Contemplation – III

The chapter on meditation in the Japji Sahib illustrates this same point with inspiring metaphors: .Munda santokh saram pat jholee, dhyaan kee karahi bibhoot. Khinthaa kaal kuaaree kaaia jugat dandaa parteet. Aaee panthee sagal jamaatee man jeeteh jag jeet. ‘Let contentment be your earrings; humility your begging bowl; and your regular concentration and meditation the ashes you smear on your body. Regularly meditate on Time, which is constantly changing and perishing. Remember that every state is dying; let the remembrance of death be the patched coat you wear. Keep your body pure; let your actions be pure. Let faith in the Lord be your staff. See the brotherhood of mankind as the highest order of yogis; conquer your own mind and conquer the world.’All the great scriptures of the world point out that one who has mastered his or her mind is dear to everyone. In contrast, a person with an undisciplined mind easily ruffles others’ feathers and is not particularly liked. Now the question is: Desires and objects cause agitation in the mind, but the mind can never be without desires and objects; so how can it ever be free of agitation? How can you remove ‘objects’ from the mind and turn the mind inward to think about the ‘subject’ in meditation? It seems an impossible task. As mentioned earlier in this book, even Arjuna argued while talking to Sri Krishna at Kurukshetra, that the mind, like a storm, was impossible to control. But the Lord reassured him that although it was difficult, it was not impossible.

Contemplation – III

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