SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is humanitarian leader, spiritual teacher and ambassador of peace. His vision of a stress-free, violence-free society has united millions of people the world over through service projects and the courses of The Art of Living.
In 1982, Sri Sri entered a ten-day period of silence in Shimoga located in the Indian state of Karnataka. The Sudarshan Kriya, a powerful breathing technique, was born. With time, the Sudarshan Kriya became the center-piece of the Art of Living courses.
7 Mantras for 2012
1. Reflect on your life in relation to the Cosmos.This will drop the smallness in you & you will be able to live fully.
2. Remind yourself of the highest goal in Life. You are not here to grumble or complain. You are here for something bigger.
3. Serve! Engage yourself in community service to whatever extent you can.
4. Have faith & trust that the Divine loves you dearly & is taking care of you.
5. As we flip the calendar, we need to flip our mind too. Don’t fill future dates with past events. Learn & move on.
6. Smile more! True sign of prosperity is an unconditional smile on your face.
7. Nurture yourself with music, prayer & silence. Meditation,pranayam & yoga rejuvenate; give depth & stability.
At the 2nd International Ayurveda & Yoga conference in Rishikesh, India. Ayurveda – A complete yogic system of medicine by Dr David Frawley.
Where he also shares insights and in-depth experiences of these two Ancient Indian Knowledge Systems.
There will also be Yoga and Meditation sessions led by senior teachers, to enable us to open the heart, expand the consciousness and become more receptive to the wisdom.
The Share Guide: What do you think are the most significant health benefits of meditation?
Deepak Chopra: They are stress reduction, better sleep, lower blood pressure, improved cardiovascular function, improved immunity, and the ability to stay centered in the midst of all the turmoil that’s going on around you. Meditation helps you do less and accomplish more.
The Share Guide:I understand there’s now 15 million Americans who are practicing yoga, but most are doing just asanas (poses). How many do you think are aware of the spiritual aspect of yoga?
Deepak Chopra: Not enough. Because when it started in the U.S. it was mainly as another form of physical fitness. Somehow that gained prominence and it became a fad–just a good way to improve flexibility and muscle strength. Of course, these are benefits of yoga. But the larger picture of yoga as it was meant to be understood originally is that yoga is union. It’s only now that people are actually becoming aware of the spiritual aspects of yoga.
The Share Guide:In your new book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga, you describe the eight limbs of Raja yoga. And one thing that surprised me was that you said they’re not to be seen as sequential stages. I always thought the first limbs were preparatory for the last three, which are the meditation stages.
Deepak Chopra: That’s one school of thought, but not what I learned. I had my spiritual apprenticeship with the Shankara- charya school in India, and my immediate mentor was Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who brought Transcendental Meditation to the West. Maharishi was a disciple in turn of the Shankaracharya. That tradition goes back to the ninth century sage Adi Shankara. Their interpretation always has been that the eight limbs of yoga are practiced simultaneously. In that way it is similar to the Eightfold Path in Buddhism.
The eight limbs are Niyama, Yama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi and are all actually combined into one discipline. Yama and Niyama are rules of social and personal conduct, so why not include them as things that you do? It’s about the internal shift in attitude that you have to make.
Pratyahara and Pranayama are actually forms of Raja yoga, and therefore they are complementary to Asana. Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi are supposed to be the culmination of this practice, but all eight limbs are still part of your daily practice.
The Share Guide:All right, so we can work on all the limbs at the same time.
Deepak Chopra: Right, and we should.
The Share Guide: I’d like to ask you about mantras. I received a personal mantra from Dr. Warren Mills, one of your Primordial Sound Meditation teachers. Can you discuss what mantras are in general and what is specifically beneficial about receiving a personal mantra?
Deepak Chopra: There are many kinds of mantras. The mantra that you are using as part of your Primordial Sound Meditation instruction as taught by the Chopra Center, is called a bija mantra. The word bija means seed. It’s the most basic kind of mantra there is, and it’s traditionally used for transcending or going beyond the realm of thought.
The way that mantra is selected is based on your time of birth and your place of birth. Based on that information, the person who is giving you the mantra can actually know the exact position of the moon at the time and location of your birth. There are 108 such positions, and so there are 108 mantras, and they are selected according to this principal. These days we have a computer program to do this, so we can take your information and immediately get your astrological chart. This knowledge goes back hundreds of years.
Now there are other mantras, of course, that have very specific effects. There is a huge body of knowledge on mantras for healing, for wealth consciousness, for invoking specific deities that are symbolic representations of psychic energy within your own self. Ever since I was a child, I’ve used thirty or forty different mantras for different reasons: for making me go to sleep if I can’t sleep; for increasing my energy; for increasing my desire for knowledge, etc. Usually mantras are given by teachers who are very knowledgeable and intimate with the tradition. In fact, they are passed on from teacher to disciple. Then the disciple one day becomes a teacher himself or herself, and passes the mantra on again. But as I said, it’s a huge body of knowledge.
The Share Guide:I am familiar with some for specific things like the Lakshmi mantra for generating righteous wealth. What about kirtan, which is devotional chanting with music?
Deepak Chopra: Kirtan is devotional chanting, but it does not always involve mantra.
The Share Guide: Regarding the seed mantra, is that supposed to be chanted out loud or quietly?
Deepak Chopra: Silently. Because it’s a seed mantra, at some point in meditation it disappears.
The Share Guide:Another aspect is the yantra or the mandala. I think those words are interchangeable.
Deepak: Yes, they are.
Share Guide:We use the Sri Yantra mandala in meditation class to gaze on while we meditate.
Deepak: Right. The Sri Yantra is the visual vibration of the mantra OM.
Share Guide:I’ve been told to draw the energy from the center of the Sri Yantra into your heart chakra. Is this how you use it, or are you just supposed to gaze at it?
Deepak: That’s one way. But you can just sit quietly and gaze at a yantra and it will draw your attention into the bindu (the point in the center) and then you disappear in it’s unboundedness.
Share Guide: I see meditation as a way to bridge the apparent gap between the physical and the spiritual. What are your thoughts on this?
Deepak: Meditation has only one reason: to get in touch with your soul, and then go beyond that and get in touch with the consciousness that your soul is a ripple of. It might be a good stress management technique, but there is only one real purpose, which is the means to enlightenment.
Share Guide:When I interviewed Dr. John Hagelin a couple of years ago (he also works closely with Maharishi), I remember him talking about five states of awareness: waking, sleeping, dreaming, meditating, and the fifth state which really intrigued me, a state of enlightenment in action, keeping that consciousness in your actions.
Deepak: There are actually seven states of awareness. Deep sleep is the first; dreaming is the second; then the third stage is waking; the forth stage is meditation; the fifth is called cosmic consciousness, which is when you have that internal experience of meditation in deep sleep, dreaming, and waking, so you are established in that state even while in action.
Then beyond cosmic consciousness is the sixth stage of consciousness which is God consciousness, where you become aware of the spirit in the objects of your perception. So you look at a flower and you can feel the presence of divinity within it. Or you look at a telephone or a table or a shoe and you can feel the presence of the infinite in it. The infinite is everywhere. And the seventh stage is the ever present witnessing awareness in the object of experience. They fuse and become one, and when that happens then you experience enlightenment–you see the whole world as an expression of yourself and you see that the ground of your being is also the ground of all existence.
By Dennis Hughes, Share Guide Copublisher
Deepak Chopra, M.D. is a bestselling author, teacher, trained medical doctor and pioneer of the mind-body connection. His books include The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, How to Know God, The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire, and The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga. Dr. Chopra cofounded The Chopra Center for Well-Being in Carlsbad, California to advance the cause of mind-body-spiritual healing, education, and research. He regularly gives lectures and seminars around the world.
OM NAMAH SHIVAYA MANTRA – MEANING and AUDIO
Om Namah Shivaya Mantra in Sanskrit
The Om Namah Shivaya mantra or chant consists of six syllables – om, na, mah, shi, vaa, ya. When chanted properly, each syllable activates certain energy centers within our bodies as we meditate upon the energy of Lord Shiva. Shiva is often referred to as the part of the Hindu trinity which has dominion over death and destruction. Shiva is also considered the greatest of the yogis, the lord of meditation, and the lord of all that is mystic and mysterious in hindu practices. Legend has it that the holy river Ganges (or Ganga) is in fact a representation of Lord Shiva’s long hair.
Some texts refer to the five letters as the forms of Shiva – Na-gendra (one who wears a garland of snakes), Ma-ndakini Salila (one who is bathed by the water of the Ganges), Shi (the supreme Lord), Va-shishta (one who is praised by the sages like Vashishta), and Ya-ksha (one who takes the form of Yaksha).
ॐ नम: शिवाय:
Summary of the Om Namah Shivaya Mantra
Om or Aum is the pranava or seed mantra of all mantras. The two syllables na- and mah- can be translated as “I humbly bow to you”. The three syllables shi-vaa-ya invoke Lord Shiva and all his energies to bless us and lead us to the highest state of peace and meditation. The mantra should ideally be chanted twice a day (morning and evening) for 108 times each. The two words, namah and shivaya, are also referred to as the panchakshara (five letter) chant. It is said that those who chant these five holy letters while meditating on Lord Shiva will be blessed by visions of Shiva – the Lord of the yogis.
Secrets of Bija (Seed) Mantras
Foreword by Thomas Ashley-Farrand
Perhaps the most detailed book available on the yogic meaning of the prime seed mantras and letters of the Sanskrit alphabet along with their application for body, mind and spirit. Unfolds secrets of how to use mantra with pranayama and many esoteric meditation practices. Examines the usage of mantras in all the main branches of Yoga (Hatha, Raja, Bhakti, Jnana), Tantra, Veda, Ayurveda, Jyotish and Vastu, as well as relative to Kundalini and the chakras and major Hindu deities. An excellent reference guide for years to come.
Note the quotes about the book from below:
Modern science and ancient wisdom traditions agree that the universe is a symphony of vibrational frequencies. In this beautiful, comprehensive, and unique work, Vamadeva Shastri elaborates the essential truths about cosmic sound, and how we can employ important mantras for healing, transformation and inner awakening. Deepak Chopra, M.D. and David Simon, M.D., Co-founders, the Chopra Center for Wellbeing
Those who know will confirm that the works of Shri Vamadeva Shastri are distinguished by their authenticity. This is so because they are based on (1) his personal quest and experience, (2) deep dwelling into the texts, and (3) oral learning received from many authentic teachers who are experts in their areas of knowledge. The present work on Mantra Yoga by Shri Vamadeva Shastri is a delight to read as it leaves out no corner of multigonic truths unexplored with regard to the complex science of mantras. Swami Veda Bharati, Swami Rama Sadhaka Gram, Rishikesh, India
The book, Mantra Yoga and the Primal Sound by Dr. David Frawley is not simply a collection of mantras or an expression of their moral significance; it is an interpretation of the philosophy and the reality of the mantric approach to intelligence and knowledge held within the sound code or vibratory pattern behind the universe itself. Dr. Sampadananda Mishra, Sri Aurobindo Society
Mantra Yoga and Primal Sound shines light on the deepest mystical knowledge related to mantras. Using diverse Sanskrit texts and his own spiritual insights, David Frawley has written a wonderful book that will serve as essential guide on mantra for spiritual seekers everywhere. Subhash Kak Phd., author the Gods Within, the Prajna Sutras, and the Architecture of Knowledge
Vamadeva Shastri unfolds the deeper essence and living Shakti of the most powerful Sanskrit mantras for the reader to understand and experience in a profound manner. The book is not just another study of mantra but an expression of the spirit of mantra, which connects us to our highest reality and consciousness. Yogini Shambhavi, author Yogic Secrets of the Dark Goddess
David Frawley’s new book Mantra Yoga and Primal Sound celebrates his great love and vast knowledge of the subject. It is an energizing and vibrant description of this most ancient and powerful spiritual practices at the very heart of the Yoga tradition. Vyaas Houston, the American Sanskrit Institute
Mantra Yoga and Primal Sound is the most comprehensive book on mantra I have ever encountered. Broad in scope, it includes rare and esoteric aspects of each individual Sanskrit phoneme, drawing from the deep well of Vedic knowledge that Vamadeva has accumulated over many decades of study and practice. Nicolai Bachman, director of Sanskrit Sounds, author of the Language of Yoga
David Frawley/Vamadeva Shastri, has continuously informed us with clarity and perfection in his numerous books on Ayurveda, Vedic astrology, Yoga and the ancient history of India. Now he has again set the standard for understanding mantra practice. Dr. Frawley is a true modern Acharya, leading us to the vast treasure of Vedic wisdom. This book should be in the library of every true yogi. Jeffrey Armstrong/Kavindra Rishi, poet and Vedic astrologer, author of Karma, the Ancient Science of Cause and Effect
AUM BHOOR BHUWAH SWAHA, TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM BHARGO DEVASAYA DHEEMAHI DHIYO YO NAHA PRACHODAYAT
Oh God! Thou art the Giver of Life, Remover of pain and sorrow, The Bestower of happiness, Oh! Creator of the Universe, May we receive thy supreme sin-destroying light, May Thou guide our intellect in the right direction.
The research and writing of this book is a personal journey that not only brings together forgotten wisdom about the origins of sacred female power and Durga, but changes the author in the process. Her personal story is compelling and it shows us that this ancient myth and Goddess are a living, transformative power that is completely relevant to our daily lives and a much-needed guide at this time in our history.
Goddess Durga and Sacred Female Power explores the many faces of the Goddess Durga in ancient and contemporary culture. This book takes us on a pilgrimage to goddess temples and natural shrines, to visit shamans and living goddesses in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal, and to India for the annual ten-day Durga Festival. The mythology, rituals, philosophy, and spiritual practices of this distinctly female-centered and millennia-old tradition of Durga offer an alternative model of female potential and empowerment, focusing on peace, healing, spiritual liberation, and realization of inherent divinity
We are at a global crossroads. Environmental devastation, economic upheaval, political corruption and unconscionable acts of man-made violence threaten the precious equilibrium of our planet. Racism, sexism, homophobia, war, violence, genocide, human trafficking — it is hard not to feel overwhelmed by the massive injustice perpetuated by humans against our own species and ultimately the fragile web of all life on this planet. How do we make sense of the destruction? When all seems futile, how do we approach formidable life experiences from a place of compassion for both self and other? To whom do we turn for guidance?
To many in the West, the orthodox religious traditions we grew up within have failed to provide solace. Many of us are looking for a spiritual model that addresses the needs of the tumultuous 21st century and yet is grounded in respect for the interconnectedness of all life. While some have found guidance in indigenous beliefs, western mystical traditions or eastern philosophy, the ululating call of the divine feminine seems to be making itself heard across the board.
Most of us are familiar with Greek mythology and its pantheon of goddesses and gods; however, fewer are aware that there is a thriving tradition of goddess worship in South Asia where devotion to the divine as Compassionate Mother and Fiercely Protective Female Warrior has existed for millennia. In fact, there is not one, but thousands of manifestations of goddess in South Asia. In Hinduism human diversity is expressed by this vast pantheon of deities; and yet, as one of the most popular goddess myths reminds us, despite our differences, we are indeed all One.
The Devi Mahatmya or the Great Glory of the Goddess is a 5th century myth that offers potent teachings relevant to this day and age. The heroine of this story about the victory of good over evil is Durga, Goddess of Divine Justice, Invincible Power, and Impenetrable Compassion. Her name, Durga, means fortress, and speaks to the unassailable essence of our inherent nature. Durga is also known as the Remover of Fear and Difficulty for she always comes to the aid of any who call on her in distress.
According to the myth, demonic forces are threatening to conquer the world and take down any who do not agree with their agenda. Despite the gods’ intentions to stop the demons, the methods they use only perpetuate the violence. Moreover, this demon king has received a boon from the creator God Brahma, which makes him undefeatable by any man, god or demon. When Brahma asks the demon if he wants to be exempt from defeat by a female as well, the demon’s inflated ego puffs up with pride. To the demon, battling a woman is an easy win — he declines.
After eons of senseless violence, the male gods convene and call forth the Supreme Mother Goddess behind all existence. Only she is powerful enough to stop the bloodshed. The initial chapter of Durga’s mythic journey of restoring harmony to the world tells how the demon king learns a beautiful female is waiting to engage in battle with him. He orders his two favorite demon generals to bring her to him so he can force her into wedlock. However, the generals do not have a chance against the all-powerful goddess. As they approach her, the composed goddess emits a flame from her finger that restores them to a state of tranquility and compassion. Outraged, the demon demands that the goddess engage directly with him in battle. She does.
The demon becomes more and more furious as he faces the great goddess. He hurls mountains, uproots forests and causes earthquakes with his all-consuming anger against the possible loss of power and control. Every time one of Durga’s arrows flies at him, the demon changes form from water buffalo, to tiger, to man until finally she grabs him, pins his neck down with her foot and sends a spear through his heart.
Metaphorically, we can consider Durga as the wisdom of the heart, untainted by cultural, religious and societal conditioning. The buffalo demon symbolizes our ignorance, reactions and ego attachments. The constantly shifting appearance of the demon speaks to our irrational behavior and the need to pin down the destructive causes of our negative emotions: anger, jealousy, pride, greed and delusion. His shape shifting is symbolic of the grasping ignorant mind that continuously jumps from one desire to another.
The demon’s uncontrollable rage, destroying everything in its path without regard for the consequences, is a fitting analogy for the violence we face today. This myth asks us to consider how we choose to express our anger — whether we will use our rage against injustice in constructive ways, or if we will be divisive, fearful and blaming, thereby poisoning our environment. The fiercely compassionate divine feminine nature will help free us from the afflicted ego and return to the penetrating wisdom of divine love. Goddess Durga may not solve all the world’s problems at the moment, but as this ancient scripture teaches, she is the impenetrable place of calm within our hearts from which we can choose actions that promote harmony and unity rather than selfish harmful acts.
In the myth, after the demon has finally been defeated and the gods gather to celebrate, Mother Durga promises to return whenever any of her children are in distress. As we face crises on both a personal and planetary level, might we call on this ancient divine female force of compassion and courage to help us confront and transform that which threatens the well being and contentment of all beings on this planet?
The Devi Mahatmya teaches that the grace of goddess is unconditional and will never be withheld from anyone — ego demon or not. Through her fierce love toward self and other, harmony will be restored within and around us. We need only invoke Durga to help us remember our true nature and that divine love conquers all.
Happy Navratri – Durga Sooktam (Sanskrit Hymn)
Durga Sooktam
(Lyrics with meaning)
Jatavedase sunavama soma marathee yatho nidhahadhi veda,
Sa na parshadathi durgani viswa naaveva sindhum durithathyagni. 1
Our oblations of Soma to the fire god,
May he, the all knowing one destroy all those who do not like us,
May that divine fire lead us out of all perils,
Like a captain takes his boat across the sea,
And also save us from all wrongs.
I take refuge in the divine mother Durga*,
Who shines like a fire due to her penances,
Who resides in actions and their fruits and makes them effective,
And I salute her who helps us cross our difficulties.
* It could be translated as Mother of difficulties also
Oh God of fire, you are worthy of praise,
For by novel methods you help us cross,
The difficulties and make us happy,
May our land in this earth become extensive,
May the land for growing crops become large,
And be pleased to join our children and,
Their children with joy and happiness.
Vishvaani no durghaa jathaveda sindhunaa nava durithathi parshi,
Agne athrivan manasaa grina no asmakam bodhayithwa thanoo naam. 4
Oh Jatha Vedas who is the destroyer of all sins,
Make us cross all our troubles like a boat,
Which takes us to the other shore without problems,
Oh Fire, protect us like the sage Athri, who would take care of us,
Mindful of our safety and our happiness.
Prithana jitham saha mana mugram agnim huvema paramath sadhasthath,
Sa na parshadathi durgani viswa kshamaddhevo athi durithatyagni. 5
We invoke the fierce Fire God who is the leader of us all.
And who is the killer of all our enemies from the highest place,
To take us across all difficulties and all that is perishable and protect us.
Oh Fire God, you are praised during sacrifices,
And always increase our happiness, and exist as sacrifices,
Which are olden and those which are new,
Please make us, who are only yourself, happy,
And grant us good fortune from all our sides.
Oh Lord, you are not connected with sin and sorrow,
Permit us to always serve you who pervades all wealth,
May the Gods who live in the highest region make me,
Who adores Vishnu, delighted and happy and grant my wishes.
Many have wondered who the Divine Mother is, yet she is part of all spiritual traditions as a Presence. This video was created as a communication of her Being.
Light of the Presence – God the Mother
God the Mother manifests as the fabric of time itself and as the light within all things. Inseparable from the Oneness, she is the Oneness in manifestation. A sequel to “Devi Prayer – Hymn to the Divine Mother.”
This video takes you into a mystical journey deep into the Himalayas .Holy Ganges is captured flowing in all its glory (in the backdrop of Shiva sahasranama Mantra).
The Journey ends in the Vasishta caves where austere penance on Almighty Shiva is still performed,… away from the Maya and illusions of the World.
Come let us merge with the Almighty!!!
