind?

If you are paying attention to your mind,

There is no wisdom,

Then you are not a listener.

Why you have joined me?

Because you want me to gossip and you should be a good listener.

Now gossip about meditation.

So if you are not a listener at this moment,

Then there is no use of attending.

Do you see that?

So applied knowledge comes,

I have to be an apt listener so that knowledge goes into my head through the intellect with the clarity.

The moment there is a clarity and a conviction,

That knowledge descends down into the heart and it inspires you.

Let me do the practice now to change myself.

Tatra sthito yatno adbhah sahah.

Again,

I'm repeating.

When we are doing the practice,

We locate the point of awareness of the mind and we are holding that point of awareness during the practice of meditation.

That meditation always succeeds.

We'll take up the discussion in three more principles in the following weeks.

What?

So you will understand that if that sense of steadiness in the mind is say 50% and the dispersion is 50%,

You succeed.

If that sense of steadiness in the mind is 100%,

Dispersion comes naturally.

If the steadiness of the mind is 20% and the dispersion is 100%,

You always succeed.

So in a sense,

Dispersion seems to be more important than what we see the practice.

What is the dispersion?

It is the knowledge in the mind.

Where is me?

Do I know me?

Yes,

I know.

So there are four people and I say,

I don't know the me.

You see that?

I use the question,

Where is the me?

So Anne says,

Here she is.

The moment mind gets the knowledge,

The world disappears.

The thought disappears.

Do you see that point?

Do you see that?

You are in a knowledge,

The thought disappears.

That is why the masters in Eastern wisdom follows these principles to make us understand with the clarity and conviction.

Why?

All the thoughts comes to an end and then you are practicing.

Are you getting it?

If I ask,

So he,

Do you know John?

Oh yes,

No thoughts are there.

See that?

So there is another way to explain it and then we will do the practice.

Think of it,

Contemplate and reflect in your daily life.

What is that?

There is a word or a sentence,

Then there is a meaning and then there is a knowledge.

Three elements,

Shabd means word.

Second is the meaning of that word.

Who will win the next election?

That is a sentence.

So what do you mean by this question?

And then there is a knowledge.

You see that?

What I want to say,

When the word and the meaning merges into the knowledge,

Your mind is empty,

But full of knowledge,

Are you getting it?

Where is Sophie if I ask John?

Who is Sophie,

I know.

Now should I explain you the figure of the Sophie,

John,

So that you can tell me?

No,

Come on,

I know.

Don't explain me.

Do you see that?

Do you see how the knowledge is taking place?

When you know,

No word,

No meaning,

I know,

That is it.

So I explain it with a principle,

You understand it,

Clarity and conviction,

No more thoughts,

You do the practice,

The mind goes within naturally and you are there.

That is one reason why our masters say that this meditation or mindfulness is effortless and natural.

But our mind is unnatural,

So we have to make this mind false natural in order to live into that state of meditation.

And that is what we are doing,

That is why we are learning all these principles.

So any talk in the series and the practice you miss,

Let me know,

I'll send you that so that you follow that.

The moment you have any doubt,

Go to the previous talk and the practice.

If you want to progress into it,

Otherwise if it is okay,

Then that's okay.

So let us start our journey up.

Meditation,

Eyes are closed.

Eyes are closed.

Now see that,

Pay attention to what we have done today and we follow.

Eyes are closed.

Meditation is not to see the world of many.

Why?

If I see the world of many,

Then millions and trillions of thoughts will be there,

So we close our eyes.

In symbolic expression,

All the sense organs should leave what it picks up as an object.

You can sit or lie down,

Whatever,

Whatever the state you are comfortable,

It is okay.

Now look at the body.

From the top crown of the head to the toes,

And at the same time,

Look inside the head or the heart in the space.

Understand,

Very important point,

When the mind has or is changes the direction of its inquiry from outside to inside,

The moment the mind starts looking inside,

It will not hesitate the body.

The body will become steady by itself.

That is what we have studied in the principle.

Exhale.

See that.

In that state where the mind keeps living within,

It is looking into the space,

It is aware of a point in the space,

That is what the steadiness master is talking about.

From there,

Now you follow the practice.

Look at the neck joint.

Still you are aware,

Look at the neck joint,

You are aware of a point of calmness there inside the space.

From there,

You look at the neck joint and you feel sensation,

Being comfortable and steadiness.

But if you look from the joint,

The mind will be as it is.

You see,

That's how I was giving you the practice,

But now you are becoming aware.

Though this is the process happening inside the mind.

The mind moves on the shoulder joints,

But it is still aware of the point in the space inside the heart.

Casually,

And then you experience sensation,

Being comfortable and steadiness.

There is another subtle point coming to.

You are preventing the mind to become the body naturally.

Then what happens?

You move meditation smoothly.

So the entire body from the top of the head to the toes,

Looking at all the joints,

Feeling,

Sensation,

Being comfortable and steadiness.

Look at this point.

Now see that if I see that,

Live into that state.

So what it means?

The mind is maintaining awareness of the space and a point in the space inside,

Irrespective of whatever is happening in the body or outside or inside.

But if we talk of inside,

There is an influx of thoughts.

So we move into the next step.

What I say being carefree,

Thoughts are coming and going,

Like the birds are flying,

Nothing happens to the sky.

So what masses I was conveying?

You keep that sense of steadiness.

Are you forcing your mind?

No,

You're simply aware.

Aware of a point in the space where no thought touches and the rest of these thoughts are moving like the birds in the sky,

The ripples of the waves in the water in the sea,

Or you are standing across a road watching the traffic moving.

My friend see it clearly.

Fan is moving in a circle.

Thoughts are always moving in a circle.

It is a repetitive in nature.

It has an element of pain and pleasure,

Likes and dislikes,

So the mind gets attracted to it.

What we are saying,

Why you get attracted to it?

Keep your awareness at a point in the space inside the heart being carefree.

Because in the beginning,

The mind does not listen to us.

It realizes,

It understands,

It remains for a moment,

But still it returns.

So that is why we need to do some purification of the mind.

So looking deep inside the heart in the space at a point,

Start breathing quick,

Short and gentle breath through both the nostrils.

Continue,

Quick,

Short,

Gentle,

Playful breath.

You are playing with the breath.

Are you aware of a point in the space inside?

Yes.

What you have to do nothing.

And stop this,

Do nothing.

We continue to help the mind.

Now see the point of understanding when the mind merges with the matter,

Including the body and the world outside.

It lives in ignorance.

We give an opportunity to the mind to think and think and think with the likes and dislikes being in the pleasant.

And when the same mind merges with the higher consciousness,

Simply awareness of a point in the space,

It leaves all the thoughts.

So we have to help the mind to rise above.

How?

Take a deep silence,

Slow breath.

The inhalation should always be deep,

Silent and slow.

And while breathing out,

Make the humming sound louder,

Deeper and longer,

But keep your awareness inside the heart.

Again,

Inhale deep,

Silent and slow.

Mm.

Continue to live into that awareness and continue the humming sound.

It will make a sense if we go back to the very initial practice.

It will inspire your mind.

Continue.

Mm.

Mm.

Mm.

Mm.

Mm.

Mm.

Mm.

Now,

Stop this.

Do nothing.

And let us go in a very simple and natural manner.

Look at the head and the neck.

Become aware of the space all around your head and the neck,

As if there is a sphere of space,

Like a bag in which your head and the neck is located.

And from the space,

Look at the shape of the head and the neck.

From the shape,

Experience the sensation in the head and the neck.

You may experience heat in the cold,

Vision in the colors,

Freezing,

Numbness.

Recognize it,

Accept it.

So you see the movement of the mind from the space to the shape to the sensation then to the stillness in the body.

It is not the stillness of the body.

It is the stillness in the body.

It is that steadiness the mind is aware of.

Look at the right arm.

Become aware a cylindrical space or a bag of a space is covering the right arm.

So you are aware of the space all around the right arm.

We are not doing anything.

We are just becoming aware what lies within.

That is the beauty.

And then you become aware of the shape of the right arm.

From the space,

Shape.

From the shape,

You experience the sensation in the right arm.

What is that sensation?

Awareness?

It is nothing but experience and the knowledge.

And in that space,

Shape and the sensation,

You experience the stillness in the body,

Not of the body.

Means what?

That stillness is independent of the body and the mind.

This is what this master is talking about.

The mind goes to the left arm,

Cylindrical space,

In which the left arm is located.

You will find as if you know the space,

From the space,

You look at the shape of the left arm.

And from the shape,

You experience sensation.

From the sensation,

Common element is stillness in the body.

Oh,

The stillness is also here.

It is one.

That is what we are exploring.

It is not that you are making the mind still.

See that?

You are exploring that steadiness.

Move the mind on the rib cage and the space all around the rib cage,

And the front on the sides,

It moves all around.

And it is a fact and a truth.

If there is no space,

I cannot recognize any object or any part of the body.

We hardly care of that.

So there is a space all around the rib cage and the shape,

And the sensation and the stillness.

When the mind fully absorbs into that stillness in the body,

You have an instant experiences of heaviness,

Lightness,

Heat,

Cold,

Sweating.

Why?

The mind drops the identification with the body.

What is that identification?

The mind continues to claim that I am the body.

Look at the belly.

All around is the space.

From the space,

Shape of the belly.

From the belly,

Sensation.

From the sensation,

Stillness.

I talk this step as 4S,

Space,

Shape,

Sensation,

Stillness.

The inner is subtler than the outer.

So what happens?

The mind becomes so subtle,

You become aware of the right leg,

The space all around the right leg.

And from the space,

You are aware of the shape.

From the shape,

You feel the sensation.

Discovery of stillness in the body.

Can I say the stillness in the room belongs to the space?

The space is always still.

Left leg,

The space all around the left leg.

The shape of the left leg.

The sensation and stillness.

The entire body.

From the top to the toes.

Find out that our body is in the cylindrical space all around.

And from that space,

The mind becomes aware of the shape of the body,

Mentally.

From the shape,

It experiences the sensation.

From the sensation,

I experience the stillness.

You see,

We have translated the principle into practice,

Into an experience.

In spite of the fact,

The body continues to move because every cell is moving.

Cell movement of the cell means that the body is alive.

Breath is moving,

Even the mind.

But behind all that,

There is a sense of stillness.

When you look up,

Let us go deeper.

You are aware of a point of steadiness or a point of calmness in the space.

We use the word.

Your mind picks up the meaning and then the word and the meaning merges into the knowledge.

What is that word?

I am the peace.

So how you will see that peace in the mind as in knowledge?

So our masters say that peace is a good space.

What is the good space?

It is an infinite space all around.

So look at a point in the heart,

Gently,

With love and feeling.

You say shantuham,

Meaning I am the peace.

Knowledge,

The mind absorbs into the infinite space.

Then the mind returns again,

No issue.

Move the mind a little deeper.

One milestone to the second inside your heart.

Pick up a point in the space,

Become aware of the steadiness.

Shantuham,

Mentally.

Meaning I am the peace when the mind recognizes the meaning I am the peace.

The mind is looking into the infinite space all around.

The mind returns again,

No worries.

Move the mind deeper again to another point in the space.

When you are fully aware of that steadiness in the mind,

Deeper inside,

Drop the word.

Shantuham,

Meaning I am the peace and the knowledge,

Infinite space all around.

Continue the journey and let us see what happens.

Shantuham.

You know the mind pours lot of emotion and feeling to be absorbed into the space.

My master used to say there is a natural tendency of the mind to merge itself into our true nature,

But we don't allow.

So meditation creates a condition for the mind to merge naturally into the true nature that reveals the knowledge of the reality.

Shantuham.

You will experience as if you have gone too far from the body,

Not only from the world outside.

That is the meaning of moving,

Living within,

Going,

Moving within,

Living within,

Awakening within.

Shantuham.

Even you will find that what I am speaking as if I am too far from you.

That is a recognition that the mind is living within.

Shantuham.

And doing nothing remain as you are in the state of doing nothing.

What it means?

You are aware that you are not,

The mind is not deliberately doing anything.

What will I do when the thought comes?

Let it come and go.

You see that you are separate from it.

Om.

Shanti,

Shanti,

Shanti.

Om.

Shanti,

Shanti,

Shanti.

Om.

Shanti,

Shanti,

Shanti.

Become aware of the mind.

Is the mind ready to return or it wants to stay?

You will recognize whether the practice has been deeper or the mind doesn't want to return.

It wants to stay there.

You are succeeding on the path.

Bring your mind.

Bring your mind on the right hand and stay there for a while.

Bring your mind on the left palm and stay there as you are.

Then lift your both the palms,

Place it on your eyes,

Open the eyes inside the palms and again stay.

First place both your hands on the palms.

Then open the eyes inside the palms and ask yourself what happened,

What is your experience?

We will share our experiences and if you have any question,

We will find the answer together.

Bring the hands down.

How are you Sophie?

I am very good,

Thank you.

Thank you.

I think I was very deep.

Yes,

I could see your face and eyes.

Yes,

From the very beginning,

Like this big space.

Wonderful,

Thank you.

Beautiful,

That is what it should be.

How are you John?

Okay,

Good.

I think I did a better job of emptying my mind and it helped that the phone did not ring like it often does.

So phone disturbs you or the mind disturbs you?

You set a trap for me,

The mind disturbs you.

So when I become aware,

Only I have to be aware and done.

And how are you Anne?

I am fine.

I feel peaceful and grounded.

Now I think I fell asleep at one point.

We will understand why we fall into sleep,

One question,

And the second is when we start meditation,

There is always an influx of thoughts.

These two are very relevant questions,

So in the future following session,

We will find the answer,

But it is okay,

Even if we get into sleep,

We return back,

It's okay.

So how are you,

Me?

Unmute first.

Yes.

I feel peaceful and then I drop down and in.

Drop down inside is a very good phrase because that comes from your experience.

That is a deeper,

Definitely a deeper experience.

Even during the practice,

You wanted to be sure that I am with you.

Two times you opened your eyes and saw me.

I don't remember.

It's another beautiful thing.

This is what happens.

That is how the mind enters into anxiety.

You see me?

You see that?

And that is why I say at a very physical level,

Can you plan to be angry tomorrow at 10am?

You cannot.

Why?

Because you become aware it is 10am.

When you are aware,

The anger will not come.

Apply the same to doing things anxiety.

But can I be in peace tomorrow at 10am?

The mind says yes.

Sure.

You see,

John,

There are subtle principles that has been discovered by these great masters.

So what I'm teaching is teaching of these masters.

That is what the tradition is.

Like any physics teacher who has to teach Einstein.

Who has not to teach our political leaders.

In a physics class.

No,

No,

I'm just making a joke.

So if I don't follow that traditional wisdom,

Then the meditation does not make any sense.

So why I feel so much confidence,

I learn from my master,

My master learn from him,

From his master.

And his master and his master.

Do you remember who is the last master I discussed about it?

Who is the last first master?

That is the beauty of this Eastern wisdom.

Who is the last master?

The last master or the first master is our true nature,

Which is a common element that dwells in deep inside our heart.

Then why should I have a teacher?

Because I don't,

I'm not awakened to my true nature.

That is why you should have a teacher from outside.

That is what the teacher in the tradition represents your true nature.

Nothing less,

Nothing more.

So once you align with these principles and the knowledge of the reality dawns in you,

You will see the real nature everywhere.

It is not a formal schooling that,

You know,

That a professor teaches you,

Passes on the information and then you forget it.

No,

This journey is different.

So who is the real teacher?

The real teacher is the real self present already within you.

The mind has wielded.

Through these principles we remove the veil of the mind and we see face to face.

That is the journey.

Are you getting it?

Think of it.

Sir,

The greatest teacher is always in you.

This weird guy is a pointer.

That is why,

You know,

The teacher,

If you say the real teacher who follows this tradition is always carefree.

Always we are free.

If you are listening to the teacher,

It means you are listening to yourself.

Why?

Based on the principle.

So these principles help you to discover your real nature.

I have a question.

Okay.

You always have a question.

Okay.