Japa - My Take

[Guest guest]

Thank you Srirangam (Nice name). Your asking this question about japa malas

has inspired me to say a few words about some conceptions and recent

misconceptions regarding this practice. But I don't want to just repeat the

basic info on this subject. Many places on the web dicscuss how to do japa, one

very good site is the Divine Life Society of Sivananda. His treatise on japa

gives basics as well as mantras, etc...

 

I would rather discuss a few other things, namely, diksha or initiation into a

mantra, quality of japa bead, release of all concepts as the path of liberation,

and trust in the Ultimate as source of successful sadhana (as opposed to doing

japa as spiritual Olympics for a gold medal).

 

People bandy about the idea that diksha is needed for successful mantra japa.

Possible, but also not entirely so. Many mantras are open source so to speak

and are good for all people. I need not say which because you already know them

or can know them. Many people still maintain that diksha is needed, and I can't

say whether it's so, because it's possible that real newcomers to spirituality

can very much use some specific instruction, otherwise they may be bewildered by

the varieties of practices available, and may always question their own

practice.

 

But any practice is good. How to choose one? Just do it! That's it! How do

you decide what sport to play, what food to eat, what mate to hang out with.

You just do. That's it. Just choose your sadhana and stick with it until it

pays off. Simple. When dealing with the divine one can definitely ask the

divine to give one iniation and make the path clear. One might find themselves

doing new activities or engaging in a style of worship which supports the

practice naturally and without a guru to tell you what to do. Because we are

really discussing the engagement of powers which control vast realms of

interrelated phenomena in the divine. So have some trust and faith, and let go.

 

Different japa malas have different qualities. Without going into them all,

definitely using mineral malas like coral have a cold feeling on the fingers,

same with sphatik, rudraksha are warm, as are wood malas, and seed malas also

feel warm. Colors appeal to the senses in different ways, and when you do japa

for hours often you may study the mala and it will leave a lasting impression on

the mind relating to the practice. Also, the rudraksha are considered without

need for pranapratishta or deity installation. They are especially sacred.

Entire scriptures have been written on them, and I'm sure this is a unique

thing. Does anyone know any other jewelry which has it's own scriptures?

Relating back to the first point on diksha, I have always believed that owning

the deity specific rudraksha also gives one diksha in that deities mantra. This

is not shashtrically confirmed however, so don't believe me. But it is my

belief, share it if you like. I think that the rudraksha will absorb errors in

the mantra and through their grace confer extra organizing energy to ones

sadhana, thus making it more effective. Rudraksha exist through the grace of

Shiva - the Auspicious One. Their same reason for existing is the reason they

will confer diksha or other helpful energy - to help you evolve. These beliefs

of mine are synchronistic and quantum mechanically oriented. That is, that by

introducing the most deity energized products into what in Western occultism is

called the "sphere of influence" one is more assured of a result (if a result is

what one is after).

 

Liberation is spontaneously occuring if one gives up everything to the divine.

One's thoughts, one's closely held self conception, one's material wealth, etc.

Where is the divine? Everywhere. One needednt give to a church, charity, or

brahman. One can give to anyone, anything, and if you dedicate it to the

diveine then so it is. But this giveing also applies to just giving up in

general. The world will go on without you. You therefore needn't worry about

it. I'm not recommending hedonism, but rather the opposite, that of just being

satisfied in one's natural state. A state of satisfaction helps one meditate,

do japa, and also be more giving. When we find some self content/ self

contentment, then we are better able to give as we don't need any longer. But

mostly I'm just describing the practice of becoming free from kleshas, and the

wheel of samskara. One must let ones thoughts spontaneously self liberate by

just lettting them go. especially during yoga. One doesn't hold on to things

but instead lets them just go. Never to return. We all feel dirty, and more

pufified as we practice, and most people want to know where their karma goes as

it is released and let go. It just disappears is where. It may fel like a

liberating thought has some speed or direction or substance, but when it is let

go it spontaneously liberates into pure awareness. This is how karmas are

liberated. This is how beings are liberated. Just let go. In a recent

development I have twenty strands of rudraksha that always get tangled. One

cannot hold them all in one hand and untangle them with the other. One has to

just drop them all and work strand by strand at untangling. Often tangles that

seemed impossible to work on just come out effortlessly when you just drop them

all, and then work strand by strand. This takes only the effort of being

effortless. Such is how liberation occurs for all sentient beings.

 

Trust. Just letting go, just choosing a sadhana, or japa, and getting diksha,

etc all occur as one opens to the divine. The basic needed effort is to trust

in the divine and not believe all the sacarey stories of hobgoblins and spooks

(ganas) that one reads. Your favorite deity is equipped to deal with all

hobgoblins. Doesn't matter if it's Tara, Jesus, Buddha, Siva, Ganesha, Devi, or

Dakni. All deities have conquesred spooks. Most spooks are just a product of

imagination. And those that aren't do not like rudraksha I'll tell you that

much. In the New Testament where it says one shouldn't suffer a witch to live,

it emphatically did not mean to burn witches but instead to burn superstition up

altogether in the light of the divine knowledge. Burning witches was just

another pathertic attempt at egoic control over the world. The world is a

reflection of the divine already. Otherwise no advaita is possible. Instead one

must give up, trust, burn one's inner superstitions in the light of the divine,

and pray, surround themselves with the tools of bhakta, and then you will have

found tantra - the continuum of practice.

 

The whole world is divine. Just look how beautiful and creative Brahma was.

It's humans who try to rule it and who tinker with the world who have created

chaos. Don't worry about it. Give up. We don't really need tools of the

divine like rudraksha, but they help training, they help our tantra, our

continuous practice of devotion to liberation. So they are very blessed tools

for awareness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

This is very beautiful. Thank you!

 

 

, "Kirk"

<kirk_bernhardt@c...> wrote:

> Thank you Srirangam (Nice name). Your asking this question about

japa malas has inspired me to say a few words about some conceptions

and recent misconceptions regarding this practice. But I don't want

to just repeat the basic info on this subject. Many places on the

web dicscuss how to do japa, one very good site is the Divine Life

Society of Sivananda. His treatise on japa gives basics as well as

mantras, etc...

>

> I would rather discuss a few other things, namely, diksha or

initiation into a mantra, quality of japa bead, release of all

concepts as the path of liberation, and trust in the Ultimate as

source of successful sadhana (as opposed to doing japa as spiritual

Olympics for a gold medal).

>

> People bandy about the idea that diksha is needed for successful

mantra japa. Possible, but also not entirely so. Many mantras are

open source so to speak and are good for all people. I need not say

which because you already know them or can know them. Many people

still maintain that diksha is needed, and I can't say whether it's

so, because it's possible that real newcomers to spirituality can

very much use some specific instruction, otherwise they may be

bewildered by the varieties of practices available, and may always

question their own practice.

>

> But any practice is good. How to choose one? Just do it! That's

it! How do you decide what sport to play, what food to eat, what

mate to hang out with. You just do. That's it. Just choose your

sadhana and stick with it until it pays off. Simple. When dealing

with the divine one can definitely ask the divine to give one

iniation and make the path clear. One might find themselves doing

new activities or engaging in a style of worship which supports the

practice naturally and without a guru to tell you what to do.

Because we are really discussing the engagement of powers which

control vast realms of interrelated phenomena in the divine. So have

some trust and faith, and let go.

>

> Different japa malas have different qualities. Without going into

them all, definitely using mineral malas like coral have a cold

feeling on the fingers, same with sphatik, rudraksha are warm, as are

wood malas, and seed malas also feel warm. Colors appeal to the

senses in different ways, and when you do japa for hours often you

may study the mala and it will leave a lasting impression on the mind

relating to the practice. Also, the rudraksha are considered without

need for pranapratishta or deity installation. They are especially

sacred. Entire scriptures have been written on them, and I'm sure

this is a unique thing. Does anyone know any other jewelry which has

it's own scriptures? Relating back to the first point on diksha, I

have always believed that owning the deity specific rudraksha also

gives one diksha in that deities mantra. This is not shashtrically

confirmed however, so don't believe me. But it is my belief, share

it if you like. I think that the rudraksha will absorb errors in the

mantra and through their grace confer extra organizing energy to ones

sadhana, thus making it more effective. Rudraksha exist through the

grace of Shiva - the Auspicious One. Their same reason for existing

is the reason they will confer diksha or other helpful energy - to

help you evolve. These beliefs of mine are synchronistic and quantum

mechanically oriented. That is, that by introducing the most deity

energized products into what in Western occultism is called

the "sphere of influence" one is more assured of a result (if a

result is what one is after).

>

> Liberation is spontaneously occuring if one gives up everything to

the divine. One's thoughts, one's closely held self conception,

one's material wealth, etc. Where is the divine? Everywhere. One

needednt give to a church, charity, or brahman. One can give to

anyone, anything, and if you dedicate it to the diveine then so it

is. But this giveing also applies to just giving up in general. The

world will go on without you. You therefore needn't worry about it.

I'm not recommending hedonism, but rather the opposite, that of just

being satisfied in one's natural state. A state of satisfaction

helps one meditate, do japa, and also be more giving. When we find

some self content/ self contentment, then we are better able to give

as we don't need any longer. But mostly I'm just describing the

practice of becoming free from kleshas, and the wheel of samskara.

One must let ones thoughts spontaneously self liberate by just

lettting them go. especially during yoga. One doesn't hold on to

things but instead lets them just go. Never to return. We all feel

dirty, and more pufified as we practice, and most people want to know

where their karma goes as it is released and let go. It just

disappears is where. It may fel like a liberating thought has some

speed or direction or substance, but when it is let go it

spontaneously liberates into pure awareness. This is how karmas are

liberated. This is how beings are liberated. Just let go. In a

recent development I have twenty strands of rudraksha that always get

tangled. One cannot hold them all in one hand and untangle them with

the other. One has to just drop them all and work strand by strand

at untangling. Often tangles that seemed impossible to work on just

come out effortlessly when you just drop them all, and then work

strand by strand. This takes only the effort of being effortless.

Such is how liberation occurs for all sentient beings.

>

> Trust. Just letting go, just choosing a sadhana, or japa, and

getting diksha, etc all occur as one opens to the divine. The basic

needed effort is to trust in the divine and not believe all the

sacarey stories of hobgoblins and spooks (ganas) that one reads.

Your favorite deity is equipped to deal with all hobgoblins. Doesn't

matter if it's Tara, Jesus, Buddha, Siva, Ganesha, Devi, or Dakni.

All deities have conquesred spooks. Most spooks are just a product

of imagination. And those that aren't do not like rudraksha I'll

tell you that much. In the New Testament where it says one shouldn't

suffer a witch to live, it emphatically did not mean to burn witches

but instead to burn superstition up altogether in the light of the

divine knowledge. Burning witches was just another pathertic attempt

at egoic control over the world. The world is a reflection of the

divine already. Otherwise no advaita is possible. Instead one must

give up, trust, burn one's inner superstitions in the light of the

divine, and pray, surround themselves with the tools of bhakta, and

then you will have found tantra - the continuum of practice.

>

> The whole world is divine. Just look how beautiful and creative

Brahma was. It's humans who try to rule it and who tinker with the

world who have created chaos. Don't worry about it. Give up. We

don't really need tools of the divine like rudraksha, but they help

training, they help our tantra, our continuous practice of devotion

to liberation. So they are very blessed tools for awareness.

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

>From Kirkji Message 1245: Indeed most succinctly put! Love it,

thanks and respects.

 

 

, "karisprowl

<karisprowl@e...>" <karisprowl@e...> wrote:

 

> This is very beautiful. Thank you!

>

>

> , "Kirk"

> <kirk_bernhardt@c...> wrote:

> > Thank you Srirangam (Nice name). Your asking this question

about

> japa malas has inspired me to say a few words about some

conceptions

> and recent misconceptions regarding this practice. But I don't

want

> to just repeat the basic info on this subject. Many places on the

> web dicscuss how to do japa, one very good site is the Divine Life

> Society of Sivananda. His treatise on japa gives basics as well as

> mantras, etc...

> >

> > I would rather discuss a few other things, namely, diksha or

> initiation into a mantra, quality of japa bead, release of all

> concepts as the path of liberation, and trust in the Ultimate as

> source of successful sadhana (as opposed to doing japa as spiritual

> Olympics for a gold medal).

> >

> > People bandy about the idea that diksha is needed for successful

> mantra japa. Possible, but also not entirely so. Many mantras are

> open source so to speak and are good for all people. I need not

say

> which because you already know them or can know them. Many people

> still maintain that diksha is needed, and I can't say whether it's

> so, because it's possible that real newcomers to spirituality can

> very much use some specific instruction, otherwise they may be

> bewildered by the varieties of practices available, and may always

> question their own practice.