yajvan
18 September 2009, 07:26 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~~
Namasté
In another post I wrote
This is the natural bi-product of ones meditation - throwing off stress. It is the stress in the nervous system that overshadows its normal functioning. These stresses are impressions that are embedded into the 'village of the senses' as my teacher called it ( the nervous system) that overshadows its optimal functioning... Excessive impressions - they do not have to always be negative impressions, but they are impressions none the less that leave a 'dent'.
Proudhindu replies,
The practical benefits of meditation/Yoga are the Main product for most of the people.Yoga benefits the agricultural laborer in improving his flexibility, for the Finance executive it helps to calm nerves so that he can sleep better, for a computer programme it helps to beat the stress etc.
Yoga also helps the Ascetics living a secluded life, to survive on meagre food, face heat and cold and yet continue with their tapasya.
The practical benefits of Yoga helps people in increasing their productivity, leading healthier life's thus allowing them to concentrate on The divine.
The practical health benefits of Yoga may not matter much to the modern day ascetics who had no problems finding food on their table, a shelter, etc.
I agree with Proudhindu's assessment. It is by the natural functioning of the nevous system that one gains these benefits. What do I mean by this? We will take it up in this post.
I also ask for your contributions as you see fit, on how meditation benefits on the individual level, family, social and environment levels. Perhaps in up-coming posts this can be discussed if there is interested parties.
Let me offer the following subject for consideration: Natural functioning of the nervous system
This implies the system is able to work unimpeded. At the optimal level, the system is able to reflect the fullness of Being - of pure consciousness. Yet while that march continues to that level of Awareness every day practical benefits are desired and these Proudhindu has suggested - flexibility, calming of the nerves, healthier individuals; all these things people generally agree are 'good' for us.
Yet what impedes the nervous system to shine in its fullness? Impressions, stresses and strains, etc. that are accumulated within one's nervous system ( this also includes the brain ). Some call these impressions vāsanā-s , latent tendencies, self-limiting or predisposed impressions that limit the full functioning of one's system.
Some ask - do vāsanā-s only come/accumulate from this life? For those that are are okay with past lives, these vāsanā-s build up (or are reduced) over time. Time for some think one life at a time, others think in multiple lives over long spans of time.
I tend to throw them in a bucket called stresses-and-strains to the system. Consider a rope. Twist the rope. As you turn it it gets tighter and tighter. If one twists it say 45º , it will then need -45º to unwind, to relax back to its normal shape. Like that , this is one of the contributions of meditation - it untwists the rope; It allows the nervous system deep rest.
Where there is deep rooted vāsanā-s ( a.k.a. stresses) then deep rooted rest is needed to ferret out these deeper impressions. Over time they bubble up and come out, and at the same time one is gaining this deeper rest, and as Proudhindu suggested, there is calmness that begins to accompany the individual.
This culturing of calmness is a big deal. Oh... because you say so yajvan? Nope, I was taught this, but it aligns to what Kṛṣṇa offers in the Bhāgavad gītā ( chapt 6, 3rd śloka):for the man who has ascended to yoga , calmness (śamaḥ¹) is said to be the means ( kāranā¹ ).
My teacher uses one word 'calmness' to aggregate the meaning of śamaḥ which is tranquillity , calmness , rest , equanimity , quietude or quietism , absence of passion.
There are other things Kṛṣṇa offers in this 3rd śloka that are very useful to this conversation (calmness via actions, man of thought ~muni~, etc.), but for now, let me stay with the notion of calmness ( calmness via actions) and say this balanced approach (śama) is a contributing factor to one's overall well being and this can occur via meditation.
But I do not get this notion of impressions… Can you give some kind of example? Sure. lets do that in the next post.
praṇām
words
śama शम - tranquillity , calmness , rest , equanimity , quietude or quietism , absence of passion , abstraction from eternal objects through intense meditation
sama सम - always the same , constant , unchanged , fair , impartial towards ; same , equal , similar , like , equivalent , like to or identical or homogeneous
kāranā कारण - instrument , means , motive origin , principle
~~~~~~~
Namasté
In another post I wrote
This is the natural bi-product of ones meditation - throwing off stress. It is the stress in the nervous system that overshadows its normal functioning. These stresses are impressions that are embedded into the 'village of the senses' as my teacher called it ( the nervous system) that overshadows its optimal functioning... Excessive impressions - they do not have to always be negative impressions, but they are impressions none the less that leave a 'dent'.
Proudhindu replies,
The practical benefits of meditation/Yoga are the Main product for most of the people.Yoga benefits the agricultural laborer in improving his flexibility, for the Finance executive it helps to calm nerves so that he can sleep better, for a computer programme it helps to beat the stress etc.
Yoga also helps the Ascetics living a secluded life, to survive on meagre food, face heat and cold and yet continue with their tapasya.
The practical benefits of Yoga helps people in increasing their productivity, leading healthier life's thus allowing them to concentrate on The divine.
The practical health benefits of Yoga may not matter much to the modern day ascetics who had no problems finding food on their table, a shelter, etc.
I agree with Proudhindu's assessment. It is by the natural functioning of the nevous system that one gains these benefits. What do I mean by this? We will take it up in this post.
I also ask for your contributions as you see fit, on how meditation benefits on the individual level, family, social and environment levels. Perhaps in up-coming posts this can be discussed if there is interested parties.
Let me offer the following subject for consideration: Natural functioning of the nervous system
This implies the system is able to work unimpeded. At the optimal level, the system is able to reflect the fullness of Being - of pure consciousness. Yet while that march continues to that level of Awareness every day practical benefits are desired and these Proudhindu has suggested - flexibility, calming of the nerves, healthier individuals; all these things people generally agree are 'good' for us.
Yet what impedes the nervous system to shine in its fullness? Impressions, stresses and strains, etc. that are accumulated within one's nervous system ( this also includes the brain ). Some call these impressions vāsanā-s , latent tendencies, self-limiting or predisposed impressions that limit the full functioning of one's system.
Some ask - do vāsanā-s only come/accumulate from this life? For those that are are okay with past lives, these vāsanā-s build up (or are reduced) over time. Time for some think one life at a time, others think in multiple lives over long spans of time.
I tend to throw them in a bucket called stresses-and-strains to the system. Consider a rope. Twist the rope. As you turn it it gets tighter and tighter. If one twists it say 45º , it will then need -45º to unwind, to relax back to its normal shape. Like that , this is one of the contributions of meditation - it untwists the rope; It allows the nervous system deep rest.
Where there is deep rooted vāsanā-s ( a.k.a. stresses) then deep rooted rest is needed to ferret out these deeper impressions. Over time they bubble up and come out, and at the same time one is gaining this deeper rest, and as Proudhindu suggested, there is calmness that begins to accompany the individual.
This culturing of calmness is a big deal. Oh... because you say so yajvan? Nope, I was taught this, but it aligns to what Kṛṣṇa offers in the Bhāgavad gītā ( chapt 6, 3rd śloka):for the man who has ascended to yoga , calmness (śamaḥ¹) is said to be the means ( kāranā¹ ).
My teacher uses one word 'calmness' to aggregate the meaning of śamaḥ which is tranquillity , calmness , rest , equanimity , quietude or quietism , absence of passion.
There are other things Kṛṣṇa offers in this 3rd śloka that are very useful to this conversation (calmness via actions, man of thought ~muni~, etc.), but for now, let me stay with the notion of calmness ( calmness via actions) and say this balanced approach (śama) is a contributing factor to one's overall well being and this can occur via meditation.
But I do not get this notion of impressions… Can you give some kind of example? Sure. lets do that in the next post.
praṇām
words
śama शम - tranquillity , calmness , rest , equanimity , quietude or quietism , absence of passion , abstraction from eternal objects through intense meditation
sama सम - always the same , constant , unchanged , fair , impartial towards ; same , equal , similar , like , equivalent , like to or identical or homogeneous
kāranā कारण - instrument , means , motive origin , principle