Vijaya dashami greetings and the comfort zone

 Hari Aum.

Tomorrow is the tenth day of celebration known as 'Vijaya Dashami' that occurs after the auspicious nine nights of Navaratri. This is a highly auspicious day according to the Vedic calendar. Any material or spiritual venture that commences on this day is said to have the blessings of the Divine and will be successful (according to the principles of Vedic astrology).

It is a perfect day (muhurtha) to begin a spiritual practice such as mantra japa or purascharana. It is a wonderful day to renew our spiritual resolves. On a more material level, it is an excellent day to start a new project or take up anything new related to our personal wellbeing.

This day is especially associated with the worship of Mother Sarasvati, the Goddess of wisdom, the One who presides over education and the arts. It is a day of great celebration across various schools of yoga as well as those related to classical music and dance in India. 

It is a day to express our gratitude to our Gurus, both in spiritual and material life. It is a day to celebrate our teachers, to pay our respects to them, and to please them by committing to study the subjects that they teach us with renewed zeal and enthusiasm.

Like many yogis everywhere, I hope to celebrate this highly auspicious day by worshipping Mother Sarasvati. I will also be attending my usual music and dance classes on this day and will have an opportunity to give thanks to my Gurus. I remember my spiritual Guru, Sivananda, in particular on this auspicious day-- he is the source of all blessings, both spiritual and material, in my life.

This is also a good day to challenge oneself, to take up something that we want to do but have not yet managed to, something that may place us a little outside our comfort zone. This may involve deciding to cultivate a new skill, take up a new hobby, or do something that challenges us in a positive way-- something that helps us to grow and develop further. This can help us in our spiritual lives by giving us opportunities to cultivate various positive qualities.

The universe has recently provided me with an opportunity to step out of one of my comfort zones; this is related to the field of dance. I am generally not too comfortable with the idea of performing anything on stage (this is related to various childhood experiences including being raised in a home where the expectation was that I would be 'seen and not heard' and also an unpleasant experience of public speaking at school as a young child!). While I am generally comfortable with chatting with people one-to-one or in a small group, I feel distinctly uneasy at the prospect of public speaking or performing before a larger group!

When I first started learning Bharatanatyam a couple of years ago, my intention was to take up a much-loved hobby for the improvement of my own wellbeing and health. It was also to be able to explore an art form that has a very beautiful spiritual and devotional dimension. I felt this could be a valuable addition to my bhakti yoga practice and this has indeed turned out the case (I practice dance at home in front of an altar or temple with various forms of the Divine and also my Guru-- I always feel that They are very supportive and appreciative even at this very early stage in my learning!).

As I was struggling to keep motivated with learning dance (due to various other commitments) while having only individual classes, I switched to learning in a group from late last year (and supplement this with individual classes too when needed). 

However, I had no intention whatsoever of taking any dance examinations (in fact, I firmly told my teacher at the outset that I would not do these as I was only learning dance as a hobby and not to obtain a qualification!). And I certainly did not anticipate performing for a long time to come! 

But we are influenced by the company we keep (a key part of spiritual life too of course-- hence the great value of satsanga!). 

And my fellow dance students are not only highly enthusiastic--some of them are positively eager to get onto the stage! It was because of my dance classmates that I felt inspired to take the dance examination in summer this year (this compelled me to practice more seriously so was very useful). 

And now, our dance teacher has announced, quite unexpectedly, that he wants our class to do a little performance on stage in a few months (this is a lot sooner than I had expected-- I was under the impression that we would not be expected to perform until towards the end of next year which felt like a long way away!). 

After this announcement, I privately shared my wariness of being on stage with my teacher; his response was to reassure me, saying there was nothing to worry about as he would train us all very well and I would be performing in a group (and not alone-- thankfully!). 

I have decided to trust him (and myself-- for now anyway!); this is because I have seen his other students perform, and I know he sets a relatively high standard and ensures his students are ready (regardless of their stage in learning)! So, I now find myself being swept up in a current of preparing for a mini-dance performance and have decided to simply go with the flow! 

I am trying to find time to practice dance in the midst of other commitments related to home and work. As the saying goes, 'where there is a will, there is a way'!  (Again, here too, I am inspired by my fellow students who also have other commitments based upon their own stage in life, including those related to family, work and education). 

As Lord Ganesha is traditionally worshipped first in any venture in the Vedic spiritual tradition, the first devotional piece we will be performing will be dedicated to Him. I am praying to Ganesha, the Divine remover of obstacles, to remove all obstacles in the path of my satisfactory performance of this piece as a form of devotion to Him!

And, as the auspicious Vijaya Dashami day approaches, I am also praying to Mother Sarasvati, the Goddess of the arts, to bless me with the ability to perform dance (and vocal music which I am also learning and which is mandatory for Bharatanatyam) to an acceptable level and in a manner that is pleasing to the Divine (with a decent level of skill, but without any unhelpful ego!). I would like Her to help me step out of one of my comfort zones (I feel this will also be of benefit to me spiritually). We shall see what She says-- only time will tell!

I hope you too will be inspired on this beautiful day to take up something new of value, especially related to spiritual life and possibly even comfort zones! May Mother Sarasvati bless us all with spiritual progress and grant us success in learning in all aspects of life!

Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah.

Om Sri Sarasvatyai Namah.

Om Aim Hreem Kleem Chamundayai Vicche.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

P.S. Vijaya Dashami is also celebrated as 'Dussehra', the day when Lord Rama defeated the demon-King Ravana and was re-united with His wife, Sita. It is a day of the victory of good over evil. It is a wonderful day to worship this great avatar of Lord Narayana. 

Om Sri Rama, Jaya Rama, Jaya Jaya Rama.

Hari Aum Tat Sat. 

The glories of the ashtakshara mantra: Part 2

 Hari Aum.

Around four years ago, I attempted to provide a translation of the 'Ashtakshara mahatmyam" to the best of my ability based upon a modest grasp of the Sanskrit language.  This consists of a conversation between sage Vyasa and his son, Shuka, and describes the many spiritual and material benefits of reciting the ashtakshara mantra of Lord Narayana (the link to the post is below). 

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/803812822913447625/787398039754352026

The ashtakshara mahatyam describes the theory of spiritual practice with regard to this mantra, i.e. what should happen over time as we recite it. The practical side of this is left to us-- the rishis intended that we would practice this mantra regularly and gradually experience the benefits they described for ourselves.

As we all know, spiritual life is not easy. It involves work, a lot of work-- largely done by ourselves upon ourselves, with the help of God and (if we have one) Guru. The spiritual journey is also usually a long one (lasting a lifetime or more). 

If we have already done a lot of spiritual work in previous lifetimes, then the amount left for this lifetime may only be a little and we will attain the spiritual goal relatively soon. But, for the majority of seekers, there is still plenty of spiritual development to be done in this lifetime. And, for that, we have no option but to commit to a regular, daily spiritual practice (there are, of course, no shortcuts on the spiritual path).

Over the years, I have written on this blog about some of the highs and lows of spiritual life that I have experienced. For example, in the post below, I provided a summary of some of the positive benefits and also the challenges that I have experienced while reciting this mantra for some years. 

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/803812822913447625/6488796706028449058

There are two main challenges as far as I can see on the spiritual path. One is having to deal with past karmas. The other is inner and outer obstacles. However, the mantra helps one to handle both of these. I would like to explain this a bit further.

If a spiritual aspirant decides they wish to attain knowledge of their true spiritual nature in this lifetime (and this is the goal generally advised by all Gurus), then all their past negative karmas from countless previous lifetimes need to be purged in one lifetime. This will not be easy or pleasant.

Very few, if any, spiritual seekers attain God after a pleasant, comfortable life. Most of them undergo all sorts of experiences that would generally be regarded as unpleasant from a material perspective, that produce mental and physical suffering. This is not only a chance to purge karmas but an opportunity to develop faith in God and form a close bond with Him/Her (the ishta devata) who helps one through these.

This is where the glory of mantras, and in my experience, the ashtakshara mantra, comes in. Based on some recent events, I would like to write a little more about the practical benefits of reciting this mantra. 

It is said that the mantra itself is the devata; it is itself the very deity one is worshipping, in the form of sound. As Vyasa explains in the ashtakshara mahatmyam, this mantra helps us to destroy past negative karma, protects the mind from creating new negative karma, and also actively creates good karma and thus material happiness. 

But, most of all, it helps us transcend all karma, both good and bad, to create a bond with God, a spiritual connection with that Being who resides within each one of us. And, eventually, it helps us realise that we are one with that Being, that is our true essence, our true nature.

I would say that the universe allowed me to settle into a habit of repeating the mantra daily for a few years before unleashing a huge amount of karmic purging onto me. If the significant challenges had come up as soon as I started the practice, I may have simply given up, or perhaps not, I really don't know. 

But in any case, I am very grateful to have been permitted by God to have developed a habit of daily mantra japa and to have experienced some of the positive benefits of mantra chanting before the real spiritual challenges started some years ago. 

It is the recitation of this mantra alone that has helped me to cope with everything that I have faced in life. This mantra, given by my Guru, I feel has connected me to both my Guru and the Divine (both as Mother and Father).

Why am I writing a second post on the glories of this mantra now? Well, the reason is that I have further experienced some of its glories! 

Last month, I wrote a post saying the spiritual 'silver jubilee' that is occurring this month was not sweet at all. Only Diwali sweets were in sight (and I've already had plenty of those over the years!), but no darshan of Narayana, no sign of Him at all, either in dream or in the waking state. 

I was very frustrated, upset and annoyed with Him at the time of writing that post. This was mainly because I felt ignored by Him. Nothing happens without the will of God. It was He who must have created in me a desire to have His darshan at the present time-- and that wish had not been fulfilled (I last dreamt of Him ages ago). I was beginning to feel quite abandoned and that was not a good feeling.

During this Navaratri, which began last week, I had a dream of Lakshmi, and then later (in the same dream) of Her and Narayana together. It was a very simple but beautiful dream and I woke up feeling very happy. 

After this dream, I felt that Narayana had finally listened and responded-- He had heard me when I said I wanted a darshan of Him in some form. This felt necessary for encouragement (especially after dealing with all the challenges in recent times) to keep going on the spiritual path. (I also see this dream as indicating that I should continue with my regular worship of the Divine Mother, particularly as Lakshmi).

Despite my being grumpy with Him at times, despite my various flaws and imperfections, despite my lower mind (with all the 'shad ripus') being alive and kicking, despite all this, He heard me and He showed up in my dream in accordance with my request.

I am writing this post only to say that He hears us when we are frustrated, He hears us when we are angry, He is sympathetic, He is kind and compassionate. It is true that He does not just show up every day in our dreams or in the waking state when we demand it, but He does show up when we really need Him to, when we need encouragement to keep going upon the spiritual path. This has been my experience.

And the ashtakshara mantra connects us with Him. It helps us to form a close bond with Him. It draws His grace upon us.

The main positive feature about my spiritual life is that I repeat the ashtakshara mantra every single day (while attempting to follow the yogic ethics), come hell or high water. The capacity to do this, despite living a fairly busy 'worldly life', is in my view, due to the protecting grace of my Guru and the Divine Mother. 

Every morning and every evening I sit down for at least a few minutes and recite this mantra no matter what condition I find myself in (currently sticking with the 7 malas per day which is quite modest, and of course, frequent remembrance during the day as far as possible). If there is no time to have a seated session (fortunately that is unusual), I walk about and recite this mantra silently or loudly (if there is nobody about) to myself while performing various chores. If it is late at night, and I am very sleepy, I do not generally give in to the lower mind's wish to sleep unless the mantra japa for the day has been completed.

So, japa of the ashtakshara mantra remains a top priority in my life. I feel it is the basis of all other dharmas, all artha, kama and the quest for moksha and parabhakti. As sage Vyasa says, the four goals of human life (dharma, artha, kama and moksha) are rooted in the recitation of the ashtakshara mantra which grants all these. I feel this mantra has greatly benefited me both spiritually and materially over the years.

So, in summary, all that I can say, is that the ashtakshara mantra is wonderful, it is glorious. It connects us with the Divine, and allows us to feel His grace and blessings and His living response to our call to Him. 

I would therefore say that it is well worth reciting this mantra daily (and I will very much continue to do so, God willing). (Of course, our Gurus say that all names and mantras of the Divine, including from other spiritual traditions, are equally powerful and protective-- so some form of daily recitation of these based upon our own inclination would be wise).

Om Shri Lakshmi-Narayanabhyam Namah. I wish all of you a very happy Navaratri. Let us continue to pray for our own spiritual progress and the welfare of all beings.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Eclipse and Navaratri sadhana

 Hari Aum.

There is a solar eclipse tomorrow in the sign of Virgo. This is a very good time to do a variety of spiritual practices, including japa, kirtan and tarpanam.

https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2024-october-2

At this volatile time in world politics, I would like to share some quotations on peace by Swami Sivananda and other Gurus. It is good to remind ourselves of their advice and teachings at this time.

Yogananda:

"Change yourself and you have done your part in changing the world. Every individual must change his own life if he wants to live in a peaceful world. The world cannot become peaceful unless and until you yourself begin to work toward peace."

"Meditate often and hold on to the peaceful aftereffects. We must send out thoughts of love, goodwill, harmony. In the temple of meditation, with the light of intuition burning on the altar, there is no restlessness, no nervous striving or searching. Man is truly home at last, in a sanctuary not made with hands, but with God-peace."

"I believe that if every citizen in the world is taught to commune with God (not merely to know Him intellectually), then peace can reign; not before. When by persistence in meditation you realize God through communion with Him, your heart is prepared to embrace all humanity."

Anandamayi Ma:

"Without the repetition of the name and the remembrance of God, there is no hope of peace on earth. Let duty come first and foremost."

"It is possible to practice God's name under the most adverse circumstances. He causes everything to happen and is therefore ever near."

"By your japa [repetition of the Lord’s name] and meditation those who are close to you will also benefit through the helpful influence of your presence. In order to develop a taste for meditation you have to make a deliberate and sustained effort, just as children have to be made to sit and study, be it by persuasion or coercion."

"By taking medicine or having injections a patient may get well; even if you do not feel inclined to meditate, conquer your reluctance and make an attempt. The habit of countless lives is pulling you in the opposite direction and making it difficult for you – persevere in spite of it! By your tenacity you will gain strength and be moulded; that is to say, you will develop the capability to perform spiritual disciplines. Make up your mind that however arduous the task, it will have to be accomplished. Recognition and fame last for a short time only, they do not accompany you when you leave this world. If your thought does not naturally flow towards the Eternal, fix it there by an effort of will."

"In order to pluck a rose, one has to put one's hand into the midst of thorns. But if the rose is a person's aim and he has a keen desire to pluck it, he will not refrain from doing so for fear of being pricked. Moreover, the Reality arranges whatever is necessary for each one. It certainly knows the real need of every individual. If one has at least this much faith, there is no reason at all to feel distressed."

Sivananda:

"World peace is possible when all the people of the world wake up to the facts governing universal life and when there is a heart-to-heart feeling of goodness, love and oneness among the inhabitants of the world. Peace, to be lasting and constructive, must be achieved through God. There can be no peace without the Lord or God. God is peace. Root yourself in Peace or God. Now you are fit to radiate peace."

On this note, it is the auspicious day of Sarva Pitru Amavasya tomorrow and, as mentioned previously, there will also be a solar eclipse on this day. An eclipse is said to magnify energy, both light and dark. According to the yogis, those who harbour thoughts of violence will be more prone to evil thoughts during an eclipse. Equally, those who generate thoughts of goodwill and peace during this time will themselves benefit and also be of use to others.

We should obviously do some mantra japa for world peace during this time. The more the better. However, even a few minutes will have a positive effect. Any mantra or name of God from any spiritual tradition can be chanted as per our Gurus. 

Wars are never truly fought due to any religion. They are fought due to the love of one's own ego masquerading as devotion to God. Where there is true devotion, there can never be war; there can only be goodwill. 

The sacred time of Navaratri starts the day-after-tomorrow. This is a deeply auspicious time to worship the Divine Mother and chant Her mantras, especially the Navarna. Let us invoke the Divine Mother during this time and gain Her blessings for ourselves and the planet. 

As Krishna says is the Gita, we have a duty to act in accordance with the principles of dharma/righteousness, but it is not up to us to decide the results of our actions; that remains in the hands of God. At times like this, in accordance with the teachings of all Gurus in all spiritual traditions, we absolutely have a duty to chant mantras and prayers for inner and world peace. 

Om Namo Narayanaya. Om Sri Durgayai Namah. Om Namah Shivaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.