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Meditation: the tranquilizer

"Even as a terrible weapon is encountered and destroyed by a more powerful weapon, tranquilize the mind with the help of the mind itself. Forever abandon every form of mental agitation. Remain at peace within yourself like a tree freed from the disturbance caused by monkeys." — Yogavashistha V:50

Commentary:

This part of the quote implies that the mind that tranquilizes relies on a higher power than the untamed mind.

Indeed, the previous seven sections give the sevenfold cure for the untamed mind:
1) spiritual enquiry;
2) sharp intelligence;
3) driving away the wildness through calm detachment;
4) spiritual worship found through wisdom and dispassion, the grace of the guru, self-effort,
chanting of mantras, and so on;
5) appropriate contemplative formula or instruction;
6) self-restraint on the path of spiritual perfection; and
7) repeated renunciation of all concepts and percepts.

Through the use of the seven cures, we "abandon every form of mental agitation".

In letting go of agitation, those cures are able to work.

Thus is peace of mind attained through contemplation of the sevenfold cure of the untamed mind.


Originally posted: May 20, 2004 at 12:45 AM
Edited: August 24, 2010 at 10:03 PM

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