by Judith Ferry
Source: Sanskrit Today (an excerpt)
". . . I work as an environmental lawyer for the State of New York. When I told my co-workers that I was taking a long weekend to study intermediate Sanskrit, they reacted with no less puzzlement than if I had said I was going to stand on one foot for the weekend. I was at a loss to explain to them why I was doing this, as I really didn't understand it clearly myself. I only knew that during the week that I had taken the introductory course, I experienced moments of the most exquisite joy I had ever known. As I again spent several days immersed in single-minded focus on Sanskrit, I began to understand some of the reasons why I had brought myself to this experience. The reasons relate both to the profound beauty of the subject matter, and to the power of the process by which it is learned.
"The process of learning Sanskrit is like weight training for the mind. The subject provides an ideal focus for the practice of mindfulness. In every moment, the only task is to focus all of the energy of the mind and the senses on the point which is being taught in that moment, and to understand it fully and deeply but with no concern at all for remembering it later. Learned in this way, Sanskrit seeps into your eyes and ears and later bubbles up in the mind automatically, without effort. The process also provides an opportunity to practice letting go of self-judgement — to simply absorb the material without worrying whether someone else is getting it faster than you are, to chant aloud without embarrassment even if others have lovelier voices, and even to learn well without feeling a rush of pride that you are "better" than others.
"When I realized that this was what I was learning — how to fully occupy the present moment, free from fears arising from past experience or concerns for the future; to control the reactions of my ego; to move out from under the burden of constant self-judgement; to know that my self-worth is not dependent upon the quality of my performances — I became very excited. Specifically, I was excited about the prospect of going back to work on Monday morning and putting these new skills to work. I know that being able to make decisions and initiate actions from a sense of being entirely present in the moment will immeasurably enhance my power for right and effective action, and will also give me protection from the stress and burnout which so vex my colleagues. To practice law and to do the business of government from this place is a thrilling prospect. I know that the skills I have learned in the study of Sanskrit will have more direct and powerful relevance to the practice of my profession than any legal or management seminar I have taken.
"I also see that the study of Sanskrit is an ideal vehicle for teaching mindfulness and meditation to hyper-rational, "left-brained" professionals. To suggest to such a person that they "let go of all thoughts" or "just sit" is unlikely to be successful. The mind has been trained for so long to race so constantly at such a high speed that it does not know what these instructions mean, much less have the skills to implement them. But, to ask such a mind to focus all of its intensity for a time on learning this intricate language is much more likely to produce the desired result. The awesome logic of this language has an elegant beauty not unlike mathematics, which is matched by the exquisite delight of its sounds; the mind is irresistibly seduced. To learn Sankrit requires that the mind fully occupy each present moment, and that it avoid being caught up in cycles of self-judgement. A person whose mind is habitually very active may find it difficult to learn to use the mind in this way by using traditional meditation techniques. But, by using Sanskrit as the object of focus, the mind is powerfully retrained by a process which is effortless and joyful. And the greatest reward of all is on the teachings written in this magical language. The Sanskrit language has the capacity to convey truth with a power and efficiency that is almost blinding.
"For me, the study of Sanskrit is a form of yoga which engages the intellect as fully and richly as it nourishes the spirit. This contributes a satisfying balance to the practice of yoga postures and meditation, which, as generally presented, tend to denigrate the mind as an obstacle to enlightenment. The mind is as wondrous and valuable a component of our being as the body; the study of Sanskrit teaches how to use the mind as a tool in service of spirit, and as a doorway to knowledge of our true Self . . ."