The Sentiment Behind Meditation The ever-flowing mental thought-wave channelised towards the One Infinite Consciousness is the highest human achievement. To achieve this, developed and evolved mental power is required and that is why it is only within the reach of the human mind. For this spiritual practices are required which must be based on intuitional science. One of the distinctive aspects of subtle Tantra is the introversive method of meditation. The concept of mantra is of key importance in the Tantra idea of meditation. "Man" means "mind" and "tra" means "that which liberates"; thus mantra is a particular vibration which liberates the mind. The ancient yogis experimented with sound vibration and began to utilize special sounds which they found useful in the process of expansion of mind. They found that there are seven principle psycho-spiritual energy centres in the human body. They further learned that there are 50 sounds which emanate from the centres. These sounds are found in the alphabet of Sanskrit, and certain combinations of the sounds were used in ancient processes of concentration and meditation. During Tantric meditation the meditator is concentrating on the mantra and trying to keep only one sound vibration (and its associated idea) in his or her mind. Constant repetition of the mantra leads a practitioner to higher states of consciousness. Not any sound can be chosen at random for use in meditation, rather there are certain qualities which the mantra must possess in order for it to be effective. First of all the mantra must be pulsative, that is, there will be two syllables which are repeated in synchronization with the inhalation and exhalation of breathing. In addition, secondly, the mantra must have an idea associated with it. The general idea of the mantras used in meditation is that "I am one with the Supreme Consciousness". The mantra thus helps the individual to associate his or her own individual consciousness with the totality of Consciousness in the universe. Thirdly, the final characteristics of the mantra is that it must create a certain vibration which acts as a link between the individual vibration of the meditator and the vibration of the Supreme Consciousness. As people are not all alike, the mantras which are used in meditation are also not all alike. The meditation teacher chooses a mantra which matches the particular vibration of the individual and can link this individual vibration with the universal rhythm of the Supreme Consciousness. God is manifest in all beings. The person of wisdom, who has known this Universal Entity, ceases to be charismatic and loquacious (full of talk about themselves). Such a person does not want to waste his or her time and breath unnecessarily over frivolous and pointless arguments. Shrii Ra'makrs'n'a used to say: "To the one who has known God all the things of the world will appear as saltless." For such a person all his or her thought-waves or emotions that manifest themselves as mundane activities are benevolent and beneficent. Such acts of benevolence, which are commensurate with spiritual practice, attain a high place of honour in the society of persons conversant with spiritual practices or intuitional knowledge. God is realised through a path of truth, service, valid knowledge and regular spiritual and intuitional practice. A sincere spiritual person will also follow the principles of morality (Yama and Niyama) strictly, and so becomes pure and free. It is Truth that ultimately wins. In its application, only that is Truth behind which there is a sentiment of benevolence for others. Falsehood or untruth never triumphs. It never can. It may succeed for a time but that success is only prognostic of dire defeat. Truth widens and smooths the path of spirituality. It is through the spiritual path that a desireless saint attains proximity to that most sublime treasure of Truth - the Supreme Spirit. What is this most sublime treasure or fountain-head of Truth like? The sage says that this abode of Truth - God- is so vast that the Supreme Entity is unthinkable. God is eternal. Then again God is smaller than the small, smaller than a molecule or an atom or even an electron, so very small that mind itself cannot comprehend God. But the Supreme is luminous even in God's small bearing. God is far, far away from the one who thinks God to be remote. God is nearer than the near to the one who thinks the Supreme Entity to be close. The one who has eyes to see who has known the Supreme even a wee bit, knows that God abides in his or her very sense of existence - in his or her very heart's desire as the Supreme Radiance. To seek the Cosmic Consciousness -- to attain God -- it is not at all necessary to run from one place to another . The Supreme Self is not elsewhere but right within. Neither can your eyes see God, nor can words explain God. The senses cannot perceive God either through asceticism or abstaining from the world or deeds. When a spiritual aspirant establishes himself or herself in the valid knowledge through the kindness and blessings of a true and well-conversant Preceptor, when he or she does spiritual practices with a devotionally saturated heart, such a subtle-minded aspirant alone can realize that formless Absolute Entity. The soul can be known only through consciousness. This absolute consciousness manifests itself only in the innermost recess of a spiritual aspirant. A spiritual aspirant gets opportunity for meditation and spiritual practices for the realization of God as long as the vital airs are active in his or her physical body. But generally such an opportunity only rarely comes to the lot of human beings, for the minds of most people, being extroversial, run after external objects due to the propulsion of the senses. So when a human being's mind gets purified through spiritual practices and meditation, he or she becomes free from ordinary sensual influences. A greater Beauty and Love is seen and experienced. Then alone do they realize within themselves the super-effulgence of the Supreme Being. The self-realizer is one who sees the Supreme Soul in his or her soul. --- Life is a movement from imperfection to perfection. When inanimate objects become animate there is progress. There is further progress when animate beings become multicellular metazoic organisms, more and more complicated structures. The human being is the highest being, the being most perfect in structure. The human being is thus a perfected animal. But this is the beginning of progress for humanity. Humans still have to achieve further physical, intellectual and spiritual perfection. Movement towards perfection - God - is a human's true nature (dharma). No movement is free from friction or obstacles. But perfection being a God-ward movement, do not be afraid - move on. Obstacles will go down the drain, where they belong. You will progress. Anandamurti (Baba's Grace, 151) --- Natural Health Centre Opening in the Philippines In a world where we too often hear about the bad things that are happening, it gives me great pleasure to let you know about an inspiring new project that is being built in the Philippines by Dada Dharmavedananda, an experienced social worker and meditation teacher. Dada is opening a natural treatment healing centre which promises to have both local impact and more far reaching effects. A system that is 100 percent natural: helping people to cure themselves through food, water-drinking, exercise, fasting, hot and cold treatments, and meditation allows for patients to cure their immediate physical and mental problems, but also the person becomes a much better person and with a much higher quality of life. This is the purpose of the AM Wellness centre in the Philippines. Check out: http://www.AMWellness.org You'll notice the building is uniquely designed to create a deeply positive type atmosphere, conducive for tapping one's inherent positive energy. This healing centre is now under construction. Dada previously ran similar centres in Taiwan and Korea, but the new project in the Philippines has some special features. It will not only be the first natural healing centre in the Philippines but will also be a global model and natural therapy training centre. Dada hopes to not only benefit the local people but to start a movement that will inspire others to open similar centres in their part of the world. --- Some interesting snippets: In Shiva's iconography, Shiva is the god of Yoga and creator of Yoga. Each attribute in the typical icon has a particular meaning: - The tiger's skin, where Shiva sits, is the symbol of wild power dominated and transcended. - The snake twisted around the neck is the symbol of Shiv'a superiority over death's power. The blue snake is such because the Shiva drunk the poison derived from that whipped from the primordial ocean. - The trident is Shiva's weapon but it symbolizes the triad of Creator, Preserver, Destroyer or Generator-Operator-Destroyer (GOD). - The chignon (mass of hair) shelters the sky-blue river (Ganges) that Shiva received in his hair to save the world. - The waxing moon represents the coexistence of his powers of regeneration and destruction. - The drum symbolizes the cosmic rhythm that animates throughout the universe. - The necklace is a rosary made of seeds of Elaeocarpus sphaericus (108 seeds). ---