Confused with too many sounds, noises, emotions, ideas and feelings? Too much of spirituality shopping can deplete our personal power and keep us in a perpetual state of confusion.
Settle down to one Master. Allow yourself to be the chosen one by having the right quest for meditation. When the quest is true, the true Master finds you. Else, it is a never-ending and unfulfilling search because it is happening from all kinds of wrong expectations.
The Patanjali Yoga Sutra points to one main aspect of quietening the mind, which in other words is called meditation. The sage says—Eka Tatwa Abhyasah—meditation on one thing alone. To begin with, we must at least mediate on the words of one true Master alone.
In our effort, we thankfully have only 24 hours in a day. Out of that time, only about 12 to 18 hours are available during our waking state.
All we need to do is spend those hours purposefully by simply choosing to carefully listening to something uplifting or elevating for an hour. If it is a public talk, then the listening happens in a group. You may take notes of all the important points.
Unless the listening is applied to your personal practice of meditation, the words of the speaker will simply drift away and disperse like a cloud of sound and meanings. Sometimes you may get the rare opportunity of meeting such a Master to clarify doubts and ask questions.
If such an opportunity ever arises—which can happen to the really rare, chosen and blessed ones, do not fritter it away in asking questions about the world—When will I get married? Will I get a car? Will I go abroad? Those things we have the ability to sort out on our own and make happen.
When you are listening from audios and videos, on the internet and mobile phone, go ahead and use all modern technology—but hold on to the ancient tradition of note-taking on a special note book. Write out what you heard. Write out your questions. Write out your practice based on what you heard. Sincerely proceed. More opportunities will present themselves. You will discover your own interesting ways of studying.
If they are from books, underline with pencils (only so that someone who may get the book after you can erase them, if he finds it disturbing.) Mark the essence of every paragraph in your own simple précis by the side of the paragraphs. Write out the essence of the whole chapter. When you go through the whole book in detail, you will discover its essence too. Hold on to that and meditate on that as you walk, as you climb stairs, as you drive and as you are engaged in work.
Let the mind sink in completely on that one graceful note that runs through this whole universe. Live it. Love it. You will get absorbed in it.
(www.sharanyachaitanya.blogspot.in)