The dark Krishna was dressed like a dancer prepared to go on stage—He wore a golden garment, a peacock feather, colored clays from the forest, sprigs of flower buds, and a garland of forest flowers and leaves. He rested one hand on a friend’s shoulder and with the other He twirled a lotus. Lilies graced His ears, strands of hair hung down over His cheeks, and His lotus-like face was smiling. (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.23.22)Comment (Vishwanath): A vana-mālā is a garland made with forest flowers and leaves that reaches down to the feet. The Brahmin women interpreted Krishna’s actions as flirtation. When the saw Him touch His friend, He seemed to be saying, “I could touch you like this,” and His twirling the lotus flower seemed to say, “I hold the lotus of your hearts in My hand and can play with it as I like.” At the same time, the twirling of the lotus revealed that His own heart was being affected by their love.
It was eleven, but no sign of sleep, so I sat in padmāsana and did my prāṇāyāma and mantra meditation routine. This has really been my main practice for the past few years. I don’t use a mala for this, and combine my mantra chanting with different physical postures and breathing techniques. So that went on until 1.30. Even then I could not really sleep, so I just lay down in śavāsana and tried to follow the yoga-nidrā techniques taught to me by Swami Veda Bharati.
Actually, Swami Veda was not opposed to tea or coffee the way that Prabhupada or Sadh Guru are. He said that taking a stimulant before meditation is actually a positive thing and helps one to concentrate. He used to drink a cup of coffee at his evening meal around 8.30 and then stay up all night until 4, writing and meditating, as well as having meetings with ashram leaders. He took the Gītā verse literally,
yasyāṁ jāgrati bhūtāni sā niśā paśyato muneḥ
"What is night for all beings, is the time of awakening for the self-controlled. When all beings are awake, that is night for the sage with vision." (Gita 2.69)In those days I went to the meditation hall at 4 o'clock and would often cross paths Mei Wan, Maharaj's secretary who stayed with him through the night, returning to her cottage. I won’t deny that my evening meditation was strong, and since I was ready for it, I did not lament that sleep would be a problem the next day. Insomnia is frustrating when you really want to sleep but can’t. After reading about Manohar Das Baba, I am thinking about this reducing sleep business.
I have never really been very good at reducing eating or sleeping. I gave up on it a long time and figured why not just follow the natural path? For the most part, that has been okay, but it is just normal, there is no ambition or self-surpassing involved. Sadh Guru opposes coffee, tea and other stimulants because they disrupt the nervous system. What goes up must come down and so they disturb the equilibrium, which is the desired state for a yogi. Where there are artificial ups, there are corresponding downs.
I am feeling a bit fuzzy now. It is nearly five in the afternoon. I ate only little at lunch, so I find that my eating is much reduced as well. I am a bit surprised that with only three hours of sleep last night I did not take a three hour nap after lunch. But that being said, I am not particularly sharp right now. So I am going to chant and will go directly to bed after the evening class.
But once again, I am not satisfied with the progress today on my main task of Prīti Sandarbha. I did work on the Bhāgavatāmr̥ta and the manual, where I found that a whole day's work had suddenly disappeared, for which I have no explanation. And it was supposed to be backed up on the cloud. Oh well.
nātyaśnatas tu yogo’sti na caikāntam anaśnataḥ |
na cātisvapna-śīlasya jāgrato naiva cārjuna ||
yuktāhāra-vihārasya yukta-ceṣṭasya karmasu |
yukta-svapnāvabodhasya yogo bhavati duḥkha-hā ||
Yoga is not accomplished by one who eats to much or who eats much too little. Nor for one who sleeps too much or too little, Arjuna. Yoga destroys all miseries for one who eats and sports a proper amount, who gives the appropriate amount of effort in work and who sleeps and remains awake for the appropriate amount of time.
Anyway, I am still encouraged. I am actually amazed that I am still awake and functioning, even though I may be a little fuzzy. Who knows I still may be able to optimize my bodily functioning, even at this stage of my life, and actually become a yogi.
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One can only urge you to let go of everything and practice; practice, practice, practice (in truth, grace will find you).
ReplyDelete§ 1.18 Oh Lord of the universe, that eye through which everything flows forth, which is made entirely of the nectar of immortality, by which you fill the universe in a moment.
§ 1.19 Oh God, you fill me with bliss by that delighted Eye which produces the nectar of immortality, which is beautiful and is the nourisher of the whole universe.
§ 1.22cd-23 That innermost essence which is one’s own, pure, pervasive, present everywhere, that is the life of all beings, established within all elements, and can be attained by yoga, although it is difficult to reach and hard to attain by undisciplined souls.
The Yoga of the Netra Tantra (English translation by Bettina Sharada Bäumer). ISBN: 978-81-246-0966-8
Notes
śṛṅkhalā-jīva-cāla-meruś-ceti rahasyakam │
vihāyāṣu kumbheṣu kim-artham-anudhāvanam ║173║
Kumbhaka Paddhati of Raghuvīra (Cidghanānanda-nātha).
Dear JD,
ReplyDeleteMy person is also a prolific tea drinker. It is well-known amongst meditators that adding a good chunk of (unsalted) butter to your tea greatly improves and sustains the energy for the mind-work of meditation (Tibetan meditators use Yak butter tea). My own meditation practice has greatly benefitted from the sustained release of energy that butter in tea provides; in addition to which, adding butter also suppresses the appetite (which is a boon to meditation), my person can meditate for many hours without the distraction of food or hunger afforded by the simple addition of butter to tea (during the course of a day’s meditation, one will drink many cups of heavily buttered tea without putting weight on – as unlike carbohydrates, the body metabolises fats steadily).
Yours,
MN
JD said: “I am feeling a bit fuzzy now. It is nearly five in the afternoon. I ate only little at lunch, so I find that my eating is much reduced as well. I am a bit surprised that with only three hours of sleep last night I did not take a three hour nap after lunch. But that being said, I am not particularly sharp right now. So I am going to chant and will go directly to bed after the evening class.”
ReplyDeleteMN replied: Butter tea will keep your mind sharp (you will not feel sluggish). It is the insulin spikes (and intrinsic troughs) of carbohydrate rich foods that is your problem. Give butter tea a try (plenty of it), you will eat less and feel much better (my own diet is comprised of roughly between 70-80% fat which places it in a state of ketosis; in this state one’s bodyweight normalises and energy release is constant without tiredness or feeling hungry).