Kaur Inder

Sare akho dhan guru Nanak tu hi nirankar
tuhi nirankar ik tuhi nirankar
japo satnam Sri waheguru
fir akho satnam waheguru
hanji sharmauna nahi.  Hun japi chalo....wahe guru.................
we r getting close to death with each tick tick of clock......waheguru
 

Q: How to become celibate when married ?
 
Ans: Get a divorce. 

Yes not all Sikhs are aware of this view. I am not sure. But there is a good amount of traditions that consider Guru Nanak as a literal manifestation of God. The Nanaksar tradition especially highly emphasizes that Guru Nanak is God. And a great leader from Nanaksar tradition, Baba Ishar Singh Ji , in his tapes mentions that Nirgun is Darkness, and cannot impart salvation. Only , the Sargun aspect of God, Guru Nanak will liberate you.

If you research SGGS, go to the writing by the Bhatt, there you will find many references mentioning like Aap Narayan Kala Dhar Jag Meh Parveryo meaning God Himself took the form of Guru Nanak.

My friend, Sikhish is a spectrum with great shades and colors, many are at different levels of learning and understanding, it is vast. Gurbani has instructions for people who are at different levels. That is why, what may make sense to one person may not appply to another. As you get deeper and deeper, subtler concepts unfold.

Some of these concepts will not make sense when you researching from a historical perspective of religions. These ideas and understandings are usually passed down through oral tradition, and many things about Sikhi are learnt through the company of elevated spiritual beings.

People . First of all dont use gurus as examples to justify ur own selfish bodily needs and cravings.

Truthseeker you are basically saying Guru Gobind Singh Ji seeked bodily pleasure? You need to understand what a Guru is.
What you are saying is very offensive.

Guru is beyond the body. He is sargun form of Nirankar.

If he can create billions of galaxies in a blink of eye do you think it is impossible for Guru to create life in a mothers womb without engaging in vishe vikaar? Shame on those who think that gurus were involved in sex.

Baba Nand Singh said Guru Nanak didnt engage in vishe vikar. And those who say so are damned.
May their tongues be cursed who compare gurus to human beings.


People. No one is asking you to stop having sex. Do whatever you want. Make babies and have pleasure. But dont say that my father Guru wanted bodily pleasure thus had many wives. And also guru didnt have sex. They have the power to do anything.

People have immense faith in Gurbani and they have the full right to say what Gurbani says. Next thing you will argue that I have no right to say labor pain is painful just because I have not gone through it yet and I should not trust my mom . If we are going to look at it that way then we all are frauds. Everybody is doing their best to help themselves and others. It's always a good idea to be humble and hear what others are saying rather than judging them "Oh show me if that's true". Knowledge is pretty powerful and free too. We all need teachers, when I am showing anger and if someone who is not able to control his anger comes up and tell me hey don't get mad, getting mad is no good. If I question him Oh really show me first if you can control your anger then trust me I am the biggest Fool alive on this earth .  When I do my path and I go outside and my brother starts annoying me and I get mad. He always go people who do path should not get mad. What he does not understand that I fail every time and still try and his words can make me quit practicing what I am practicing . 
why people are saying "All is God".
Simple answer is because Guru Ji says so. 
I never bring tukks from Gurbani because I am a kindergarten level here but this one seems fun let's try so here we go plus I need to learn too. 
God is everything, God is everything, without God, there is nothing. 
 You can take it as metaphorically or literally. I take it as both ways and would not mind telling others either . Because next tuk will say 
sab kuch apey aap hai dooja avar na koyi.
He himself is everything, there is no other at all.
Now don't start the argument about Calling God "He". I am too old for this useless drama. 
We all experience the separation because boy we are full of Ego. Have you ever heard a heart touching Kirtan and you feel that love for everybody and everyone . For me that's oneness. Very rarely it happen but you can sit and just wanna hug every single person on this planet and tell them how much you love them. But some people will take it wrong way so be careful lol. Try to find where are you? I tried other day while eating. I felt like I was in my head and when I went to sleep I felt I was in my dreams and when I heard a beautiful Kirtan I felt I was in my heart. When we day dream we can be anywhere . Up to this day I don't know where am I ? I am here and then I am there but in the end I am nowhere. I am an illusion because when I shift my gaze in certain perspectives while looking in mirror I can make myself invisible . Kinda hard and useless to explain but stand front of a mirror and keep looking at it until you kinda zone out and poof your face is gone in mirror. It's a fun exercise, I mean better than making faces front of mirror .I know y'all do it too,  I can't be the only one . Lol 
The primal lord, the architect of destiny who created you also put egotism in you .
 
Everything is a wave until it gets observed and become Particle. Who is the observer which makes it a matter. Electrons act differently when they know they are being watched . Those sneaky suckers makes life so mysterious for us. If you magnificent the glasses all the way , you will "hear" ( why in quotes because science says so) that humans are nothing but thoughts and information . It went from brain ( flesh) to neurons  to atoms to data. At quantum level, we have no body but an existence composed of data and information . Time to watch more videos on Holographic Universe. Go check it out , they are fun lol 
Sometime you will hear a child saying Mommy stealing is wrong and that child might steal after 2 hours but mom will go true stealing is bad. So , the point of this long post is (not only for you but for many others too who kept saying Oh your avastha is not there yet, so don't talk like this) take their knowledge and use it for your benefit rather than judging them. You will come across many people who are full of knowledge but keep gaining the knowledge instead of practicing it but still they have really good points to make . Some people keep learning and learning and once their vessel is full then they start practicing and some curious ones start sharing their knowledge. I do that too, when I learn something I wanna go and share and when someone ask me oh Really show me it's true then I am like next time I am telling you nothing lol. Have an open mind, a mind where you hear what they are saying and if does not resonate with you toss is out and if does maybe look deep into it. 
 

Yes !!You are right he is the creator of this entire universe!!
Naraks ,swaarag,khand , brahmand all are his creation.He is NIRANKAAR!! He does not need any particular place to stay in..If we talk about the avataars,then it's not like yes this body is guru sahib and that's it! No! It's something that we can't define in words.
"SACHKHAND VAASEY NIRANKAAR"
THERE is no place other than Sachkhand that can be called as his home! Yes he is everywhere as his jyot is the main reason of life in anyone.But this life is also affected by another factor that we call " Maya"/kaal.Though Kaal is also a manifestation of waheguru himself,but it's something that our limited intellect can't describe! See what's happening there in syria,what's happening in Naraks ,then It means it's waheguru who is only one responsible for everything.He is burning people each and everywhere..but NO!!
Gurbani says he is deen dayal,merciful,he is bakshanhaar!! He is the bismillah,he is the saviour ,he is raakhanhaar!! It means though he is everywhere ,his jyot is in kan kan of universe ,but this but is still there! We can't answer some facts..
You know why we need this body??
It's a joon...We are here for laikha jokha,for experiencing dukh and sukh and to finally merge with  akal purkh.To attain this, our story begins.In womb body is formed and then Subtle elements enter.So Mahapurkhs define WOMB as a punishment!!! It's not like womb is dirty and all that!! No!! It's like soul says maharaj I had to be with you and now I'm staying here and a new world filled with maya is waiting for me..Though Maharaj is still there to take care of you(maata key udar mai pratipaal krey),but you( from that single light) are again going to have an exam,where that light will be taken over by many other factors.And it's said that we feel extreme pain there..pain to subtle body and emotional pain to soul...
Womb is for souls who are coming to this world as a joon.Who are coming for laikha jhokha,for improving their mistakes ..This goes for souls who were seperated for akaal..
But when we talk about Avataars,We are talking about Nirankaar himself.He is supreme and divine jot and this jot is in everyone and finally it merges in him.
He does not take birth for any laikha,or things like that.He is already the ocean! That's why All this 5 element body ,mind are a mere illusion to the world.
Actually this 5 element body does not exsist at all!! Yes!! It's something unspoken!
Remember dasam pita has asked his sikhs to not look for anything in his angita (after he left the world--- this is also an illusion, ),but nothing was found!!
It's because there was never a body at all!!
Now people will say it's insane!!
But this is the fact!!
Now you tell me if this body is not true ,if he is already the supreme jot who doesnt need any source to merge in anything else, who is above the game of mind and senses ,then was he a product of womb??
I mean how can we think like this !!
Yes he is you and I'm also he,but can you still call yourself guru sahib ?? 
No!! Never!!
He is he!! Just he!!
We,I are he+ this +this +that+many more!!
This 'he' in us was never  in womb,was never in pain during the journey we have travelled yet!!
These this,that and other factors are the reason for each and everything! These participate during period in womb,naraks,pain,etc!! And the Ultimate goal is to completely eradicate them and becoming single "he "!!
So,Guru Sahib is already the supreme,He never entered womb,infact no "he" in anyone enters womb ,because that ultimate jot has nothing to do with anything else other than the divine ocean/akaal/sachkhand itself!! We can't discuss this mystery and it's not a mystery at all! It's something that is the only truth!! And this truth is truth! 
Bottom line is" No avataar is the product of womb"..
It's not a joon!
He is AJOONI!!
It's just the game of eyes of the world!! 
We say what we see!!
But with what we are seeing ,is nothing other than an illusion!
These eyes are false!This world is false! The womb is false! The product of womb is false! Only truth is this "he" ,in you ,in me,in womb(and now we can say womb is a truth/but truth is he/not the womb),in everything else! This he was never born!! This "he" in you and me never reincarnated! It's singing his praises from the very beginning ,but it knows no language,no voice,no words.It's simply " he"!!
So please No one should say that Guru Sahib stayed In womb,he suffered dukh,sukh,I mean......
We can go on and on on this! You will provide your facts and I will mine!
But bachans of saints,mahapurkh unfold the mystery!!
Rest is clear to us!!
Gur fateh!!
 

just do simran with love and that will open it, surrender is all that works for dasam duar... it can open through seva many ways, give up the ego and love god to merge and it opens. just meditate on guru mantra until that is the only thing that exists, let it continually cut the thoughts until you merge into the gurumantra. banis as well let it cut thoughts until that is all that exists, your identity merges into guru manta. "waheguru gur mantra hai jaap homai koi"
from what ive learned effort can only take you to trikuti, 3rd eye, to go beyond that you need total surrender, technique doesnt matter. 

It is entertaining to see how conversations shift from asking about Brahma Kavach to sleeping directions, energy poles & meridians, and to Aliens.
I wonder if there is a hidden message in this thread from a Higher Unseen Power.
Lets see who can dig this out lol ;)    ( For me, the message is to invoke protection through Kavach from Energy field disturbacnes & alien abduction {jk})

cool so u don't need the heater ur probably saving lots of money lol.

Something I've realized these past few weeks - kind of related to what's above but kind of not. 
 
I've come to a new understanding on life. The goal of your spirituality isn't to chase a trip, energy, experiences, whatever you want to call it. 
 
True spirituality is defined by this ability to drop the self. Come to a level of understanding and view everything as oneness. Live a life of purity, joy, happiness. Practice self love (deeper than physically - on a level of knowing the self and being content). 
 
I feel like this is what makes someone a true Bhagat. A state of "Chardi Kala" - not exactly in the same terms that our culture describes it. But I mean staying in this stability, not losing you're awareness of your true self. 
 
Even when these experiences do arise in the space of being - you do not perceive it as good or bad. It just is. Everything just is. Being free from judgement, hopes, desires. Letting go in one sense. 
 
The biggest thing I've come to learn is that intention leads to tension. The more you try, the harder things get. 

I also like to do simran lying down on the sofa but do find myself nodding off and then awaking again 30 or 60 minutes later.. My problem is that I like to meditate at the end of the day which isn't the best time because you don't know if you fell asleep do to a tranquil mind or tiredness kicked in.

The same concept is reinforced in his book Prabhu Simran.
In Sikhism there is a general talk about the union of God's Name and mind (or consciousness). Universal Guru, Guru Nanak
Dev ji Maharaj has preached to conjoin voice with attention (Dhun and Dhian). Attention is consciousness and voice or sound is shabad (God's Name). Attention or mind or consciousness is to be conjoined with God's Name:-
dhun meh dhiaan dhiaan meh jaaniaa guramukh akath kehaanee.
The meditation is in the music, and knowledge is in meditation. Become Gurmukh, and speak the Unspoken Speech.
To conjoin attention or mind with sound, in reality, means to listen the voice. Listening only is uniting attention. The truth is that without attention, one can not listen also. One person is speaking and the other person is listening. Suddenly the listener says to his companion, "please repeat it I have not heard." But why he has not listened? He replies that his attention went elsewhere. So if the attention is not in· the voice/sound, then one can not
listen:-
matt vich ratan javaahar maanik jae eik gur kee sikh sunee.
Within the mind are gems, jewels and rubies,if you listen to the Guru's Teachings, even once.
One can become sage, spiritual guide, god or yogi by listening and all sins are erased and supreme bliss is acquired.
Naanak bhagataa sadaa vigaas.
o Nanak, the devotees are forever in bliss.
suniai dookh paap kaa naas.
Listening-pain and sin are erased.
During collective meditation by sitting in the congregation song ofHis Glory is to be listened. Even if the meaning of the song (Shabad) is not understood, even then attention is to be engrossed in listening so that the Shabad may enter the inner self through the ears.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji declares like this about individual meditation:-
Tongue may pronounce God's Name and ears should listen.
Morsel of food will enter in the body through the mouth and will become a part of the body after digestion as marrow, meat, blood and physical strength. Food is to be prepared by hands and is to be eaten by the mouth.
GOD's name is to be pronounced by the mouth and it will enter in the mind through the ears. When the Shabad (God's name) enters the inner most consciousness through the ears, then it manifests as a divine virtue and gets converted into spiritual power and it takes the form of ecstasy (~: Vismaad) and become contemplation which is the highest state of meditation. By keeping feeling of faith in the mind, God's name is to be pronounced and sung with the tongue and is to be listened through the ears:-
gaaveeai suneeai man rakheeai bhaao.
Sing, and listen, and let your mind be filled with love.
dukh parehar sukh ghar lai jaae.
Your pain shall be sent far away, and peace shall come to your home.
If we pronounce God's Name with the tongue but do not listen with the ears, then this pronounced name flies away in the air. Then it is like this that the food is prepared by the hands but is not eaten by putting in the mouth. Food is not taken inside, but is kept in the hands only. In this way a person is not satiated and the physical strength will diminish. If the tongue says Waheguru, Waheguru, but the ears do not listen, then Waheguru mantar will not become a part of the soul and the spiritual power will not be attained. The pronounced name of God (Gur Mantar) has to be listened by the ears. It is easy to pronounce, but it is difficult to listen the pronounced Word. It is our job to prepare and eat food, it is our responsibility. But it is not within our power that the food eaten by us may become blood and physical strength. It is beyond our responsibility. As the Nature's principle converts food into blood, in the similar way, the meditation done by us gets converted into supreme bliss.

gurbani ang 972.....
ਬਾਣੀ  ਨਾਮਦੇਉ  ਜੀਉ  ਕੀ  ਰਾਮਕਲੀ  ਘਰੁ  ੧
Baṇī nāmḏe▫o jī▫o kī rāmkalī gẖar 1
The Word Of Naam Dayv Jee, Raamkalee, First House:
ੴ  ਸਤਿਗੁਰ  ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ  ॥
Ik▫oaʼnkār saṯgur parsāḏ.
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
ਆਨੀਲੇ  ਕਾਗਦੁ  ਕਾਟੀਲੇ  ਗੂਡੀ  ਆਕਾਸ  ਮਧੇ  ਭਰਮੀਅਲੇ  ॥
Ānīle kāgaḏ kātīle gūdī ākās maḏẖe bẖarmī▫ale.
The boy takes paper, cuts it and makes a kite, and flies it in the sky.
ਪੰਚ  ਜਨਾ  ਸਿਉ  ਬਾਤ  ਬਤਊਆ  ਚੀਤੁ  ਸੁ  ਡੋਰੀ  ਰਾਖੀਅਲੇ  ॥੧॥
Pancẖ janā si▫o bāṯ baṯa▫ū▫ā cẖīṯ so dorī rākẖī▫ale. ||1||
Talking with his friends, he still keeps his attention on the kite string. ||1||
ਮਨੁ  ਰਾਮ  ਨਾਮਾ  ਬੇਧੀਅਲੇ  ॥
Man rām nāmā beḏẖī▫ale.
My mind has been pierced by the Name of the Lord,
ਜੈਸੇ  ਕਨਿਕ  ਕਲਾ  ਚਿਤੁ  ਮਾਂਡੀਅਲੇ  ॥੧॥  ਰਹਾਉ  ॥
Jaise kanik kalā cẖiṯ māʼndī▫ale. ||1|| rahā▫o.
like the goldsmith, whose attention is held by his work. ||1||Pause||
ਆਨੀਲੇ  ਕੁੰਭੁ  ਭਰਾਈਲੇ  ਊਦਕ  ਰਾਜ  ਕੁਆਰਿ  ਪੁਰੰਦਰੀਏ  ॥
Ānīle kumbẖ bẖarā▫īle ūḏak rāj ku▫ār puranḏrī▫e.
The young girl in the city takes a pitcher, and fills it with water.
ਹਸਤ  ਬਿਨੋਦ  ਬੀਚਾਰ  ਕਰਤੀ  ਹੈ  ਚੀਤੁ  ਸੁ  ਗਾਗਰਿ  ਰਾਖੀਅਲੇ  ॥੨॥
Hasaṯ binoḏ bīcẖār karṯī hai cẖīṯ so gāgar rākẖī▫ale. ||2||
She laughs, and plays, and talks with her friends, but she keeps her attention focused on the pitcher of water. ||2||
ਮੰਦਰੁ  ਏਕੁ  ਦੁਆਰ  ਦਸ  ਜਾ  ਕੇ  ਗਊ  ਚਰਾਵਨ  ਛਾਡੀਅਲੇ  ॥
Manḏar ek ḏu▫ār ḏas jā ke ga▫ū cẖarāvan cẖẖādī▫ale.
The cow is let loose, out of the mansion of the ten gates, to graze in the field.
ਪਾਂਚ  ਕੋਸ  ਪਰ  ਗਊ  ਚਰਾਵਤ  ਚੀਤੁ  ਸੁ  ਬਛਰਾ  ਰਾਖੀਅਲੇ  ॥੩॥
Pāʼncẖ kos par ga▫ū cẖarāvaṯ cẖīṯ so bacẖẖrā rākẖī▫ale. ||3||
It grazes up to five miles away, but keeps its attention focused on its calf. ||3||
ਕਹਤ  ਨਾਮਦੇਉ  ਸੁਨਹੁ  ਤਿਲੋਚਨ  ਬਾਲਕੁ  ਪਾਲਨ  ਪਉਢੀਅਲੇ  ॥
Kahaṯ nāmḏe▫o sunhu ṯilocẖan bālak pālan pa▫udẖī▫ale.
Says Naam Dayv, listen, O Trilochan: the child is laid down in the cradle.
ਅੰਤਰਿ  ਬਾਹਰਿ  ਕਾਜ  ਬਿਰੂਧੀ  ਚੀਤੁ  ਸੁ  ਬਾਰਿਕ  ਰਾਖੀਅਲੇ  ॥੪॥੧॥
Anṯar bāhar kāj birūḏẖī cẖīṯ so bārik rākẖī▫ale. ||4||1||
Its mother is at work, inside and outside, but she holds her child in her thoughts. ||4||1||

Dear Manmohan Jee,
feel free to express yourself about your queries or doubts, we are all seekers(of ruhaniyat) here. 
Whatever I have understood from Gurbani or Gurmat, you need to focus more on your Simran.
There should be no confusions at all, as the Simran is the the eye opener, in the sense, that, from good Simran, one gets real gyan, tat and budh. You see, Simran is like rubbing the layers of filth on our mind against a sandstone. The Jot is alraedy in us, but, the more we rub it against the sandstone of Simran, the more the rust is removed, and the more purer we become, and so gradually by working more on it, a day will come when we are totally spotless.
All the spiritual treasures, Akhand Jot, Shabad, Naam.... to the extent, that even Wahiguru the Supreme Being .... all this magnificence is  within us already, it is only that  we have to work on our spiritual cleaniness, which is possible only by His Simran alone.
One has to be absorbed /drenched totally in Simran.
Hold on to it, as a baby holds on the milk feed, means as our nourisher, and as our spiritual food for spiritual growth and maturity.
And when once within, humbly pray Wahiguru, do Him an Ardaas right there, to guide you with His wisdom and bhaana for further enlightment.
This is the most, what we people can do, the rest is His hukum only.
 
Sat Sree Akal.
 

Ajapa japa
 
Mantra has been referred to as a boat which carries one to the other shore. When one enters the ocean of the mind as described above, mantra is the boat which helps one journey through the unconscious, on the way to the Self within.
Mantra has by now become the dominant thought in the mind. The thousands of other thoughts are not as strong as they used to be, and the student has learned the skills of letting go and witnessing. With those skills in place, mantra automatically rises to the surface as the dominant thought. There is no battle between thoughts and mantra. The mantra is automatically going on, on its own, repeating itself. One simply “watches” it with attention. The mantra has a leading quality to it. By just paying attention to it, and following it wherever it goes, it will lead us.
This leading quality is very important. To find out where it is trying to lead us, we must follow it. It is trying to take us somewhere. If you internally “say” your mantra, and then stop, you will notice that the feel of it remains and tries to take you somewhere. If you will allow your attention to stay with it, in an inquisitive way, you will find that it carries you to the place of silence. It’s actually going very deep, right to the center of consciousness, but we usually don’t allow it to lead us quite that far. But the point is this: we need to keep following, trying to find the place to which the mantra is trying to lead us. It’s like being in a forest, hearing the sound of an animal in the distant bushes, and then trying to follow that sound until we find the source of it. We just keep listening, paying attention, and following.
Japa is sometimes described as the repetition of a mantra. Ajapa japa is sometimes described as the automatic, internal repetition of the mantra. But there is a deeper meaning to ajapa japa. A word Swami Rama often uses when discussing mantra is “remembering” the mantra. And remembering does not mean speaking or talking, whether externally or only in the mind. He explains that one should “listen” to, or “hear” the mantra. One should allow the mantra to “arise and repeat itself.” This means taking a stance of paying attention to the mantra which is already there. He even explains that by mentally repeating the mantra, the mind then repeats many things (which is not how you want to train your mind).
Advertising people are well aware of this principle. They create a catchy tune which a person hears a few times, and then automatically repeats internally. You do not use will power to cause the advertising tune to come up; it’s just there, like it or not. A meditator wants the mantra to arise, rather than the advertising tune. The meditator then wants to then pay attention to that mantra which has arisen. The meditator wants to watch it, listen to it, hear it, feel it, and become completely absorbed in it. It does not require an act of will to cause the mantra to come, to be “repeated.” It is already there. All you have to do is notice it, pay attention to it, and follow it.
A mantra has four bodies, or koshas. Outermost is the word and its meaning; next is feeling, then constant awareness, and finally soundless sound, or silence. The mantra will move past the quality of just being a word and one will experience the feeling associated with the mantra, and a constant awareness, which then guides one towards silence. All sounds, including mantras, arise from silence and go back to silence. This is where the mantra is trying to lead you, if you will allow it to do so.
Sometimes one can think that they are forgetting their mantra when they notice that the syllables start to drift away. What might be happening, is that the mantra is leading you inward, past the level of verbal language. But, not understanding this, the student might get concerned and try even harder to hold on to the verbal level of the mantra. The student might “repeat” the mantra with more intensity, or intentionally faster, so as to not “forget” the mantra, when what is needed is to allow the mantra to do its job, which is to lead you inward towards silence.
 This notion of “feeling” and “awareness” might be more easily understood by thinking of some person you love (or someone you dislike). How do you remember that person? Do you have to repeat their name over and over? No. You remember the “feel” of the person inside of you, and if the emotion is very strong, it might be a “constant awareness.” In this constant awareness, the name of the person may come and go, but the awareness is always there. A parent of a new-born baby is constantly aware of that child, though not actively thinking of the name of the baby.
 It is this constant awareness that is the real meaning of ajapa japa. In meditation, you make that awareness the object of meditation. It then carries you, fully awake and alert, through the ocean of the unconscious. And when you choose to observe the ocean, the mantra remains your boat. Done internally, it is meditation, Done externally, it is meditation in action. They are both ajapa japa.

Gskler ji..........I think it is the very early stage that you are describing, especially when the jap itself begins to separate from breath.
I remembered about describing this to myself ''as if trying to catch a bird/hen and it keeps runining/jumping forward out of your grasp''

With what you describe, it also highlights the fact that simran stages don't have to run in any specific step by step order. For eg. you may hear naad before you taste amrit or vice versa.

From just my personal understanding and practice, I can only tell you the little I know.
In my experience and from what you are saying, certain chakras can begin to activate and awaken completely at random!
It seems your throat has began to awaken.
Now, with the approach and methods of saas graas,- saas saas- that some of us have used,.... I can only advise that you should take your dhyian down to navel area and do more saas saas..........I say this because....I think you should be putting more dhyian into the dhun and listening.

gurbani says ""dhun mein dhyan, dhyaan mein Jaaniya" ..............and then only by 'listening'...will the naad begin to manifest. Also, when you really put the dhyian on listening, then next steps will spontaneously begin to come to you at ease.

I strongly advise to not get lost and trapped into the mindset of ''Oh what shall I do next...or maybe I'm doing it all wrong."....attitude.....because I have fallen down this path many times !
Just keep the PYAAR for the satguru and beg him with love to lead the way.
Jap and immerse in the simran whilst listening. Listen and listen to your jap with dhyian and you will begin to go more internal and start hearing the sounds that will catch you by surprise. Acknowledge this as the Satguru, telling you that he is listening.

With what you are experiencing and describing;Be grateful, because he has already confirmed to you that HE is doing the Jap within you!!
because gurbani says

ਸਰਗੁਨ ਨਿਰਗੁਨ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਸੁੰਨ ਸਮਾਧੀ ਆਪਿ ॥
Sargun nirgun nirankār sunn samāḏẖī āp.
He possesses all qualities; He transcends all qualities; He is the Formless Lord. He Himself is in Primal Samaadhi.

ਆਪਨ ਕੀਆ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਆਪੇ ਹੀ ਫਿਰਿ ਜਾਪਿ ॥੧॥
Āpan kī▫ā nānkā āpe hī fir jāp. ||1||
Through His Creation, O Nanak, He meditates on Himself. ||1||

Dear Ragmala,
you must bear in mind, that since we have left our Father´s House, Sach Khand, we have been collecting dirt on our souls. And this has been since countless aeons....

So do you really think or anybody that with some time given to simran, one can wash all of one´s huge filth?

The mind has been wandering since then, not even for a second it has stopped to rest ... it is continously runnig outside in the maya powered by the 5 vikars ... so however one´s strong efforts maybe in bhakti, believe it, we by ourselves, can never ever reach or have any spiritual achievements...

So then what to do?

Leave yourself as "kookar" at His Door without wavering .... It is by the water of His Daya Meher, that we can be washed and become pure paviter.

You see, when you say it seems you have gotten no where ..... remove away even those thoughts, because in that way, we are not totally given in His Dhyan, as we are still conscoius of ourselves of not having seeing or feeling anything ....

In His bhakti, we have to behead ourselves, not literally, but, means to be motionless, mindless ..... then when the haume, or I /me vanishes with His Simran, only He remains.... and then we shall have His Darshan.

Sat Sree Akal.

Sushumna Awakening

According to the yogic scriptures, there are 72,000 nadis, or energy channels. Among them, ida, pingala, and sushumna are the most important. As long as the mind is outward, only ida and pingala remain active. But when the mind is calm and tranquil, sushumna, the central channel, is awakened. The joy derived from the mind traveling through the sushumna channel is unique; it cannot be compared with any sensory pleasure. Because of that inner joy, the mind loses its taste for worldly pleasures.

Sushumna application is the most important factor in spiritual practice. The moment sushumna is awakened, the mind longs to enter the inner world. When the flow of ida and pingala is di¬rected toward sushumna, and distractions are thereby removed, meditation flows by itself.

According to our school of meditation breath awareness is an important step for the awakening of sushumna. Although the word sushumna cannot be adequately translated into English, it signifies the state of an undisturbed and joyous mind. When the breath starts flowing freely and smoothly through both nostrils, the mind attains this state of joy and calmness. Such a mental condition is necessary for the mind to travel into deeper levels of consciousness, for if the mind is not brought to a state of joy it cannot remain steady, and an unsteady mind is not fit for meditation. The process of awakening the sushumna is possible only when a student starts enjoying being still by keeping the head, neck, and trunk straight. This means that the student does not allow any uneasiness to occur in the three cords along the spinal column—the central, sympathetic, and para¬sym¬pa¬thetic ganglionated cords.

The sushumna nadi is centrally located and travels along the spinal canal. At the level of the larynx it divides into an anterior portion and a posterior portion, both of which terminate in the brahmarandra, or cavity of Brahma, which corresponds to the ventricular cavity in the physical body. The ida and pingala nadis also travel upwards along the spinal column, but they crisscross each other and the sushumna before terminating in the left and right nostrils, respectively. The junctions of ida, pingala, and sushumna along the spinal column are called chakras, or wheels, and just as the spokes of a wheel radiate outward from the central hub, so do the other nadis radiate outward from the chakras to other parts of the body. In other words, the chakras are junctions of other nadis with the three main nadis: sushumna, ida and pingala.

Ida and pingala, situated on each side of the spinal column, are joined at a point opposite the forehead, between the eyebrows at the ajna chakra, where one finds a small but significant ganglion called the ganglion of Ribes. Ida goes around this ganglion to the right and terminates in the left nostril. Pingala goes around it on the left side and ends in the right nostril. In passing along the posterior side of the spinal cord, these two channels change their positions several times, alternating left and right, and meet again below at the ganglion impar located in front of the coccyx which corresponds to the muladhara chakra. These channels communicate repeatedly with sushumna throughout its course.

There are only two or three techniques for applying sushumna:
1) concentrating on the bridge between the two nostrils,
2) doing pranayama breathing practices and applying jalandhara bandha (the chin lock) and
3) meditating on the chakra system.
Breathing practices to awaken sushumna may include nadi shodhanam and kumbhaka.
Also, use of mantra helps to awaken sushumna.

It should be understood that sushumna application is the only methodical way of preventing the dissipation of the mind. When sushumna flows, the occasion is unsuitable for external actions, and only meditation and contemplation should be done. When the breath is in sushumna, intuitive knowledge is received well.

The application of sushumna is very important: without it, deep meditation is not possible, and without deep meditation, samadhi cannot be accomplished. To apply sushumna, the accomplished yogis concentrate on the bridge between the two nostrils above the lip and allow both nostrils to flow freely. Such advanced yogis do not use any external pressures on any part of the body to change the flow of breath. The aspirant who has learned the correct method of meditation and who has control over the wandering of his mind can easily apply sushumna willfully through concentration on the flow of breath, and can attain the deepest state of meditation—samadhi. At this stage, such aspirants no longer need to use the fingers. The knowledge of turiya is easily accessible by applying sushumna. Sushumna application and the awakening of kundalini are two main aims of yoga science. Without knowing the method of awakening sushumna the joy of meditation cannot be experienced. Pranayama is important in gaining control over the mind, and the application of sushumna is important for deepening meditation.

The first step in sushumna application is learning to change the flow of breath with your mental ability, according to your wish and desire. There are many mechanical methods described in books by which you can do this, but they are not actually helpful; they are not really recommended. To really accomplish this process, you must learn to create a relaxed focus on the right or left nostril. If the nostril is blocked, but not due to some condition like sinusitis, then when the mind focuses on it, that nostril will become active because of the focus of the mind. When you have learned to change the flow of the nostrils with your mind, then after some time, a time comes when both nostrils begin flowing evenly. This may take some months or perhaps a year, depending on your capacity and the burning desire within you. When the nostrils flow evenly, the mind cannot worry, because it is disconnected from the senses. Mind does not know how to worry then. It attains a state of joy called sukhamana, the joyous mind. That state of mind is conducive to deep meditation. This is an accurate and effective procedure for you to follow, and it is important not to rush or be impatient.

To begin the process of sushumna awakening, the meditator is prepared to focus the mind on the breath as it is felt between the two nostrils. The goal is to focus awareness on the flow of the breath, where it can be perceived at the nostrils on inhalation and exhalation. When you focus the mind on the center between the nostrils, you will soon discover that both nostrils are flowing freely.



When both nostrils flow freely, that is called sandhya, the wedding of the sun and the moon, or between pingala and ida. Once this experience can be maintained for five minutes, the student has crossed a great barrier, and the mind has attained some one-pointedness. Then the mind becomes focused inward.

For meditation, the finest of all breathing exercises is sushumna application. When you learn how to apply sushumna, there is no way for your mind to go anywhere but into the inner journey. According to the ancient yoga manuals and the science of yoga, there are three important points in the inward journey. The cream of the yoga science is to learn first to apply sushumna; next to awaken kundalini and lead her to the highest dimension; and then to attain the knowledge of the Absolute. This is the entire purpose of the yoga system.

Application of sushumna and awakening of kundalini are the two most important aspects of yogic practice before union between jiva and Shiva is accomplished. When sushumna is applied, the yogi feels a sensation of fire going to the brain as if a hot current of air is being blown through a tube from its lower end to its upper end. With the force of pranic energy, the muladhara and swadisthana chakras vibrate, and the primal force is fully awakened.

When the students of meditation learn to apply sushumna, then they really start practicing meditation, and meditation becomes a joyful experience. The student can notice when his breath starts flowing freely through both nostrils, and this symptom is an indication of sushumna awakening. In samaya, which is the highest of all yoga paths and tantra, sushumna awakening after bhuta shuddhi (internal and external purification) is the first requisite. Then kundalini is awakened, and in the third step it is led to sahasrara and not allowed to flow again to the lower levels of consciousness.

The science of breath actually ends with sushumna application. It is the method by which you establish harmony between the two aspects of breath. During that time, both nostrils flow freely. Without sushumna application, meditation, the inward journey, becomes difficult, so you should learn the method of sushumna application. When you attempt sushumna application, ask your mind to focus at the nose bridge. Let your thoughts come and do not be afraid. You are trying to discipline your conscious mind, which is only a small part of the whole mind.

In the Kathopanishad, the King of Death says, “There are innumerable nerves and veins in the physical system, and among them the most important is that which goes upward through the spine. That one is called sushumna. It travels through the spinal column and leads to the highest heaven as conceived by the yogis. One who can enter sushumna at the time of death can attain Brahman, the highest goal of life. All other paths are paths of rebirth. From sushumna, the yogi ultimately reaches the highest consciousness of the Supreme Lord. By yogic practice, the yogi can commune with Parama Shiva, seated on the sacred throne of the thousand-petalled-lotus. Sushumna is the key point of liberation. From the sahasrara or crown chakra, he rises finally to the realm of the absolute Brahman.”

Keeping the Zzzz Out of Meditation.


Have you ever reached a quiet moment in your meditation only to find yourself falling asleep? Virtually all of us have dozed off during our practice at some point. The boundary between sleep and meditation is easy to cross—and once traversed, heads bob, spines wobble, and minds wander through personal wonderlands.

Handling the sleepiness in our heads can be a challenging task—made more difficult by the hold that sleep has over us. Sleep’s power is that it satisfies our need for genuine mental downtime. It helps us forget ourselves and leaves us refreshed. “Oh sleep! It is a gentle thing, / Beloved from pole to pole,” writes Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Nonetheless, sleep is the meditative distraction par excellence. It steals us away just as the most tranquil moments of meditation are unfolding. How do experienced meditators manage it?

Swami Rama, the meditation teacher who founded the Himalayan Institute, often reminded students that when a fool falls asleep, he wakes up a fool; but when a fool reaches the heights of meditation, he is transformed. Swami Rama’s point was that meditation is an elevation of consciousness, not a diminution of it. He wanted students to be clear that the intention of meditation is self-transformation, not sleep.

While most of us know that sleeping is not meditation, that doesn’t seem to prevent us from drifting off when the urge arises. Once triggered, the compulsion to sleep can be extraordinarily powerful. What’s more, a wide range of factors influences it. A full stomach, congested bowels, lack of movement, lack of fresh air, sleep deprivation, and periods of emotional stress all can contribute to feelings of drowsiness. Managing sleepiness, it turns out, requires our full attention.

Developing a Meditative Perspective
Meditation allows us to explore the encounter with sleep in detail. In meditation we observe the subtle shifting of consciousness. More important, according to the sage Patanjali, we gain a measure of control over it. The aspiration of every meditator is to gain mastery over the fluctuations of the mind. This is accomplished through relaxed concentration—the conscious settling of the mind in a resting place—and by gaining inner distance and detachment from the passing activities and objects of experience.

The great problem with sleepiness is that it makes it difficult or even impossible to concentrate. It is, itself, one of those objects of experience passing through the mind. Just as the mind is about to rest and focus, sleepiness slides in. It magically erases the object of concentration (most often the breath or a mantra) and replaces it first with some rather strange and dreamlike images (hypnagogic imagery) and then with a vague feeling of nothingness. Dreamless sleep doesn’t completely shut operations down, but it comes close. It immobilizes the body and involuntarily rests the senses and mind.

If we follow Patanjali’s advice, we’ll need to treat dreamless sleep as a vritti, one of the operations of the mind that must be controlled.
If we follow Patanjali’s advice, we’ll need to treat dreamless sleep as a vritti, one of the operations of the mind that must be controlled. That means recognizing the symptoms of sleep and choosing not to let them overwhelm us.

In sleep, the mind abandons all other conscious functions and dwells on the experience of nothingness. The qualities of dullness, stupor, and inertness (collectively known as tamasic qualities in Sanskrit) dominate us during sleep. As they approach, the mind perceives them and, like the memory of other pleasures, resorts to experiencing them again. For a time, the body/mind embodies tamas.

Llike other operations of the mind, sleep is a distraction during meditation. Difficult as it is, our job as meditators is to recognize and observe our sleepiness, but not to embrace it.
But like other operations of the mind, sleep is a distraction during meditation. Difficult as it is, our job as meditators is to recognize and observe our sleepiness, but not to embrace it. If we treat it like other distracting thoughts, the mind will let it go and gradually return to an alert, concentrated state. Sleepiness, like other thoughts, feelings, and sensations, is a passing wave. In meditation we are learning to ride that wave without letting it crash over us. This is the fundamental strategy for working with sleep in meditation.

Pre-Meditation Tips
The power of sleep, unfortunately, is real, and easily magnified. The commitment to step back from the brink of slumber requires the ability to recognize and manage factors that foster sleepiness. For example, if you have just eaten before sitting down to meditate you can count on at least 45 minutes of lethargy. That doesn’t mean that you can’t meditate during that time, but you won’t be anywhere near your sharpest while your energy is being funneled into digestion rather than concentration. This explains why meditation manuals advise waiting two to four hours after a full meal before meditating.

The way you select and prepare food also dramatically affects the clarity of your consciousness. Food requires heat for digestion, and if you have not supplied that heat through a cooking process, you will have to draw it from your own body. Although individual constitutions vary enormously, too much raw food, particularly high-fiber greens, raw nuts and seeds, and dried fruits with an abundance of concentrated sugars, can sap energy rather than supplying it. Fatty foods require extra time to digest as well. Inadequately cooked foods are yet another problem, as are foods that are stale, heavy, overcooked, or loaded with sugar. The outcome of overindulging in these foods will be an overwhelming sense of lethargy and a fuzzy mind.

Food is not the only factor that thickens the mantle of sleepiness. Lack of sleep is a major contributor, too. The trick is to get to bed early enough to provide adequate rest. Bedtime is generally under our control, but rising times often are not. It makes sense, then, to work on getting to bed on time, because a sleep-deprived mind will inevitably look for opportunities to catch some zzzz’s during the day. And since meditation is undoubtedly the best moment it will find, if you do not manage your bedtime you can anticipate trouble ahead when you sit.

There are many other factors that increase the urge to sleep. To manage them, we need to wring out the tamas in our systems in one way or another. That can mean purposefully getting more exercise, bringing order to the clutter that surrounds us in our meditation room, opening a window to let in some fresh air, or cutting back on stimulants, such as coffee, that rebound when their effects wear off.

The Hub of Concentration
Sleeping in meditation is a powerful sign of lethargy and fatigue. It signals that we need to watch the way we are handling our energy levels. Tamasic impulses need to be managed over the long run, and when fatigue or lethargy alerts us to an imbalance, it’s important to give it our attention.

In the end, sometimes the best way to manage sleepiness is simply to sleep. A 10-minute nap after lunch, or an occasional early bedtime, may be just what your meditation needs. It can soothe the otherwise irresistible pressure to nod off.

Finally, you can take the edge off the tamas while you meditate—not by resisting it but by cautiously approaching and accepting it. During meditation, a deep sense of stillness combined with relaxed breathing will partially satisfy your need for sleep. That doesn’t mean using meditation as a recurrent chance to doze. The key to feeling more refreshed is to make your breath the hub of concentration. Breath awareness—focused attention on the flow of the breath—makes it possible to meditate while simultaneously resting. Using breath awareness, you can deeply relax your body, nervous system, and mind.

One of the most powerful and pleasant methods for doing that is to combine the rhythms of breathing with the mantra soham (pronounced so-hum). As you feel the movements of your breathing, inhale as you mentally say the sound so, and exhale as you mentally say the sound hum. Let the sounds flow smoothly and easily in your mind, merged with the natural pace of your breathing.

Swami Rama sometimes said that like the glowing ember of a fire that is concealed by layers of ashes, a sleeper—your own being—waits within. As you recite the sounds so and hum in your mind, he said, imagine that they are ever so lightly blowing away the ashes of tamas and little by little uncovering this Spirit in you. As you continue, be patient with the urge to sleep and allow time for it to pass. Let the so-hum mantra fill you, giving your body and mind a thorough rest. Remain in the quiet center of your awareness, and, without raising your inner voice, let the presence of the mantra gradually dispel your fatigue. But if your head starts bobbing, then put “restoration of energy” at the top of your to-do list. Bedtime is fast approaching.

The Science of Mantra Meditation

Those who meditate are seeking to explore their interior life, the unknown inner levels of their being, for the goal of meditation is to become aware of the center of consciousness within. In order to attain this goal, meditators need to pursue a systematic and methodical technique in order to achieve deeper and deeper levels of inner experience.

In such an approach, meditators must first quiet and balance the functioning of their physical body. Next, they must make the breath serene. And then they begin the process of making the mind tranquil. Eventually, they seek to go beyond all the levels of the conscious and even the unconscious mind and establish themselves in their essential nature.

This inward exploration is not like the way we look at the external world, when we examine the things around us. We have all been taught to explore and study the objects of this world by our parents and in schools, but the techniques we have learned will not help us to explore the inner world. For this, we must use the precise and exact science of meditation or we will merely waste our time and never attain our goal.

The practice of meditation is an exact and precise technique for fathoming all the levels of ourselves and finally experiencing the center of consciousness within.

The word “meditation” has come to be used loosely and inaccurately in the modern world. It is not daydreaming, fantasizing, or letting the mind wander and indulge itself or travel into its past grooves or habit patterns. The practice of meditation is an exact and precise technique for fathoming all the levels of ourselves and finally experiencing the center of consciousness within. It is not a part of any religion; it is a science, which means that this process follows a particular order, has definite principles, and produces results that can be verified. Meditation, or dhyana, is a one-pointed state of internal focus which is effortlessly maintained for some time.

The goal of meditation is to experience a state beyond the mind’s levels of thinking, feeling, and analyzing. To achieve this, we must create a state that is still and one-pointed so that the mind becomes silent. When the mind is silent and no longer distracts us, then meditation deepens, and finally we attain samadhi, the awareness of the highest state of consciousness.

In the ancient tradition of meditation, the science of mantra is a precise and technical process that meditators follow in order to attain their goal. Without the benefit of a mantra, it would not be possible for them to make this inner pilgrimage to the deepest level of their being. That is why mantra is described as either a raft or a bridge on which meditators cross over the river of life and eventually reach the other shore—the state of highest consciousness. Without the help of this powerful technique, our journey would be futile because we would be unable to penetrate and fathom the various levels of the mind and finally reach our goal.

The path of meditation is distinct and different from the paths of prayer and contemplation. In prayer, seekers establish a dialogue with the Divine Force and thereby purify the way of the soul. In contemplation, seekers use the conscious mind to examine and consider some principle or concept such as peace, truth, or happiness. Then they allow their minds to assimilate this principle by considering how they can apply it to daily life. Serious students can use all three techniques. There is no conflict between these paths; they are simply different processes.

In meditation, the goal is to go beyond the mind and experience our essential nature—which is described as peace, happiness, and bliss. But as anyone who has tried to meditate has experienced, the mind itself is the biggest obstacle standing between ourselves and this awareness. This is why using a mantra becomes so important. Without its assistance, students can meditate sincerely and faithfully without fully experiencing its benefits or even making much progress despite their efforts. The mind is undisciplined and unruly, and it resists any attempts to discipline it or to guide it on a particular path. Thus, many sit for meditation and experience only fantasies, daydreams, or hallucinations. They never attain the stillness that distinguishes the genuine experience of deep meditation.

From Silence to Silence
A mantra is a word, phrase, sound, or set of words that seekers use, according to precise guidelines, when they practice meditation.

A mantra is a word, phrase, sound, or set of words that seekers use, according to precise guidelines, when they practice meditation. This science is both subtle and profound. It leads to a state in which the meditator allows the mantra to repeat itself internally in the deepest and most subtle way possible. The goal is to give the mind an internal focus, or point of concentration, so that it does not continue its normal, scattered pattern of mental activity. If followed properly, this technique allows the mind to quiet itself and become still.

In the ancient tradition of meditation, it was said that mantra and meditation are like two sides of the same coin. Certainly there are some techniques that do not use mantra as a way of deepening the meditative state, but these are generally limited to breath awareness—and such techniques can take students only so far. They cannot help them to attain the highest state. But when students meditate on a particular mantra and make a conscious effort to focus the mind on that mantra, this finally leads the mind to silence. All sounds proceed from silence; the mantra leads the student back to that silence which is called samadhi, nirvana, or the state of tranquility. Thus, among all the methods of meditation, mantra is the most profound and advanced.

Students often wonder whether any word or sound can be a mantra, and if they can select a mantra for themselves from a book or by using a word or phrase to which they are attracted, such as the words “peace” or “love.” Actually, the authentic mantras were not invented or developed by any person; they are sounds that were received and experienced by the great sages in states of deep meditation. They are not part of any particular language or religion; they are profound, precise sounds that are eternal and universal. When the sages came back from their deep states of meditation, they conveyed the sounds they had received to those students who were prepared to hear them, and it is these revealed mantras that helped the aspirants to attain the highest levels of deep meditation.

The power and significance of a mantra does not result from its literal meaning, but from the power of its subtle vibrations.

The power and significance of a mantra does not result from its literal meaning, but from the power of its subtle vibrations. (It is actually the subtle vibrations of the mantras that have the power to encourage and facilitate deeper experiences of consciousness.) But this process cannot be explained or really understood until it is experienced personally at some level. For modern students, this is probably the aspect of the science of mantra and meditation that is most difficult to comprehend.

Unfortunately, in the modern world we have become dependent on knowing and experiencing things only through the analytical aspects of the conscious mind. But the conscious mind learns through the external senses alone and thus thinks and “knows” in a very limited and superficial way. This is why modern students often assume that the power of their mantra is due to its literal meaning, and they sometimes maintain their sensitivity to the mantra on this level alone.

But actually, there are four levels, or koshas, of a mantra. Its literal meaning is only the most primary and external level at which it can be perceived. The feeling of the mantra is the next, more subtle level; it is followed by its deep presence, or internal awareness. Finally, and most profoundly, the mantra is experienced as soundless sound. The goal of the meditator is to let the mantra deepen to this level. And that is why a personal mantra is not uttered aloud or chanted.

Soundless Sound
No person “gives” another a mantra, but a mantra may be imparted on behalf of a larger spiritual tradition by an experienced and competent teacher to a sincere student who is prepared to receive it. This process is never a part of any business or economic transaction between the student and the teacher, and if the teacher is authentic, there is no taint of personal gain, ego, or selfishness in it. Receiving a mantra is only one part of a special and unique relationship between teacher and student. It exists wholly on a spiritual level. Unlike the other relationships we experience in our lives, it has no mundane, personal purpose. Those who study texts and scriptures can certainly find mantras listed in books, but only an authentic and appropriate mantra, given to a prepared student by a qualified teacher, can help that student attain the goal that he or she is seeking. In many ways, the role of the teacher who imparts a mantra is much like the role of a physician who knows a patient’s diagnosis and the appropriate medication for that condition. But even though a mantra may be authentic, if it is given to a student for whom it is not appropriate, it may be of no benefit, or may even cause problems for the student. Thus, those who are serious and sincere in their desire to meditate are advised not to experiment with practices found in books. They should prepare themselves to receive such a teaching by working to purify their body, senses, and mind through preliminary practices.

Eventually, it is said, sincere students will find a qualified teacher who has practiced and experienced what is being taught. The superficial teachers so common in the modern world do a disservice to the tradition of meditation by disillusioning many students and making them wonder if there is any authentic living tradition. Qualified teachers still exist; if students have a strong desire to progress, they will eventually find what they are seeking.

To be beneficial, a mantra must be appropriate to the student’s level of attainment, personality, desires, and attitudes, and when it is imparted it must be used in a precise and specific way. Mantras are not spoken or muttered on the gross physical level, with the mouth, tongue, and voice box. Instead, they are first heard mentally and then allowed to become increasingly subtle and fine. The goal is to eventually achieve a state of constant, effortless awareness called ajapa japa.

There are two types of sounds: those which are created by the external world and heard by the ears, and those inner sounds which are called anahata nada, unstruck sounds. These do not vibrate in quite the same way that sound vibrates in the external world, and they have a guiding or leading quality which carries the meditator to the center of silence within.

Mantras that are used in meditation do not obstruct or interfere with the flow of the breath; instead they help to balance and refine the breath. This leads to a unique and special state in which the sushumna nadi, or subtle channel, is active and the breath flows freely and equally through both nostrils simultaneously. This is different from the normal functioning of body, breath, and mind when either the left nadi (ida) or the right nadi (pingala) is active and the breath is dominant in one or the other of the nostrils. When students succeed in activating sushumna, and the breath flows evenly through both nostrils, breath and mind function in complete harmony. This special state is ideally suited for meditation, for when it is achieved the mind becomes completely inward in its focus.

As the mind becomes inward, it disconnects from the external senses, and then meditators will experience a flow of thoughts, impressions, and emotions coming forward from the unconscious mind. This is the storehouse of all the impressions of our lifetime, and they have created deep grooves in the unconscious mind that can be disturbing. The purpose of mantra is to help us to go beyond these grooves and create new, beneficial channels. The mind then begins to flow spontaneously in the new grooves created by the mantra and becomes concentrated, one-pointed, and inward. As the mind centers on the mantra, the other impressions, memories, thoughts, and emotions of both the conscious and unconscious mind become still.

Once students have received a mantra, they should practice meditation with it for some time and bring it to increasingly subtle levels of experience. Sometimes, however, modern students become impatient after practicing the mantra for only a few weeks or months, and feel that they are making no progress because they cannot see any dramatic or immediate external changes as a result of this practice. Some conclude that their mantra is not the “right” mantra, and seek other practices. Others simply discontinue their practice, discouraged by what they see as lack of progress. This is like the impatience of small children who plant tulip bulbs in September, and then want to dig them up two days later because they have not yet seen any signs of a flower.

You should work with the mantra with full dedication and deep feeling for some time.

Patience is essential in the practice of meditation. You should work with the mantra with full dedication and deep feeling for some time. Eventually, it becomes like a loyal friend who will never abandon you and is always there to help you. That is why teachers sometimes tell their students that dependence on any external person or object will always disappoint them at some time, but seeking solace and comfort from the mantra will always be helpful—especially during those times in every human life when loneliness and doubt exist.

When you begin the practice of meditation on a mantra, you are systematically working to make the more remote levels of your own inner experience successively deeper. This process has two aspects: It refines and purifies the existing impressions of the mind, and at the same time, it cultivates and deepens the experience of the mantra. Because most people have not yet acquired much awareness of the deeper levels of themselves, it is not easy for them to observe and appreciate the changes that are taking place during this process. But as you continue to practice meditation on the mantra, the internal process that is taking place will eventually reveal itself. As it does, you will begin to know yourself as you really are.

Meditation Is Not What You Think!

You want to attain a state of happiness that is free from all pains and miseries. Yet you constantly live with fears, concerns, strain, and struggle. Why? Because you do not live in the moment, you are not fully present and aware. Your inner and outer conflicts prevent you from dealing with the situations that come before you and living in harmony with those who are close to you. These conflicts keep you from accomplishing the tasks that you have placed before yourself.

Meditation is not what you think, for it is beyond thinking.
Meditation is a definite process for resolving conflicts. It is the simple and exact process of becoming aware of who you are. It is learning to know yourself as you really are. Meditation is a practice of gently freeing yourself from the worries that gnaw at you, so that you can be free and respond to the needs of the moment, and experience the joy of being fully present. Meditation is not what you think, for it is beyond thinking. You do not meditate on your problems in order to solve them, but through meditation you see through the problems you have set up for yourself.

The World Within
Meditation is a practical means for calming yourself, for letting go of your biases and seeing what is, openly and clearly. It is a way of training the mind so that you are not distracted and caught up in its endless churning. Meditation teaches you to systematically explore your inner dimensions. It is a system of commitment, not commandment. You are committing to yourself, to your path, and to the goal of knowing yourself.

Meditation is not a ritual belonging to any particular religion, culture, or group. It is a method of knowing the one reality from which all religions spring. For example, the Bible clearly says, “Be still and know that I am God.” Learning how to be still is the method of meditation. And if you meditate regularly you will find that you have become more calm, yet alert to what is needed in the present moment.

Most people associate calmness with passivity, but the peace that meditation brings releases energy. Worry and preoccupation dissipate your strength. Meditation frees the energy that has been bound in your mental discord so that you can apply yourself one-pointedly to whatever you decide to do. Meditation will lead your mind to become more concentrated, so that you can fully focus on whatever you choose. Because of this, those who meditate will learn almost anything more easily and more quickly.

From childhood onward, you are taught to examine and understand things in the external world, but nobody teaches you to look within and understand the mind and its various states. All of your training has been to know the outer world, and to become skillful at manipulating the external world for your own benefit. But unless you learn to know yourself, whatever you do in the external world will not produce the results you want. If a tire is out of balance, no matter how wonderfully it was designed in other respects, it will not function properly. Unless you achieve inner balance, no matter how much you know about performing in the outer world, you will fall short of your goals. Meditation is the means of achieving this inner balance.

Those who have examined the objects of the external world understand their transitory nature and know that life has more to give. Then they start searching within themselves and conducting “inner research.” Meditation is a systematic technique of inner research. It is like a ladder with many rungs which finally leads to the roof, and from there one can see the vast horizon all around.

Meditation will lead you to a state of inner joy. You think that pleasure comes from your contact with the objects of the world, but there is an inner and finer joy that you have not yet tasted. Those who have been researchers in the external world, who have examined its pleasures and joys, discover that the highest of all joys is meditation, and this joy leads to that eternal joy called samadhi. Such great ones like to keep their eyes partially closed, looking into the innermost light that shines within this frame of life.

Meditation will give you a tranquil mind. Meditation will make you aware of the reality deep within. Meditation will make you fearless; meditation will make you calm; meditation will make you gentle; meditation will make you loving; meditation will give you freedom from fear; meditation will lead you to the state of inner joy. If you understand these goals and want to meditate, then it will help you, but if you are expecting to become rich through meditation, then don’t do it.

Full Attention
Meditation is not a difficult task that you must force upon yourself; once you experience that inner joy you will spontaneously want to meditate as much as you now look forward to outer pleasures. Nevertheless, it is very helpful to establish a routine to your meditative practice. Just as you eat at certain times of the day, and look forward to eating as those times approach, so too, by developing the habit of meditating at the same time each day your whole being—your body, breath, and mind—will look forward to meditating at that time. You should sit down every day at exactly the same time. Establish a specific time for your practice and do your practice every day at that time.

The first thing you have to learn is to be still.
The first thing you have to learn is to be still. This process begins with physical stillness. According to the tradition that we follow, the asana, or meditative posture, is carefully selected according to your nature and capacity, and you are guided by a competent teacher to keep your head, neck, and trunk straight. After choosing a sitting posture, good students learn to become accomplished in it.

After accomplishing stillness with the help of the meditative posture, you will become aware of obstacles arising from muscle twitching, tremors occurring in various parts of the body, shaking, and itching. These obstacles arise because the body has never been trained to be still. We are trained to move in the external world faster and faster, but nobody trains us to remain still. To learn this stillness, you should form a regular habit, and to form this habit you should learn to be regular and punctual, practicing the same posture at the same time and at the same place every day until the body stops rebelling against the discipline given to it. This step, though basic, is important and should not be ignored. Otherwise, you will not be able to reap the fruits of meditation and your efforts will be wasted.

You should find a simple, uncluttered, quiet place where you will not be disturbed. Sit on the floor with a cushion under you or in a firm chair, with your back straight and your eyes closed. Then bring your awareness slowly down through your body, allowing all of the muscles to relax except those that are supporting your head, neck, and back. Take your time and enjoy the process of letting go of the tension in your body. Meditation is the art and science of letting go, and this letting go begins with the body and then progresses to thoughts.

Once the body is relaxed and at peace, bring your awareness to your breath. Notice which part of your lungs are being exercised as you breathe. If you are breathing primarily with your chest you will not be able to relax. Let your breathing come primarily through the movement of the diaphragm. Continue to observe your breath without trying to control it. At first the breath may be irregular, but gradually it will become smooth and even, without pauses and jerks.

Meditation is a process of giving your full attention to whatever object you have chosen. In this case you are choosing to be aware of the breath. Allow yourself to experience your breathing in an open and accepting way. Do not judge or attempt to control or change it. Open yourself so fully that eventually there is no distinction between you and the breathing. In this process many thoughts will arise in your mind: “Am I doing this right? When will this be over? My nostril is clogged—should I get up and blow my nose before I continue? Perhaps I should have closed the window. I forgot to make an important call. My neck hurts.” Hundreds of thoughts may come before you and each thought will call forth some further response: a judgment, an action, an interest in pursuing the thought further, an attempt to get rid of the thought.

At this point, if you simply remain aware of this process instead of reacting to the thought, you will become aware of how restless your mind is. It tosses and turns like you do on a night when you cannot fall asleep. But that is only a problem when you identify with the mind and react to the various thoughts it throws at you. If you do, you will be caught in a never-ending whirlwind of restless activity. But if you simply attend to those thoughts when they arise, without reacting, or if you react and attend to the reaction, then they cannot really disturb you. Remember—it is not the thoughts that disturb you, but your reaction to them. It is not a sound that disturbs your meditation, but your reaction to it.

Meditation is very simple. It is simply attending. You can begin by attending to your breath, and then if a thought comes, attend to it, notice it, be open to it—and it will pass. Then you can come back to the breath. Your normal response is to react to all your thoughts, and this keeps you ever busy in a sea of confusion. Meditation teaches you to attend to what is taking place within without reacting, and this makes all the difference. It brings you freedom from the mind and its meandering. And in this freedom you begin to experience who you are, distinct from your mental turmoil. You experience inner joy and contentment, you experience relief and inner relaxation, and you find a respite from the tumult of your life. You have given yourself an inner vacation.

The Foundation for Peace
This inner vacation is not a retreat from the world but the foundation for finding inner peace. You must also learn to apply the principle of attending in your worldly activities so that you can apply yourself in the world more effectively. Through practicing meditation you can learn to be open to what comes before you in the world and give it your full attention.

Ordinarily, you react to the experiences that come before you in the world in much the same way that you react to your thoughts. If someone says something negative to you, you become upset or depressed. If you lose something, you react emotionally. Your mood depends on what comes before you and, as a result, your life is like a roller coaster ride. You react before you have fully experienced what you are reacting to; what you see or hear immediately pushes a button. You interpret that according to your expectations, fears, prejudices, or resistances. You short-circuit the experience, and thus you limit yourself to one or two conditioned responses. You give up your ability to respond to a situation openly and creatively.

But if you apply the principle of meditation to experiences that come before you, you can fully attend to what is taking place. You can attend to your initial reaction without reacting to your reaction: “Oh, look at how threatened I feel by that.” You need not deny your reaction. Let yourself be open to experiencing it and it will move through you and allow other spontaneous responses to also come forward, so that you can select the one that is most helpful in that particular situation.

In this way meditation is very therapeutic. It not only leads to inner balance and stability, it also exposes your inner complexes, your immaturities, your unproductive reflexes and habits. Instead of living in these and acting them out, they are brought to your awareness and you can give them your full attention. Only then will they be cleared.

Patient Practice
Competent teachers instruct students in how to be free from external influences and how to follow the primary steps, so that the body, senses, and mind are prepared for meditative experiences. If the preliminaries are ignored, then students may waste years and years hallucinating and fantasizing, simply feeding their egos and not attaining any deeper experiences.

But there is one serious problem. Modern students are like children who plant seeds in the evening and early the next morning wake up and start digging up the seeds to see what has happened. Of course, nothing has happened; the seeds are still there so the child covers them up again and pours water on them. Then, in the afternoon, the child wants to examine the seeds again. Let the seeds of your practice grow; give your practice some time to develop.

It takes time to see results; be gentle with yourself.
Have patience and do your practice systematically. Every action has a reaction. It is not possible for you to do meditation and not receive benefits. You may not notice those benefits now, but slowly and gradually you are storing the samskaras (impressions) in the unconscious mind that will help you later. If you sow a seed today, you don’t reap the fruit tomorrow, but eventually you will. It takes time to see results; be gentle with yourself.

Meditation means gently fathoming all the levels of yourself, one level after another. Be honest with yourself. Don’t care what others say about their experiences—keep your mind focused on your goal. It is your own mind that does not allow you to meditate, and your untrained mind is like a garbage disposal. To work with your mind, you’ll have to be patient, you’ll have to work gradually with yourself.

I sometimes hear students say, “I have not attained anything; I have been doing meditation for thirteen years!” Are you sure that you have been doing meditation? Or did you sit and sleep or dream or think? For thirteen years you have been thinking about many other things in the name of meditation; you think about your work and your boyfriend or girlfriend. You sat for all those years in meditation but you did not really meditate, and then you complain that nothing has happened to you. Do not give your mind space to wander when you meditate, but go step by step in the process. Train yourself. First, pay attention to your posture. Learn to sit correctly. Do your practice systematically. Then work to eliminate the mental and emotional obstacles.

If meditators probe the inner levels of their being, exploring the unknown dimensions of interior life, and if they have learned a systematic and scientific method that can lead them to the next state of experience, then they can go beyond all the levels of their unconscious mind and establish themselves in their essential nature.

Soundless Sound
During deep meditation, the ancient sages heard certain sounds called mantras. In the Bible, it is said that those who have an ear to hear will hear. When the mind becomes attuned, it is capable of hearing the voice of the unknown. The sounds that are heard in such a state do not belong to any particular language, religion, or tradition. According to our tradition, which is a meditative tradition more than five thousand years old, mantra and meditation are inseparable, like the two sides of a coin.

All the existing spiritual traditions of the world use a syllable, a sound, a word or set of words, called a mantra, as a bridge for crossing the mire of delusion and reaching the other shore of life. Mantra setu is that practice which helps the meditator make the mind one-pointed and inward, and then finally leads to the center of consciousness, the deep recesses of eternal silence where peace, happiness, and bliss reside.

There are sounds that are created by the external world and heard by the ears, and sounds heard in deep meditation. The latter is called anahata nada, the unstruck sound. Inner sounds, which are heard in deep meditation by the sages, do not vibrate in exactly the same way as sound vibrates in the external world. They have a leading quality. They lead the meditator toward the center of silence within. The following simile can help in understanding this: Imagine that you are standing on the bank of a river and you hear the current as it flows. If you follow the river upstream, you will come to its origin. There, you will find that there is no sound. In the same way, a mantra leads the mind to the silence within. That state is called “soundless sound.”

The mantra imparted by a teacher to a student is like a prescription given to a patient. There are innumerable sounds, each with a different effect. The teacher must understand which best suits a particular student, according to his or her attitudes, emotions, desires, and habits.

A mantra has four bodies or koshas (sheaths). First, as a word, it has a meaning; another more subtle form is its feeling; still more subtle is a presence, a deep intense and constant awareness of it; and the fourth or most subtle level of the mantra is soundless sound.

Many students continue repeating or muttering their mantra throughout their entire life, but never attain a state of ajapa japa—that state of constant awareness without any effort. These students strengthen their awareness, but meditate on the gross level only.

Those who go beyond this stage use special mantras that do not obstruct and disturb the flow of breath, but help regulate the breath and lead to a state in which the breath flows through both nostrils equally. In this state the breath and mind function in complete harmony and create a joyous state of mind. When students attain this state, the mind is voluntarily disconnected from the dissipation of the senses. Then they have to deal with the thoughts coming forward from the unconscious mind, that vast reservoir in which we have stored all the impressions of our lifetime. The mantra helps one to go beyond this process, creating a new groove in the mind, and the mind then begins to spontaneously flow into the groove created by the mantra. Finally, when the mind becomes concentrated, one-pointed, and inward, it peers into the latent part of the unconscious, and there, sooner or later, it finds a glittering light. Mantra is the means. Meditation is the method.

In my own practice I sit down and observe my whole being listening to the mantra. I do not remember the mantra or repeat the mantra mentally. Instead I make my whole being an ear to hear the mantra, and the mantra is coming from everywhere. This will not happen to you immediately in meditation, but when you have attained or accomplished something, it will. Then, even if you do not want to do your mantra, it is not possible to avoid it. Even if you decide that you do not want to remember the mantra, it will not be possible. Finally, even the mantra does not exist; only the purpose for which you repeat the mantra is there; you are there. The mantra might still be there, but it exists as an experience that overwhelms your whole being, and is not separate from you.

The mantra might still be there, but it exists as an experience that overwhelms your whole being, and is not separate from you.
The most important role mantra plays is during the transition period that every human being will experience. A dying person’s senses do not function properly. He gradually loses the sense of sight, the tongue mumbles words that cannot be understood by others, and he is unable to express the mind’s thoughts in speech or actions. This painful and pitiable situation frightens the mind of a non-meditator. But if one remembers the mantra for a long time in such a state of loneliness, the mantra begins to lead him, and this miserable period of loneliness and agony is over. The mantra becomes his leader. Only one thought pattern is strengthened by remembering the mantra, and when it is firmly established it leads the individual to his abode of peace, happiness, and bliss.

The Art of Joyful Living
So never give up! Accept meditation as a part of your life, just as you eat, sleep, and do other things; make it your goal to have a calm mind, to have a one-pointed mind, to have a tranquil mind. Do not give that up. Meditation leaves a clear indication on your heart, which is reflected on your face. When people speak to me, I can easily tell whether or not they meditate or are even capable of meditation. Their face is the index of their heart.

You can attain the highest state of samadhi through meditation. Then you are here, yet there; you live in the world, yet above; you include all, and exclude none. When the day arrives that every man, woman, and child practices meditation, we will all attain the next step of civilization and realize the unity in all. Liberation can be attained here and now, and that experience is the ultimate goal of human life.

You beat it with the gurmantar. You make it sit still and listen or do the Jaap, so it doesn't have the audacity to even think about things in the first place. Try it and you will very quickly realise how sneaky it is.
It is however good practice to tame it slowly over time rather than after the event because by then it's too late. However also show it some love occasionally. There are many encouraging and pleasing pangtis in gurbani that one can read and reflect upon. 

You cannot beat the mind; best way is to work along with him. Controlling the mind does not mean stopping the thought process. Control of the mind means using it properly, and knowing the method of using the forces of the mind. It is necessary that we learn to observe, understand, and train the functions of mind at the various levels of consciousness.
Techniques to make Mind one-pointed
Do not try to stop Mind from thinking something. Do not play wrestling with your mind. Just try to see what kind of thoughts mind is thinking and where it is going. Do not give Mind the permission to run, but do not stop it from going there - instead give it full control by saying "Mind if you want to go there, you can go; but I am not coming with you.". After some time, the Mind will become steady and would not run. This is the most commonly used technique.

During meditation build your determination, and tell your mind, “At this time my mind is only for meditation. I have to meditate and learn to go beyond this mire of delusion and confusion created by my mind. I am not going to identify with the thought patterns going on in my mind. No matter what happens during these moments I will be not disturbed, no matter what happens. Let my preoccupations come forward later. I do not want to be disturbed.” This way, we will build our sankalpa shakti. Sankalpa shakti (determination).
  This technique for those who has somewhat better control on their bhuddhi. In this technique, student divides his mind into 2 parts: One the owner, and other the servant. Being the owner of Mind, it instructs the other part (servant) not to run and eventually Mind gets trained.
  This technique is for advanced. Under this technique sit down for dhana and stop thinking. Empty your whole mind and watch from where the thoughts are coming. You will notice that thoughts come from outside. Throw these thoughts before entering the mind and destroy the thought. It would be interesting to know the Mind in terms of Bird. Mind is a bird. Greed and Honor are its 2 wings; Attachment and Hatred are its mouth (chuanj) and it resides on tree named as body. Good (Shubh) and Bad (Ashubh) are its food. The technique to control this mind in terms of Bird: Prepare a cage of Vichar and put this mind inside this cage. (i.e always think about what is not-changable). Cut the wings of greed by using scisor of Veerag and Santokh. Give him the food of rememberance of Atama.