Meditation101: An introduction to meditation The Natural Path email us at meditateusc.edu visit us a

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Meditation-101 An introduction to
meditationThe Natural Pathemail us at
meditate_at_usc.eduvisit us at http//www-scf.usc.ed
u/meditate
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Why do we need to meditate?How can it help in
our busy personal and professional lives?
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A typical student scenario
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If we can regulate our mind, 95 of our problems
will go away- Chariji, President of Shri Ram
Chandra Mission
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Meditation is a simple and practical tool to
train the mind
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With sufficient practice, we evolve into better
human beings and discover our real Self real
abilities and strengths.
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Bhakti yoga
Ways and means
Hatha yoga
Gnana yoga
Raja yoga
Karma yoga
Yoga of the mind (King of yogas)
Part of Shri Ram Chandra Mission
(http//www.srcm.org) -- a worldwide,
interfaith, non-profit organization for promoting
meditation
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How does the Natural Path different from other
schools of meditation?

• Focuses on balanced existence
• Fly like a bird on two wings the material and
  spiritual

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How does the Natural Path different from other
schools of meditation?

• Focuses on balanced existence
• Fly like a bird on two wings the material and
  spiritual
• Cleaning
• Excellent support system
• Help from meditation trainers (preceptors)
• Help from the spiritual guide (master)
• Transmission of spiritual essence from the master
  to the aspirant
• Independent of religious beliefs

Master is one who has mastered himself and is
available to help others
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The practice is a natural cycle, performed
everyday
Remove weeds
Wait and watch the seed grow
? Cleaning ( ? Patiently observe the results
Nourish the seed
? Daily Meditation ( 17
Practice and experience

• Read and enjoy,
• hear and enjoy,
• think and enjoy
• but do and become!
• - Babuji
• (founder of Shri Ram Chandra Mission)

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Requirements to start practicing

• 1000 in cash please
• Spirituality cannot be sold
• Meditation helps us train OUR mind and discover
  OUR real abilities hidden within US
• How can we be charged for finding something
  thats already within us?!!!

• Babuji, founder of Shri Ram Chandra Mission

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The only requirement is

• Your Interest and Willingness

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If you wish to start practicing

• There are introductory meditation sessions to
  help you meditate
• One-to-one sessions with a meditation trainer
• 3 consecutive days
• Up to 1 hour each

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Support system to meditate

• We meet on-campus every morning
• We meet the trainers on-campus every Tuesday
  evening
• We meet as a big group every Wednesday evening
  and Sunday morning (Culver city, rides available)

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To know more

• For more information, email us at
  meditate_at_usc.edu
• To receive announcements on upcoming events,
  subscribe to our mailing list meditate-l_at_usc.edu
• Visit our website http//www-scf.usc.edu/meditate
  
• To know more about the method, master and
  mission, visit http//www.srcm.org,
  http//www.sahajmarg.org

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Thanks for coming! Please sign the register

• Include the following information in the
  register
• Your full name
• Your contact info (if you want to know more)
• Your convenience (if you want to start
  practicing, indicate what time and days is
  convenient for you)

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Thanks for your time and interest!

• The Natural Path
• meditate_at_usc.edu
• http//www-scf.usc.edu/meditate

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Backup slides
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Analogy healthy body vs. healthy mind

• What do we need for a healthy body?
• eat the essential nutrients
• excrete the unwanted products
• Similarly, for a healthy mind, we need to
• bring in the essential thoughts
• remove unwanted thoughts

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The Natural Path practice is a natural process
Remove weeds
Wait and watch the seed grow
? Cleaning
? Patiently observe the results
Sow the seed
Nourish the seed
? Introductory meditation sessions
? Daily Meditation
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The natural cycle
Remove weeds ? Cleaning
Wait and watch the seed grow ? Patiently observe
the results
Nourish the seed ? Daily Meditation
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The goal of meditation must be chosen carefully

• We become what we think / meditate upon
• Meditating on mantras, forms, attributes, music,
  dance might be useful to start with
• But, in the long run, they make us dependent on
  that form / attribute
• Our progress is limited to what we meditate on!

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The goal of the Natural Path meditation

• Here, we meditate on a very subtle and abstract
  concept Divine light in the heart
• Divine Light is a synonym for
• The Absolute / Ultimate
• The Source / Supreme energy
• God
• Real Self

Do NOT imagine any physical source of light
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More about meditation

• Sit in a comfortable posture
• Close your eyes
• Fix some convenient time, e.g., 30 minutes or 45
  minutes, but not more than one hour
• Start with the idea that divine light is present
  in our heart
• Hold this thought gently and continuously for
  that time

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Holding one thought for up to one hour is
difficult initially
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Attending to a thought strengthens it

• Several thoughts will come and go
• But treat them as uninvited guests
• Do NOT pay any attention
• They will go away in due course
• Return gently to the idea of divine light in our
  heart

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The natural cycle
Remove weeds ? Cleaning
Wait and watch the seed grow ? Patiently observe
the results
Nourish the seed ? Daily Meditation
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More about cleaning

• Sit in a comfortable posture
• Close your eyes
• Fix some convenient time, e.g., 15 or 20 minutes,
  but not more than 30 minutes
• Imagine all impressions are leaving our system
  from behind in the form of smoke and vapor

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Remove ALL impressions

• To allow the seed to grow
• No matter rose or cactus, all unwanted plants
  must be removed!
• No matter good or bad, like or dislike all
  impressions must be removed