Spiritual Daily Amrit Vela Blog - Difficulties, Joys, Methods Of This Practical Journey To Self Discovery

[chazSingh]

The Power of the Mind

Harry Ji, you're viewing the contents and behavior of your mind...and rather than letting your thoughts become actions like most people...you're just analyzing them...being witness to them.

there is a distance between you (soul) and the thoughts (mind) and you're aware of that...

its all part of the seeking process...that's what i think anyway....keep doing it. allow the thoughts to appear, and allow them to pass through and then dissapear..

doing this, for me, helped me from re-acting in my 'old ways' to lifes events...

sometimes the thoughts and emotions were too strong, and like a robotic zimbie, i would lose myself to the thoughts and actions.

slowly, the thoughts became less powerful, i don;t allow them to gain power in the same way as they once did.

Mediation for me, especially in the early stages was to get all this crap out of my mind...often (and this still happens), after simran, when i go back to sleep for an hour or two...i dream some crazy dreams...
i like to think that all the nonsense in my head is removing itself and manifesting as these dreams. I may feel depressed one day for now apparent reason, or feel a little detached...this negative content, energy from my mind has to go somewhere, and often as it releases it manifests in many ways in our lives.


Keep going ji

God bless

 

[chazSingh]

My Simran over the last 4 nights

The following is just my personal observation and experience.

Fri/Sat/Sunday nighti awoke at around 5am and did my simran, listened to kirtan etc until about 7am...at 5am however in the U.K the Sun has pretty much risen around 5am. Simran was very blissful, relaxing and very energizing. I don;t use an alarm clock and over the past couple of weeks i have woken up naturally around this time.

Monday Night Simran
Got up about 2.30am, felt fresh ...the days yearning helped kick me out of bed.
The atmosphere is just something else just a couple of hours prior to sunrise...i cannot explain it.
Simran was very intense this morning. Although i have had about 4 - 5 hours sleep last night in total i feel fresh and alert

Although i meditated in Complete darkness, there is never any darkness during these hours of deep contemplation.

The following verse and shabad always comes into mind afterwards.

Moonlight, moonlight - in the courtyard of the mind, let the moonlight of God shine down.
Meditation, meditation - sublime is meditation on the Name of the Lord, Har, Har.

full shabad:http://www.sikhitothemax.com/page.asp?ShabadID=3731

 

[chazSingh]

Consecutive nights

After having a couple of weeks where i was getting up for Amrit Vela then missing a day...God blessing i've managed 6 consecutive nights.

This is not me 'counting' in any way, just mentioning that consecutive days and making Amrit Vela a daily activity is the only way to break out of the minds excuses and thoughts (for me at least anyway)

This morning i was extra tired after a tough game of football with friends yesterday evening...when i woke up at 3am, mind was screaming "your extra tired today, take a rest today, make up for it tomorrow"..

Then another thought\feeling came in "noooo, get up, even if it's for half an hour...do it, must do it"

and i got up...

I cannot give the negative thoughts the power...even missing a day or two consecutively and the balance for me shifts and i've fallen back into the minds trap.

God Bless

 

[chazSingh]

Amrit Vela when away from home

Usually doing Amrit Vela or Simran/Bani at home is in the comfort zone...my wife is used to it more now...it is just a battle with my own mind to get up in the early hours...

this weekend however i had to stay the weekend at my in-laws due to the birth of a child.

Usually in the past when i was away from home, my mind would say:

"take a break from amrit vela, you don;t have any room here to do it"

"you will disturb others"

"what will they think of you when they know you wake up and do Simran"

And i would falter.

On this occasion however, things were different...
on the inside i felt more secure, less fearful of what others thought...the decision to do simran no matter where i was seemed so easy.

For me these are changes that are happening internally, to my thought process, to the enemies that exist in my own mind.

I also realised that no matter where i am, this inner pull, thirst is always there...i hope it never goes away...

 

[Harry Haller]

Chazji

what I do know is that everything is a habit, do it long enough and it becomes second nature, I think its important to get the ball rolling and keep it rolling, much respect to you

 

[Luckysingh]

Yep, it's all about setting the habit and routine. This is what makes a Sikh's discipline and rehat. Otherwise what is really the point to repeat 5 bani's every morning after rising ??

Anyway, i'm discovering things that I never thought were physical or 'real' ??
For eg. I always assumed and interpreted 'amrit ras' as being a metaphor in gurbani, but I have had the confirmation that 'YES'- there is a 'sweet' essence and taste that can be felt at higher levels or a higher avastha as I call it.

I know that my mind is not playing tricks and neither are my taste buds. But this sweet taste that is not the same kind of sweetness of sugar or glucose is also experienced with the sense of gurbani and 'waheguru' shabad dripping from the mind centre throughout your body.

I have also gone back to reading gurbani and seeing it from even a more different light where it speaks directly to me !!

The Important thing for this and other experiences like anhad shabad..etc. is to be VERY careful that you do NOT let it feed your EGO. I think the best way to look at it and accept it is as a 'confirmation' that you are doing it correctly.

BTW, getting up at amrit vela definitely helps align that 'correctness'

 

[chazSingh]

Amrit Vela 25/06/2013

After a couple of weeks of waking up predominantly a little later between 4am and 5am (when the sun is already rising), recently i have been getting up earlier between 2am and 3am (before sunrise).

it gives me more time to relax, listen to shabad kirtan before silent meditative Simran. For me the intensity and potency of Simran has been so much higher than the weeks before (it's the only way i can describe it)

Spending time in the Garden after Amrit Vela Simran

Arshdeep Ji mentioned a few weeks ago that he would spend time watering plants, breathing the fresh air etc in his garden during the early hours.

Last night after Amrit Vela Simran, feeling rejuvinated, i went into the garden as the sun rose, listened to the birds sing, breathed the fresh morning air anddid a Tai Chi Qi-Gong routine whilst the neighbors cat sat and watched...was pretty cool.

A nice way to end my morning Simran

 

[chazSingh]

Lucky Ji,

Happy to hear your Remembrance\Simran is giving you a deep feeling of connection to God/Guru

Keep posting your practical experience ji, it's always a pleasure reading them.

 

[chazSingh]

 

[Ishna]

I love morning nitnem. I have been so stressed with work and so tired that I've been skipping morning simran/nitnem in favour of shut-eye... but today I dragged my be-hind out of bed just in time for Japji Sahib and it makes such an amazing difference to the rest of the day. Imagine what a whole morning nitnem would do! *sigh* I'll get there eventually.

 

[chazSingh]

Hi Ishna,

That's great to hear, keep it going

I've now got into the habit of making sure i do some Simran and meditation at other times of the day if i miss Amrit Vela.

Just getting into a daily routine is half the battle won

I'm so happy to hear that you're enjoying the early morning experience

 

[Ishna]

Thanks Chazji. This blog was a good idea from you.

I am a bit confused about something though and hoping you and Luckyji might be able to help.

Is nitnem by itself "enough", or is additional "meditation" also recommended? As mentioned before, I find the nitnem to be rather hypnotic and to be a meditation by itself. What are your thoughts about this?

Much appreciated, thank you.

 

[chazSingh]

Is Nitnem Enough or is further Meditation Required?

Hi Ishna Ji,

That's a good question ... and you'll get so many different answers to such a question, because in the end the answer to this is based on each persons individual experience with Nitnem and meditation.

My Personal Experience
no matter what i did, the thirst inside wasn't being quenched enough...and the feeling that i 'needed more' was not being removed enough...what this 'needing more' was i'm not sure...but it was just a strong feeling inside to seek more somehow.

For me Meditation was the answer...Nitnem, listening to shabad gurbani etc prior to Simran Meditation would get me into a lovely relaxed mental state, focus was on God...thirst for God was strong...

Then i would sit for meditation for an hour or two using a mantra like "Waheguru" and just focus on this shabad...my mind would want to think about so many other things...but with practice i learned to ignore my mind...(you can meditate in mind, to mool manter or any gurbani as well)

Eventually what meditational Simran allowed me to do is to'Listen'to what exists past my thoughts...beyond the mind...

If god exists within me, i figured i need to silence the noise in my mind, and see if i can feel anything else, see anything else, hear anything else..

I assure you, if you put the time and effort in, then all your questions will start to be answered with your own personal experience, all your fears will start to be removed,and your unique journey to god and self realisation will start to unfold

test your Guru, challenge Guru Ji in your ardaas, Tell Guru Ji, I'm here, in meditation..this is what you tell us to do in your Gurbani, i have faith that you'll reveal yourself.

Keep trying things, and have unlimited patience..and above all enjoy

Hope this helps, God Bless Ji,

 

[Ishna]

Thanks so much Chazji! You covered many points. Especially: "I assure you, if you put the time and effort in, then all your questions will start to be answered with your own personal experience, all your fears will start to be removed,and your unique journey to god and self realisation will start to unfold"

This is the part that made me pull a face at the screen and say "d'uuuh!" to myself, for not having thought of that. Hehe

Many many thanks.

 

[chazSingh]

Here to help in any way i can ji

the above is just my personal experience Ji.
The earlier links on the blog describe good methods for Meditational Simran, Try some out, see how you feel...your journey will be unique, i like to say that 'God would get bored if all our journeys were the same'

Just an example for inspiration,my Older brother personality wise is very humble and very joyful person...i told him one day that i started meditating with Waheguru Simran...

Little did i know he got inspired and started doing this Himself (simran whilst lying in bed before sleep) and 3 weeks later he came back to me amazed at the feeling he got, inner sight etc .. i quote a part of what he said"the mental vibration of Waheguru started vibrating through all my body"

I think Guru Ji glanced his grace very easily due to the kind of person my brother is, very innocent and humble ... mine must have been a different story all together

 

[chazSingh]

Two powerful, beautiful and infinte lines/jewels in Japji Sahib-Importance of taking the journey to seek within and doing Amrit Vela

sochaisoch n hoveejaesocheelakh vaar ||chupaichup n hoveejaelaae rehaaliv thaar ||

i know some people are wary of Yogi Bhajan's life, but in one of his talks he spoke of the above two lines, and for me it opened up the whole universe as he describes. It motivated my search, thirst for the truth began to grow to experience what the above two lines is pulling us towards.

Thoughts on Line 1
By 'thinking' he cannot be obtained or understood or 'known' ... thinking is a waste of life energy when its wandering in countless directions, it drains us and we are left with ideas, thoughts and limited understanding....so why think? Mind will always think...itlivesby generating thoughts and creates our life experience...if mind stops working, the creation for us stops...so how can we stop thinking? We need the mind while we are here taking this journey yet it is also an obstacle. this is what the inner journey is all about (from my experience)

How can we obtain, experience our Creator without thought? is there a state of being or existence, in between thoughts..is there space in between thoughts? can we find that space, take our attention to it where thoughts no longer take hold of us where were are present in that divine momentwhere illusion of time no longer exists, in that moment, precise moment where god is forever present in pure stillness and tranquility?Can we find that place? will Guru Ji take me there?

Lets Enjoy the journey to finding this out, as i am

Second line:
By remaining silent, there is still no silence...so even when we obtain that state where thoughts of past and future and present no longer pull our attention, consciousness and energy, deep in inner seeking and meditation where pure stillness is found,and yet there is still no silence...what a beautiful jewel of Gurbani

Something else is there...something else is listening, something else is present and talking, something else has a shabad.

Like Yogi Ji says...this is the formula...these two lines describe the whole of existance...the meaning just goes deeper and deeper the more you seek within....it just keeps on going and going deeper.Ego says"i have found the truth', yet the more we seek the more there is to discover about ourselves and God, endless, infinte...are we able to explain this?

I'm enjoying the seeking, i'm sure we all are

 

[chazSingh]

Listening to it now..sounds amazing

thanks lucky Ji

 

[Archived_Member16]

"A University Professor went to see an enlightened Master, to find out more about spiritual enlightenment.

As their meeting continued ‘The Master’ was pouring tea and continued to pour even though the cup was overflowing.

The Professor cried. “Enough! No more will go in!”

‘The Master’ replied “Like this cup you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you spiritual enligtenment unless you first empty your cup?”

- Unkown Source

That’s a great summary of spiritual enlightenment. It’s not something that you find. You become enlightened when you discard aspects of your ego that block your connection with the divine.

- an enlightened soul

 

[chazSingh]

Thank you Soul Jyot Ji,

So many lessons to learn from what you posted.
Ego affects us at all stages of the path to self and God realization.

Until we surrender to Guru Ji bit by bit, very little realization occurs.

Whilst our mind is saying "I am doing all this" "all is ME" "look at all the spiritual experiences I have" "I must be special" etc etc then our upliftment is slow and minimal.
Whilst our mind is Saying "I know everything" "this is my opinion and it is correct" "you are wrong, i am right", we are covered in thick Fog.

If there is one thing I am learning, when I am in Deep Simran, ALL is in His hands...I can do nothing but fall to my feet and surrender to this Wonderous Power...there is no place for EGO in this.

The following Shabad by Guru Amar Das JI so Beautifully describes this inner journey.

Within this cave, there is an inexhaustible treasure
Within this cave, the Invisible and Infinite Lord abides
He Himself is hidden, and He Himself is revealed; through the Word of the Guru's Shabad, selfishness and conceit are eliminated
I am a sacrifice, my soul is a sacrifice, to those who enshrine the Ambrosial Naam, the Name of the Lord, within their minds.
The taste of the Ambrosial Naam is very sweet! Through the Guru's Teachings, drink in this Ambrosial Nectar.
Subduing egotism, the rigid doors are opened.
The Priceless Naam is obtained by Guru's Grace
Without the Shabad, the Naam is not obtained. By Guru's Grace, it is implanted within the mind.
The Guru has applied the true ointment of spiritual wisdom to my eyes.
Deep within, the Divine Light has dawned, and the darkness of ignorance has been dispelled.
My light has merged into the Light; my mind has surrendered, and I am blessed with Glory in the Court of the Lord.
Those who look outside the body, searching for the Lord, shall not receive the Naam; they shall instead be forced to suffer the terrible pains of slavery.
The blind, self-willed manmukhs do not understand; but when they return once again to their own home, then, as Gurmukh, they find the genuine article
By Guru's Grace, the True Lord is found
Within your mind and body, see the Lord, and the filth of egotism shall depart
Sitting in that place, sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord forever, and be absorbed in the True Word of the Shabad.
Those who close off the nine gates, and restrain the wandering mind,
come to dwell in the Home of the Tenth Gate.
There, the Unstruck Melody of the Shabad vibrates day and night. Through the Guru's Teachings, the Shabad is heard
Without the Shabad, there is only darkness within


http://www.sikhitothemax.com/page.asp?ShabadID=344

 

[Seeker2013]

I have noticed I can't do simran on waheguru mantar for more than 5 minutes . heck, even 5 minutes is too much.
Also when trying to do dhyaan of waheguru mantar, mind wavers in many directions.