Mantra for Beginners - 4

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Mantra for Beginners - 4

 

In my earlier messages I had equated Mental Japa to meditation. I saw

recently that some one had called this Dhyana Yoga. The Art and

science of Meditation. I was talking about how in India we generally

proceeded from rituals to meditation. In Tantra this process is

emphasised. The initiates are classified according to their levels.

You proceed gradually from one process to the other. Some of the more

esoteric Sadhanas are meant for only advanced initiates. You proceed

from the form to the formless. Tantras are basically instruction

manuals. They tell you how to proceed. Again in Tantra we

specifically forbid anyone to act without a Guru.

 

We are not discussing Tantra now. I am only drawing a parallel. There

is a lot of interest in clubs to know about advanced Tantrik

Sadhnaa like Smasana Sadhnaa, Sava Sadhana, and five Ms. But after

trying to answer some of the curious people I realised that without

explaining the basic philosophy of Tantra and the pre-requisite

qualifications, talking about these Sadhanas will be only vetting the

appetite of the curious and......

 

Talking about the pre -requisites, there is a Sadhana, which you

might be familiar with, called Jala Sadhana. You stand in water

(preferably in a holy river) upto your neck in water and meditate or

do mantra Japa for hours. But do you know what happens to your body.

Cramps ! I was discussing this with a Tantrik friend. He said he had

to be almost hospitalized as the body had become so stiff. We talk

about Smasana Sadhnaa or worship in the graveyard/cremation ground.

Leave alone Sadhana, do you have the courage to spent hours in the

middle of the night in a Graveyard. And how do you ensure that the

police do not arrest you? Even in India you will be.

 

Meditation being the highest form of Sadhnaa also gives very quick

results. Scientific studies have clearly proved the effects of

Meditation on the body. So it is but natural that everyone is

attracted to meditation. Again this does not have the dogma of

ritualistic or idol worship.

 

Now the entire spirualistic practices of Hinduism are a synthesis of

many aspects. You want to do meditation or even japa for 1 hour. How

do sit still for one hour. Your legs start feeling numb after 20

minutes. How do you concentrate for 3 to 4 hours or more than that,

if your body does not cooperate? That is why Hatha yoga was

considered an essential part of Hinduism. Again if you have training

in Pranayama it is much easier to meditate.

 

Maa Kundalini or Kundalini Sakthi resides in everyone. We all have

the Chakras. All spiritual practices right from Pooja, Japa,

Meditation has an effect on Kundalini. In Tantra we call SriVidya,

pure Kundalini Yoga. All Tantrik practices have their basis in

Kundalini Yoga. I had asked my Guru before my initiation about

Kundalini. He said with Mantra Japa your Kundalini will automatically

be raised.

With meditation the Kundalini raises much faster. The raising of the

Kundalini again depends on the Mantra. Even with a Nirguna mantra you

cannot prevent or control your Kundalini from rising.

 

Since with meditation it raises much faster the effects may not be

what you had anticipated. For most of us Kundalini Sakthi is at

different levels. So the effect of meditation will be different.

Though the road is smoother at 80 mph than at twenty mph because the

car feels the bumps less, if you hit a wall the effects are much more

serious than at 20 mph. You may find an explanation in Kundalini Yoga

about what is happening to you.

 

Continued