Being overcome by thought.

[Miyazaki]

Hello all, hope you are well.

I was thinking about the Katha Upanishad today, in particular the passage about the 2 birds sat in a tree and was thinking about the comparison to the Atman and Paramatma and was suddenly overcome by emotion.

I felt an electric charge through my body as I visualised those two birds and felt compelled to chant the Hare Krishna mantra, this electric charge became stronger and I felt enormously happy. I was walking my dogs outside in the countryside at the time which only elevated my mood further.

Meditating tonight, I have never found it so easy, usually my legs ache and I feel uncomfortable straight away and can usually only manage 16 chants of the Maha Mantra, but managed many more tonight, the mala in particular flowed through my hand like water.

I don't know why I am repeating all of this here, but was wondering why I usually find my spiritual practice so difficult and challenging, yet have such a revelatory moment today?

I felt like the top of my head had opened to the universe and felt extremely at peace and full of love.

Does anyone else experience this regularly? How can I enjoy this feeling more often?

Many thanks,

Peace and Love,

Matt

[Friend from the West]

Hari Om

Namaste Matt,

I can only give you my thoughts and hope a piece makes a difference or someone adds on to and makes different.

Perhaps in the moment you share with us all on HDF, you were taking care of a simple thing and in perfect setting. In practices, all of the other stuff that dirties our minds (which with time see that not a hindrance) was not present with this moment you share. Possibly you were taking care of one of the essentials that you permit to divert you during Sadhana and you did this in such a setting, and the Ahaa came. In other words, while all of this was going on, you were not subconsciously pining for something else... you were completely re-realizing, with mind clear of other stuff.
Matt, subjectively, think from what you share, you were not in a mechanical or obligatory frame of mind for which you may approach Sadhana, you were free to feel what your goal seems to be, and you saw/felt/realized it!

I am very much happy for you and glad that you offered this to us each.

Om Shanti.

FFTW

[AmIHindu]

Namaste,

I have separated your post in two parts, one Katha Upnishad and other Meditation. So my reply is 2nd part.


Hello all, hope you are well.

I felt an electric charge through my body as I visualised those two birds and felt compelled to chant the Hare Krishna mantra, this electric charge became stronger and I felt enormously happy. I was walking my dogs outside in the countryside at the time which only elevated my mood further.

Meditating tonight, I have never found it so easy, usually my legs ache and I feel uncomfortable straight away and can usually only manage 16 chants of the Maha Mantra, but managed many more tonight, the mala in particular flowed through my hand like water.

I don't know why I am repeating all of this here, but was wondering why I usually find my spiritual practice so difficult and challenging, yet have such a revelatory moment today?

Many thanks,

Peace and Love,

Matt

Whenever you do chanting, visualization happens for every person, but we need not to pay attention to all these visualization. Of course these visualization gives motive to move forward. At the same time destress also happens, for example it is so difficult and challenging for you to do spiritual practice. But in spite of that keep continue doing your chanting. Try to increase your chanting time. When you increase chanting time, you may be doing mechanical chanting but that is also good, slowly slowly you mind will get habit of doing chanting. Maha Mantras are difficult to chant if you are beginner, it gives lot of destress, I mean to say it generates energy which we may not be capable to holding. When mantra is Maha, we also needs to be Maha.

[Miyazaki]

Many thanks Friend from the West and AmIHindu for your considered responses.

I will take on board what you both suggest, I will repeat the mantra more often.

I also agree that recitation of Maha Mantra does feel mechanical to me and I suppose I feel like I should receive something back for my time even, although this is not conscious.

I think visualisation is a strong tool for me to use personally, and I was thinking recently that visualisation is something that resonates particularly with me, rather than resonance of chanting or other actions.

I think I need to be more selfless in everything I do, in all walks of my life. I resolve to improve in these areas, although I struggle with anxiety and have a very short temper than I must resolve.

Hare Krsna and thanks for your time and patience.

Love,

Matt