Dear friends:
Many of us must have heard about the 48-minute period, beginning 1hr 36 minutes before sunrise, as being the best time for meditation. This 48-minute period is known in Sanskrit as [I][B]“Brahma-Muhurta”[/B][/I]
Could some of us share their experiences on this?
Regards, Anand
Ananda,
One should be absolutely careful to misunderstand the whole context. Where one has integrated a meditative consciousness, then anytime is the time for meditation. In fact, whether one does something or does nothing - if meditation becomes as natural as your own breath, then it is going to blossom in your experience just as a lotus emanates it’s fragrance out of it’s own nature. Meditation is not something that is to be set aside as some kind of practice for an hour or two, but it is something that is to be flowing throughout the whole movement of life itself from moment to moment. Although one may sit for meditation, after one’s sitting one’s meditation should continue - so that whatever arises in your experience, you can remain a witness in the present without becoming identified. It requires some effort in the beginning, not for meditation, but to weed out the hindrances for meditation, because the mind just simply wants to work according to it’s conditioning. But eventually, the method becomes methodless, the effort dissolves into the effortless - and the spirit of meditation becomes choiceless.
The reason why Brahma Muhurta has been often recommended as a time which is helpful for meditation is because that is a time during the day when your nervous system functions in a way which can be more supportive for entering meditation, as well as certain psychological tendencies are there which assist one’s entry into meditation. At the level of the subtle energies of the body, the sushumna nadi, the central channel along the spinal cord, is active - which is helpful in various different ways. If you are practicing such methods as asana or pranayam at this time, it will help a thorough purification of the nadis. If you are working on awakening the Kundalini, then too, the kinds of energies which are working at this time are very supportive for awakening Kundalini. If you are using this time just for sitting meditation - then too it can be of help. In general - it can be tremendously supportive for sadhana. But I want to make it clear that just because you are practicing at Brahma Muhurta- that does not necessarily mean that your sadhana will be effective. Because whether one’s practice is going to be assisting you towards your liberation or not has little to do with such superficialities as what time of the day you are practicing. If there is a certain inner atmosphere where you are absolutely fresh, open and receptive, without being argumentative to the process, with a great willingness, then anytime is the right time for practice. If there is even a single moment of your own naturalness, then this far surpasses even infinite mechanical training. One’s liberation has little to do with what you do outside of you, and far more to do with what you do within yourself. All of those methods of trying to use external means are just different ways to assist an inner process, and they should be understood as such. If you do not understand this and start clinging to these external methods, then one has missed the essential matter.
Dear friend:
I got your point. Those in constant communion with Divinity, do not need a specific time. But to reach that state, the Brahma Muhurta would certainly be of help, right?
regards, anand
Anand,
When an enlightened one talks, we must listen.
It like switching on the TV, whether you like it or not you have to endure the commercials.
[QUOTE=prasad;63633]Anand,
When an enlightened one talks, we must listen.
It like switching on the TV, whether you like it or not you have to endure the commercials.[/QUOTE]
Hopefully, he will forgive us.
regards, anand
If you have done upanayana sanskaar (maybe Ananda Kulkarni and prasad have), you should be doing Sandhyavandana in brahma muhurta. This is the most important ritual for a initiated Hindu.
[QUOTE=prasad;63633]Anand,
When an enlightened one talks, we must listen.
It like switching on the TV, whether you like it or not you have to endure the commercials.[/QUOTE]
.
.
.
Well with no offence to anyone and not to be taken personally, this was really a funny remark. It made me burst into laughter.
Some say it starts 96 minutes before sun rise.
96 minutes = 2 muhūrta. 1 muhūrta equaling 48 minutes x 2 = 96 minutes
and 1 muhurta * 30 = 24 hours
This time before sunrise is called brāhma-muhūrta.
[QUOTE=prasad;63749]Some say it starts 96 minutes before sun rise.
96 minutes = 2 muhūrta. 1 muhūrta equaling 48 minutes x 2 = 96 minutes
and 1 muhurta * 30 = 24 hours
This time before sunrise is called brāhma-muhūrta.[/QUOTE]
Dear Friend:
A [I][B]muhurta[/B][/I] is 48 minutes and[I][B] brahma-muhurta[/B][/I] is the second last muhurta before sunrise. Thus it begins 1 hr 36 minutes before sunrise and lasts for 48 minutes thereafter.
regards, anand
[QUOTE=prasad;63752]@anand,
well, thanks[/QUOTE]
Dear Friend:
I think the reason that [I]Brahma~muhurta[/I] is highly recommended for meditation is to be found in the attributes of the [I]“Brahma”[/I].
Of the three [I]Gunas, Raja, Tama and Sattwa, Brahma[/I] is attributed with [I]Raja-Guna[/I], the tendencies associated with which are “effervescent” at that time (viz. [I]brahma~muhurta[/I]).
Meditation at [I]Brahma Muhurta [/I]thus affords these tendencies to be readily available to be efficiently cauterized.
Anybody with thoughts and/ or experience on this?
regards, anand
people who are in love with samadhi/concentration means the first thing to do after the wake the next day first thing is meditation and in meditation knows no time/space.
Brahma Muhurta, a good time, for a different plane that I won’t get at 12, noon. I agree.
Anand,
“Those in constant communion with Divinity, do not need a specific time. But to reach that state, the Brahma Muhurta would certainly be of help, right?”
That depends on the person and the kind of attitude one has. With the wrong attitude, practicing at Brahma Muhurta may be an obstacle. With the right attitude, practicing at Brahma Muhurta may be very helpful. Any discipline - if you are involved in the discipline with a certain attachment, then it tends to become an obstacle. An attachment to the disciple may be very useful in the beginning, it provides tremendous energy and driving force. But, unless one moves beyond it - it becomes a great hindrance.
The problem arises when one starts clinging to this idea that just by practicing at Brahma Muhurta, you are going to be successful in your sadhana. And those who are attached to this idea are often disappointed.
[QUOTE=AmirMourad;63766]Anand,
“Those in constant communion with Divinity, do not need a specific time. But to reach that state, the Brahma Muhurta would certainly be of help, right?”
That depends on the person and the kind of attitude one has. With the wrong attitude, practicing at Brahma Muhurta may be an obstacle. With the right attitude, practicing at Brahma Muhurta may be very helpful. Any discipline - if you are involved in the discipline with a certain attachment, then it tends to become an obstacle. An attachment to the disciple may be very useful in the beginning, it provides tremendous energy and driving force. But, unless one moves beyond it - it becomes a great hindrance.
The problem arises when one starts clinging to this idea that just by practicing at Brahma Muhurta, you are going to be successful in your sadhana. And those who are attached to this idea are often disappointed.[/QUOTE]
Dear friend:
Your words
With the right attitude, practicing at Brahma Muhurta may be very helpful.
is all that I am saying.
I suggest “clinging” to this Brahma~muhurta for 42 days and seeing for oneself.
Regarding discussions, if I begin splitting hairs, I’m sure you are capable of drilling a hole along the length of the hair, inserting another one into it and sending it back to me.
regards, anand
@ amir,
as i say the journey starts with one step,
getting up at the unearthly hours, as you westerners call, in itself is the first step.
why, for God’s sake You have to to raise your sales pitch all the time,
Be quite for once, when some body tries to express his experiences.
Anand,
“I suggest “clinging” to this Brahma~muhurta for 42 days and seeing for oneself”
I know that it is helpful, I would not be speaking of the matter unless it were of my own direct experience. And I also know very well that it is one’s inner atmosphere which is far more important than any external influences.
prasad,
“Be quite for once, when some body tries to express his experiences”
If I feel that a certain attachment is functioning like a veil over one’s eyes, I will not remain silent about it. If all that one is interested in is chanting in agreement, then one should be aware that there is very little room for progress if everything is in agreement. Some friction is necessary to heighten one’s understanding.
Is it roughly around 4am? And how does one generate the habit of rising this early to begin with?
Maybe the best time of day to meditate is the same time every day. But maybe not.
Scientists are always looking for shortcuts, so it is not surprising that several recent studies have looked to see if certain times of day are better than others. Some of them did find differences, but only between people who work in labs and people who stay at home. The rest found no difference.
The most likely reason has to do with the time of the day when you meditate. If you're practicing meditation, you don't just sit there. You pay attention to the breath. The breath is always there. It changes, but is always there. Maybe if your mind wanders, you bring it back to the breath.
Some people report that after meditating for a while, the breath feels deeper, more relaxing. Maybe the breath is deeper and more relaxed at the same time. Or maybe the breath is deeper after meditation than before.
Either way, the breath is always there. And your mind, too. Maybe you are thinking about something pleasant. Maybe you are thinking about something unpleasant. Still, the breath is always there. You can't miss it. And you can't change it.
So maybe it's not the time of day that matters. Maybe the difference between a good day and a bad day is that you remember.