The japa was quite enjoyable and “Krishna conscious” with a lot less struggle to control the mind, which is really the way rāgānugā bhajan should be. Somewhere along the line I decided that I needed to cultivate the disciplines of yoga, about which the Bhāgavatam does not always seem too enthusiastic. But when I began reading the Bhagavad-gītā so many years ago, I can still remember being inspired by the sixth chapter, which emphasizes the sādhaka's effort.
yato niścarati manaś cañcalam asthiram |
tatas tato niyamyaitad ātmany eva vaśaṁ nayet ||
From wherever the restless and flickering mind is deflected
control it and bring it back under the control of the self. (6.26)
And this also led to my desire to learn to sit still and quieten the mind through this effort. It's in the Gītā, Sit in a sacred place, sit straight, keeping the body, head and neck straight, motionless and steady.
samaṁ kāya-śiro-grīvaṁ dhārayann acalaṁ sthiraḥ |
saṁprekṣya nāsikāgraṁ svaṁ diśaś cānavalokayan ||(6.13)
It is a heroic posture. The yogi is a hero.
Anyway, after going to bed, I got up at 2.45 spontaneously and after neti and bathing, I was in siddhāsana by 3 and finished my first set by 4.15. Changed legs and finished second set by 5.30. Took a break for stretches, suryanamaskara and so on. When in śavāsana I went into yoga-nidrā and woke up at 6.30. Then I sat in full padmāsana for the third set, but this was a bit more difficult and less conscious. It was light by then and I should have had my Bhajana-rahasya at the ready to help direct my mind. But I didn’t. Tomorrow.
I started pushing myself back into the Prīti-sandarbha work, and I can see why I needed to take a break. It is not always easy to find the appropriate way to translate Sanskrit, especially this kind of philosophical language, but hopefully it will start to happen. Much easier to edit Grantha Mandir files or the Sanskrit manual. I am hopefully going to resume the readings before too long, so I fully intend to keep that promise. Harinama is number one on the list, however.
After lunch was especially difficult, my mind got fogged up even though I did not think I overate, compared to what I used to, so instead of working I went back to chanting japa. This time, pacing back and forth. Other stuff happened also, so I was not altogether satisfied with my day, but I am enjoying the chanting and feel enlivened.
I started pushing myself back into the Prīti-sandarbha work, and I can see why I needed to take a break. It is not always easy to find the appropriate way to translate Sanskrit, especially this kind of philosophical language, but hopefully it will start to happen. Much easier to edit Grantha Mandir files or the Sanskrit manual. I am hopefully going to resume the readings before too long, so I fully intend to keep that promise. Harinama is number one on the list, however.
After lunch was especially difficult, my mind got fogged up even though I did not think I overate, compared to what I used to, so instead of working I went back to chanting japa. This time, pacing back and forth. Other stuff happened also, so I was not altogether satisfied with my day, but I am enjoying the chanting and feel enlivened.
In actual fact I have tons of energy. Radhe Radhe.
Reading Chaitanya Das's biography by Haridas Goswami. He was paying obeisances brāhmaṇādi kukkura caṇḍāla anta kari daṇḍabat karibeka bahu mānya kari || ei se baiṣṇaba dharma sabāre praṇati sei dharmadhbajī yāra ithe nāhi rati || “From the brahmans to even the dogs and outcastes, one should prostrate oneself before everyone with great respect. This is the duty of the Vaishnavas, to bow down to all. One without love for this is a hypocrite.” kṛṣṇa-bhakti-sudhā-pānā-deha-daihika-vismṛteḥ | teṣāṁ bhautika-dehe'pi sac-cid-ānanda-rūpatā ||61||
Reading Chaitanya Das's biography by Haridas Goswami. He was paying obeisances brāhmaṇādi kukkura caṇḍāla anta kari daṇḍabat karibeka bahu mānya kari || ei se baiṣṇaba dharma sabāre praṇati sei dharmadhbajī yāra ithe nāhi rati || “From the brahmans to even the dogs and outcastes, one should prostrate oneself before everyone with great respect. This is the duty of the Vaishnavas, to bow down to all. One without love for this is a hypocrite.” kṛṣṇa-bhakti-sudhā-pānā-deha-daihika-vismṛteḥ | teṣāṁ bhautika-dehe'pi sac-cid-ānanda-rūpatā ||61||
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