Concentration | Thus Spake Babaji - online Q&A, No.139

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Concentration | Thus Spake Babaji - online Q&A, No.139
Recorded on 8 July 2023 with worldwide participants

0:00 Introduction from Babaji on Kshetra Kshetrajna yoga
4:04 When we concentrate in meditation what is it we are concentrating?
9:45 What is the difference between concentrating on an object and concentrating in meditation?
14:17 When the mind is concentrated to a single point does it become all pervaded?
16:13 Do we first achieve concentration and then meditation happens?
18:05 How, by simply watching in meditation, is concentration achieved?
23:58 If Babaji is all pervaded, who are we asking questions to?
25:26 When the mind is restless in meditation how can we improve concentration?
29:49 What Swamiji said on concentration in meditation
32:30 Babaji's advice on using the internet and new technologies
37:06 If the Self is one, should I consider a person harming me as me also?
38:39 If the mind becomes concentrated, what is the effect on the brain?
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Website: http://www.srby.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shivarudrabalayogi
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SRBYmission
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Transcript

Discourse: Thus Spake Babaji - online Q and A No. 139
 Concentration
You tube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyrmEKVSihk
Recorded: 08 July 2023

Start of Session

   Babaji Commences:

   In Bhagavad Gita, Shri Krishna talks about kshetra, kshetragna yoga. Kshetra means area. Kshetragna is the dweller. Area is, here, body, the physical body, and you as the soul, the consciousness of existence is the dweller in the body. This is in the beginning when you gain knowledge through upadesha, a teaching of the Master. Whereas many people in the world may simply recognize themselves as the physical body, I am sure after attending to these classes for so many times, you are all well aware that you are only the dweller, you are not the area, body. Having the body which has given you the consciousness of this world. As you practice meditation, eventually you will realize as you go on watching and not thinking, not bothering, that it is you who has to become silent. By watching thus you realize – ‘just being there’. And then you advance in meditation that ‘there’ also gets removed, ‘just being’. As long as the body is recognized, you can tell, “Look there on the dais, Babaji is sitting,” but you are actually recognizing the body. It is the body which is sitting on the dais, not Babaji. In the same way all of you also, as the soul, as the atman, as that consciousness of existence. So that ‘there’ gets removed. Where do you address? In the beginning, when you concentrate on that Self, it appears as if you are the dweller in the area called body, then one time comes you will go further, advanced, you will feel as if the body is within you. Simply, you are ‘just being’. The ‘there’ has been removed. So, no location is there, simply the body is also within you, you will feel. Then that also disappears, ‘being’ also disappears, ‘just’ remains, ‘that.’ Like you keep going, keep going, when you are able to keep quiet in meditation, provided, provided you are able to keep quiet in meditation, you can experience all these things that I am talking. Otherwise, mind simply spins as a chatterbox with that imagination of this world. Imagine the level of the height that you can reach, but it has to happen practically, and it will happen when you learn to remain quiet.

Start of Questions and Answers

Question:   So, Babaji, the first question. Babaji has said that the basic aim of meditation is concentration. Can Babaji explain what it is we are concentrating? 

Babaji Maharaj:   You see, through the spinning due to the presence of energy along with the consciousness that I keep talking, the mind or the Self is a combination of consciousness and energy. That energy when it spins, creativity happens. When creativity, it creates. When it creates, the mind’s waves get produced. In those waves, both sound and sight get produced. That sound was what the ancient sages decodified as the Om. Simply, it was a sound that was coming. ‘Auuumm’, some sound coming. Then they found it to chant this ‘Om’ it will be like, ‘O’ - you open the lips, goes longer and then close the lips. Thus, the creation, sustenance and withdrawal back. So, like this, all when it happens, so that means our own consciousness or we ourselves get scattered in all directions with this spinning, the wavering. That needs to be brought back into single-pointed. That's why concentration is recommended; it's essential. Even in this world also, concentration is so much necessary. In Ashtavakra Samhita, that's what the Master demands. And in Katopanishad also, Lord Yama talking to Nāchiketa says the same thing, "I will narrate only once. It's up to you. You must pay apt attention, remain concentrated and absorb what I'm going to teach. I will not repeat second time. If you do not listen properly, it's your loss", He says. So, that's what a Master demands. When I teach, when I talk - you ask a question, after that, it's my chance to answer. When I am answering, you listen. Don't go on talking. Then you won't listen what I have to teach. So, all of you are there; today, 141 people, all of you are sitting there in your places. Thanks to the technology you are able to hear me talking from India sitting in my Ashram on a dais, and also able to see me. That is what shabda and drishya, sound and sight, both is possible. That is the nature's amazing beauty, but your concentration, wherever you are sitting, no problem, your ability to remain concentrated can win. Then you can understand what I am trying to convey. You have become scattered. So, thus, you have forgotten yourself. You need to come back. That means you need to become concentrated again. Then that is what is the ‘being’, the location lost, ‘just you are there’, that ‘there’ is gone, ‘just you are’. That has to happen. And then, ‘just’. So that's what is the essence of concentration when you pay attention. Any field in this world, technology, science, sports, business, work, you’re performance, you are a software engineer, anything, you are on the computer, artificial intelligence, you have to apply yourself. Now, let's give up the mind for a while, don't bother. Usually we used to talk, “You have to apply your mind”. You have to apply yourself, you have to be there. That's what is remain concentrated. If then you are concentrated, your attention can be on to one point, you can apply yourself on to one point. If somebody comes there, side also, you won't be able to notice when you are so perfectly concentrated. That's what happens to me when you ask a question, I need to be concentrated, keep myself up to brain's level, so that I understand the question, then answer spontaneously comes. If I don't listen to question, difficult to answer what did I hear. In the same way, you all also, you need to listen to my answer with total concentration. If you don't listen, you don't get it. Within two minutes, you would have forgotten what Babaji said, you feel like asking again. That is the essence of concentration, apt attention! 

Question:   Thank You Babaji. Babaji, there's been a few questions sent in about the difference between concentrating on an object or the scene, the difference between that and concentrating the mind in meditation. Could Babaji explain the differences? 

Babaji Maharaj:   You apply yourself on to some object, some matter, and try to remain concentrated there. That is what applying the mind, let your mind be applied - that is different, that is in this world. You need to know something, you need to convey something, you need to learn something, you need to work or achieve something. But here in meditation, it is not that you are applying on to something. Simply, you have to become concentrated. You have become diluted; you are scattered with your imaginations. You started to imagine since time immemorial, long, long ago perhaps, and you have been imagining, imagining, imagining, spinning, spinning, scattered, scattered. So that is what has given the effect as if you are being born, and as if you are being dying, as if you are being born, as if you are being dying. This born, die, born, die, it is all happening. I have told every time you become diluted because you keep scattered, because you continue imagining. So, you are unable to remain concentrated, and you have forgotten yourself to such a long distance within yourself, then and there itself, not that you have traveled a hundred thousand kilometers or miles or nautical miles, something. Nothing, you are there only, but in consciousness, you are spinning and spinning, spinning, gone away in illusion so much. All that you have to do is become concentrated. So, in meditation you are watching, means you are trying to become concentrated, so that you lose all imaginations, all acquired habits of the mind, all acquired habits of yourself - mind and yourself are same. I might have mentioned acquired habits of the mind. In fact, it is acquired habits of you to keep imagining, to keep imagining; that your ability to remain quiet means, you are trying to become concentrated here. You don't have to concentrate anywhere else. When there is a dual object, if you as a disciple and Baba as a Master is there, at that time, you have to apply yourself to what Baba is teaching. But when you meditate, there is neither Master nor a disciple is there, nothing is there. Simply you have to become quiet, that is all. Don't bother about even the Master there. Don't bother about anything, just bother to become quiet. That means you are becoming concentrated. That is the difference in meditation and becoming concentrated anywhere else. 

   To give an understanding of concentration, I told everywhere in this world you need concentration, definitely. But in meditation, that's what is important. You don't have to concentrate on anything, because I have never told you where you have to concentrate only, but on which thing you have to concentrate is not told. So, thus a target is not given, because there is nothing other than you. So, there, once, “pita naiva mata na janmah, as Adi Shankaracharya talks in Nirvana Ashtakam - Neither was there a mother nor was there a father, nor am I born, nor I am a student or there is a Master; there is nothing. Just “chidananda rupah shivoham, shivoham”. “In supreme peace, I am that, I am that”. That's what it says. So, when you close the eyes, forget about yourself, forget about the Master, just remain quiet. You have to become concentrated. 

Question:   Thank You Babaji. Babaji, so, when the consciousness is concentrated to a single point, the consciousness becomes all-pervaded. Is that a correct thing to say? 

Babaji Maharaj:   You see, it's a very interesting thing. As long as there is a relativity there…  Like an object is there, some objects are there. These objects combined, we call it as a universe, a Milky Way, a galaxy. Then, the all-pervadedness of the space also matters. In relativity of the universe, the space is all pervaded. But if there is no matter there anymore, no universe is there anymore, and it is not the space; that all-pervadedness also disappears – final. You are ‘just’. That's why I told ‘just’, that ‘there’ also disappears, no location. So, you all understand, in relativity of the body, we call the space as all pervaded. If everything simply disappears, only ‘That’ - that all-pervadedness also goes. So, consciousness however, for your understanding I will tell, just before the merger in deeper samadhi as your consciousness expands, like you experience as if the body is within you. So, that's when the consciousness definitely expands, means, expands to the space, as all pervaded. So, then, after that the ‘I’ is also lost, it also disappears. The all-pervadedness also disappears. 

Question:   Thank You Babaji. Babaji, in the scriptures, I believe they talk of dharana, concentration, and dhyana, meditation. So, Babaji, is it concentration we try and achieve first, and then meditation, dhyana then happens once that focus is achieved?

Babaji Maharaj:   No, you all just try to think. You are trying to meditate so that you become concentrated. You are not becoming concentrated to meditate on anything else. That is the difference. This is the highest technique practiced in ancient India and what our Guru got by the manifestation of the Divine Shiva as a Jangama sage who gave this. In this you are meditating to become concentrated. After that there is nothing else that you have to concentrate on which you have to concentrate. You just remain in yourself. One single Self exists in itself. That's what in Yoga Vashista, Vashista tells, “One Self, one atman exists in itself.” That's what I have told about the space also. Space is the only thing which exists in itself. Everything else exists in space. So, thus, here, need to understand; you meditate to become concentrated. And afterwards, you becoming concentrated; you concentrating on anything else doesn't arise. That disappears.   

Question:   Right, thank You Babaji. So, Babaji, in this technique to just watch, can Babaji explain how by just simply watching, the mind is becoming concentrated and also it's becoming peaceful. These are all the same thing. Is that right? 

Babaji Maharaj:   Yeah, you see, along with when I give the technique, like instructions, “Sitting in any comfortable posture, keeping the back and neck straight, gently close your eyes, and concentrate your mind and sight in between eyebrows”, that means just at one place bring the eyeballs. Because eyeballs are the strongest sensory organs. If both eyeballs can come into one direction, which is very difficult initially; it moves parallelly. As it comes to one direction, then it can hold the Self. Now, here, we give up the mind. Until now, earlier, I used to explain “It can withdraw the mind and hold that mind strongly, not allowing it to go into imaginations”. That means, it can withdraw and keep you concentrated without any imagination. Because nothing else is there. Nothing else there in between eyebrows. There is nothing else there. When you watch through the eyes, you must stop imagining. That's what the Master teaches, again and again. Do not imagine about anything. If it's a darkness, don't call it a darkness, don't recognize it as darkness. You just watch. If there is a light, don't recognize it as a light. Don't try to watch it as a light. You just watch. Focus on that. Anything that appears, you focus and you will see that will disappear. That darkness also disappears. Light also disappears. You will see neither light nor darkness, because you start concentrating.  Actually meditation, when you advance, you will simply become concentrated and you don't see anything else. You start remaining in yourself. Everything disappears. Amazing experience will happen in an advanced stage of meditation. So, that is what has to happen. You don't see anything else. You just become concentrated. So, that's what is important. That's why no target is given. So, you are not watching anything other than yourself. I have also told mind is trying to watch itself. If it becomes quiet, it can watch itself, because its very nature is wherever you apply that, it becomes aware of that. So, just now, due to enormous amount of imagination that has engulfed your mind, making it to spin, that mind or that you is unable to watch yourself. You are watching all the things that you had imagined, or you are going to imagine, or you imagining, whatever it is. So, that imagination must be stopped. That's what is “just watch in between eyebrows”. So, when that is stopped, you are in yourself; your attention turns to yourself. And afterwards, there is nothing to watch after that. First you watch yourself. Means you feel yourself here. There is nothing that you have to watch yourself. You cannot. But you just feel of your existence. That's what I call consciousness of existence; you concentrate on that one. Then you feel that Infinite, that which is not visible to the naked eyes, you feel that coming out of the body feeling totally. You get out of the body feeling, nothing is there. So, then that feeling, that also subsides, everything disappears. That's how there's nothing that you watch, but simply you become concentrated. 

Question:   Thank you, Babaji. So, Baba, that is the final achievement, and on the way to that, the mind is purifying of its habits being able to concentrate. Is it in the concentration, when the mind is able to concentrate that the purification happens, Babaji? 

Babaji Maharaj:   Automatically. When the purification happens, it becomes concentrated. Means when all thoughts and visions all disappear, the washing, that's what it is. When we use the word washing, it is only symbolically. There is no with external means that you have to wash. You just have to become quiet by watching. So, that's what it is. When that happens, you become concentrated. So, that's when ‘you be there’, ‘just’, and that also disappears. All imaginations disappear. You'll realize that ‘I’ that you had imagined also disappears. That is such an awesome experience. The body you could talk, think about ‘I’; “I am Babaji, I am a yogi”, all these nonsense things we keep imagining. When you go there, everything disappears. Neither a yogi, nor a Baba, nothing. It's all disappeared. The ‘I’ itself has disappeared. What to imagine about myself? Just be in the Self. That is the beauty of the concentration. Awesome. 

Question:   Babaji, who are we asking questions to right now, Babaji? It's Babaji's body. But Baba's consciousness is all-pervaded. 

Babaji Maharaj:   I'll tell the truth. I really don't know to whom you are asking. I promise. Simply, spontaneously some answer is coming. Without these questions, probably this thing wouldn't have come out, because don't know. Nobody is answering, nobody is questioning- type stage I am there in, ‘just’ is there. But a question comes and spontaneously answer is coming. Afterwards, if I listen to the same questions and answers, it is awesome sometimes. Awesome not because I have answered anything - there is no such ego that I am answering, that I am knowledgeable, nothing. I don't know all this things, impossible. How much knowledge you can keep. It is vast. Just like you cannot keep all the space in your pocket, not possible. Simply from there only it comes, that itself is asking the question and that itself is answering the question. 

Question:   Amazing. Thank You Babaji. There's been a few questions from people asking how to improve concentration when in meditation if the mind is becoming restless and impatient, difficult to focus? Can Babaji give some guidance there? 

Babaji Maharaj:   See, one is as I am telling, eyes are the strongest, that's why it is given here to watch, firmly, politely, just to watch, then all disappears. That's what we fail, people fail to learn that one to bring the eyeballs just to watch. Instead, they might be expecting something else to come in front of them so that they can watch that. No need, do not expect anything to come and do not expect anything else to watch. Use these eyeballs just to become quiet. Politely just watch. Just like if Babaji is sitting here as a body, just try to watch the Babaji, then the Babaji name also disappears in your mind when you go on watching like that one. That is the technological awesome thing, amazing. That's when evolved by ancient sages or God or whoever has evolved this technique. That's such an amazing thing. That's why Swamiji proved to be one of the greatest, unique Masters. He didn't talk of anything about His philosophy, He didn't talk what you have to watch. He used to simply shout and scold, “Just watch in between eyebrows, just go on to dhyana, you will know everything.” “If only,” He used to tell, “If only people follow my command every day.” He used to tell me, "Seenu, I initiate people every day into meditation. If only they consider it as a command from the commander, like a soldier considers a command, he doesn't question, he doesn't think twice, he just does it. You watch in between eyebrows. You have to do it. Simply watch. Don't question anybody or yourself. Don't allow any question to arise. Just watch, then thoughts will all disappear. How come it will not disappear? Slap yourself in the mind, it will disappear.”

Question:   Thank You Babaji. Yes, I think when we hear ‘watch,’ many people might think, watch and then think about what it is we're watching. But here, we really are just watching and that is putting all of our preoccupation of our attention there. 

Babaji Maharaj:   Exactly, that's what many people misunderstand. That's why in the recent times I'm trying to repeat again and again that there is nothing that you have to watch other than yourself, and nothing exists. Finally, try - don't even have to watch any God, don't even have to watch any Baba, any Guru, nothing. Just you will have to watch yourself eventually. Remember that; everything is finished. That's what the great Gurus have told. In Viveka Choodamani Adi Shankara also has told that one, “Whatever I have to tell, I have told you. Now, it's yourself. It's up to you. You just do it. There is neither Master nor a disciple, nothing. Just be there. Watch, you don't have to watch anything. Enough of watching the Master, Gurus and the gods and all these things, enough. Just now watch quietly. That's yourself.” These are the highest things, teachings that you have to learn and just if you firmly, sternly use the eyeballs to just watch, forget about everything, just there, then everything will definitely disappear. That's what we did when the Master taught us, when He sternly warned us, He bluntly told us. We did it. 

Question:   Babaji, Swamiji said that if we can keep our attention to a single-pointed flow of attention for one hour at least, then we can call it meditation. Can Babaji explain why Swamiji would have given that duration?

Babaji Maharaj:   Remember, a while ago, meditating to concentrate ourselves, or after becoming concentrated, do we have to meditate on something. I told we are meditating so that we become concentrated. There is no such question that you become first concentrated, then you have to meditate on something. That is not the purpose, that is not the thing. There is no such thing exists other than that Self. That is why when Swamiji gave this technique means, “just watch, meditate”, means “when you become concentrated you will know yourself”, He used to tell. You have to become concentrated. That's why He never spoke that “you have to watch this thing, you have to watch this Guru, you have to watch this God; you have to do like this one”, nothing, “this color needs to come” -  He never spoke of any such thing. Whenever I asked a question, “Hey, you are meditating so that you see yourself, you become yourself, you are yourself, you concentrate to yourself.” Like that He told four times, four different things. It was amazing, “O God, this is what all these years, idiots we were, trying to watch something, or some God will come, somebody happens, this happens, that happens, nothing.” So, that's what is important, you just become concentrated. You meditate you will become concentrated, and you are in yourself. What else is there? And that is supremely peaceful; that existence does not require anything. When you don't require anything, you don't need anybody else also, understand? In this world, you require somebody, you depend on something, you depend on somebody or something as long as you need something. When that ends, full stop. 

Question:   Babaji, in today's world, there's lots of distractions, the internet, the social media, the endless stream of stimulation and distraction. Does Babaji have any words of caution regards being online on the internet? 

Babaji Maharaj:   Yeah, you see, online things are like siddhis through science and technology. These siddhis are coming to humanity one after another, one after another, never ending, updating and improving. That's no problem, that's wonderful. But we need to think as humans, let us utilize - simply let us not become a victim of the exposure. We see in Facebook; by seeing something, we should not get mentally affected. That's important. You want to see, you just see it, no problem; you want to see a movie, you just see it. Don't get affected by the movie, whatever happens there. It's only a make-believe, it's an acted thing. In the same way, this thing, online things also, any social media, people of this world have their own nature. One is not like the other. Everybody will have their own ideas, their own talking, their own nature. Somebody might talk with good manners, somebody may not be able to talk with good manners, somebody will be friendly, somebody will be jealous. These things are very common, the whole world is like that; it is nature. It is nature and natural. We have to accept when humans are there. Though we all have dreamt, why can't humans live for each other, beautifully giving up all the extreme anger, extreme attachment, extreme greed, jealousy, etc.? No, they don't want to try because they have forgotten spirituality. So, while going into science, technological advancement, utilize them, do not forget spirituality, because it is spirituality which enables you that you can keep yourself restrained. You can be the master of yourself and you will know when you come across such siddhi, how to utilize that one. You won't get carried away. You will utilize it to communicate. You see, this is such a beautiful technique; through Zoom we are able to see each other live, talk to each other, you are able to ask a question, I am able to answer and people are able to listen. All these things are possible. But instead of this, for two hours, if we have been gossiping “O that person told like that, this person told like that, why this person was wearing that type of dress, this was not nice, this is not nice.” What was the use? We would have wasted two hours. Instead, we try to know the essence of ourself and the mind, its techniques. So then, these online things are beautiful when you are utilizing. When we talked the question and answer, wanted to know about the truth of life on this earth, truth of our own existence, all these things, so then this is so beautiful. It is so wonderful that we all discovered. We are able to do the meditation without taking this body into travelling to hundred places, we are able to sit at one place and give the teaching. You all also, without having to travel, at one place, sitting in your country, sitting in your town, in your house, in your drawing room, you are able to listen to me, isn't it? Such a beautiful technique. So, we have to utilize, learn to utilize. Don't become a victim. All these siddhis are all servants. Utilize them. Don't allow them to become masters. Then you will be miserable; you are wasting your time. So, then you will understand the essence and value of life and yourself. To communicate, use it, to learn, use it. So that is what is our message. Do not lose your mind and do not try to be bad thinking, bad mouthing. So, let us be loving and conveying our best wishes to all of you. 

Question:   Pranaams. I wanted to ask - Babaji had said that the Self is only one and we all live in the same Self. So, now if someone is trying to harm me Babaji, do I consider that same person is me? And how would I handle such a situation Babaji? 

Babaji Maharaj:   Exactly. In the truth of science, it is such an amazing that the same atman, same Self, tries to harm the other. However, the Self itself cannot harm itself, but body is harming the other body. Due to the brain's presence and its reflections, this difference appears. So, now through a physical body, whether it's an animal or a human being or anything, is trying to harm you through this body, you must defend yourself. Like Ramakrishna told, "If the tiger Narayana comes, be careful about that Narayana, He is coming as a tiger not coming as a Narayana.” That's important. If an enemy is coming to eat you, then Narayana is coming as an enemy. So, deal with him as an enemy. Tell Narayana to come as a friend. “You come as a friend. I will deal with you as a friend. If you come as an enemy, O Narayana, I will deal with you as an enemy." That's important. Got it? 

Question:   Babaji, if the mind becomes concentrated, in what way does that affect the brain? 

Babaji Maharaj:   Simply the load on the brain decreases, but the mind is available as long as the body is alive. When you come out of that samadhi level or that meditation level, slowly you have to practice. For a while, you might feel dazed. You may not feel like doing anything, may not come anything for you, but slowly you practice that skill to apply the brain with a little bit of consciousness without getting affected yourself. Like that you will be able to apply the brain and use the brain for that. Then whatever you do, you will do to the needs, only for the necessary thing. There you will apply the brain. Means you will think only when it's necessary, you will try to understand things. Say if it is a profession, your job, you will try to focus on the job and then you remain unbothered for whatever you did. That's how. Like if you are a doctor, if you need to attend the animals who are ill, you just attend to them and you cannot afford to keep bothering about them all the time. Then you will become that. So, this you can avoid easily when you practice meditation, mind has become quiet. 

   For all of you, you can live a normal life and you will remain unaffected. That is the achievement for you, would be possible. 

End of Questions and Answers

End of Session