A question and answer session from 2004 in India

An informal gathering at a friend’s flat in early 2004 leads to some great questions. This is the full session, from which shorter extracts (‘Will and Free Will’, ‘Concentration and Focus’) have been taken – you’ll find them here on this blog under the category ‘Inspirations’.

The session starts by re-affirming the value of coming together in a group with the purpose of sharing insight, Sanga, Satsang.

Many people regarded Ghandi as having ‘iron will’, but in fact he was such a humble person that he was aligning himself with a ‘greater intelligence’, a greater Will.

Swami Nishchalananda

What is Will power? Ego must be present in this embodied life, in order for us to function. But the concept of ‘developing will power’ usually means developing the ego’s sense of power and achievement. If however the ‘ego will’ diminishes, there is a possibility of developing a greater ability in some way, from outside the individual ego. The satsang explores further this issue of ‘Tapping in’ to archetypes such that the smaller will aligns with a greater Will. For example, Swamiji talks of how many people regarded Ghandi as having ‘iron will’, but in fact he was such a humble person that he was aligning himself with a ‘greater intelligence’, a greater Will.

Certainly it seems most likely that in creativity, be it artistic, scientific or literary, consider that the great works in any of those field have been inspired from a higher intelligence or sphere of existence. We can see that even in our own creative efforts, that putting our will to achieve aside, opens us to something which is more creative.

On the subject of Concentration, Swamiji puts forward the proposition that if we are interested in what we are doing, our concentration is ‘held’. But if we’re not interested, because we are forced to do something as a perceived duty or an obligation of our work for example, it can be very difficult to concentrate. The profound implications of this are further explored in the session….

…. Now Listen on