This Durga Puja I decided to have a different experience. I wanted to be in Gurumaa Ashram in the presence of a living Durga. Every year, Durga Puja came and I prayed to the Divine Mother by reading the Durga Saptashati. I worshipped her at puja pandals and at an Ashram near home. But this year, Gurumaa has given me a unique opportunity to be in her benign presence and I can feel her blessing pouring forth!

Thank you Gurumaa for this wonderful chance to be with you in the Ashram which is reverberating with immense Shakti. Added to that, the stutis we are singing to the Goddess have made the atmosphere charged with her power!

I pray to Goddess Durga to keep me ever in her shelter and let me not wander into the tamas of ignorance. Let the flame ignited within me burn brightly with the grace of my guru.

O mother, let me be worthy of my Guru and be able to practice as well as spread her glory and teachings.

Ya devi sarvabhooteshu Shakti rupen sansthita

Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah!

Seema Mishra

Kolkata

She sowed the seeds of seva, sadhana and satsang

She poured the water of divine grace

And lo and behold, tiny saplings are showing their pretty heads!

I have the firm belief that these saplings will grow into plants

and plants into trees as the divine farmer keeps nurturing them!

There is a new meaning to my life, a new spring in my step

My goal is clear to me now

There will be obstacles on the path

But now my divine guide with a beacon light walks by my side

So, no fear or doubts in my mind about reaching the destination

I am in the safe hands of the divine boatman who will row me across the ocean of sansara!

With pranams at the lotus feet of the Master

Seema Mishra, Kolkata.

Krishna is the Paar Brahm, he is the chaitanya in us. He is sat-chit-anand. Your very soul is Krishna. You do not need to search him outside of you, in idols in temples where crowds jostle for a glimpse. Wherever you go, whatever you see, is the glory of the Lord. Without the scent, a rose is nothing. So we have to decide whether we want just the idol or the essence of the presence of the consciousness. See the Lord in all the people you meet, treat them as you would Lord Krishna. Since we cannot see him, do not wait to wish the idol a Happy Birthday. Wish all those you meet on the way, for aren’t we all but little Krishnas? Those on the spiritual path are trying to make themselves as pure as the Ulimate Consciousness, so why not see the Lord in all beings? Send the message of your love for Lord Krishna through all living beings on Janmashtami. The perfume of your love will permeate all beings and reach the ultimate being, Lord Krishna the object of your love.

Once you feel the oneness with the Lord through Raj Yoga or meditation, illness, old age and death cannot touch you. When we meditate, there is no difference between us and Him. We are one and the same.

But the question is, how do we attain the Lord? By praying to the idol, there is progress, but it is slow. The first lesson is to shed your ego. We are but a bubble, we have to become the ocean. The second lesson is to shed your attachment. There should be only one desire, to attain God and no other desires should remain. Then we will find that we ourselves have become Krishna. We are also not born, neither do we die. It is only the body that is perishable. Once we realize this, that will be the day we celebrate the birth of Krishna Consciousness within us. That is how we should celebrate Krishna Janmashtami this time.

Lets make a difference in the lives of those who live in darkness. Bring the light of Lord Krishna into the lives of the underprivileged. That is the way we can come closer to God. Bring a smile to the lips of the sad, give food to the hungry, give knowledge to the ignorant. And just spread love, love and love. For the Lord dwells in all and love given to a being is love given to God. Celebrate a different Janmashtami this year, resolve to give birth to love in your heart and help give birth to love in all hearts. Let anger, jealousy and enmity die within you and in others. Give birth to a Krishna in you this Jamashtami!

Jai Gurudev!

Seema Mishra

As spiritual guide to millions across the globe, Gurumaa spreads the message contained in all religions -Hinduism, Sikhism, Christianity, Islam, Zen, Buddhism to Sufism.

That she also has a soothing and enchanting voice was a fact known to all those who saw or attended her spiritual discourses. Few close ones also knew she has penned thousands of poems in English and Indian vernacular languages.

These gifts from this woman master of the twentieth century will now reach many more. Times Music is instrumental in the release of two music albums of Anandmurti Gurumaa - Shoonya which brings on richness of Sufiana in the bhav of bhakti, and Shiv Namonkar  which has chanting of Shiva’s Mantra - Om Namah Shivaya.

While Shoonya is positioned as an offering fit for meditation, easy listening and will appeal to lovers of poetry, Shiv Namonkar salutes both the sagun and nirgun facets of Lord Shiva and greatly emphasizes his benefactor role (Kalyanrupi).

The sound of both albums is designed to suit the contemporary ear. In Shoonya, apart from her own poems, Gurumaa has also sung a Sultan Shah couplet in rubai (adlib - without any rythm) form.

Shiv Namonkar in particular has major fusion experimentation where electronic grooves, percussion, drums, synthesizer keys and flutes have replaced the traditional pakhavaz, tabla and tanpura set-up used for chanting mantras.

These albums will help an individual’s search into divinity and inner awakening.

(Times of India - 23.04.04) 

Seema Mishra

I could feel the Shakti or power in the divine energy during meditation in these 9 days. It was as if the atmosphere was full of power, compared to the other days.  Ma Durga was filling us with Shakti so that we seekers can continue our sadhana in a better way. Om Namah Shivayah chanting instruction by our Pujya Gurumaa has been one blissful experience where one can experience the power within i.e. the Kundalini Shakti. The chanting starts with a crescendo and slowly becomes quieter and quieter, finally fading out and the mind enters into meditation.  It is  an excellent method of pratyahar.

What I understand of this Shakti is the developing of virtuous qualities such as forbearance, patience, love and kindness as well as compassion. The victory of good over evil i.e. Shakti over the opposing forces or rakshasas is the victory of the self over the rakshasas of the mind. The rakshasas tempt us to be angry, not to look upon all beings as the manifestations of the Lord, they take us away from satvic food, make us hate and be jealous.  But if we develop the power within us through meditation, selfless service or seva, by reading the lives of great men and the scriptures (not only reading but understanding their essence), living in the company of holy men and likeminded people and our discussions are spiritual, satvic and of social significance, if our mind and body are both clean through asans, pranayam and meditation, the battle of the senses is won.

The lesson to be learnt is that each one of us has to become a Durga. We have to make the world a better place for all to live in. As Durga vanquishes the demons, Yog Nidra vanquishes the demons of our past karmas. Urja Dhyan and pranayams make us healthy and remove all blockages. Asanas help in removing stiffness and make our bodies healthy. Prayers and chanting invoke divine blessings.

We have received a lot of Shakti from the divine as well as our Guruji who is a part of the divine. We are also a part of the divine but have not discovered ourselves like the enlightened souls. We are on the path and shall definitely reach our goal one day.

Now it is our duty to spread the mission and message of our Guru to every door and every soul, so that they may not waste their time in senseless pleasures and arise and awake to the ultimate reality that I am not the body but the soul. Meditate for tomorrow may not come.

May God give us Shakti so that we may forge ahead in our sadhana, at the same time bringing more troubled souls into our fold, so that we may all be led by our revered Gurumaa from darkness into light. Asato ma sadgamayah, tamaso ma jyotir gamayah, mrityur ma amritam gamya, Om Shanti Shanti Shantihi.

Gurumaa has aptly named her project for uplifting girls and young women from the darkness of illiteracy and poverty into a successful brigade of educated young women, who face life with confidence and help in making society a better place. They in turn will bring more girls a better life and teach them to dream big. This is what SHAKTI is all about. Like Durga Maa, Gurumaa is taking these girls out of the clutches of the rakshasas of poverty and illiteracy and leading them on to victory. Lend a hand here as well to build awareness by donating for the right of a girl child to live life on equal terms. Live Life Queen Size!

Jai Gurudev and Victory to the Brigade of our Durga Maa, Pujya Gurumaa on this Vijay Dashami day.

Seema

Even the Gods want to take birth as humans to experience the nectar of chanting!Such is the importance of chanting, which has been extolled as the Gateway to Heaven. The muladhar charka gets activated by chanting the Lord’s name and the seeker experiences the thrill of going into meditation easily. The mind gets drowned in the nectar of the Lord’s name and the ‘I’ vanishes. The era of Kalyug has been earmarked for this ‘purnamritasvadanam’. That is tasting ‘amrit’, for which the devatas and asuras fought one another. Chanting cleans the heart and helps us to get rid of age-old sanskaras. The seeker moves from body consciousness to soul consciousness. Chanting is a tool for advancing the seeker’s sadhana.

The Pranav meditation of Anandmurti Gurumaa introduces chanting of ‘Om’ which is the primordial sound and is  resounding in the whole universe. With a few simple pranayam techniques (bhramari),  we hum the sound of ‘Om’ taking us inward, and finally come to the grand finale where Gurumaa tells us not to waste the precious moments of our life, but chant Om, since Om is the summary of all happiness, Om is the support of our life breath,  so save your breath by chanting Om!

Shiv Omkar Dhyan and Shiva’s Ecstasy introduce the seeker to the chanting of Lord Shiva’s name through musical medleys.’Shivoham’ tells us that we are not the man(mind), nor the buddhya, chitta or ahankar, but chidanand (ever-present joy and bliss) rupah, Shivoham, Shivoham (I am Shiva, I am Shiva).

Gurumayi Chidvilasananda says of chanting, “At a certain point, ordinary words can no longer take us where we want to go. Through chanting, we use chanting and sacred mantras to enter into a dialogue with the divine.”

There are different mantras which one can chant. Mahamrityunjay Mantra prays for the health and welfare of all ‘pranis’ i.e. living beings to Lord Shiva, ending with an entreaty to liberate us from the world in the same way that a cucumber is cut away from its bindings where it grows.

‘Om Namah Shivayah’ mantra is one of the most powerful mantras available to us. Chanting of this five lettered mantra related to Lord Shiva thrice a day  brings peace of mind. When we chant ‘Om Namah Shivayah’, we are asserting the presence of Almighty God within us and bowing to him. Pujya Anandmurti Gurumaa has given this tool to her disciples for chanting three hours everyday in this Kaliyug which will work wonders in dissipating the unpleasant atmosphere around us with family values crumbling and terrorism snuffing out the lives of young and innocent people.

Swami Ramdev says,”Chanchal man mere Om japa kar, om japa kar Om !” Gurumaa and Sudhanshuji Maharaj sing,”Jeevan ki ghadiyan birtha na kho, Om japo, Hari Om japo!”

So let us not waste time in worldly pursuits and take up chanting as a way of life as suggested by the great masters.

Jai Gurudev!

Seema

|prayer wheels|, originally uploaded by s e l v i n.

‘Om Mani Padme Hum’ , ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ , ‘Om Shanti Om’ , ‘Hari Om Tatsat’  – These are all sacred mantras that we must have heard sometime or the other in our lives. The first one is a Tibetan mantra and the remaining three are Sanskrit mantras. These are just a few examples of mantras. There a thousands of mantras that are used by Seekers to progress on the path of their Spiritual journey.
 
Mantras are primarily used for the purpose of Chanting. Chanting (Jap) is the incessant repetition of a syllable or a specific set of words known as mantra in Sanskrit. Each word is built on a unique tone and it has its own sound vibration. When a word is spoken, sung or whispered, it affects the listener and also the person who utters the mantra.

In Chanting, the repetition of the words is not the objective, although most of the religious people think it is. The purpose of chanting is to move from words to silence, from words to wordlessness and not to become a living tape or a parrot. Its easy to get astray and just conclude that chanting mantra is just another mechanical activity, if the right technique is not known.

Sound is a form of energy. This has also been proven scientifically that sound is just another form of energy. Try this small experiment – Place your index and middle finger on your neck. Say “ah” as loud as possible. Then repeat the same word softly. Now, what is felt inside the throat through your fingers is the vibration of the vocal chords. As the vocal chords vibrate, the sound is created.

In Chanting Meditation, a word or a set of words is used. First they are chanted aloud and then gently as the chanter moves deeper and deeper into silence. Finally the mantra is allowed to resonate on its own. This progress from words into silence results in calmness and peace which is beyond time and space.

Immense Tranquility is experienced. The mind gets submerged into this silence and one enters No-Mind state. Thoughts cease and loose their grip over the mind. The mind becomes like a clean slate and become free of all negative conditionings. Satisfaction and benediction that’s beyond the realms of words arise from within and the seeker is bathing in the nectar of the divine bliss.

Chanting is also used for invocation of deities in Tantra, and also in the path of Devotion. Chanting of Mantras has got varied objectives. For the Vedanta student, chanting is done to progress from mind to No-Mind. A mantra can be compared with laser technology, which can be used for aerospace, medical surgeries, medical operations, entertainment, computer technology, military uses, drama and arts or for making laser beam games for children. Its uses are limitless.

Chanting of mantras also has a huge impact on the various chakras or the subtle energy centers of the body. They awaken depending on which mantra is used. Some mantras with certain syllables have more impact on the heart center, while others have profound impact on the navel center and others help in the awakening of the mind center or the center of super intelligence.

The Contemporary Enlightened Mystic Master – Anandmurti Gurumaa has given various methods of chanting which are available in pre-recorded tapes and CDs. They offer immense help and much needed guidance to the students and seekers into the nuances of chanting. Thus the domain that was once reserved only for highly advance seekers and mysterious esoteric sects, has now been made open for anyone who wishes to dive into the deeper realms of his own being.

Chanting is one of the most ancient and powerful means of inner awakening. It has been highly praised by all the sacred scriptures too. All religions of the world like Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and others have used the hidden power of sound and Mantras for achieving unparalled spiritual growth. It is an easy means and the Masterkey to unlock the doors to paradise.

-Vijay Raisinghani

Gibberish originally uploaded by m u s h u l i n o ©.

We all have faced this common problem of constant chattering that goes on in our mind for hours. Human Mind is a chatter box. We don’t need anyone else to do the talking. We can talk to our own self for hours. We talk when we are awake, we also talk when we are asleep – in dreams also. Dreams are the pictorial manifestation of the chattering that mind does during sleep.

A constant monologue is happening. Mind is neurotic and this habit of the mind does a lot of harm to us in many ways. In fact, we unanimously agree that no one has harmed us more than our uncontrollable chattering mind. We don’t know how to still our mind and how to put an end to this constant blabbering.

Due to this continuous chattering and non-stop working, the mind is unable to get any noticeable rest and relaxation even in sleep. The chatting and thinking also leads to stress and various negative emotions. This leads to the brain cells and neurons to be in a constant stress and anxiety. As we know that brain neurons are the most delicate and sensitive, this stress leads to their excessive wear and tear. Those damaged neurons are not easily replaceable.

This built up pressure does lot of harm in the long term. It ruins our memory, concentration and ability to learn new things in life. We feel fatigued, worn out and very frustrated with our life. We are unable to see the beauty and various colours of life due to this non-stop futile activity of the mind, on which we seem to have no control whatsoever.

There is an easy way out and it does not cost anything. A beautiful meditation technique does the trick and helps release all the pressure from our freaked out minds. The meditation is known as Gibberish Meditation. It was introduced by ‘Gabar’ , a wonderful Christian mystic. The word ‘Gibberish’ has originated from this technique that was taught by him.

Gibberish Meditation is an excellent tool to release pent up thoughts and emotions out of the mind and enter into silence. All that needs to be done is that we have to gaze into the sky for ten to fifteen minutes. Then we need to start singing la…la…la… During the course of this meditation, we need to keep everything else at bay and just forget everything else, just sing la…la…la…. Soon it begins to change its colour, sounds may change into words, maybe even foreign words.

Continue this way for around twenty minutes. Bring out everything from inside, all the repressed thoughts. A great relaxation arises from this. Let the sky be the witness. And if the body begins to move, let it sway. At the end, lie down on the ground and be silent for a while. A deep silence dawns upon the mind. Lesser and lesser thoughts arise now, we are in a state of bliss – the bliss of NO-MIND.

Gibberish Meditation is an effective cleansing process and when practised regularly, it prepares us for deeper meditation. Its an easy way to experience the bliss of silence. Beautiful is the silence that arises when the mind is at rest and is not involved in useless chattering. Much energy is saved and that energy becomes an ecstacy for us.

Anandmurti Gurumaa is a Contemporary Enlightened Mystic of our times and her effective techniques and teachings have made meditation and Blissful living as easy as a child’s play. Gibberish Meditation is just one pearl out of her vast treasure of meditations. Little did we know that it was so easy to Gibberish our way out of the chattering of the mind and enter the divine world of Bliss and silence.

- Vijay Raisinghani

Freedom, originally uploaded by Tafa.

Who said Meditation was easy? Meditation is not easy. It takes time and it takes energy also, lots of it initially. Besides that, it also demands grit, determination and discipline. And we generally don’t mention it frequently and take note of it, but it also requires a host of personal qualities like stubbornness, eagerness and perseverance.

The American word ‘gumption’ goes a long way in summing it all up. In other words, Meditation takes ‘gumption’. It is definitely much more easier to just kick back and watch your favourite television show. Or, just get into the usual pattern of idle gossiping of what is going around in the neighbourhood or some other idle chat.

 So, the question arises why bother about meditation after all? Why waste all the time and energy when we could be enjoying ourselves or use that time to make more money for our future? Why bother? But its very simple. Because we are human beings. And due to this simple fact that we are human beings, we are heir to an inherent unsatisfactoriness in our lives, and it does not simply just go away like that.

For a while it is possible to suppress it from our conscious mind. We can distract ourselves for many hours and hours at a stretch, but it always comes back. No matter what the object of distraction is, it simply finds itself incapable to grabbing our attention and interest for a long time. We eventually get bored and shift to some other distraction.

But all of a sudden, seemingly out of the blue, we all do sit up, once in a while and take stock of the actual situation of our life. We ask ourselves this question – When is the day of true Bliss going to come in my life? When desires and dissatisfaction will bother me no more? When will I be happy and Blissful always? When will that day of Nirvana come?

The day of Nirvana is nearer and closer than you think. Meditation is the key to Nirvana. It’s the remedy to all our problems. It is the master key to unlock all doors to heaven. It is the antidote for all the ills that bother us day in and day out. And we have been avoiding the medicine called Meditation.

The more we give room to Meditation in our daily routine, the more Bliss enters our life. So, it is really worthwhile to bother about meditation, no matter how time consuming and energy consuming it seems in the beginning. But every second and minute devoted to meditation is worth its weight in gold in the long run and pays dividend manifold times.

The presence of an Enlightened Master makes life very easy for the Meditator. The Master is a Pro in the field where the disciple is a rookie. The techniques devised by the Master can go a long way in illuminating the being of the disciple when practised regularly. The disciple just needs to follow the techniques given by the Guru.

One such Enlightened Master and Mystic in today’s time is – Anandmurti Gurumaa. She has devised Meditation techniques that make meditation as easy as a child’s play. Its enough just to follow her Meditation CDs with easy instructions and soulful music. Heightened Awareness and Blissful Living follows just like a shadow. Then, Meditation becomes not something to avoid or run away from, but it becomes an activity that we relish from out heart and enjoy the most.

- Vijay Raisinghani

Right way of Touch, originally uploaded by Christopher_Daniels. 

We all know that God is Omnipresent and Omnipotent, that God is present everywhere and in all times. We all agree unanimously on this fact and appreciate the fact too. On the backdrop of this fact, another reality also pops up. And that is if God is everywhere, then he is also in me, right here, right now and in all of us. And this very body is a divine temple where the God exists in his full glory.

So, if I am on the lookout for God, would it not be a good idea to start seeking for him from my own body itself, which is the nearest place where I can find him? I would definitely find him quickest and easiest if I start from my own body rather than seeking him in far off places. Why seek for pennies elsewhere when the Diamond is in my own pocket?

Scriptures and holy men have always talked about dissolving our ego and any I-ness and My-ness with the body. We have also been told that our body is a bag of filth and we are not body. So many of us start to have a condemning attitude towards the body. But this is a wrong attitude. This is not the way to treat our body.

Our body is not OURS. It is the vehicle given to us by God. So, is it right to hate it? We all love God right? Then is it right that we hate the gift given to us by him? Is it right to love the CREATOR but hate his CREATION. Definitely Not. Hence, We should not have a relationship of repulsion or attachment with our body, but a relationship of love.

We can develop a relationship of love with our body using a Beautiful Tantric Meditation called Touch Meditation or Sparsh Meditation. ‘Sparsh’ means touch in the ancient language of Sanskrit. In Modern times this meditation technique has been re-invented and gifted to the world by the Contemporary Enlightened Mystic – Anandmurti Gurumaa.

Touch Meditation involves watching the body in a different light and attitude. We watch it with love and learn to detach ourself from the body with love. Once we are able to see it as a Temple of God, the holiest of Holy, then our mind also desists from misusing our body for Carnal pleasures and causing damage to it through material temporary pleasures.

We come to realize that this body is a divine vehicle to bring love, peace and wisdom to this world. We start enjoying being in the body, rather than being unaware of our presence in it, which is the case now. We realise that it is a blessing, a grace. And once we realize this, we also develop great love, respect and compassion for others, even for birds and animals.

Touch Meditation truly makes us a Loving, Non-violent and Meditative person. Our relationship with the body improves and we also get many health benefits like deep relaxation, cure from allergies, deeper sleep, better digestion and many more benefits. They come as an added bonuses. Our Eating Habits improve and we start eating foods that are beneficial for our body’s well being, rather than just for the taste of the tongue.

Touch Meditation is available in the form of a musical video CD with easy to do instructions. Each session of Touch Meditation takes us for a trip to heaven, the heaven which is our own body. Little did we know that watching our own body could be such a rewarding experience.

Touch Meditation is a science. The Science of communicating with our body. This ancient secret is now available for all to benefit. Meditation is no longer the monopoly of the Sages in the Himalayas, but we all can benefit from it. Anandmurti Gurumaa has opened the doors of Mystery and made Meditation as easy as a Child’s play for the common man. Touch Meditation is one among the many jewels that she has in her treasures of Meditation.

 - Vijay Raisinghani