|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.

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

Freedom, originally uploaded by Tafa.

The right way of touch, originally uploaded by gunda mastan.

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.

Love, Meditate & Celebrate

Love, Meditate and Celebrate – This is the Mantra of Beautiful living that has been suggested by the Contemporary Enlightened Master – Anandmurti Gurumaa. Her teachings can be summarised in the three words – Love, Meditation and Celebration. These are the three essential ingredients for the complete man of the 21^st Century.

Freedom, originally uploaded by Kliefi.

We all have enjoyed much pleasures and joys in our lives, but they have all passed and vanished away with the source through which we achieved them. They can be defined as the Material Pleasures where the source of happiness is somewhere outside. But the problem with such pleasure is that it is as perishable as are all material objects in the Outer World.

How many times have we wondered and questioned ourselves when is the day of pure Bliss and Ecstasy going to come in my life which will not go? The mind answers maybe sometime in the near future that much awaited day is finally going to come. Its just a sheer hope and we have no idea in our mind how true Bliss is finally going to come.

For achieving True and Permanent Bliss within, its important that the object of Pleasure is permanent and within us. Meditation is the means to achieve ever lasting joy within. Meditation is the bathing of the mind, it is the unloading of pain, stress and confusions. Through Meditation, one can achieve this state of peace and tranquillity very easily.

What is Meditation? In pure essence, Meditation is a state of inactive and passive witnessing of the Mind. As we watch the mind patiently and watch the rattling of thoughts, we start being unattached to them. Thus we also begin to be unattached to the mind. Its just like sitting by the side of a pond and watching the mud settle down in the water after a storm has just passed by. Nothing is needed to be done on our part to settle the mud below on the bottom of the pond. It happens on its own accord, as the mud is heavy and its nature is to sink to the bottom.

Watching the mind passively, soon this awareness dawns upon us that we are not mind, we are not the body, we are not the intellect. This understanding is not imaginative or a  philosophical statement, but its an experience. This is the beginning of a revolution in us. Normally, mind functions like a rock and keeps us pinned down. Awareness gives us the freedom from this slavery of the mind.

Once we understand this that we are not the mind and this identification with the mind breaks, we get a glimpse of our true Buddha hood. We get a glimpse of the beyond and true benediction dawns on us immediately. We come to know that we are immortal, life and death cannot bind us. We are Free from Slavery, once and for all. So, the Key is to learn to alienate ourselves from the mind.

There is a very beautiful Meditation Technique that gives us this master key to be free of the identification with the mind. It is called Beyond Boundaries Meditation. As the name suggests, it gives us the experience that we are existent beyond all boundaries, beyond all the limitations of the mind. We enter a feeling of great expansion that knows no bounds, a life of awareness without any agitation whatsoever.

This beautiful technique is created by the Contemporary Enlightened Mystic- Anandmurti Gurumaa. It was once a closely guarded meditation technique by the Zen Masters and was revealed only when the disciple had passed many difficult tests. But now it has been made available to all. It is a loving gift from the Master. The meditation can be done easily using the pre-recorded meditation album. It carries easy-to-follow instructions for meditation and is supported by beautiful and elevating music.

Meditation is not at all difficult when we use the right technique and the right approach towards it. A Realized Master knows the intricate workings of the mind and knows the right way to be unattached to it. One can achieve great heights of consciousness and Bliss by the rich experience of the Master. Little did we know that Nirvana and True Bliss were just a footstep away. The Guidance of the Master makes Meditation a sheer joy and as easy as a child’s play.

serenity, originally uploaded by abhishakey.

More than 2500 years ago, the Great Enlightened Master – Gautama Buddha gave the world a beautiful meditation technique. That wonderful technique of meditation was to form the foundation of Spiritual Enlightenment of hundreds of thousands of meditators throughout the ages. Till this date, the meditation technique that Buddha gave has enlightened more persons than all the other meditation techniques combined together.

Buddha gave the world the meditation technique called Vipassana. “Vipassana” is a Pali word and it means “Pure Watchfulness”. It implies watching and observing the reality around us as it is, without any bias whatsoever. Vipassana is also called “Anapansati Yoga”. It’s the meditation technique that’s practised by a majority of the Buddhist meditators.

The technique of Vipassana essentially involves watching the breath and the breathing process. Through this watching, the mind calms, the awareness of the meditator improves dramatically over time. He is able to witness the reality and true nature of things as they are, without any mental bias whatsoever. He comes out of all conditionings and this inner cleansing gives rise to immense tranquillity and bliss.

The Vipassana Meditator is a blissful person and has a great sense of humour. His mental sharpness improves and he is not attached by anything. Life becomes a drama and he enjoys every moment of it. The awareness that arises in the time of meditation gradually spreads to all the activities of the day. This mental focus and dexterity also brings great success and accomplishments to the Vipassana meditator in all the spheres of his life as an added bonus. This success comes as he participates in the activities of his day to day life totally and not partially.

The small but powerful ray of awareness that starts initially from being aware of the breath, gradually spreads into the more subtle realms of the mind like the thoughts, feelings, emotions and the subconscious mind. Hence layers after layers of the inner mind are peeled gradually and one gets freed of those conditionings. This releases a lot of trapped energy that was entangled in these negative layers of the subconscious mind.

Thus the Vipassana meditator is always in a great state of relaxation and is like a reservoir of energy. His life force is not wasted and leaked in the continuous thought process that goes on always in the ordinary mind uncontrollably. He becomes a true master of himself and his mind. He is able to use it as an equipment rather than being used by it.

In the beginning stages, the meditator needs greater time and silence to get deeper into the Alertness. Witnessing is an art that needs to be learnt gradually. Slowly the mind calms and is not distracted easily. A 10 day meditation retreat is very helpful as it serves as a foundation for the beginner and he gets easily grounded into the watchfulness and learns the knack of Awareness. Then he can practise the meditation and remain watchful uninterrupted even in the most distracting place.

The benefits of vipassana meditation are numerous. It improves the patience and frees from all vices like addictions and uneasiness. The gains of Vipassana can be felt right from the very first session, but they require regular and continuous practise for the deeper gains to materialize over time. It requires commitment and perseverance on the part of the meditator.

By and by the meditator is able to chisel his way through the illusions of the world and achieve a total clarity. He becomes aware of his own being and true self. He is a true winner and his triumph is beyond words. Vipassana can be done on a standalone basis or can be done along with other meditation techniques, which can greatly enhance the overall results of meditation.

The website www.Gurumaa.com outlines various meditation techniques and related questions of meditators, which can illuminate their path and make the inner journey much more joyful and fruitful.

Inner Awakening , originally uploaded by alterednate.

One of the most common issues that the modern man of the 21^st century faces in his daily life is Stress and Inner Restlessness. We are unable to sit even for a few moments in a silent and tranquil state, except at the time of sleep. Hence, we can see that sleep is so relaxing and we come out of sleep so refreshed and full of new energy.

The reason why sleep is so relaxing is that the mind comes to a state of total silence and inactivity during the deepest point of sleep. At this point of deep sleep, even dreams are not present. This dreamless stage of sleep is the one which gives immense relaxation to the tired body and mind. Even though this state of dreamless sleep is not more than 10-15 minutes for the average person in a whole night of sleep.

Now this state of blissful sleep can be enhanced and prolonged if we include in our daily routine, some meditation techniques which are able to throw out the hidden feelings of frustration, anger and repressions from our mind. These pent up emotions keep on accumulating everyday from various sources, even though we are not aware that they are piling up within us. So, we urgently need to keep such negative feelings from piling up within us, as they have a highly destructive effect on our physical and emotional health in the long run.

There is a beautiful technique of Meditation called Urja Meditation or Dynamic Meditation to help us out of this situation. “Urja” is a Hindi word and it means “Energy”. Urja Meditation is an active meditation which involves strong and forceful exhalations. It is based on the Yogic breathing technique called Kapalbhati. By this style of breathing and exhalations, a deep catharsis of the mind takes place. Layers upon layers of frustrations, repressions, anxiety and hidden turmoil of the mind gets released out.

This inner cleansing process leads to a state of great silence and inner peace and tranquillity. The mind becomes relaxed, energized and blissful. We are free from the inner chattering of the mind which goes on at all time. The Awareness levels of the mind increase and we become more sharp towards our surroundings. The special kind of breathing also brings great physical benefits to our digestive system, eyes, lungs and to the glandular system.

The technique needs to be done with great conviction to reap the maximum benefits of the meditation. The meditation is devised by the Contemporary Enlightened Mystic – Anandmurti Gurumaa. The meditation is backed by soulful music and easy to follow instructions, which make it a joyful experience.

Urja Meditation is an excellent meditation which can be done on a standalone basis or it can also be accompanied with other meditation techniques. It supplements them very beautifully and highly benefits the meditator. Meditation is not an activity to focus on a particular object, but it’s a state of being with oneself totally and in the present moment. This releases all restlessness and the state of higher consciousness brings ecstatic experiences to the meditator.

Urja Meditation is a great and an easy way for the beginner to leapfrog into the so called “difficult” world of meditation. Thus even the most common person who is busy in the day to day affairs can reap the immense benefits of meditation. It is no longer the monopoly of the sages and saints in the deepest caves of the Himalayas.

A comprehensive outline of various meditation techniques and their immense benefits has been given in the website www.Gurumaa.com . A look at it can open new vistas and bring total freedom from stressful living.

081 Zhongdian prayer reels with gong, originally uploaded by Christine errante.

Meditation is the path to inner revolution. It’s the road to Bliss and complete independence from all vices. Meditation is the single solution of all problems of life and it gives us incomparable peace and relaxation. It makes us absolutely clear in life and removes all haze in our mind. Meditation gives us an understanding of the real purpose and meaning of our life.

There are many techniques of practising Meditation. Each one is unique in its approach and makes use of different objects as the focus point of channelling the awareness of the Meditator. The Goal is common in all meditation techniques – to increase the level of Awareness. Each session of Meditation goes a long way in this direction.

Often many meditators come across a problem, they feel that the method that they are practising has come to a point where it is becoming a monotonous affair and is not leading to increased Awareness. One easy way of overcoming this issue, is to change the meditation technique. One should then choose such a technique which can help in opening the floodgates of his stuck awareness.

One such wonderful Meditation technique is the Sacred Spaces Meditation. It is devised by the Living Enlightened Mystic – Anandmurti Gurumaa. The meditation is based on the Ancient Tibet practise of listening awarefully to certain sounds and the gaps arising between those musical sounds. The object of meditation is the sacred sounds of ancient musical instruments of the Tibet Tradition. The Buddhist Monks and meditators have used these instruments and their musical sounds very successfully through the ages as a means of meditation.

The fact is that even to create the sound out of these sacred instruments also requires the person playing it to be in a certain higher state of Awareness and heightened Consciousness. The meditator focuses his Alertness towards these sounds and this leads to a great improvement in his Awareness levels over time. The mind comes to the present moment and tremendous amount of energy is released.

The usual habit of the mind is to wander around in thoughts and oscillate in pleasure and pain, thus it loses a lot of its energy this way. By the practise of Sacred Spaces Meditation, that energy is prevented from wasting away in useless thoughts and thus we enter a deep state of relaxation and become like a reservoir of energy. We are relaxed completely and experience higher altitudes of Consciousness.

Each session of meditation gives us great lightness and a feeling of Bliss. The routine activities of the day start to reveal new insights that we had never seen before and even the most mundane task becomes divine. We start to see the beauty in every smallest object in our life. Great Satisfaction arises and we achieve the highest potential in our life, which we are totally unaware of right now.

The Sacred Spaces Meditation is a great meditation technique to accompany other techniques or can be practised by itself also. It’s a meditation of the Buddhist line of tradition. The advantage in this Hi-Tech Age is that one does not need to go the deepest caves in the Himalayas to learn such awesome techniques from the Gurus, but its available in the form of musical pre-recorded CD. One can easily make it a part of his daily routine and practice it on his own convenience.

The door to inner harmony and immense bliss is thus within the reach of every individual. Meditation opens the door to ecstatic experiences in this very life and Sacred Spaces Meditation is an easy step towards that point. The website www.Gurumaa.com outlines the various meditation techniques devised by the Meditation Maestro Gurumaa along with their extraordinary benefits.