2nd 24 hours non-stop meditation camp (6:00 P.M. Saturday 8th Jan – 6:00 P.M. Sunday 9th Jan held at Malke Ashram): In the cold hour of death there is just one crutch to lean by: the awakened ‘Naam’. When the warm current of life has run its course and the death-knell strikes, welcoming us into the heavy stillness of the dark chilly night, there is one abode of warmth that calls to us softly to take refuge: the blazing fire of ‘Naam’ within.
But this is only when one has awakened this blazing fire while there is still oil in the vessel of life. And a straightforward test for that is: If our consciousness can remain soaked in ‘Naam’ as our body and senses fall slow, timid victims to the call of daily slumber then there is a good chance that ‘Naam’ would also continue to aid and guide us during the course and the after-periods of the final slumber of death.
The maha-yogic way of lighting the blazing fire of ‘Naam’, of arresting with increased awareness the sweet but mighty forceful calls of Lady Slumber is termed as Taarak Kriya Yoga, which also involves Shambhavi Kriya Yoga. The budding ground to practice this is at the nonstop -24 hour sessions of meditation held under the guidance of Maharaj Ji: a Maha-Yogi who shows through self-experience and unceasing research the way to walk the uncharted realms of transforming the state of sleep into a state of deep meditation. And there is still more to sitting continuously in meditation in this manner because, Maharaj Ji had explained that what might take one 24 years to accomplish, practicing in the course of one’s normal routine, can be achieved in 24 hours here, if proper awareness can be maintained for the entire duration.
It was cold outside, but the aspirants were unconcerned; they had left the warmth and comfort of their homes and arrived to participate in the session; for their eyes were set on being victorious over the ultimate cold and chill that waits us at the end of our lifetimes (if we visit it unprepared); and their method was to light up the fire of ‘Naam’ while there is still time. As the 25 odd practitioners sat wrapped up in their quilts, cold and slumber joined hands to assault but were concentratedly resisted. Yes, occasionally they too would hold sway as the heads would jerk forwards and the throats betraying through snores that the strings of ‘Naam’ had been overpowered for once (but not all). Nonetheless, the strings and harmony would melody again and awareness brought back, the journey would be resumed. Though victory over sleep (turning it into deep meditation) is perhaps still far, but the journey has begun and continues next when we meet next month in February, 2011.
p.s. To participate in this advanced meditation camp, it is important to have attended atleast once the camps 1) Held during Shivratri and Navratri 2) and the special 3-day silent meditation camps.