To Iswari on interruptions to chanting

[Guest guest]

Iswari wrote:

 

I know in some traditions, there are certain instructions as to what to do

if a prayer is interrupted. If your chanting of archana is interrupted by

something/someone, do you just continue where you left off afterward, or is

there some other way of continuing?

 

 

 

Dear Iswari ~ there very well may be a traditional way of handling

interruptions when chanting, although my heart tells me, just pick up and keep

going.

I think of Ghandi, who just after being shot, died saying the name, RAM.

 

Another, somewhat interesting story about this is when Swami Satyananda

Saraswati, a westerner, (of Devi Mandir) was studying with his first guru. His

guru would have him sit in the most crowded place wherever they were and recite

the entire Chandi Path forwards and backwards! The immensity of what the

ability to do this task still amazes me. A more recent story is when one of

Shree

Maa's devotees complained that another devotee's very loud chanting during

the devotees' morning puja was very distracting. Shree Maa told the one who

was being distracted that from now on he had to do his own puja right next to

the other guy. They really do put us through our paces, don't they? Jai Ma ~

Linda

 

P.S. A personal example of this occurred to me today. I was driving back

from doing errands feeling very tired and sick, with thoughts of my mother's bad

treatment toward me barraging my mind. I thought, "I am sick and tired

(literally) of this, and the only one it is hurting is me." Then I remembered

the

recent question by Bela about Japa, and I just started chanting the name, RAM

over and over. All negative thoughts of my mother were driven out of my

mind, and the rest of my drive home was much more pleasant.