Loving Ganesha: Chapter 10 (Section 1) - Mantra Recitation -- Ganapati Japah

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More of Loving Ganesha. This chapter can be found at

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Om Shanti,

 

Neil

 

 

 

Ganapati Japah

MantraRecitation

APA, OR RECITATION, IS THE SPIRITUAL PRACTICEof devotedly repeating a mantra,

generally a specified number of times, such as 108, often while counting on a

strand of beads, called a japa mala, while conscientiously concentrating on the

meaning of the mantra. The repetition should be dutifully slow. This brings

punya, merit, to the devotee. It should not be thoughtlessly mechanical or the

hurried, so-called rapid-fire or machine-gun japa, which demonstrate ignorance

of the tantras. Such casual, nonchalant negligence and disregard for

contemplative traditions brings papa, demerit, to the devotee, creating

internal strife, community opposition and turmoil for all concerned.

Japa is a form of devotional worship, invocation, supplication, praise,

adoration, meditation and direct, experiential communion. Unless we are

actually in a state of samadhi (total absorption), which is rare for most

people, japa provides a means to disengage from our racing thoughts and our

memories of the past -- mostly the bad ones. The repetition of positive,

uplifting, spiritual mantras over and over again lifts consciousness and causes

the muladhara chakra to spin clockwise. We feel uplifted. Life does not look so

bad, and neither does the past. A sense of forgiveness comes and the future

looms bright. The past is forgiven and forgotten.

The power of thought and mind is embodied in sound form, that is, in the Word.

The ancient rishis made this knowledge of the Word into a science and turned

their minds toward the inner worlds, invoking the beings therein and offering

their thoughts to the Deities and devas through Vedic hymns, prayers and

mantras. According to the Vedas, the holy scripture that forms the basis of

Hinduism, out of the mind of the Deity came the Word, vak. Its evolutes precede

and give rise to the forms of the inner mind -- the astral forms. These subtle

forms in turn give rise to the outer, material forms that we see.

By that Word of His, by that Self, He created all this, whatever there is.

Shukla Yajur Veda, Shatapatha Brahmana 10.6.5.5. VE, 106

This [in the beginning], was only the Lord of the universe. His Word was with

Him. This Word was His second. He contemplated. He said, "I will deliver this

Word so that she will produce and bring into being all this world."

Sama Veda, Tandya Maha Brahmana 20.14.2. VE, 107

The Word is infinite, immense, beyond all this.... All the Gods, the celestial

spirits, men and animals live in the Word. In the Word all the worlds find

their support.

Krishna Yajur Veda, Taittiriya Brahmana 2.8.8.4. VE, 107

The Vedic view brings increasing confirmation that modern physics is on the

right track. Quantum electromagnetic field theories tell us that, in fact,

there is no such thing as matter. There are only force fields of time and space

that are observable as varying intensities. Thus, a carbon atom is not a bit of

matter; it is a time-space-energy force field of a particular intensity.

Nuclear physicists can change the energy force fields in a chamber and transform

one element to another. If we knew the carbon mantra and could say it properly,

we would cause the particular time-space-energy force field to act and some

carbon would precipitate. Certain occult practitioners can actually do this

with their minds and cause objects to appear. Such magic does show the

correspondence that there is between mind, sound and form. This is the basic

mystical reality behind mantras. What is important for us to realize is that

each Mahadeva can be experienced, expressed, in a mantra form that corresponds

to that Being. This phenomenon is akin to remembering someone by his name

rather than his face. When we utter such a mantra, we call forth the Mahadeva

or cause a particular inner truth to rise up in our minds. Then we feel His

presence and enjoy.

There are two basic kinds of mantras. One class is a very powerful set that

causes immediate, direct changes to occur in the force fields around us,

whether we know the meanings of the sounds or not. These mantras should only be

used after initiation and proper instruction, because if they are mispronounced

they can do us serious harm. The mantra singers of the Navajo Indians of North

America used very powerful healing mantras that would last for days and days.

Even in recent times, a Navajo singer wrongly chanted on the fifth day of a

nine-day chant and crippled himself physically. This is a documented

occurrence. He had to resort to less powerful mantras after that.

The second kind of mantras are either weaker, or the strong vibrations they

produce cannot be distorted by misuse or mispronunciation. With this class of

mantras, it is the power of our own minds concentrated upon the inner-plane

being or concept that makes the mantra most beneficial. If we are not

concentrated, still the energy of the mantra can evoke only one vibration or

image. The majority of the Vedic mantras, all the names of the Gods and the

Gayatris fall into this category. Most of the Vedic chants are simply short

hymns and prayers, while the Sanskrit language itself causes positive,

uplifting force fields that penetrate immediately into the inner realms.

My satguru, Sage Yogaswami placed tremendous emphasis on the performance of

japa, repeating the name of the Lord with concentration and feeling. This great

jnani explained, "May we not forget that mantram is life, that mantram is

action, that mantram is love and that japa, the repetition of mantram, bursts

forth wisdom from within. Japa yoga is the first yoga to be performed toward

the goal of jnana. In the temple perform japa. Under the sacred tree perform

japa. I performed japa all this life as a silent sadhana. It is automatic now."

Sage Yogaswami enjoined his Saivite devotees to "Wear rudraksha beads and repeat

the Panchakshara. Let your heart grow soft and melt. Chant the Letters Five and

in love you will discover His will. Chant so that impurities, anxieties and

doubts are purged. All hail Namah Sivaya!"

Repeating mantras slowly purifies the mind, like running fresh water continually

into a container of discolored water. A fresh stream of water causes the mud at

the bottom of a container to rise and flow out over the top edges, eventually

to be completely replaced by crystal-clear water. Similarly, japa cleanses the

mind of impurities as the pure vibrations of the mantras loosen and wash away

the impure vibrations.

Lord Ganesha is invoked through the mantra Aum. The Mandukya Upanishad

elucidates the inner meaning of Aum, which embodies the highest wisdom. Aum has

three syllables. A represents the waking state. U represents the dreaming state.

M represents the state of deep sleep. Aum in its entirety, plus the moment of

silence which follows it, represents the shanti, the peace beyond

understanding. Thus, Aum japa performed as an invocation to Lord Ganesha, the

Lord of Wisdom and Knowledge -- while love is welling up from our hearts and

tears are for no reason flowing simultaneously -- calls forth the knowledge of

the entirety of our existence in these four categories of consciousness. These

are realms that God Ganesha rules over as Lord of Categories, and this is the

knowledge that He can grant devotees who perform Aum japa and meditation on the

meaning of Aum.

For Aum japa to be effective, the mantra must be pronounced correctly. The first

syllable is A, pronounced as the English word "awe," but prolonged: "aaa." The

second syllable is U, as in "roof," pronounced "oo" but prolonged: "ooo." The

third syllable is M, pronounced "mm" with the front teeth gently touching and

the sound prolonged: "mmmm." Each repetition is sounded for about seven

seconds, with two seconds on A, two seconds on U and three seconds on M, with a

silence of about two seconds before the next repetition. The three syllables are

run together: AAUUMM (silence), AAUUMM (silence), AAUUMM (silence). On the first

syllable, A, we feel the solar plexus and chest vibrating. On the second

syllable, U, the throat vibrates. The third syllable, M, vibrates the top of

the head. Thus, proper chanting of Aum also is a high form of yoga, moving

energy from the lower chakras of the body up to the highest chakra, or energy

center -- the sahasrara chakra at the crown of the head.

Another traditional way to do this japa is to take a full breath and then chant

the AUM three times as you exhale. The first repetition is audible, the second

is more quiet and the third is barely audible, as you concentrate within. Then

inhale slowly as you visualize the image of our loving Lord Ganesha in your

mind. Then repeat the AUM again three times as you exhale. The breathing should

not be forced, but natural, slow, gentle and rhythmical. We can use a japa mala

with 108 beads and pass over one bead for each repetition, or do the japa for a

prearranged period of time.

 

 

 

Loving Ganesha by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

 

Web sites: http://www.hindu.org/ & http://www.himalayanacademy.com/

email: contact (AT) hindu (DOT) org

Himalayan Academy Kauai's Hindu Monastery107 Kaholalele RoadKapaa, HI 96746-9304

 

 

 

 

 

 

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