An early seeker should wisely drop or avoid that which has the power to agitate his inner peace. Guard this peace zealously, it has been achieved with great, patient effort. One can easily detect this during meditation. Notice what pulls the mind away from its focus. Guard it zealously, it has been achieved with a lot of patience and effort. There are many seekers who in their initial eagerness to progress on the spiritual path suddenly start to meditate for hours on end any time during the day, forcing their mind to be silenced.
Gurudev advised us to go slow and steady, as the mind takes a long time to gain the purity and tranquility required for deep and intense meditation. An unprepared mind can become calm on two accounts. One, by forcefully concentrating on the middle of the eyebrows, but then it bounces back with the renewed force of suppressed vasanas (desires). Secondly, the mind can become calm in the divine presence of a realised master.
This is borrowed glory. Many have very blissful experiences when they are in the physical presence of these God realised souls, but this is all a dependent bliss. One has to slowly with great effort learn to sustain that inner bliss on one’s own strength, then alone does it last. Also, there are many a small fall and obstructions along the way. There is naught you can do but soothe your bruises and cuts, and plod along the way, all the time surrendering to him to clear the obstacles for you, and believe me, He does.
Prarthna Saran is President, Chinmaya Mission, Delhi.