Mental Japa or Mental Pooja???

March 22, 2009

The word "mental" has so many inferences in English. Even the external mind, or Manas, has different qualities, some more spiritual (Satvic) and some more "mental" and externally driven (Tamasic and Rajasic). The yogi uses the mind as a tool, but does not identify with the mind.

Using the mind to meditate on mantra creates, amongst other things, the power of Tejas, of clear consciousness. Using the mind in devotional practice (which is Guru Nanak's equivalent of puja) creates the power of Ojas or Amrit, or call it Grace of God and devotionally nutritional bliss. So both practices are powerful.

In Kundalini Yoga, we do sometimes direct our prayerful meditation to "God intermediaries" such as Shakti, Narayan, or Guru Ram Das. We don't really relate to deities so much because of the confusion that arises from worshipping anything other than the One God that includes all. But it's kind of a subtle point. If God is in everything, and you pray to a rock in the context of the Oneness of All, then there's no confusion.

-Sham Rang

In a message dated 3/22/2009 12:32:32 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, siribandhu writes:

Kundalini Yoga is not "mental" it is a spiritual and physical commitment to the practioner's higher consciousness. The practice is to go beyond the mental. The current situation of humanity is that of being too much in the mental state. As for diety puja, that has nothing to do with Kundalini Yoga. There are no dieties. EK ONG KAR= There is ONE GODSATNAM=TRUTH is the IDENTITY Kind regards,Siri BandhuHumble Moderator Kundalini-Yoga , "onlince" <onlince wrote:>> What is more powerful, mental japa (of a mantra) or mental puja of a deity?>

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