Part I - Prayer for Spiritual Practice

Hari Om!

After much wrestling with electrons, I have resigned to typing out this next sharing. Please start with the usual relaxation meditation before beginning the study.

This week's shanti mantra is the most famous oft-chanted of them all:

saha na avatu
saha nau bhunaktu
saha veeryam karavaa vahai
tejasvi naavadhitam astu
maa vidvishaavahai
Om Shanti Shanti shantihi

Word meaning:
Saha - together; avatu - be protected
saha - together; bhunaktu - enjoy
saha - together; veeryam - brave effort; karavavahai - may we perform
tejasvi - brilliant, shining; avadheetam - learning; astu - may it be
maa - without; vidvishavahaih - disagreements
Om shanti, shanti shantihi - Om peace, peace, peace.


In the evolution of any society, the first stage is an effort to procure a steady and reliable source of basic needs. Survival is the first task. Procuring food, water, shelter, clothing and security is the bsic work of building a society. This is signified in the first line - May we be survive/be protected.
Once the basic needs have thus been met, society enters the phase of invention and innovation. Here new and more efficient processes are invented, new devices are invented, new luxuries and comforts created. This is the phase in which the majority of mankind has been in for the last 1500 years or more. Thus we no longer need to go to the river to fetch water, don't have to choop firewood or forage in the forest for food. EVerything is easily available to us in the comfort of our home. Thus a phenomenal amount of time and energy that would have been used in these tasks of basic survival is conserved. This is indicated in line 2 - may we enjoy and live luxuriously together.
So what do we do with this time and energy? The majority of mankind only uses it to indulge in more and more luxuries and pleasures. Thus we enter a vicious cycle of creating conviniences and pleasures to save time and energy, and then using that time and energy to indulge in more pleasures. The shanti mantra tells us that the next step is to grow and evolve further - may we bravely exert our efforts to grow.
A society that does not evolve thus rots in its own luxuries and remains miserable in the midst of all comforts. We must not stagnate, but grow into higher beings.
How is this growth to be achieved? Through avadheetam - learning. This is not the larning of sciences, of medicine or arts, ecoonimcs or cosmology. These things we have learnt and advanced greatly, but they have not given us any measure of peace of mind or joy of heart. Thatis not the fault of the sciences. They deal with the external world and by using science to make the world a better place, we are rearranging the external circumstances ane environment. However, our miseries and our joys are rooted in our mind and therefore, unless we delve deeper into ourselves, we cannot find the peace and innoer joy that is the mark of the next step in human evolution.
The term avadheetam refers to learning of the intellect (dhee - intellect). However, the mantra tells us that our learning must not remain merely intellectual, it must become tejasvi - bright and shining. The indication is that the wisdom that we gain must become a part of our very being and must shine through our every action, our words and our thoughts. It must radiate from us and bring some measure of illumination into the lives of those around us also. This is the indication of the fourht line - let our learning be resplendent.
The final line is of great importance in this age of religious conflict- let there be no disagreements among us (or within us). There have been great masters in every era and place in history. According to the needs of the society at the time, according to the mental condition of the students who came to them, according to the cultural atmosphere of the age, the masters taught a way to reach the highest, the divine state. These in time became the different religions. Now each person will be drawn to the religion best suited to her mental condition, best geared to undo the spiritual and emotional blocks that stand in th way of spiritual unfoldment. The same religion cannot work for one and all, although they lead to the same final experience of beatitude.
Suppose I go to the doctor with a tummy ache. He gives me some antacid that cures my pain. I am delighted with the swift efficacy of the drug and so start recommending it to all my friends. So when Nicole tells me she has a headache and her doctor gave her aspirin, I fight with her and insist she must take only the antacid given to me by my doctor. Can my antacid ever cure her headache? Can her aspirin ever cure my tummy ache?
In the same way, my spiritual path may not clean up your inner mess, and you spiritual path may not heal my mental wounds. However, when we work togeter with this understanding, we can bring great succour to each other and help each other along the path to spiritual freedom.

Thus the shanti mantra sets a very strong intention - now that I am comfortably situated in life, and I have the time and energy available for te pursuit of the higher, I will dedicate my full effort to it. At least during the teachings, at least for a certain amount of time every day, it will be the sole focus of my life.
Om shanti - for the material world
shanti - for the emotional world
shanti - for the intellectual world

May that peace flood our lives and our hearts. Prem and Om to you all.

 

I think this is a really great lesson that we all need to reinforce within ourselves...each person's spiritual path is indeed unique. I have found, in my experience, that each person approaches the Divine in their own unique way...and I think my favourite thing about talking to others about spiritual matters to learn what they have to teach me from their own view of the Divine and how he/she/it relates to them. Its a really beautiful thing that we each have a unique path that works for us...

PS-- In a non-analogy world, I prob. would have argued with you too and I'm kind of stubborn so prob. would've done what I wanted anyway in regards to the aspirin...that's if I couldn't get tea to fix my problem first of course

 

In a nonanalogy world, I don't take medicines anyway.

 

...neither do I...well...non-herbal ones anyway...

 

Very nice way of explaining it bhaskar, thank you.

 

i've asked Kali and i was wondering if i could do prajna yoga every 3 days...
is this a correct question.