31/05/2022
Imagine that you are in a dark room, with perhaps a little light coming in from the moon and stars. All the windows and doors are closed and you are on your bed. Suddenly you see a cobra crawling in the darkness. It disappears into a dark corner. Now what will you do? Will you go to sleep? What will you do? Will you think of ice cream? Do you want to eat? You have only one thought now. You are in darkness. You know that if you get up from the bed, the snake may be lying on the floor. You cannot get out and run away because he may be lying near the door. You cannot move. You sit there, holding your breath. It may be crawling behind you now. It's getting behind the bed now. You hear a sound. You're afraid because if you look he may be down on the floor. That type of alertness is there in your life right now. When you are as alert as that, you know how to escape from that dangerous situation.
This life is also like that. At every moment, Maya, the serpent, the illusion is going to strike you. Be alert. That is why yoga masters look within and watch. The mind is like a serpent that is going to strike you at some time. Even yogis and Swami's are terrified of that. After years and years on the spiritual path it still can strike. Just a glimpse, a woman's face and the movement of her eyebrows is sufficient. The mind suddenly looks, 'Oh what a beauty'. Finished! He's gone. The serpent is within. Now the poison is everywhere. 'Ah, I love you honey, ' you start to repeat the mantra. ' I love you honey, I love you honey, I love you honey. And I'll sacrifice everything for you'. You bring flowers and prostrate before her, and offer her everything. You have become completely confused now. The poisons are growing more and more and you think it's all real. This is called alertness and non-alertness.
Satsang, the company of the wise, is very essential. The serpent mind is there to strike you at any time. It is not possible for you to fight this serpent mind alone and so we have satsang to understand the mind.
Excerpt From - Vishnudevananda Upadesa
*** Summary as per my understanding: This is applicable to every mind, whether of a man's or a woman's, irrespective of any particular scenario. Strike of the serpent mind is happening everywhere and every often these days, around the Pancha kleshas , the 5 causes of our sufferings ((Avidya (ignorance); Asmita (over-identifying with your ego); Raga (desire, or attachment to pleasure), Dvesha (avoidance), and Abhinivesha (attachment and fear) which are to be actively overcome with the help of Satsang, the wise company and being very much alert every moment of your deeds and thoughts and overcoming them by focusing within. ***
Hari Om Tat Sat 🙏🙏🙏
