The Ultimate Way

Hari OM

Application - that is what 'Workings-days' are about!

We are now undertaking basic technical discourse on Vedanta. The text forming the basis of these posts is 'Kindle Life'. Please do reread previous posts using the labels 'Workings-days' or 'Kindle Life'.

Chapter 29: AT WAR WITH MIND.

As we explore this chapter of the book, remember that it ties in with japa very closely; repetition of mantra, be it OM, or the Gaayatri. Japa is to be used when entering meditation proper, as the precursor to redirecting the mind into the divine channel.

We saw the first four pointers as to keeping the mind in our control. Let us continue;

5. During the practices ( अभ्यासाः /abhyaasas), the seeker must consider his mind with an attitude of motherly botheration, full of love-prompted anxieties. Watch how a loving mother intelligently tries to control her child in its mischief!  Those tactics are all available for the seeker in controlling his mind.  Persuasion is one of the most common methods. To persuade the mind, to realise the glories of meditation as its highest vocation, should be a daily preoccupation with all seekers. The more a seeker is convinced of the profits that we would gain by his activity in his prayer room, the more shall he find that his mind is peacefully settling down to meditation.

6. Sometimes a mother would persuade the child by offering it something quite tangible by which to win its attention and take it away from the particular mischief (or danger) in which it had been  playing. Thus, a mother would say to the child 'come, I will give you something, I have been keeping it specially for you… come don't you want to see it?'  What child can resist the lure of such a cajoling from the one it trusts and loves?! Curiosity alone would bring it. Entice your curious mind with the promise of a glimpse of the eternal!!! Whilst you have not experienced this for yourself, you will have the promises given from the masters who have and sheer curiosity can help to focus the mind. Constantly recalling the readings of such great spiritual adventurers is what can whip the mind back to purpose.
7. There are moments when this also fails, but the inexhaustible armoury in the mother's heart has many more secret weapons to fight the dangerous tendencies of the wayward child.  For example, the promise of greater freedom in reward for improved behaviours - negotiation of a chance to do what it wants to if, for now at least, it behaves… the promise of sanctioned freedom is a great lure.  Thus, when our mind wanders away to a worry or ponder a task in waiting, or just to avoid the work of meditation, we can similarly tease it back with a promise that after this time of focus, it can freely work on those things afterwards. It must be firm, no ifs or buts… concentrate now, run free later.
8. There are moments when, even the best of mothers know when a child needs 'cane treatment'. At such moments - and it most certainly must be rare - comes the short, sharp shock or a raised hand or 'grounding'; something which instills a level of emergency to convey the seriousness of consequences if the orders are not taken. In such a manner also, we can reprimand our mind. How? By imposing tapas, a level of austerity upon it. No music or reading for 24 hours if it refuses to meditate. In traditional situations, the tapas would be physical - and we can do this also if it proves to yield results. Fasting or cold showering… but these are to be the final acts; they ought not to be overdone. A healthy mind can be had only in a healthy body. Severe disciplines must be measured and used only at appropriate times.  Great care must also be taken to not overdo the compensations offered; for example, after a fast, do not then gorge foods after.  No over-punishment, no over-reward is the message then. Sometimes, even under threat of punishment, the child/mind still plays truant. At times such as this the mother/intellect must stand as observer, watching the child/mind and causing it to find its own shame! The child steals a few glances at the mother and, reading her disappointment, will usually come to its senses.
9. Similarly, when the mind is uncontrollably agitated and runs about wildly, we can, identifying ourselves with our intellect, watch in detachment our minds, mildly critical of its misbehaviour.  The mind may still wander for some time, but it realises that it is directly under the observation of a disinterested intellect critically and continually observing it. The mind wants then to take the intellect's example, to be more like it, and it will become available for application at meditation.

 

Any one of the methods given can be employed at various times to help overcome problems you may be having in meditation. A diligent practitioner can certainly discover new methods and ideas of similar types, or adapt these according to their circumstances.  In all, the most important factor is that we must have a deep sense of sincerity, a great conviction born of faith and understanding and a hardy sense of seeking, at once adventurous and revolutionary.  Without these great and noble qualities of head and heart, nothing can be expected in our spiritual researches.

To wait for these qualities to descend upon you from the heavens or to hope to earn them by pick-pocketing a Guru, is like waiting for somebody who has not been born to come and feed you.  Strive hard. Act diligently. Meditate regularly. Discriminate continuously. Be good. Do good. Be kind. Be tolerant, merciful and all-loving. Eradicate weaknesses steadily. Grow in your own inner strength. Keep brahmachaarya (purity and continence), good company and good health.  Even when threatened with death, renounce dishonesty, deception, lust and passions.  Meditate.

Meditate. Meditate. Meditate and again meditate.  This is the only path, the only true path to perfection. Quick. Easy. Simple.

...and here we reach the final words of our exploration of the publication Kindle Life. The work of meditation is taken up on AUM-day posts.

First Steps

Hari OM

Application - that is what 'Workings-days' are about!

We are now undertaking basic technical discourse on Vedanta. The text forming the basis of these posts is 'Kindle Life'. Please do reread previous posts using the labels 'Workings-days' or 'Kindle Life'.

Chapter 29: AT WAR WITH MIND.

As we explore this chapter of the book, remember that it ties in with japa very closely; repetition of mantra, be it OM, or the Gaayatri. Japa is to be used when entering meditation proper, as the precursor to redirecting the mind into the divine channel.

Last week we read how Gurudev made the point that trouble we have in meditation, with the mind fighting back for its independence, is nothing short of a war between our 'good and evil' natures. A quote of Gurudev, not given in this text but which is very pertinent, is;

Now for the pointers to managing the mind in meditation. These are not particularly laboured nor difficult - if the student is prepared to apply his or herself. A molehill, though, is an obstacle to one who will not climb.

1)  Whenever the mind runs, to become aware of it and at once strive to bring it back to the point of meditation, forcefully, is one of the methods. This is in fact the goal and the means in one. Various texts advise this. Simply do it!

2)  We often find that a wandering mind is a mind that has gone forever from its aim of concentration; it is habitual, never having had taming applied to it. Instead we go with it and do not recognise at all that the course has been circuitous or lost.  Therefore the remedy lies within ourselves.  When we are sitting for prayer and meditation we must be fully conscious of what we are about. It is for the purpose that we have congregational prayers, chiming of bells, waving of incense, lamps, japa and so forth. All these help keep our focus - at least is the intention! It is also the case, in every religion, that we are expected to cleanse ourselves and wear clean clothes. This preparation is not just for the body, but begins to bring the mind to purpose. Sadly, this is something which has lapsed. It is a truth that in a dirty room, in dirty clothes, under dirty wrappers, we cannot meditate properly.  Cleanliness is next to Godliness!

3)  In a clean room or corner of room, after ablutions, when we sit in aasana before our altar/focal point, we ought to have dropped off all extraneous thought and be now able to focus. Use of an OM picture or statue, or murti or simply a lamp itself is wonderfully centring and a physical aid to the subtle process. Make use of these, though take not that even with such, the subtle causes rising from the inner world, our 'time bombs', will come to sabotage our efforts.  Our love/hat, hope/demand, desire/passion and so on make the inner world dirty and, propelled by our minds, fly at a tangent. These are the vaasans making themselves known. Observe them and knock them aside. Aiding this is verbal chanting and kirtan (singing of hymns), keeping our eyes open and focused upon the picture/murti/lamp… Here too we can deceive ourselves; and the majority of worshippers all over the world are doing it today - they make a great show of their devotion and scriptural learning, of their rituals and paraphernalia. Such devotees are suffering from exhibitionism rather than blessed by any true spiritual urge. The equipment is not the spirituality, but tools to aid the seeker in quelling the external; sincerity of purpose is the secret of success in meditation. Use the tools then move along. A simple wooden cross holds all the same high spiritual value as an emblem of jewel encrusted gold. Both are there only as rungs on the ladder of our focus.

4)  Generally, an uncontrolled and raw mind wanders into limitless fields; now in heaven, now in hell, now here, now there.  All of a sudden, to control such a mind would amount to a degree of suppression, which is not healthy.  Thus, in all faiths, we are given authorised versions of the history of the Gurus or the achievements of the 'God-man' upon Earth.  To read such stories and to meditate upon the Lord's divine play on the stage of life gives a large field for the mind to wander; but this time with the integrating factor underlying all its corners - focus of Lord.

Reducing even this field to one single incident in the Lord's life, which perhaps attracts you the most, and to meditate upon it, would be training the mind to restrain its activities to a single point. From this stage, to fix our attention upon the Lord's form - or symbol - would be to bringing the focus even more singular - though even here there is scope for the mind to engage itself… oh see how the image appears to have a different colour today… my, how the lamp twinkles…

Again, to aim still nearer to the 'bulls eye', would be when the mind comes to meditate upon merely the face of the Lord, or the bindu of the OM, or the very centre of the flame. Eliminating all the different details, we concentrate on that one single attribute of our 'tool'. This is a precarious place, for the mind is still active yet it is seeing beyond its usual mayhem, glimpsing the enticement to work harder.  In all this, the saadhaka depends upon his devotion and Love for the Lord/OM and success is dependent on the amount of Love which can be brought to bear in that moment. Welling up with desire to be one with Lord/OM is the guidance here.

This is sufficient for today. We shall continue next week.

The Inner Battle

Hari OM

Application - that is what 'Workings-days' are about!

We are now undertaking basic technical discourse on Vedanta. The text forming the basis of these posts is 'Kindle Life'. Please do reread previous posts using the labels 'Workings-days' or 'Kindle Life'.

How has the Gaayatri practice been going? Short and regular practice is likely to yield greater result than every now and then at length. A daily dose of ten minutes will begin to imprint the mantra.  Indeed, one of the common remarks made by those who make such a commitment is that they find the mantra/s somehow always playing in the 'background' of their mind… this is good, this is japa!

We now enter chapter 29 of Kindle Life which, whilst it is not the last chapter in the book, (the others spread out over other posts - remember to use the relevant label to read the whole), has been left till last here as it deals with something with which we are all familiar.

Chapter 29: AT WAR WITH MIND.

The technique of japa lies in engaging the mind totally in a self-repeated sound, having a very subtle and profound philosophical significance. After a time, when the mind is fully engrossed in it, we will then cease from it, withdrawing the mind from a sole occupation and back into daily mode. With each practice, the theory is, that the mind wishes to linger longer and longer in the state of japa, wishing to experience 'the silence of the heart'.

However, in fact, with the practice many experience (regardless of technique and wisdom propounded) there are hurdles. The mind wanders even when deep in japa. To gather the mind and to hold it as an integrated whole at the point of meditation calls for a painful and difficult strategy. This inner struggle is really the battle of the Mahaabhaarata (in the section which is separately called the Bhagavad Gita); and it is an eternal one.  This struggle is the price that we must pay for the eternal reward of liberation.

Mind, we have seen, is a product of the impressions we have gathered so far in all our lives, from the beginning 'time' until now. In all our incarnations, we have been living, moment to moment, endless experiences and each such lived moment could not have but left a few dots and dashes on our mental sheath.  Goaded by these impressions, an irresistible mind, wild and surging, drives our physical structure endlessly hither and thither. Tossed between them, we earn our agitations and feel shattered in our attempts at our meditations.  When the good and the bad meet face to face, there must be a field of tension and activity.  It is an eternal law.  We can never mentally get away from these two feelings and, as such, identifying with them, we suffer the consequent dissipation.

At one moment we are identifying with the call of the good in us - 'the soft small voice of the within' - and feel unhappy that, in spite of ourselves, we are tempted to act in contradiction to it.  At another moment, strangely, in spite of our darker inclinations, we succeed in doing good and from this feel elated. This tension between the light and dark (the Pandavas v. the Kauravas) within the bosom is ever there, for all seekers. All the scriptures in the world unanimously declare that ultimately the success belongs to the 'Arjunas' who have made the Lord Himself their 'charioteer'.

To the seeker who has given up his body-chariot entirely to the supreme control of the Divine Charioteer, even disasters may be turned to successes!

The challenge facing every meditator is the threat of the mind. The mind by its very nature is ever running into is own self-chosen, instinct-ploughed ruts (the vaasanas).  The seeker's attempt is to bundle up all the wasteful vaasanas and to make the waters of the mind run through one redefined channel, which will then irrigate the field of the divine within his or herself.  A thorough knowledge of the strategies of the mind and full control of ourselves by which we can hold the mind back to the point of concentration becomes absolutely essential, if we are to win ultimately in this subjective war against our lower-selves.

Next, we will see some recommendations of Gurudev for methods to begin taming the mind. They are not all to be employed at once but trying each one out, over a period of time, will enable each to find what works best for them. At different times, different methods may be required also, so paying attention to all initially ought to help you 'choose your weapon' with which to fight your own, individual battle.

Illumination

Hari OM

Application - that is what 'Workings-days' are about!

We are now undertaking basic technical discourse on Vedanta. The text forming the basis of these posts is 'Kindle Life'. Please do reread previous posts using the labels 'Workings-days' or 'Kindle Life'.

Ch. 28 गायत्री मन्त्र /gaayatrii maantra (cont'd). [AV-blog; this part of the chapter is strongly edited for brevity and to ensure completion of the chapter today.]

Thousands of years after the Vedas, we have the suutras, whose authors recommended more and more items to be incorporated in daily worship.  Following the suutras came the aagamas; their authors had their own contributions to make to the general form of our daily worship. Aagamas mainly describe the ritualistic regulations and rules in worshipping Vishnu, Shiva and Shakti. Each aagama claimed the Gaayatrii as its own; and they declared that Gaayatrii is presided over by one or other of the three according to the name of the Lord of that aagama.

The Shaaktas gave the idea that Gaayatrii is the infinite goddess and made her a feminine deity - Gaayatrii Devii - who soon became the Mother of the Vedas and even today it is very freely believed by Brahmins that if they have chanted Gaayatrii, they have chanted the Vedas.

Very many interesting but irrational, though quite effective, beliefs have arisen about the Gaayatrii mantra and its efficacy.  **For anyone frightened in the dark, the mantra chanting is immediately advised to combat the nervousness. If anyone had some such fright resulting in illness, then some Brahmin priests would be called to the bedside for congregational japa of the Gaayatrii to aid the patient… these beliefs only prove that the very name of the mantra is fully justified.  Gaayatrii, you see, itself means "that mantra which protects the chanter".

It is also believed in India, that on starting any important or great work, if a man detects some bad omen he must immediately sit down and chant the mantra eleven times.  If, on starting again, he meets with a new set of bad omens, he is to sit and chant sixteen times. This will remove the negative effects… so it is said.

In India, a Hindu boy is initiated into the Gaayatrii very early in his life. This is done under the family social ritual called the Upanaayanam. In the Vedic literature, we find mention of the Gaayatrii diikshaa - the latter being a term meaning a discipline which one must undergo in order that one may become fit for taking part in any Vedic ritual.  The word Upanaayanam means 'bringing nearer'.  It is interesting to note that there are definite prescriptions ordering the age at which the boys are initiated.  Manu smriti gives the age as five for a Brahmin, six for a Kshatriya and eight for a Vaishya - and three are maximum ages correspondingly given.

The vedic declarations glorify this and insist that life after Gaayatrii diikshaa is almost a second birth; the first birth was from the womb, and now the birth is of the spirit. Thus, those who undergo this ritual are said to be द्विज /dvija - twice-born.

[We learned earlier of the three lines of the Gaayatri, plus the invocationary phrases.] The full Gaayatrii has, in fact, a fourth line, given in the Chandogya, Brhadaaranyaka and Brahma suutra.  This line has been always preserved as very sacred and is only given to full-time seekers and sannyaasis.  It is not so much a line for chanting as 'experiencing' of the effects of the first three lines - a drawing into the chanter of the truth of the words which preceeded.

In ancient days, women used to chant Gaayatrii as freely as men (it is stated in Manu smriti). In the ancient days, women also had Upanaayanam. Indeed, they learned Vedas and taught Vedas… [it is subsequent works as stated above, which began to oust women from the spiritual practices.] In fact, spiritual unfoldment through mantra upaasana is foud more readily in women than in men - perhaps due to less fierce contact with the world. [This was part of Gurudev's purpose - to return women to full spiritual practice!]

The mantra, as it stands, obviously invokes the Lord Sun and pleads Him to illumine the intellect of the seeker. The sunlight cannot, as such, do this of course!  In our inner life the Sun represents the light-giver, the illuminator of all experiences, the Aatman. This Pure Consciousness in us, the inner centre of our personality, around which the matter envelopments function, is being invoked to shine more and more in our intellect.

If the Sun were not there, life would not have been possible.  Without Aatman, the matter envelopment becomes dead, inert.  We appeal to this inner 'sun of life' to illumine the intellect. The infinite light of wisdom, the Supreme Self, is never contaminated in its eternal effulgence.  It is ever the same. Its intensity cannot increase or decrease.  Therefore, all that the devotee means is 'Ma my intellect be steady without agitation; may it be clean without the dirt of passions, may the light of Consciousness come to shine forth a brilliant beam of radiance through my intellect. Thus may my perception of the world be clearer, my discrimination subtler, my judgements correct and quick and may comprehension of situations and beings be precise and wise.'

**Gurudev had a footnote entered 'Personally I do not subscribe to these beliefs - they are reported here that those who are suffering from such afflictions can find a consolation and true remedy by japa of Gaayatrii.'

Next week a post on chanting of the Gaayatrii Mantra.  There is one final chapter of Kindle Life thereafter - 'At War With Mind'.

As Written

Hari OM

Application - that is what 'Workings-days' are about!

We are now undertaking basic technical discourse on Vedanta. The text forming the basis of these posts is 'Kindle Life'. Please do reread previous posts using the labels 'Workings-days' or 'Kindle Life'.

Ch. 28 गायत्री मन्त्र /gaayatrii maantra (cont'd).

There are many parts of daily life which can be ordered according to shruti, (truly, Sanskrit literature is the most comprehensive manual for living you could ever find!), but of course daily worship, called सन्ध्या  कर्म /sandhyaa karma, is given most attention. One of the prayers which are prescribed and not to be missed, is the repetition of the Great Gaayatrii Mantra.

the body is purified by water
the mind is purified by truth
knowledge, practice and spirit are
purified by intellect and knowledge.

Historically, it was used to keep the mind 'tidy' after the ravages of daily living and the random unawareness of sleep. One of the great scriptures, the मनुस्मृति /ManusmRti, says "...in the early dawn by doing this japa standing, one ends all sins committed during the night and by doing the japa in the evening while sitting, one ends one's sins committed during the day." Sin, here, means the agitations created in our mental life by our own negative actions and the tendency to repeat the same. Such 'habits' leave impressions on the mind and these become sealed as vaasanas - the internal tendencies carried from life to life.

After that period in history, the importance of Gaayatrii grew somewhat and came to hold the importance it currently has; 'importance' in the sense that it was raised on a pedestal and some ritualistic behaviours grew around it - this is a thing which happens in many spiritual matters; they are brought down, given material importance instead, without there really being any supporting evidence in the scriptures that this is required. It demonstrates that mankind requires a level of ritual in order to feel that s/he is performing worship - making worship a separate thing from daily living. This fall into materialistic spirituality was also when other things got twisted and misconstrued; such as the social divisions. In this case, there came about an idea that the Gaayatrii was not to be chanted without the जनौ /janau (holy thread worn on the body of the Brahmins… ie that only this strata of society were permitted to chant it). This is also when the Pranava (OM) and the व्याहृताः /vyaahRtis (other sacred tones/words) were added to the chanting. Thus we find ॐ भूर् भुवः स्वः /OM bhuur, bhuvaH svaH, giving a fourth paada to the mantra. Sometimes, also, an additional OM is added before the mantra proper. This was, as explained last week, in order to permit the eight syllables, if the end syllable is held as one and not split inti 'ni' and 'am'.

There are two sandhyaas in a day. The word means the blending of and night, therefore, dawn and dusk. In the ancient literature we do not find any importance given to midday worship.  The Rsis appear only to insist upon morning and evening prayer. The concept of midday worship, then, may well have been adopted from practices observed by the Islamic faith, which encroached quite early in Indian history. In terms of the morning and evening, it is generally advised that the most 'auspicious' times (those times when the body mind and intellect are most likely to reap the best benefit) is between 4:30 and 5 am (which is referred to as /Brahma-muhuurta) and later, between 6 and 7 pm. ManusmRti is, again, very helpful in its direction.

"After getting up from bed, after answering the calls of nature, purifying yourself competely, disallowing the mind to wander hither and tither, sincerely perform the morning japa standing on your feet and repeating the mantra very slowly. Perform this morning worship till the sun rises above the horizon and for the evening worship, do the japa till the stars emerge." (ManuS. 2/101)

In those early days, this sandhyaa karma was not as elaborate as it has tended to become since the days of सूत्राः आगमाः /suutras and aagamas (commentaries and doctrines = man's interpretations and assumptions). The original instruction was to chant the mantra at dawn standing in water and facing the sun, holding water in the folded palms and at then end of each recitation, that water is to be offered to the Lord - ie allowed to run from the hands. As this happens, the sadhaka utters /asaavaadityo Brahma (this sun is Brahman) and makes a circular stepping motion around his or herself as reverence to the Lord Sun/Brahman, who is nothing but the Self within us. Generally, the Gaayatrii is chanted a minimum of ten times; however, according to one's faith, convenience and devotion, it may be chanted any number of times - a classic and auspicious number is the 108 of a sacred mala. If you find that you have time space for only one Gaayatrii practice in a day, then make it the morning.

The mind and the body are the sources of our activity in the world; mind and body have likes, dislikes, emotions, lusts, cravings and so on. They bring out from us a host of animal instincts which can conquer and destroy the spiritual essence within us - the Brahman, the Sun within us. The essential brillinace of the human intellect becomes clouded by this onslaught… the Gaayatrii japa pours oil on these stormy waters and acts as a filter, permitting the intellect to understand it can rise above all the nonsense.

SELF focus, not self focus is the purpose of this practice.

Some more on the history and background to this mantra next week, after which there will be instruction in practice.

Gaayatrii - The What...

Hari OM

Application - that is what 'Workings-days' are about!

We are now undertaking basic technical discourse on Vedanta. The text forming the basis of these posts is 'Kindle Life'. Please do reread previous posts using the labels 'Workings-days' or 'Kindle Life'.

Ch. 28 गायत्री मन्त्र /gaayatrii maantra (cont'd). Today we enter an exploration of the great Gaayatrii Mantra. For now, concentrate on assimilating the best understanding you can. At the end of the exploration (and therefore this chapter of KL), we will do a full practice of pronunciation and metre.

(c) ॐ  YAM-yum

A great many of you will have heard this mantra at some point or other. It holds an equivalent place in the canon of sanatana dharma as the Lord's Prayer of the New Testament.  Within sanatana dharma, there is a concept that this great prayer was uttered by the Creator - which many in the current age are inclined to disparage as exaggerated and over imaginative. However, it is also a fact that even Western scholars, the greater sceptics in this regard perhaps, by virtue of not having any emotional tie to this idea, have themselves declared the Gaayatrii Mantra as one of the oldest available hymns. Throughout all the twists and turns of history in sanatana dharma, the strong oral tradition of Sanskrit has preserved the teachings and this mantra, in particular, continues to wield compelling vibration in the heart. It is not simply a belief, but an actual observation, that by repetition of the Gaayaatri (with correct understanding of meaning), the ordinary, negative tendencies in a human mind can be erased to a large extent. This, of course, could be said of any dedicated prayer, given full focus and redirecting the mind from its distractions.

This mantra is never chanted for the purpose of material gains, physical or otherwise. Its invocation concludes with an appeal to the Pure Consciousness to illumine our heart even more. It is a prayer to the higher Self within us to drop its veil so that we may enter the Purest Wisdom.

Gaayatrii mantra is also called as Shavitrii mantra, which is in relation to the sun. The term comes from the earliest Vedic literature and it is there that we find the metre which is set in this first hymn of this type - there are to be found, subsequently, many other gaayatrii to various aspects of the divine. This, though, is THE Gaayatrii and considered the most important of all these prayers.

What exactly is the Gaayatrii metre, then? It is generally constituted of three paadas (lines), each containing eight syllables. This does not include the precursory chanting. Therefore the three lines of the Gaayatrii are -

Om tat-savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

Dhiyo yo-naH prachodayaat.

Strictly speaking, the omkara ( ॐ ) as also a precursor and not an actual part of the chant; it has been placed, however, to ensure the eight-syllables required. Traditionally, the last syllable '-nyam' of the first paada, is likely to have been clearly pronounced as 'ni' then 'am'. However this usage may have been dropped, as all mantras of any variety within Samskritam are preceded with omkara and, therefore, the syllable measure is satisfied.

Gaayatrii mantra is from the Rig-veda and is found in third mandala (book), in the sixtieth suutra (chapter - actually 'thread') and is the tenth mantra there. Mantra is the term used for all prayers and hymns in Sanskrit literature and refers to very specific rhythmic structure with potential for deep effects upon the chanter. The 'seer' (Rshi) of the mantra is the saint, Vishvaamitra, who is attributed with all the mantras of the third mandala of the Rig-veda. This Gaayatrii is also found in both the Shukla (white) and Krshna (black) Yajur-vedas.

The mantra is dedicated to Sri SavitR - generally accepted to be representative of the Sun. This makes sense, given that the Sun is responsible for life; it gives all illumination to the world and this prayer is for illumination, albeit beyond anything the physical Sun could actually provide. A translation of this mantra would be, "We meditate upon the auspicious light of Lord Sun; may that heavenly light illumine our thought-flow in our intellect." You will find many variations of this interpretation but all saying essentially the same thing… by opening our heart/mind to the teachings which bring the light of knowledge, we ourselves will become enlightened.

Next week, we shall learn a little more about the application of the prayer in the tradition.

The Word

Hari OM

Application - that is what 'Workings-days' are about!

We are now undertaking basic technical discourse on Vedanta. The text forming the basis of these posts is 'Kindle Life'. Please do reread previous posts using the labels 'Workings-days' or 'Kindle Life'.

Ch. 28 गायत्री मन्त्र /gaayatrii maantra (cont'd).

Here are words with which the world is familiar: प्रजपतिर्वै  इदं अग्रे आसीत्  /Prajapathi vai idam agre aasiit' - In the beginning was Prajapati, the Brahman: तस्य वाक्  द्वित्यासीत् /Tasya vaak dvitiya asit - With whom was the Word:  वाग्वै परमं ब्रहम /Vaag vai Paraman Brahma - And the Word was verily the Supreme Brahman. {Krishna Yajurveda Kathaka Samhita 12.5 27.1.}

To say that this is one of the most hotly debated phrases in the religious world would not be an overstatement. Sadly, there are many of the Christian faiths, particularly Catholicism, which are still under the perception (and in which it is actively taught) that the philosophy of Hinduism is pagan and false. Yet all the truly great thinkers of that tradition have, at some point, come into contact with Vedanta, albeit they know not the name, and are influenced by it.

This is said, not to stir up factionalism, merely to point out the obvious. The fact of the matter is that these words were written in the Vedas many centuries prior to them appearing in the Bible. When great and open spirits ponder the Great Truths of existence, they will arrive at the same conclusions. How they chose to name and classify those conclusions will vary, but the one, underlying and undeniable fact will always prevail. Thus, when John 1:1 builds on these very words, we ought not to be surprised, but glad that there is one thing upon which we all ought to be able to agree. All came from that one birth-sound. In Hinduism the sound is given as OM and this OM is a universal mantra.

The very central theme of the Mandukya Upanishad is the syllable OM through which the mystery of Brahman is gathered to a point. The text of this Upanishad first treats OM in terms of the Upanishadic doctrine of the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep, but then passes on to the 'fourth' (turiiya), thus transporting us beyond the typical Upanishadic sphere into that of the later 'classic Advaita Vedanta'. Speaking of OM, the Taittiriiya Upanishad says: "Thou art the sheath of Brahman.'' That is, OM is the container for the Supreme and, therefore, invoking OM is invoking the Supreme.

In every piece of music there are three aspects, namely (1) the meaning of the song, (2) the laws of music  and (3) the sound of the song. Similarly, on OM there are three aspects. The first is the mere sound, the mere mantra as pronounced by the mouth; the second is the meaning of the syllable, which is to be realized through feeling; and the third is the application of OM to your character, singing it in your acts and thus through your life. OM represents the Self which is the Supreme Non-dual Reality. The Self is known in four states, namely, the waking state, the dream state, the deep­ sleep state and the fourth state called the turiiya.   All these states are represented in the three sounds of OM (i.e., A, U, M) and the silence that follows and surrounds the syllable. [AV note; do read the AUMday posts for full exploration of this one-syllable mantra, but here is Gurudev's precis of it.]

The sound A represents the waking state; the sound U represents the dream state and the sound M represents the deep sleep state. The waking state is superimposed on the A sound because it is the first of the three states of consciousness, so the sound A the very first of the letters of the alphabet – in all languages. The dream is but a view within the mind of the impressions that had reflected on the surface of the mental lake during the waking state. Besides, the dream state occurs between the waking and the deep­ sleep state and comes second among the three states of consciousness.  U, being next to A in order of sounds and also since it is between A and M, is treated as representing the dream state. On the M sound of OM is superimposed the deep­ sleep state. The comparison between the last sound of the OM and sleep lies in that it is the closing sound of the syllable, just as deep sleep is the final stage of the mind in rest. A short pregnant silence is inevitable between two successive OMs. On this silence is superimposed the idea of the fourth state, known as turiiya. This is the state of Perfect Bliss when the individual Self recognises the identity with the Supreme. In OM, the sounds A, U, and M are called मात्राः /maatras or forms; there is also in AUM the common principle called the अमात्र /amaatra­ OM, that which signifies the things­ in­ itself, running through and pervading the threefold phenomena of waking, dream, and deep sleep. 

The law of memory is that the rememberer and the experiencer must be one and the same individual, or else memory is impossible. So, as we can remember all our experiences in all three planes, there must necessarily be a single common factor which was a witness of all the happenings in all the three planes. There must be some entity within ourselves who is present in the waking world, who moves and illuminates the dream, who is a distant observer in the deep sleep world, yet who is not conditioned by any of these three realms.

This entity, conceived as the fourth state (turiiya), is the Real, the Changeless, the Intelligent Principle.

...tbc...

Expressing the Inexpressible

Hari OM

Application - that is what 'Workings-days' are about!

We are now undertaking basic technical discourse on Vedanta. The text forming the basis of these posts is 'Kindle Life'. Please do reread previous posts using the labels 'Workings-days' or 'Kindle Life'.

Ch. 28 गायत्री मन्त्र /gaayatrii maantra.

In Western tradition, prayer is uttered with a view of supplication and request of the Lord. Mostly these prayers are driven by specifics of the individual or the community. There is only one 'set' prayer which all are expected to memorise and repeat on a daily basis. The Lord's Prayer which Jesus taught his disciples.

In Hindu practice, all prayers are taught prayers and have a formula of repetition. They are called as mantras. They still address the individual or the community needs, but are based upon the fact that every individual and every community, in the end, have the same needs and therefore standardisation of prayer is there. There is a positive to this in that there is nothing for which there cannot be found an appropriate mantra. Also, it eliminates the tendency to selfishness of 'free prayer'. One can certainly have a personal conversation with one's chosen face of God, but when it comes to prayer, there ought to be no ego involved. There can be negatives, in that prayer time becomes 'automated'; the lips can move but the mind can wander. It is also possible for those who are seen as the spiritual leaders to issue (or not) mantras in rather a controlling manner.

Mantras have been provided by the Rsis, men of intense wisdom who realised the deep and meaningful uses of such verses. Every mantra relates to one or other of the many faces of deity. It is considered that when one chants, one is keeping the mind focused on the presiding deity of that particular mantra and directed away from the small self. The number of repetitions of a mantra can have effects also; ten thousand times of japa can only bring a positive influence in the life of the japist. 108 is the auspicious number. 1008 for healing… and so on. Whenever japa of a mantra is undertaken, the murti of the presiding deity ought to be visualised. One of the ways any particular deity is invoked for a japa session is to use the meditation stanza ( ध्यान श्लोक /dhyaana shloka) which actually describes said deity.  These mantras are known as gaayatrii.  All deities have one.  But of course, there is Maha-gaayatri, The Great Meter… gaayatri being a rhythm of chanting based on 24 beats. 

 

The matter of mantras can be quite a contentious one.  There are those who insist upon ritualism and formality with respect to the उपासन /upaasana (approach, the drawing near [to God]) part of the Vedas. The orthodox and traditionalists hold that japa must be accumulated, alongside the undertaking of certain rituals such as होम /homa (fire ceremony), तर्पण /tarpana (offering items to the deity), भिक्ष /bhiksha (providing alms to many), as all being part of japa. This is not a universal view, however. There is another school of thought that sincerity and faith are the core of japa-saadhana and that anyone with a pure intention in their heart, filled with Love, can equally as well perform and gain benefit from japa. Vedanta, and very specifically the Chinmaya Mission and other similar institutions, fall into the later category.

There are three types of mantra; for invocation of the lower powers of nature (wishing personal and individual satisfaction of a desire = tamaasik); for invocation of betterment (wishing personal but also community satisfaction based on acquisition - rajaasik); invocation for the good of all (knowing that this includes the individual making the supplication = sattvik). Here we see the triguna at play.

There is another classification, which is two-part; first, mantras that need only be chanted whether or not one understands their meaning; second those mantras which are of nature of invocation and therefore the content of the chant must be understood in order that the sadhak may keep full focus on the purpose and the presiding deity.

Vedic mantras are written in both prose style and poetic metre. The former are found in the Yajur-veda and the latter are found in the Rig-veda. (Those found in Saama-veda are more lyrical again and are the basis of praise in the form of hymns; the Atharva-veda is much more about ritual.)

Of all the mantras, the most powerful and the most significant is the single-syllabled " ॐ /OM" - the symbol itself has a name, which is प्रणव /pranava (of the breath).

There are innumerable writings on the significance of this one mantra alone! From Vedic times until now, the word OM has been taken as an aid to meditation - globally. It is accepted wholly as being Brahman, of being a means to reach Brahman, the logos (teaching and knowledge through use of words) and the interface between the meditator and Brahman. Through analysis of OM arose the स्फोट-वाद /sphota-vaada (philosophy of The Word). The universe we see is manifest form. Behind it stands the eternal and inexpressible - the sphota, manifest as logos. The eternal sphota, that through which all received names, is the creative power. It is the Brahman shaped via Maya which produced the sphota, the inexpressible word.