Dear Friends,
Namaste!
Today we will see why ‘Playing the Watchman’ aka “Saakshi Bhavana” is a great meditation technique.
By now, we are quite well acquainted with the eight limbed path of Yoga that goes like body control -> breath control -> sense control -> attention control -> thought control -> actions control -> results control -> life control.
We have discussed earlier that subtle rules gross and among our three faculties, viz., body, mind and intellect, intellect is the most subtle and body is the most gross. Conquering subtle is very tough and therefore we must master the gross first in our quest to conquer the subtle. So, before controlling thoughts, we must make sure our attention does not wander. In order to make sure our attention does not wander, we must control our senses and let them not drag our attention out with them towards any variety of objects. Senses are best controlled when we gain some mastery in regulating our breath, in breathing deeply and evenly. Deep and even breathing is difficult to achieve without having a strong and healthy body that obeys its master, viz., us.
And once we conquer the subtle, once we gain control over our thoughts, automatically that ensures control over our actions because all actions, without exception, emanate from conscious or sub-conscious thoughts. Actions, in turn, fetch us equal and opposite results because the Law of Karma operates at all times in all places. The results of our actions eventually decide how we experience life - whether we enjoy or grieve through it.
Therefore, it is quite evident that our thoughts are central to our life, ‘Thought Control’ is the cause for making us happy and is also the effect that we must strive to achieve through our Yoga practice.
‘Playing the Watchman’ enables us to gain mastery over our thoughts (with practice and patience of course). Therefore, it is a great meditation technique!
But why does it qualify to be a meditation technique? What has meditation got to do with ‘Playing the Watchman’?
Let’s go back to the basics again...
Under normal circumstances, our attention is spread all over the place. Almost like sunrays that fall on, engulf and light up innumerable objects. When this attention that has been spread thin, is *concentrated* or brought together and made single pointed so that it points to just one object, it is called concentration. And when this concentration is kept relentlessly focused on that single point for a period of time, it is called as meditation.
How is the attention brought together? By “shutting out” all the other (mostly external) stimuli. Through sense control where senses are trained to shut out from objects at will! Like a tortoise “going into its shell” by drawing its limbs in and becoming immune to external stimuli. This is “Pratyahar” (sense control) at its best. Without this, concentration is not possible!
But the single pointed concentration can still jump from one object to another although at any point in time it might have been focused only on a single object. Like a searchlight for example. (This process is better known as “Contemplation” where we explore, mull over and look at all aspects of an object to comprehend it fully. The concentrated attention moves continuously like a searchlight in “search” of the “truth” about that object).
But merely achieving concentration is not enough. Keeping it in one place is equally important. Sunrays spread all over the place do not generate much heat. But when they are all concentrated and kept focused on a single point for a period of time, they have the potential to burn through the toughest of articles! And this is where meditation comes in.
Keeping the attention focused on one thought for a length of time is meditation. Obviously, concentration is a pre-requisite to meditation. Specifically, while ‘Playing the Watchman’, we are doing just one thing – examining our thoughts. We are playing just one role – that of a Security Guard. And we are doing this while carrying on with our normal set of activities. Without disrupting our life. In fact, improving the quality of our life because good thoughts can have only happy results over time.
We don’t have to set aside any time or resources. There are no pre-requisites. Anybody can do it anywhere, anytime. Wow!
So we have covered the difference between concentration, contemplation and meditation. We have also covered why “Saakshi Bhavana” qualifies to be a powerful meditation technique and how we would do well to make it an integral part of our daily routine.
We have done some justice to the ‘thought level’ within our routine. Let’s now proceed to the ‘action level’ and figure out things to be done from day to day, in fact, hour to hour!
Wiedersehen...
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