Hari Aum.
Om Namo Narayanaya.
The Gurus of various spiritual traditions, both East and West, have always strongly encouraged people to perfrom additional prayers during difficult times, such as when there is the possibility of war.
We seem to be facing such a possibility in today based on recent developments in Europe. A war is always a terrible thing, but after a two year long battle with Covid, it seems even more cruel. The last thing humanity needs right now is war and bloodshed. We have collectively been through enough in the past two years and this should be a time for recovery and healing rather than chaos and destruction.
Many of us feel a sense of helplessness in situations like this--we can feel disempowered, as if we have no voice, no influence, no ability to improve matters. After all, we say, what can we little individuals do? These global issues are not in our hands, we might think.
However, I would like to draw your attention to the following words by my Guru, Sivananda (these words are also found in the teachings of many spiritual traditions across the world):
"Do not feel that you are only an ordinary individual, one in millions. Do not think that unless you have co-operation from thousands and thousands all over the world, nothing of real importance will be done. No, you forget that every thought sent out by you, you the humble individual that you think you are, every thought sent in the proper manner with full trust in God, for pure unselfishness, has behind it the support of all well-wishes, embodied and disembodied. You do not know how many great well-wishers of the world are everywhere in spirit ready to give invisible help to selfless workers."
"Every thought that you send out is a vibration which never perishes. It goes on vibrating every particle of the universe and if your thoughts are noble, holy and forcible, they set in vibration every sympathetic mind. Unconsciously all people who are like you take the thought you have projected and in accordance with the capacity that they have, they send out similar thoughts. The result is that, without your knowledge the consequences of your own work, you will be setting in motion great forces which will work together and put down the lowly and mean thoughts generated by the selfish and the wicked."
"Make your own individual appeal to God and ask Him to send Light to help humanity for the establishment of peace and promotion of happiness."
If we did not know any mantras, we would not be obliged to repeat any for peace. As we have been fortunate enough to encounter mantras, understand their effect, recognise that they can work with or without faith (because they are inherently a force for good as they are one with God Him/Herself), we have a duty and an obligation to pray. Let us utilise the knowledge we have been given to pray for the welfare of all beings-- the yogis say, this is the foremost duty of all spiritual seekers.
Let us daily repeat any mantra or prayer, from any spiritual tradition of our liking, for the sake of peace.
Even 5-10 minutes done daily can have a powerful effect, especially when many of us join together. Let us come together at this time and do this for each other and everyone.
Many God bless and protect all beings on this planet.
May dharma prevail, may the lower nature within all of us be overcome by the higher. May truth prevail, may light prevail, may love prevail.
Remember, we came alone, we will go alone. There is nobody on Earth who loves us like God does. Let us reach out to Him/Her at this challenging time.
Om Namo Narayanaya.
Hari Aum Tat Sat.
P.S. I want to share a poem below that I love and which I feel is particularly relevant at this time. It contains a message of hope, of inspiration, of the need to act (and not just sit around waiting passively hoping things will turn out ok). Sivananda used to frequently say "Be up and doing" to his disciples as this poem also says.
A Psalm of Life
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (19th Century American poet)
What The Heart Of The Young Man Said To The Psalmist.
"Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.
Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.
Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.
In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!
Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,— act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o’erhead!
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;
Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait."
Hari Aum Tat Sat
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