For a beginner calming down the mind is a herculean task. He gets confused. Naturally he might feel frustrated and may conclude that the meditation and the search are futile. This is the stage where he should not lose faith. Scriptures say that having practiced austerities and asanas to purify mind and the body, it requires SADHANA (Practice) for several years. Even BUDDA had his enlightenment after seven years of stringent THAPAS. One has to go step by step. Concentration is having only one thought, while meditation is having no thoughts at all. It is in this state of stillness one can experience insightful rest and the consciousness move higher and higher and one becomes more and more intuitive and insight truth will be revealed. Thanks.
Thank you. SHRADDHA: I don’t know the correct word in English. However it means “intention to learn with mindful awareness”. Further to my reflection earlier, I wish to add the following: “Giving need not be material or is it about the cost; it can even be mentally a sincere thought. One can mentally pray for a person or send him blessings. As per scriptures, even these are acts of giving.” Thanks.
Giving is nice. Somebody in need coming asking for something is to be considered as a big favor done to us. But giving unasked will have no value. At the same time knowing other persons need and helping him in time unasked will give lot of satisfaction for both. This has been experienced by me. Anything we give, we need to give to a deserving person. Apatra danam is considered as a bad karma. Gupta danam : as per the scriptures Charity should not be revealed. Charity has no value if we give because of our attachment without examining whether one really needs it or not. Giving for a higher cause is always better. If we give food, that time’s hunger is taken care of. If we give medicine, that day’s sickness is taken care of. But if we give knowledge, that takes care of him forever. Lord Krishna also says in Gita that this knowledge is a supreme and to be given only to a person who has interest, shraddha and bhakthi. One of the important principles of the universe is giving. In nature whatever does not flow will stagnate. Anything that stagnates will degenerate. Every time you get something there is some one behind it, who is the giver. when you get something someone else is giving something., So the total giving and receiving in this universe is nil. This is the law of nature.( Newton’s law:- matter can neither be created nor destroyed, it simply changes from one form to the another.).