Hari
Om
Monday is AUM-day; in search of meditation
For the next stage of our investigation on
meditation, we are going to study - and practice! - japa as a means to tame the
mind and we shall investigate the Gayatri Mantra.
Finally
let us understand just a little more.
The
mantra as it stands obviously invokes the Lord Sun and pleads to Him to
illumine the intellect of the seeker. Clearly, the actual sun cannot do this;
we must understand that in our inner life, the sun represents the illuminator
of all experiences, the Aatman. This pure consciousness in us, around which the
matter envelopments function - just as the solar system operates around the sun
- is being invoked to shine ever brighter within our intellect.
If
the sun were not there, all life would be impossible. Without the Aatman, all
matter envelopments would be but inert and dead.
When
this inner sun-of-life is appealed to for illumining the intellect, it can read
as an absurd paradox. The infinite light of wisdom is never contaminated in its
eternal effulgence. It is ever the same. It's intensity cannot increase or
decrease.
All that is meant, then, when the devotee makes this
call, is… 'may my intellect be steady without agitations; may it be clean
without the dirt of passions. May the light of consciousness come to shine
forth a brilliant beam of its radiance through my intellect.' In this way, our
perception of the world will be clear, our discrimination subtle, judgements
correct and quick and our comprehension of situations and beings precise and
wise.
Contemplate
thus upon the meaning and intent, the depth and breadth of the Gayatri Mantra.
This
brings us to the end of this phase of study, this guidance on tuning the mind
with japa and the best of mantras to use in that japa.
Over
the next two weeks, you will find images of a text which Gurudev tells us is
very ancient. He had been fortunate to find the original text, upon which were
direct annotations by Shankaraachaarya himself. This will add another dimension
to your contemplation.
Away
now and commit to a daily saadhana which includes Gayatri japa!
