Viveka Is A Potent Weapon To Succeed In Mindfulness

Talk & Practice.

Know that Eastern Wisdom declares four steps to succeed in any practice. Listen and learn from a teacher the principles. Contemplate for conviction and clarity and reflect for freedom from doubts. Practice regularly with wisdom- know from the teacher how many times, when, and where.

Transcript

Viveka. I have been talking about Viveka. So this Viveka, That is what we were just talking about. When you talk rationally, Step by step, With the based on the facts, Then what happens? Then it becomes a process of discernment, And that process of discernment we say, We say Viveka. Pay attention to the very small thing. I see you. I see you. So means it is a direct knowledge. So why it is a direct knowledge? Because I see you through my sense organs. I see through my eyes, I taste through my tongue, I hear you from my ears. It is a direct knowledge through the sense organ. Now I see outside my room, There is a daylight, I see the light. So there is an inference, Indirect knowledge that the sun is outside, Which is bright, And that brightness of the sun, I see there is not a night, It is sun, It is day. Why it is day? Because sitting inside the home, I know it is the knowledge I got by reasoning. There is a sun outside, And I see the sun, I see the light, Here there is no darkness, And therefore it is because of the sun. So two types of knowledge, Direct knowledge, Indirect knowledge, Direct knowledge, Indirect knowledge. Now when I say I exist, So do I need any sense organ to know that I exist? No. So simple. Do I need to make an inference that I exist? No. Do I need to ask you that I exist? No. See that. So very beautiful principle. So do I exist or not? I need not to ask anyone. But question is, How do I know that I exist? I am. So when I say I think, Therefore I am, It means if I do not think, Then I do not exist. So it means that is also totally wrong. So now see that without thinking, Feeling, Perceiving through the sense organ, I know I am. I know I exist. Do you see that? I know I exist. What a beautiful way to follow these principles. So now question comes, When I need not to ask anyone that I exist, Then who am I? What is my real nature? That is the journey of mindfulness. That is the journey of meditation. Now see, Who am I? It means, And what is my real nature demands a thorough understanding, Reasoning, Inquiry. You know, Some people have inquired and they have found out that I am nothing. I do not exist. So you see, See the problem? They say I, They have proved that I is there and then they say I do not exist. My goodness, I do not exist means I is already there, But still they prove by reasoning that I do not exist. That is why we have to study Eastern wisdom. It gives you the right logic. It gives you the right principle to find out who am I. You see the simple thing. That is why we have to study and understand these principles to find out who am I. See that. Now, I, So there are three types of knowledge. One is the direct knowledge from the sense organs. Other is the indirect knowledge that we get from the inference and third is knowledge, The discovery of the self that cannot be done by the sense organs, That cannot be done by the inference. Hence, I have to find the other way and that other way is known as that other ways are known as the Eastern wisdom. Now see, It is self-evident that I exist. I don't need sense organs. I don't need mind. I don't need intellect to think that I exist. I am already there. That is the beauty of this journey. So now I am, If I separate from, If I separate I am from what I am not, At least my intellect will be clear, There will be a clarity, There will be a conviction because it is self-evident that I am. I don't need any sense organs. I don't need the mind even. Still I am. If you remain silent, You still exist. If you speak, You still exist. If you use the mind, You still exist. You don't use the mind, You still exist. It means mind is not me. Sense organs are not me. Whatever experiences mind gives us is not me. So what happens? There are two parts, What I am and what I am not. Our Master says there are only two things in this world. One is I am and other is I am not. So if I go for a thorough inquiry and understanding step by step, It means the first thing comes up that what I am not to be separated from what I am. Now what I am not, Am I body? No, Body is inert. Body cannot know itself, Body cannot know me. I have been giving the example, Hey I know, Here is my right hand but the right hand does not know where I am because it is unconscious, It is matter. The right hand does not know itself, The right hand does not know others also. It means what is required in I am? Consciousness plus knowledge and that knowledge takes place without the help of sense organs and the mind. That is why we say that mindfulness and meditation transcends the body, Sense organs and the mind. See today I am just presenting a very simple logical framework to understand what exactly is mindfulness. So the method, The process by which we know who am I, We can say it is meditation and mindfulness. So the master says it is discernment, It is viveka. Viveka separates the mixture, Viveka simply means, Literally means to separate. So in ancient days the masters gave the example of a rice which is white in color and sesame seed which is almost brownish. So when we separate the water from, When we separate the rice from the sesame seed that is one way to separation, That is one way of discernment. Can we separate milk from the water? Yes, But it is little a complex process. Understand this is beautiful, The magic takes place then we will practice meditation. So what I said rice and sesame seed, How do I separate it? Because I know the physical properties of rice and sesame seed and from the physical properties I separate them. They are two entities, Just they are two entities. Then milk from the water, Complex process but still two entities. Now comes what I claim I am that is ignorance and the ignorance do not have any existence but I got mixed up with the real and the unreal. Unreal and the unreal. I got up mixed up with the waves and the water and I claim the wave has a separate entity than the water. So the master says why? It is self-evident that I am but still I am not able to see who am I. It is because of ignorance. Ignorance is incomplete knowledge. Incomplete knowledge it means I am attached clinging to the body and I claim I am the body. So I have to separate this wrong idea, Wrong notion in my intellect first that I am not the body, I am not the sense organ, I am not the mind and then who am I? So the master says we are nothing but absolute existence, Consciousness, Bliss. That I am is self-evident, Is full of consciousness. Consciousness is merged with absolute knowledge and that knowledge and consciousness is of the nature of permanent happiness. So two things take place in meditation, Mindfulness. One is seeking. I contemplate and reflect through my mind based on the principle and second part is the practice where I move the mind, Direct the mind to go inside to live within so that the knowledge of the reality dawns. So you see we should be a hundred percent clear the knowledge gained by the sense organs is the direct knowledge. Knowledge through the inference is the indirect knowledge. Both processes of gaining the knowledge will not work in mindfulness. Why? Because I am, I exist whether there are sense organs or not, Whether there is a mind or not, It means there is a third type of gaining the knowledge and that is what the Eastern wisdom is and that Eastern wisdom is an instrument of knowledge that discovers, That helps us to find out who am I. So it begins with the self-inquiry. One thing more and then we will do the practice. So when it is self-evident, I exist, I need not to think in order to know I am, I need not to know any sense or I need not to take the help of any sense organ to know I am, Then another conclusion we can draw that I am, That real self is beyond all the concepts created by the mind perceived by the sense organs. You see step by step process, It's a purely a step by step logical process, We don't need to have a belief, Cult, Dogma, Religion etc etc. That is why the master says the real knowledge is that knowledge by which I know myself. Other knowledge gives you expertise, Skill sets, Knowledge of driving, Knowledge of cooking, Knowledge of building the house, Knowledge of paying the taxes, This is all the skills and expertise in the mind but this knowledge of I am is beyond the mind, Is beyond the sense organs. That is why we say mindfulness and meditation is what is transcending the body-mind complex. So let us start our practice. Eyes are closed and then we will share our experiences. Eyes are closed. So sit in any posture or lie down whatever is more comfortable to you. So first stage is the preparatory step. So just align the body and become aware of the body. There is a sense of steadiness in the body. Let the mind look inside, Let the mind look inside the head in the space, Awareness of the calmness there. When you see the space or blankness you find that there is a sense of calmness. Now see we will apply Viveka in being comfortable in that step we will apply Viveka. How? Let us see. Look at the neck joint, Mind is looking at the neck joint, Body is steady and then what is your experience? Sensation, Being comfortable and steadiness. Now can you separate your experience of sensation being comfortable and steadiness from the neck joint? Yes. And then after experiencing sensation, Comfortable and steadiness, You can look inside. So that space is also separate from this experience. So we educate the mind. It is almost a practice doing nothing. It is knowing, Shoulder joints, Being there, Feeling the sensation, Comfortable and steadiness. In that state of steadiness you see the space, You see that? That is what I say shoulder joint, First level separated by the experience of sensation being comfortable and steadiness, Separated by awareness of the space inside. Hip joint, Being there, Experiencing sensation, Comfortable and steadiness, Then space within. And try your body, All the joints of the body, You look at the neck joint, Shoulders, Elbows, Wrist, Fingers, Hip joint, Knees, Ankles in the toes. So you see one joint is separate from the other. That is why I name all the joints. That is also discernment but then we see, We feel, Experience, Sensation, Comfortable and steadiness and then the mind keeps moving inside. You see that many scholars without any practice concluded that I do not exist but they are using I so that it's a wrong process, Wrong method. So Eastern wisdom, Our great masters, Shows the way, The method by which we discover ourself. And now separate yourself from all the thoughts, Feelings, Sensations, Experiences, That is coming and going in the mind. That is what I say is being carefree. Carefree. Carefree. So I gave couple of metaphors. It is as if we are standing across a road and watching the traffic. We do nothing and look inside the head and we watching thoughts are coming and going. We become aware no thought can help me to know myself. It is evident. I think therefore I am is wrong. Doesn't stand. So okay thoughts are coming and going. Let it come and go. Let it come and go. So again a separation. Let us continue with the viveka or the discernment. Look at the body and become aware the body is changing but I do not change. That is the principle that I am. Okay then become aware of the breath moving in and out, Looking at the breath, Looking at the breath and when the breath goes in look inside the forehead. When the breath comes out look inside the forehead and very gentle in the short quick breath. Start breathing short, Gentle in the quick breath from both the nostrils, From the ribs. Okay So Oh Oh Oh Gentle quick short breath from both the nostrils into into your Continue into your ribs Oh Oh Oh And Stop this do-nothing So we find some changes But this I am never changes so again, We will do the viveka and In that process we settle the mind So look at the head and the neck Allow the mind to touch each and every cell of the skin of the head in the neck and And Experience sensation relaxation and stillness What we are doing viveka Discernment what is that discernment? Separation what is that separation? From I am and I am not all my experiences Starts from the mind ends with the mind So I am none of these Experiences but at the same time we experience sensation relaxation and stillness that helps us to Go deeper This is what is that, You know the device we use Look at the right arm from the from the Shoulders to the Fingertips Allow the mind to touch each and every cell of the skin of your right arm on the surface No issue when you feel that You experience sensation Relaxation and stillness at the same time you are aware what you are aware that None of the experiences of the mind is you move the mind On the left arm In the same way Hey each and every cell of the skin Very good and then We experience sensation relaxation and stillness Yes Move the mind on the ribcage the mind as if is looking touching each and every cell of the ribcage in the front in the back and then you experience Sensation Relaxation and stillness oh in that stillness The mind continues to live within to make the mind live within to discover I am that is why we need a perfect calmness in the stillness in the body perfect relaxation in the body steady stillness in the body and calmness in the mind Otherwise Any challenge in the mind Mind will start running outside and we cannot find who we are outside in the world But we as a byproduct Our relaxation and calmness are the byproduct look at the belly all around Feel the touch and experience Sensation relaxation and stillness And now look at the right leg feel the sensation When you feel the sensation Relaxation Feel the sensation Feel the sensation Feel the sensation Relaxation and stillness Just you are aware that this sensation Relaxation and stillness is an experience in the mind But that I am that you are is already there Now look at the left leg Feeling the sensation Left leg Relaxation and stillness Okay Now the entire body from the top to the toes We know we are 100% sure the body is constantly changing and I am not the body so you live into that awareness plus an experience of sensation Relaxation and stillness Now see the next step is a step and also a non step. What? Just you remain aware. I am and then The breath in the body in the sense organ Why? The breath in the sense organ And your experiences is not what you are they are different See that So What we are doing in a way we are doing nothing You're aware. I am unchanging and others are changing So that separation makes it very clear but what makes it very clear that I Am different from any Change taking place in the body including relaxation Calmness in the stillness So our Buddha found a tool that If I keep looking on the breath without changing the rate and the rhythm of the breath I become aware of the change and Who becomes aware of the chains I? In that process I keep myself separate from I Am and the change oh It is that so just keep looking at the breath No doing nothing the breath is going in and out You are feeling the sensation of the breath There is no change in the rate in the rhythm of the breath by the mind but the breath is constantly moving it means there is a change and And where there is a change I am NOT I am looking at that seer that seer That knower is I I am so what you are doing you're doing nothing. You're just aware You The mind goes anywhere again bring the mind back to the breath There are many ways Simply moving the mind from the crown of the head to the toes Becoming aware of the body and then looking Deeper inside looking and living within Or looking at the breath and doing nothing No change in the rate in the rhythm of the breath the way the mind is moving Let it move on the breath But the mind is not changing The rate in the rhythm of the breath in that way The mind keeps living within and it reveals the knowledge of who am I? The knowledge of who am I? You You So the mind goes to looks at the body from the Crown of the head to the tailbone awareness that the body constantly changes and then Let the mind continue to live within that is all You You And now live into the state of doing nothing you're not doing anything You were not doing anything in mindfulness journey all the steps are almost in on practice So just be into that state of nothingness Allow the mind to reveal the knowledge Sometime we have variety of experiences and at other times it is silence Sometime we fall into sleep at other times we have lot of distraction we don't worry about it We are not doing anything Totally in the state of dispassion You You You Mm Shanti shanti Shanti You're not in a hurry but we return in a specific way First bring your mind on the right hand become aware Feel the change Bring your mind on the left hand become aware feel the change Raise both your palms place it on your closed eyes Open the eyes inside know your experiences bring the hands down Bring the hands down How are you I'm totally relaxed. Yeah peaceful