Greetings from Russell's Remnant: www.oocities.org/dkone_us

Sri Swami Satchidananda, a student of Sri Aurobindo, who Russell Whitesell admired, stated:

If the body is still, it is easy to make the mind still. A great yogi says you need not repeat any prayers or even do japa. Just sit quietly for three hours in a row with no movement whatsoever, without even winking, then everything will be accomplished easily. If we sit that long, the mind comes under our control automatically. If we decide I'm not moving for three hours, the mind ultimately must obey us, because it needs the body's cooperation in order to get anything.

When the mind comes to a standstill, the prana automatically does the same. Wherever the mind goes, the prana follows. First we must learn to control the physical body, then the movement of the breath, then the senses, and finally the mind. When we concentrate on something holy, the mind takes that form. When the mind retains it, we get those pictures even in our dreams.

Buddhists point out about sitting:

People say they don’t have time for meditation because they haven’t established the true value of sitting.

The study and practice of Buddhist contemplative science is at least as challenging as the study of theoretical and experimental physics.

Of all our activities, the most important is to sit and practice. The best practitioners wear out their meditation cushions, not the soles of their shoes.

Sitting on your meditation mat and mind training is more important than other forms of activity.

The complete absence of movement is as much an expressive act as dance or martial arts.

D.K. points out the increasing need to meditate: The basis of all occult growth is meditation, or those periods of silent gestation in which the soul grows in the silence. At the schools there will be three periods of meditation: at sunrise, at midday and at sunset - 30 minutes each at first, 1 hour in later years and a total of 5 hours a day in the last year of school. LOM 326+

Marpa taught Milarepa, and Milarepa taught Gampopa the principles of Tibetan Buddhism. At the end of Gampopa’s discipleship with Milarepa, his Teacher, Gampopa packed his few belongings and went to say goodbye to his guru. Milarepa suggested that he would walk with Gampopa to the river bridge for he still had a few more teachings for his student. They walked together for a while like father and son. As they reached the bridge the guru asked Gampopa to put down his load for he wanted to talk to his chela.

Mila spoke to Gampopa, "My dear monk, stay free of pride and self-centeredness. Cut the bonds of affection and attachment. Abandon all worldly desires for this life. Do not fall in with those in whom the three poisons of greed, hatred and ignorance are strong, lest they influence you. There are people who are so full of anger that they see nothing but other’s faults, and take all to be their enemies. They are a bad influence on everyone. There are others who are so narrow that your good advice will never benefit them. In other words, one’s good advice only causes some people to accumulate more negative karma. In general, you should be full of mindfulness. Never abandon your guru."

At this point Milarepa conferred initiation on Gampopa. He told him to be happy and be full of joy. As Milarepa stood to leave, his Teacher said in a coy manner, "I have an unusually profound pith-instruction, but it is too precious to give away. I am through now, son. You may go."

Gampopa embraced his teacher and walked across the bridge. He could barely hear his teacher calling him to come back. He did. Milarepa said to him, "Who else but you deserves to receive this most precious quintessential instruction, even though it be of too great a value to be given away?" Now come here, and I will give it to you. I only ask that you will cherish this teaching, and never waste it."

He then led Gampopa behind a large rock, hoisted the back of his robe, revealing his buttocks covered with large hard calluses, due to having sat for so long on the ground. He said, "There is no more profound teaching than this. Now you can imagine the hardships I have undergone. My attainment of great realization came from this. You need such an effort. This is the essence of my teaching. Like a son, do what your father says! Continue to sit until you attain realization. This is the most profound teaching of Buddhism: Practice!" - from The Life of Gampopa – The Incomparable Dharma Lord of Tibet by Jampa Machenzie Stewart