Hari Aum.
2018 has arrived. It is quite surreal in some ways thinking that we are already 18 years into the 21st century. I remember the year 2000 so vividly, it feels like it was not that long ago. It is incredible that eighteen years have already flown by.
So another year has dawned. And it brings with it, new opportunities and new challenges in the field of sadhana (spiritual practice). We all face challenges on a daily basis. We meet with difficult people who are unjust to us, with unfavourable circumstances and so on. In the midst of this struggle for daily existence, we are to direct our minds to God to attain Him/Her/That. This is no easy task. Yet the yogis say there is no other way.
7.6 billion people live on the Earth today according to the latest statistics. Every day, 7.6 billion people wake up and go about their daily business, some mostly helping the world and some mostly harming. We encounter some number of these people every day. Some help us, some harm us. The mind feels pain on account of the harm done by others. But if one thinks too much about this, then one loses the God-thought which is the real harm done by the other. So, even when one faces challenges, particularly posed by difficult and negative people, one has to direct one's mental energy to thoughts of God and not to thoughts of those who harmed us. This is easy to say and phenomenally difficult to do, especially when we feel particularly aggrieved or wronged. This is where the mantra comes in very useful. Even as the mind repeatedly tries to run towards thoughts of the past and future, one needs to gently bring it back to the mantra.
At times we may be so irritated by events in our life that we lose the taste for japa. The mood to recite the name of God may not be there at the time (especially for us as beginners). Even then one should never leave the practice of the name of God- because the yogis say, this is the most auspicious of all auspicious things. This grants both material and spiritual peace and bliss. Challenges are sent to us by God to strengthen us, so say Sivananda and other Gurus. We can only face them with help from God, and that help comes when we take His/Her name. The famous lady saint, Anandamayi Ma, used to say that sometimes one has to feed oneself the name of God as a medicine (at other times, one may enjoys the recitation/japa like drinking nectar). The name is both a medicine and a nectar, so say the yogis.
Hence with or without love, with or without concentration, in whatever circumstances, and whatever our mood or state of mind may be, we need to cling to the name of God and recite it for some time daily. Challenges will pass eventually, the name of God will give us strength to bear them.
Glory to the name of God.
Om Namo Narayanaya
Hari Aum Tat Sat
P.S. There are two eclipses next month in February. These are very auspicious times for sadhana and japa. The effect of any sadhana done during an eclipse is said to be severalfold that of other times. Hence one should take the opportunity to do sadhana at this time for one's own benefit and that of the whole world (peace in the world).
P.P.S. My fourth purascharana is carrying on, am nearly two months into it. Have a further 20 months to go. My writing sadhana is also continuing. The second book on part two of Krishna's life is nearing completion and will hopefully be published in the next 1-2 months.
2018 has arrived. It is quite surreal in some ways thinking that we are already 18 years into the 21st century. I remember the year 2000 so vividly, it feels like it was not that long ago. It is incredible that eighteen years have already flown by.
So another year has dawned. And it brings with it, new opportunities and new challenges in the field of sadhana (spiritual practice). We all face challenges on a daily basis. We meet with difficult people who are unjust to us, with unfavourable circumstances and so on. In the midst of this struggle for daily existence, we are to direct our minds to God to attain Him/Her/That. This is no easy task. Yet the yogis say there is no other way.
7.6 billion people live on the Earth today according to the latest statistics. Every day, 7.6 billion people wake up and go about their daily business, some mostly helping the world and some mostly harming. We encounter some number of these people every day. Some help us, some harm us. The mind feels pain on account of the harm done by others. But if one thinks too much about this, then one loses the God-thought which is the real harm done by the other. So, even when one faces challenges, particularly posed by difficult and negative people, one has to direct one's mental energy to thoughts of God and not to thoughts of those who harmed us. This is easy to say and phenomenally difficult to do, especially when we feel particularly aggrieved or wronged. This is where the mantra comes in very useful. Even as the mind repeatedly tries to run towards thoughts of the past and future, one needs to gently bring it back to the mantra.
At times we may be so irritated by events in our life that we lose the taste for japa. The mood to recite the name of God may not be there at the time (especially for us as beginners). Even then one should never leave the practice of the name of God- because the yogis say, this is the most auspicious of all auspicious things. This grants both material and spiritual peace and bliss. Challenges are sent to us by God to strengthen us, so say Sivananda and other Gurus. We can only face them with help from God, and that help comes when we take His/Her name. The famous lady saint, Anandamayi Ma, used to say that sometimes one has to feed oneself the name of God as a medicine (at other times, one may enjoys the recitation/japa like drinking nectar). The name is both a medicine and a nectar, so say the yogis.
Hence with or without love, with or without concentration, in whatever circumstances, and whatever our mood or state of mind may be, we need to cling to the name of God and recite it for some time daily. Challenges will pass eventually, the name of God will give us strength to bear them.
Glory to the name of God.
Om Namo Narayanaya
Hari Aum Tat Sat
P.S. There are two eclipses next month in February. These are very auspicious times for sadhana and japa. The effect of any sadhana done during an eclipse is said to be severalfold that of other times. Hence one should take the opportunity to do sadhana at this time for one's own benefit and that of the whole world (peace in the world).
P.P.S. My fourth purascharana is carrying on, am nearly two months into it. Have a further 20 months to go. My writing sadhana is also continuing. The second book on part two of Krishna's life is nearing completion and will hopefully be published in the next 1-2 months.
