Monkey Mind During Kirtan

[TuhiNirankar]

When i go to kirtans i cant concentrate my mind just goes like a crazy monkey :wacko: endlessly pointlessly thinking and when my mind is finally clear i fall asleep!

At home alone i close my eyes and i can concentrate on Gurbani in a matter of seconds,

I think i need to increase my individual abyiaas becuz its at a minimal,

Like when i read rehras to my parents i feel that i have to read fast or sumthing so i rush and i cant peacfully read which is my own weakness,

I cant concentrate in sangat :6 , waheguru

mehar karo sumat bakhso~!

benti:please share your experiences

[Sukhdeep Singhh]

When i go to kirtans i cant concentrate my mind just goes like a crazy monkey :wacko: endlessly pointlessly thinking and when my mind is finally clear i fall asleep!

At home alone i close my eyes and i can concentrate on Gurbani in a matter of seconds,

I think i need to increase my individual abyiaas becuz its at a minimal,

Like when i read rehras to my parents i feel that i have to read fast or sumthing so i rush and i cant peacfully read which is my own weakness,

I cant concentrate in sangat :6 , waheguru

mehar karo sumat bakhso~!

benti:please share your experiences

I too have had this problem in the past. Im speaking from my own experiences so please do not get offended by my blunt words.

You get a greater sense of concentration when you are alone because generally when a person is in solitude they concentrate better. For example if a person goes out in the woods or in a cave they get much more awareness then trying to do Naam abhyiaas in a bus of ordinary people. So does this mean that awareness is not possible in the midst of Sadh Sangat? Heck No! Sadh Sangat is where ones manmat animalistic thinking gets elevated to higher Godly thinking ( Gurmat)

Sadh Sangat is the true cave of solitude where one gets a supreme heightened sense of concentration/awareness.

GUru Sahib states

kIrqnu inrmolk hIrw ]

keerathan niramolak heeraa ||

The Kirtan of the Lord's Praise is a priceless diamond.

Awnµd guxI ghIrw ]

aana(n)dh gunee geheeraa ||

It is the ocean of bliss and virtue.

Anhd bwxI pUMjI ]

anehadh baanee poo(n)jee ||

In the Word of the Guru's Bani is the wealth of the unstruck sound current.

sMqn hiQ rwKI kUMjI ]2]

sa(n)than hathh raakhee koo(n)jee ||2||

The Saints hold the key to it in their hands. ||2||

suMn smwiD guPw qh Awsnu ]

su(n)n samaadhh gufaa theh aasan ||

They sit there, in the cave of deep Samaadhi;

kyvl bRhm pUrn qh bwsnu ]

kaeval breham pooran theh baasan ||the unique, perfect Lord God dwells there.

So sangat is the place in which the Saintly company reside and one gets easy passage to the true wealth. Most likely your problem is that you dont regard the Sadh Sangat with high reverence thus the monkey( maya) does not leave you alone. When a person serves and respects the Sadh Sangat then maya becomes fearful of such people and runs away. Thus it is important to have respect around the sangat you are doing Naam Abhyiaas with even your parents should be regarded with reverence when you are doing Paat Seva, because anybody who takes time out of there schedule to listen to Guru Ji with attention should be treated with respect.

Generally the monkey wont touch you if you serve the sangat with respect. If your reverence for the sangat is not high then upon entering the Gurdwara you should do seva of the sangat . For example, you can go to the langar hall and do seva. If you do the seva with devotion then the monkey will not harm you during kirtan. Even a simple things like offering a SIngh a glass of water will aid you greatly during Naam Abhyiaas. Even if you dont do physical seva of the sangat you should always think of yourself lower then the sangat. Do not regard Sadh Sangat as normal people. When we regard sadh sangat as normal people then our mind starts to wonder. Regard them as the image of the Guru.

gurU srUp Kwlsw heIey ] ijn kI tihl prmsuK lhIey ]22]

guroo saroop khaalasaa heeeae || jin kee ttehil paramasukh leheeeae ||22||

The Khalsa is the image of the Guru. Serving them, eternal peace is obtained.

Rehatnama Bhai Desa Singh

So with reverence sit in solitude within Guru Jis lap and the concentration will increase through constant practice. Remember sangat are not normal people their company is our true cave of solitude. Throughout Gurbani, GUru Ji ask for the dust of the sangats feet so when we offer our heard to Guru Ji whenever we matha tekh we should think of ourselves as lower then everyone thus our attendance in the darbar sahib will be accepted without the nuisance of the monkey. When the Sadh Sangat from Kabul came to seek Guru Jis Darshan and hear Guru Jis bani ; Guru Sahib showed us through example that we should give respect to Sadh Sangat upon seeking his Darshan.

So please do not have the mentality that I need to avoid sangat and increase my own awareness individually. I had this mentality in the past and the monkey really did a number on me. Trust me I wouldnt want you to go through this experience.

swDsMgiq gur guPY bih shij smwiD AgwiD invwsI]

saadhhasa(n)gath gur gufai behi sehaj samaadhh agaadhh nivaasee||

Sitting in the cave in the form of Holy Congregation, they reside in unfathomable equipoise.

haumY rog Arog hoie kir sMjogu ivjog KlwsI]

houmai rog arog hoe kar sa(n)jog vijog khalaasee||

Getting cured of the ailment of ego, they are liberated from the bonds of comings and goings (birth and death).

swDsMgiq durmiq swbwsI ]15]

saadhhasa(n)gath dhuramath saabaasee ||15||

Holy Congregation is applauded because of the wisdom of the Guru that resides in it.(15)

I see it one to many times when SInghs have differences amongst each other over politics, personal conflicts, jatha affiliation etc, thus the monkey never seems to leave them. I know of some SInghs who wont even go to Rainsuabaees because they regard it as " AKJ " affiliated. We should always recongize those Gursikhs who seek Guru Jis blessing as the sadh sangat regardless whatever "group" they belong to.

[Singhstah]

VahegurooJiKaKhalsaVahegurooJiKiFateh!

Singing out loud and sitting towards the front where all the kirtanis and sangat all singing is should help.