Guest guest Posted October 30, 2006 Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 MURUGA SARANAM As someone was asking about mantra and chanting them, I found something relevant. YOu may want to Read MURUGA SARANAM With Best Regards Meyyappan S Q & A .... - with Brahmachari Uddhav Chaitanya It is often prescribed that chanting a mantra, or doing japa, should be done with a japa mala. What is the significance of using a mala? In the practice of japa with a japa mala, we are told not to use the index finger because it represents the ego; the index finger is the accusing, pointing finger. Chanting with the attitude that I am not a limited ego reminds the practitioner that ultimately, he is not the one 'doing' japa. To chant a mantra, does one have to be formally initiated into it (mantra diksha)? Should it be gotten from a guru, or can you choose and chant what you know? I don't think you have to be formally initiated. There are many great masters who started chanting on their own and attained realization through it. So if you haven't been formally initiated, don't wait. Pick one and chant it—regularly, perseveringly, devotedly, with discipline. When the scriptures talk of mantra diksha from a guru, the mantra is empowered with the spiritual energy of the master, which accelerates the disciple's growth. The point is that whatever the mantra is, gotten from wherever or whomever, the faith, regularity, discipline, dedication, and devotion to it are what will make the difference. And how do you find your guru? You don't. If you go to satsanga and end up trying to judge if this one's for you, you will fail. Don't go guru-shopping. Your sadguru will come into your life when he deems right, period. And when he does, you will find immense peace and clarity in your own living. In the presence of realized masters, it's always like this. And yes, you will know, without question. Isn't it dangerous for beginners on the spiritual path to go to too many places, try too many things? Yes, it can do harm if your spiritual understanding and foundation are not firm. You will keep coming back to square one. It is better just to pray intensely to be guided—He will take you where you need to go. When the scriptures advise a seeker to gather dry twigs in his hand (to indicate dispassion and the readiness to undergo discipline) and then humbly approach a brahma-nishtha guru, it means that once such a spiritual teacher has entered your life, always implicitly obey all that he says. What about spiritual masters who teach that a guru is not needed? Are they right? For most of us, we need a physical guru. Masters who say we don't are talking from a whole other level. Rise to their level and yes, they are right. They invoke guidance and grace from within. This inner power is nothing other than the guru-tattva, the infinite Truth alone. People get confused by such statements because they make the mistake of limiting their understanding of a guru to mean a mere physical form. If this is the case, then they still have a long way to go. Om Tat Sat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 2, 2006 Report Share Posted November 2, 2006 This is excellent and just the message I needed to hear. Thnaks for posting it!!! -- In dhandapani , " S Meyyappan " <smeyyappan wrote: > > MURUGA SARANAM > > As someone was asking about mantra and chanting them, I found something > relevant. YOu may want to Read > > MURUGA SARANAM > > With Best Regards > Meyyappan S > > > ** > *Q & A ....* > *- with Brahmachari Uddhav Chaitanya* > ** > *It is often prescribed that chanting a mantra, or doing japa, should be > done with a japa mala. What is the significance of using a mala? > * > In the practice of japa with a japa mala, we are told not to use the index > finger because it represents the ego; the index finger is the accusing, > pointing finger. Chanting with the attitude that I am not a limited ego > reminds the practitioner that ultimately, he is not the one 'doing' japa. > > *To chant a mantra, does one have to be formally initiated into it (mantra > diksha)? Should it be gotten from a guru, or can you choose and chant what > you know? > * > I don't think you have to be formally initiated. There are many great > masters who started chanting on their own and attained realization through > it. So if you haven't been formally initiated, don't wait. Pick one and > chant it—regularly, perseveringly, devotedly, with discipline. > > When the scriptures talk of mantra diksha from a guru, the mantra is > empowered with the spiritual energy of the master, which accelerates the > disciple's growth. The point is that whatever the mantra is, gotten from > wherever or whomever, the faith, regularity, discipline, dedication, and > devotion to it are what will make the difference. > > *And how do you find your guru? > * > You don't. If you go to satsanga and end up trying to judge if this one's > for you, you will fail. Don't go guru-shopping. Your sadguru will come into > your life when he deems right, period. And when he does, you will find > immense peace and clarity in your own living. In the presence of realized > masters, it's always like this. And yes, you will know, without question. > > *Isn't it dangerous for beginners on the spiritual path to go to too many > places, try too many things? > * > Yes, it can do harm if your spiritual understanding and foundation are not > firm. You will keep coming back to square one. It is better just to pray > intensely to be guided—He will take you where you need to go. > > When the scriptures advise a seeker to gather dry twigs in his hand (to > indicate dispassion and the readiness to undergo discipline) and then humbly > approach a brahma-nishtha guru, it means that once such a spiritual teacher > has entered your life, always implicitly obey all that he says. > > *What about spiritual masters who teach that a guru is not needed? Are they > right? > * > For most of us, we need a physical guru. Masters who say we don't are > talking from a whole other level. Rise to their level and yes, they are > right. They invoke guidance and grace from within. This inner power is > nothing other than the guru-tattva, the infinite Truth alone. People get > confused by such statements because they make the mistake of limiting their > understanding of a guru to mean a mere physical form. If this is the case, > then they still have a long way to go. > > *Om Tat Sat* > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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