To Bruce about Yagna kompensation method !!

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Nanda wrote to Bruce:

 

Take the mantra that you are chanting, and multiply the number of

syllables in your mantra by 100,000. This is the number that you would

need to just chant it as a japa. (In Swamiji's example below, he gave a

2 syllabled mantra, and hence said that the complete mantra japa would

be 200,000 repetitions)...

 

 

 

Dear Bruce ~ all of this seems a bit new to me, though I've been part of the

digest for over a year now, so missing the original post is, I guess,

somewhat key to your question. However, in terms of chanting or reciting mantra,

there is another method, and perhaps there are several. The one I am refering to

is to do one or more malas of the mantra. A mala is 108 repetitions, and the

physical mala is kind of like a rosary. There is usually the "Guru Bead" in

the center, sometimes with thread tassles below, and then there are the 108

beads.

 

A mala is a really useful way to keep track of the number of mantras you are

doing, and there are many online sites where you can buy one. I have three.

One is a tulsi mala, blessed by Sri Karunamayi, another is a betel nut mala

blessed by Ammachi, and then I also have a rudraksha mala. The rudraksha beads

are the largest of all my malas, but when I bought it, I loved it because it

reminded me of the picture of Swami with his rudraksha mala around his neck.

 

Here is an example from the EMS Sankalpa. For Surya (the Sun), the number of

japa without homa is 6,000, or 60 malas. Okay, what happened to the eight

extra beads on the mala? What I have been told is that those extra beads are

there just in case we make a mistake and miss a bead or two as we're going

along. (If this is incorrect, please someone let Bruce know). The number of malas

for Surya if you are at the homa is 6. (Wish I had a way of doing homa; I'd

maybe be done by now.) : )

 

The other difference with the mantra, and I'll still use Surya as my

example, is that if you are not at the homa, the mantra is: Om Hrim Hrim Suryaya

Namah. If you are doing the mala at the homa the mantra is: Om Hrim Hrim Suryaya

Swaha. My understanding is that the word, Swaha (I am One with God) is only

used at the homa. (Again, if I'm wrong, please let Bruce know.)

 

So for a sankalpa, like the EMS, and in the puja books you will find this

also, there is a specific number of recitations given. With EMS, it is numbers

of malas. With the puja books, it may be different. For example, in the Chandi

Path, which I highly recommend, there are several place where the mantra Om

Aim Hrim Klim Chamundayai Vicce is recited. Sometimes it is recited just one

time; sometimes, I believe it is 11 times, and sometimes it is a mala, 108

times.

 

As to why a particular mantra would be recited, for example, 11 times, in a

puja, in one part of the puja, and 108 times in another place, I don't know.

Perhaps Nanda or Parvati or Ramya can address that.

 

But, as far as I know, you can choose to do one mala of a mantra, if you are

just doing it for your own practice, or more, if you choose.

 

With japa, my understanding has been that the great saints and gurus may do

japa continuously throughout the entire day. Mahatma Ghandi did this (I hope

I'm remembering this correctly; if not, please let Bruce know), and right

after he was shot, he said, "Ram," as he fell to his death. My understanding,

which as you can tell by my request for others to correct me if I'm wrong, is

that with this kind of japa, it is often or usually the name of your Ista

Devata (chosen diety).

 

What I have written may be completely unrelated to point of the original

post, but I hope it is helpful. Jai Maa , Jai Swamiji ~ Linda