BMW meditation

Japa is the repetition of a word or short sentence during the practice of meditation. The letter 8216;pa8217; stands for that which remove...

Japa is the repetition of a word or short sentence during the practice of meditation. The letter 8216;pa8217; stands for that which removes or destroys all impurities and obstructions and the letter 8216;ja8217; stands for that which puts an end to the cycle of birth and death. Therefore, japa is an indirect means for liberation, moksha. By destroying the varieties of obstructions to knowledge, japa paves the way for liberation. Japa, then, is more than a mere discipline or technique.

Now suppose you see a BMW on the road and it draws your attention. What will your next thought be?

8216;8216;How can he afford it?8217;8217;

And then: 8216;8216;A person I work with just bought a new BMW. How can he afford such an expensive car? Last year he did not even have a job. His wife must have a lot of money. I wish my wife had a rich family. When I got married I did not think about money or my future.8217;8217;

All these thoughts started from seeing a BMW and they follow a certain logic. This particular sequence is only one line of thinking. Let us look at another one: 8216;8216;The German people are quite industrious. Even though their country was devastated during World War II, their economy rebounded quickly. They produce the best scientific equipment in the world.8217;8217;

Where did we start? From BMW. What will come after BMW is anyone8217;s guess. Even in deliberate thinking you do not know what is coming next because thinking is always linear, one step at a time, one thought at a time. The connection between the thoughts can either be a logical, syntactical connection within a sentence or a simple association. But there will always be a connection, be it weak or strong.

In 8216;8216;BMW thinking8217;8217;, the connection between thoughts is not a deliberate one. Therefore, the next thought can be anything. The sky is the limit. 8216;8216;The BMW emblem is different. It is not like the Mercedes insignia.8217;8217; The Mercedes insignia makes you think of a star and then your next thought may be, 8216;8216;My astrological sign is not favourable.8217;8217; This movement from one thought to the next is listless thinking, a meandering of thoughts in which there is no direction.

In japa, I know exactly what is to come next. If something else pops up, I know this is not what is expected and I bring back the chosen thought. In the process I learn how to dismiss unwanted thoughts and retain the one I have chosen.

Extracted from 8216;Two Talks on Japa Mantra Meditation8217;