Sharanagati

“One should hold one’s body, neck and head erect in a straight line and stare steadily at the tip of the nose. Thus, with an unagitated, subdued mind, devoid of fear, completely free from sex life, one should meditate upon Me within the heart and make Me the ultimate goal of life.”[1]

We discussed why to sit in meditation – in order to be connected to the Supreme. And the method of this sitting was to control the mind and the senses and to purify the heart. How to do this purification is described here in these verses.

So, a person should first of all learn how to sit. The body should form a straight line. Yogis in the ancient times they had no furniture and no comforts, they used the minimum facilities of life. So they were sitting on the ground. And how to provide a firm posture? Therefore this yoga sitting was invented, so to say. Of course, Shiva is describing it and transmitting to humans, but let’s skip it. Why? Because if you sit as usual you cannot sit too long in this way – you start to move and feel uneasy, because your knees don’t touch the ground. A person whose knees are in the air cannot sit steady for a long time. So, now everybody tries to fix their legs…

What happens if you sit cross-legged in a half-lotus or a lotus? Then what is the form that your body is shaped like? Correct, like a pyramid. And we know that pyramids are quite stable, standing there for the last few millennia. So, if you have that posture of sitting cross-legged properly, then your system will be also very stable. And what is the most important part of the pyramids? A little room is hidden there inside the golden section. Some say that this is a place for death, others know that this is a place for life, a chamber of initiation. But if you imagine the body in a triangle form and you find the golden room – where is this? It’s the heart chakra. So, if you consider your body as a pyramid, life is situated here. Therefore if you meditate in a very unshaken posture, then you can concentrate all your energies here. And we know that this heart chakra connects the bodily platforms and the intellectual platforms of the chakra system, connects the wild animal and the homo sapiens. So, our feelings or our emotional ego is the centre. Therefore a yogi should sit in a very firm posture – in order to be able to concentrate on his most important center and this is the heart center.

Why our heart is so important? It is not only the gentle feelings residing there, but there is a mystic cavity in the heart. This cavity, this small inner space is compared to the vast, unlimited universe outside. And if your meditation is proper, then you can connect your inner world to the external world. That means, whatever exists outside, you can invite it into your inner structure. Of course, we have to use our selective power. Otherwise all the nonsense will also enter your heart system. So, by proper selection we can invite the essence of the universe into our hearts. And what is the essence of the universe? This is the source. Therefore it is said that this hidden cavity of the heart is the same in space just like the external world. In this way we can connect our microcosm with the macrocosm.

And if you are a yogi, what you will find in the cavity of your heart? You will find the presence of the Supreme there. Because as this whole universe is enlivened by the presence of the Supreme who pervades the system, in the same way the structure, the universe of your heart is also pervaded by the Supreme, and this feature of the Supreme is called Paramatma. He is residing in all hearts – in your heart and in the hearts of all other beings, not only the humans, but all.

So, a yogi can achieve darshan, vision of the Supreme, residing in his heart. And what is the difference between a yogi and a bhakta? A bhakta also wants to see God, he wants to meet God; the yogi also meets God in his heart. What’s the difference? Is there any difference? Our teachers say that there is a difference. Because the yogi is satisfied with the vision. To see something is called darshan; therefore your vision of the world, your paradigm, your philosophy is also called in India darshan. So, the ultimate darshan is the darshan of God – to meet, to see Him. And what is the difference between the yogi and the bhakta? A yogi is satisfied with the vision; a bhakta is ready to follow the advice. This is the difference: a bhakta is desperately waiting for the advice of the divine feature, residing in his heart.

And what guidance the Supreme Lord residing in your heart will tell you? This is called the inner guidance. We all have that. Do you hear that? Can you pay attention to that? We are searching, sometimes we feel something, yet many times we cannot identify it. But spiritual process means you learn how to listen to this inner guidance properly. Therefore we have to pacify the other functions in the body. Because in the Gheranda Samhita it is mentioned how you will hear this inner voice. First you will hear it like the rustling of the leaves – very softly, very mildly. But then later on you will hear like bells ringing. Then on – like a tempest. So finally you feel and you hear it, your whole structure is just resonating. But as it starts with a very tender sound, in order to be able to listen to that sound you have to pacify your other functions. As it is mentioned here: “With an unagitated and subdued mind.” To control the mind is not an easy job. But God is very charming, very attractive, therefore if we think of Him, He will engage our minds in different ways.

(to be continued)

[1] Bhagavad Gita 6.13-14