Guest guest Posted February 29, 2004 Report Share Posted February 29, 2004 Dear Steve, Since you are an artist, here is another practice you could add to a small-size sankalpa to extend it.....You could do Likhita japa of the Navarna mantra. This is a kind of "supplementary japa" and is written. You use a special notebook that you purchase just for likhita japa and a special pen (one of the felt tipped calligraphy pens with a small tip works great). It should be practiced for a half hour in complete silence and with very focused mind..repeating the mantra internally as you write it in the notebook...so that the "mantra groove" made in the consciousness is intensified. You can even do it in transliteration, if you don't feel comfortable using the Sanskrit letters...it works as well...but I like to use the Sanskrit because it helps me to practice the Devanagri script. I really like this practice alot...somehow, the writing (especially if you are using Devanagri script, which seems like drawing because it is so fluid and beautiful) helps the mind to calm down and really focus completely on the japa. Maybe the forming of the letters gives the mind something to think about so it isn't so easily distracted. you've probably seen those amazing japa "drawings" of deities composed entirely of mantra.There is a mantra vidhih for the navarna mantra in the Chandi Path on page 332. Swamiji, I am assuming it's ok to use this before a japa practice of this kind???? I'm going to do this practice myself and begin it tomorrow in preparation for Navaratri at the end of the month. There is something so magical about moving towards Navaratri and, with each week, your practices get more fine-tuned and stronger. Good luck with this...I have a feeling you will like it. Also, I was struck by your wife's reaction to your chanting...my husband has said the same thing...how much chanting in Sanskrit reminds him of when he was a little boy and used to go to Temple with his grandfather, a deeply religious Jew, who practiced daily. I have also been struck by how similar the underlying philosophies of Tantra and Kabbalah are and how similar the attitude towards the Creation of the universe happening through the alphabet. Really interesting. best regards, sadhvi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 29, 2004 Report Share Posted February 29, 2004 sadhvi i cannot express how excellent and appealing that sounds to me. i feel somehow as if i am coming home. i think i will very much want to draw those sanskrit letters. studying the shiva puja beginners my eyes are drawn to their shapes [but i resist looking! as i am learning the pronunciations and to memorize first ...] ... now this will be a delight to study them ... i will order the chandi path tonight, it seems like it is now time. thank you for taking the time out to help and inspire. i will weave a navaratri sankalpa around this idea, unless swami suggests otherwise re: if this is advised before japa, as you mentioned in the aside. peace, jai maa, steve c. , "nityashakti" <sadhvi@p...> wrote: > Dear Steve, > Since you are an artist, here is another practice you could add > to a small-size sankalpa to extend it.....You could do Likhita japa > of the Navarna mantra. This is a kind of "supplementary japa" and is > written. You use a special notebook that you purchase just for > likhita japa and a special pen (one of the felt tipped calligraphy > pens with a small tip works great). It should be practiced for a > half hour in complete silence and with very focused mind..repeating > the mantra internally as you write it in the notebook...so that > the "mantra groove" made in the consciousness is intensified. You > can even do it in transliteration, if you don't feel comfortable > using the Sanskrit letters...it works as well...but I like to use > the Sanskrit because it helps me to practice the Devanagri script. I > really like this practice alot...somehow, the writing (especially if > you are using Devanagri script, which seems like drawing because it > is so fluid and beautiful) helps the mind to calm down and really > focus completely on the japa. Maybe the forming of the letters gives > the mind something to think about so it isn't so easily distracted. > you've probably seen those amazing japa "drawings" of deities > composed entirely of mantra.There is a mantra vidhih for the navarna > mantra in the Chandi Path on page 332. Swamiji, I am assuming it's > ok to use this before a japa practice of this kind???? > I'm going to do this practice myself and begin it tomorrow in > preparation for Navaratri at the end of the month. There is > something so magical about moving towards Navaratri and, with each > week, your practices get more fine-tuned and stronger. Good luck > with this...I have a feeling you will like it. > Also, I was struck by your wife's reaction to your chanting...my > husband has said the same thing...how much chanting in Sanskrit > reminds him of when he was a little boy and used to go to Temple > with his grandfather, a deeply religious Jew, who practiced daily. > I have also been struck by how similar the underlying philosophies > of Tantra and Kabbalah are and how similar the attitude towards the > Creation of the universe happening through the alphabet. Really > interesting. > best regards, > sadhvi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 Yes! Very good idea! This is an excellent practice! - bingo_ridley Sunday, February 29, 2004 5:36 PM Re: countdown to Navaratri: Sankalpas sadhvii cannot express how excellent and appealing that sounds to me. i feel somehow as if i am coming home. i think i will very much want to draw those sanskrit letters. studying the shiva puja beginners my eyes are drawn to their shapes [but i resist looking! as i am learning the pronunciations and to memorize first ...] ... now this will be a delight to study them ...i will order the chandi path tonight, it seems like it is now time.thank you for taking the time out to help and inspire. i will weave a navaratri sankalpa around this idea, unless swami suggests otherwise re: if this is advised before japa, as you mentioned in the aside.peace, jai maa,steve c.--- In , "nityashakti" <sadhvi@p...> wrote:> Dear Steve,> Since you are an artist, here is another practice you could add > to a small-size sankalpa to extend it.....You could do Likhita japa > of the Navarna mantra. This is a kind of "supplementary japa" and is > written. You use a special notebook that you purchase just for > likhita japa and a special pen (one of the felt tipped calligraphy > pens with a small tip works great). It should be practiced for a > half hour in complete silence and with very focused mind..repeating > the mantra internally as you write it in the notebook...so that > the "mantra groove" made in the consciousness is intensified. You > can even do it in transliteration, if you don't feel comfortable > using the Sanskrit letters...it works as well...but I like to use > the Sanskrit because it helps me to practice the Devanagri script. I > really like this practice alot...somehow, the writing (especially if > you are using Devanagri script, which seems like drawing because it > is so fluid and beautiful) helps the mind to calm down and really > focus completely on the japa. Maybe the forming of the letters gives > the mind something to think about so it isn't so easily distracted. > you've probably seen those amazing japa "drawings" of deities > composed entirely of mantra.There is a mantra vidhih for the navarna > mantra in the Chandi Path on page 332. Swamiji, I am assuming it's > ok to use this before a japa practice of this kind????> I'm going to do this practice myself and begin it tomorrow in > preparation for Navaratri at the end of the month. There is > something so magical about moving towards Navaratri and, with each > week, your practices get more fine-tuned and stronger. Good luck > with this...I have a feeling you will like it.> Also, I was struck by your wife's reaction to your chanting...my > husband has said the same thing...how much chanting in Sanskrit > reminds him of when he was a little boy and used to go to Temple > with his grandfather, a deeply religious Jew, who practiced daily. > I have also been struck by how similar the underlying philosophies > of Tantra and Kabbalah are and how similar the attitude towards the > Creation of the universe happening through the alphabet. Really > interesting.> best regards,> sadhvi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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