Tug of War inside Mind

How often have we felt that a part of our own self wants to be in
this world, while another part yearns to be closer to the God
within? There is so much to do, both in our professional and
personal life, both in our material and spiritual worlds, that there
is constant tug of war inside our mind.

It is not that we do not yearn or value the spirit within, the God
and His grace. But when we come face to face with daily grinding
of day to day life, professional pressures of this competitive world,
we struggle to stay afloat, to make sure that there is food at
table, loan installments being paid within time, school fees of
children being paid, and social relations being maintained to some
level .

We are so preoccupied with coping to stresses of day to day life,

in striving for professional success in this world that we awaken
each morning with an anxiety to a mind cluttered with problems
and daily to do lists. We often find ourselves struggling for time,
and as a result totally neglect our contact with inner self through
meditation.

That is where our lives have become a medley of total

contradictions. The mystics explain to us that just as a needle has
a natural pull towards a magnet, our soul has a natural inclination
towards its source the Lord. And because meditation is the only
possible path we can traverse to go within and meet our Creator,
we will never find true happiness unless we channelize our energy
towards meditation.

So we constantly remind ourselves that whatever we acquire and

accumulate during this life money, property, name and fame
none of it will go with us when we die. And as long as we are in
this human body, we should make use of it and search for our real
home. American playwright, Sam Shepard writes about home:

I feel like I've never had a home, you know? I feel related to the
country, to this country, and yet I don't know exactly where I fit
in... There's always this kind of nostalgia for a place, a place
where you can reckon with yourself.
Is Meditation Difficult?
Paramhansa Yoganand states:
The soul loves to meditate, for in contact with the Spirit lies its
greatest joy. If, then, you experience mental resistance during
meditation, remember that reluctance to meditate comes from
the ego; it doesnt belong to the soul.
Logically, if the Lord had designed the path leading back to Him,
within us, there cannot be anything more simple and natural than
just following it. Then why we find it difficult? Perhaps we are too
complicated to practice something so simple. We keep our mind
busy in analyzing, raising queries and doubts. Saints advise to
practice more than analyzing.
Meditation, one of the most commonly used terms in the West,
could mean different things to different people. For some to
meditate is simply to contemplate (I will meditate on this). For
others meditation is an attempt to connect with something larger
than ourselves. For some, Yoga and meditation are synonyms. For
Buddhists meditation is mindfully observing the breath. Whatever

their approach, people tend to agree that meditation generally

helps to reduce stress and achieve serenity and calmness. Saints
explain meditation as the process of raising your consciousness
through which self-realization and God-realization are obtained.
Osho says:
Mindfulness is Buddhas word for meditation. By mindfulness he
means: you should always remain alert, watchful. You should
always remain present. Not a single thing should be done in a sort
of sleepy state of mind. You should not move like a somnambulist,
you should move with a sharp consciousness.
Most of us are looking for quick results in meditation and hence
encounter this frustration. Saints explain to us that everything will
unfold at the right time. We have to learn to be patient and
submit to the Lords will. After all, He is more anxious to see us
reach out true Home than we are.
A disciple was having difficulty with his meditations. He asked Sri
Paramhansa Yogananda, Am I not trying hard enough?
The Master answered, You are trying too hard. You are using too
much will power. You become nervous. Just be relaxed and
natural.
As long as you try to meditate, you wont be able to, just as you
cant sleep so long as you will yourself to sleep. Will power should
be used gradually. Otherwise, it may become detrimental. Thats
why it is better, in the beginning, to emphasize relaxation.

Bring Simplicity in Life

We have to work to bring simplicity into our lives. We have

become too much worldly and are forever craving for more: more
property, more money, more security, latest car, latest mobile.

We are amazed that there are people around us who can live
humbly and simply. We have heard accounts of simple, innocent
people who followed the mystics instructions and experienced
their consciousness leaving their bodies to higher spiritual
regions. So what is our intellect, knowledge and literacy worth if it
cannot help us achieve the main purpose of human life. As Henry
David Thoreau (American philosopher) talked about simplicity, he
said:

I do believe in simplicity. It is astonishing as well as sad, how

many trivial affairs even the wisest thinks he must attend to in a
day; how singular an affair he thinks he must omit. When the
mathematician would solve a difficult problem, he first frees the
equation of all encumbrances, and reduces it to its simplest
terms. So simplify the problem of life, distinguish the necessary
and the real. Probe the earth to see where your main roots run.

Contentment

Saints explain to us that contentment is an important aid to

meditation. A mind that is forever craving for more is a restless
one, and hence will not allow the body to sit still in meditation. We
cannot have control over the one without the other. If the mind is
uneasy and erratic, the actions of the body will be the same, so

we have to learn to develop an attitude of gratitude towards the

Lord for giving us so much in abundance.

For most of us, contentment means being satisfied with our

financial or social situation but saints give a very broad definition
of it. They say that if one does not gain any object despite of his
great efforts, or succeeds to a very small extent only and yet
remains calm and collected and does not feel troubled in his
mind, he is said to have contentment. When one is surrounded by
troubles on all sides, is not honored by anyone, is talked ill of by
everyone and is faced with defeat on all sides, but does not feel
aggrieved by the thought that others are happy, then it is a sign
of contentment.

Cutting off the Attachments

We are stuck in this whirlpool of birth and death due to our deep
attachments. Our roots stretch back not only through this life but
to billions of previous lives. The only way to get out of this is to
cut these roots with the sword of Holy Word. As Christ says in the
Bible: I come not to send peace but a sword.

When we go through worldly suffering sometimes a feeling of

detachment is created in us. These sufferings make our stay in
the world so miserable that we automatically look for that peace
within, and we feel the need to give more time to our meditation.

A Happy Ending

Let us be thankful that, despite of our miniscule efforts in

meditation to become one with the Creator, they story of our life
will definitely have a happy ending. We will succeed in our
endeavor because God is with us, and will be with us, all the way.
The end is guaranteed to be happy, but the Lord still wants us to
put in that miniscule effort of attending to our meditation
regularly, and living in his Will. It is the only way we can thank
Him
for
everything
that
He
has
blessed
us
with.