SLEEP WELL IS ALL WELL

Sound sleep is the source of energy. There is a saying that sleep well is all well. But we sometimes in our lives have to face sleep deprivation. Perhaps we become worried due to our health or someone near to us. Maybe anxious to have materialistic happiness, but couldn’t accomplish. Mainly anxiety is the root of insomnia. A haphazard lifestyle might cause sleep deprivation. So we can try to know about the need of napping and sleeping .

WHAT IS SLEEP?

” Abhava-pratyaya- alambana-vritti Nidra”

Sleep is a modification of the mind which has the cause of nothingness as its support. ( Yoga Sutra – Samadhipada ) Sleep manifests when there is a preponderance of Tamas. During sleeping, Sattva and Rajas subside and there will be no knowledge of the external world. Some Jogis think that there is a vritti shunya in sleep. But it’s not so.

As there is memory in us when we wake up and say that we slept soundly. We knew nothing. There ought to have been a particular kind of subtle wave in the mind during sleep.

Hence, it should not be understood that sleep is no transformation or vritti of the mind. If it were so, the remembrance: ” We slept well or I slept well” would not follow on waking, for we never remember what we haven’t experienced.

SLEEP IS THE TONIC OF LIFE:

Sleep is the best elixir and tonic of life . Sleep is nature’s tonic to refresh the tired body and mind. Sleep is a state in which the mind rests peacefully. The gets involved into its cause. The vrittis and Vasanas( desires) become dormant or latent. It ceases all its functions. The restless wandering mind gets rest. It’s a natural way of charging the mind with fresh energy and peace by allowing it to rest in its source. Hence, there is a temporary absorption of the mind in its cause during sleep.

An Indian yogi told in this regard that in sleep there is deep Tamas. Tamas overpowers Sattva and Rajas. Udana Vayu draws the Jiva from the waking state and makes it rest in Anandamaya Kosha or causal body.

Eventually, after a deep sleep we enjoy happiness and calm of mind. Get massive energy. Our mind becomes charged with affluent energies. Sleep is a Tamasic state because there is neither activity not awareness. The sleeping man is unconscious of the world outside. Even he has no consciousness of his being asleep.

But it’s a matter of pleasure that during sleep the mind and body change. The body, mind and nerves become vitalised and rendered fit for new activities. Man feels happiness, peace and also gets freedom from all pains and agony in sleep. Therefore, sleep is essential to keep the body and mind healthy and sound.

So without perfect sleep, we can not enjoy sound health of body, mind and nerves. Sleep refreshes and tones the brain and the nerves. Sleep is a balm that soothes the tired nerves and brains. It energises and vivifies the whole body and mind.

NEED OF RELAXATION FOR HEALTHY BODY AND MIND:

The mind and body need relaxation after the lapse of a particular time or after every series of actions done by the physical brain and mental bodies. A sick man is unable to get sound sleep due to his ailments. But if he gets the sleep he is much relieved. Lack of sleep intensifies the disease. The patient feels then as if his disease is aggravated due to sleeplessness. Further, sleeplessness itself is a disease. So sleep is indispensable to all.

মন্দির

দূর্গা মন্দির ছিল আমার বাড়ির কাছে , রোজ বিকেলে সেখানে যাওয়া ছিলো আমাদের নেশা , সন্ধ্যার পর-ও একাই যেতে পারতাম সেখানে , পাড়ার ছেলে বুড়ো , মা – বোনেরা জড়ো হতো ষস্টি তলায় পালাপার্বনে , কিম্বা নিছক গল্প করার জন্যে, ছোটদের জায়গা হতো না সেখানে সবসময়, কিন্তু জায়গাটায় পৌঁছলে কী এক গভীর আনন্দে আত্মহারা হয়ে যেতাম , আনন্দে ভরপুর হয়ে যেতো মনের জানালাগুলো, অপার্থিবভাবে।

যেদিকে দুর্গাবাড়ি তার উল্টো দিকের রাস্তায় এগোলে বাঁশ বাগান পূর্ব কোনে , ঘন অন্ধকারে ডুবে থাকতো দিন দুপুরেও। ভয় মেশানো মন নিয়ে তাকাতাম সেদিকে , আর আম কাঁঠালের বাগান অগ্নি কোণে ,বড় বড় ডাল পালায় ভর্তি , এ দুয়ের মাঝ বরাবর গেছে রাস্তাটা সোজা একটু বেঁকে হরিজন পল্লীর দিকে। নামেই পাড়া , দু’ একটি চর্মকার আর হরিজন মানুষের বাস, যেখানে পাড়াটা শুরু তার পাঁচশ মিটার আগে বহু পুরোনো নিচু ছোট এক কালী মন্দির – প্রায়ই দেখতাম মন্দিরের মাতৃ স্বরূপ প্রস্তর খণ্ডটি , ফুলে ফলে জলে ভরে থাকতো তা। বৈশাখ মাসে গ্রামের পুরুষ মানুষের দল দূর্গা মন্দির থেকে কীর্তন করতে করতে সেখানে গিয়ে পৌছতো । কখনো কখনো পড়া শেষ করে আমরা ছোটরাও যোগ দিতাম তাতে। চৈত্র সংক্রান্তি উপলক্ষে সেখানে গাজনের উৎসব , মেলা হতো কদিন ধরে , ছোট বেলার সেই আনন্দ এখন অনুভব করি অজান্তেই । আরো বেশি কোরে ।

আধুনিক মন্দিরে সেই আনন্দ পাই না আমি আর । আমি পারিনি ভুলে যেতে আমার স্বপ্নের শৈশব কৈশোরের সবুজ দিনগুলিকে ।।

THE TEMPLE

– Dr. Sushil Rudra

I never forget the tiny Temple , not even our Durga Bari, which was near to my village home . Sometimes I reach there in conscious or sub – conscious mind , feel those days as present , vivid . From our main gate it’s two minutes to reach there at Durga Bari, and in the right direction a few metre after a big Bamboo Forest which was ever dark , even in the sunny day. Just opposite of it standing side by side gigantic mango and jackle fruits trees, there lived so many monkeys – roamed jumping from one branch to another, once while I, along with my brother went there to pick up mangoes , a big tail of a mankey touched to my head and I became afraid of and ran away from there . A narrow road was in between the Bamboo Forest and the Mango garden which straightly goes to Charmakar area . Two or three families lived there . We couldn’t go there because of bad smell, but on the way to this area , there’s a tiny Kali Temple which was very living, a small door to enter into this Temple, a small stone is worshipped as Mother Kali , always filled with flowers, water and red Sindoor . At the last day of Chayittra the Gajan festival and the puja of Serpent deity Mother Manosa used to start. It was a grand and stupendous for the communities of sorrounding areas. Throughout the first month of Bengali new year the people assembled in the premise of Durga Bari for spiritual songs which is called Kirton with Khol – Kartal and being sung reached to Kali Temple . After singing for a while again returned to the Durga Bari . We saw and enjoy this every year in my childhood days. Perhaps it is still going on in its own space , but I feel a great attraction of these eventful days. I have traveled so many places and visit a lots of grandeur Temples , but couldn’t feel such attraction there as I still get peace to feel my tiny , discoloured remote Temple of my childhood days. Modern gargious Temples and its monks are unable to give me pleasure and peace , I need my little temple and my feelings and emotions of childhood days .