Concentration

[Notay]

hi when i get up in the morning to do my naam simran in the amrit vela time and begin i tend to lose my concentration and my mind ends up wandering into the coming days activities and other stuff. Is there any way in which i can keep my concentration just focused on waheguru? its really annoying.
it also occurs during rehraas, i am not sure if its to do with the fact that i can recite my rehraas of by heart (or some of it) and the same for naam simran, that my mind is capable of thinking about other things? anyone else experienced this?

 

[spnadmin]

Notay,

Just go with the flow. It happens to everyone, not just you. With time this problem wears off because the Bani of the Guru is more interesting than what is going to happen at work. Accept my comment with seriousness as well as a touch of humor. It is true. Your simran and nit nem should be a relaxing process. So relax and do not worry.

 

[Sinner1]

SATSHRIAKAL..
Acc. to me just relax and whenerver your mind gets distracted do not think that you have lost your concentration or anything else just continue doing simran.Just focus on your simran..First few weeks you will face difficuilty but after then you will find progress and your mind will be distracted less.And also do ARDAS.Also before doing simran do mool mantra 108 times as it helps in concentration.As you are at initial stage do simran verbally.
Also do seva and indulge less in social activities.
Everyone faces this type of problem and i personally seek this soluton..Hope it helped you.

 

[Notay]

SATSHRIAKAL..
Also before doing simran do mool mantra 108 times as it helps in concentration.As you are at initial stage do simran verbally.
quote]

hi sorry for the late reply ive been busy. you say do the mool mantra 108 times, why exactly 108 times? surely if i was counting then wouldnt i been concentrating counting rather than concentrating on the guru?

also i sometimes find it really hard to get up in the middle of the night when my 'amrit vela' alarm goes off and hence nod back to sleep. but when i do get up my day does go a whole lot better i have noticed. is anything that i can do to make sure that i get up and not just nod back to sleep? thanks

 

[spnadmin]

Notay ji

Did the idea of 108 times come from Gurbani? I will check on that. I think not. I know that in some panths and sects of Sikhism the number of times for a mantra or a kriya is mentioned and one increases incrementally -- 6, 11, 23, I think the next one is 56, and so forth -- I am not an expert on this. But the time of simran is a very individual thing and depth of simran is more important according to other teachers.

 

[Sinner1]

no...The idea of doing mool antra 108 do not come from gurbani(i think so)...
I want to say that there is a mala which has 108 beads...Thats why i have said to do mool mantra 108 times..not counting but on beads.....I also know that there are several malas with different number of beads...I have choosen 108 times because by reciting more mool mantra your mind will become more relax and will less wander...
And if anyone find it difficuilt to do he/she can do it as many number of times as they like... It is not necesary to do 108 times....I have said it because someone told it to me and it helped me alot....

 

[spnadmin]

Sinner ji

Thanks for explaining about the mala. Do you have any information about the history of the mala? When did it first come into use? Things like that. Why does it have 108 beads. This is all very interesting.

 

[Notay]

hi thanks for your replies they are very helpful.

i believe that a possible reason why my mind never stays focused on naam simran and mool mantra is possibly due to the fact that i know my mool mantra/simran off by heart and hence my mind requires less of a focus than if it didn't - do you get what i mean? also the same occurs during rehraas sahib, i know a lot of the parts of that and hence the same happens there.
does this occur to you? and why is this?

 

[Sinner1]

the mala is being used from very ancient times...I think that u will not find any history about it but u can find the reason for specific number of beads....i myself don't know much...

 

[Sinner1]

we do simran to control our mind...our desires....And when we tame our mind we find our reality....Acc. to me taming mind is the world's most difficiult thing..Like notay ji had told that they are not able to concentrate because they know it by heart....
Acc. to me this is not the reason....Ya offcourse it might be reason...but i don't know...
If you want to tame mind then gorget all your desires and just do naam simram all the day..Only then you can meet waheguru..Because it is also written in gurbani that we should do naam simran with our every breath....

 

[spnadmin]

sinner ji

Thanks for your answer. Maybe someone else can trace the history on this. I think it is fascinating.:yes:

 

[Astroboy]

I now give you some details of recipes prescribed for doing Simran or repetition of the name of God.
All persons are engaged in the doing of Simran in one form or another. Some do Simran by means of a beaded string called a rosary. In this type of Simran one cannot maintain undivided attention, for while doing it one has to roll off the beads with his fingers and reverse the head-knot on completion of each round of the rosary. In this way one cannot have single-minded devotion, without which there can be no gain. By constant practice the fingers automatically roll over the beads while the unbridled mind keeps wandering astray. This is why Master Souls always lay emphasis on mental Simran or one that is done with the tongue of thought. For Simran done with concentrated attention alone is beneficial.
Again there are persons who do Simran with their tongue. This type of Simran too is no better than that done with the help of the rosary. In this type also the tongue wags on in the mouth, while the mind runs riot all the time.
Some do Simran at the seat of the thyroid gland. This as well does not count for much unless it is done with the attention fully riveted to it.
Still others do Simran at the seat of the heart in unison with the constant heart beat, but here again the sine qua non is whole-hearted attention before one can expect any benefit from it. Another type of Simran is one that is done with the breath vibration of the vital air as it goes in and comes out; it gives just temporary stillness and is of little value.
Each of the above sadhans (practices) has more efficacy in ascending order than the one preceding, but none of them per se is efficacious enough unless it is done with undivided attention. A person may experience a little calm for a while but it cannot help the spirit in withdrawal and concentration at the seat of the soul just behind the center of the two eyebrows.


Simran: The Sweet Remembrance of God

 

[Canuck Singh]

Getting into the gap between thoughts and dreams of the future, and thoughts and dreams of the past.

Get into that area.

If it helps draw it out on paper.

Can you discover the gap between these thoughts?

Do you exist when you are not thinking? What are you when you are completely silent, and your eyes are closed?

Does that Inner Awareness awaken within you?

The challenge, rather the adventure is discovering this along the way. :happy:

 

[spnadmin]

Getting into the gap between thoughts and dreams of the future, and thoughts and dreams of the past.

Get into that area.

If it helps draw it out on paper.

Can you discover the gap between these thoughts?

Do you exist when you are not thinking? What are you when you are completely silent, and your eyes are closed?

Does that Inner Awareness awaken within you?

The challenge, rather the adventure is discovering this along the way. :happy:

Canuck ji

Pure poetry. I am going to experiment on myself asking these questions.

 

[Astroboy]

ਸਲੋਕੁ ਮਃ ੨ ॥
सलोकु मः २ ॥
Salok mėhlā 2.
Shalok, Second Mehl:

ਅਖੀ ਬਾਝਹੁ ਵੇਖਣਾ ਵਿਣੁ ਕੰਨਾ ਸੁਨਣਾ ॥
अखी बाझहु वेखणा विणु कंना सुनणा ॥
Akẖī bājẖahu vekẖ▫ṇā viṇ kanna sunṇā.
To see without eyes; to hear without ears;

ਪੈਰਾ ਬਾਝਹੁ ਚਲਣਾ ਵਿਣੁ ਹਥਾ ਕਰਣਾ ॥
पैरा बाझहु चलणा विणु हथा करणा ॥
Pairā bājẖahu cẖalṇā viṇ hathā karṇā.
to walk without feet; to work without hands;

ਜੀਭੈ ਬਾਝਹੁ ਬੋਲਣਾ ਇਉ ਜੀਵਤ ਮਰਣਾ ॥
जीभै बाझहु बोलणा इउ जीवत मरणा ॥
Jībẖai bājẖahu bolṇā i▫o jīvaṯ marṇā.
to speak without a tongue-like this, one remains dead while yet alive.

ਨਾਨਕ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਪਛਾਣਿ ਕੈ ਤਉ ਖਸਮੈ ਮਿਲਣਾ ॥੧॥
नानक हुकमु पछाणि कै तउ खसमै मिलणा ॥१॥
Nānak hukam pacẖẖāṇ kai ṯa▫o kẖasmai milṇā. ||1||
O Nanak, recognize the Hukam of the Lord's Command, and merge with your Lord and Master. ||1||

 

[Astroboy]

ਮਃ ੨ ॥
मः २ ॥
Mėhlā 2.
Second Mehl:

ਦਿਸੈ ਸੁਣੀਐ ਜਾਣੀਐ ਸਾਉ ਨ ਪਾਇਆ ਜਾਇ ॥
दिसै सुणीऐ जाणीऐ साउ न पाइआ जाइ ॥
Ḏisai suṇī▫ai jāṇī▫ai sā▫o na pā▫i▫ā jā▫e.
He is seen, heard and known, but His subtle essence is not obtained.

ਰੁਹਲਾ ਟੁੰਡਾ ਅੰਧੁਲਾ ਕਿਉ ਗਲਿ ਲਗੈ ਧਾਇ ॥
रुहला टुंडा अंधुला किउ गलि लगै धाइ ॥
Ruhlā tundā anḏẖulā ki▫o gal lagai ḏẖā▫e.
How can the lame, armless and blind person run to embrace the Lord?

ਭੈ ਕੇ ਚਰਣ ਕਰ ਭਾਵ ਕੇ ਲੋਇਣ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਕਰੇਇ ॥
भै के चरण कर भाव के लोइण सुरति करेइ ॥
Bẖai ke cẖaraṇ kar bẖāv ke lo▫iṇ suraṯ kare▫i.
Let the Fear of God be your feet, and let His Love be your hands; let His Understanding be your eyes.

ਨਾਨਕੁ ਕਹੈ ਸਿਆਣੀਏ ਇਵ ਕੰਤ ਮਿਲਾਵਾ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
नानकु कहै सिआणीए इव कंत मिलावा होइ ॥२॥
Nānak kahai si▫āṇī▫e iv kanṯ milāvā ho▫e. ||2||
Says Nanak, in this way, O wise soul-bride, you shall be united with your Husband Lord. ||2||