Notes: Feel the presence
20 minutes.

ॐ – श्रीगणेशाय नमः । श्री गुरुभ्यो नमः ॥

                        ‘Sthira-sukham-asanam’. The asana is always fresh, always new. And as I sit with the back straight hands in the lap, in ‘mahamudra’, shoulders relaxed. Face nicely relaxing with a smile on the lips. Eyes being lightly closed. The mind is generally quiet. Whenever the mind is quiet it is also focused on one thing. Also at that time the mind can be described as slow and alert. It is not slow and lazy or dull. The mind is slow and alert. I watch the body and feel the presence, say, of the mat – the seat, by the sense of touch. Now feel the presence without naming it, do not call it the seat or mat, just the presence. Feel the presence of the clothes, again suspend the mental interpretation, meaning avoid naming as cloth, shirt etc. It is all presence. Shirt is an interpretation of the mind. It is the presence, lower cloth, upper cloth are all interpretations. Suspend the mind and feel the presence.

As you recognize the shirt, for example recognize the shirt. It is the other – the known and I am the knower. Now shirt is from memory, drop the memory, drop the recognition, just feel the presence. As you feel the presence there is no other. You are not the other. There is a fusion as you feel the presence. Simply the other is absent, there is only the presence. Feel the surroundings, be aware of the space all around. Be aware of the open space all around of the sky, open sky. Be aware of the infinite depths of the space, the boundless space. Do not allow yourself to be distracted, just be aware of the boundless space. The boundless space, is it emptiness? Nothingness? Or is it the presence? Feel the infinite presence, the boundless presence. It is the endless presence before me, ahead of me. It is the infinite presence behind me.‘Brahma purastat, Brahma paschaat’. It is the infinite presence to my left, ‘Brahma uttaratara’, infinite presence to my right ‘Brahma dakShinataH’. Boundless presence below – ‘Brahma adhastat’. Boundless presence above – ‘Brahma upariShTat’.

I look within myself and feel the same presence. An ocean of presence. And I loose myself in that ocean of presence. There is only presence. ॐ – The sound ‘ॐ’ emerges from that presence and merges back into that presence. --- ॐ. If you feel like giving a name to that presence, you need not, but if you feel like giving a name – call it – श्री कृष्ण.

ॐ – शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

Relax – sit at ease – keep the eyes close and relax – slowly open the eyes.