Tapas is a discipline to reach Self Realization. Tapas in Sanskrit means Discipline– allowing oneself to feel discomfort.
My Tapas is that sometimes I don’t feel like writing a newsletter. Writing has never been my strong point. In fact I have always avoided it in the past. But over the years my writing skills have improved and I keep going. We all have something we don’t like doing. Some have said they find it hard getting out of bed early to Meditate. When we don’t feel like doing the very thing that is best for us, we do it anyway, this is self discipline - Tapas.
Patanjali wrote that we need to do Tapas – to surrender, practise delayed gratification, do something that takes us out of our comfort zone in order to change a situation or to behave differently etc. Sometime starting with one small thing, then over a period of time it can become easier without even thinking about it.
Ask ourselves these question –
What is my end goal?
Am I self motivated or am I stuck in repeating things that are not uplifting or spiritually enlightening?
Tapas is good for us – Why? Because it teaches us self discipline, it gives life contrast. When I do a tapas, I feel happy, I feel lighter, I feel healthy and more complete and able to move forward. Feeling the internal heat that drives me to succeed in my goals and dreams. What do I need to do in order to succeed? In ancient times some men would stand on one leg for years or they would go without food and drink for months. These are extreme tapas’s but they did these things to gain spiritual enlightenment and reach fulfilment.
Tapas can also be done to prepare us for something that we want to happen- be it small or big doesn’t matter we set our intension and say what we will give up – i.e. getting out of bed earlier to have our Meditation before Sunrise or not engaging in the world by driving a car or interact with anyone until we meditate. Sitting to do a meditation twice daily is a form of Tapas. The benefits speak for themselves so for this reason we keep going and never give up. We do the morning Meditation then plan when the evening meditation will happen.
Always coming to ourselves to look within to find out what’s next? What tapas can I be doing next? Don’t give up on doing a tapas because the more we do them the closer we come to awakening the inner self and connection with Being. That quiet place within that never changes, that is always silent, that is Transcendental, Pure, eternal and is oneness with all things inside and outside of us.
Once I have set the goal then I begin. Don’t hesitate or put it off to the next day. Just start and watch the laws of Nature support. The outcome may be better than what you had hoped it to be.
Love & Jai Guru Deva
