Swami teaches... The mantra through the pure mind

[Guest guest]

Sai Ram

Light and Love

 

Swami teaches.... (09 March 2005)

The Mantra Through the Pure Mind

There are many sorrows and worries in the world of mayaa Reality. Everyone

knows theoretically that one is not a body, but carrier of Cosmic

consciousness, Atma. From the point of view of atmic Reality grief and pleasure

success and wreck are only different roles of Divine cosmic play where people

are simultaneously both actors and observers. However to obtain such outlook

demands awareness of atmic consciousness up to what the majority of us has not

reached yet. So, people again and again address the prayers, mantras, rituals

to the Almighty directly of through idols, to have the Divine Grace and

protection... Swami stresses that splendour and grace of God can be grasped by

a pure mind and a clear vision. Swami speaks and listens to the language of the

soul what is equally understandable to all nations on the planet. No one can

succeed in any venture without Divine Grace.

The fault lies in the belief that things happen as a result of human effort

and planning, humanintelligence and care.

The individual born in the lake of Society must swim and float in the calm

waters, andjoining the river of Progress, merge in the Ocean of Grace. Human

has to move from the stance of "I" to the position of "We." However, we can

observe the wild dance of ego-stricken individuals, who hate society and behave

most unsocially.

 

Brahmasri Mudigonda Pichayya Shaasthry called life a labyrinth, from which

few can escape, though all have entered it easily! The labyrinth was

constructed by Kumbhaja, which means, one born in intelligence, Brahman Itself,

for, Brahman is Prajnaanam (the Supermost Wisdom). How can a person break

through the labyrinth devised by Brahman, when he is overwhelmed by the

egoistic pulls? Through the pure mind alone can the chain be broken, the tangle

cleared. The pure mind reflects the Reality clearly, the Reality of God that is

the basis of One - Self as well as the objective world. God is immanent in

every particle everywhere at all times in the Universe. The Vedhas

(ancient spiritual scriptures), the Upanishaths, the Geetha and the Brahma

Suuthras have declared that rituals and religious practices will not lead to

God-realisation. They are external acts, they are related only to the body.

When one is able to get rid of egotism and attachment can one develop the inner

vision. Perception of the Unity of the Divine is Wisdom. The sense of duality

must be eradicated to realise the oneness of the Absolute.

 

One of the easiest ways to percept the 'touch' of the Divine is reciting mantra.

Mantra is a compounded set of words pregnant with enormous significance. It

emanates from the inner power of human. Filled with such power, the mantra,

when it is pronounced properly, brings out the Divine power in human being.

The vibrations produced by the utterance of the mantra, uniting with the Cosmic

naadha(primal sound) in the Universe, become one with the Universal Cosmic

Consciousness. It is these Cosmic vibrations which assumed the form of the

Vedha (sacred revelations of spiritual knowledge). For all the mantras, the

primary mantra, which enshrines the attributeless, Omniself, is theOmkaara. The

Omkaara embodies in the form of sound the Supreme Brahman. For this sound,the

presiding deity is Saraswathi, the consort of Brahma. It is the union of Brahma

and Saraswathi that accounts for all the knowledge in the world.

In Vedas the body is regarded as Brahma and the tongue is regarded as

Saraswati and the vibrations emanating from the heart find expression in sound

through the union of the body and the tongue. Although there are many letters

and words, the fundamental aksharam (letter), which has primacy of place, is

the Omkaara. "Om ithyekaaksharam Brahma" (the single letter 'Om' isBrahman

Itself), says the Geetha. All other letters and words are linguistic creations.

They do not possess the unique sacredness and divine character of 'Om.'

The special significance of 'Om' is not generally recognised or understood.

The Mantra Shaasthra (ancient scripture related to sacred formulas) has laid

emphasis on the letter 'Om'. It is the manifestation of Brahman as formless

sound. It is present in all creation. It is effulgent. It is in all speech as

embodiment of the Supreme, the repository of illusory power and embodiment of

prosperity.

What is the difference between the Omkaara and all other sounds and words?

The Omkaara has a unique, distinctive quality in the way it is pronounced and

the goal it represents. When other letters are uttered, the lips, the tongue,

the cheeks and the jaws are in action. But when theOmkaara is 'pronounced, none

of these move at all. This is a unique characteristic of Omkaara.Hence 'Om'

alone can be regarded as Aksharam (imperishable). All the other sounds

areexpressions of different languages. The Omkaara is the base for the

Vedha. To grasp the full significance of Omkaara, which is allpervasive, it is

necessary to bring the sensory organs under control.

In reciting any mantra the primacy to be accorded to 'Om' should be

recognised. The mantraends with the word Namah (as for example, in Om

Keshavaaya Namah: Prostrations toKeshava). The worshipful attitude

signified by the term Namah will be lost if the word 'Om' is not used atthe

beginning of each mantra. It is only when 'Om' is said at the beginning and

Namah at the endthat the full purport of the mantra will be brought out.

In ordinary parlance Namah is understood to mean namaskaaram (salutation).

But it has a wider meaning. It means Prakrithi (the phenomenal world). 'Om'

connotes Purusha (Divinity).

 

The purpose of the manthra is to reveal the connection between Prakrithi and

Purusha. Based on the inner significance of this, the Mahaavaakya (great

declaration) Thath Thwam Asi (That Thou Art) has to be understood.

If in the manthra Om Keshavaaya Namah the word Keshavaaga is omitted, and Om

Namah isuttered, the unity of Shiva-Shakthi (Purusha and Prakrithi) is

established and the dualism implicitin the mantra is removed. The manthra

states, "I am offering obeisance to Keshava," therebypositing two entities,

besides the action of obeisance itself being a third element.To eliminate this

dualism, the Manthra Shaasthra laid down that if instead of namah, na mama(not

for my sake) is employed, the identity of the worshipper and the worshipped

will beestablished. "Om Keshavaaga, na mama" would mean "for Kesava, not for

me." By this process, the ego is destroyed.

Geetha has indicated a three-stage path to divinity. Engaging the body in

good deeds, using the mind to develop good thoughts and human qualifies and to

contemplate on God through Upaasana (worshipping the Divine) human merges in

the Brahman. This is the process by which the human becomes one with the

Divine. In performing Yaagas, Yajnas and other Vedhic rituals, there is the

danger that they may become instruments of bondage. We must ensure that in

performing these good deeds, we do not develop ego or attachment. Every action

done without ego leads to divinity. Ignoringthis truth, one indulges in

meaningless actions.

People recite the Geetha, achieve proficiency in expounding it, but do not

live up to the message. The Geetha is interpreted in many ways, according to

one's whims and fancies. The Geetha and other scriptural texts are like the

Kalpavriksha (the Wish-fulfilling Tree). They lend themselves to varied

interpretations and meanings. But, what matters is not the manifold

interpretation, but the understanding derived from actual experience. Without

putting into practice the teachings of the Geetha, we cannot derive the bliss

that can be got from it. Reciting the Geetha endlessly or listening to it will

be of no avail if nothing is done to purify one's heart and get rid of evil

qualities like ego, selfishness and pride. It is better to put into practice a

single stanza of the Geetha than to get by heart all the 700 slokhas. (Reet's

compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 17. "Unique significance of Omkaara,"

Chapter 25 and "Purity of Heart: the path to Divinity," Chapter 24. Sathya Sai

Speaks. Vol.12. "The Labyrinth," Chapter 50 and "Sabko sanmathi," Chapter 10.

Namaste - Reet