Battling the 5 Thieves Through Simran/Meditation

chazSingh · #1 (**permalink**) 14-Mar-2012, 19:00 PM

Last night there was a Horizon T.V documentary that showed our Conscious Mind can only concentrate on 2-3 tasks at a time. All the rest (and there are so many) are dictated by our subconscious mind...all of these subconscious actions we are unaware of.

The question the program asked was...are we in CONTROL of our subconscious mind...or does our Subconscious mind CONTROL US? are we slaves to what our subconscious contains..

Gurbani already tells us all about this...hundreds of years before science has finally clocked on:

eihu sareer maaeiaa kaa puthalaa vich houmai dhusattee paaee ||
This body is the puppet of Maya. The evil of egotism is within it.

maaeiaa jaevadd dhukh nehee sabh bhav thhakae sa(n)saar ||
There is no pain as great as the pain of Maya; it drives people to wander all around the world, until they become exhausted.

man maerae houmai mail bhar naal ||
O my mind, you are filled with the filth of egotism.

baahar mal dhhovai man kee joot(h) n jaaeae ||
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/38220-battling-5-thieves-through-simran-meditation.html
Outwardly, he washes off the filth, but the impurity of his mind does not go away.

eihu man mailaa eik n dhhiaaeae ||
This mind is filthy and polluted; it does not meditate on the One.

eis dhaehee a(n)dhar pa(n)ch chor vasehi kaam krodhh lobh mohu aha(n)kaaraa ||
Within this body dwell the five thieves: sexual desire, anger, greed, emotional attachment and egotism.

pa(n)ch dhooth moodd par t(h)aadtae kaes gehae faeraavath hae ||
The five thieves stand over your head and seize you. Grabbing you by your hair, they will drive you on.

The five thieves attack us through our mind, our thoughts...these thoughts come from our subconscious mind...and we then act upon them.

It brings out anger in us, sexual desire, greed for money, food, attachment to our worldy posessions and family, fear of death, etc etc
And our conscious mind just follows like a slave to these 5 thieves.

Guru Ji gave us the tools to fight our minds, called Simran/Meditation and through Seva

I would like to start this thread for all the Forum Members who already are or are thinking about taking this practice seriously as described in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=38220

Please share with myself and others your experiences, difficulties encountered of any kind etc etc.

god Bless all.

Gyani Jarnail Singh · #2 (**permalink**) 14-Mar-2012, 20:10 PM

I try and LIVE GURBANI...struggle to LIVE TRUTHFULLY at work and play...struggle to be SANS ENMITY..sans-ANGER.. SANS- KRODH....struggle to be FEARLESS.......struggle to LOVE those who HATE ME..try to be my enemies..make me angry...frighten me..submit me...struggle to amke a HONEST LIVING..Hard work......leaves me very little time for any mischief...as the daily GRIND attempt to EMULATE.... EK OANGKAAR takes up most of my time..awake or asleep....

chazSingh · #3 (**permalink**) 14-Mar-2012, 21:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gyani Jarnail Singh

I try and LIVE GURBANI...struggle to LIVE TRUTHFULLY at work and play...struggle to be SANS ENMITY..sans-ANGER.. SANS- KRODH....struggle to be FEARLESS.......struggle to LOVE those who HATE ME..try to be my enemies..make me angry...frighten me..submit me...struggle to amke a HONEST LIVING..Hard work......leaves me very little time for any mischief...as the daily GRIND attempt to EMULATE.... EK OANGKAAR takes up most of my time..awake or asleep....

Satnaam Ji,

We are all in this battle...a daily battle.

I do ardaas before i meditate saying "whatever happens i am happy with, for eveything that happens is all your doing. Come sit within my mind and heart and do with me as you please...i surrender to your sweet will".

But then go on to worrying about our jobs, our wealth, our kids, family, looking at women. etc etc etc.

All i know is that when I sit and do my simran in a quiet place, focussing on Satnaam Ji, that the 5 thieves come out in force playing havoc in my mind...they don't want me to remember by Guru Ji...they dont want me anywhere near Him.

In an awake state, the events in my life over the past 6-12 months have really tested my resolve, my internal 5 thieves have wanted to lash out in anger, in digust, blaming everything on God, hating everyone...
but on this occasion, i managed to fight the temptation to give into these thoughts...i went to my Guru Ji and put my heart on a plate and said i'm going to dedicate the rest of my life to doing His Simran and Seva.

Its amazng how ones views and thoghts change after doing this. become less interested in quaraling, hating, slandering...even though i am amongst it all in my social life...i seem to be getting more detached with it...mind is staying with Satnaam Ji.

This is what daily Simran (an hour at the gurdwara, an hour before i sleep) has started doing to me

so i plan to continue until my last breathe.

God bless all.

harry haller · #4 (**permalink**) 14-Mar-2012, 22:52 PM

Chazsinghji

I recall to being extremely impressed by your post on meditation, in fact it was so convincing that it made me determined to respect those that seek Guruji through this fashion.

If I may speak frankly, and without the knowledge of Bani you clearly have, from a purely personal point of view given my life experience.

The thieves are there, but why are they there? Some might say to be conquered, to be thrashed and defeated, to be smitten, destroyed, etc. I do not agree with this line of thinking, the thieves must be won over, not through fear, escapism, deals, intimidation, but one thing and thing only, understanding!

Through understanding we can turn a thief into a virtue. We have the starting seed, the vice, if we follow the pragmatic teachings of Guruji, we can nurture this vice, and turn it into a virtue. Thus Wrath becomes Compassion, Greed becomes Contentment, Ego/Pride becomes Humility, Lust becomes Love, Attatchment becomes the awareness of Truth. Being aware of one side of the scale, makes you aware of the opposite. On my journey, I have made the mistake of aversion, rather than understanding of the thieves, thus by deleting the thieves from my life, I became a peaceful, penniless, unwashed, unsexed and detached person. The sort of person that you see wandering round the markets in India looking a bit mental, not the Sikh that the Gurus envisaged.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=38220

In my view, make your peace with thieves, they need to know that you control them, that you will convert them, and one day they will be replaced by virtues, although like everything within Sikhi, every day is a fight, the minute you get complacent, they will grab back what is theirs, everything is a cycle,
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=38220

just my own thoughts

chazSingh · #5 (**permalink**) 14-Mar-2012, 23:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by harry haller

Chazsinghji

I recall to being extremely impressed by your post on meditation, in fact it was so convincing that it made me determined to respect those that seek Guruji through this fashion.

If I may speak frankly, and without the knowledge of Bani you clearly have, from a purely personal point of view given my life experience.

The thieves are there, but why are they there? Some might say to be conquered, to be thrashed and defeated, to be smitten, destroyed, etc. I do not agree with this line of thinking, the thieves must be won over, not through fear, escapism, deals, intimidation, but one thing and thing only, understanding!

Through understanding we can turn a thief into a virtue. We have the starting seed, the vice, if we follow the pragmatic teachings of Guruji, we can nurture this vice, and turn it into a virtue. Thus Wrath becomes Compassion, Greed becomes Contentment, Ego/Pride becomes Humility, Lust becomes Love, Attatchment becomes the awareness of Truth. Being aware of one side of the scale, makes you aware of the opposite. On my journey, I have made the mistake of aversion, rather than understanding of the thieves, thus by deleting the thieves from my life, I became a peaceful, penniless, unwashed, unsexed and detached person. The sort of person that you see wandering round the markets in India looking a bit mental, not the Sikh that the Gurus envisaged.

In my view, make your peace with thieves, they need to know that you control them, that you will convert them, and one day they will be replaced by virtues, although like everything within Sikhi, every day is a fight, the minute you get complacent, they will grab back what is theirs, everything is a cycle,

just my own thoughts

Your are correct. By defeating i do not mean, getting rid of as such.

At the moment, the majority of the world is at mercy to the 5 thieves...we see it around us everyday, in the news..its crippled the human species.

By doing this internal battle...because it occurs in the mind...the process i take is to try and regain control...to be the controller and not the one being controled. in mediation, you can do this battle without coming face to face with a human being...you cannot at first subdue another persons 5 thieves but we can cripple ours.

then later when anothers actions (under the 5 thieves) tries to create a re-action from us (under the 5 thieves) hopefully we can re-act with the virtues you speak of because we'd have tamed our internal thieves.

In my life i've been on a path that has taken me to the extremes of the 5 thieves...and then i sit back and cannot believe some of the things i did under the influence of them in the past.

Meditation has been powerful for me...
but if you're able to do this without the mediation/simran then all is good

Its all meditation in reality when you do anything with god in mind.

God bless all

chazSingh · #6 (**permalink**) 19-Mar-2012, 21:48 PM

Third Eye - associated with the 6th Chakra - and in biological terms associated with the Pineal Gland (which resides in the lower half of the brain).

The Pineal Gland is photosensitive and has what is similar to a retina, even though light cannot get to it. Some say it used to help create the images that we create when we think of something with out eyes closed.

The soul emits light...and meditiation on the Third eye region is said to enhance your ability to see the Prakash (light emision) of the soul.

During my own meditations, I have started to feel my Third eye activating, initially it was a pressure between by eyebrows...and then during meditation at the local gurwara i started seeing colours of light (purple, white, gold etc). I didnt know what this was un-til i started researching the third eye.

Now i can see the colours on every meditation.

Thursday night last week, i was meditating in bed, and eventually just fell asleep. I had a slightly unconfortable dream and was awoken by it (although i can't remember the dream)...lying in bed with my eyes open, i could see a patern in my mind, so i closed my eyes and focussed on it. the pattern was amazing, streaks of flashes, swirls, like i was flying through a vortex. I lay and observed this for about 10 minutes before they went away.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=38220

Are any of the Sangat having experiences of the Third eye? Would be good to share experiences

Ambarsaria · #7 (**permalink**) 19-Mar-2012, 22:13 PM

Chazsingh ji one comment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chazSingh

Thursday night last week, i was meditating in bed, and eventually just fell asleep. I had a slightly unconfortable dream and was awoken by it (although i can't remember the dream)...lying in bed with my eyes open, i could see a patern in my mind, so i closed my eyes and focussed on it. the pattern was amazing, streaks of flashes, swirls, like i was flying through a vortex. I lay and observed this for about 10 minutes before they went away.

Chazsingh ji mind amongst other manifestations is a roller coaster. It is fun to ride and enjoy it. You just had one such ride from what I can tell. icecreammunda

I am sure everyone has pleasant and out of this world type experiences in their life time. Mind can think the unthinkable, visualize the un-visualizable, create the impossible, reach the impossible and unreachable.

Great fun mind is if enjoyed and used the right way.

Quote:

Wonderment is the food of the mind, never let it run out.

cheerleader

Sat Sri Akal.

chazSingh · #8 (**permalink**) 19-Mar-2012, 23:02 PM

[QUOTE=Ambarsaria;162730]
Chazsingh ji mind amongst other manifestations is a roller coaster. It is fun to ride and enjoy it. You just had one such ride from what I can tell. icecreammunda
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=38220

I am sure everyone has pleasant and out of this world type experiences in their life time. Mind can think the unthinkable, visualize the un-visualizable, create the impossible, reach the impossible and unreachable.

Great fun mind is if enjoyed the right way.
[QUOTE]

Satnaam Ambarsaria Ji,

If Satnaam Guru Nanak Dev Ji, in all his glory walked the earth today...you know he would look completely different to the paintings we have...and if he logged onto this forum and said:
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=38220

kahu naanak prabh milae manohar man seethal bigasaarae ||2||3||29||
Says Nanak, I have met my Enticing Lord God; my mind is cooled and soothed - it blossoms forth in joy. Raag Dayv Gandhaaree 534

I'm pretty sure you would reply to him in exactly the same way you did to me

for eveyone else... Live Gurbani, Breath Gurbani, experience Gurbani and then maybe all of our minds will Blossom forth in Joy just like Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

Ambarsaria · #9 (**permalink**) 19-Mar-2012, 23:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chazSingh

Satnaam Ambarsaria Ji,

If Satnaam Guru Nanak Dev Ji, in all his glory walked the earth today...you know he would look completely different to the paintings we have...and if he logged onto this forum and said:

kahu naanak prabh milae manohar man seethal bigasaarae ||2||3||29||
Says Nanak, I have met my Enticing Lord God; my mind is cooled and soothed - it blossoms forth in joy. Raag Dayv Gandhaaree 534

I'm pretty sure you would reply to him in exactly the same way you did to me

I sure would brother talk to Guru Nanak Dev ji the same way. I am at awe with most of what I read in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji with the brilliance of thought. Many times when I read I visualize as though sitting in the shade in Punjab and Guru ji themselves doing a discourse. I thoroughly and incredibly enjoy this mindset as the 500+ years time difference evaporates. The Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji becomes alive and in your face.

Sat Sri Akal.