Why Meditation is Necessary in Marathi

*Why Meditation Necessary?*

*आपल्या जन्माच्या आधीपासुन मरे पर्यंत आपलं हृदय सतत कार्यरत असतं. हृदय दररोज़ ७००० लीटर रक्त पंप करते (यापैकी ७०% रक्त मेंदुला लागते आणि बाकी शरीराला ३०% रक्त मिळते) आणि ७०,००० किमी पेक्षाही लांब रक्तवाहीन्यांमधे प्रवाहीत करते. १ टन वजन ४२ फूट ऊंची पर्यंत उचलण्यासाठी जितकी शक्ति आवश्यक असते तितकी शक्ति हृदय त्याच्या कार्यातुन दररोज निर्माण करते.*

*आपण थकल्यावर आराम करतो पण हृदयाने जर ४ - ५ मिनीटं आराम केला तर आपला कायमचा आराम होऊन जाईल.*

*न थकता हृदय कसे काय बरे कार्य करत असेल?*

*हृदय सतत कार्य करू शकते कारण ते अनुशासनाच्या, DISCIPLINE च्या आधारावर कार्य करते. सामान्य NORMAL परिस्थितीमधे हृदय ०.३ सेकंद आकुंचन CONTRACTION होते म्हणजे PUMP करते आणि ०.५ सेकंद प्रसरण पावते किंवा आराम करते RELAX होते. या हिशोबाने ०.३ + ०.५ = ०.८ सेकंदात हृदयाचा एक ठोका BEAT पूर्ण होतो म्हणजे एका मिनीटात ७२ ठोके होतात जे सामान्य NORMAL असतात. आरामाच्या ०.५ सेकंदात अशुध्द रक्त फुफ्फुसात जाऊन १००% शुद्ध होऊन येते.* 

*जर काही कारणाने शरीराला कमी वेळात जास्त रक्तपुरवठ्याची गरज DEMAND असेल तर हृदय जास्त रक्त PUMP करण्यासाठी आरामाची वेळ कमी करतं. अश्या परिस्थितीत आराम ०.४ सेकंद झाला तर हृदयाचा एक ठोका ०.७ सेकंदा त पूर्ण होऊन दर मिनीटाला ही संख्या ८२ च्या वर जाते आणि केवळ ८०%च रक्त शुध्द होतं.*

*जर आरामाची वेळ ०.३ सेकंद झाली तर ६०% च रक्त शुद्ध होते. म्हणजे अश्या घाईगर्दीच्या असामान्य स्थितीत,२०% किंवा ४०% अशुद्ध रक्त रक्तवाहीन्यांमधे PUMP केलं जातं आणि ती अशुद्धि रक्तवाहीन्यांमधे चिकटुन सामान्यपणे लवचिक ELASTIC स्वरूपाच्या असलेल्या रक्त वाहीन्या कठीण PLASTIC स्वरूपाच्या बनत जातात. कालांतराने रक्तवाहीन्या इतक्या कठीण बनतात कि रक्तात एखादी गाठ वाहत आली (कि पूर्वी  धमनीच्या लवचिक स्वभावामुळे सहज निघुन जात असे) कि अडकुन रक्ताचा प्रवाह रोखते किंवा BLOCK करते - या स्थितिला हृदय विकाराचा झटका HEART ATTACK म्हणतात.*

*या हिशोबाने विचार केला तर लक्षात येईल कि हृदय विकाराचे मूळ कारण शरीराकडून किंवा मेंदुकडुन होणारी सामान्यपेक्षा वाढीव रक्ताची मागणी DEMAND हेच आहे. जेव्हा मेंदुची हालचाल ACTIVITY STIMULATE चलायमान होते तेव्हा त्याची रक्तपुरवठयाची मागणी सामान्यपेक्षा खूप वाढते. BRAIN ACTIVITY STIMULATE होण्यासाठी आपला आहार DIET केवळ २५% ते ३०%च जबाबदार आहे आणि ७०% ते ७५% आपले विचार, भावना, दृष्टिकोण, स्मृति जबाबदार आहेत.*

*त्यामुळे ज्यांना आपले हृदय दीर्घकाळ स्वस्थ ठेवायचे असेल तर त्यांनी चिंता, क्रोध, उदासी, घाईगर्दी (जल्दबाजी) आणि भावनात्मकदृष्टया संवेदनशिल SENSITIVE स्वभाव यांच्यापासुन स्वतःला सुरक्षित ठेवावे.*

*या पाच गोष्टींपासुन सुरक्षित ठेवण्यासाठी कोणतेही औषध  MEDICATION उपलब्ध नाही. त्यापासुन सुरक्षित रहाण्यासाठी ध्यानधारणा MEDITATION हाच एकमेव  उपाय आहे.*

How to Walk, How to Eat

How to Walk, How to Eat

Anecdotes of S.N. Goenka

In a month course with Sayagyi U Ba Khin in Burma, I experienced a very deep stage of bhanga in which my entire body seemed to have dissolved into a mass of vibrations constantly rising and passing away. Even if by chance I happened to look at someone, I saw only the outline of that person and within it a kind of blinking oscillation.

One day during this course my teacher said to me , "Come, Goenka, I shall teach you how to walk." Now what was this? I was not a baby crawling on all fours; I was a man of mature years! Sayagyi explained, "Walk as you do normally, neither quickly nor slowly. as you walk be aware of each movement of your body, and also be aware of what is happening within you." I had been practicing that in ten-day courses, but it was different now. I tried it and found that while walking , I could experience the flow of vibrations, the subtle reality within. At a supeficial level I was aware of my walking, and at a deeper level I was aware of the unceasing process of change within myself-just a mass of atoms moving about, rather than a solid body.

"Now come," said Sayagyi, "I shall teach you how to eat". By this time I had understood that, though I was not an infant to be spoonfed, there was something I needed to learn. We went to the dinning room and a tray of food was placed before me, each item neatly arranged in a seperate dish. "Make small pieces of all the food, and put it into a bowl,"Sayagyi said. "Now mix it all together-solid or liquid, sweet or sour, combine it all." This is the way that monks are supposed to eat. I did as he said and mixed all the food together in a bowl. "Now remain in deep bhanga". said Sayagyi, "Keep your eyes closed and continue. Take a morsel of food with your fingers, and feel sensations." I did this, and as I touched the food I felt strong vibrations in my fingertips. "Move your hand to your mouth feeling sensations..." I did so, feeling strong vibrations. "Place the food in your mouth and feel sensations." I did so, feeling vibrations on my lips, my tongue and gums. "Chew the food and swallow it feeling sensations." I did so, feeling vibrations throughout my mouth and throat. The taste of the food became immaterial. Instead I experienced it only as vibrations entering the vibrations of my body.

Having finished the meal in this special Vipassana way, I was asked to take rest. I went and lay down on the bed. For quite some time I kept feeling distinct movement and vibration in the stomach and intestines.

After that course, all my food prefrences disappeared. I had been fond of some of the more spicy Indian preparations. Now I eat whatever is placed before me, but if there is a choice my hand goes automatically to the simpler dish.  I had indeed learned how to eat: not to satisfy the cravings but to provide the nourishment this body needs to carry on its task.

Thanks to Sayagyi, thanks to Dhamma

Vipassana for Family

5) Q: How do we introduce Dhamma to children in a Vipassana family who are yet too young to learn Anapana?

A: They become capable of practicing Anapana quite early in life, but if they are very young, then give them metta. If the child is sleeping then sit near them and give them metta. Sit for an hour and then give them metta. If they are awake, then take them in your lap, rock them to sleep and then give them metta. They will start absorbing the vibrations of metta. As soon as they grow a bit older, they will easily practice Anapana and soon after that they will learn to practice Vipassana.

🌷 6) Q: When I sit for meditation I remove my glasses and I feel sensations, should I do the same thing when walking?

A: Why would someone with glasses remove them while walking around? If you run into something and stumble, people will blame me and I don't want that. When you sit and meditate, go ahead and remove your glasses. At all other times, we have to work with open eyes. We can continue to be aware of the sensations, but, we shall always work with our glasses on. See I have put my glasses on — I need them too!

🌷 7) Q: My body has become quite frail. You said to follow the advice of the doctor, so I had three surgeries for my cancer. Now I do not want to undergo another surgical procedure. This disease is not going to leave me. What should I do?

A: I say get freed from the diseases of the mind. Then you will see that no matter what the situation is, you are always in a positive state of mind. There is a pain somewhere in the body, but your mind is free from pain, and you shall not let the mind get agitated. Then you have understood the Dhamma! Because of the accumulated kammas of this life or of a past life, some kind of disease has manifested in the body, but now if you are established in Dhamma, then there is no agitation. And oh how intense the pain as one approaches closer to death! Only those who are dying understand their own pain, no one else can. But even with so much pain, many meditators pass away with a smile on their face and without any sedative drugs or painkillers as they are developed in the Dhamma. Oh how can cancer affect such persons? If an illness comes then we will try and treat it, but if the doctor says this is beyond any treatment, then we have our own remedy. We shall not allow our minds to get agitated; we shall not lose our equanimity

🌷 8) Q: Could you please explain the meaning of 'kalyānmitta'?

A: Kalyāṇ means welfare, and mitta means friend. One who is a friend in our welfare is therefore a 'kalyāṇamitta. Pāpa means immoral, blameworthy acts. Hence one who leads us on an immoral, unwholesome path would be a 'pāpamitta', and one who leads us to our well-being is a 'kalyāṇamitta'.

Kalyāṇamitta,

Satya Narayan Goenka.

http://www.vridhamma.org/en2015-01