mantra recitation, to Ganapati

[Guest guest]

Namaste Ganapati

 

Today I spoke with several devotees of Shree Maa about your questions

and comments about doing japa all the time. We remembered statements

Swami has made about this topic, and related our personal experiences

with this topic to each other.

Shree Maa and Swami and all the sages agree that the goal of having

the mantra repeat endlessly of its own accord is the highest goal of japa.

However, Swami has said, as we have all experienced, that there are

times it is not good to try to do the mantra. For example, while

talking to another person, or performing a precise task which requires

all ones' attention to avoid getting hurt.

How does oen deal with these situations?

The formula is: chanting the mantra prior to the task, then

stopping, and asking the Diety to support us while performing the

task. While the task is performed we give it our full focus, then

resuming the mantra when the task is complete.

If one's desire is to say the mantra all the time, that is great. One

must be practical and respectful of actions which require our full

attention so the body is not harmed, and, relations with our loved

ones are given our full measure of concentration and focus.

I hope this helps.

Ideas and experiences from others?

 

Jai Maa Jai Swami

 

vishweshwar

 

 

 

 

, "patrickwcoyle"

<patrickwcoyle wrote:

>

> Namaste,

> Thank you Chris,

>

> I agree with your comments whole-heartedly. You have said that it is

> difficult to describe spiritual experience in words. This is

> neccessarily true, because the goal of spiritual practice is more

> subtle than the spoken (vaikhari) level of speech. I think you have

> helped to clarify what i had intended to say. I apologize if i had

> been unclear. I am doing my best to always deepen my understanding

> from the point of my own unique experience. I thank you for your

> suggestions about writing.

>

> I have realized from what you have written the essense of what i was

> trying to convey before. I thank you for helping me find the words to

> describe it. I believe there are two times when i deem japa to be

> inapapropriate, though the practice is always good (in general). 1)

> When it opposses my worldly duties and 2) when it becomes so difficult

> that i want / need a rest. I present this as my own experience

> because i know things are different for everyone, but i hope that my

> personal accounts my inspire or edify others toward the Truth we are

> all seeking.

>

> 1) The first reason is; when the practice prevents me from achieving

> my duties in the world. This could be exemplified by the example of

> elimination. It is certainly difficult to talk to a person when one

> is chanting aloud, and for me it is hard to focus on silent ajapa

> while holding conversartions. It can be especialy difficult as japa

> begins to lead to higher states of consciousness beyond the physical

> realm, because sight of the spiritual realm can sometimes limit sight

> of the physical realm. It is a part of most peoples' dharma to relate

> with people in the world as they unburdon themselves from their

> karmas. Constant japa would not permit this possiblilty for growth.

> Japa certainly has the power to dissolve ALL of the karmas, but most

> people i have met, eventual become overwhelmed by such japa and return

> to the world to process certain difficult karmas there. This is

> perhaps not a valid reason, because though i have obligations in the

> world, japa would fulfill those duties if i practiced it constantly

> with perfect faith. I have previously failed to exercise perfect

> faith in my practice, so i usually stop it to eat food. I know that

> the mantras can feed me, but i also know that goddess maya keeps me in

> this world for a reason.

>

> 2) The other reason is; processing karmas can be a "painful"

> experience. There is a constant need to broaden our acceptance of

> things which we fear or reject. As i have trained myself to stop

> resisting, there have often been times when i needed to stand back and

> process, or to re-align myself to the changing situation. The

> attachments of the mind have been overwhelmed by the work of spiritual

> practice and become controled by the tendancy toward resistence. I

> used to struggle against my resistence to the process (japa). I

> realized that the resistance added to the discomfort but didn't help

> to process the karmas which caused the discomfort. It occured to

> me that if i stopped my practice i could much more comfortably pick it

> up again later. As i did so the practice deeped at a quicker rate due

> to the sincerity of purpose as i practiced. I view this as Ganeshas

> way to insure things happen according to his will and in his time

> (rather than as i wish). Though it is possible to simply chant a

> mantra until liberation is attained, i must continue trying because

> my attachments have caused me to stop when various mental vasanas

> arose. This frustrated the mind, because it could not accept

> Ganesha's will for me in my own unique process. I felt like he was

> asking me to stop seeking him, when he was realy asking me to broaden

> my notion of seeking so i could see him more completely. Once i

> stepped back and accepted his will, it became fun. I step back less

> often with practice, but i do so whenever i feel guided to, so i can

> reafirm my purpose of seeking him everywhere.

>

> With Love

> Ganapati

>