यथा दीपो निवातस्थो नेङ्गते सोपमा स्मृता |
योगिनो यतचित्तस्य युञ्जतो योगमात्मन: || 19||
yathā dīpo nivāta-stho neṅgate sopamā smṛitā
yogino yata-chittasya yuñjato yogam ātmanaḥ
yathā—as; dīpaḥ—a lamp; nivāta-sthaḥ—in a windless place; na—does not; iṅgate—flickers; sā—this; upamā—analogy; smṛitā—is considered; yoginaḥ—of a yogi; yata-chittasya—whose mind is disciplined; yuñjataḥ—steadily practicing; yogam—in meditation; ātmanaḥ—on the Supreme
Translation:
Just as a lamp in a windless place does not flicker, so the disciplined mind of a yogi remains steady in meditation on the Supreme.
Commentary:
The mind of the yogi in meditation is compared to a steady light kept in a windless place. The illustration is fascinating and appropriate. Like the lamp, the mind of the yogi is effulgent with the light of knowledge, and it is also steady. The windows of the senses through which the objective world gets into the mind causing destruction are closed by perfect self-control, and so the mind remains steady and firm in meditation. Just as the orb of the Sun is clearly reflected in a pure calm lake when there are no ripples or waves, so also the Self is clearly reflected in a pure calm mind. The impure mind is unsteady and restless due to the winds of desire blowing constantly, like the light placed in a windy place.
Sri Ramakrishna Says —
In order to perform the worship of God you will be preoccupied for a long time with such religious duties as plucking flowers, making sandal-paste, polishing the utensils of worship, and arranging offerings. As you perform these duties your mind will naturally be directed to God. You will get rid of meanness, anger, jealousy, and so forth. When you two sisters talk to each other, always talk about spiritual matters.
“The thing is somehow to unite the mind with God. You must not forget Him, not even once. Your thought of Him should be like the flow of oil, without any interruption. It you worship with love even a brick or stone as God, then through His grace you can see Him.
“Remember what I have just said to you. One should perform such worship as the Siva Puja. Once the mind has become mature, one doesn’t have to continue formal worship for long (BG 3.17, BG 3.18). The mind then always remains united with God; meditation and contemplation become a constant habit of mind.” (Source: Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna)
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“When I meditated during my sadhana, I used to think of the unflickering flame of a lamp set in a windless place.
“In deep meditation a man is not at all conscious of the outer world. A hunter was aiming at a bird. A bridal procession passed along beside him, with the groom’s relatives and friends, music, carriages, and horses. It took a long time for the procession to pass the hunter, but he was not at all conscious of it. He did not know that the bridegroom had gone by.
“A man was angling in a lake all by himself. After a long while the float began to move. Now and then its tip touched the water. The angler was holding the rod tight in his hands, ready to pull it up, when a passer-by stopped and said, ‘Sir, can you tell me where Mr. Bannerji lives?’ There was no reply from the angler, who was just on the point of pulling up the rod. Again and again the stranger said to him in a loud voice, ‘Sir, can you tell me where Mr. Bannerji lives?’ But the angler was unconscious of everything around him. His hands were trembling, his eyes fixed on the float. The stranger was annoyed and went on. When he had gone quite a way, the angler’s float sank under water and with one pull of the rod he landed the fish. He wiped the sweat from his face with his towel and shouted after the stranger. ‘Hey!’ he said. ‘Come here! Listen!’ But the man would not turn his face. After much shouting, however, he came back and” said to the angler, ‘Why are you shouting at me?’ ‘What did you ask me about? said the angler. The stranger said,. ‘I repeated the question so many times, and now you are asking me to repeat it once more!’ The angler replied, ‘At that time my float was about to sink; so I didn’t hear a word of what you said.’
“A person can achieve such single-mindedness in meditation that he will see nothing, hear nothing. He will not be conscious even of touch. A snake may crawl over his body, but he will not know it. Neither of them will be aware of the other.
“In deep meditation the sense-organs stop functioning; the mind does not look outward. It is like closing the gate of the outer court in a house. There are five objects of the senses: form, taste, smell, touch, and sound. They are all left outside.
“At the beginning of meditation the objects of the senses appear before the aspirant. But when the meditation becomes deep, they no longer bother him. They are left outside. How many things I saw during meditation! I vividly perceived before me a heap of rupees, a shawl, a plate of sweets, and two women with rings in their noses. ‘What do you want?’ I asked my mind. ‘Do you want to enjoy any of these things?’ ‘No,’ replied the mind, ‘I don’t want any of them. I don’t want anything but the Lotus Feet of God.’ I saw the inside and the outside of the women, as one sees from outside the articles in a glass room. I saw what is in them: entrails, blood, filth, worms, phlegm, and such things.”
Girish Chandra Ghosh used to say now and then that he could cure illness by the strength of the Master’s name.
MASTER (to Girish and the other devotees): “People of small intellect seek occult powers — powers to cure disease, win a lawsuit, walk on water, and such things. But the genuine devotees of God don’t want anything except His Lotus Feet. ……
“People with a little occult power gain such things as name and fame. Many of them want to follow the profession of guru, gain people’s recognition, and make disciples and devotees. Men say of such a guru: ‘Ah! He is having a wonderful time. How many people visit him! He has many disciples and followers. His house is overflowing with furniture and other things. People give him presents. He has such power that he can feed many people if he so desires.’
“The profession of a teacher is like that of a prostitute. It is the selling of oneself for the trifle of money, honour, and creature comforts. For such insignificant things it is not good to prostitute the body, mind, and soul, the means by which one can attain God. A man once said about a certain woman: ‘Ah! She is having a grand time now. She is so well off! She has rented a room and furnished it with a couch, a mat, pillows, and many other things. And how many people she controls! They are always visiting her.’ In other words, the woman has now become a prostitute. Therefore her happiness is unbounded. Formerly she was a maidservant in a gentleman’s house; now she is a prostitute. She has ruined herself for a mere trifle.
“How many other visions I saw while meditating during my sadhana! Once I was meditating under the bel-tree when ‘Sin’ appeared before me and tempted me in various ways. He came to me in the form of an English soldier. He wanted to give me wealth, honour, sex pleasure, various occult powers, and such things. I began to pray to the Divine Mother. Now I am telling you something very secret. The Mother appeared. I said to Her, ‘Kill him. Mother!’ I still remember that form of the Mother, Her world-bewitching beauty. She came to me taking the form of Krishnamayi.3 But it was as if her glance moved the world.”
Sri Ramakrishna became silent. Resuming his reminiscences, he said: “How many other visions I saw! But I am not permitted to tell them. Someone one is shutting my mouth, as it were. I used to find no distinction between the sacred tulsi and the insignificant sajina leaf. The feeling of distinction was entirely destroyed. Once I was meditating under the banyan when I was shown a Mussalman4 with a long beard. He came to me with rice in an earthen plate. He fed some other Mussalmans with the rice and also gave me a few grains to eat. The Mother showed me that there exists only One, and not two. It is Satchidananda alone that has taken all these various forms; He alone has become the world and its living beings. Again, it is He who has become food. (Source: Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna)
Question: To what is the meditating mind of the yogi compared?
Answer: It is compared to a lamp kept in a windless place. The idea is, that the mind of the yogi is steady and illumined with the light of Knowledge.
Question: How should the mind be when it is to be merged in Atma?
Answer: It should be perfectly controlled and free from any kind of disturbance resulting from the play of the senses.
