Process of Japa

8/6/2019 Process of Japa

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Swami Veda BharatiMay 26th, 2010

SRSG, Rishikesh

Swami Veda BharatiMay 26th, 2010

SRSG, Rishikesh

Process of JapaProcess of Japa


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To understand the process of Japa, understand

different layers of the mind

Japa begins when the mantra becomes pure

thought in the mind

Golden Nuggets


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Section 1 - Understanding the Mind


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Mind - The subtlest energy field in the Universe

What is Mind?

It is a shakti kshetra (energy field), a

field ofenergy; closest of the form

ofPrakriti(matter)

What is the function of Mind?

Mind is thelink between

consciousness and the physical

personality

Through Mind onegoes beyond

annamaya (anatomical body),

pranamaya (vital body) andreaches

Atman / Purusha (Spiritual self)

Mind has the highest frequency vibration of all the energy fields


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Mind is a wave in the vast ocean of the mind of the Universe

Mind is the most agile and the speediest

Understanding Meditation requires understanding the nature

of mind that consists of: Manas - Activemind

Buddhi- Faculty of wisdom

Citta - Entiremind field

Ahamkara - That by which we identify

our being

Characteristics of Mind Mind has no size andno form of its own

It takes the form of whatever is presented

to it by way of the senses

Mind is vast anddeep,like an ocean

Mind fills theentire Universe

Mind is a wave in themind-ocean of the

Universe


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Mind operates differently at each level and layer

Understanding the Practices of Meditation requires

understanding the different levels and layers of the mind At Surface Level Active in theKshipta (disturbed state opposite of one

pointed), Mudha (state of stupefaction) andVikshipta (distracted from

meditative state) states

At Deeper Level - Ekagra (one-pointed) andNirodha (fully controlled)

States

You will know how to receive knowledge from Within


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Section 2 Process of Japa


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Relaxation of effort (Prayatna Shaithilya) is a MUST for Japa

Practice Khechari mudra to avoid moving tongue whilst doing Japa

1. Annamaya (physical), Pranamaya (organic), Manomaya (emotional/mental),

Vijnanamaya (intellectual/discriminative), andAnandamaya (blissful) koshas(sheath) are all interlinked

2. States ofannamaya andpranamaya are being fed into mind at all times

3. Anykind of tension - physical body or Prana (life force) body, gets transmitted

into the Mind

4. Learnprayatna shaithilya (Relaxation ofeffort ) to settleyour Mind inyourJapa. Remember any jerk in breath jerks the Mind


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Breath is to be long, subtle, without interruption & pause

This is only the beginning of Japa

1. learn to relax muscles and

nerves as taught in the Yogi

Parampara (tradition,lineage)

2. Slow your breath andmake itdirgha (long), sukshma (subtle),

nairantarya (continuous) and

without virama (pause)

3. Let Mantra thought comelike a

wave and become pure thoughtin themind

To do one mala of a Mantra in shorter time


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Make Japa deep and subtle

By the anugraha (grace) of the Lords of Mantras, the Japa will deepen

To deepen your Japa

Increase theduration of Mantra thought cominglike a wave

1. Let the thought not turn into words on the tongue

2. Let the thought not be interrupted by other thoughts

Understand the Mind Nature, Layers and Levels

Whenyou get deep into thelayers of themind field, theMantreshvaras

(lords ofmantras) send theirgrace into yourmeditation


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At each layer of the mind the Spandanam is higher frequency

Relaxation of effort MUST be there at all levels of the practice of yoga

Journey in Japa

Doing the Japa at the shallow layer of Mind as a conscious thought

As Minds vibrations becomemoreajiram (agile, free ofdecay) and

javishtham (speediest,most high frequency), the brain waves slow down

At each deeperlayer the Mantra becomes a fastervibration; a highfrequency

As you takeyour Japa into yet deeperlayers of themindyou willdo more

Japa in shorter period of time;ratheryou will not do

Aftermuch abhyasa (practice), finallyyou reach a point wheremauna

(silence); where theknowledge is received wordlessly The wordless knowledge is received as theknowledge of the Vedas was

received


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Section 3 Practical lesson


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How to reduce the time taken for doing long mantras?

Cont/d.

We will practice with the mantra

Akhanda-mandalakaram vyaptam yena characaram,tat-padam darsitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah

1. Bringyour attention to yourself,your asana,your posture,your back, all in

perfect order

2. Relax all parts ofyour body

3. Bringyourminds attention to your breathing, observeyour breath and

establish diaphragmatic breathing

4. Feel the flow of breaths inyournostrils

5. Establish khechari mudra, the tonguelock with yourmantra

6. Continue to feel the slow, smooth,gentle breaths, without a break, sound,

jerk inyournostrils7. Let there beno break in the flow ofyourmantra thought, with your breaths

8. Mergeyourleft andright nostril-breaths into thesushumna stream

9. Let themantra continue, feeling the stream ofenergy on thesushumna path

from thenasagra

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10. Following thesushumna path,go into yourmind. Ignore the breath flow11. Let onlythemantra thought arise.Same wave. Not word by word, but the

completemantra thought all at once

12. The same way that theentiremantra is coming as a single wave,

remember just Akhanda-mandalakaram.

13. Let that become the wave, theentirepada, theentirequarter/order, all atonce.Remember,remember, andremember

14. Remember vyaptam yena characaram, theentirepada, theentire

quarter as a single thought

15. Remember tat-padam darhsitam yena.No words, only the thought

16. Remember tasmai sri-gurave namah. No words, only the thought

17. Remember theentire half of theverse Akhanda-mandalakaram vyaptamyena characaram. Think that as a thought over and over, without a

break, the same wave

Cont/d.

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May Gurudeva and God bless you

18. Remember tat-padam darsitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah19. Let theentire Akhanda-mandalakaram, completemantra, be

remembered as a thought in themind. Theentire thought,like a wave

20. Having completed thedesirednumber of japa, come back to your

personaldiksha-mantra.Same wave, as a thought flashing, thought

flashing

21. Come to thesushumna breath, with the samemantra thought.

22. Keeping themantra in themind, by usual procedure, openyoureyes

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A blockage would mean that you got tensed, have broken yourbreaths and brought the mantra to your tongue

Change the whole situation in you


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Feeling in the shallows?Contemplate the Ocean.

- Swami Veda Bharati


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Glossary

Abhyasa Practice

Ajiram Agile, free ofdecay Anandamaya kosha - The blissful sheath

Annamaya kosha - Anatomical body, the

physical sheath

Anugraha Grace

Atman Individual spirit

Dirgha - Long Ekagra state - One-pointed attention

Javishtham Speediest,most high

frequency

Khechari mudra - Tuck the tongue

Kshipta - Disturbed state opposite of one

pointed Manomaya kosha Themetal oremotional

sheath

Mantreshvaras Lords of Mantras

Mauna - Silence

Mudha State of stupefaction

Nairantarya - without interruption

Nirodha - Fully controlled state Parampara Tradition,lineage

Prakriti - Matter

Prana Life Force,vitalenergy

Pranamaya kosha - Vital body, the organic

sheath

Prayatna shaithilya Relaxation ofefforts Purusha Spiritual self

Shakti kshetra - Energy field

Sukshma Subtle

Vijnanamaya kosha The intellectual or

discriminative sheath

Vikshipta Distracted frommeditative state Virama - Pause

Process of Japa

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