4. NO ACTIVITY- NO THROUGHFARE

1. NO RECOLLECTION: DON'T PURSUE THOUGHTS OF PAST

2. NO CALCULATION: DON'T PUrSUE THOUGHTS OF PRESENT

3. NO IMAGINATION: DON'T PURSUE THOUGHTS OF FUTURE

4. NO EXAMINATION: DON'T ANALYZE YOUR THOUGHTS

5. NO CONSTRUCTION: DON'T TRY TO CREATE AN EXPERIENCE

6. NO DIGRESSION: DON'T WANDER SIMPLY STAY IN PRESENT MOMENT

M IS KNOWING ABT YOU ARE COMPLETE, PERFECT AND WHOLE, FREEDOM FROM GUILT, JEALOUSY, RESENTMENT HATRED PRIDE

ITS NOT A PANACEA. NOT A SOLUTION TO ALL YOUR PROBLEM. THE SALT STORY

NOT A SUBSTITUTE OF LOVE, COMPASSION, HUMILITY, EMPATHY

navaakaaraacittasthiti-1stabilize the mind 2.settle it completely 3.settle it firmly 4. settle it intensely 5.clear it of obstacles 6.pacify your mind 7.completely pacify it 8.channel the mind into one stream 9. settle the mind in equipose. remind thisurself twice a day. you will experience 9 stages in every session

1. cittasthaapana or POSITIONING OF ATTENTION- this is restlessness stage. STABILIZE THE MIND

2. samasthaapana or INTERMITTENT ATTENTION- short periods of good attention, meditator remains unaware of stray thoughts, he forgets that he is meditating. SETTLE IT COMPLETELY.

3. avasthaapana or CONSTANT ATTENTION- meditator keeps his vigil on guard, and becomes aware as soon as mind is distracted. SETTLE IT FIRMLY

4. upasthaapana or FIXED ATTENTION- mostly able to hold attention but still bothered by periods of restlessness and dullness. SETTLE IT INTENSELY

5. damana or LUCID ATTENTION- deep tranquility of mind is experienced. CLEAR IT OF OBSTACLES

6. shamana or PACIFICATION OF MIND- thoughts extinguished in mind and obstacle free. PACIFY YOUR MIND

7. vyupashamana- COMPLETE PACIFICATION OF MIND- mind is looking itself sharply, mind can recognize dullness, restlessness, thoughts, emotions, etc. COMPLETELY PACIFY IT

8. ekotikarana or INTENSE ATTENTION- mind can attain single point concentration at this stage. No dullness, no restlessness. CHANNEL THE MIND INTO ONE STREAM

9. samaadhaana or PROFOUND ABSORPTION- can remain in tranquil equipose for more than 4 hours in stretch. SETTLE THE MIND IN EQUIPOSE

asana sidhi- PERFECTION OF POSTURE. a state where you can sit unmoving as long as you want without experiencing pain and numbness.

sthiram sukham asanam means any posture you are comfortable with but respecting eight elements of good posture

Earlier stages aches and pains are common. only persistence will overcome this. but sit like a rock

20 MIN -1 YEAR-40 MIN -1 YEAR 90 MIN , 100 MIN, 110 MIN, 120 MIN TILL 3 HOURS-1 YEAR-4 HOURS

1. CROSS LEGGED- This helps in controlling apana vayu or Descending energy

2. STRAIGHT BACK- channelization of prana vayu (vital life force) and samana vayu ( thermal energy)

4. JOINED HANDS- your thumbs should join each other at the tip

5. STRAIGHT HEAD- channelization of udaana vayu (ascending energy). NECK SHOULD NOT BE STRETCHED

6. STILL GAZE- hurdles like burping, hiccups, sneezing removed. pain and numbness begin to disappear

7. GENTLE SMILE- A subtle breeze of calmness starts to flow.

8. POSITION OF TONGUE AND TEETH- tongue touches front part of palate avoiding saliva formation, teeth slightly parted, lips joined

1. ONE-POINTED CONCENTRATION- tiring, thus practice mental relaxation . close your eyes and visualize an image, the image will start fading, bring back the image it will start fading, make sure you don't examine, Also while focussing on breath on focus and don't analyze

2. ABSORPTIVE CONCENTRATION - when you are deeply absorbed in doing sth- I. e. , painting, music

3. ANALYTICAL CONCENTRATION- brain is constantly calculating and analyzing i.e. chess

4. ELEMENTARY CONCENTRATION- i,e, watching TV, playing video games., driving car Its harmful as heavy pocessing is happening .

Good Meditation requires great concentration but great meditation requires supreme concentration. Arjuna Bird Story and Lens story

many actions are done instinctually, these reflex actions arise of habits and tendencies- this is lack of mindfulness i.e. yelling back in traffic. these actions are not handled by intelligence or intellect, buddha fly story

Contemplative or Discriminative mindfulness- is used to make mindful choices rather than reacting

Active Mindfulness aids a meditator concentration to remain lucid, sharp and strong

MINDFULNESS is ever awake guard standing at the door of your mind . It closes the door of your fortress for continued concentration it keeps the door shut for all outsiders

RESTLESSNESS produced by 1. -Ve hate, greed, jealousy, anger 2. Stimulating thoughts of lust, sex and sensuality 3. +ve thoughts of joy, suceess and celebration

Dog's poo story- If Mindfulness is the watch guard at the gates, alertness is the city police at city gates. it arrests any bad elements before it reaches the castle gate

With practice, a meditator will be able to detect the emergence of thought even before mindfulness has to guard it from interfering your meditation

How a monk becomes alert- when forwarding and returning, when looking towards & looking away, when eating, drinking, chewing, defecating, urinating, walking, standing, sitting, falling asleep, waking up, talking, remaining silent, he makes himself alert

Our body is not the permanent address of our soul. the individual consciousness is trying to merge with the supreme consciousness

Shiva Says" Things are not what what they seems, O Goddess, For the world is like a dream"

The pursuit of happiness and the quest of freedom are 2 fundamental elements of life

6.1.1 Buddha and villager's tirade, In middle of provocation Buddha continued to concentrate on what he was doing. With contemplation, he knew the villagers have no role to play in bigger scheme of things, with mindfulness he did not take any action which he might regret later

6.1.2 Alternate between different methods of meditation

6.2.1 note- that there will be fluctuation in experience good days bad days in meditation, this is hardest meditation, benefits of irreversible transformation- you don't get provoked, requires complete mastery on body posture.

6.2.2 How to do - review 8 elements of posture and 6 principle, then yoke your focus on an object, if you find yourself slouching or leaning just correct the position.THERE IS NO JOY IN DOING CONCENTRATIVE MEDITATION

1.Observe the object for a couple of minutes but no analysis, no why , what if, just observe. 2. close the eyes and visualize the image 3. if the image fades away bring the focus back on image 4. If you can't bring back the image gently open eyes without changing posture and look at image once again for 1-2 min and repeat the process

1. Just think of sth that pleases you. like image of diety, sight of ocean, flower, peacock 2. Close eyes and start visualizing 3. Image will keep disappering, just bring this back. This is very difficult

check progress- after 3000 hrs pf practice you will be able to hold image for 4 min.

1. Breathe deeply for few minutes. 2, close your eyes 3. Simply listen to inhalation 4. Pay attention to small pause between inhalation and exhalation, 5. Listen to exhalation

when to do: when you are restless and anxious. Also when there is difficulty sleeping, lie in your most comfortable position and meditate on breath

Meditate on repetitive sound .

Difference- Chanting a mantra loud, whispering it or mentally chanting is still an act of speaking. The auditory conciousness is still a hindarance. Meditating a mantra means recalling a mantra which requires visualization

1. Chant a mantra a few times 2. Breathe deeply for abt 5 min 3. close your eyes 4. Start recalling the mantra you just chanted

If you feel restlessness recall the mantra slowly, if you feel torpor recall the mantra faster

1. Deep breathe a few times. 2. close the eyes and just be thoughtfree .UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE- Loss of clarity ( a subtle form of dullness where we feel thoughts have subsided) versus actual thoughtlessness

EXPANSIVE MEDITATION 1. Deep breathe a few minutes 2. Visualize a bright, efflugent light or dark universe 3. Gradually visualize your body is disintegrating and merging in vast, expansive infinite universe

The Herdsman story. Whatever we meditate on becomes we. Not necessary to maintain posture. It de-labels you. Labels are not only temporary but dependent. You can not be CEO without a company, cannot be a husband without wife.

तत्त्वमस्यादिवाक्येन स्वात्मा हि प्रतिपादितः ।
नेति नेति श्रुतिर्ब्रूयाद अनृतं पाञ्चभौतिकम् ।। २५।।
By affirming that you are that( God, divinity, universe), you begin to see yourself beyond the limited existence of your body thats made up of the 5 elements of earth, water, fire, air and ether. Scriptures have called it Neti Neti( Not this nor that)

I am not a body, I am not the senses, I am not the mind, I am not the conciousness, I am not the emotions, I am not the thought, I am not the knowledge, I am eternal and beyond, I am not a man or woman, i am not young or old, I am not beautiful or ugly, I am not a friend or enemy, I am not a father or son, These are mere classifications , I am eternal and beyond, I am not pure or impure, I am not good or bad, I am not hot or cold, I am not moral or immoral, I am not realized or unrealized, These are mere dualities. I am eternal and beyond, I am not bound,not free, I am not hated or loved, I am not happy or unhappy, I am not foolish or intelligent, I am neither successful, nor a loser, These are mere perspectives, I am eternal and beyond. I am not weak or strong, I am not restless or lazy, I am not tired or fresh, I am not healthy or unhealthy, I am not my past, These are temporary states, I am eternal and beyond, I cannot die, I cannot be sick, I cannot be hurt, I cannot be grieved, I know no sorrow, I know no pain, I know no grief, I know no hurt, I know no sickness, I lack nothing. I am beyond the good and bad, beyond praise and criticism, beyond everything that can be thought and written, everything that can be heard or said, for I am , the indestructable, invisbile , infinite, eternal, supereme soul, - the highest realization, the purest conciousness. I am beyond birth and death, I have existed before universe, I am independent unit but part of a complete phenomenon, I am complete

Get rid of all the labels you are not and keep searching for one permanent label that defines you

Check Location 1741 of book

The tangerine awareness story. The fundamental issue with our mind is Its eternally living in another moment , a moment we crave and desire. and completely miss the beauty and bliss of current moment. Disciple umbrella story. Practice mindfulness in every act if you want the rewards of meditation

When you will begin to watch every action of yours(you become more mindful), your mind will start downplaying depressing and heartful thoughts of the past. your reaction to anything will be more mindful act rather than a knee jerk reaction

How to do Mindful Meditation- What I am doing now? Ask this question many times a day. Keep a small beep alarm for every 30 min. can be practiced by those with physical problems., kinhin or walking meditation

Done to calm the mind which is stressed and angry. All other meditation can be done when mind is at peace. this downplays our ego

1. Take a few deep breaths 2. Remind yourself that you are simply playing the role of an observor 3. Simply watch your thoughts as they come 4. Don't react on thoughts , just pursue them. Be a bystander of Ferris wheel, not the one sitting on it

Method of meditation designed to get rid of excess physical energy

The one who leads a life of Self Discipline, ever patiently purifying himself, leading a life of detachment and love, the one who interacts less, speaks little and is mindful of his actions and speech, the one who lets go of his false ego, pompousness, lust, anger, the one who doesn't horde for personal gains, such a person lives in trance and is mostly self- realized

Patanjali yama (moral injunctions- Non-Violence, Truth, abstension from stealing, continence, absence of greed for posssessions beyond one's need.

Patanjali niyama (cleanliness, contentment, religious zeal, self-study and surrender)

Compassion of Jesus When you sit to meditate, after random acts of kindness, you will discover that your mind is naturally quieter than usual

saanch baraabar tap nahi, jhooth baraabar paap
jaake hriday saanch hai, taak hriday prabhu aap

Being truthful doesn't mean you need to be brutal

Only when a statement is true, factual and beneficial say it with a proper sense of timing, irrespective whether it is agreeable and endearing or not

Gratitude is independent of magnitude of materialty. This is simply a state of mind, an expression of heart, a committment to tolerance, a resolution to be happy, a feeling of peace

Don't give unsolicited advice to a person in trouble. Just be with him/her. Be sensitive

Empathy is the genuine effort to see the world from other perspective. It is to see stepping into their shoes and see where it hurts.

If you want to empathize with someone JUST LISTEN

*The bishop and young priest story, The professor, student and a poor man story*

Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant with the weak and wrong

The most potent antidote of false ego is humilty

Archbishop, bishop and janitor story. Be alert of humilty which is false and pretentious, it will make you more egoistic

Nanak- Everyone bows down to himself, no one bows down to another. When you weigh it on the scale, the heavier side is always lower, The sinner, like the deer hunter, bows down twice as much. But what can be achieved by bowing the head, when the heart is impure?

Tree laden with fruits is always bent because it has sth to offer. In a strom mighty winds fall giant trees, the humble grass dance and sway unharmed.

Each of of us is a pawn in the universal game of chess. You may capture the queen or checkmate the king, ultimately though, everything gets packed and goes inside the same box

Who took care of you when you were in womb? who fed you when you didn't know how to speak, Who provided you were you were too young to earn your own living?

Napolean Bonaparte say,"When you fight, fight as if everything depends on you. And when you pray, pray as if everything depends on God." Faith is supposed to complement and not replace our actions, ultimately we are responsible for choices we make.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

The reason why man is unhappy because his thoughts, words and actions are not in harmony.

Nothing is impossible for a man who treads the path of meditation.

Systematic approach to wipe off the tendencies that you've been carrying along with you over countless lifetimes. It straighten out knots in the conciousness , calms the tides of emotions and afflictions in the ocean of time.

The lion cub story. You are a lion. Your intrinsic nature is bliss and fearlessness. But due to conditioning you have started behaving like goat. Conditioning makes us feel we are inadequate, thus we start seeking external affirmations and approvals. The more we try to gel with world outside, the more we start to distance from our true nature. Increasingly the lion start to think, believe and behave like goat.

Having a bad thought does not make you a bad person. No one can escape impure thoughts. But is up to us whether we want to pursue bad thought or not.

The wise know that they don't have to act on bad thought. By action it means physical as well as mental action

The darkness of thousand eons cannot dim the brilliant radiance that is the essence of the sun. Likewise eons of samsara cannot dim the sheer clarity that is the essence of mind

RAKTBIJA STORY. Desire is like Raktbija , for any desire we fulfil thousands more will take birth. Suppressing them is as attacking them,Fulfilling them is accepting your defeat and giving birth to thousands more desires.

Physical desires, Emotional desires,Intellectual desires, Transcendental Desires

Expectations are desires with rights attached with them.

Expectations from self ( We except ourselves to be disciplined, calm, caring, handed down to us by society, teachers, parents, peers, religion),Expectations from Others, Others' from you,

Mullah Nasruddin story When we imagine our life in certain way and when things don't pant out how we envisaged, we feel sad frustated and depressed. Our restless mind prods up to act so we may get what we want

A spinning wheel looks white when it is moving. however when it stops it is painted with bright spectral hues. The life is like that.

Physical Karma- Tangible Residue(No matter how miniscule an action, eventually it will impact everyone in the world.. verbal Karma-Psychic imprint( Word uttered by you have great impact on your mind and conciousness as well as on the mind of those at receiving end. Mental Karma- Emotional imprint( hardest to erase)

A mind that holds no grudges against anyone, no desires, no expectations is a hotbed of noble intention.