Meditation, Music and Social Vision
by Dada Vedaprajinananda
The practice of yoga and meditation has become increasingly popular in the past few years, but I am sure that there are many people who are still asking themselves, “What’s in it for me?” So, if you have been wondering whether it would be worth your time to start practicing yoga and meditation, I would like to give you five good reasons why it would be a very worthwhile activity for you. Continue reading
Today I was riding in one of New Delhi’s famous three wheeled autorickshaws.
The driver was a very good young man and said that he was working in this job due to family circumstances, but he had originally intended to study more and get a better job. He said that if he had a better job and more money then he could help society with social service.
Actually we can all do something regardless of our capacity. The charity of a beggar is in fact worth more than the charity of a rich person, because the beggar is making a greater sacrifice.
There is an incident in India’s epic tale, The Ramayana that illustrates this point well. In that story, the hero Rama had to build a bridge spanning a huge distance of ocean. Helping him were strong apes who carried boulders for the bridge’s construction. There was also a small squirrel who carried pebbles, out of love for Rama. The monkeys taunted the squirrel saying that his pebbles were useless. Rama intervened and said that the squirrel was working to his capacity and that his contribution was equally valuable.
Here is what my Guru, Shrii Shrii Anandamurti said about this:
“You know the story of the Rámáyańa. During construction of a bridge, the big monkeys carried large stones while the small squirrels brought only tiny grains of sand. Is there any difference between the carrying of tiny grains of sand by the squirrels on the one hand and the carrying of a whole mountain by Hanumán on the other? Both are equally valuable. You may be a small entity like a squirrel, but your existence is in no way insignificant.”
So help others according to your capacity and don’t worry if you are not rich enough to be a famous philanthropist. Your heartfelt help made according to your own capacity is as good as a gift of one billion dollars.
India is the home of yoga and I am visiting here for the next month. I hope to share some insights with you during this trip and show you some pictures soon. So come back in the next few days
In India one of the most famous prayers is the Gayatrii Mantra or Gayatrii Rk. Here is what my Guru, Shrii Shrii Anandamurti has to say about it:
By meditating on this divine effulgence we get the inspiration to move along the path of blessedness. That is why we meditate and that is why we are to meditate. We must meditate. This prayer is of the cardinal type, hence it is a necessity. We should do it, we must do it. Prayers like, “Oh God, give us food, give us drink” are all non-cardinal; hence they are useless and should always be discouraged. I told you that your requirements are better known to Him. You do not know what you actual requirements are. He knows. In several portions of the Yajurveda also, prayers are like this “guide our intellect unto the path of blessedness.”
It is not easy to follow a spiritual path in an age of materialism. You may be trying to improve yourself with yoga and meditation (kamagra), but your neighbors, friends and even family members may be moving in a different direction.
One of the ways you can gain the strength needed to stick to your path is by associating with like-minded people. When I first began yoga there were some days when I didn’t feel like doing it, but I was with some friends who were also into yoga and they said, “come on let’s do our yoga postures together.” So that really helped. Imagine if I had had friends who would have said,”yeah, yoga is for sissies, come on let’s go and drink some beer.” I wouldn’t be here now writing this yoga blog!
So, if you want to remain consistent and strong in your yoga practice hang out with like-minded people. Find some friends who also wish to move on the spiritual path. Good company in Sanskrit is called Satsaunga (sometimes written, satsanga). Sat signifies the unchangeable supreme truth and saunga means company.
Here is what my guru, Shrii Shrii Anandamurti has to say about satsaunga:
“Even a golden vessel needs polishing occasionally. Unmaintained it gathers dust and dirt and loses its lustre. Similarly, even a good person or a sádhaka needs proper maintenance, for in a world of constant change, care must be taken that the change be always towards the better or the higher. Keeping good company is essential for this positive development. While bad company strengthens the bondage of the soul, good company is conducive to liberation and salvation. The keeping of good company is conducive to liberation and is known as satsauṋga in Sanskrit. When satsauṋga is followed, either physically or mentally or both, the subconscious mind, and thus the conscious mind, are charged with better and higher influences. This change will move the follower forward towards higher and better goals.”
You can find out more about this approach to yoga at www.anandamarga.org
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