HARIOM TATSAT JAIGURUDATTA

[Guest guest]

ENJOY the mantra HARI OM TAT SAT,

 

 

 

A Small California Foundation Works Toward Peace, Purification and

Joy

 

Pillows and cushions speckled the floor. Candles, flowers and

incense were being carefully prepared. People were arriving,

settling in. Some had drums, tamborines, finger cymbals and other

musical instruments. The large two-story house was coming alive on

this cool, February, Sunday morning in a small city just outside of

Sacramento, California. The " dhoon " was about to begin, led by

Shantibaba, a soft-spoken Indian teacher.

 

What followed was a four-hour chanting/meditation session (dhoon)

centered upon a mantra specifically " designed " by Sadguru Datta as

an " independent tool " in an " age of independence. "

 

This mantra, Hari Om Tat Sat Jai Guru Datta, is said to be a siddhi

mantra with the power to yield spontaneous meditation and initiate a

purification that eventually awakens the kundalini force within. The

power of Lord Datta himself is reportedly the key to the special

quality of personal unfoldment here, for his energy is said to be

working with the aspirant through this mantra. Initially, each

individual has a unique experience with the mantra, for each person

has a different karma. But all ultimately " become centered,

uncomplicated, able to learn and develop from within, without the

help of an external guru. "

 

Guru Datta, usually symbolized as a being with three heads and six

arms to portray his essence as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, is

described as that which is beyond form but was experienced in form

by Swami Punitachariji " Bapu " - as a result of his years of

spiritual sadhana. Bapu describes that experience:

 

" The atmosphere was very calm and peaceful; Lord Datta was sitting

on a rock in perfect meditation. The siddhas and saints of the past

and present were showering flowers upon him from space and were

chanting the mantra Hari Om Tat Sat Jai Guru Datta to music. " At

this point Bapu says he was filled with joy and bliss and lost all

desires. And when Lord Datta asked him if he had any wish, Bapu

said, " Oh Sadguru, I know that after seeing you one becomes

desireless; however if there still remains some good desire then I

consider that it must be rising with your inner inspiration. If you

want to offer me something more, please give me some unique thing

for humanity. " In response to this request. Lord Datta apparently

gave Bapu the mantra Hari Om Tat Sat Jai Guru Datta for the benefit

of mankind and described its meaning thusly: " This is the mantra of

Brahman, Essence, the Absolute. Men will benefit through this mantra

by elevating their awareness and will experience peace and joy. "

 

Bapu became a vehicle for Lord Datta after this experience and

started a movement of sorts, balanced on faith and centered in

personal experience. In the US his work is continued by Shantibaba,

a gentle soft-spoken man in his mid-forties who claims no personal

attainments of his own save those naturally gained through repeating

this one mantra.

 

Very little religious or spiritual philosophy is put forward along

with this mantra, although during retreats and meditation sessions

passages are sometimes read from Yoga Vasistha. Anyone can take up

its practice. There are no restrictions of any kind. Nor are there

rigid requirements such as the observance of special diet,

brahmachariya, pranayama, hatha yoga or specific meditation

techniques. The mantra is said to do everything. Claims for its

immediate effects range from weight loss and spontaneous dietetic

alterations to an uncontrollable sense of restlessness, all for the

sake of bringing the aspirant in line with his own, pure, inner

being. It is described as " a living seed of spirituality " that

fulfills a great need in the " present dark age of spirituality " when

it is " almost impossible to find a spiritual master or purified

soul " and easy to be " misguided by 'holy men' pretending to be

spiritual masters. " Those who practice its repetition with

regularity encourage anyone of any religious background to give it a

try.

 

" During the few months that I have been chanting this mantra, I

cannot think of any area of my life that has NOT undergone change -

most pleasant, some unpleasant, but all much needed, " says Joan

Fields of California. " I have undergone both planned and spontaneous

physical cleansings, quit a 20-year smoking habit, and experienced a

multitude of insights, spiritual highs, and the most profound

meditations of my life. And best of all, I've only just begun this

wonderful spiritual adventure! "

 

" I began to practice the mantra regularly, doing dhoon with a group

and malas and meditation at home, " says Russell Schreiber of

Colorado. " After a few dhoons, my mind began to chant the mantra

automatically all day and at least part of the night. During this

period, which lasted about two weeks, I had a large amount of

physical energy and exuberance, getting large amounts of work done.

And slowly I began to have some experiences in my meditation. "

 

In the United States the Anasuya Foundation is the organization

working behind the scenes to promote the mantra. It is a modest non-

profit venture-actually just a small facility from which free

literature is distributed-located in Carmichael, California.

However, small groups spring up here and there throughout the United

States, England, Germany and India, and frequently invite Shantibaba

to come, stay and inspire the group with the spirit of the mantra.

Bapu himself resides in India at Girnar Sadhana Ashram in Junagadh

(Gujarat). The ashram is reportedly very popular, and plans are to

expand the facilities with a number of meditation huts and shrines

to Lord Dattatreya.

 

Shantibaba describes Bapu and the mantra in the following way: " Bapu-

we don't know how old he is, maybe in his high sixties-spent the

last 45 years traveling from the Himalayas to the Ganges. He has

done his sadhana searching for the truth. After spending 12 years on

Mount Girnar, he had a physical meeting with Lord Dattatreya. And

there he heard the mantra. This mantra is in the language of the

siddhas. It is a siddha mantra. It brings its own live energy with

it. It works through the inner yoga. That is the mystic way, the

mystic yoga. How does it work? We still don't know. But the promise

that came with the mantra was that it would bring a set of

experiences to an individual according to the design of their mind,

body and past conditionings-that it would work through purification

and transformation. This mantra brings the right experience for you,

creating the trust and faith and still beginning the purification

that eventually connects you to your own inner guide, your own

higher self, your own spirit. This is a three-pan process. First

peace, then purification and then the joy. Each one of us has to

experience it. "

 

" I heard about this, " says Shantibaba, " when I was in India seven or

eight years ago. I went to a meeting. There were 100 people or so.

And I got some kind of experience chanting. After the chanting was

over, I couldn't even move. But I was an intellectual and did not

believe in just faith. I wanted to try more, test more. I went to

[bapu's] Ashram and tried to figure it out. It did not make any more

sense, so, I thought, maybe I should do some japa with the people in

the small villages close by. Then, I will see. So I went to the

villages and tried the chant with the people, and they started to

have experiences with this one mantra. They were completely

illiterate and did not know anything about this mantra. But they

were falling down and having these experiences. So, I was thinking,

well, this mantra does have something. It works. And it works for

anyone. I got convinced. "

 

Anasuya's representatives are reluctant to call themselves an

organization, let alone a movement. Yet, reportedly mere

are " centers " in several countries around the world. There is no

formal membership, therefore a count of devotees is not available.

Though no mention is made of Hinduism, Anasuya is a Hindu/non-Hindu

group offering a secret of the East to all looking for a glimmer of

hope and spiritual solace.