Guest guest Posted February 22, 2002 Report Share Posted February 22, 2002 A couple of years ago, I bought an engraved white metal Sri Yantra, and brought it with me to Ammachi when I went up for darshan. As she prepared to hug me, I held it out to her, and she smiled broadly and said, "Sri Yantra, eh?" and kissed it. It is on my altar, and I wave incense before it when doing puja to my deities, chanting a <shloka> to Durga during the waxing Moon, and one to Kali during the waning Moon. So it seems Amma approves of the use of the Sri Yantra (although I feel I don't really have a good idea of how to properly worship it). Now I'm wondering about other yantras, though. Woulkd Amma approve of using a yantra designed for specific purposes? There are yantras designed to remove debts, or assure the birth of a son, or cause your opponent in court to not present his case well, or to inspire your enemies to get divorced. -- Len/ Kalipadma On Sat, 23 Feb 2002 07:38:23 -0800 (PST) Yoga man <childofdevi writes: > Namaste! > > Recently one of my close friends had a yantra built > for a specific purpose and upon commencement of > worship of the yantra, the result was truly stunning. > This was really a big surprise for me as I was > lifelong skeptic of yantras. And I did notice that > some books of Amma have the Sriyantra(on the cover) in > it, there are also a couple of Sriyantras that I have > seen in the Ashram at Vallikavu. > The deity of the Sriyantra has been variously > described as Tripurasundari, Lalitha, Laxmi etc by > different traditions. > > My question is - does Amma recommend a yantra based > worship? > ______________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 23, 2002 Report Share Posted February 23, 2002 Namaste! Recently one of my close friends had a yantra built for a specific purpose and upon commencement of worship of the yantra, the result was truly stunning. This was really a big surprise for me as I was lifelong skeptic of yantras. And I did notice that some books of Amma have the Sriyantra(on the cover) in it, there are also a couple of Sriyantras that I have seen in the Ashram at Vallikavu. The deity of the Sriyantra has been variously described as Tripurasundari, Lalitha, Laxmi etc by different traditions. My question is - does Amma recommend a yantra based worship? Aum Namasivaya Vijay Pillai Sports - Coverage of the 2002 Olympic Games http://sports. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 24, 2002 Report Share Posted February 24, 2002 On Sun, 24 Feb 2002 10:42:59 -0000 "tomgull" <tomgull writes: > > I've started to use a Sri Yantra in front of an oil > lamp while listening to the L.Sahasranama stotra tape. > I just make sure to polish it at least weekly and try > to offer it the 5-element puja, even if it's just > mentally. What intrigues me is the numerical yantras. > tom > Are you talking about the numbered three-by-three magic squares where the rows, columns, and diagonals all add up to the same number? They're used to invoke different planetary energies? Or are you talking about something else? The same magic squares are found in Hebrew Kaballistic treatises, the Chinese I Ching, all sorts of far-flung traditions. -- Len/ Kalipadma ______________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 24, 2002 Report Share Posted February 24, 2002 >From my understanding: I have never heard or read of Amma promoting or not promoting the use or worship of yantras. Traditionally yantra (tantric) worship requires more strict adherence to the various rules of the worship, at least if that's going to be a sadhana, especially if it involves actually drawing the yantra, versus purchasing a common engraved one. There's books available in how to prepare simple yantras and describe the various materials to use. Yantra literally means "machine", and is a more subtle form of the deity than the person form, but more gross than the mantra form. If you're invoking a deity through its yantra form, its supposedly more important to follow the specific rules, as the personal form may be more forgiving that the subtle form. In other words, it's the difference between having Amma come over to your house in her person form, and appearing as formless radiance, etc. itself, which you may not be able to properly worship or attend to. I've started to use a Sri Yantra in front of an oil lamp while listening to the L.Sahasranama stotra tape. I just make sure to polish it at least weekly and try to offer it the 5-element puja, even if it's just mentally. What intrigues me is the numerical yantras. tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 24, 2002 Report Share Posted February 24, 2002 On Sun, 24 Feb 2002 10:42:59 -0000 "tomgull" <tomgull writes: > > Yantra literally means "machine", and is a more > subtle form of the deity than the person form, but more > gross than the mantra form. If you're invoking a deity > through its yantra form, its supposedly more important > to follow the specific rules, as the personal form > may be more forgiving that the subtle form. Hmmm... I seem to recall Harish Johari writing that, at least so far as planetary yantras are concerned, the yantras are easier to use than a <murti> of the planet's deity, which has to be specially installed by a priest. -- Len/ Kalipadma ______________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2002 Report Share Posted February 25, 2002 > Hmmm... I seem to recall Harish Johari writing that, > at least so far as planetary yantras are concerned, the > yantras are easier to use than a <murti> of the planet's > deity, which has to be specially installed by a priest. >From my understanding of Tantra and I'm certainly no expert, Formal pranapratishta (seating/installing of the prana) for permanent murthi's such as a temple, the same procedures are required for a permanently installed yantra, just as a statue. > Are you talking about the numbered three-by-three magic > squares where the rows, columns, and diagonals all add > up to the same number? They're used to invoke different > planetary energies? Or are you talking about something else? > The same magic squares are found in Hebrew Kaballistic > treatises, the Chinese I Ching, all sorts of far-flung > traditions. There are some 3 x 3 numerical yantras on the copper yantras for planets that I have. But I'm talking about the ones listed below. Specifically, there's one corresponding to the Nitya Armor prayer that I've uploaded into the files section here, and if you check the graphic of Durga in the files section, as many paintings of Durga or Amba, etc. there'll usually be the Durga numerical yantra at the very bottom. Many times the numbers will be the sanskrit form of the number. Durga numerical yantra (ignore the author's comments about reversing the order of the numbers): http://www.yogamagik.com/yogamagik/sacredgeometry/ Note the triangular form of the yantra. The Triangle is representative of fire, and Durga (and Rudra) represent the mystical/divine fire. Graphic of Nitya (Lalitha) Armor numerical yantra: http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/gthursby/tantra/kavacha.htm Other numerical yantras, similar to the ones in a book I have: http://www.teoindia.com//yantra2.htm tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 26, 2002 Report Share Posted February 26, 2002 On Mon, 25 Feb 2002 22:11:41 -0000 "tomgull" <tomgull writes: > > > Are you talking about the numbered three-by-three magic > > squares... > There are some 3 x 3 numerical yantras on the copper yantras > for planets that I have. But I'm talking about the ones listed > below. Specifically, there's one corresponding to the Nitya > Armor prayer that I've uploaded into the files section here, > and if you check the graphic of Durga in the files section, as > many paintings of Durga or Amba, etc. there'll usually be the > Durga numerical yantra at the very bottom. Many times the > numbers will be the sanskrit form of the number. > > Durga numerical yantra (ignore the author's comments about > reversing the order of the numbers): > http://www.yogamagik.com/yogamagik/sacredgeometry/ > > Note the triangular form of the yantra. The Triangle > is representative of fire, and Durga (and Rudra) represent > the mystical/divine fire. I can't access Websites on this computer, but I'm very familiar with the triangular yantra for Durga. It's actually a triskele, a sort of pinwheel with three blades (the Celts liked them, too!), and marked off into nine numbered sections, 9 being Durga's number. Last Autumn, for Navaratri, Durga's festival, I drew the numbered yantra, and had the nine attendees at a puja I held pull chits with the nine names of Durga out of a hat, and daub kum-kum on the equivalent numbered section. The nine Durgas are: 1 - Shailaputri (daughter of the peak) 2 - Brahmacharini (celibate student) 3 - Chandraghanta (lunar bell) 4 - Kushmanda (yellow gourd) 5 - Skandamata (mother of the spiritual warrior) 6 - Katyayani (unmarried one) 7 - Kalaratri (night of time) 8 - Mahagauri (great golden one) 9 - Siddhidatri (giver of magic) I picked <Mahagauri>, for what it's worth... -- Len/ Kalipadma > > Graphic of Nitya (Lalitha) Armor numerical yantra: > http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/gthursby/tantra/kavacha.htm > > Other numerical yantras, similar to the ones in a book I have: > http://www.teoindia.com//yantra2.htm > ______________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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