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Steady Mind – Peaceful heart

With the first quarter Moon in Gemini our minds are being stimulated, as Mercury is square to Jupiter, this suggests taking action. Yesterday’s exercise helped us to assume our responsibility, but sometimes our life circumstances and personnel Astrological chart placements can test our « human » capacities.  Our minds are like the sea, a perfect symbol as it is in constant motion.  Calm one day, stormy the next with waves of all sizes.  And this is only the surface, deep below there are the strange creatures that lurk in it’s darkness, the tremendous currents that sweep through it’s depths, not to mention the millions of tonnes of rubbish that have collected because of the human capacity of Mind!

At the surface level our minds seem to jump around like grass hoppers, stray constats on current happenings, old memories, plans for the future, rushes of elation over good news, worries, regrets, resentments, cravings and all that in a matter of minutes.  In themselves most of these are innocuous.  Even once we have become the observer of our surface thoughts below the surface level of consciousness the storm rages.  Here in the depths are our deep seated fears, prejudices, cravings and conflicts.  These are the roots of physical ailments, disease or depression.  Such storms eat up our vitality and make it difficult to concentrate, to be loyal and steadfast.

This is not our real nature, as we are the light of the world, our conditioning whether it be ancestral, cultural or institutional it’s not truth.  Deep within us we have immense reserves of will, loyalty, patience, compassion and love.

A few days ago I shared the exercise of bringing your subconscious to consciousness and the importance of becoming aware, of waking up. A mantra can help with this process.

There is a type of Yôga called Bhakti Yôga, the Yôga of devotion.  Along with prayers it’s practitioners are apt to use a Mantram, to sing for the Love of their chosen deity.  From the Sanskrit root man is « mind » and tra « to cross », so we can see a mantra as a tool to cross the sea of the mind and arrive safely on the other side.  A Mantra is a transformer and we can use it anywhere and no matter what we are doing.

There are thousands of Mantra, and if you are used to practicing with me you know how we use numerous  kirtan Mantra to extrovert our consciousness and specific Bija Mantra to introvert.

But a personnel Mantrum is taking it to another level.. Like the baby who has learnt to feed themselves.  Whilst studying at an Ashram in Kerala, India, I was initiated into the Mantra of world peace and had the daily task of chanting…..

Om Namo Naraya Naya

After one month this had a profound effect on my consciousness.  Everyday for one hour I would chant.  Sometimes it felt like my whole body was crying, gradually the Mantra penetrates deeper and deeper into the consciousness, like a ship sinking but unaffected by the pressure of the water, it does not break, a mantra holds true.  The more we use it the more potent it’s force, until the time it is sewn into our consciousness and turns by itself.  It gives a propeller to our ship, gradually we learn to extend our conscious controll to deeper levels of the mind, permanently laying to rest every negative and selfish force, the mind is stilled and we are aware of divine presence.. i did not see visions or hear voices, it was that simple knowing of the unity of life.

From the on we live for the welfare of all.

This is the opening call…