Battling The Bouncing Thoughts

Anecdotes

oi-Staff

By Staff

Tuesday, January 13, 2009, 16:35

Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi observes that prolonged concentration that paves way for temporal lulling of the mind would not mean what is to be liberation.

A yogi engaged himself in penance on the banks of the River Ganges for a number of years thinking that prolonged concentration would bestow upon him the boon of liberation. Hence he continued practising it.

One day before going into samadhi, the Yogi requested water from the Ganges to his disciple. But before his disciple could return with the water, he went it to samadhi and remained in that state for countless years. After the very long span of getting engaged in Samadhi, he one day opened his eyes. The first thing that he asked for was water when he came out of Samadhi. But the disciple was not to be seen and so was the Ganges.

Ramana observes if a thought that had just entered his mind before getting into meditation bounced back with all its force, what of those that were deeply ingrained from time immemorial? Hence Bhagavan points out that one is not to be taken away by the spell of the temporary stillness of mind, but to further engage in self enquiry till the very last vasana or impressions is anihilated.