This Simple Reminder Can Free You Of Bad Memories!

How does one let go of unpleasant memories and limitations?

Know the impermanent nature of the world and events, Know that past events do not exist in the present. Accept the past as it was. Be dispassionate and centered. Service and increase your prana – the vital breath, the force of life. Be in the presence of Divine company.

Just like physical dirt sticks to the body on not bathing, in the same way, if we don’t cleanse our mind daily, the impressions settle down on it and clouds the knowledge of our infinite consciousness. But when we cleanse our system daily through Sudarshan Kriya and meditation practises, we naturally and effortlessly start settling into our being.

The forgetfulness of our true nature is the root cause of all problems and suffering in life. The very remembrance of one’s nature, which is godliness, brings freedom in life. Here, memory is your best friend. The purpose of knowledge and meditation is to remind you of your true nature.
In the Bhagvad Gita, Arjuna said to Krishna, “I got back my memory. Now I have realized and will do as you say.” Memory is a blessing and your best friend when it comes to your true nature. Memory is a hindrance when it does not let you be free of events, pleasant or unpleasant.

The Science of Consciousness: Understanding Memory and Its Role in Our Inner World

Memory is not just a physical phenomenon, it has its impression on the consciousness as well. Just as there are laws governing the material world, there is a science that governs consciousness. Seers and enlightened masters of the past and present have discovered these inner truths through deep meditations and presented them to us as the science of consciousness. 

Fundamentally there is only one consciousness but it manifests as four different aspects.

●   Perception: Through the senses it perceives; when it is outward it experiences as the mind. 

●   Memory: Some impressions or memories are retained as the Chitta or the subconscious mind.

●   Intellect: The same consciousness judges, “Oh, I want this, I don’t want this. I like this, I don’t like this.” That is the Buddhi or the intellect.

●    Ego: the same consciousness says, “I, me, mine.” That is the ego or Ahamkara.  

The impact of meditation on our mind and memories

The four states of consciousness are waking, dream, deep sleep and Samadhi.

When you sleep, your ego is dissolved, your mind is at rest, and your intellect is at rest while only the subconscious mind is functioning. That is when the dreams simply hover and some memories keep coming up in the consciousness. However, in deep sleep, even the subconscious mind is at rest is totally at rest. Thus with deep sleep, we enter into deep rest where the consciousness is still. In this state, we are neither awake nor aware.  

There’s a fourth state of deep meditation where the subconscious mind is awake and cleansed, the mind is subdued, the intellect is awake, and the ego is sublimated. The `I` is expanded or dissolved.  Thus the only difference between deep sleep and meditation is that in meditation you are completely here as pure infinite awareness. You become relaxed, yet at the same time, your intellect remains sharp and you remain alert and aware.

How to attain a state of deep meditation?

In the material world, things are gained through effort but in the inner world, effortlessness is the key. Some things you accomplish through effort and certain others you do effortlessly, e.g. sleep – the less effort you put the better sleep you get. Otherwise, your effort itself becomes an obstacle to sleeping!

Similarly, when you forget something and you try really hard to remember it, you will not be able to remember it! Your very effort becomes an obstacle to remember. So you just drop it, and when you drop the effort to remember, memory comes back. So is it with meditation, it is effortless.

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The Ultimate Memory

Chitta or the Mind has many meanings and this Shiv Sutra conveys one of the very important and deep ones, “Atma Chittam”.

Days, nights, clouds and colours all appear in the sky only to disappear later. Similarly, the mind imagines many things, which disappear with time.

Just as the light fades away in the evening, anger and envy, which do not allow you to let go of the unpleasant memory of an event or situation, also fade away. As one thought arises, another falls away. One wonders, where do they all go? They go back to the mind. That mind is the Self.

Clouds may cover the sky for the time being but the purity of the sky remains untouched. Whatever may be the state of the mind, the Self is pure. There is no such thing as a bad self. As anger is a quality of the Divine, it is also a quality of the Self! That is why it is said, “Atma chittam” – the mind itself is the Self. The mind is part of the Divine.

However, we tend to forget this. Regular practise meditation and Sudarshan Kriya helps us remember our true nature. There are millions of cells in our brains. Some work today, and others work tomorrow just like workers take shifts in a factory. Similarly, in our brain, neurons work in shifts. There are millions of neurons in our brain. For them to gain this knowledge, all the neurons need to be trained. Some neurons are trained today, others will get trained tomorrow and still others will be trained the day after. Through this process, one day you will reach perfection or siddhi. But, this will happen only if meditation is done regularly. If you skip a day, then those cells that are on duty that day will not be trained. They will have to wait for their next turn, and until then, they sit there untrained. That is why your daily practice is so necessary, so you know who you really are, beyond memories and impressions.

Have learnt the Sudarshan Kriya but still not regular with your practise? Go for an Advance Meditation Program to become established in your daily meditation practise.