Someone concerned about not being able to contain his wavering mind and habit tendencies, despite serious efforts towards that end, connected with me for necessary guidance. “Sir, for almost a decade now, I have been religiously pursuing Yoga-asana and meditation as guided by two acclaimed teachers in the field. So far, I have been able to just identify my fault lines. I have been trying to address them, with no sign of tangible success in immediate future. My monkey like mind keeps randomly flirting with varying thoughts and ideas, and so I fail to do justice to my priority preferences. I don’t know how to go about further. Kindly guide.”
“Well, the purpose of spirituality is to understand the living realities of life, which when absorbed in the deep realms of mind help in making reasoned choices in life and conduct with ease and comfort. What is the fun in pursuing spiritual process, if it has not helped reform your thought process?” I asked. “Remember, all actions on your part, be it pursuing spiritual process or targeting material desires are conducted by mind. Better, give me an account of how you are pursuing the process so that the missing link in the process could be figured out,” I said. Looking at the account he shared, it appears that he keeps chanting mantra with focus on his energy centres. So, he has been mechanically working on energy plane. He, however, has cared the least to work upon his thought process. He has been reading many books written by realised people for necessary guidance, which makes him academically aware. But his mind, intensely engaged in wanton thoughts that don’t allow him the mind-space and time necessary to absorb the educative inputs, but for which it will not find reflection in his conduct.
Here I recall the saying of a realised spiritual master: “You may enjoy the grace of the God, the holy men and teachers. But if you lack the grace of mind, you may go to rack and ruins”. That makes it incumbent upon us to work upon our mind-state before pursuing spiritual process, otherwise it will not offer desired result. It may not be out of place to mention that there are five states of mind — Darkening, Scattering, Gathering up, One pointed and Concentrated. Ignorant minds are the darkening type. Minds flirting with random thoughts are the scattering type. Those who realise that only a focused mind can lead to success, try to contain their wavering mind, which comes under gathering up type. As you graduate in the process further, you may become one pointed. They still remain subject to pushes and pulls. But relatively they are able to remain focused to their priority preferences for long. Those who are able to effortlessly remain focused for long is the call of a concentrated mind.
Those who wish to evolve spiritually, and even grow materially, preparatory to that, at least they should try to graduate to the stage of one pointedness, if not concentrated. I then suggested him to follow the three stage meditation process as suggested in my book titled: “God or No God; Awareness enriches life.”
The man then asked: “Sir, I will purchase your book and follow the method you have suggested. But tell me, is my present mental predicament reflected in my chart? Do I have the potential to evolve spiritually?”
Look at the astrological pointers. You are born in an airy sign Libra with fiery planet Mars conjunct headless Ketu there in the lagna. Mars is also adversely placed with respect to the two luminaries — the Sun and Moon. Moon is ill-disposed to Venus, which makes you too touchy and sensitive. You may get overexercised even on trivial issues and blow it out of proportion as would fiery Mars flaring up the air element mean. Read together with the implications of the ill-disposed luminaries, it speaks of a temperamental, moody, irritable, impulsive, and rash character, having a disoriented mind.
Now coming to spiritual potential, benevolent Jupiter over the head in the birth chart speaks high of your spiritual quotient. Seen at subtle level, lagna sub-lord Rahu, happens to be the lord of 5th cusp identified with merits accrued from the past. 9th sub-lord identified translation of acquired merits into fruits happens to be Moon, which occupies the sub-lordship of Rahu. All put together indicates seed of spiritually deeply ingrained in your mind. Positioning of Moon, however, calls for concerted efforts to organise your mind before expecting the desired results.
