Meditation Practice Improves Cognition
People often equate spirituality or P holiness with having one's head in the clouds, going through life in a vaguely detached manner. In Autobiography of a Yogi', Paramhansa Yogananda quoted his guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar, describing true spirituality: "Saintliness is not dumbness. Divine perceptions are not incapacitating. The active expression of virtue gives rise to the keenest intelligence." Recent studies on the effects of meditation demonstrate that just a little bit of meditation practice improves cognition, memory, and concentration even among older people. This is one reason that Yogananda called inthe "ancient Indian science of meditation." While science and spirituality are often opposed to each other, there is one aspect of science that should be applied to religion: when one's religion or spiritual practice is tested, does it produce demonstrable results? A common misconception about spiritual practice is that a sure sign of progress is having various visions, seeing lights, performing miracles, and other phenomena. This approach is not supported by saints and masters. Anandamayi Ma had a student who experienced visions of Krishna every time he sat to meditate. While the visions may have been beautiful, and possibly true, Anandamayi Ma's counsel to the young man was surprising. She asked him if he had improved, as a person, due to his visions. She was particularly referring to qualities such as calmness and freedom from anger. The man, in honesty and humility, replied, "No.' Anandamayi Ma then advised that instead of indulging in visions, he start practising real meditation, hyena. The man did just that, and found himself changing for the better as a result. It is relatively easy to be a saint in one's meditation or puja room, but the real test comes in daily life. Most of us don't have brain scientists with scanners and test exams at hand. But we can, and should, test the results of our religious or spiritual practices. In the Bhagwad Gita, in the 16th chapter, Krishna begins by listing the qualities of those who are divinely inclined. Those qualities make very good self-exam questions. Don't see these as pass/fail exams, but as a simple measure of the direction of our spiritual progress. One of Krishna's divine qualities is "freedom from anger". Are you making real progress, over time, in how you respond to challenging family members or work environment? If not, then it is worth rethinking your spiritual practices so you start achieving better scores the on that test another important divine tree Krishna is forgiveness. When someone hurts us, we should of course be wary of the person hurting us again. But holding on to past hurts, with growing resentment and hate, only adds to our own pain. You w that forgiveness arises naturally easily from the calm detachmendeep meditation. And a non-judgmental attitudes’ be achieved through develop compassion. The Dalai Lama has that, "The greatest degree of innetranquility comes from the development of love and compass You will find that the reverse is altrue: The tranquillity that comes regular meditation helps one easdevelop love and compassion fort rue spirituality and religicmust have a very real and posit change in our lives. As ParamhYogananda declared, "Let us sethe dross of superstition from religion by burning it in thiefproof Scientific Investigation and Realisation, and by their practiapplication to life."
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Nayaswami Devarshi views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: Nayaswami Devarshi and Speaking Tree,Times of India
Meditation Practice Improves Cognition
People often equate spirituality or P holiness with having one's head in the clouds, going through life in a vaguely detached manner. In Autobiography of a Yogi', Paramhansa Yogananda quoted his guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar, describing true spirituality: "Saintliness is not dumbness. Divine perceptions are not incapacitating. The active expression of virtue gives rise to the keenest intelligence." Recent studies on the effects of meditation demonstrate that just a little bit of meditation practice improves cognition, memory, and concentration even among older people. This is one reason that Yogananda called inthe "ancient Indian science of meditation." While science and spirituality are often opposed to each other, there is one aspect of science that should be applied to religion: when one's religion or spiritual practice is tested, does it produce demonstrable results? A common misconception about spiritual practice is that a sure sign of progress is having various visions, seeing lights, performing miracles, and other phenomena. This approach is not supported by saints and masters. Anandamayi Ma had a student who experienced visions of Krishna every time he sat to meditate. While the visions may have been beautiful, and possibly true, Anandamayi Ma's counsel to the young man was surprising. She asked him if he had improved, as a person, due to his visions. She was particularly referring to qualities such as calmness and freedom from anger. The man, in honesty and humility, replied, "No.' Anandamayi Ma then advised that instead of indulging in visions, he start practising real meditation, hyena. The man did just that, and found himself changing for the better as a result. It is relatively easy to be a saint in one's meditation or puja room, but the real test comes in daily life. Most of us don't have brain scientists with scanners and test exams at hand. But we can, and should, test the results of our religious or spiritual practices. In the Bhagwad Gita, in the 16th chapter, Krishna begins by listing the qualities of those who are divinely inclined. Those qualities make very good self-exam questions. Don't see these as pass/fail exams, but as a simple measure of the direction of our spiritual progress. One of Krishna's divine qualities is "freedom from anger". Are you making real progress, over time, in how you respond to challenging family members or work environment? If not, then it is worth rethinking your spiritual practices so you start achieving better scores the on that test another important divine tree Krishna is forgiveness. When someone hurts us, we should of course be wary of the person hurting us again. But holding on to past hurts, with growing resentment and hate, only adds to our own pain. You w that forgiveness arises naturally easily from the calm detachmendeep meditation. And a non-judgmental attitudes’ be achieved through develop compassion. The Dalai Lama has that, "The greatest degree of innetranquility comes from the development of love and compass You will find that the reverse is altrue: The tranquillity that comes regular meditation helps one easdevelop love and compassion fort rue spirituality and religicmust have a very real and posit change in our lives. As ParamhYogananda declared, "Let us sethe dross of superstition from religion by burning it in thiefproof Scientific Investigation and Realisation, and by their practiapplication to life."
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Nayaswami Devarshi views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: Nayaswami Devarshi and Speaking Tree,Times of India