Chintane

Last week we had some really cool brainstorming on 'Science and techniques of Contemplation' or in kannada we call it 'Chintane'.
One has to seek his or her contemplative partner to experience the joy of contemplation. Peter Senge has described dialogue as an activity where contemplative partners converse and discover something which both were not aware before coming together. 'Dialog' is the exchange between contemplative partners.
How to do contemplation and how to teach the process of contemplation? Contemplation is fundamental to becoming 'Self taught' and to explore life beyond matter in the realms of consciousness and transcendence.
Present day education is spoon feeding whereas Gurukula system was teaching contemplating skills enabling self discovery.
Infact contemplation is the foundation to one of the elementary Yoga - "Jnana or buddhi yoga' which Sri Krishna teaches in the 2/3 chapters of the Gita.
Deep contemplation enables one to dive deep and hear the voice of intuition 'Paramatama. But Jnana is not the end in itself -> As we proceed to the higher chapters of the Gita, the divine conversation is hinting at experiencing Divine emotion thru the process of Devotional service.
Following Verse 15.15 from the Gita is very revealing
Supreme Lord Sri Krishna says


'I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedänta, and I am the knower of the Vedas'.
Who can know Sri Krishna better than the Cowherd men and women of Vrindavana?

- Inner Voice
Inspired by the Divine Grace of Saints

Gita and Tranformation

Jivatma(self), Paramatma(super-self), Prakrti(material nature), Kala(Time), Karma(Activity) are the 5 topics discussed in the Gita. All the 700 and odd slokas can be bucketised into the 5 categories.
The divine knowledge that was comunicated using conversation as a means lead Arjuna to transform his mental state from that of 'Not to fight' to
'Rigorously fight with enthusiasm' in the battle of Kurukshetra.
Gita is not static knowledge. It is active dynamic knowledge which has immense power of positive personal transformation.
The same knowledge which transformed Arjuna to take a complete U-turn in terms of his resolve of retiring to forest and not to fight, can transform each of us. Retiring to forest would have led to mediocrity.
Retiring to forest might have been a more comfortable situation for Arjuna. Quite often we are at similar crossroads as Arjuna, where we are tempted to take the less challenging and no pain path
of mediocrity. But an ardent student of the Gita will embrace challenges similar to the battle of Kurshetra and win like Arjuna to obtain ultimate bliss. One has to sacrifice the temptation of immediate comfort and wellbeing to escape from mediocrity and embrace pains and challenges to score ultimate wins.
We see that which transforms something raw to something postive and of value is a process. Only a systematic process can take sometthing raw as an input and transform into value.
Similarly there is a systematic process that needs to be adhered to if we want to experience the joy of Gita transforming us into something wonderful.
The process is given in the Gita itself. One need to deligently study the 4th and the 9th chapters to know the process.(There are specific slokas if somebody is more interested)
One need to submit with devotion as an input to the divine transfomational words of Sri Krishna which are non different from Supreme Lord Sri Krishna.
- Inner Voice
Inspired by the Divine Grace of Saints

Sandya kala

A transcendentalist needs to know the time heirarchy to harness it better. Certain days are more important and in a day certain time periods are more important than other. This will belp us to understand the economics of spirituality and progress towards the infinite at a faster pace.
Coming to the days in a month - Ekadasi is very congenial for spiritual advancement - this comes atleast twice in a month - Meditation on the absolute has to be enhanced on these days and the aspirant is sure to experience progress
Festival days especially Sri Krishna Janmashtami, month of Karttik, Purushottama are all very congenial - but in the present day festivals have become more of enhanced gratification of the tongue and queuing up for watching bollywood gyrations. Austerity, meditation, contemplation on the Gita and honoring prasada has to be performed on these days to obtain self purification and taste the wonderful self.
In a single day, Brahma Muhurta and tri - Sandya are prominent.
Sandya means link or connection - the transition time which connects the morning with afternoon or afternoon to evening. Or in a deeper meaning Sandya means link between the finite and infinite - our present conditioned state is due to forgetfullness of that link.
Meditation and contemplation on Vedas during Brahma Muhurta provides us Vidya.
Brahma Muhurta precedes Pratah-Sandya. Vidya which is also technically called Sambandha Jnana provides us clarity on the knowledge of the self, super self and the inter relationships.
Sandya kala is very congenial to establish and strenghten our bond with infinite. Hence Gayathri Japa(during SandyaVandana) is performed specifically during Sandya kala - the time during which the infinite wants to embrace the finite.
The Vidya which we obtain in Brahma Muhurta is utilised for action during Sandya kala.
So it is very helpful for a yogi to be technically aware of the intricacies of time.
Applying the pareto principle - brahma muhurta and sandya kala may constitute slightly higher than 10% of a days duration. Spending this time wisely in yoga can help us to be free of maya(illusion) whole day/year to eternity.
Soul Teaser -> What does Sri Krishna comment on 'Time' in Gita? It is very interesting to search for slokas in the Gita to understand 'time' better. So let me know.
- Inner Voice
Inspired by the Divine Grace of Saints