In Mahabharat, Yudhisthira said that the greatest surprise in world is that every day people are leaving this world for ever for some unknown place but those left behind consider this earth as their permanent abode. That is why Saints wake us up:-
जाग लो जिन जागना, अब जागन की वार
फिर क्या जागे नानका, जब छोड़ चले संसार
Now is the time to wake up. How will you be awake when you fall into everlasting deep sleep.
The greatest problem is that we are not only sleeping but snoring in the lap of Mind. We forgot the Master and considered Mind as our Master. We became its slave and not only that we considered ourselves nothing but mind. We are over the moon when mind is happy and doomed when mind is gloomed. The holy voice of Swami Vishvas Ji wakes us:-
कहाँ जा रहा है, तू ऐ जाने वाले
अंधेरे हैं मन के, दिया तो जला ले
O’ traveler! Where are you going? Your mind is engrossed in thick darkness. Just kindle the lamp of Meditation.
Meditation is state of no-mind. It is going beyond mind. It is not the concentration or control of mind. Each control results in repression. Mind cannot understand Meditation. As light and darkness can’t stay together, mind and meditation can’t stay together. When meditation arises, mind is seen nowhere. Light is the absence of darkness, meditation is the absence of mind. We do not have to wage war against mind. We are just to WATCH and WATCH the mind and its doings, thoughts without any appreciation or condemnation.
Gurudev Shri Swami Vishvas Ji explains that WATCHING WITNESSING is the experience. Through continuous and persistent watching without any evaluation, thoughts will start diminishing and disappearing. Darkness will evaporate and the clear blue sky with little shining stars will appear. Thoughts will be replaced by BHAV and BLISS. You will have the vision of Self effulgent one, the omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient.
For that vision, Bhav and Bliss, regular and persistent meditation has to be undertaken. Every activity, small or great, is to be done with full awareness, watchfulness and wakefulness. All the time, we are to remember that we are the Eternal Bliss, omnipresent omnipotent and omniscient. We are not the congregation of few molecules to be disintegrated sooner or later. As Longfellow said:-
Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.
Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.
Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.
In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!
Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,— act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God overhead!
In his holy voice, Gurudev Shri Swami Vishvas Ji recites:-
जागो रे सोने वालों कोई तुम्हें जगाने आया
मैडिटेशन का मौसम तुमको मस्त बनाने आया
Awake! Awake! O’ Mind, the season of Meditation has brought Bliss for you. In Meditation we realise our true nature. Through consistent meditation, we realise that He whom we are searching in hills or vales or high up in skies dwells within ourselves. He resides in the innermost shrine of ours.
“I and my father are one.” There is nothing but GOD, POWER, SELF, INFINITE ONE, OMNI PRESENT OMNISCIENT, OMNIPOTENT can be only one and not two. There can never be two infinities because one would limit the other which would cease to the infinite. So cease to lament that you are the congregation of molecules to be disintegrated sooner or later. You are the Self effulgent one but not as a body or mind or intellect but for beyond them.
There is but ONE the Free, Knower, Self without a name or fame. In Him is Maya dreaming all this dream. The WITNESS He appears as nature, Soul know thou art that, Sannyasi bold! Say Om Tat Sat Om!
--Swami Vivekanand
That ONE can be realized through persistent meditation which runs through our life just like a current. We have to be a Witness, Aware, Alert all the time that we are not going into the lap of mind. Be a witness constantly without any stress or strain. When you become aware of your thoughts without any effort, mind becomes silent automatically. It must be without any effort. Effort must be effortless. This seems to be easy but yet has to be done.
Ramakrishna preached, “If you can have some intensity of love for GOD as the combined love of the miser for the money, the mother for his son and the lover for the beloved, one can very easily realise Him. But who has that? One will shed a jugful of tears for earthly relations but who will weep for GOD.
Gurudev Shri Swami Vishvas Ji recites in His holy voice:-
तेरी याद में रो लेना, यह प्यास हमारी है।
विरह का इक आँसू, सब शास्त्रों से भारी है।।
Our thirst is to cry in your remembrance. A tear drop is much more valuable than all scriptures.