Shanti Mantras and their effects

 As part of MSc Yoga programme, I'm learning some of the Shanti Mantras from the Upanishads. When I went to the University for in-person classes early this January, I struggled during the Vedic chanting class and found it hard to chant the Mantras in the right meter and pronunciation. For the first 2 classes, our faculty asked us to listen and repeat after him (without any visual aid), similar to how learning was imparted in the Gurukul way of education (karna parampara). This was even more challenging for me, as I'm attuned to the visual way of learning. 

Once we received our books, it felt a little more manageable to look at the words and chant, but I wasn't confident. After multiple rounds of practice at home, I'm finally able to memorize and chant them. It is in no way close to a perfect recitation. But the reason why I wanted to share it here is the effect these Shanti Mantras have on our body and mind.

Shanti Mantras, as the name implies, are peace chants where we call upon different deities for the well-being and peace of everyone. The prevalent Shanti Mantras, typically chanted during Yoga classes are "Sahana Vavatu", "Asatoma Sadgamaya" and "Sarve Bhavantu".

Whenever I chant these Shanti Mantras, I feel a sense of calm and serenity. The brain feels relaxed, the mind is devoid of thoughts and the breathing rate slows down. Knowing the meaning of these Mantras makes it easier to chant with Bhava (emotion). For eg, through this mantra "Bhadram Karnebhi", we pray that we hear only good and auspicious through our ears and that we only see adorable and auspicious through our eyes.

Book Review: Ishvara in One's Life by Swami Dayananda Saraswati

 I read "Value of Values" by Swami Dayananda Saraswati sometime last year. He articulates his thoughts so beautifully and conveys the wisdom of Shastras to the present-day audience in a relatable way. I picked up the book "Ishvara in One's Life" from Blossoms. It's a 90-page booklet (with the perfect font size) where Swamiji explains how one can relate to Ishvara (the Divine).

He elaborates on certain qualities that make one an adult - the ability to be dispassionate and objective, detaching oneself from the various roles one plays in life and one's relationship to the total. 

He then discusses the qualities of the Divine - to be able to intelligently put together to serve a purpose, the maker of all, the all-knowledge conscious being. There were amazing insights in these chapters and I was nodding my head while reading a couple of chapters. As I study more about the anatomy & physiology of the human body, I can't help but wonder how meticulously and intelligently the human body is put together. The maker and the material cause are not separate. One has to deeply introspect on this concept and imbibe it to view the Whole as the manifestation of the Divine.

His arguments on why God is not a matter of belief were so thought-provoking. God has to be understood in the form of various orders that we observe in this Universe - physical, psychological, biological, and the order of Dharma. 

This is a gem of a book that needs to be revisited multiple times to comprehend the often misunderstood portrayal of God.

Can we change our opinions?

Can we change our opinions?

Can we change our beliefs?

Of course, we can. And we should. We review them periodically and change them based on new information and understanding. 

Swami Dayananda Saraswati says, "A belief can be defined as a judgment before knowledge. A belief, being a judgment before knowing, is subject to correction on knowing, on verification".

Many of my opinions and perspectives have undergone revisions and changes. To share a couple of examples,

(1) I used to think that following news was a waste of time and a drain on mental energy. I used to shut off from all news sources and be in total ignorance (haven't we heard the statement - ignorance is bliss?). But in the last year, I have changed this opinion of mine. What's happening around us - business/politics/administration/global events/policies, they all have an impact on us as individuals and on our families. Many new "-isms" are being forced upon us and on our children without our awareness. 

I follow the latest events and updates, but I try to build a boundary where I'm "informed but not get involved" - consider them as inputs for my intellect but not let my mind or emotions get affected by fear or uncertainty.

(2) I used to be a crazy fanatic of certain personalities (Sachin, ARR, Superstar). No doubt, they are excellent in their respective craft but I no longer blindly take inspiration for whatever they say or do. I have stopped having any admiration or adulation for popular personalities or influencers, having seen their true intentions that are money or power-driven.

Change is the only constant in life. It is perfectly fine to change our opinions as time goes by. 

What irks me the most is that when people build a business by sharing perspectives and opinions they have formed at a given point in time and which are bound to change in the future.  

Our scriptures and the various Darshanas (philosophies) give a lot of importance to Pramana (the source of truth). An evolving individual with limited life experience, a lack of scholarly wisdom, and wavering perspectives can never be the Pramana we can consistently rely on.

Learn skills from qualified experts.

Gather perspectives from a variety of sources.

Give priority to scriptures, scholars, and seers with dharmic intent.

Form your own opinions and beliefs.

Change or revise them when new information or experience comes by.

Book Review: Maturity by Osho

 

During a casual visit to Sapna Book Store a few months back, I stumbled upon this book. When I looked through the Contents, the chapter "Seven-year cycles of life" caught my attention. As I read through a few pages, it resonated with me deeply, and so were a few other topics. But the tiny font size was a blocker. I added the title to my Amazon Wishlist, merely for reference. 

I spotted a second-hand pristine copy of this title for Rs.180 during a recent trip to Blossoms. I decided to buy it, overlooking the tiny font size. What are reading glasses for? :-) 

According to the author, Maturity is accepting the responsibility of being oneself. He focuses on the topic of Maturity and the aspects that contribute to this growth. He repeatedly states that it is not the same as growing old, and he substantiates it by beautifully bringing up the differences between growing old and growing up in the first chapter.

Every seven years, a new age begins, and a new step is taken. This idea is similar to the popular song from Thalaivar's Baasha. The purpose of each stage, the changes associated with it, and how one deals with the challenges are well explained. 

What blew my mind was this line:

"And near the age of forty-two, religion starts becoming important for the first time". 

This has been my personal experience in the last 1-2 years and I was nodding in agreement.

He then takes the topic of Maturity from the perspective of relationships and emphasizes why Interdependence (not Independence) is the need of the hour from the point of view of love and marriage. This is exactly what I was ruminating about while watching "Laapataa Ladies" a couple of weeks back. Though I loved the whole movie, I don't quite agree with the dialogue by Manju Mai when she tells Phool that women don't need men. 

An individual progresses horizontally from childhood, youngster, and old age towards death. But there is also a vertical progress where one's consciousness expands. 

There are some interesting insights about menopause and how it is not just for women. The topic of Saying No vs Saying Yes is just brilliant. Saying No feels like freedom and intelligence. The author says, "The freedom that is brought by no is a very childish freedom". 

There are quite a few provocative lines though, which I decided to bypass and instead, focus on the many eye-opening insights the book is filled with. 

Highly recommend this book if you are looking for new perspectives on growth and maturity.

26 Qualities of Daivi Sampath

In an earlier post, I shared about Aasuri Sampath from Chapter 16 of the Bhagavad Gita. In the first three shlokas in the same chapter, Bhagavan Krishna outlines the qualities of Daivi Sampat - qualities that lead one toward the wealth of spiritual development. Here's the list of those 26 qualities in the same order as mentioned in the shlokas:

1. Fearlessness
2. Purity of mind
3. Being established in the pursuit of jnana (knowledge) and yoga (practical realization)
4. Ability to share one's wealth with others
5. Discipline of sensory energies
6. Sacrifice by worship and other practices
7. Self-study, understanding of knowledge
8. Concentration of the energies of the mind
9. Straightforwardness
10. Non-violence
11. Truth
12. Absence of anger
13. Spirit of detachment and renunciation
14. Peacefulness
15. Absence of ill-feeling towards others
16. Compassion toward all beings
17. Uncovetousness - not having the feeling "someone has something, I must also have it."
18. Gentleness
19. Modesty
20. Absence of fickleness, a state where the mind is unable to decide on anything
21. Energy
22. Forbearance
23. Tremendous willpower
24. Purity, cleanliness
25. Not harming others
26. Without excessive pride or elation

This list gives a beautiful way for us to self-reflect on our thoughts, words, and behaviors and understand where we need to put our efforts.

Reference: Universal message of the Bhagavad Gita Vol 3 by Swami Ranganathananda