Feb 2010 - Michigan South Asian

Michigan South Asian February 2010 Page 8Meditation - Your Questions AnsweredQ: What is the differencebetween joy and bliss?Are they both same?A: No, they are different.In Sanskrit, there aretwo words, Santosha andAnanda. Santosha meansthat when something fromoutside touches us, we becomehappy. This happinessis dependent on theouter object. If the objectis not there, then there isno joy. Ananda means onethat has no end. This is thebliss we are interested in,which is causeless. Thatis why if you see the livesof great Masters, they didnot have any processionsbut they were in unshakablebliss. No one cansnatch their bliss awayfrom them.Q: What is the influenceof food on meditation?A:Food has little influenceon meditation. Seriousmediators have alwaysbeen following Satvikfood, which excludesnon-vegetarian, alcohol,onion, garlic and greenchilies. Onion, garlic andgreen chilies cause toomany thoughts that causemore stress.Q: Why is that I am notable to forget some of thepast incidents? They bringmisery again and again.A: Because we hold onto these past memories.Imagine when you werea child you did a mistakein the school. You werecalled in the school assemblyand your headmastersaid that you are a fool.The whole school laughedat you. Thiscreates adeep injuryin your being.Thisgets storedin your unconscious.You keeprecollectingthisi n c i d e n tand the associated emotiontoo and go throughthe same pain. This way,the engraved memory getsits strength and reinforcement.After so many years, youstill carry the memory,emotion and over a periodof time, develop vengeanceagainst the headmaster.You don’t wantto let go of this and keepon holding on to this. Afterso many years, wheneveryou come across anyother headmaster, the oldmemory and the emotionkicks in and you see thisnew headmaster, whomyou are meeting for thefirst time, with a prejudice.You are not seeing thingsas they are, rather youare seeing things as youwant them to be. Engravedmemories make your lifemiserable and meditationcleanses our unconsciousby removingthe engravedmemories.Q: What isPrana? A:Prana is thesubtle energythat ishelping usto live. Thisenergy is inthree layers.1. Basic Prana, which weget by food. That is whyif we do not eat food intime, we feel weak.2. Thesecond layer is the emergencylayer. For example,if a dog is chasing you, allof a sudden you get someadditional energy to run.This energy is availablein limited quantity.3. Thethird layer is the cosmicenergy which we can harnessby meditation. Whenour mind rests, we accesscosmic energy, which is inabundance. That is why,whenever you come outof meditation, you feel soenergetic.Q: What is the differencebetween mind andthoughts?A: There isno difference. Mind isnothing but a set of ourthoughts.Q: Do we need a Master tolearn meditation?A: It always helps to beconnected with a livingMaster. Your progress willbe phenomenal when oneis connected with the Master.Guru Krupa is importantin spiritual growth.Q: I have tried to meditatebefore, why it is so difficultto meditate?A: Lot ofpeople face this problem.Human body has a subtleenergy, which is calledPrana. When the flow ofthe energy happens withoutany blocks, then meditationhappens smoothly.Because of the intenseSamskaras, engravedmemories, it’s difficult todo meditation especially ifit is a silent technique. Littlebit of cleansing needsto happen so that silencewill happen on its own.That is why cleansing andenergizing of Chakras, energycenters, is importantbefore you actually startmeditating.Q: What is the main thingthat is needed for someonewho wants to takemeditation seriously?A:There are few things thatare needed for meditation.Make meditation a dailyactivity and practice meditationwith enthusiasm andjoy; not as a daily routine.When we sit for meditation,imagine as if you aregoing to do the meditationfor the first time. Haveone specific place in yourhouse for meditation. It isadvisable that this placeis not meant for anythingelse except meditation.Preferably sit in the sameplace and meditate dailyas the place where you aregoing to sit gets energized.Q: How do I know a particulartechnique is suitablefor me?A: Try few techniquesand practice them withan open mind. When youencounter the right technique,your heart will tellyou that you have foundthe technique that youhave been looking for.(Continued on Page 12)MARKETING EXECUTIVESCan you TALK & SELL.We are looking for you.Work from home.Flexible HoursEmail Resume:info@palepages.comDESI SUPPORT SYSTEMA 501 (c)(3) Non-profit organizationBECOME A PART OF SOCIALSUPPORT SYSTEM IN MICHIGANWe need volunteersinfo@desiss.org1-888-622-0941www.DESISS.org