Introspection – How to Practice?

You are the best judge of your mind. Introspect by living alone in solitude or retiring into a calm room for an hour. You must sit quiet in a solitary room alone, with closed eyes and watch the activities of the mind. You will then know your defects and weaknesses very clearly.

You should afterwards feel the necessity of removing them. Then your nature should agree to change. You must know the right method to remove the defect. You must apply the method constantly. Then only improvement will set in. Constant application of the practice is an indispensable requisite. You must watch the improvement every now and then, say, once a week, a fortnight or a month. You will have to keep a record of your progress (spiritual daily diary).

You must watch carefully whether you are progressing in the spiritual path, whether you remain stationary or retrograding, whether the mind is distracted or concentrated. If it is distracted, you must remove the distracting causes one by one with patience and vigilance by suitable methods. If one method fails to bring about the desired results, you will have to combine two methods (the Yogic methods and Inquiry).

Remember the triplet, viz., self-analysis, self-reliance, self-determination. It will be of immense use in your spiritual Practice. Analyse your self through introspection. Find out the nature of your thought waves. Find out what quality is predominating at a particular moment, whether it is Sattva (Pure), Rajas (Passionate) or Tamas (Laziness). How long can the mind be absolutely fixed on your target (point of meditation).either God, Soul, idea or object, whether internal or external? How long can the mind be fixed on the object, rose and rose alone to the exclusion of all other objects – whether two seconds or two minutes or five minutes or half an hour? This is self-analysis.

Rely on your self alone. You are your own redeemer and saviour. Nobody can give you Liberation. You will have to tread the spiritual path step by step. Books and Gurus can show the path and guide you. This is self-reliance. Make a strong self-determination, ‘I will realise God. I will have Soul-Consciousness this very moment and not in the uncertain future’. This is self-determination.

Wordlings have no time to think over even for a few minutes the life-problems, the mystery of life, etc. They get up in the morning. Their minds usually run to the special objects of enjoyment on account of Likes. Their mental energies are poured forth in the usual grooves and avenues-in thoughts of body, thoughts of eating and dressing, thoughts of wife, children, friends and also thoughts of office-work and business; and thus, the day is over. The same routine follows day after day, week after week. Years roll on and life is wasted. It is highly lamentable, indeed!

Only he who does reflection and introspection through inward thought waves can change his worldly nature. In him only the idea of Soul can get permanently lodged.

Reference

Mind – Its Mysteries and Control by Sri Swami Sivananda