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newpov
USA
183 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 24 2008 : 09:25:22 AM
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Hi all,
I did a phrase search on “training of the will†and “will training†but nothing came back. If you enter words instead of phrases, the search engine does not discriminate between "will" and Will."
Will must triumph over all desires, yes? Will must always stay ahead of every desire, yes? But my Will is undisciplined or non-existent. My flabby Will shames me. My devotion or bhakti for this spiritual enterprise isn't yet cranked up to where it ought to be. I'm much in my head and still don't practice every day. My Will caves in to a bad streak of impulsiveness and also to long ingrained habits. I am wired into gratification in the earth realm. Will gives way to my usually selfish desires (both conscious and unconscious) that date to cradle days. There is also sloth and laziness and my impatience--I want what I want, and right now please!. Because my Will is pretty much buried over now by an assortment of other things, I won't survive unless...
[1] What do I do, and how do I do it, to train and strengthen my Will to conform to desires in the heavenly realm?
Please consider two cases: When these desires or spiritual imperatives are already clear to me. When these may not yet be clear to me.
[2] How does training or strengthening of the Will tie in with existing writings and postings relating to the method (or methods) of bhakti? I'm fuzzy.
Maybe terminological issues need to be addressed. Is bhakti the transformer linking earth and heaven, or is it Will? How does one serve the other?
Pertinent links? Helpful page numbers in existing books? Any thoughts or suggestions most appreciated.
newpov |
Edited by - newpov on Sep 24 2008 11:47:25 AM |
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - Sep 24 2008 : 1:20:16 PM
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hi newpov,
well 1st i think you should read yogani's book on bhakti and karma yoga.
even though i haven't readen it yet but yogani never seems to disapoint he has the answer for it all and i say that out of taking his advices and lessons and putting them into practice and getting the results mentiones plus more then was imagined and dude this stuff is true i have no doubt about it but don't take my word just go for it and practice yourself and you'll c definite results.
now concerning will, out of my own experience let's with something like the practice of deep meditation the one in the main lessons on this website.
at first i said to myself hell let's give it a try this guy yogani seems to know what he's speaking of and why would he lie anyways if he's offering his knowledge for free.
so i went for it and took the advice of giving deep meditation a chance (a chance should be at least 2 weeks maybe more this is my guessing)
and at the first two days there was a lot of unrest and the urge to get up during half of the session and in the other half everything would just calm down and there it was peace.
the third day reslestness stopped, and after a few days of daily practice i started having a busy schedule at work and had to get up early and when i got back home was very tired and at 1st i started pushing myself to wake up earlier then usual and forcing myself to practice after work.
anyways after getting the will and just not being lazy and looking at one's self as a give up, i wanted to prove to myself that i wont give up and i'll focus on this practice cz in the end it leads to the reason why we're here in the 1st place (enlightenment) and here i am now i'm hooked on this stuff it's as if i'm an addict to it.
it's that time of the where i can take my head out of this window named life and just breath in some fresh air and guess what shunks of that stay with you through out the day.
and hopefully as yogani says it will be there all the time sooner or later and dude you don't know how much i'm aiming for that. (it's hunger)
i want to experience it plus share it with others.
just go for it dude, don't give it to much thinking.
give it an honest try and you'll c by yourself that it's worth practicing everyday plus you'll get hooked :)
namaste my friend,
Ananda |
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Jo-self
USA
225 Posts |
Posted - Sep 24 2008 : 1:39:04 PM
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newpov:
"Will must triumph over all desires, yes? Will must always stay ahead of every desire, yes? "
No. There will always be new desires after any that are overcome. Transform desires then there is no problem with will. How do you transform desires? Transform the one having desires. How .... Always come down to sadhana doesn't it?
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Michael Beloved
USA
11 Posts |
Posted - Sep 24 2008 : 3:16:08 PM
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Will is usually a contrived force, while desire arises sensually on the basis of kundalini shakti’s moods. Desire influence the formation of will and will in turn can influence the shape of desire. More often than not, the desire force controls what we do. The will tags along behind and makes minute adjustments when it is temporarily freed from being a captive of desire.
How to strengthen will?
A good place to start is to properly estimate the desire force. When desire is strong, will power gives way to desire or it is put on hold until the desire force achieves its aim and relaxes. This implies that the will power cannot always override the desire force. Thus a proper estimation of the potency of the desire force is the first step in creating an effective method in strengthening will.
Consider this example.
Tim began doing yoga about two years ago. He got this idea that it would be beneficial to become a vegetarian. He tried to stop eating flesh but for one year he was unable to do so. After speaking to a friend he got a hint that perhaps it would help if he changed his bike route to work. The route passed through a restaurant district which had many meat dishes which Tim used to like.
Taking the hint, Tim changed the route. Then he developed the will to override his desire for flesh meals.
Why was Tim unable to give up the habit for one year? It seems that the memory of the restaurants, the sight of the buildings, the smell of the food when he passed that area, the sight of the cars of the customers, all served to strengthen his desire for flesh foods and to weaken his will power effort at becoming vegetarian.
Once he changed routes, his will power strengthened and the desire force weakened.
Now two years after Tim does not feel attracted to those restaurants and he resumed the old route without fear of being pulled into a flesh meal.
Desire, when it is very strong, derives its strength from other sources besides the desire itself. If one can identify these sources, and break contact with them, the will power will increase. With that increase and with consistent practice in the new habit, one will eventually develop sufficient will power to fully overcome the desire. |
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Sep 24 2008 : 3:40:58 PM
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| Wow. That was perfect Micheal Beloved. Absolutely perfect. |
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brother neil
USA
752 Posts |
Posted - Sep 24 2008 : 5:32:47 PM
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a short reply
get tired enough of suffering, see the pointless in it, if you do your will to eliminate it may grow.
i am love, i am stregth, i am able, i am peace, i am joy
i am neil
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yogibear
409 Posts |
Posted - Sep 25 2008 : 08:26:12 AM
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Hi Brian,
Most people have enough will power. It is won't power that they are lacking in. That is a joke I read some where along time ago. 
A few thoughts about will. Desire is the source of will. Build up enough desire in a particular direction and you will have plenty of will.
The standard basic no fun way to build will power is to do the things you don't want to do and not to do the things you do want to do on a regular basis, purposely. It is exercise.
Actually you could make a game out of this and, of course desire, is the source of this activity. The desire for a strong will, for mastery over desire, etc.
Start with the little things and as your confidence grows that you can do it, so will your ability.
It doesn't have to be the grim determination kind of thing.
Best, yb. |
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newpov
USA
183 Posts |
Posted - Sep 25 2008 : 09:20:33 AM
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yb,
won't power? Said Ghandi, "Renounce then enjoy!"
Desire to....... desire the right things!  quote:
It doesn't have to be the grim determination kind of thing.
I've been afflicted with a gruesome outlook from the day I was born. But now?
See my posting over in satsang in reply to neli's AJNA ! ! ! ! ! ! !
May it begin now.
newpov |
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ymladris
Czech Republic
20 Posts |
Posted - Sep 30 2008 : 5:07:37 PM
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hi newpov,
i'd like to add my 2 cents.
i am a very distracted person with very weak will. one of the "a-ha!!" moment of deep meditation instruction in AYP for me was this:
"If your mind wanders off into other thoughts, you will
eventually realize this has happened. Don't be concerned about it. It
is natural. When you realize you are not repeating the mantra, gently
go back to it. This is all you have to do. Easily repeat the mantra silently inside. When you realize you are not thinking it, then
easily come back to it. The goal is not to stay on it. The goal is to
follow the simple procedure of thinking the mantra, losing it, and
coming back to it when you find you have lost it."
The same principle you can use with every 'goal' you have on your journey. I don't know what you're trying to achieve and where your will is not strength enough. I suggest "The goal is not to stay on it. The goal is to follow the simple procedure of [whatever are you doing], losing it, and coming back to it when you find you have lost it."
Because, when I am putting my attention to the "problem of weak will", it does not solve anything. I think, there are some processes in me, living their own life, distracting me. (Maybe some kind of ADD / ADHD, but it doesn't matter.) Only matters "coming back to it when you find you have lost it". No matter how your desire/insanity is strong, finally you will find yourself 'sane' again, so you continue. There is plenty of time. Distraction/dumbness/etc. eventually loose battle and naturally disappear.
And, do invest to deep meditation. My experience is, that this practice very quickly provides more sanity/presence/grounding/whatever-you-call-it : the place from which you can watch your desire as energy but you're not 'hopelessly falling' so much.
Sorry for cz-english, my will is too weak to force me to use spellchecker ;)
Hope this helps and have i nice day
-- Mirka |
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markern
Norway
171 Posts |
Posted - Oct 01 2008 : 3:06:52 PM
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| Certain yogaposes strenghten the will. I think warrior 2 and the palm is supposed to do this and it feels like it does to me. Many others do the same. For me Iyengar classes strengthen my willpower because they are very detailed and a bit militatistic. If you are sloppy in the pose you are reminded not to rest but relax with effort. This balancing of effort with relaxation I find both strengthens my will and trains me to do things effortlessly. Meditating through pain also strengthens my will. I found tratak meditation to be very strengthening to the will but at the time made me too much in my head. Anything that roots strongly seems to increase willpower. Anything connected with the dan tien and the three lower chakras seems to do the same, especialy number 2 and 3. Once one has a fairly good concentraition and relaxation through meditation this lays the basis for tremendous power in ones affirmations. If you do a session following meditation were you either with repeated phrases or visualization strengthen willpower you will make tremendous advances. Hypnosis often works to. |
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AYPforum
351 Posts |
Posted - Oct 04 2008 : 09:37:48 AM
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| Moderator note: Topic moved for better placement |
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Anyone, how to train and strengthen the Will?
