Files -Bhojana Mantra thanks Keval

[Guest guest]

OM NAMAH SIVAYA

 

Keval, thanks for the heads up about deleting the files. i didn't

know about using the Bhojana mantra before consuming food. i

searched to see what the mantra meant and wanted to share the

article i found below in case anyone else is interested. i always

put my Guru mantra into my food before eating but now i will use

this one since that is what Amma recommends. thanks again. -eric

 

BHOJANA MANTRA

(SPIRITUAL FASTING)

Spiritual discipline is indispensable for the attainment of Self-

knowledge. But the case of men of adament faith is different; they

get at this knowledge very easily.

 

The Gopis returning home once found no boatman to ferry them across

the river Yamuna to Brindavan. The perplexed milkmaids presented

their plight to the sage Vyasa, who had also arrived there just then

with the same intent. " Be not worried on this score; I shall lead

you all to the other bank. But give me something first to appease my

hunger," said the sage. Cream, butter and condensed milk were

offered to him accordingly. After doing full justice to the

dainties, Vyasa stood up and implored: " O Yamuna Devi, if it is a

fact that I am fasting today, please stop flowing and make way for

us to get to the other bank." The river did stop flowing and the

group safely walked to the opposite side.

 

The Gopis then pleaded with the sage to explain the anomaly in his

statement that he fasted while actually he feasted on the delicacies

which they had supplied him. Vyasa explained himself: " The

ceaseless hankering of my heart for Sri Krishna is my spiritual

fasting. the idea 'I eat' is not allowed to enter the mind. Your

dishes were all offered as oblation to the Maker presiding over this

body." Maharishi Vyasa's life in conformity with Truth and his faith

in the almighty worked this miracle.

 

Bondage and liberation are born of the attitude of the mind. He

performs Yajna who engages himself in karma for the glory of God.

Any amount of activities cause no harm to the man freed from

attachment. All actions melt away as heaps of salt consigned into

the sea get dissolved.

 

Consuming the daily food regularly is obligatory on all including

the enlightened. But the latter converts eating itself into "Jnana-

yajna". The food, the eater of it, the digestion- all these are mere

modifications of Brahman. Herein lies the importance of Shloka 24,

Chapter IV of Bhagavat Gita :

 

Brahmaarpanam Brahma havir

Brahmaagnau Brahmanaahutam

Brahmaiva tena gantavyam

Brahma-karma Samaadhinaa.

The oblation is Brahman, the clarified butter is Brahman, offered by

Brahman in the fire of Brahman; unto Brahman verily he goes who

cognizes Brahman alone in his action.

 

This is the Mantra we are supposed to recite before taking any food.

We eat for the sake of Brahman residing in us. In practice, it will

serve as a 'Thanksgiving' to all those who are involved in the

preparation of that food.

 

There is another Shloka, which also is used as Bhojana mantra

sometimes.(Gita: Chapter XV, Shloka 14)

Aham Vaishvaanaro Bhootvaa

Praaninaam Dehamaa Ashritaha

Praanaa Paana Samaayuktah

Pachaamyannam Chaturvidham

Becoming the life-fire in the bodies of living beings, as

Vaisvanara, mingling with the upward and downward breaths, I digest

the four kinds of food.

 

That energy is known as Vaisvanara, which remains in the bodies of

beings as warmth and aids the digestion of food. This energy is also

known as 'Jataraagni', the gastric fire. Food is partaken of in 4

different ways- masticating, sucking, licking and swallowing- basing

on the nature and form of food.

 

Sublimation of the senses is the sacrifice that certain aspirants

perform devoutly. Sacrifice, therefore, of the self by the self is

to dedicate oneself to Ishwara. This solemn act is verily Jnana

yajna. There are 2 diametrically opposite Yajnas: The function of

the one is to make the senses ineffective and that of the other to

make them super-effective.

 

Fire which transforms the nature of things consigned into it is the

medium in ritualistic yajna and symbol in jnana-yajna. The fire of

restraint carried to its extreme becomes total sense-control. The

performer of this form of yajna eats wholesome food merely for the

nourishment of the body. The act of relishing and the idea of

enjoying a meal are all eliminated. The other senses are suspended

except for the bare maintenance of the body. The mind is completely

withdrawn from the senses and made introvertive. The physical life

goes on mechanically while the mind revels in the Self within.

 

In the second type of yajna the senses are made best use of for the

adoration of the Almighty. In the fire of senses, the sense-objects

are offered as oblation. Forms perceived by the eyes are beheld as

the manifestations of the Lord. Auspicious utterances are

sumptuously heard. Sacramental food is partaken of with piety. The

smelling of the aroma, associated with the worship of the Divine, is

felt as a form of holy communion. Garlands of flowers and sandal

paste, that comes as grace from the adored Deity, are reverently put

on the body. The objects of all the 5 senses are thus sanctified and

made liberal use of. The sensual is in this way transformed into the

spiritual.

 

Of the two methods, that of the sense-control is negative and sense-

sublimation positive. Though they seem antithetical to each other,

the result produced by them is the same- purification of the mind.

The negative method is given to the daring and advanced few, and the

positive one to the aspiring many.

 

JAI MA

 

Ammachi, Mike Brooker <patria1818> wrote:

>

> This group's files section

> Ammachi is

> running out of space (85% of the 20 MB allocated has

> been used). Therefore, to free up some space for new

> files to be uploaded, I am deleting two large files:

>

> When a Wise Woman Leads.ppt (2258 kb)

>

> foodPrayer.pdf (4419 kb)

>

> If you want to download and save these files on your

> computer, do it now. They will be deleted on

> Saturday, Nov. 12.

>

>

> Keval

>

>

>

>

>

>

> FareChase: Search multiple travel sites in one click.

> http://farechase.

>