Triveni Sangam

Gayatri Mantra

2011-09-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

gaayatram traayate iti gaayatri

“That which protects the one who chants it is called ‘gayatri”.
.

Mother Gayatri Devi

The holy Gayatri mantra is a prayer to the supreme divinity, shining outside as the sun and within as the Self, to illuminate our minds and hearts. It is an invocation of the Divine Mother Herself, as Gayatri Devi, to bless us with spiritual knowledge, love and devotion. It is also a powerful maha-mantra, whose very sound awakes our spiritual potential, purifies our karmas and grants various inner qualities and experiences. The holy Gayatri mantra is composed of twenty-four syllables. Each syllable is an esoteric bija or seed-sound that invokes the blessing of various deities. These powerful sounds activate the subtle energetic centers in our astral bodies known as grantis (knots), releasing their potential divine energies.
.

Om bhuur bhuvah suvah

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

Dhiyo yo naha prachodayaat
.

Om = Brahman (the Absolute)

Bhuur = earth plane,

Bhuvah = heavenly plane

Suvaha = spiritual plane
.

Tat = that

Savitur = sun / Gayatri Devi

Varenyam = worshipful

Bhargo = shining

Devasya = divinely

Dhiimahi = we meditate

Dhiyo yo nah = our intellect

Prachodayat = illuminate

"Om has manifested as the earth, heavens and spiritual planes.

That deity of the Sun, who is worshipful,
who shines with divinity,
upon Him (Her /It) we meditate.
May our intelligence be illumined."

1. TA = Ganesha

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat

Chanting the Ganesha bija-mantra “ta” awakens tapini-granti, releasing saphalata shakti, the energy that gives success. Ganesha grants the power of attaining good results, removes obstacles, frees the mind from worldly attachments, and drives away negative qualities such as hatred, greed, pride, illusion, jealousy, anger, ego, exhaustion and laziness. This mantra also energizes our toes and stimulates mulladhara-chakra.

2. TSA = Nrishimha

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat

Chanting the Nrishmima bija-mantra “tsv” awakens saphalata-granti, releasing parakrama shakti, the energy that bestows great valor. Narasimha gives all protection and destroys all enemies, both internal and external. This mantra also energizes our feet.

3. VI = Vishnu

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat

Chanting the Vishnu bija-mantra “vi” awakens vishva-granti, releasing palana shakti, the power to protect and rule. This mantra also energizes the area of the ankles

4. TU = Shiva

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat

Chanting the Shiva bija-mantra “tu” awakens tushti-granti, releasing kalyana shakti, the power that blesses with auspiciousness and good fortune. It also removes negative planetary effects, protects one from failure, grants every kind of wealth and allows one to witness the Self,

5. RVA = Krishna

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat

Chanting the Krishna bija-mantra “rva” awakens varada-granti, releasing yoga shakti, the power to unite with the Supreme. It also destroys the effects of horrible sins (such as killing a fetus), bestows mental steadiness, and helps one become free from all worldly desires. It also energizes the aria of the knees and the heart chakra.

6. RE = Radha

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat

Chanting the Radha bija-mantra “re” awakens revati-granti, releasing divya daivika prema shakti, the energy that floods the heart with divine love. Radha purifies the heart by removing jealously and hearted.

7. NI = Maha-Lakshmi

Tat savitur vareniyam

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat

Chanting the Lakshmi bija-mantra “ni” awakens sukshma-granti, releasing dhana vaibhava shakti, the power that blesses with wealth and grandeur.

8. YAM = Agni (Fire)

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat

Chanting the Agni bija-mantra “yam” awakens jnana-granti, releasing tejo shakti, divine radiance, heat and energy. Agni grants the ability to perform great work and destroys the effects of horrible sins (such as killing Lord Brahma himself).

9. BHA = Indra

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat

Chanting the Indra bija-mantra “bha” awakens bharga-granti, releasing raksha shakti, the power of protection. Indra protects one from enemies, violence, robbery, ghosts, evil spirits and black magic.

10. RGO = Saraswati

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat

Chanting the Saraswati bija-mantra “rgo” awakens gomati-granti, releasing buddhi shakti, the power that bestows keen intelligence. It also dispels the consequences of sins (such as killing a cow).

11. DE = Durga

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat

Chanting the Durga bija-mantra “de” awakens devika-granti, releasing dama shakti, the energy which gives the ability to subdue the mind and grants self-restraint. It helps us overcome obstacles, nullifies the effects of the evil acts of wicked people, bestows boundless power and eradicates the effects of horrible sins (such as killing a woman).

12. va = Hanuman

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat

Chanting the Hanuman bija-mantra “va” awakens varahi-granti, releasing nishtha shakti, the power which blesses one with firm faith and deep devotion. Lord Hanuman blessings bring strength, fearlessness and the ability to observe celibacy.

13. SYA = Prithvi (Earth)

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat

Chanting the Earth bija-mantra “sva”, awakens simhini-granti, releasing dharana shakti, the power which gives one-pointed concentration in meditation. It also destroys the most heinous sins of the mind.

14. DHII = Surya (Sun)

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhii mahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat

Chanting the Solar bija-mantra “dhi” awakens dhyana-granti, releasing prana chetana shakti, the vital energies of consciousness which bestow good health, long life, inner strength, divine radiance and heat. It destroys the effects of horrible sins.

15. MA = Rama

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat

Chanting the Rama bija-mantra “ma” awakens maryada-granti, releasing samyamana shakti, the power which strengthens our self-control, helping us behave honorably. It also destroys the consequences of the most heinous sins of previous births, grants friendliness, patience, steadfastness and extraordinary feelings of love.

16. HI = Sita

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat

Chanting the Sita bija-mantra “hi” awakens sphuta-granti, releasing tapo shakti, the energy enhancing our power of austerity and penance.

17. DHI = Chandra (moon)

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat

Chaning the Moon bija-mantra “dhi” awakens medha-granti, releasing dura darshitva shakti, the ability to see distant objects and events. It completely destroys the sins committed by human beings and grants one a luminous mind.

18. YO = Yama

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat

Chanting the Yama bija-mantra “yo” awakens yoga-maya-granti, releasing jagriti shakti, the ability to stay awake and alert. It permanently dispels negative planetary influences, and helps us use our time wisely in spiritual pursuits.

19. YO = Brahma

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat

Chanting the Brahma bija-mantra “yo” awakens yogini-granti, releasing utpadana shakti, the power of procreation and creativity. It also destroys sins completely.

20. NA = Varuna (God of Water)

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat

Chanting the Varuna bija-mantra “na” awakens dharana-granti, releasing namrata shakti, the power which grants humility. It also awakens emotions and creative abilities and increases appreciation of poetry, tenderness, compassion, cheerfulness, sweetness and a love for the fine arts.

21. PRA = Narayana

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

Dhiyo yo naha pra chodayaat

Chanting the Narayana bija-mantra “pra” awakens prabhava-granti, releasing adarsha shakti, the power which helps one become an ideal example in society. It fills our mind with noble desires and increases our respect for elders and people of knowledge.

22. CHO – Hayagriva

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

Dhiyo yo naha pra cho dayaat

Chanting the Hayagriva bija-mantra “cho” awakens ushma-granti, releasing sahas shakti, filling one with great courage, valor and steadiness. Hayagriva grants union with Lord Shiva, and knowledge of the Self.

23. DA = Hamsa (Swan)

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

Dhiyo yo naha praco dayaat

Chanting the Hamsa bija-mantra “da” awakens drishya-granti, releasing vivekata shakti, the ability to discriminate between good and bad, right and wrong, the eternal and the changing.

24. YAAT = Tulasi

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

Dhiyo yo naha praco dayaat

Chanting the Tulasi Devi bija-mantra “yat” awakens niranjana-granti, releasing seva-shakti, the desire and power to serve others. It bestows the blessings of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, fills the soul with peace, awakens devotion for the Lord and enables one to remove the sorrow of others.

________________

In the Chandogya Upanishad, Brihadaaranyaka Upanishad and the Braha Sutra, is revealed the secret forth line of the Gayatri Mantra:

paro rajase savad om

“He who transcends the effulgence is this ‘OM”

This line is only given to full time seekers or dedicated sannyasins. This line can be recited along with the rest of the mantra or silently contemplated upon in the highest moments of meditation. According to the Shakta Upanishads, this addition of the fourth line of the Gayatri Mantra spiritually connects it with the most esoteric sixteen syllable Sri Vidya Mantra and the worship of the Sri Yantra.

__________________

The five faces of Gayatri Devi

1. Om bhuur bhuvah suvah

2. Tat savitur varenyam

3. Bhargo devasya dhiimahi

4. Dhiyo yo naha prachodayaat

5. Paro rajase savad om

__________________________________

A brahmana, qualified to recite Gayatri, according to the sage Gautama:

“He shall always speak the truth. He shall conduct himself as becomes an Aryan. He shall instruct virtuous men only. He shall follow the rules of purification taught in the scriptures. He shall take pleasure in the study of the Vedas. He shall never hurt any being. He shall be gentle, yet firm. He shall ever restrain his senses. He shall be liberal. An aspirant who conducts himself in this manner will liberate his parents, his ancestors and decedents from evil, and never fall from the realm of Brahman.”

To the One Who Longs

2011-04-29T20:13:00.000-07:00

"Not through discourse,

not through the intellect,

not even through the study of the scriptures can the Self be realized.

The Self reveals Himself to the one who longs for the Self.

Those who long for the Self with all their heart are chosen by the Self as His own."

~Mundaka Upanishad 3:2:3

You are a Real Sadhu

2011-03-01T08:53:00.000-08:00

Once an old sadhu (holy man) died and went to the abode of death. Yamaraj (the Lord of death) told him, "You have lived a divine life, so now you please enter heaven." The sadhu said, "I will do as you direct, but I have heard many people talk about hell and have also read about it in the scriptures. It is my desire to visit hell as a tourist just to see what it is like. Will you allow?". Yamaraj said, "You are most welcome to visit hell as a guest before entering heaven." The sadhu entered hell and took a nice tour of main sights. Then returning to Yamaraj, said, "Lord Yama, you have created such a wonderful realm! Hell is so beautiful!" Yamaraj, with much surprise asked, "How can hell be beautiful? Tell me what you saw there." The sadhu said, "I saw beautiful pristine forests, gorgeous palaces, breathtaking temples, fragrant flower gardens, devotees everywhere singing kirtan, gods and goddesses playing divine instruments, sages performing sacrifices, etc. I felt the divine presence everywhere." Yamaraj then said, "Now I understand. You are a real sadhu! Wherever you go, even in the depth of hell itself, you create heaven."

~Bhajananand Saraswati

Divine Remembrance

2011-01-01T17:13:00.000-08:00

God's name purifies the heart and mind, thus awakening love and longing for the Divine. The Divine Name can be sweetly rotating in your mind at all times, even amidst your worldly duties. We should not wait until we have leisure time for our spiritual practice, for there is no guarantee that our free time would be spent in sadhana or that our spiritual hunger would increase. So now, while you have the desire for God, try to remember Him at all times. When you notice that you have forgotten, simple start the name and remembrance again. But do not feel bad about your lapse, rather rejoice in your remembrance! For the Lord says in the Bhagavad Gita that He is the source of both our forgetfulness and remembrance. What is required is our willing attention.

Hari Om Tat Sat

~ Baba Bhajananand Saraswati

Steady Determination is Required

2010-12-07T16:20:00.000-08:00

WORDS OF BHAGAVAN SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI

QUESTION: “When an endeavor is made to lead the right life and to concentrate thought on the Self, there is often a downfall and break. What is to be done?”.

BHAGAVAN: “It will come all right in the end. There is the steady impulse of your determination that sets you on your feet again after every downfall and breakdown. Gradually the obstacles are all overcome and your current becomes stronger. Everything comes right in the end. Steady determination is what is required.”

Freedom from the Tyrant

2010-09-11T00:24:00.000-07:00

Everything is an opportunity to see our attachment and to let go. When you feel the ego's hand griping your throat, say Her name and let go. Your letting go is his letting go. By this moment-by-moment sadhana, you will slowly gain the freedom to respond to everything with discipline, simplicity and love. Our soul cries for freedom from the tyrant. So our Divine Mother comes through guru and whispers Her most secret and intimate name into our ear and into our heart, so that when freighted by the monster and his weapons, we can whisper it back into Her ear and be safe.

~ Baba Bhajananand

Sri Ramakrishna's instructions to M.

2010-08-14T17:33:00.001-07:00

Today (Nag Panchami) is the 156th advent anniversary of Sri M. (Mahendranath Gupta), the recorder of Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita (the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna).

On his second visit to the Master he asked, "How can the mind turn to God."

Thakur answered, "One has to repeat the glories of God’s name always. And holy company. One has to visit now and then the devotees of God or holy men. The mind does not turn to God if one is immersed day and night in the world and practical affairs. It is very necessary now and then to retire into solitude and think of Him. In the beginning it is very difficult to keep the mind on God without retiring into solitude. When a plant is young it is necessary to put a fence round it. Without a fence it is eaten up by goats and cows. To meditate you should withdraw yourself within or retire to a secluded spot or into the forest. And always discriminate between and the unreal. God alone is truth; namely, the reality, and all the rest is unreal and transitory. Discriminating in this manner renounce the transient things from the mind.

M: "How should one live in the world?"

Thakur: "Do all your duties but keep the mind on God. Live with all—wife, son, father and mother—and serve them as if they were so very dear to you. But know in your heart that they are not your own at all....The tortoise moves about in water but do you know where its mind is? It is on the land where its eggs are. Do all the duties of the world but keep your mind on God. If you go to live in the world without developing love of God, you will be entangled still more. You will be overwhelmed with dangers, sorrow and anguish. And the more you think of worldly things the more you will become attached.

"Retiring now and then into solitude, singing the glories of his name and discrimination between the real and unreal—these are the means to be adopted…He can be seen if one cries with intense yearning. People shed a jug-full of tears for wife and son. They let flow a flood of tears for money. But who is crying for God. One has to call on Him in real earnest."

Chant the Name of the Lord

2010-08-13T11:31:00.001-07:00

Sri Shikshastakam

(Eight Verses of Instruction by Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu)

Chant the name of the Lord and His glories unceasingly, that the mirror of the heart may be wiped clean, and quenched this mighty forest-fire, worldly lust, raging furiously within. O Name, stream down like moonlight on this lotus heart, opening its cup to knowledge of Thyself. O Self, dive deep in the waves of His bliss, chanting His name continuously, bathing in His name, that bath for weary souls.

Various are Thy names O Lord, in each and every name Thy power resides. No times are set, no rites are needful, for the chanting of Thy name. So vast is thy mercy. How huge then is my wretchedness, who find in this empty life and heart no devotion to Thy name.

O my mind, be humbler than a blade of grass, patient and forbearing like the tree. Take no honor for thyself. Give honor to all. Chant unceasingly the name of the Lord.

O Lord and soul of the universe, mine is no prayer for wealth or retinue, the playthings of lust nor the toys of fame. As many times as I may be reborn, grant me, O Lord, a steadfast love for Thee.

A drowning man in this world’s dark ocean is Thy servant, O sweet one, in Thy mercy consider him as dust beneath Thy feet.

Ah, how I long for the day when in chanting Thy name, streams of tears flow down from my eyes, and my throat will refuse to utter its prayers, choking and stammering in ecstasy, when all the hairs of my body will stand erect with joy.

Ah, how I long for the day when a moment’s separation from Thee, O Govinda, will be as a thousand years. When my heart burns away with its desire and the world without Thee is a heartless void.

Prostrate at thy feet let me be in unwavering devotion, neither imploring the embrace of Thy arms, nor bewailing the withdraw of Thy presence, though it tears my soul asunder. Do with me what thou wilt, for Thou art my heart’s beloved, thou and thou alone.

Hari Om Tat Sat

(translation by Swami Prabhavananda)

Living a Divine Life by Swami Chidananda Saraswati

2010-08-05T09:49:00.000-07:00

Divine Life means living in the awareness that you are essentially divine; that your real being is timeless, eternal, Immortal Soul. God is the basis and goal of all religions, despite their different names. That Supreme Cosmic Reality remains one and non-dual regardless of place of worship and is the same One glorified in all the world scriptures. Divine Life proclaims that the goal of life is God-Realization.

You need not renounce the world to lead a Divine Life, because even while living your normal domestic professional and social life you can attain your goal. First, you must purify your heart and rid it of individual selfishness by dedicated service to others. Be ever eager to serve all--the sick, the poor, the suffering and sorrowful. Feel blessed by every opportunity to serve your fellow beings and all of God'screatures on Planet Earth. From this motiveless selfless service comes a pure heart, which in turn brings devotion to God.

Secondly, worship the Supreme daily, for God is the centre of your existence. He is not far away from you but is the ever-present Divine Spirit pervading all of this Universe. He is closer to you than your very breath. Never forget this. Out of a heart full of love for Him try to re-establish your relationship of spirtual love with God. This process of daily worship and prayer has the power to gradually steady the restless mind, to overcome its fickle nature and bring concentration.

Thirdly, the withdrawal of the mind, controlling the senses and thoughts, and meditation upon that Supreme Divine Reality. Devotion and prayer create an upward ascent in your life and you enter into daily meditation which brings about steadiness. You begin to FEEL the presence of God in your heart so that even as you are engaged in daily activities, meditation creates an unbroken current of God-awareness. You begin to KNOW that you live, move and have your being in God. Meditation brings a spiritual quality to your life which lifts you to new standards of purity, kindness and wholeness. You become a transformed spiritual being with lofty thoughts and sublime sentiments.

Fourth, having entered into this state of God-awareness your intellect becomes purified. Philosophical enquiry and discrimination dawn between the permanent and passing, the eternal and the non-eternal. This discrimination should be carried on every hour of your waking life. You then begin to reject that which is unspiritual You become established in that Supreme Divine Reality.

If you wish to enter into Divine Life you have to observe three principles of conduct and character in your day-to-day living in the secular world. They are indispensable requirements which form the foundation and basis of a Divine Life of service, worship, meditation and God-Realization. They are:

1. Kindness and compassion towards all, in thought, word and deed. This is ahimsa, or non-injury. Be a cosmic benefactor, having ceaseless love for all, even to the least of God's creatures. Be a center of peaceand happiness to all.

2. Be rooted in absolute truthfulness, even at the cost of your life. Absolute honesty and integrity for Truth is God. One established in Truth can attain God.

3. Purity of conduct and character, self-restraint, chastity and purity of feeling for all people; the overall control of the base aspects of your being.

Ever keep your mind on the supreme goal. Have absolute faith in your connection with God. See His invisible presence in and through all things in and around you, for He is present in all of creation.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna gives Arjuna a vision of the Truth of God as present, immanent in all the universe, filling every atom of matter in this world. In this awareness go through all your activities as worship, offering them at His feet. Then to act becomes to adore.

Come ! Rise to this Divine experience ! Even now you are Satchidananda ! Existence, Consciousness and Bliss. That is your true Being. Living on this awareness is Divine Life.

Hari Om Tat Sat

(from a talk given at Sivanandashram on 9/11/84)

The Supreme Being is hidden in the individual soul

2010-08-01T08:56:00.000-07:00

Words of our dadaguru (grandfather guru) Yogiraj Handiya Baba (1850-1954)

Yogiraj Handiya Baba at age 103

"If a sadhak (spiritual aspirant) repeats a mantra or holy name, verbally or mentally, his mind will become absorbed in this mantra or name. Ultimately, he finds himself immersed in a sea of sound. When he returns to the physical plane, he brings along the divine wisdom that he has obtained. By aiming the mind towards its final goal the sadhak reaches the realm beyond the senses. Without entering this realm, without the absorption of the conscious mind, the sadhak cannot perceive the truth, nor can be enlightened, for the individual soul lays concealed within the mind, and the Supreme Being is hidden within each individual soul, in its super-subtlest form."

Guru-Parampara

2010-07-31T03:04:00.000-07:00

iishvaraanagrahaad-eva pumsaam advaita-vaasanaa

mahadbhaya-paritraanaat vipraanaam upajaayate

"It is through the grace of God alone that the desire for nonduality arises in the wise, thus saving them from great fear."
~ Avadhuta Gita 1:1

Guru Dattatreya Avadhuta

Our ancient lineage of yogis, swamis and babas begins with Lord Shiva, the supreme consciousness Itself, manifest as the primordial yogi, Guru Dattatreya. The divine son of Atri Rishi and Anusuya, Dattatreya was an avadhuta, one completely unfettered by social, religious or mental conditioning, immersed spontaneously in the Self. He remained always naked (digambara), the first Naga Baba. He is often depicted with three heads, as he is believed to incarnate the triune godhead Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. He is surrounded by four dogs, representing the Vedic scriptures, and accompanied by the divine wish-fulfilling cow. Dattatreya is considered the founder of many lineages such as the Naga Babas of the Jhuna Akara, the Nath Yogis and Sri Vidya Tantra.

Adi Shankara and his principle disciples

As Dasnami Sannyasis (members of the ten-named monastic order) we are also descended from Shankaracharya, an incarnation of Lord Shiva born in 509AD in a Nambudiri brahmin family in Kaladi, Kerala. He left home the age of eight and studied with his guru Govindapada for 8 years, during which time he wrote his famous non-dualistic commentaries on the Bhagavad-Gita, the ten principal Upanishads and the Brahma-Sutras. From the age of sixteen he traveled throughout India, teaching Vedic wisdom, writing poetic works of devotion and esoteric treaties on Yogic and Tantric practice, establishing temples, and reorganizing the earlier Shiva ascetic lineages. Shankaracharya left his body in the Himalayan shrine of Kedarnath at the age of thirty-two.

Naga Baba Yogananda Saraswati

Baba Yogananda Saraswati was a Naga Baba of the Jhuna Akara and the royal guru of the King of Darbhanga. An expert in Hatha & Raja Yoga, Babaji lived to be 108. While many details of his mystical life may have been lost, his divine teachings have been transmitted.

Yogiraj Handiya Babaji

Yogiraj Handiya Baba (Swami Hridayananda Saraswati) was born in 1850, in Bhagalpur, Bihar, on the bank of the holy river Ganga. Even as a child he would spend his time in chanting and meditation. He was married in his youth but lost his wife to sickness. He married a second wife who also died of the plague. Vowing not to remarry he left on pilgrimage, visiting all the important holy sites of India within a few years. While traveling along the Ganga, he met his master Naga Baba Yogananda Saraswati, who initiated him into the esoteric practices of yoga, naming him Hridayananda (heart of bliss). Yogiraj then continued his pilgrimage along the Ganga and in 1880 settled in Allahabad, building a grass hut in a cremation ground near the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers. Here he engaged in intense yogic practice resulting in his illumination. As he always kept an earthen vesal (Handiya), he became popularly known as Handiya Baba. An expert in the advanced practices of yoga, Yogiraj could cure almost any disease through yogic exercises. He had only three sannyasi disciples; Swami Vishnudevananda Saraswati (our guru), Swami Bhagavatananda Saraswati and Swami Sahajananda Saraswati. Seated in lotus pose, Yogiraj left his physical body in 1954 at the age of 104.

Guruji Vishnudevananda

Swami Vishnudevananda Saraswati was born into a pious brahmin family in Calcutta, India on holy Makara Sankranti day, 14 January 1904. He lost his parents in youth and grew up with relatives in the villages of Bengal. With an inner knowing that something lay beyond his meager life, he renounced the material world at the age of nineteen and traveled throughout India in the company a Tantric adept in search of the ultimate Truth. During the 1930 Kumbha Mela at Prayag, Allahabad, he met his guru, the great saint Yogiraj Handiya Baba. Under his spiritual guidance he practiced Vedanta, Hatha Yoga and Raja Yoga fervently and realized the Supreme Truth in 1934. An illumined yogi, Guruji lived his long life enjoying inner peace and spiritual bliss at his ashram, the Yoga-Vedanta Kutir, at Prayag (Allahabad), where he trained his monastic disciples and shared his experience and wisdom with his many devotees and students. In 1960 he began learning English on his own and authored more that ten books. He made his first voyage to America in 1978 and visited there annually during the summer months. Guruji left his mortal body in 1997, leaving his holy ashram to his dear disciple and servant Swami Omananda. Guruji’s saintly character, ideal life and divine teachings continue to inspire and guide his disciples and grand-disciples worldwide. PHOTOS>> TEACHINGS>>

Guruji Omananda

Swami Omananda Saraswati comes originally from the Indian state of Orrisa. He left home at an early age wandering throughout India and spending many years as a naked yogi in the forests near Rishikesh. During his stay in the famous orthodox Kailash Ashram, he was asked by the abbot to manage their satellite ashram in Allahabad. While in this holy city he met Guruji Swami Vishnudevananda Saraswati and began the study of the difficult practices of Hatha and Raja yoga. He was initiated into the order of Sannyasa and served Guruji with the attitude that “Guru is God.” Before Guruji’s passing, he left his holy ashram to Swami Omananda saying “Your pocket is my pocket. Your body is my body.” Swamiji manages the ashram training his disciples in the practices of yoga and dharmic living. Swamiji also supports many poor children, taking full responsibility for their food, lodging and traditional Sanskrit education.

Baba Bhajanananda

Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati is a devotee of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi. He met his Guruji, Swami Vishnudevananda Saraswati of Prayag (Allahabad) in 1987 and entered the renounced order (sannyas-ashram) in 1998, receiving formal monastic ordination (dasnami naga-sannyas-diksha) from Swami Omananda Saraswati at the Triveni Sangam. When in India he stays at his ashram, the Yoga-Vedanta Kutir in Allahabad. In the US, he reside at Kali Mandir, a Hindu temple dedicated to the Divine Mother in Laguna Beach, California, where he happily serves the awakened deity of Ma Dakshineswari Kali and Her devotees. Babaji can be contacted at bhajanananda@yahoo.com.

Baba Ambikananda

Swami Ambikananda Saraswati is a disciple of the late Sri Haradhan Chakraborti, main pujari of the Dakshineswar Kali Temple, and Swami Aparananda Puri, a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order. He has been a student of Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati for more than 20 years. He received dasnami-naga-sannyas-diksha on Vashant Panchami 2011 at the holy Sangam from Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati and Swami Omananda Saraswati. Babaji lives and serves at Kali Mandir and can be contacted at ambikananda108@yahoo.com.

Building Bridges

2010-07-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

thanking Baba Ram Puri for this picture

When Lord Ram saw that the stones the monkeys threw into the water floated, he secretly dropped one into the sea to see what would happen. But his stone sunk to the bottom with a plunk. A bit embarrassed, he tried again and again, but none of the stones he dropped floated. Hearing someone laughing, he turned around and saw Hanuman clapping his hands in joy. “How long have you been standing there?” he asked. Hanuman said “Since you threw the first stone.” Seeing his lord’s obvious displeasure, Hanuman said, “Do you know why the stones we throw into the water float? This is simple to understand. It is because we have written Your divine name upon them.” Lord Ram then asked, “But am I not more powerful than My name? If My name can make stones float, then why did the stones I threw into the sea sink?” Hanuman replied with his eyes now full of tears, “My Lord, anything that You let go of must sink.”

Hari Om Tat Sat

~ Baba Bhajananand

Everything is Sadhana

2010-07-24T02:21:00.000-07:00

Upanaya samskar, Yoga-Vedanta Kutir

God is arranging everything for us right now, this very moment. We're being set up. We're being spoon-fed situations. Every moment, every conversation, every interaction, every thought, every situation, every desire, every temptation, every experience, every penny, has been personally given to us for our spiritual development. Everything is ether sadhana (spiritual practice) or a missed opportunity. A yogi must know how to see the opportunity for sadhana in everything; an opportunity to become disciplined, simple, loving and free. This seems exhausting, but we are yogis, full time men.

Hari Om Tat Sat

~Baba Bhajananand

Vedanta and Tantra

2010-07-24T01:40:00.000-07:00

Vedanta, along with all forms of true religion, teaches that God is indeed within. My Guruji used to tell me that if you do not find God within as your very own Self, then you will not find God anywhere else. But how to find him within is the big question. Only to believe that God is within will not help. We need to realize this truth in our own experience. The striving to realize the Divinity already latent within us is called sadhana or spiritual practice. Every effective school of religion must prescribe a viable form of sadhana. Within Vedanta, the primary methods are the cultivation of certain prerequisite virtues such as absence of anger, pride, envy etc. as well as developing a strong mumukshu, or desire for liberation. We must hear the truth about Brahaman (the Absolute) and Atma (Self) from the scriptures and the Guru. Then we must reflect deeply upon this truth, and meditate until we realize them for ourselves. Along with this is the process of neti neti, or the negation of all temporary phenomenon as not the Self, hoping to eventually discover what is eternal and unchanging. This is a very difficult path. Actually, all sadhana is a struggle.

Tantra also prescribes its own forms of sadhana. Tantra is characterized by dynamic energetic methods meant to transform our consciousness. Primary among them are the recitation of mantras, the use of visualizations, hand mudras, pranayama, and ritual offerings. Some of these practices can be rather technical and complicated. Yet their true goal is the realization of the Self, through the conscious union of the individual soul and the Supreme Soul. Love, devotion and longing for God are fundamental in Tantra. Because Tantric practices are by nature and definition dynamic and powerful, it is imperative that they be performed correctly. The scriptures warn against making mistakes in Tantric practice. This is aimed at those who worship Ma for some selfish purpose such as money, physic powers, name and fame or even worse, to do someone ill. The use of the divine practices and methods of Tantra, being non different than the Divine Mother Herself, for such small-minded and selfish goals is itself the real danger. We must always keep the goal of God-realization shining brilliantly before us. We want God. Nothing else. Tantra is one of the many ways to help us find God, to purify our minds and hearts, to develop real love.

This said, I feel it is my duty to share the real secret of spiritual life. "God's name and God are the same." The chanting, singing, japa, and meditation of God's all-powerful and purifying names are at the heart of all methods of sadhana, Vedanta and Tantra included. No matter what sadhana you are doing, if it is based upon God's name, you will realize Him/Her in the end. God's name is everything. Repeat it always and be blessed. Any name of the form of God you most love will do. Then you can be sure you are progressing in your search for the infinite Lord who dwells in the very core of your being.

Hari Om Tat Sat

~ Baba Bhajananand

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapurana 2:4:20

2010-07-24T01:08:00.000-07:00

shriyah patir yajna-patih prajaa-patir

dhiyaam patir loka-patir dharaa-patih

patir gatish caandhaka-vrishni-saatvataam

prasiidataam me bhagavaan sataam patih

“Lord of Sri, master of sacrifice, Lord of creators, controller of intelligence, master of the worlds, Lord of the earth, guide and destination of the Yadu kings such as Andhaka and Vrishni--please be merciful to me, O Blessed Lord, master of the devotees.”

This prayer recognizes the nature of God as the master (patiḥ) of everything. The Lord is called shriyah patih (the Lord of Sri). Opulence, glory, fame, wealth, luck and success all taken together are denoted by the word Sri, an appellation of Goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Lord Vishnu. In our foolishness, we are trying to become lords of Sri, but this is never possible. Her nature is fickle, she comes and goes. Instead we are encouraged to worship her lord, for where God is, all auspicious qualities are present automatically. The term yajna patih means that God is the master and goal of all religious sacrifices. Often worship, vows, austerities, and charity are performed to generate merit or good karma leading to fame, pleasure, progeny and wealth in this world, and residence in heaven after death. It is the Lord who grants these rewards. But when all acts are performed only to please God and purify our consciousness, then they generate devotion to God, the ultimate goal of sacrifice. God is prajaa-patih, the chief progenitor, the uncaused cause of all life. He is called dhiyaam pathi, the director of our mental faculties. Consciousness is divine and animates our inner instruments, such as mind, intellect and ego-sense, but the ego seems to be in control. By developing our intuition and the mood of self-surrender, we make God the direct master of our mind. As loka-patih. God is the ruler of all worlds, realms, and states of consciousness. Dharaa patih, which is usually translated as Lord of the earth, also means that God is the ultimate (patih) support (dharaa) of everything, as all objects are made of and exist in consciousness alone. This verse ends with calling God Bhagavan, the possessor of all glorious qualities such as wealth, fame, power, beauty, intelligence and renunciation, as well as sataam patih, the real master, guide and lover of righteous kings and humble devotees. It is to such a God that we beg for mercy.

Hari Om Tat Sat
(translation and commnets by Bhajanananda)

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapurana 2:4:13

2010-07-24T00:51:00.000-07:00

bhuuyo namah sad-vrina-cchide’sataam

asambhavaayaakhila-sattva-muurtaye

pumsaam punah paaramahamsya aashrame

vyavasthitaanaam anumrigya-daashushe

“We bow again to Him who rescues the virtuous from suffering, frustrates the growth of the unrighteous, whose form is complete purity and who grants the goal (Self-knowledge) to those following the way of the paramahamsas.”

Meditation upon Divinity frees us from impurity. Here sage Suta states that this is because God is “akhila-sattva-muurti”, his nature is Supreme Transcendental Purity Itself. Contact with him can bring only blessedness. The three categories of people mentioned in this verse are examples of how all are benefited by contact with the Lord. The virtuous (sat) are those devotees who are struggling to live according to the dictates of the scriptures and the direction of the saints. Meditation upon the Lord frees such devotees from the suffering of mundane life by keeping their minds focused upon the source of all-happiness. The unrighteous (asatam) are those who, identified with their bodies, egotistically try to satisfy their selfish desires without accepting any guidance or restriction. Their activities, although meant to bring happiness, ultimately lead to suffering for themselves and others. Meditation upon God changes their inner orientation and purifies their karmas. This frustrates their future plans, which if allowed to fructify, would only bind them in deeper darkness. The third category mentioned is the paramahamsa, the highest order of renounced ascetics who are completely free from identification with their body, mind and ego. Such sages are beyond all material contamination and are only intent upon the realization of the Self. The Lord grants such exalted souls the supreme boon of union with His pure being.

Hari Om Tat Sat

(translation and commnets by Bhajanananda)

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapurana 2:4:15

2010-07-24T00:37:00.000-07:00

yat-kiirtanam yat-smaranam yad-iikshanam

yad-vandanam yac-chravanam yad-arhanam

lokasya sadyo-vidhunoti kalmasham

tasmai subhadra-shravase namo namah

“We bow again and again to he who is known as the divine auspicious One, who by praising, remembering, seeing, saluting, hearing about, and worshiping, immediately purifies men of the effects of sin.”

Love of God is the goal of life. But this love is not something artificial or external to our nature. This is because to love God is the nature of the soul. But the natural devotion in our heart is covered by the effects of lifetimes of selfish actions and their painful karmic consequences. This suffering often leads us to close our hearts even further, leading to more selfish action and karmic results. The only way to break this cycle is to focus the mind and heart on God, who is here called “subhadra”, the center of abounding grace and benevolence. To do this the main practices of bhakti-yoga are outlined: kiitranam (singing, chanting and reciting God’s names and glories), smaranam (remembering the name, form and lilas of God), iikshanam (seeing the consecrated images of the Lord and the holy places associated with His manifested lilas), vandanam (offering prayers), shravanam (hearing about the Lord from saints and devotees) and arhanam (ritual worship, both at home and in temples). By focusing on God, we are purified and our natural devotion begins to manifest.

Hari Om Tat Sat

(translation and comments by Bhajanananda)

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapurana 10:90:48

2010-07-24T00:24:00.000-07:00

jayati jana-nivaaso devakii-janma-vaado

yadu-vara-parishat svair dorbhir asyann adharmam

sthira-cara-vrijina-ghnah su-smita-shrii-mukhena

vraja-pura-vanitaanaam vardhayan kaama-devam

"Victory to the indweller and ultimate refuge of all beings, known as the son of Devaki, served by the heroes of the Yadu clan, who destroys unrighteousness and the misfortune of moving and non-moving beings with His strength, and whose beautiful smiling face increases the desires of the damsels of Vraja."

This verse, spoken by the sage Suka, appears at the very end of the tenth book of the Srimad Bhagavatam which reveals the confidential activities of Krishna with his most intimate devotees, namely his family, community and the Gopis, the cowherd girls of Vrindavan. After hearing the beautiful story of the Lord, devotees may lament that Krishna lived his charming life long ago, and will be dejected that he is not present before our vision here and now. But this verse is in the present tense. The object of devotion is immediately accessible. The lilas (manifest activities) we have heard about are ever happening in the present. Krishna is victorious even now (jayati). The sage Shuka says that Krishna is “known as” or is “called” the son of Devaki (devakii-janma-vada), but in reality he is unborn and exists as the Self of all beings (jana-nivaasah), whose realization removes all negativity and suffering. The verse ends with “vardhayan kaama-devam” which means that he increases lust. We usually consider lust to be one of the major obstacles to spiritual advancement. But desire is a quality of the soul. The soul ever longs for union with its source. As we come from the Absolute Being, only the Absolute will satisfy us. It is this desire directed towards limited, imperfect and temporary objects, that is an obstacle. Sadhana (spiritual practice) is meant to redirect our attraction to the One who can truly satisfy us. This desire for God is the secret lust that is at the heart of bhakti or devotion. The Gopis, whose story of unselfish love is told in the metaphoric language of romance, are held before us as the perfect examples of true and pure love for God.

(translation and comments by Bhajanananda)

Path of Devotion

2010-07-23T23:00:00.000-07:00

A talk given at Kali Mandir and originally published in Light of Conciousness by Swami Bhajanananda

"Devotion is the essential thing. One can see God through devotion alone." This was one of the central messages of Sri Ramakrishna (1836-1886), the great sage and avatar of our age, who taught the universality of religion and the Motherhood of God. As a young man, through the power of his intense love and yearning, Sri Ramakrishna had the first of his many visions of the Divine Mother. He describes this experience:

"I felt as if my heart were being squeezed like a wet towel. I was overpowered with a great restlessness and a fear that it might not be my lot to realize Her in this life. I could not bear the separation from Her any longer. Life seemed to be not worth living. Suddenly my glance fell on the sword that was kept in the Mother's temple. I determined to put an end to my life. When I jumped up like a madman and seized it, suddenly the blessed Mother revealed Herself. The buildings with their different parts, the temple, and everything else vanished from my sight, leaving no trace whatsoever, and in their stead I saw a limitless, infinite, effulgent Ocean of Consciousness. As far as the eye could see, the shining billows were madly rushing at me from all sides with a terrific noise, to swallow me up! I was panting for breath. I was caught in the rush and collapsed, unconscious. What was happening in the outside world I did not know; but within me there was a steady flow of undiluted bliss, altogether new, and I felt the presence of the Divine Mother."

In the Tantric scripture Devi Gita, an important section of the Srimad Devi Bhagavatam, is found a similar vision. This scene also opens with a spiritual crisis. A powerful demon had stormed the heavens, kicked the gods out of their abodes and taken control of the universe. Not knowing what to do, the gods turn to Lord Vishnu who advised, "Go for refuge to the supreme Mother without delay, with sincere hearts. She will accomplish what you want." Retiring to a secret spot high in the Himalayas they performed intense spiritual austerities for thousands of years. The text reads:

Goddess Bhuvaneswari

"Suddenly that transcendental lustrous power revealed in scriptures appeared before the gods. Praised on all sides by the four Vedas, It blazed like millions of suns, yet soothed like millions of moons. Flashing like a million streaks of lightning tinged with red, that supreme transcendental light shone forth unobstructed above, below, across, and in the middle. It had no beginning or end, no body, no hands, no other limbs, nor did it have the form of a woman, man, nor the two combined. The dazzling brilliance blinded the eyes of the gods. When their vision returned, the gods beheld that light manifesting the form of a woman, charming and delightful."

These two visions, one in modern times and the other in mythic prehistory, demonstrate that the Divine Mother can be personally experienced and known. The scriptures can be seen as records of the spiritual experiences of the sages. But we should never be satisfied with hearing about the spiritual experience of others. Such accounts are meant to inspire us—to fuel our own search and aspirations. Serious spiritual endeavor requires a real hunger and longing for the Divine.

Sri Ramakrishna taught that when such longing awakens, the vision of God is not far off. Such visions —no mater how beautiful and moving—are still temporary and therefore not fully satisfying. Sri Ramakrishna spent the next twelve years engaging in what might be considered the most superhuman spiritual practices the world has ever witnessed, in order to be in the unbroken communion with the Divine Mother. Similarly, in response to their divine vision, the gods prayed to the Goddess in the Devi Gita: "Describes the path of devotion that focuses on You, O Mother. By such devotion, supreme knowledge easily develops in the ordinary person filled with passions." This was an important question because only in a completely pure mind can absolute knowledge arise. The path of love and devotion, known as bhakti-yoga, is the path of the gradual purification of our hearts and minds, patiently awakening our soul's inherent love for God.

There are said to be three modalities of nature known in Sanskrit as the gunas. All material energy, both gross and subtle, continually express through one or more of these gunas. Tama-Guna is the quality of ignorance, inertia, sleep, sloth, and dullness. Raja-Guna is the quality of mindless energy, passion, lust, momentum, and activity. Sattva-Guna is the quality of light, harmony, peace, gentleness, illumination, and purity. The Divine Mother begins to answers this all important question by describing how our devotion, in its beginning stages, is often expressed through these three gunas. She says:

"A person practices tamasic-bhakti who wishes harm to others and who is filled with vanity, jealousy and anger. A person practice rajasic-bhakti who wishes his own well-being but intends no harm to others, who desires the attainment of objects of enjoyment and foolishly thinks that I am other than one's own being. A person practices sattvic-bhakti who worships Me, the supreme ruler, in order to purify his sins and offers to me the results of his actions, who feel "I must follow the instructions of the holy scriptures", but who still feels that I am separate from him. Know that sattvic-bhakti is not para-bhakti (the supreme devotion), as the devotee feels that we are different, but it does lead to para-bhakti, while the other two categories do not."

Love and devotion are the very essence of the soul. St. Augustine prayed in his Confessions: "Our hearts are restless, Lord, until they rest in Thee." Sri Ramakrishna taught that: "There is another type of bhakti known as vaidi-bhakti, according to which one must repeat the name of God a fixed number of times, fast, make pilgrimage, worship God with prescribe offerings, make so many sacrifices and so on and so forth. By continuing such practices a long time one gradually acquires supreme devotion."

This supreme devotion, which alone reveals divinity, is attainable when our hearts and minds have been purified of all egotism and selfishness by the prolonged practice of vaidi-bhakti (spiritual disciplines guided by scripture and guru.) The essential element of devotional disciplines is the recitation and meditation of God's Holy Names and glories and the conscious attempt to develop qualities conducive to the awakening of the soul's love and longing for the Divine.

Developing Divine Qualities

Sri Ramanujacharya (1017-1137)

There are, of course, many divine qualities that a devotee should aspire to develop, but Sri Ramanujacharya, one of the ancient world's sages of the devotional tradition, stressed eleven as essential. The first is abhyasa, or enthusiastic practice of spiritual disciplines. We must develop the desire and willingness to do anything it takes to realize God. The next is viveka, or discrimination between what is favorable and what is unfavorable for our spiritual advancement. We must be intelligent and discriminating about what we do, who we associate with, what we eat etc. The third quality is vimoka, or an intense longing for the divine. What if we do not feel longing? Sri Ramakrishna would say, "Pray for longing." We must at least want to want God. The fourth is satyam or an absolute commitment to honesty and truthfulness. Next is arjavam, or straightforwardness and nobility of character. The sixth quality to be aspired to by a devotee is kriya, in this context meaning activities such as worship, meditation, chanting, and serving others. Next is kalyana or well-wishing, wishing that everybody thrive, succeed, and to be happy, knowing that the One whom we worship dwells in all beings. The eighth is daya, or compassion, which is the natural result of kalyana. However, it is important not to mistake our selfish attachments with compassion. From compassion comes the next quality, ahimsa, or non-violence. The sages declare, "Nonviolence is the highest religion." Non-violence is a disposition of heart free from the desire to cause pain or death to any living entity. The tenth is dhana, or a very charitable nature. This springs out of kalyana and daya. The highest expression of charity is Narayana seva, the service of God in man. The final quality motioned by Ramanujacharya is anvashid, which means cheerfulness and hope. Our goal is difficult, but attainable. The great Himalayan sage Swami Sivananda (1887-1963) used to roar, "Never despair! March on, be bold." My own guru used to tell me, "What others have done, you can also do. The fact that anybody has succeeded in spiritual life means that you can also do so. They are the proof that it is possible."

Sri Ramakrishna declared to the sincere souls of this troubled age, "The goal of life is God-realization. If you do not realize God, then you have lived your life utterly in vain." He said: "God cannot be realized without love and longing. When one has that devotion, one loves God even as the mother loves the child, the child the mother, or the wife the husband. Once Radha said to her friends that she saw Krishna everywhere—both within and without. The friends answered, 'Why, we don't see Him at all. Are you delirious?' Radha said, 'Friends, paint your eyes with the collyrium of divine love, and then you will see Him."

The path of devotion is sweet. Our sincerity draws the grace of the Divine Mother. It is by Her grace, and the mercy of our guru and the devotees, that our hearts are purified and we develop love and longing. The Goddess assures us in the Devi Gita: "The person in whom such supreme devotion truly arises, dissolves into My essential nature of pure consciousness."

Hari Om Tat Sat

Kali Puja

2010-07-23T22:31:00.000-07:00

Kali Puja is the ancient art and science of invoking the Divine Mother through worship—a powerful tradition of offering our love and devotion. The puja is performed by a pujari, someone initiated and trained in the technical nuances of traditional ritual. The pujari acts as a representative of the assembled devotees. The pujari’s main function is to call forth divinity, to make the Divine Presence felt. To do this the Divinity within must be awakened through a series of purifying acts, each one operating on increasingly subtler levels.

Puja, then, is a conscious redirecting of our mind and the senses toward the ever-present reality. Our speech becomes purified through the recitation of sacred mantras; our actions become purified through the use of mudras (ritual hand gestures), pranayama (breath control), and the physical offering of gifts to the divine. Our thoughts become purified through the various meditations and visualizations occurring throughout the worship. Redirection, purification, and transformation—this is the process by which the Divine is awakened.

Puja contains syntax unique unto itself, employing sacred conventions to express spiritual intentions. When spoken with a focused intent, words have a tremendous power. All the mantras used in puja are recited in Sanskrit, as revealed to the ancient sages. Each mantra is a sacred formula—divine consciousness as sound vibration. Mudras are another convention that, like mantras, embody certain energies.

Preliminaries

Puja begins with the invocation of our guru, Lord Ganesha and Lord Vishnu, requesting their auspicious presence and blessings, as we remember that devotion is the result of grace. We then create a pure environment to hold the subtle divine energies being invoked and worshiped. God is supremely pure, and we must aspire to purity in our worship. This purification begins with achamana, sipping water charged with mantras as we begin the transition from external perception to inward meditation. In front of the pujari is the copper vessel filled with fresh water that represents the womb of the Divine Mother. The sacred rivers Ganga, Yamuna, Chaiva, Godavari, Saraswati, Sindhu, and Kaveri, all of them streams of consciousness personified as Goddesses, are invoked into this water, which now serves as an important purifying agent.

The pujari will then kneel in what looks like a genuflection and recite the sankalpa, the formal declaration of our pure intention. This focuses our mind to undertake the sacred task of worship. We must always be mindful of our purpose in performing the ritual. It is extremely dangerous to worship the Goddess with selfish motives. Sri Ramakrishna would pray, “Oh Mother! I do not crave bodily comforts. I do not want name and fame. I do not seek the eight occult powers. I only want pure love for Thy Lotus Feet!”

A yantra (mandala) is then drawn with water on the worshipers seat, which is then offered flowers, honoring and sanctifying Mother Earth. Esoterically, this is the worship of the kundalini-shakti at the base of the spine. Then the altar and articles of worship are subtly purified with water and mantra. The system of puja is a tradition handed down from guru to disciple. The sampradaya (line of gurus) is invoked, connecting us to this unbroken chain of grace. Through the sanctity of the worship itself, the place of worship becomes a holy yantra or realm of the Goddess. This yantra has ten main entrance points: the eight cardinal directions, and above and below. It is through these that energy can enter and leave the yantra. The pujari moves his hand around his head, snapping his fingers while uttering the protective mantra “phat”, sealing these points, in order to contain the divine energies invoked during the worship.

Pouring water from the palm around himself, the pujari imagines being protected by a ring of fire. As our concentration deepens and our hearts begin to open, we can become sensitive to negative energies as well as astral entities. This process creates a safe environment for performing the internal practice that follows.

Inner Purification

The pujari then performs pranayama. Through this practice one’s vital air is consciously controlled and directed. While mentally chanting mantras, the breath is inhaled, held, and exhaled through alternating nostrils in a series of sequential durations. Pranayama quiets the mind and purifies the 72,000 nadis (subtle nerves) in the body, allowing for the free flow of prana.

Only a diamond can cut a diamond and only the Divine can worship the Divine. The body and mind need to be divinized through the process of bhuta-shuddhi. Consciousness, divine by nature, has no material form or shape, but rather takes on the qualities of its container. Therefore we need to purify its container, which according to Tantra, is composed of the five gross elements (earth, water, fire, air, & ether) and three subtle elements (mind, intelligence, ego). All of these principles must undergo total purification.

Seated in meditation pose, the pujari recites the bhuta-shuddhi (purification of the elements) mantras. In the process of this recitation, further pranayama, and accompanying visualizations, the physical body (the universe in microcosm), is symbolically re-absorbed into its divine source. Through visualization, the individuated consciousness is raised, along with the kundalini-shakti, up from the base of the spine, piercing the chakras (the subtle energy centers within the body), and is finally united with the Supreme Consciousness in the thousand-petaled lotus at the top of the head. Only then can real worship commence.

With the body and mind now purified, the Divine Mother can be invoked within the heart through the appropriate mantras and mudras. The pujari now creates a proper spiritual body made of mantra for Her in place of his own. The Mahalakshmyashtakam states: “The form of the Goddess consists only of mantra.” According to Tantric philosophy, creation begins with vibration. The supreme vibration is the universal sound om, which then divides into the fifty unique sounds of the Sanskrit alphabet, which are seen as vibratory manifestations of specific states of divine consciousness. These sound-letters join to create the world of name and form. Each letter is recognized as a matrika, or mother-goddess. The pujari recites these letters as he touches various parts of his body.

The guru and the five Vedic deities (Ganesha, Shiva, Surya, Vishnu & Durga) are then worshiped along with Sri Ramakrishna and his divine consort Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi. They unleashed the great flood of devotion to Goddess Kali in this age. By honoring them we are brought to the feet of the Divine Mother. All the deities and divine manifestations present at the temple such as Lakshmi, Hanuman, Narasimha, Krishna, Durga, Annapurna, Lalita etc. are also worshiped.

Worship of Mother Kali

Reciting a meditation mantra describing the vision of Goddess Kali revealed in the ecstasy of the sages, the pujari places a flower on his head and mentally worships the Goddess by offering aspects of his own being as the ingredients of worship. All this is preparation for the invocation of the all-pervading Mother into the image. This is the moment of prana pratisthana, when the Goddess is humbly asked to come, sit, and face the assembled devotees.

The pujari raises his hands before the Divine Mother, beckoning Her to sit. He offers Her welcome, washes Her feet, and gives Her water and sweet milk to drink. He bathes Her, clothes Her, gives Her bangles and other ornaments, perfume, hibiscus (Ma’s favorite flower), garlands, incense and light. These external offerings are the symbolic tokens of our inner love, devotion and respect. Trays of cooked food, sweets, fruit, and refreshing spices are brought and laid before Her. This food, once offered to the Divine Mother, becomes prasad (mercy), and is considered purified and blessed. After the food offering, hymns glorifying the Divine Mother are recited, followed by a prayer asking forgiveness for any mistakes in the puja: “Though our worship is without proper understanding, without the proper chanting of mantras, and without proper performance, being offered with our devotion, please consider it full and complete. With our actions, mind, and speech, we have no other Goal than, You, O Supreme Goddess, who by dwelling mercifully within, witnesses all beings.”

Arati

Sri Haradhan Chakrabarti offering arati at Kali Mandir

At the end of a puja, as well as every evening at dusk, arati is performed by offering a ghee lamp with five wicks, gently circling it around Her image. This is followed by a spoon of burning camphor, a conch filled with water, cloth, flower, and fan. Symbolically, the elements of the material universe are being offered back into their Source. But for the devotees present, this is simply the natural way to adore the Mother. As the priest blows the conch, declaring spiritual victory, all bow to Ma. The worship is complete.

Hari Om Tat Sat

"My Beloved! It is called puja because it destroys the karmas of previous births, ends the cycle of birth and death and grants complete fulfillment.”

~ Kularnava Tantra 17:70

Secret Lust Behind True Devotion

2010-07-23T21:54:00.000-07:00

There is something inside of us that both intuits the Infinite as well as longs for It. There is a throb within us that can never be satisfied living and dying within the narrow ruts of material culture, mental and physical habits and social conventions. We want to swallow the moon! We want to embrace the universe! That longing IS the soul. The soul is a verb. It is what happens to you when you fall madly in love with "The Beyond". Real religion is a desperate response to this painful urge. Always remember your own broken heart and its unreasonable need for the Absolute. This is the seed of spiritual aspiration. This is the fuel for sadhana (spiritual endeavor). This is the secret lust behind true devotion to God. Be conscious of this and all the dilemmas that may and will come up can be understood and dealt with maturely.

Hari Om Tat Sat

~ Baba Bhajananand

Recognize Your Goodness

2010-07-23T21:49:00.000-07:00

You must recognize your goodness in your desire to be good. This desire to become a better person comes from the fact that we are all pure goodness in our essential nature. Thus your journey of self-discovery will lead you to sweeter and sweeter levels of being. But my Guru used to tell me that the way to heaven is often through hell, so it is difficult to fight our habituated negative life patterns. Feel assured that the struggle you are going through has been experienced by everyone who has tried for an authentic mystical life.

Hari Om Tat Sat

~ Baba Bhajananand

Musings from the Ashram's Roof

2010-07-23T21:42:00.000-07:00

We sometimes get confused about what we are supposed to "do" in our spiritual life. We have ideas about what actions are spiritual and what actions are worldly. This causes confusion and also guilt when we do not live up to our mental standard. But it is not what we do that is spiritual life, it is what we want, what we aim at. If loving and serving God is our aim, that is bhakti. Then we try naturally to adjust our actions to attain our goal. Then our "work" is not material but spiritual and any lapse in our disciplines are not failures but part of the struggle to obtain our lofty goal, steps upon the path itself. The scriptural rules and regulations and our guru-guided disciplines are not our spiritual goal, they are in service of our spiritual goal. Love is the goal. God is the goal. Pure love of God is the goal. The heart can never truly rest until this is attained. Only by keeping our focus on this can we make sense of our sadhana, justify our austerities and digest our shortcomings.

Hari Om Tat Sat

~ Baba Bhajananand

Yoga-Vedanta Kutir

2010-07-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

Sw. Bhajanananda at Guruji's samadhi

In India I live at my guru’s ashram, the Yoga-Vedanta Kutir, in the holy city of Prayag (Allahabad). The ashram was founded by our spiritual master His Holiness Swami Vishnudevananda Saraswati (1904-1997) who lived there continuously for the last 65 years of his long life, practicing his austerities and sharing his realizations with his disciples. Upon Guruji’s passing, his physical body was buried in lotus posture in the ashram and a life-size statue in his likeness was consecrated on the spot. This samadhi (consecrated tomb) is now the spiritual heart of the ashram. The ashram is now run by Guruji’s dear servant and disciple Swami Omananda Saraswati.

H.H. Swami Omananda Saraswati

Swami Omananda, an creative thinker, inspiring speaker and an expert yogi, manages the ashram as a loving service to God and Guru, training his his own disciples in the practices of yoga and dharmic living.

Sadhana
(spiritual practice)

The ashram’s emphasis is on the sublime spiritual philosophy of Vedanta and the daily practice of yogic asanas (postures), kriyas (purification), pranayama (breath control), japa (mantra), meditation and puja (ritual worship). Devotees come daily from the surrounding cities for instructions in yoga and guidance in spiritual life.

Brahmachari Shivanand

"Yogic exercise is the king of all systems of physical culture. The practice of yogic asanas keeps the weight of the body moderate and its structure normal. They give the practitioner an elastic spine and supple body. By yogic exercise blood circulates throughout the whole body and one’s vital energy is preserved and increased. The daily practice of asanas helps one lead an energetic life with a youthful mind and eradicated laziness and lethargy—the great enemies of discipline." ~ Swami Vishnudevananda

Brahmachari Shankardev

"Practice is the only means to success. Practice makes man perfect. Do not change the method or object of meditation until success is achieved. If you do you will sustain a loss of energy and lose the ground that you have developed through so many days of culture. Do not slacken your practice until you attain Self-knowledge. Be sincere in your practice. You will eventually succeed. He realizes quickest whose yearning and meditation are the greatest." ~ Swami Vishnudevananda

The Sangam

Triveni Sangam

The ashram is located near the Triveni Sangam, the confluence of the holy Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers. The Prayag Sangam is mentioned in ancient scriptures as Tirtharaja, the king of all holy places. Every twelve years it is the location of the largest human gathering in the world known as the Kumbha Mela, as well as smaller yearly gatherings (Magh-Mela) during the Hindu month of Magh (January/February). At these auspicious occasions millions of sadhus, yogis, and devotees come to this spot to bath in the purifying waters of the sacred rivers.

The Children of Yoga-Vedanta Kutir

Baba Rampriya Das with ashram boys

The ashram also supports many poor boys, taking full responsibility for their food, lodging and traditional Sanskrit education. The ashram has a computer room where each child learns on his own computer, preparing them to thrive in the modern age. At present there are around ten boys, growing up in an atmosphere of love and discipline. This year a sister ashram is being opened across the Ganga for the training and care of poor girls, run by Guru Mata Shraddhananda Saraswati, a senior disciple of Swami Omananda.

SUPPORT THE CHILDREN OF YOGA VEDANTA KUTIR

Guru Mata with the ashram children

If you would like to make a donation to support these children, please contact me at bhajanananda@yahoo.com.

Hari Om Tat Sat

“Desire God alone. God-realization is your goal. Do not forget your goal for even a moment.” ~Swami Vishnudevananda

PRANAYAMA, The Science of Breath

2010-07-23T01:44:00.000-07:00

Pranayama is a divinely revealed science that improves health, increases vitality, and awakens the latent spiritual energies in the subtle body. Combined with asanas, meditation, japa, prayer and devotion, pranayama can quicken our spiritual advancement.

Prana

The prefix pra is used to denote constancy and the suffix na means movement. Prana is the force that is in constant motion. Prana is life force, that with animates our physical and subtle systems. Prana has two aspects. Cosmic prana is extremely subtle and pervades the entire universe. It can only be perceived by the cosmic consciousness of an illumined yogi. Individual prana is more gross and tangible and is related to our body and mind.

As prana acts upon our gross and subtle bodies, it behaves in specific ways to accomplish specific tasks. These are known as the pancha pranas, the five sub-pranas or vayus (airs).

1. Prana-vayu is responsible for inhalation. This form of prana moves between the navel and heart and is responsible for the functioning of the heart and lungs. It controls breathing, swallowing and the circulation of blood.

2. Apana-vayu is responsible for exhalation and is a downward moving current. Its seat is between the anus and the navel. It controls the functions of the kidneys, bowels and bladder and is responsible for excretion, urination, expulsion of gas, sexual fluids and childbirth.

3. Vyaana-vaya is known as a diffusive current. It circulates throughout the body and supports and coordinates the workings of the other sub-pranas. It is responsible for our muscular movements and gives motion to the mind and emotions.

4. Udaana-vayu is the ascending current and is located in the throat and also moves in our head and all our extremities. It controls the working of our sensory organs and the organs of action. It is responsible for speech and the swallowing of food.

5. Samana-vayu is the equalizing current and is located between the naval and ribcage. It controls the digestive organs and our ability to extract nutrients from our food. This vayu creates mental balance and helps us digest our emotions.

There are also five miner vayus called upa-pranas. They are naga, responsible for hiccups and vomiting; kurma, responsible for blinking; krikara, which causes hunger, thirst and sneezing; devadatta, which causes yawning; and dhananjaya, responsible for decomposition after death.

Ida, Pingala & Sushumna

Prana flows through our subtle body through a series of 72,000 astral nerves called nadis. Of these, three are of special importance to the yogi.

1. Ida begins at the left side of the mulladhara-chakra at the base of the spine and ends at the eyebrow center. When prana moves in ida nadi we breath through our left nostril. This is considered the lunar-current which is cooling, gentle, feminine and auspicious. It stimulates the right hemisphere of the brain and nurtures the institutive, artistic and mystical mind.

2. Pingala begins at the right side of the mulladhara-chakra and ends at the eyebrow center. When prana moves in the pingala nadi we breathe through our right nostril. This is considered the solar current which is heating, drying, harsh and masculine. It stimulates the left hemisphere of the brain and nurtures the logical, linear mind.

3. Sushumna is the central nadi that runs from the middle of the mulladara-chakra to the top of the head, through the spine. When prana moves in the sushumna, it leads to spiritual experiences. In most people prana moves alternately through either the ida (left) or the pingala (right) nadis, manifesting as subtle and gross thoughts and actions. It is only when prana moves into the sushumna that the kundalini can be awakened.

Kundalini

At the base of the spine, there is latent in man, a great spiritual power known as kundalini. Kundalaini is the power of pure consciousness, the dynamic potential of the soul. It is the Divine Mother Herself, visualized as a serpent coiled three and a half times, with its tail in its mouth. Through yogic disciplines, this divine energy is awakened and directed up through the sushumna, piercing the energy centers (chakras) and uniting with the infinite consciousness at the top of the head. This is the inner energetic dynamic of spiritual realization.

The Tantric science of awakening the kundalini is known as Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga means the union of ha (sun) and tha (moon). The sun and moon refer to the ida and pingal nadis. The asanas (postures), mudras (hand gestures), bandhas (locks) and pranayamas (breathing exercise) are ultimately meant to purify the nadis and balance the flow of prana in the ida and pingala so that the sushumna becomes active. Prana can then be directed into the sushumna, leading to the awakening of the kundalini.

Pranayama

The word pranayama has two layers of meaning. Prana + yama means the control of prana. Prana + ayama means the expansion of prana. Although we often refer to pranayama as breath control, it actually is the expansion and redirection of prana via the medium of breath.

When pranayama is correctly and regularly practiced, it calms and internalized the mind, floods the system with fresh prana, strengthens the organs of the body and purifies the nadies, especially ida, pingala and sushumna. Only then will kundalini awaken and only then can our nervous system support and sustain this awakening.

These techniques are originally found in the scriptures of Hatha Yoga, such as Gerenda Samita, Shiva Samitha, Gorkanath Samitha, Hatha-Yoga Pradipika and Shiva Svarodhya. Based upon his years of practical experience, my yogic and sannyasa guru, Swami Omananda Saraswati, suggest the following series of pranayama for daily practice, as they are both safe and effective. More advanced pranayamas should only be practiced under the guidance of a qualified teacher.

HARI OM TAT SAT

PRANAYAMA PRACTICE, Instructions in Yogic Breathing

2010-07-23T01:31:00.000-07:00

The ideal time to practice asanas and pranayama is early in the morning, after clearing your bowels and bladder. If practicing at other times, allow a minimum of three hours after a meal, as yoga should only be practices on an empty stomach. Do not bathe immediately after asana or pranayama practice as this effects the flow of prana and may lead to sickness. The correct order of yogic sadhana (practice) is bathing, asana, pranayama and meditation. Some begin meditation first thing after their morning bath and then practice asana and pranayama later in the morning. The place where you practice should be clean, peaceful, well ventilated and private. Regularity is the most important factor in the success of any spiritual discipline.

It is important for serious practitioners of yoga to regulate their diets. “From the purity of food comes purity of mind.” Serious yogis should refrain from eating eat meat, fish or eggs, and avoid all mind-altering drugs and alcohol and impure items such as tobacco, onions, garlic, fermented foods, and anything that overloads your system or agitates your mind. Occasional fasts are good for the body and mind. The best day to fast are ekadashi, the 11th day of the waxing and waning moon. Yogis minimally avoid grains on that day. Always purify your food by offering it to God before eating.

There are six primary obstacles that impede our spiritual progress. These are lust, anger, greed, delusion, pride and jealousy. Yogis overcome these obstacles by practicing the yogic yamas (restraints) and niyamas (observances). The yamas are nonviolence, truthfulness, nonstealing, sexual purity, compassion, humility, patience, steadiness, moderation in eating, and cleanliness/purity. The niyamas are austerity, contentment, faith, charity, worship, scriptural study, modesty, understanding what is proper, recitation of mantras and sacrifice. The yamas and niyamas are considered the foundations of yoga. Along with the practice of asana, pranayama and meditation, we should try our best practice these all-important disciplines.

Correct Posture for Pranayama

The Yoga Sutra states that your meditation asana (posture) should be both firm and comfortable. Padmasana and siddhasana/sidha-yoni asana are considered the two most favorable positions for pranayama. If you are not yet able to sit in these asanasa, then sit in any comfortable meditation posture that keeps your body upright and back straight. All your muscles should be relaxed and free from strain.

Padmasana (Lotus Pose)

Padmasana

Padmasana is the ideal position for meditation and pranayama because the back, head and neck are naturally in a straight line, allowing the free flow of blood, prana and kundalini shakti. This posture also keeps us wakeful and makes the body feel firm. The natural bandas (locks) that are part of this posture keep our subtle energies from flowing outwards, allowing for deeper inward concentration. Padmasana should not be practiced by those suffering from sciatica, sacral infections or injured knees.

1. Sitting on the floor, slowly bend one leg and place the foot on the top of the opposite thigh, near the pubic bone.

2. Do the same with the other leg and foot. Ideally, both knees should touch the floor.

3. Place your hand on your knees in either chin mudra or jnana mudra (see pictures below).

4. Make any slight adjustments until you feel your body is aligned properly. A small cushion under your hips may be helpful.

Siddhasana (Adepts Pose for men)

Siddhasana

Siddhasana is a pose of both physical and mental steadiness. By applying pressure to the perinea, it directs blood and prana upwards, while redirecting sexual impulses up the spine to the brain. It is very helpful in the practice of brahmacharya and ideal for prolonged practice of pranayama and meditation. Siddhasana should not be practiced by those suffering from sciatica or sacral infections.

1. Sitting on the floor, slowly bend one leg and place the sole of the foot flat against the opposite inner thigh, with the heel pressing the perineum, the point midway between genitals and the anus.

2. Sit firmly on this heel.

3. Slowly bend the other leg and place the ankle directly over the first so that the ankle bones are touching, pressing the pubis with the heel. The genitals will lie between the two heels.

4. Push the toes and outer edge of the upper foot into the space between the calf and thigh muscle.

5. Straiten your spine feeling it to be planted in the earth.

6. Place your hands on your knees in jnana- mudra or chin-mudra.

7. Make any slight adjustments until you feel your body is aligned properly. A small cushion under your hips may be helpful.

Siddha-Yoni Asana (Adepts Pose for Women)

Siddha-yoni asana is the equivalent of siddhasana for women. The benefits and restrictions are similar to those of siddhasana.

1. Slowly bend one leg and place the sole of the foot flat against the opposite inner thigh with the heel either firmly against or just inside the labia majora of the vagina.

2. Adjust you position so that you are comfortable while feeling the pressure of the heel.

3. Slowly bend the other leg and place the ankle directly over the first so that heel presses the clitoris, and push the toes into the space between the opposite calf and thigh.

4. Pull the toes of the first foot into the space between the calf and thigh.

5. Straiten your spine feeling it to be planted in the earth.

6. Place your hands on your knees in jnana-mudra or chin-mudra.

7. Make any slight adjustments until you feel your body is aligned properly. A small cushion under your hips may be helpful.

Pranayama Series

The following series of pranayama exercise is safe, effective and suitable for daily practice. Please follow the instructions carefully. If you experience any difficulties or wish to go deeper into pranayama practice, then it is important to find a qualified teacher for guidance.

Kapalbhati (Skull Cleansing Breath)

Kapalbhati pranayama purifies and strengthens the lungs, digestive organs and nervous system. It stills the mind and purifies the ida and pingala nadis, allowing a balanced flow of prana throughout the body. It is especially therapeutic for those suffering from asthma, emphysema, bronchitis and tuberculosis. Kapalbhati should not be practiced by those suffering from heart disease, high blood pressure, hernia or gastric ulcers.

Sit in a comfortable meditation posture. Close your eyes and relax your whole body.

1. Inhale deeply through both nostrils expanding the abdomen.

2. Exhale with a forceful contraction of the abdominal muscles.

3. The next inhalation will take place naturally or passively, allowing the abdominal muscles to expand.

4. Perform ten rapid breaths in succession and then inhale fully and exhale deeply.

This constitutes one round. Practice three to five rounds. In between rounds focus your awareness on the feeling of emptiness and calm in the region of the eyebrow center. As your endurance strengthens, increase the number of breaths per round.

Remember that inhalation should be passive and silent and exhalation should be forceful with an audible expulsion of breath. If you experience dizziness or pain, stop the practice and rest for some time.

Bhastrika (Bellows Breath)

Bhastrika pranayama balances the nervous system, removes toxins from the body, purifies and strengthens the lungs, relives inflammation of the throat, increases the fire of digestion, flushes the body with fresh prana, and induces peace, tranquility and one-pointedness of mind. Oxygen in infused into the lungs and blood stream and carbon dioxide is removed, stimulating the metabolic rate. The visceral organs and digestive system are also massaged and stimulated. The practice of bhastika powerfully breaks through the three knots (grantis) that block the flow of prana in the sushumna and helps awaken the kundalini. Bhastrika pranayama is especially therapeutic for those suffering from asthma and lung disorders. Bhastrika pranayama should not be practiced by those suffering from high blood pressure, heart disease, hernia, or gastric ulcers.

Sit in a comfortable meditation posture. Close your eyes and relax your whole body.

1. Inhale and exhale forcefully, yet without strain, through both nostrils.

2. During inhalation the diaphragm should move upward, the abdomen outward and the chest outward.

3. During exhalation, the diaphragm should moves upward, the abdomen inward and the chest inward.

4. Repeat the inhalation and exhalation ten times.

5. Take a deep breath and hold the breath in for as long as is comfortable and then exhale very slowly and completely.

This is one round. Practice three to five rounds, breathing normally for a few breaths in between rounds.

Ujjayi (Victorious Breath)

Ujjayi pranayama calms the mind, soothes the nervous system, and stimulates the vishudi-chakra (throat center). It relieves fluid retention and removes disorders of the seven dhatus (blood, bone, marrow, fat, semen, skin, and flesh.) Ujjayi pranayama is especially therapeutic for those suffering from insomnia and high blood pressure. Ujjayi pranayama should not be practiced by those who are by nature overly introverted.

Sit in a comfortable meditation posture. Close your eyes and relax your whole body. Feel or imagine that your breath is being drawn in and out of the throat instead of the nostrils.

1. As you slowly inhale through both nostrils, gently contract the glottis, thus making a slight snoring sound. Your abdomen automatically will contract slightly.

2. Exhale slowly and silently through both nostrils.

This is one round. This pranayama can be practiced from three rounds, up to ten or twenty minutes.

Variation: In step 2, exhale while making the same noise as the inhalation, being careful that the sound comes from the throat and not the nose.

Shitali (Cooling Breath)

Shitali panayama cools the body, relives hunger and thirst, purifies the blood, relaxes muscles, and brings tranquility to the mind. It effects areas of the brain that control biological drives and body temperature. The regular practice of shitali pranayama is believed to protect one from the effects of poison. It is especially useful when the body is overly heated. Shitali pranayama should not be practiced by those suffering from low blood pressure, respiratory disorders or chronic constipation. Avoid this practice during the winter season, unless the body becomes heated through yogic practices.

Sit in a comfortable meditation posture. Close your eyes and relax your whole body.

1. Protrude your tongue outside your mouth as far as comfortable.

2. Curl the sides of your tongue up, forming a tube.

3. Inhale slowly through your mouth, sipping the air through your curled tongue.

4. Retract your tongue, close your mouth and exhale slowly and evenly through both nostrils.

This is one round. Perform from three to nine rounds. Increase over time to fifteen or more rounds during summer season.

Sitkari (Hissing Breath)

Sitkari pranayama removes hunger, thirst, indolence and sleep and keeps the teeth and gums healthy. It stimulates the ajna chakra (forehead center), increases the vitality and beauty of the body and bestows great strength and indomitable will power. It should not be practiced by those with dentures or missing teeth.

Sit in a comfortable meditation posture. Close your eyes and relax your whole body.

1. Open your lips wide and hold your teeth tightly together. Fold your tongue up against the soft palate (khechari mudra) and inhale slowly and deeply through your teeth.

2. Close your mouth, keeping your tongue in khechari mudra and exhale slowly through both nostrils.

This is one round. Perform from three to nine rounds.

Bhramari (Humming Bee Breath)

Bhramari pranayama stimulates and purifies the ajna-chakra (forehead center), internalizes the mind, relieves stress, mental tension, anger, and anxiety. It also promotes the healing of body tissues. It is especially therapeutic for those suffering from insomnia, high blood pressure and for those recovering from an operation. Bhramari pranayama should not be practiced by those suffering from ear infections.

Sit in a comfortable meditation posture. Close your eyes and relax your whole body. Your lips should be gently closed, your teeth slightly separated and your jaws relaxed.

1. Plug your ears with your index fingers.

2. Inhale slowly and deeply through both nostrils.

3. Exhale slowly and evenly through both nostrils while making a humming sound like that of a black bee. The sound should by smooth and continuous, making your front skull reverberate.

This is one round. Practice three to five rounds, deeply listening to the vibration of the sound and focusing your attention on the ajna-chakra in the center of your eyebrows.

Shanmukhi Mudra

Variation: In step 1, close your ears with your thumbs, the eyes with your index fingers, the nostrils with your middle fingers and the mouth by placing the ring and little fingers above and below the lips. This is called shanmukhi-mudra (closing the seven gates). Release the pressure of your middle fingers to open both nostrils for inhalation and exhalation.

Shanmukhi mudra powerfully internalizes the mind by shutting out the senses as well as redirecting mental energy into the head. When used in brahmari pranayama, this mudra allows for a more dramatic vibration in the forehead.

Alom/Bilom (Back and Forth Breath)

Alom/bilom pranayama purifies and balances the ida and pingala nadis, harmonizes the left and right hemispheres of the brain and is a safe introduction to more dynamic alternate nostril practices such as nadi-svaran pranayama.

Sit in a comfortable meditation posture. Close your eyes and relax your whole body. Bring your right hand up to your face in nasagra mudra.

1. Close your right nostril with your thumb and inhale evenly and deeply, mentally chanting “Om” four times.

2. Close your left nostril with your ring and little finger and open your right nostril and exhale evenly and deeply through your right nostril, mentally chanting “Om” four times.

3. Inhale evenly and deeply through your right nostril mentally chanting “Om” four times.

4. Close your right nostril with your thumb and open your left nostril and exhale evenly and deeply mentally chanting “Om” four times.

This is one round. Practice eleven rounds.

Your attention should be in keeping the length of each inhalation and exhalation even and equal.

After some weeks of this practice, extend the counts of Om from four each breath, slowly up to ten.

After several months of such practice, begin to alternate the timings of the inhalations and exhalations to a 4 / 8 ratio (inhale “Om” four times and exhale “Om” eight times). After some weeks of this practice, extend the counts of Om from 4 / 8 to 8 / 16. This change in the pranic flow triggers corresponding changes in brain wave patterns.

Nadi Svaran (Purification of the Nadis)

Nadi Svaran means to purify or decongest the subtle energy channels. Nadi Svaran pranayama brings balance and equilibrium to the physical, mental and energetic bodies and increases the amount of prana in the system. When the flow of prana is balanced in the ida and pingala through alternate nostril breathing, the retention of breath forces the prana into the sushumna, leading to the awakening of the dormant kundalini. Nadi svaran pranayama induces deep levels of meditation.

Important: The preceding pranayama exorcises must be practiced steadily for a minimum of three months before beginning Nadi Svaran pranayama. Nadi Ssvaran can then replace the practice of Alom/Bilom.

Sit in a comfortable meditation posture. Close your eyes and relax your whole body. Bring your right hand up to your face in nasagra mudra.

1. Close your right nostril with your thumb and inhale evenly and deeply through your left nostril, mentally chanting “Om” four times.

2. Close your left nostril with your ring and little finger and hold your breath, mentally chanting “Om” sixteen times.

3. Open your right nostril and exhale evenly and deeply through your right nostril, mentally chanting “Om” eight times.

4. Inhale evenly and deeply through your right nostril, mentally chanting “Om” four times.

5. Close your right nostril and hold your breath, mentally chanting “Om” sixteen times.

6. Open your left nostril and evenly and deeply exhale, mentally chanting “Om” eight times.

This is one round. Practice from three to eleven rounds.

After some weeks of comfortable practice, you can extend your inhalations, retentions and exhalations, keeping the ratio 1 / 4 / 2.

Omkara Vacham (Chanting of Aum)

Om, or Aum is known as the sat-bija or pranava-mantra. It is the supreme sound indicating Brahman (the Absolute). Aum is the divine sound from which all manifestation springs and contains within itself all other mantras. Aum is the sound of the brahma-nadi, the subtle current in the center of the sushumna through which kundalini flows. The recitation of the mantra Aum destroys the effects of sin, purifies the mind, balances the pranas and eventually leads to the realization of God.

The method of chanting Aum given here has the combined benefits of pranayama, japa, kriya and meditation. Over time this practice can remove all mental, emotional and physical obstacles.

Guruji also suggest practicing Omkara Vacham upon awakening in the morning, before sleeping at night and at the beginning of any spiritual practice.

Sit in a comfortable meditation posture. Close your eyes and relax your whole body.

1. Inhale slowly and deeply through both nostrils as you imagine a divine spark in the muladhara-chakra (base of spine center)

2. Open your mouth wide and exhale through your mouth as you verbally intone “aaaaaaaa”, as you imagine the divine spark rising up the center of the spine.

3. Partially close your mouth as you verbally intone “uuuuuuuu”, as you imagine the divine spark shining at the top of your head.

4. Close your lips as you verbally intone “mmmmmmm”, as you imagine the divine spark descending down an invisible passage along the front of your body back to the muladhara-chakra.

This is one round. Practice from three to twenty-one rounds. You can also start your asana or pranayama practice with Aum chanting.

The three letters of the mantra Aum should be intoned as one continuous sound, with the final “M” pronounced nasally and trailing off into silence. At the end of the practice, sit for some time mentally repeating Aum, noticing the subtle movement of the divine sound in your consciousness.

Variation: Mentally intone the mantra with the accompanying visualizations as above, but without connecting it with the breath.

Hari Om Tat Sat

“By dint of pranayama a soul throws off the sheath of ignorance generated by desire and selfish action and is transformed into the immaculate Brahman.”

~Gautamiya Tantra

Brahmacharya

2010-07-22T16:29:00.000-07:00

Brahmacharya means divine conduct—controlling lust by practicing celibacy when single and remaining faithful in marriage. Do not selfishly use the bodies of others nor misuse your own body through promiscuous behavior. There is a powerful divine energy within the body whose physical manifestation is the sexual fluid. Do not waste these fluids foolishly. Try rather to redirect them, as well as this energy, into higher channels by soul-elevating activities such as meditation, chanting, sacred study, self-inquiry, hatha-yoga practice and dynamic selfless service. Immoderate sexual activities waste the sexual fluids, drain the nervous system, create deep mental impressions for sensual experience, and reinforce our identification with the physical body. Our behavior should be restrained and respectful with members of the opposite sex. Always dress, speak and behave modestly, refraining from all forms of pornography, sexual humor, and language. It is imperative that we always seek the sheltering company of holy men and women.

JAPA, Instructions in Mantra Meditation

2010-07-22T16:26:00.000-07:00

By Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati

What follows is the traditional method of planting God’s name deep into consciousness known as japa-yoga or mantra-yoga. Yogic adepts and devotees throughout the ages have experimented with different methods of meditation on the Lord’s names and we should try to benefit from their experience. If you start by developing good habits in meditation, your progress will be steady and permanent.

If possible your morning sadhana (spiritual practice) should begin before sunrise. This is the holy brahma-muhurta (time of God) when spiritual practice is most effective. The environment is quiet and pure at this time. Whether or not you wake up for brahma-muhurta, start the day with God by sitting for meditation first thing in the morning. Your evening meditation should be at sunset or as close to sunset as possible. If for some reason you cannot sit at this auspicious time, be sure to sit sometime before going to bed. At the junctures of the day (sunrise, noon, sunset, and midnight) our pranas (life energies) flow evenly, allowing deeper concentration of mind. By meditating during the early morning and evening, we also benefit from the holy vibrations of the sages, earth, elements, planets and divine beings released at this time. Always take a bath before your morning meditation and, if possible, before your evening sitting as well.

After bathing, dress in clean clothes used only for spiritual practice. This cloth will become infused with the vibration of your sadhana, and through mental and physical association your mind will become meditative simply by wearing such cloth. Special clothes for meditation are helpful but not absolutely necessary. It is best if you can have a separate room or corner of a room where you can daily practice meditation and worship. Mantras have much power and the place where they are chanted becomes charged with spiritual vibrations. By sitting in the same place everyday for your practice, you can benefit from this holy atmosphere. Your meditation room or corner should be arranged like a temple by establishing a shrine where God is invited to stay and be worshiped. We must make God the center of our life. Your altar should have a picture, painting or image of your ishta-devata and a picture of your guru. You can also have any other pictures or images of deities and saints that inspire you or with whom you have a spiritual connection. Before starting your meditation, bow to your guru and ishta-devata, and light a lamp and some incense. This purifies the atmosphere and helps focus the mind on God.

Sit in a meditation pose on your personal asana (meditation seat). This seat should be made of natural fibers such as cotton, silk, fine wool or kusha-grass, and only be used for spiritual practice. Your asana will prevent the dispersion of the energies invoked during sadhana and will become highly magnetized with spiritual vibrations. No one else should use your asana.

We should gradually attain asana-jaya (the ability to sit in one posture for a long time). The lotus posture is the ideal position for meditation because the back, head and neck are naturally in a straight line, allowing the free flow of blood, prana and kundalini shakti. This posture also keeps you awake and makes the body feel firm. The natural bandas (locks) that are part of this posture also keep your energies from flowing outwards, allowing for deeper inward concentration. Although you should sit upright, all your muscles should be relaxed and free from strain. If the lotus posture is not possible, you can sit in any comfortable upright position. Try to sit in one posture for as long as you can during meditation. If your legs get numb or your back starts hurting, then shift your position for a while and go back to your original posture as soon as you can. A small pillow under the hips can help.

Recite some elevating prayers invoking the blessings of Ganesha, your gurus and ishta-devata, praying for success in your sadhana. This uplifts and concentrates the mind. Always remember that devotion, meditative aspiration and spiritual realization come to us through grace alone.

Take three to ten deep, even and silent breaths mentally chanting “Om”. Pranayama (breath regulation) balances the energies of the body and calms the mind. Pranayama also destroys sins, purifies the astral body’s 72,000 nadis (subtle nerves), awakens kundalini shakti and improves mental and physical health. Other forms of pranayama, such as alternate nostril breathing, should be learned only from a qualified teacher.

Sit quietly, relaxing your body and mind. If you spend a few moments quietly watching the mind, it will soon turn to you for direction. Visualize your guru seated in lotus-posture upon a twelve-petaled lotus resting upon the top of your head. Feel your mantra at the root of the tongue. Visualize your ishta-devata shining within the lotus of your heart. Now visualize your guru merging into the mantra, and the mantra into the ishata-devata in the heart. The antar-jyoti (inner light) is the Soul of your soul. The mantra, ishta-devata, guru, and antar-jyoti are different aspects of the same reality upon which you meditate.

Now begin to mentally repeat your mantra, keeping count on your japa-mala (rosary) or on your fingers. Repeat at least one round of 108 mantras in this way. This should be your absolute minimum for your morning and evening meditations. It is helpful to have a minimum number of malas to chant everyday. Increase the number of malas you chant as you progress in your practice. After counting one or more malas you can also chant without counting by fixing a certain period of practice.

The mala or rosary should be made of holy beads such as tulsi, rudraksha or spatik. Tulsi beads are carved from the wood of Indian sacred basil and are only used for chanting the names of Vishnu and His incarnations. Rudraksha beads are the seeds from a holy tree sacred to Lord Shiva and are used when chanting mantras to Shiva or forms of the Goddess. Spatik beads are made from Himalayan quartz crystal and are used for Shakti (Goddess) mantras alone. A japa-mala helps stabilize the mind, keeps the mantra rotating in consciousness and keeps you focused. To use a japa-mala start by holding the first bead next to the meru (the main bead, often larger with tassel) with the thumb and middle finger of your right hand. Repeat one mantra and then move on to the next bead, repeat one mantra and so on. Never cross or chant on the meru bead. When you finish the mala and wish to continue, then turn the mala around and start again making the last bead your first one. The japa-mala becomes spiritually magnetized and should be treated with reverence. Your japa-mala should not be worn while passing stool or urine and should not touch your feet or the floor. Others should not touch it unnecessarily.

Akshara-shudhi (purity of letters) is very important. When repeating mantra, mentally pronounce each syllable correctly and distinctly. Your attention should be on the sacred sounds of the mantra and their meaning. Loving adoration of the ishta-devata is the goal. Over time, the mantra will move from the surface levels of the mind into deeper and deeper levels of consciousness. Feel that the sound of the mantra is divinity itself and is healing, transforming and illuminating your mind and heart. Strive to be conscious of your ishta-devata shining within the heart and feel the loving presence of God showering you with blessings as you repeat the beautiful and sanctifying divine name. Whenever the mind wanders from the mantra, instead of trying to fight the distractions, simply bring your mind back to the sound and meaning of the mantra. Closing the eyes during meditation helps internalize the mind by shutting out external distractions and decreasing brain wave activity. You can from time to time open your eyes and gaze upon your ishta-devata and guru. This is especially helpful when your concentration wavers.

Mental japa is considered the most effective form of mantra meditation, but the mind likes variety. Occasionally chant the mantra out loud or in a whisper. This is helpful when the mind is very restless or overcome with sleep, but do this only when there is no one near enough to hear you. Never reveal your mantra to anyone. It is between you, your guru and God.

Before getting up from your meditation sitting, recite some closing prayers and spend a bit of time singing the Lord’s names or simply praying in the language of the heart. As you bow and leave your meditation seat, it is important to keep the mantra going and the spiritual vibrations intact. The simple rule of spiritual life is “always repeat your mantra.” This is all important. The mantra must become second nature. Start repeating your mantra upon awaking in the morning and continue to chant while falling asleep at night. As soon as you realize that you have stopped chanting, simply start again. The mantra will soon become the underlying reality of your life. Then God will become the underlying reality of our life.

Never forget that the real purpose of this human life is the realization of God. This can be gloriously attained through the constant invocation of God’s holy names, chanting the mantra with every breath, living in the name. Please start now. God’s name is infallible. May the compassionate Lord bless you with life-long devotion to His holy names.

HARI OM TAT SAT

MANTRA, The Transformative Power of the Holy Name

2010-07-22T16:08:00.000-07:00

By Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati

The goal of yoga and meditation is the purification of our consciousness leading to absorption in God. We have much polluting our hearts and minds, obscuring rather than revealing sacred reality. Our natural loving sentiments towards God are distorted, preventing us from experiencing the all-blissful Self. Thought determines the quality of our lives. We sow a thought and reap an action. We sow an action and reap a habit. We sow a habit and reap a character. We sow a character and reap a destiny. Thought precedes and leads to action. Action repeated becomes established as habit. The sum total of our habits is our character. Our character determines the end result of our lives.

Thought is all-important. We have created our present lives and experiences by our past thoughts and actions and we are creating our future life and experiences by our present thoughts and actions. Knowing this, we can transform our life and consciousness by deliberately filling our mind with the highest, most positive thought. This thought is God. For sadhana (spiritual practice) to be effective we must plant God in seed form. A seed contains the entire tree in potential form. All that we know of the tree and all that remains unknown about the tree is present in its seed. If we plant a seed in good soil and care for it carefully, then the tree will grow in all its glory. God’s name is the infinite God in seed-form. This God-seed is called mantra. By the sowing of this God-seed we spiritualize our thoughts. Spiritual thoughts give rise to spiritual actions. Spiritual actions develop a spiritual character. A spiritual character leads to ultimate absorption in God. Repeating God’s name is the easiest and surest method to effect this divine transformation. This process is known as japa-yoga. Japa-yoga is the conscious attempt to divinize our consciousness by repeatedly planting divine thoughts deeper and deeper into our minds.

The sages declare that God’s name is different than other names. God being absolute, His/Her name is also absolute. God’s name is God. All divine powers are contained in the holy name. The Lord and His name are the same! This is a revolutionary thought! It seems too simple. We want our spiritual life to be more dramatic and complicated than simple repetition of a holy mantra. Be careful not to throw away this great treasure because of its seeming simplicity.

Sw. Omananda with Sw. Vishnudevananda

Mantras have traditionally been handed down through the ages from guru to disciple and it is best to receive them though guru-parampara (disciplic-succession). The guru-parampara is the river of grace in our lives. Through the process of initiation the guru mystically plants the mantra deep into the consciousness of the disciple. By sincerely repeating the mantra and following the guru’s instructions concerning the lifestyle and related practices that support its transforming influence, steady and sure progress can be made, and the obstacles that can arise during practice can be overcome or avoided. The guru acts as a divine matchmaker, connecting the aspirant and the Lord through the medium of mantra.

Sri Ramakrishna taught that sat-chit-ananda (absolute existence, knowledge and bliss) is the only guru. This is to say that God is the guru. God as teacher is called guru. This does not mean that our human teacher is God, rather our teacher is an instrument for God, as guru-tattva (the guru-principle), to flow to us. The human guru is our channel of grace. The person you accept initiation from should know the scriptures, be well established upon the spiritual path, be able to answer your spiritual questions, have no selfish agenda for teaching you, and be sincerely following and properly initiated in a traditional lineage. If you find such a person and feel drawn to him or her you can request initiation. Upon initiation, he or she becomes your diksha-guru (initiating guru). Guru-tattva can also act through other pure souls to give us guidance, teachings and blessings. These teachers are known as shiksha-gurus (instructing gurus) and upa-gurus (auxiliary gurus). Our gurus should always be treated with respect and appreciation. The bond between guru and disciple is sacred and must never be taken for granted.

If you have not yet found your guru, do not be discouraged. You should start by repeating the name of God that appeals to you most. All that is needed is sincerity, devotion and attention—a yearning for God-experience.

The form of God you love most and are most attracted to is known as the ishta-devata (chosen ideal). God is infinite and has infinite names and forms. Sometimes the guru reveals the ishta-devata, but you will usually know within your heart which divine form is your own. Ultimately God chooses you. Whomever the ishta-devata, always remember that there is only one God and try to see this God in all divine manifestations. Each ishta-devata has corresponding mantras that sonically embody the deity. The guru chooses which mantra is best suited for the disciple’s practice. It is not advisable to whimsically change your chosen deity or mantra. There are many paths to God, but one must walk primarily on only one of them.

KIRTAN, Singing the Divine Name

2010-07-22T15:23:00.000-07:00

A talk by Swami Bhajanananda given at Kali Manir
(originally published by Nama Rupa)

God in Seed Form

Chanting gives expression to the soul’s innate yearning for the Divine. The primary methods of chanting are japa, the mental repetition of a mantra in meditation, and kirtan, the singing of God’s names, usually accompanied by musical instruments such as harmonium, drum, cymbals. Since ancient times, kirtan has been the cornerstone to the devotional schools of Indian religion, combining the artistry and disciplines of traditional music with the transcendent power of mantra meditation. Kirtan focuses the mind and purifies the heart.

H.H. Swami Vishnudevananda Saraswati

My guru, Swami Vishnudevananda Saraswati of Allahabad, explained the dynamics of chanting in this way. He told me that if you sow a thought you reap a deed, because thought precedes action. If you sow a deed you reap a habit, because deeds repeated become habit. If you sow a habit you reap a character, because the sum total of our habits is our character. If you sow a character, you reap a destiny. What our character is determines whom we become. I remember his voice very clearly saying, “Thought is all important. Think only divine thoughts. God is the highest thought.” All spiritual practices are designed to help us focus on God. We are doing puja, singing kirtan, having satsang, reciting slokas, meditating on mantras—all to fill our mind with divine thoughts. If we sow God-thoughts then our actions become spiritual, our habits become pure and our character becomes saintly. A saint thinks only of God—there is no second thought. The plant has blossomed. We see in such a person so much devotion, so much love. Divine character is our destiny. Guruji always told me that character is everything.

This idea of sowing implies a seed. A seed contains within it in the potentiality of the entire tree. What is the seed form of God? The name of God is such a seed. For me the single most important revelation in spiritual life is that the Name of God is God. The great Himalayan yogi Swami Sivananda Saraswati of Rishikesh said, “All divine potencies, all powers, all divine qualities are hidden in God’s name.” If we plant this seed deep within our consciousness, it will grow and transform us. If it is planted properly in fertile soil, guarded properly and weeded, it will blossom very quickly.

The question is then, “How do we bring the Holy Name deep into our consciousness?” Our problem is that our minds have become habituated to external thinking. This is because the function of the senses is to bring us information from the outside world. Out of habit, our minds are attached to the outgoing senses and therefore run outside as well. In Pantanjali’s yoga system after yama (restraints), niyama (observances), asana (posture), and pranayama (breath control) comes the very difficult need of pratyahara (the withdrawal of the mind from the outside world of the senses). We have to reel this mind in somehow or other. Otherwise dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (absorption), are not possible. But the mind is very tricky. The mind does not want to come in. The senses are very turbulent and the mind is completely identified with them. What to do?

The Path for This Dark Age

Rampriya Das leading kirtan at Kali Mandir

It is said in the Puranic literature that kirtan is the easiest method for God-realization in the Kali Yuga, the present dark are. This was the central message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu more than five hundred years ago as well as an important teaching of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. If we are honest and humble, we can see that our position has become almost hopeless. The whole atmosphere is against us. We have no good training. Even if we had loving wonderful parents, did they train us how to control the mind, to internalize it, to detach it from the senses, and to focus on inner spiritual realities? Our modern culture is pushing us to become selfish and materialistic. But in this, our darkest hour, the Holy Names of God have descended as a golden umbrella during a dark rain.

How does kirtan help our externalized mind become internalized? Our senses are our weak points. If something is nice looking in front of us, how would we desire not to look at it. We have to look at it. If something is beautiful sounding, how can we desire not to listen to it. We can use our weakness to our advantage by connecting our senses with God. We must stamp God on everything. Then everywhere our senses go, we will find only God.

“Music tames the wild beast.” The wild beast is our own mind attached to the outgoing senses. Everybody is attracted to beautiful music. If that beautiful music is based upon God’s name and glories, our mind can be internalized, because God is the deepest reality of our being. Even though we are listening externally, what we are hearing is a reflection of the inner reality.

We generally listen to music and sing to entertain ourselves. Hence, there is the danger of using the Holy Name and kirtan as entertainment. The Holy name is God Himself, God Herself, God Itself—not entertainment. Entertainment is something that happens on the surface level of consciousness. Eventually we have to go beyond the entertainment value of it. Kirtan for entertainment is guaranteed to keep us at the surface level of consciousness. A seed only works if it is planted IN the ground.

There are principles for bringing the Holy Name deep in kirtan. These are for the most part unknown in the Western world. They are revealed by the scriptures, saints and nada-yogis who understand the transforming power of holy sound.

Inner Attitude During Kirtan

We get exited about chanting, but often do not understand what is really going on. Swami Sivananda writes, “When you sing Hari’s name, feel that the Lord is seated in your heart, that every name of the Lord is filled with divine potencies, that the old vicious samskaras (thought and behavior patterns) and vasanas (mental waves) are burnt by the power of the Name, that the mind is filled with purity, that passion and inertia are completely destroyed and that the veil of ignorance is torn down. Meditate on His form and attributes also. Then only will you get maximum benefit from kirtan.” Kirtan is our calling out to God.

In the bhakti-yoga tradition of the Bhagavat-Purana it is mentioned that there are nine primary practices or forms of devotion. They are shravanam (hearing), kirtanam (chanting), smaranam (remembering), vandhanam (offering prayers), pada-sevanam (serving the Lord’s feet), dasanam (becoming a servant), pujana (worship), sakhi-jana (befriending), and atma-nivedana (self-surrender). All this starts with shravanam, kirtanam and smaranam, hearing, chanting, and remembering. These three are the secret of kirtan.

The most popular form of kirtan is based upon call and response. One person leads the chant and we listen. Then we repeat the chant and the leader listens. When we respond we should chant as sweetly and as devotionally as we can. And in our chanting we should also be listening. We should learn to hear the sincerity in our chanting. This will adjust our inner attitude. The whole time we must try to remember God, who mercifully appears in the form of the Name. The purpose is God remembrance.

The Mala in Kirtan

Just as we often use a mala or rosary when chanting japa, we need a mala in kirtan as well. In japa we chant a mantra and go on to the next bead, chant a mantra and go on to the next bead, chant a mantra etc. When we are finished with one, the next one comes automatically. The mala keeps the mantra rotating in consciousness and stabilizes our mind during meditation. In kirtan it is the tune and the rhythm that push the mantra forward and keeps the mind focused. They are the next bead. It is important as kirtan singers and musicians to keep this in mind. In japa you create your own rhythm, bead after bead, or finger after finger, or breath after breath. Swami Sivananda says that, “There must be perfect harmony and concord, one svara (tune), one tala (rhythm), then there will be bliss. Otherwise not.”

The Energetic Mystery

When you sing kirtan, or perform an elaborate ritual, then everywhere the mind goes it will find the Holy Name. The mind gets focused. All of our scattered thoughts become one thought—one vritti. A vritti is a wave or ripple in the mind, any mental modification. The yogis describe it in this way. These thoughts united become a big wave. And this wave rises in consciousness—energetically rising up the spine and touches the thousand-petaled lotus at the top of the head. The top of the head is full of nectar which, when touched by this wave, falls in a shower of spiritual magnetism. During a very good kirtan you can sometime feel a downward flow of subtle energy. This is the amrita (nectar) that is falling. It is a very internal yogic experience. We must try to get our mind, emotions, sentiments, and energies focused in one direction. When they move in one direction—how much power! In a really good kirtan, everybody is stunned, amazed. Just jumping around with excitement will often get us agitated externally. The name will not go very deep. There is a difference between agitated kirtan and kirtan that takes us beyond our body and mind. “Freedom” means freedom from the senses not of the senses.

A Strong Warning

The holy name is not a product to be sold and kirtan is not a performance or concert. Kirtan is worship, not entertainment. When kirtan becomes a career, then pleasing the crowd can become more important than meditation on the holy name. As a result the focus is drifting away from the traditional methods of using sacred sound to invoke God’s purifying presence. The new focus is on what pleases the fans. An argument is being made that this is simply an adjustment of the ancient traditions of kirtan to suit the Western modern mind. But we must remember that it is our mental conditioning that keeps us in bondage. Spiritual practice is meant to remove our ignorance and conditioning, not reinforce them. It is easy to delude ourselves into thinking we are advancing spiritually. The art and practice of kirtan must be protected. Kirtan leaders have a great responsibility and must become serious spiritual practitioners.

Along with kirtan, the sages teach that we must seek the company and advice of saints and elders, study the scriptures deeply, chant japa and meditate regularly, engage in deep self-inquiry, consciously develop virtues, struggle to eradicate vices and practice the yogic yamas (restraints) and niyamas (observances). These are the foundations of a true spiritual life. If we build a building without a foundation then we are really building an accident.

Sure Progress

According to the bhakti-yoga traditions, the yuga-dharma (the religion of the age) is the chanting of God’s names. Lord Chaitanya, Sri Ramakrishna, Anandamayi Ma, Swami Ramdas and the great saints of this age have repeatedly said this. It is important to know how it works. And for that we need valuable guidance from traditional sources. In order to have something stable, you need at least three legs. These are guru, sadhu and shastra. Gurus are our spiritual teachers and elders. Sadhus are monks, nuns, devotees and holy people. Shastras are the revealed scriptures and oral traditions. If we base our spiritual life upon these three then we are safe and can progress carefully and surely. Otherwise we may find that at the end of our life we have gotten nowhere—that we were given everything but gained nothing. To me this is the most frightening of possibilities. The privilege of knowing, meditating upon, singing, and serving the Divine Name is God’s merciful gift to us. May the divine seed of the Holy Name grow purifying our hearts and may we enjoy the harvest of pure devotion.

HARI OM TAT SAT