Previous

Next

Ask a Question

Summary of Question:	Help On Path
Category:	Meditation
Date Posted:	Monday, 3/29/2004 9:07 AM MDT

when ever i do patth, i lose my concentration v. easily. How can i improve on it??

REPLY

What you are describing is a very normal part of meditation. This means your meditation is working! The process of reciting your banis or meditating does not mean your mind automatically shuts down. In fact it is just the opposite. The mind is often described as the "monkey mind" because it loves to jump around and distract you from the focus of your meditation. Simply observe your mind as it does this, and bring your focus back to your meditation. The process of meditation causes you to clean your mind. It is important that we do this daily, just as we daily clean our bodies. When meditating, we clean out all of the thoughts we have buried in the subconscious mind. They naturally rise to the surface of the conscious mind, so when they do, observe them neutrally as if you are watching a TV screen, and return to the focus of your meditation.

Doing this each day causes you to recognize that your mind is your servant, not your master. It is you who chooses each thought and the direction of your thoughts. Many people find that practicing breathing exercises assists in meditation. When you slow your breath down you slow down your thoughts, and this allows you to gain control over the direction of your thoughts. Rise early in the morning to recite your banis, beginning with a cold shower which stimulates your entire nervous system and gives you knowledge and confidence that having met this challenge you shall easily overcome every other challenge throughout your day! Then practice long, deep breathing for a few minutes before starting to recite your banis, mentally inhaling Sat and exhaling Nam. This meditation helps to calm the mind.

Guru Nanak taught us that the mind is simply our servant. Our body and mind are vehicles, or gifts received from the karma of past actions, which we can control instead of allowing them to control us. It is not your mind or thoughts that bring you to merge with God.

As Guru Nanak says in the first pauri of Japji Sahib,
chupai chup na hova-ee jay laa-ay rahaa liv taar.
bhukhi-aa bhukh na utree jay bannaa puree-aa bhaar.
By thinking and thinking, He cannot be obtained, even by thinking hundreds of thousands of thoughts.
By remaining silent, inner silence is not obtained, even by remaining lovingly absorbed deep within.

And in the fourth pauri he says,
amrit vaylaa sach naa-o vadi-aa-ee veechaar.
karmee aavai kaprhaa nadree mokh du-aar.
In the Amrit Vaylaa, the ambrosial hours before dawn, chant the True Name, and contemplate His Glorious Greatness.
By the karma of our past actions, the robe of this physical body is obtained. By His Grace, the Gate of Liberation is found.

This means, keep up and you will be kept up! Know that you are great!

Thank you for writing to Sikhnet. God bless you. Sat Nam. -GMK