Mala Usage

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. 27 JAPA YOGA, continued.

This post is actually outside of the KL text - but necessarily so, as the text assumes an audience already familiar with the mala and the practical saadhana known as japa. This if to fill that gap.

If the two bowl system mentioned last week is your choice, then the movement of one bead/coin from the full bowl into the empty bowl, causing that bowl to become full, is a straight forward action. The symbolism of emptying yourself in order to allow the flow of Pure Consciousness to enter you is fairly obvious. With each movement of a bead, don't do it on 'autopilot'. Each bead has a chant uttered over it as it moves; feel it as it is transported and release it with care and acknowledgement into the other bowl. At no time touch it with the index finger (more on this follows).

The preferred method for the dedicated saadhaka though, is use of the stranded beads known as a mala. The full saadhana length is 108 + meru. However, it is possible to use the wrist form which is made of 27 + m, so four circuits = 108 chants. Occasionally, the half mala can found also, 54 + m.

Some key points apply regardless of which mala (or if bowls) are used.

The items are being used for a sacred act, so must themselves be treated as sacred.

Do not allow them to fall on floor.

Keep them by the altar when not in use, preferably wrapped in a clean cloth or pouch.

Give pranaams (prostrations) to them before and after use. If you are unaccustomed to bowing before an altar, than at least touch your brow to the focus point and the bowls/mala. This is to acknowledge your desire to open your ajna through their contact. If you are not prepared in yourself, their purpose will be lost.

At all times use your right hand only. Many talk of this as being due to the toileting habits of places and times… not necessarily wrong, but extremely limited in explanation! The right hand is operated by the left brain and, as we are clear about in these modern times, this is our 'logical' mind at work. It is very important to not be overcome with emotion or to risk fantasy in spiritual practice. Even if one is a left-hand dominant individual, training the right hand for this purpose is very balancing.

In this same context, the index finger is to be kept away from the beads/coins during japa. Those who are familiar with chirology will be familiar with the concept of the index finger being related to the ego. In daily use we know it to be so - even if mostly unaware of it; for the index finger is what is used to point to 'the other', to accuse or reprimand or emphasise; all of which is about duality and the opposite to the purpose of yoga.

The mala is not to be worn as if a piece of jewellery. By all means have a wrist mala to wear so japa can be practiced outside of the home. The full mala, however, ought to remain in your sacred space. If at all it be worn (and fully dedicated saadhakas may wish this), it ought to be with the meru at the nape of the neck and the rest of the mala kept under the clothing, not exposed to the world.

All this is about 'mindfulness'. Taking conscious and deliberate action. Having a routine of when and how to approach your daily saadhana is as important as the saadhana itself. This is the true purpose of 'ritual' - to keep the mind centered on the sacred.

Mala. How to hold and use? When lifting the mala from its pouch or place on the altar, raise it so that it can drop its full length without touching the floor. Generally this means that your forearm is extended at right angles from the elbow and perhaps a little higher - essentially, the operation hand is likely to be level with the heart chakra. Indeed, if comfortable, you may perform japa with the hand only a little away from your heart centre. Mostly, though, the hand will hover above the knee, where any excess length in the mala can also fall.

Locate meru. This is to be considered the head of God. After one rotation of the mala, on reaching meru, the mala will be swung round and rotated in the opposite direction - at no time is meru crossed over.

Hold the first bead with meru 'behind'. The mala can rest on either of the middle or ring fingers. Rotation of the mala is performed with the thumb if using the first method, or with the middle finger if using the second method. The ring finger method is a little more tricky to adapt to, but has the distinct advantage that if the index finger relaxes (which means the mind has too!) it will rest on the middle finger and not touch the mala. Majority people use the thumb method to draw the beads over though, as it does give a better control of the beads. Experiment and find which suits you over the length of the mala.

With each bead, sound your mantra. For those who do not have a given mantra, AUM is universal. Hold each bead for the full duration of the sound, only traversing to next bead during the turiya (silence and inhalation).

Be in no hurry. Express the mantra, albeit the single-word AUM, with all the Love (capital 'ell'!) that you have within you. When you reach meru, you have completed a full 108 reptitions. If you wish to continue japa, then, as stated, do not cross meru, but rather bring the lower fingers round behind the string and spin it round, then proceed as before. Obviously, if using wrist mala, then this turning must take place three times for each 108 to complete.

If you are taking up this practice for the very first time, it is possible to feel self-conscious, clumsy, even a little scared. Take heart! This is one of the most powerful and meaningful acts you will ever undertake. It is clarifying, focusing, relieving, pacifying… The first 108 chanting can seem endless, because the mind is sitting in the mechanics of the practice. Do not worry, this is perfectly normal.  Practice brings familiarity. The mala becomes your friend and travelling companion in the chanting.

SAADHANA

Practice a single mala of AUM chanting each day. Note the effects. 

Rolling The Beads

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.

Be sure to review last week's post. Is there now a dedicated saadhana space in your home? Have you practiced aasana? The breathing and settling? Of course, it is not impossible to proceed exactly as you wish to and ignore all the evidence and guidance of the teacher, and there will still be some benefit in terms of karmic 'points' and sense of well-being. However, it is the simple case that as much as you put in, only so much you can get out. The closer you get to the discipline advised, the more likely you are to gain fullest benefit, and that too sooner rather than later.

Let us pick up the instruction. It was left at the sitting in preparation and doing the settling and regulating the breathing. Clear all mental clutter and distraction...

This having been done to your satisfaction, it is time to begin chanting your chosen Iishta-mantra as indicated last week also. Do this slowly and steadily and fill it with intent and all the Love you can muster. In this way you are invoking the bhakti element of the practice. As the rhythm builds, pick up the mala. Remember that Meru is the head bead and represents God/Brahman/Om, so it is not used as such in the japa. It serves as a marker as the mala is turned - but also can be thought of as the whole from which we move away in our incarnation and then return to through right action and experience. Thus we select the first immediate bead next to Meru. Note that the right hand alone is to be used for japa. Whilst in current times we have strong hygienic practices and the notion of a 'toilet' hand is not so much necessary now, it is still a matter of respect to observe the tradition.

Settle the mala first bead on the first joint of the middle finger, keeping the forefinger ('ego') pointed away. It is held in place with the thumb and Meru lies just below the thumb as we begin. The thumb will roll the bead as the mantra is repeated and then pull the bead down and thumb moves immediately to next bead where again the mantra is recited. This is continued until Meru appears, showing that 108 chants have occurred. If doing more than one mala, do not cross Meru, but instead, bring the thumb and middle finger together to form a loop, shake the mala onto the thumb, bring middle in under the mala and slip it back onto that finger, the thumb reaching for the first bead after Meru once more. The mala has thus been reversed and at no time do we cross the Meru. There are those who prefer to use the ring finger, keeping the thumb closed to it in loop and using the middle as the rotator. Same method is used for switching past Meru. Practice a little of both for a while and find which is most natural for yourself.

The forefinger (or 'index') is considered the 'ego' representative because it is the most used in language; it tends to come out when we want our point of view to be taken seriously, it gets shaken if we are irate, it gets pointed if we are being critical or accusative. In short, it emphasises our self-identity as well as enforcing the fact that we perceive 'other'. The aim of japa is to find unity and not exaggerate duality. Therefore be sure to keep forefinger away from mala. Remember also that the mala ought not to touch the floor. Ideally you will have adopted the 'heart centre' method, keeping the elbow bent hand level with the upper chest - if your aasana is fully balanced, this will not be difficult at all.

It is to be expected that if you have never used any form of mala or rosary before, this will feel strange and even clumsy at first. Keep at it!

SAADHANA

Incorporate the mala into daily practice now. The keyword here is 'practice' in the fullest sense. This is just the beginning - or a renewal after long absence perhaps. Any exercise requires that we build up our stamina within it. Do only one mala each session this week in order to get the body and mind used to the idea. If you find things are going very well, then by all means practice the mala switch and do a second. Do not overdo things though. Japa must never become rote, or so repetitive that it becomes a chore as a result. Japa built well becomes a 'sweet', a little reward to ourselves for getting other things in order.

VIP... Very Important Post!

Hari OM

Monday is AUM-day; in search of meditation.

Meditation & Life, with Sw. Chinmayananda (Gurudev).

We are now exploring the writings of Gurudev on our focus subject of Meditation. The book is a thorough treatment of the subject and extends to over 170 pages of closely printed text. No attempt is intended, here, to present the text in its entirety. However, important paragraphs and quotes will be given, within a summary of each section. You are encouraged to use the links on sidebar to obtain a copy for yourselves from CM publications. Please remember that each of the posts under this title is part of a thought flow and it is important to go back and read the previous post in order to refresh and review the context.

Japa Yoga.

The preparatory tool of mental training given by the Rsis is that of japa yoga; continuous chanting of a mantra or Lord's names. Japa, performed well, brings about a sustained focus. Indeed, in terms of single-pointedness, japa may be considered rather more effective than going straight into the transcendental form of meditation. A japa-conditioned mind, highly controlled thoughts, is free to fly to unimaginable heights in the meditation which follows it. Japa trains the mind to fix on a single line of thinking. We cannot utter a word without a corresponding image/form rising up to accompany it - neither can we see form, without its accompanying descriptive word or words. Repeat the word 'pen' - automatically, it can seem instantaneous, the object associated with the word came to mind, is it not? There is no avoidance of this for the mind. It is in having observed this fact that the Great Seers devised a technique to give the mind a form and associated words to which it must anchor itself in order to change direction.

Love cannot be generated without an association; the level of love depends on our connection with the object/trigger for that love. Our love for our parents or children is present due to our prolonged exposure to same; whilst for a distant relative is likely to be less ardent.  Japa performed with intensity of purpose and repetition of the name of the 'object' (Self/God) builds the required devotion and desire for more of its company. Meditation is keeping the mind hitched to one line of thinking to the complete exclusion of all other thought-currents for a prolonged period of time. One must fall in Love with it. To build that attachment, japa is invaluable. "Japa yoga is a very effective mental discipline for spiritual progress. In recent history there is the instance of the esteemed teacher, Sri Samartha Ramdas, who perfected himself through the japa yoga of Sri Rama mantra. Lord Krishna Himself says in the Gita, 'I am, among the yogas, japa yoga.'"

Procedure.

Designate a special room or area in your home/garden for your spiritual practice. Place an image or statue of the Lord of your heart (or an OM symbol - or for those who are without this type of focus, perhaps write and decorate the word 'love' of 'peace' to use as the focal point). This image ought to be at a comfortable height compared to your seated position, such that the base/Lord's feet) are level with your eyes, without any flexure of the neck. Spread a rug or stable cushion if you are using the traditional aasana, or the chair you have chosen for this task which permits a posture suitable for the task (see last week's AUM-day post), then by all means, if you wish, light a lamp or candle if this assists in creating the environment which assists you. Have your mala (rosary) of 108 beads by your right hand. [AV-blog; regular readers will recall the post on malas last year - please review.]

Taking up aasana, settling and working some breaths [again, please review last year's post on praana], raise your eyes to the Lord's face, body, legs, feet; mentally prostrate there (surrender the ego), then raise your gaze slowly back up the form(if using non-deity focus tool, still work from top to bottom, acknowledging the form and what it represents).

Close your eyes. Feel the presence of the Higher and now have the image etched on your mental plane. This visualisation of the Lord/Higher ought to occur within your "Love Heart… said to be the right side of your physical heart (behind sternum). This is the spiritual centre from which you must meditate.

Repeat your chosen mantra (more on this soon) a few times, slowly, steadily and with Love. Invoke your devotion. Take up the mala now and search for Meru - the 'off' bead. Remember, right hand only please. Holding the mala, bring the ring or middle finger together, with the first bead of the mala held firmly. The ring finger is the preferred method, as it reduces the chance of the forefinger falling onto the beads. That finger is considered to represent the little ego-self… think on this, it is used for pointing, either to desired objects or in reprimand or to accuse; it is like a sword on our hands, having the wordless ability to dice or splice! This finger must never touch the mala, but ought, if you can manage it, to be pointed always to the sky/heaven showing the direction of the thoughts. [AV-blog; this is why many japists use a bag with a hole specially made to push the forefinger through, the mala inside.] You may have seem some who perform japa with the mala hand resting on their knee. Provided the mala never touches the floor (i.e. stays on the legs or prayer mat), this is acceptable; however it is not as disciplined or as correct as the traditional method of holding the mala level with the 'love heart'. If you bend your elbow so that the hand is level with it, this effectively achieved and places no undue strain on the arm.

Now, from the first bead onwards, as you work each bead through with the thumb, (and here it is made easier, if the middle finger has been left free to assist rotation), repeat your mantra. Do not proceed to the next bead until the mantra is completed for the bead you are on. This is not a hundred yard sprint. Continue for the 108. You will feel Meru arrive. Do not cross - to do so is said to be putting yourself over the head of the Higher! Instead, you must turn the mala round and proceed 'back' around the 108 beads. To turn the mala takes a little practice and the other hand must not be used. Holding that last bead with the middle finger (if you have used this for the count, then at this point slip the mala onto ring finger anyway), move the thumb under to grab that bead with the middle finger, bring all fingers clear of the mala and twist the bead - Meru will now be pointing safely into the palm and you can proceed with chanting…. Note that this must be done fluidly - there is no actual break in chanting. The chanting, you will have found, takes on a rhythm whereby there is a breath break between beads and this permits the reverse rotation to occur seamlessly.

Yes it takes practice if you have never used a mala/rosary before… but it will not be long before you come to appreciate the powerful tool that it is.

SAADHANA
(thought this had been forgotten?..!) Ensure you review the previous japa posts with the label button and look at where you might set up your 'sacred space'. Never delay the start of such practice with explanations/ xcuses/justifications as to why you can't do the thing - rather find the reasons that you must do it.

...tbc...

The Coup of Counting

Hari OM

Monday is AUM-day; in search of meditation.

 The flowering of love is meditation.

(J Krishnamurti)

Whilst mala was mentioned last week, it is not an absolute essential to japa practice, particularly at these beginner stages. At first there is no need to get caught up in methodology of counting and such.  It is good to know about it though, and to understand that japa-prayer/meditation is quite an art in itself.

The number of beads mentioned pertain to 'auspiciousness'.  108 is considered the single most auspicious number and for large festivals and full saadhanas, multiples of this are used.  For convenience, a sadhak may wear a wrist mala, which most often has the 27 beads, and will make four 'tours' of the mala to create the full 108 repetitions.  As a general rule, the longer malas (54/108) are not worn unless one is under full training, but the wrist malas may be worn on daily basis.  (The full malas, if they are worn, ought to be kept under one's clothing (not in sight) and the sumeru (head bead) ought to sit at the nape of the neck.) Ideally, the malas will be kept, when not in use, in a cloth or silk bag on the chosen altar space in the home, or if this is not set up, by the scriptural books. 

Showing respect for one's mala and books of knowledge is a large part of awareness (mindfulness) and being 'present'. Mala is not a piece of jewellery or decoration. In affording a sacredness to this spiritual tool, we are training our minds to think always on a higher level.

Whilst the main rule in Vedanta is that the thoughts (mind) dictate the actions we make, equally, in order to take back control of the mind (and therefore the thoughts of which it is made), is to take up actions of a better quality. Thus we have 'ritual' in spiritual practice. (Of course, in some quarters, ritual has itself become something of a block...that will be discussed elsewhere.) Preparing ourselves before taking up our meditational pose by showering, dressing in a dedicated tunic or ensuring that we are adequately hydrated, for example, is a ritual.  We can use these preparations themselves for japa.

Start to turn the mind towards the task of introspection and dedicated Self-analysis by making each task sacred. At each and every movement of the hand, chant or call for blessing.  Any task in the day, done with this kind of awareness can become part of your spiritual practice… your saadhana.

It does not have to be visible to the world. Whether or not Joe Bloggs or Sanjana Iyer know that you are dedicated to spiritual improvement is entirely irrelevant. It is not their approval you need to be seeking.  Unless of course, Joe and Sanjana are fellow travellers and can share the experience and give support when the going gets tough! Saadhana is an entirely personal experience and each and every task that is asked of us in daily life as well as from shastra, if given the appropriate attention, will yield rewards.

This applies most of all when it comes to sitting for meditation.

For anyone who has obtained a mala, or has taken the care to make one for themselves, follow these few simple steps;

Keep it always sacred, by holding it to your heart, lips and brow before and after use, acknowledging the      Lord's presence in the beads

Keep it always sacred, when not in use, by wrapping in cloth bag or putting in a place dedicated to it

Keep it always sacred, even if worn, by sliding it inside the clothing and keeping sumeru upwards

Keep it always sacred, by not allowing it to touch the ground, whether in use or not

Keep it always sacred, by using only the right hand for the recitation of mantra.

To use it, place the strand over the ring or middle finger of the right hand. Keep the meru bead behind the thumb as you grasp the first bead.  Not too firmly, but enough to fully feel the bead and to be able to wiggle it slightly between the finger and the thumb. The forefinger should be kept out of the way during japa, as it represents the ego.  (Some devotees obtain a japa bag, which suspends from the neck and hides the mala - the hand slips inside and there is a special hole near the top for the forefinger to come through and thus avoid temptation of joining in!) Hold the bead of chant in front of you at approximately heart level. This will keep the beads from touching ground (if you are sitting in full floor aasana) but is also the most comfortable for shoulders and arm for prolonged sessions. The elbow can be tucked against the body.

Stay with each bead for as long as it takes to complete the mantra fully. Only move to the next bead when the vibration of each chant has faded. Rotate by pulling the current bead down (towards the body) and then grasping the next bead in line. After 108 repetitions, the meru bead is approached.  Do not cross it.  This is considered as to be putting yourself above the Lord...instead you must twist the mala round, grasping the new first bead and then progress.  This short video will help in understanding.

Japa practice can be done at anytime, but is especially useful prior to meditation, or as the meditation itself.  We shall explore this more. If you have not taken up a mala, do consider knotting a length of string and dedicating it to this practice. It is not so much the material itself, as the aide it becomes to our focus. (There are mala snobs out there!  Remember at all times, what counts is not with what the counting is done, but that the counting is done at all…)

FRET NOT!!!
If no mala as such is held, counting can still take place by using the phalanges of the fingers.  On the right hand, press your thumb to the bottom phalange of the first finger (it can be used in this case because the hand is now upturned and on you lap, therefore 'surrendered'). Make the chant then move up to the middle, chant, then to the third (tip) phalange, chant.  Now move across to the third (tip) phalange of the middle finger.  Work down and at the bottom, move across to the bottom of the ring finger and work up. Finally moving across the tips to the pinkie and down to its base. 

This equals 12 chants.  On the left hand place your thumb on the bottom phalange of the forefinger.  This marks one round of the right hand.  The right hand now goes back to the beginning and repeats the action.  At the completion of that 12, the left thumb moves up to the middle phalange of the forefinger.

Are you seeing the pattern?  When the left thumb reaches the tip of the left ring finger that is 9 x 12 = 108 !!!

SAADHANA

Practice the rotation of 108 chants.  For this purpose, use only the name of the Lord dear to your heart - this can be Lord Jesus also!  If you are uncomfortable repeating His name thus, use the Sanskrit version - Isha (pronounced eesha).

Any Catholics among you will be thinking "ah this is like rosary!"  Correct. Although japa has been around for centuries longer.

Concentrate fully on this japa daily.  Feel the vibration of focus and chant combined.

Develop Dedication

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.

The setting of thought-image with word was our discussion last week, in order to demonstrate how interlinked the two are.  Thus the intellectual part of japa - the jnaana - is that of focus upon the words of mantra and creating the associated image. What of the devotional - bhakti - aspect?

Well, similarly, it is repetition which sets the seal. Unless we are Realised in Love, we tend as mere mortals to not automatically love something. It takes time to build love. We have to give some thought to love. Clearly, this is made easier by the continued presence of the object to be loved. We can always have our heart open for our immediate family, but the further removed our uncles or cousins are, the less likely we are to sincerely and deeply express love for them. It is not that we don't have it; but out of sight out of mind and, therefore, more tenuous the love. This speaks to the need to spend daily time with japa to make it a saadhana you first love to do and then that it transforms to love for that at which it is aimed. Constantly repeating the names of the Lord, in a dedicated and unselfish manner, we find that the chanting then stays with us even when we are not focused, just as the love and memory of our family do, throughout the day; always in the back of our mind as a motivation for our work.

It is always the repetition of thinking which seals the attachment to anything.

That which is Supreme Reality can only be reached through pure meditation. This has been proven over centuries by all mahatmas who have gone before us. However, the vast majority of us are incapable of the very deep and meaningful separation of our egos which is required to attain that goal. We require 'crutches' to aid our journey up that particular mountainside! Japa is a most valuable tool. Without the training and taming of the mind into a single point of focus, any attempts at meditation will find us wingless, as it were, flying around to all sorts of imagined landing strips. Meditation is keeping the mind hitched to one post and one post alone. Japa is the best training tool we have for this.

How to start?

To coin a phrase… just do it! With anything in life, the only way to accomplish something is to involve oneself in it. Watching videos of swimming, reading about the strokes and breathing techniques, even buying the flotation devices and goggles, will in no way help us until we actually plunge into the water. Only by being in the water, by extending our limbs and flapping them about, albeit most ungainly at first, do we start to learn in the fullest sense of the word. Experience alone is the teacher. Experience only comes by starting on something.

Okay. There are accoutrements, the floats and goggles of japa, to have on hand. What are they? First and foremost, the japa mala. You will recall from earlier posts that this is the 'rosary' of 108 beads. Most commonly available and affordable are those of sandalwood or tulsi. It is possible to make one's own mala, but all beads ought to be of same size and knot placed in between each bead. The Meru (the 'head' bead) must be of larger size. If purchasing a mala (see below), be sure to place it on the 'altar' for a day and dedicate it your heart's work. Be aware also, wrist malas are available (27 beads - one quarter mala), which are useful for ongoing practice in the day, but for purpose of dedicated saadhana, the full mala is much preferable.

Mention of 'altar' was made just now. This is next in 'equipment'; it implies of course that you have a dedicated space - or even if lucky a whole room - in which to sit for daily practice. It ought to be a spot that cannot become overwhelmed by daily living. If you do not have the luxury of that spare room, perhaps a corner of the bedroom which will not be cluttered or receive heavy footfall.

Make the space conducive by having a raised platform or shelf upon which you can place an image for your focus - this is the 'altar'. It can be a murti of your chosen Lord, or it can be an image of the OM symbol - it can be as simple as a large candle with a steady flame. Something to lead the eye to a single focus is what is required. Your aasana (seat) ought to be at eye-level with centre of the focal point - or at the feet of the murti. We have discussed aasana a few times before - review basics here. In aasana, go through the settling of the body, relaxing each part; set the breathing pattern, easy and even; gaze upon the point of your focus. If using a murti, starting at the feet, work your way up the body of your Iishta-devataa, admiring his or her shape, elegance of hands, glory of hair, beauty of face and depth of eye. Gaze into those eyes with only the name of that Iishta in your mind… "Rama, Rama, Rama… Laxmi, Laxmi, Laxmi… Yeshu, Yeshu, Yeshu..." They are your beloved, you are besotted. If you are using OM, trace its curves with your eyes, landing finally on the anu - the point sitting in the chandra (curve). Gaze into it, imagine the space within it and let only AUM be your thought at this time. If using a candle, start from the base and work up to the flame, then gaze at the point between wick and flame. Know that what appears empty is in fact filled with enormous energy. AUM is still the favoured chant for this tool or you may still opt for the name of a favoured Iishta.

The mala may now be taken from the altar. We shall investigate this more next week.

SAADHANA

If you have not till now set out a spot in your home for dedicated spiritual practice, make that an aim for this week. Practice sitting in aasana; remember, the body must never feel strained, but also must never be slouched; held correctly relaxation is automatic yet discipline remains. Obtain a mala and dedicate it. Most outlets which promote yoga will have malas for sale; but for a pure product, this page at CM Publications is recommended.

Get Going

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.

By now, if you are reading this, it is hoped you are already starting practice. It may be worth mentioning that another way to count is to have 108 beads loose in a bowl and another bowl to the side. A bead may be picked up and rolled as the mantra is recited then dropped into the other bowl. They would ideally be placed on the altar at waist to chest height. This method, though, is better for use in pujas and can be a tad distracting when working towards meditation. It is a place to start though.

Now then… mantras. A mantra can be considered as a verbal symbol. It may consist of a single word (AUM) or several words/syllables. You will have gathered by now that Sanskrit is, apart from much else, a very tonal language, therefore it sits well in rhythms and pitches. In many ways it is closer to things like plain chant in the Western tradition that it is to straight prayers, which are generally only spoken and do not have any requirement of voice pitch or beat. In the Western focus, there is a tendency to perceive God as 'other' to which we must make supplication for boons, whilst in the East it is that the 'me' who is chanting or praying has become separated and is seeking to unify with the Divine once more. When praying or chanting in the West, the words are all from individuals and, although reference may be made to scripture, rarely contain actual scripture within them. In the Sanskrit tradition, all chants/prayers which are classified as 'mantra' arise directly from shaastra. Nothing of the individual using them is permitted to taint the word-symbols.

In the Western tradition the focus tends to be an attempt to bring God to ourselves; in the Eastern, it is that we seek to rise to God.

This is why the mantras are often personalised for the shishya by the Guru. There are many mantras which do not require 'permission' to use, though; given mantras are for advanced and fully-focused saadhakas. The key thing is, there is a method of reaching to the Higher for everyone, for every temperament and for every walk of life. For those who struggle with focus, the use of murti, cross or crescent form is useful, until such time as practice permits the seeker to at last meditate upon the formless.

All mantras are available to be seen within the shaastras, but it is when we change the usage (as we do in japa for example), the emphasis and pertinence of the words takes on a different 'chemistry', as it were. Much is made, in some circles, about 'Guru initiation' - this is fine in its place, but do not be put off japa or meditation practice simply because you are not yet in the presence of a true mahatma! Begin now! Delay not! Be the flower attempting to reach out to the sun in order for your petals to open… when truly available, the 'pollinator' will arrive to ensure your progress. There are plenty of mantras which can be taken up by the novice. This has been written about before (click here for post). ...indeed japa and mantras, including Gaayatri have been discussed prior; with each text and review of the procedures and techniques, however, we can either correct our current practice, or find that we learn something new. Never fall into the trap of thinking 'oh I know all this…'! Repetition and review is the essential part of learning.

Till now, also, many of you who are starting this strange new spiritual technique will have been focusing on the act itself, less than the connection it can afford with the Higher. This is perfectly normal. Important to remember, though, as you progress with practice, that the aasana, the beads, the Iishta devata even the japa itself are but 'levers'. They are tools to aid the process of tuning the mind to the Divine. Let not the actions become the only thing happening in japa meditation. Be warned, it is all too easy to fall into habit and 'lip service'. Chanting can become automatic whilst monkey mind is off playing elsewhere!!!

Japa must be an all-out, full and intense exercise in focus on one thing and one thing only. Brahman/Yeshu/Om. Pour your whole being into the exercise. Permit no distraction within. The ironing and washing up must not become the excuse for failure in focus.

SAADHANA

Take aasana, settle praana, lift the mala and call upon the Divine. If you have not already done so, select a mantra with which you are comfortable (see that link above) and get started! Remember, rather do little and often, than make big attempts only when you think you have time. One mala done daily will have more benefit long-term. Set yourself that goal this week - rise fifteen minutes earlier, bathe, sit and roll one mala with fully dedicated focus on the chosen mantra. Don't forget to log your own progress and observations in the little note book.

Furthermore, do not forget to review all previous writings on the subject; use the labels host on sidebar for 'mantra', 'japa' and so on; some posts will be available in more than one label, but some will be dedicated. Build your memory and the wider picture. Review, review, review - do, do, do!

Tool of Trade

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. 27 JAPA YOGA.

Kindle Life is a text of Chinmaya Mission which is given to those who have no background at all in Vedanta. It is there to address the questions and concerns of "if not 'God', then what?", "what is the point of religion?", "as a non-believer, can this philosophy address the state of humanity?"… It is worth mentioning yet again that Gurudev, Swami Chinmayananda, was an atheist until he came up against Vedanta. It is a philosophy and spiritual discipline for the thinking person.  It positively demands thinking!

That does not mean that there is not a place in daily saadhana for applying 'manual techniques', as it were. In order to engender the level of thinking required for the higher reaches of the philosophy, it is necessary to declutter the mind, declutter the heart and declutter life. The Rsis developed a formula for this and it has been tested over and over and over and over; for centuries, true seekers have proven the theory for themselves.   This is what makes Vedantins 'spiritual scientists'. Whilst द्यानम्/dhyaanam (meditation) is the key prescription, this itself requires significant focus and discipline. For the seeker, even at advanced levels, this always remains a challenge. Athletes may run the big races and sometimes win them - but leading up to those big events, there has first to be endless and repetitive training. There is a method for training the mind known as जप/japa.  Gurudev says,

"Japa is a training by which the ever-dancing rays of the mind are compelled to behave in some order and rhythm, bringing out their cooperative effort a single 'melody' of repeated mantra-chanting.  In thus practising, the mind becomes extremely single-pointed.  In fact, japa properly done can more effectively bring about a sustained focus than all the hasty methods of meditation.  A mind seasoned with japa is like tinned food, which is ready for consumption after a few seconds warming on the stove.  A short period of meditation can take a japa-conditioned mind to unimaginable heights in an impossibly short time." 

In order to speak, there must first be a thought-form behind the words rising up. There cannot be thought without appending form and name to it.  Try! Can you repeat the word "ball" without immediately knowing its form? The concept of नाम रूप/naama ruupa, name and form, is absolutely integral to the japa process. The human mind simply cannot have one without the other.

Japa is repetition of Lord's name or a sacred mantra. We form the most comprehensive relationships with those in whose company we are most present, is it not? Through thick and thin, good times and the bad, through sickness and health. Our relationship with The Higher can be formed in equal terms - through constant chanting of name - because then we also apply a form; this is why we require the symbols of spirituality, be it the murti of Sri Rama or the cross of Christ, the Om of the Vedantins and Buddhists or the Hu of the Sufi. The symbols can become very subtle, but will remain until such time as one attains union. The reason we attach to things and people is because we constantly think of them, or simply by their continued presence. Be sure to attach to the Higher! This dedication at first to 'form' through 'name' is bhakti.

Attaining union with the Supreme Reality can only take place through the avenue of dhyaanam and its various stages. However, getting into full meditation can be facilitated by the bhakti-focus of japa. To think that one can enter the full flight of meditation without having put in the training, without a full understanding of the nature of the focus, can be as foolhardy as suddenly deciding to sail around the world without having ever been in a boat before. It can seem fine as long as land is in sight. After that things can get very 'hairy' indeed.

HOW TO…

Well this is where the basics of prayer room/corner and aasana come in.  If you have not already done so, please read HERE… (or indeed, re-read all the AUM-day posts!) The link between japa and meditation is very close, so at the beginning stages the setting can be the same.

Setting aside a specific area of your home which you take to be sacred is itself a form of bhakti. Don't be mechanical in it. Give thought to arranging it so that you can truly want and enjoy being there. According to your background, you may decorate it with the symbol of your devotional focus. Some folk keep a simple image of OM, either as a picture on the wall, or a brass figurine; others have murti of their इष्ट देवता/ishta devataa (personal God); it can be an image of Yeshu or it can be a mandala, a picture of a diminishing point… the key thing is to have something upon which to focus. If you take full padma aasana, on the floor, then the 'altar' ought to be down at appropriate level. The focus point must be directly before the eyes… if using a murti, then the feet of the Lord are the focus point. This is to ensure that the aasana does not droop, as well as making that image imprint onto the  आज्ञा/aajnaa, the brow chakra aka the third eye.

It has been said that this is a manual process. This suggests 'machinery' or at least some tools. The altar space is part of this. Another is the use of a माला/maalaa, the Hindu 'rosary'. Generally these are given by the guru to the shishya on commencement of study at gurukula. For those like yourselves reading this, if you do not already possess one, then the option is to make your own. Stringing 108 beads, each separated by a small knot in the string, then bring the two ends of the string together through a slightly larger 'head bead', (known as मेरु/meruu). Beads ought to be all of same size, and ideally not more than 1cm diameter.

Another thing which can be done is to have a small tray in front of you and place two bowls; one empty, the other containing 108 beads or coins. This, however, can remove the focus - so in this case the 'symbol' needs to also be on the tray, or the tray sitting just below the main point of focus on the 'altar'. In the short term as you adjust to the concept of japa, this can be okay, but you are strongly encouraged to take up mala.

SAADHANA

Next week we shall look at the actual use of a mala. In the meantime, please give some thought to making one for yourself. This itself can be made a sacred and meditative act, as well as a sublime act of creation!

Engaging Process

Hari OM

Monday is AUM-day; in search of meditation.

Last week we took a little adventure along the slopes of meditation, as it were, glimpsing some of the stages which will arise in the progress from the material world through to yoga. The inner trek can be every bit as arduous and hazardous as attempting Mt Everest. Practiced along with saadhana exercises such as japa, mananam and the daily self-monitoring of the saadhana chatushtaya we will inevitably be faced with our personal hurdles. All the little 'time bombs' of our personality will bubble to the surface, both during meditation and as we progress in Vedantic study… for those readers who may have, till now, been only following the AUMday posts, now would be a good time retrace your steps and pick up one or two other threads. For example, if you read only on Mondays, you will have missed the 'Workings-day' posts about japa and use of mala.

Certainly, it is possible to gain much from sitting in aasana, working on praana and using japa of OM without at all taking up other researches. If the chanting is being undertaken correctly, however, there will come a point at which it becomes clear there is something within which is beyond the sound itself, even beyond its vibration; and this is where the need for knowledge arises. Conversely, to work on the knowledge-gain alone, without at all undertaking appropriate meditation - well it amounts to little more than 'intellectual gymnastics', as Gurudev was fond of saying.

Okay. OM is our focus now. What to do with it?

Firstly let it be noted that for the purpose we are talking here, you as the sadhaka must be doing the chanting. Use of pre-recorded OM-sessions, of which many are available online, can actually detract from process at this point. As you check out each of the techniques/processes which will now follow, it is imperative that you are sitting only with yourself. Body, Mind and Intellect working together. (There will be a discussion on the use of recordings in due course.) Secondly, for these exercises, do not concern about use of mala. Japa is simply repetition and for this purpose, counting is not of urgency.

PROCESS ONE.

Recently we have explored, intellectually, the A,U & M. To chant the OM is to draw a long, deep but unstrained breath, hold it for a fraction at the base of the lung, then on the exhalation, which ought also to be controlled and extensive, allow the sound to flow naturally; first out of the larynx 'aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa' then under the uvula and into the palate 'uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu', then over the lips 'mmmmmmmmmmmmm' and into turiiya '……………………………' as the expelled breath drifts away from one and fresh breath is taken.

Do not force AH, OO, MM (huff)!!! Let the sound be totally natural. The 'a' is more to the 'uh' pronunciation which drifts into 'oo' with little difficulty whilst the 'm' becomes almost nasal.

The mind must be focused fully on ajna - that 'inner eye'. To best engage this, do not close the eyes totally. Allow the lids to fall only three quarters shut. Focus your vision at the junction between them and the nose. If it helps, visualise the 'ॐ ' itself there. It is possible to utilise an actual image to begin this process; looking at the centre of the meditation image to begin the japa, then allowing the eyelids to gently fall as the rhythm takes hold.

That is the key to live chanting. Rhythm… rotational sound… feeling the vibration of each in and out breath. Find your own rhythm. It may, initially, be quite quick. Partially due to inexperience, possibly due to some nervousness or maybe even that the lung is still adjusting to the unfamiliar exercise! Gradually, though, the speed of the cycle will naturally slow and also the sound you produce will deepen. Again don't force and have no expectation. Simply allow 'process'.

SAADHANA.

Practice this for not more than the established 20 -30 minutes over the next week. It can be quite disorienting if it truly takes hold. Have a care when emerging from such a session. Do not immediately jump and say 'that's that done'! If you can do this, then you have not truly sat in OM.  There ought to be a sense of tranquillity and minimal 'mind' action.

Test your commitment to full meditational practice. Adhered to correctly, almost certainly you will experience an 'echo' throughout your day. OM is ever with you. An anchor for your tasks.