BASIC TRATAK BENEFITS, EXPANDED

a. The Ability to Concentrate: One of the most common experiences in the Western world is a lack of ability to sustain concentration. We tend to be scattered and to have very short attention spans. And we are accustomed to being fed information through the various forms of passive entertainment. This last factor may be one of the most destructive ones to creative thinking because not only are we being fed information we wish to know, but we are also taking in at several subtle levels material that we might prefer not to absorb.
The practice of Tratak sharpens our minds and develops our inner ability to stay with one idea, image, or concept for greater lengths of time. It helps us eventually to be more clear and self-directed in our thinking, less scattered, and thereby more effective in our daily lives.

b. Awareness and Intuition: Most of the time–because we function on a very superficial level– we miss much of the beauty and importance of our surroundings and our interdependence with other people and our environment. In noticing only that which assaults our senses or demands our attention, we are blind to the subtle forces which cause us to exist. Tratak helps us to hone our perceptions, so that we can become increasingly aware of ourselves and the environment.
The practice of Tratak stimulates the “ajna chakra” (the third eye) which is the area associated with intuition and creativity. By the daily use of Tratak, we are stimulating this area on a regular basis and gently awakening our inner knowingness and intuition. We are peeling away our preconceived ideas of what we think certain things, objects, ideas, and people are all about so that eventually we will see things as they are, uncolored by our own conceptions.
As we unfold the capacity of our intuition, penetrating insight develops naturally. Combined with the enhanced objectivity which comes from both mantra meditation and Tratak, the increased capacity for penetrating insight, brought about by Tratak, is of tremendous value. We understand more. We see a greater and more accurate picture. We are able to get to the heart of the matter, cut to the quick, hear the ring of truth, or detect a false note better than ever before. In five words: Tratak builds accuracy of perception.

c. Balance, Stabilization, and Complementarity: When we do the mantra meditation, we are opening up to our finest states of awareness. With the mantra we expand and deepen into our greater selves. Our consciousness flows to its most refined and far-reaching state, no longer confining itself to the boundaries of the everyday personality.
Tratak adds a complementary element to the expansion provided by the mantra. Tratak trains us to direct our expanding awareness in an effortless and precise manner. This ability is our natural potential. That is why Tratak is easy to do. However, we must practice Tratak, if we are to enjoy its benefits.
To understand how Tratak and mantra meditations work together, imagine a fountain pen. A fountain pen serves two functions. It holds a supply of ink, and it delivers the ink in such a manner that you can write in a precise and easy flow. Imagine how a pen would be if it had a lot of ink but was not able to direct it. The ink would run all over. You couldn’t write well with it. In this analogy, what the mantra meditation provides us with corresponds roughly to the ink supply of a pen, i.e. the “juice” we use to do what we do. Mantra meditation supplies an abundance of juice. What Tratak provides us with corresponds to the point of the pen, the part which regulates and directs the flow in a fine stream.
As we open ourselves to our infinite resources, we must balance that with an increased capacity to direct our awareness. This is the grounding, stabilizing effect of Tratak. Then, as we expand into the farthest reaches of inner space, we don’t become space cadets; rather, we enjoy greater awareness as we walk the path of our ordinary existence. The combination of Tratak and mantra result in our being more present than ever before to the realities and joys of our daily life.

d. Visualization: During the practice of Tratak when the eyes are closed, one initially views the after-image of the flame. As we continue to practice, we find we are able to see the image for longer periods of time. The actual after-image has disintegrated; yet, we still see the image in our mind. This is visualization. Gradually as this time is lengthened, our ability to visualize improves.
The ability to be able to visualize something in its totality is very valuable. One of the side benefits is that whatever one can focus on with complete attention can more easily be brought into a physical reality. The implications of this are far reaching, and it should be remembered that this is not a goal but is simply a natural unfoldment of ability.

e. Oneness: During Tratak one can have the experience of becoming one with the candle flame so that one is totally focused on one singular point. The ultimate goal of all our practices is the eventual realization of our oneness with the totality of the universe. In Tratak we can get lost in the candle flame, forgetting who we are and what we are doing. We become totally unaware of our ‘smaller selves’ and become immersed in something larger.

IFSU