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VIBHUTI
PADA
State
of focused mind
 |
Tatah Punah Shantoditau
Tulya_Pratyayau Chittasya_Ekăgrată_Parinămah |
| || 3.12 || |
| Succession of thoughts,
similar in kind Is the state
of focused mind. |
|
Tatah:therafter
Punah:once again
Shanta:subsiding, quietening udita:arising
Tulya:equal
Pratyaya:acts
Chittasya:mind Ekăgrată:
focused, one pointed
Parinămah:
modification, changing
|
| 3.12 Q: When is mind said
to be focused? |
| Mind is said to be focused
when similar thought waves arise in succession,
permitting no other thoughts in between. |
|
Ekagrata
Parinama is the state of mind when the mind becomes
peaceful and calm even when the impressions of this one pointed
chitta are arisen.
 When
the mind is fully concentrated, time passes unnoticed, as
if it did not exist. When the mind is focused, there is no
time! Time is but a modification of the mind. Time, Space
and causation and all external experiences are mental creation.
In a focused state one loses sense of space and time. Mind
is said to be focused, when there are no intervening thoughts
for 12 continuous seconds( matras).
If the mind starts focusing on say 'Krishna' and after 3 seconds
starts thinking about when the next birth day of Krishna is
and again after 7 seconds wonders whether the Krishna's birthday
is a notified holiday or not, then the mind is distracted.
Mind can start with Krishna, after 3 seconds his flute can
disappear, after 7 seconds his crown can disappear and only
Krishna's charming face should appear. Then one can say his
mind is focused on Krishna. 144 seconds of focusing is said
to be dhyana
and 12 such 144 seconds of dhyana
continuously is said to be a state of Samadhi.
 'When
the senses are stilled, when the mind is at rest,
when the intellect wavers not - then, say the wise,
is reached the highest stage. This steady control
of the senses and mind has been defined as Yoga.
He who attains it is free form delusion.' |
| Kathopanishad |
|
Arjuna sees only the bird, where others see leaves and fruits
as well.
During their younger days, the Kauravas and the Pandavas
(protagonists of the Indian epic Mahabharata)
were learning under the tutorship of Dronacharya. Among them
the star pupil was Arjuna, who excelled in archery. One day
Dronacharya decided to test his students. So he fixed a wooden
bird on a treetop and asked them to assemble at a distance.
He then said: " Each of you must aim to shoot the eye
of the bird. The one who does that will be judged as the best
among you."
First he called the eldest Yudhisthira to take aim. "
Are you ready?" demanded Dronacarya. " Yes, noble
sir," replied the prince. " What do you see?"
questioned the teacher, to which the Pandava replied: "
Sir, I see the bird, I see the tree with beautiful leaves,
I see you and all the other princes assembled here."
Hearing this Dronacharya replied: " Stop. Don't shoot,
you are not ready."
 Then
he called on Duryodhana, who went through the same routine,
and so did all the princes, except the last one, the favored
Arjuna.
Dronacharya asked him to take aim and put the same question
to him. Arjuna replied: " Sir, I see the eye, and nothing
else." " Shoot," said Dronacharya, and the
arrow found its mark.
 Arjuna
was in the focused state of mind. He was focused on the bird's
eye and nothing else. While the other princes were distracted
by the trees, the other students and possible distractions,
Arjuna's senses were in harmony with what the mind was focused
on and that was how he found the mark
| Mind
alone is the cause for the state of Bondage or Liberation
in man. It is upto us to use this mind for our liberation,
by properly controlling it.' |
| (Upanishads) |
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