Look upon the spirit as the rider,
Take the body for the chariot,
Regard the mind as reins,
The senses as steeds,
And objects of the senses
As the way they trample on.
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Bhagwad Gita–High on Waves
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Tag Archives: Pratyahara
Creation of Ganesha
Parvati longed for a person, who would be her guard like Nandi, who was always at Shiva’s side. One day when she was preparing for her bath on Mount Kailash’s, she told Nandi to sit outside. Nandi took his post, intending to carry out Parvati’s wishes. Shiva arrived suddenly as was his habit and he wished to enter. Continue reading
Samyojana
What does samyojana mean? In Sanskrit, it means knots which are within us and these knots have to be opened. They are chains which bind us spiritually. Continue reading
The mirror of our mind
Many of you are familiar with the German word, Innenwelt, which refers to the ‘inner world’. The inner world is the mental experience of the inner self which accompanies I. It can also be described as a mirror of oneself. It is a complicated and complex meaning and it manifests itself in one’s dreams. Continue reading
The different pratyaharas
Dear Ones, I have been writing about Pratyahara as explained by Swami Niranjananda Saraswati. I will go through the list. Continue reading
Sravan (hearing) Pratyahara
What is Sravan Pratyahara? It is the pratyahara, where you become aware of the sounds around you. The best way to understand this is in the practice of Shava asana and Yoga Nidra. The process is to listen to the sound and then let it go. Continue reading
Charma (skin) Pratyahara
What is skin pratyahara? It is an incredible practice and I would recommend it to persons, who have any skin problems. It is best practiced during Shavasana or Yoga Nidra. Continue reading
Swad (taste) pratyahara
What is Swad Pratyahara? It is the shutting out the sense of taste. We are aware how powerful the sense of taste is. In the terrible times of Covid, some of us lost our sense of taste and everything tasted like sawdust. Continue reading
Ghrana (smell) pratyahara
Ghrana pratyahara is difficult, as one gets accustomed to the smells around one. The smells arouse different responses in one. Take the fragrance of incense, you walk in and after a while you do not notice the smell anymore. This keeps happening, with the different smells. One smells them and then they are ignored. Continue reading
Drishti Pratyahara
Close your eyes. Be comfortable. Spine straight. Be still as still as you can be. Now open your eyes and pick up an object. You may take a small walk, but be concentrated on finding such an object. It can be a flower, a leaf or a fruit. Now sit down again and be still. Gaze at the object deeply. It is like the practice of trataka. Continue reading
First step in Pratyahara
Sri Swamiji said,
It should be understood that pratyahara means withdrawing the mind from the objects of sense experience, then the senses function according to the mind, and not vice versa. The capacities of smell, taste, sight, touch and hearing are withdrawn from their objects and then the senses begin to follow the mind inward and not outward. This is withdrawal of the mind from the sense activities so that the sense organs also become introverted with the mind; they imitate the mind and follow it inside.
This is his description of pratyahara. Continue reading
See, hear and speak no evil
The three wise monkeys said, see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil. This saying of the wise monkeys originated in Japan, during the Muromachi period (a time of turbulence). It is believed that they were influenced by the teachings of the Buddha. Their names were Mizaru who covered his eyes and saw no evil; Kikazaru, who covered his ears and heard no evil; Iwazaru, who covered his mouth and spoke no evil. Then there is the San Saru symbol, which says, “See the good, hear the good and speak the good.” The wise monkeys are also known as the three mystical monkeys. Continue reading
908 – Memories and Senses
Just as a strong wind sweeps a boat off its chartered course on the water, even one of the senses on which the mind focuses can lead the intellect astray. – Bhagavad Gita 2.67
We are very involved with our senses and are committed to them. We are ruled by them, if one is on the path of meditation, then it can be very distracting and we can succumb to temptation. Continue reading
841 – Chapter 8, Verse 12 Bhagavad Gita
Sarva-dvarani sanyamya mano hridi nirudhya cha
Murdhnyadhayatmanah pranam asthito yoga-dharanam.
All the gates of the body restrained, the mind confined within the heart, one’s life force fixed in the head, established in concentration by Yoga. Continue reading
747 – Be regular with your Sadhana
We celebrate the awakening of Vishnu after four months of sleep today. Hindus worship Lord Vishnu and seek his blessings and love. Tulsi leaves and flowers are offered to Vishnu and Lakshmi. Dev Uthani Ekadashi (Ekadashi means eleven as in the eleventh day of two fortnights of the waxing and waning of the moon, in the lunar month) marks the awakening of Lord Vishnu after a four-month period of sleep. On this day, it is possible to get rid of our karmas and seek salvation. We also request Vishnu to grant us a place in his abode—Vaikunth Dham. The mantra chanted is Om Namo Bhagvata Vasudevaya, and the other mantra is the Maha mantra. Continue reading