When we were roaming like wanderers in boundless Tibet, during some introverted moments, a thought would arise and float in my mind like white fluffy clouds and recede. I would talk several times to myself “Tibet is a very religious and spiritual country, very much like India who has most tolerant and enlightened body of men since centuries. Though I am here for rather quite some time, I am not able to interconnect with any mystic lama. Their blessing in the form of illuminating words should spray and intersperse my mind like the flakes of fresh snowfall that is taking place on these huge mountains.”
Well, my wish is being fulfilled now although I did not have the prospect of meeting a wise lama in a monastery or any home in Tibet during the pilgrimage. I have come across this wonderful book titled ‘The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying’ by Sogyal Rinpoche. Through the medium of his and many other enlightened minds and Masters quoted in the book, I have got acquainted with new dimension of spiritual perceptions. So far whatever little I have read is creating an impact on me in a very encouraging way.
There is surely a shift in mental attitude and it was testified recently when one afternoon I took ill unpredictably and my physical condition deteriorated. I went to my room to rest to get some relief from the discomfort and acute pain. I was pondering over the section in the beginning of the book as I consecrated myself at the altar of God. At once my thoughts shifted from the point of pain and were set on the sacrosanct thoughts. Remembering God was valuable at this stage as I could separate the pain in the body with my higher being. It was such a reprieve to disconnect my attention from the body and to unite with spiritual thoughts. As an observer I saw then, my body as a separate object lying at a low level while I arrived at a higher plane of awareness. I remained in that state till I saw that it is the mind that is suffering and not my Spirit.
If I join the mind to the feeling of pain, it becomes unbearable and I suffer. Pain is a concept of mind. If I connect my mind with my spirit there is no pain, only joy. I have an option with me of connecting my mind either with the pain of the body or the joy of the Spirit. I chose the latter.
During the sickness period, there is always tremendous churning and learning for me and it is an opportunity that is never wasted. Acute body pain proves to be like precipices, a period of intense insight every time I have to go through and they are quantum leaps of forward movement and a source of illumination.
Throughout those exclusive moments while I stayed in communion with my Higher Self gave me so much peace, so much Ananda. I discovered-
Absence of thoughts is Ananda
I began to float lightly in that joy and became buoyant. Some blissful time with the source of Ananda and I was revitalized in mind and body. From the source of Ananda, blossomed these insights that-
Physical pain, fear of losing my body is delusion. Pain is temporary while Ananda is ceaseless. Ananda and pain co-exist. If I dissolve the thoughts of body, Ananda emanates. I must attempt to stay in joy as long I can. Ananda is mine, joy is mine and that’s me. I am that.
Dear Mam,
When we feel some kind of pain or illness we may think that sufferings are result of our own Karmas but there would be very few people on this earth who ll treat thier illness as an experience of learning.
Daer Garima, all suffering is mental first, physical later. It all depends on how much we wish to feel about it. Detachment of pain in the body sometimes becomes necessary because it is a temporary phase, a passing experience.
As Spirit, at an advanced stage we as yogis, with the grace of God can differentiate matter(body pain) from Spirit with the help of our trained mind. When the mind desires with the power of will within that I wish to stay in ananda, blissful ecstasy, then we can overcome body afflictions by staying in Atma, our holy Spirit. Once in ecstasy, who would like to experience pain?
If the attitude is right even in illness, we can learn a lot during that time by ignoring the feeling of pain in the body and letting the body affliction pass with patience and humility towards God. It is possible with continous yoga, the union of our mind with that of Guru and God.
Hope you got your quest satisfied or you can ask again for further clarification.
Sarika
Dear Mam,
Very enlightening answer..I think if we can learn to control our mind by our prayers and grace of God, we ll never ever get hurt either with physical anomalies nor with actions of others. Yes, indeed I got my answer.
The last picture is sooooo beautiful.
The picture that you have liked so much Shahid is Mansarovar lake. You can save these pictures. As I like the first one also they can be used in videos for future.
OK. Thank you Mom.
This sentence should be on my bedroom wall as a poster or maybe
as my laptop wallpaper :
” Absence of thoughts is ANANDA, “
ohm namo bhagavade vasudevaya.
was really good read. disconnect the mind and connect to the higher, there is no pain..only ananda..the joy…and the pain is a concept of mind not to the soul..
great..
love,
Midhun
Pranam My dear Maa. Thank you for mentioning the name this book ‘The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying’ by Sogyal Rinpoche in the blog post. I have started reading it online. It looks wonderful indeed. 🙂
“I saw that it is the mind that is suffering and not my Spirit. If I join the mind to the feeling of pain, it becomes unbearable and I suffer. Pain is a concept of mind. If I connect my mind with my spirit there is no pain, only joy. I have an option with me of connecting my mind either with the pain of the body or the joy of the Spirit. I chose the latter.”
” Absence of thoughts is Ananda,”
Pranam Ma… 😊
“During the sickness period, there is always tremendous churning and learning for me and it is an opportunity that is never wasted. Acute body pain proves to be like precipices, a period of intense insight every time I have to go through and they are quantum leaps of forward movement and a source of illumination.”
Dear Ma, as I am going though a period of physical body pain, your writing has made me see the larger picture and better side of my destiny. God is doing everything for a purpose and for our betterment, I believe it truly. An accomplished yogi can disassociate his thoughts from his body and connect with the mind. But with little or no physical activity, my mind becomes even more restless. At my level how can I dissociate with pain and connect my mind with thoughts of you and God?
My dear Pulkit, sometimes sickness and ailments come to teach us something that is extremely important in transforming us completely. It is also wise to undergo suffering in such situations because God will only give you that much which you can handle. Surrender to God and do not resist. After all nothing is too much to bear if you think more of God and less of your suffering. The focus of the mind should not be on pain but on remembrance. And once you try hard, the mind will automatically come to a point when it is not ruling you. So do not feel at the mercy of the mind, it does not move unless you allow it to move through your power of will. Use it.
God bless you and may you purify and cleanse yourself and become sacred and devoted to a life which will give you a glimpse of God one day!
Yours Ma
II Jai satguru II
One can choose connecting mind either with the pain of the body or the joy of the Spirit.
At present state i am not able to comprehend this in real sense. I have read this in many saints life story. May be one day I may able to exercise this.
Koti Koti pranam Guru Ma