Hanuman

When Ram with his army reached the outskirts of Lanka , they camped near the ocean and spent the night admiring the night sky. Lord Ram wondered why does the Moon have dark spots in the centre. Almost everybody was ready with the answer. Some said that the dark spot is the cauldron of poison that the moon hides in its bossom. The others said that Rahu affected the moon and that is why the moon looks kind of dark. This theory and that ...But all this while Hanuman was silent . Then Lord Ram turned to him and asked , " Hanuman , what do you think about it?" And he said , " Prabhu , that is Moon's heart . Since the moon always has your 'saanwali murti' in it, therefore ,we see a dark spot there".

Such was the devotion of Hanuman. Overwhelming ! He was intelligent , a great warrior, an astrologer, a musician , an immensely talented person and reached the pinnacles of spirituality. But he never took pride in it. His common retort was that it was all the grace of Lord Ram. Can such a character be ever paralleled ? No . He performed all the important stuff in the story of Ram but never took credit for it. He was extremely grateful when he was able to do his duty well. And the Universe likes grateful people. These qualities and the Grace of God made a devotee attain the stature of God. No wonder till this day , this exceptional devotee himself has throngs of devotees. No other 'bhakt' has attained such heights.

Giridhar Gopal

Giridhar Gopal

Gowardhan Girdharai

One fine day bal gopal and dau, when roaming on vrindavan gullies (lanes) saw, villagers & Nandababa (krishnas father) arranging for some special puja. When they asked for whom was this puja organized, they were answered that this puja was to amuse INDRA , so that he will send clouds of rain & if they don’t give offerings to him his anger will perish every thing.

Shri Krishna was annoyed by the answer, it confirmed him that devendra was in the claws of ahankara (pride) & then what ? Shree krshna’s leela started, he convinced all the villagers to worship GOVARDHANPARVATA because it’s the mountain who, without any querries always fullfill their needs, gopala told them to worship govardhana as their “ISHTA”

By this annoying deed of the villagers,Indra was pulled off from his exalt position, he became mad with anger & ordered his clouds of doom to destroy Gokul.

To save Gokul from Indra’s kop (anger) the adbhut maya dhari expanded his miraculous maya & lifted up GOVARDHANPARVATA just by his little finger in order to make its shed, the clouds rained for seven days & nights but failed to drown gokul. Then indra himself came to challenge shree Krishna & was stunned by his powers, then guru brihaspati aware indra about anant & achyut narayana. Indra immediately refuged to shree Krishna for pardon chanting

“Aditya Hridaya Stotra”

“Aaksharam paramam brahma, jyoti rupam sanatanam,
gunatitam nirakaram rakshamayam
mananantakam ……”

Since shree Krishna saved all the cows from Indra’s kop hence by param pita’s(Brahma) order Mata Surabhi (mother of all cows) felicitated gopala by the name “GOVINDA”

“SHRIKRISHNA GOVINDA HARAMURARA JAY NATH NARAYAN VASUDEVA”

Cultural Dance Forms of India

Cultural Dance Forms of India

BHARATNATYAM

{ BHARATNATYAM=BHA + RA + T + NATYAM }.

"BHA" means Bhawa that is Emotions.

"RA" means Raga that is Dorame (Sargam).

"T" means Tal that is Rythm.

NAYTAM means Natak/Abinay that is Drama.

Bharatanatyam is a classical dance form originating from Tamil Nadu, a state in Southern India. This popular South Indian dance form is a 20th century reconstruction of Cathir, the art of temple dancers. Cathir in turn, is derived from ancient dance forms. The word Bharata, some believe, signifies the author of the famous Sanskrit treatise on stagecraft, called NatyaShastra.Bharata refers to the author of the Natya Shastra, and natya is Sanskrit for the art of sacred dance-drama brought to the stage at the beginning of the 20th century.

Traditional roots

Bharatanatyam traces its origins to the Natya Shastra written by Bharata Muni, a Hindu sage. In ancient times it was performed as dasiattam by temple Devadasis. Many of the ancient sculptures in Hindu temples are based on Bharata Natyam dance postures karanas. In fact, it is the celestial dancers, apsaras, who are depicted in many scriptures dancing the heavenly version of what is known on earth as Bharatanatyam. In the most essential sense, a Hindu deity is a revered royal guest in his temple/abode, to be offered a standard set of religious services called Sodasa Upacharas ("sixteen hospitalities") among which are music and dance, pleasing to the senses. Thus, many Hindu temples traditionally maintained complements of trained musicians and dancers, as did Indian rulers.
Bharata Natyam as a dance form and carnatic music set to it are deeply grounded in Bhakti. Bharata Natyam, it is said, is the embodiment of music in visual form, a ceremony, and an act of devotion. Dance and music are inseparable forms; only with Sangeetam (words or syllables set to raga or melody) can dance be conceptualized.

STAGES OF BHARATNATYAM

Typically a contemporary performance includes:
Ganapati Vandana - A traditional opening prayer to the Hindu god Ganesh, who removes obstacles.
Alarippu - A presentation of the Tala punctuated by simple syllables spoken by the dancer. This really is sort of an invocation to the gods to bless the performance.
Jatiswaram - An abstract dance where the drums set the beat. Here the dancer displays her versatility in elaborate footwork and graceful movements of the body.
Shabdam - The dancing is accompanied by a poem or song with a devotional or amorous theme.
Varnam - The center piece of the performance. It is the longest section of the dance punctuated with the most complex and difficult movements. Positions of the hands and body tell a story, usually of love and the longing for the lover.
Padam - Probably the most lyrical section where the dancer "speaks" of some aspect of love: devotion to the Supreme Being; or of love of mother for child; or the love of lovers separated and reunited.

Thillana - The final section is a pure dance (nritta) when the virtuosity of the music is reflected in the complex footwork and captivating poses of the dancer.
Apart from these relatively modern items, there are more ancient items such as Kautuvam, Koothu, Shlokam, Swarajathi, Krithi etc. The performance concludes with the chanting of a few religious verses as a form of benediction. Certain styles include more advanced items, such as Tharanga Nritham and Suddha Nritham. When a dancer has mastered all the elements of dance, as a coming out performance, he or she generally performs an Arangetram (debut).
Angikam - This is a devotional song on Lord Shiva and an item dance in bharatnatyam. It can also be performed in byapti slow motion.

Other aspects of the dance form
Costume - From the ancient texts and sculptures, one can see that the original costume did not cover most of the dancers' bodies. The medieval times, with the puritanistic drive, caused the devadasis to wear a special, heavy saree that severely restricted the dance movements. There are several varieties of Bharatanatyam costumes, some of which do not restrict the dancer's movements, while the others do. The modern costumes are deeply symbolic, as their purpose is to project the dancer's sukshma sharira , in the material world.

Music - The accompanying music is in the Carnatic style of South India.

Ensemble - Mostly, South Indian instruments are used in the ensemble. These include, the mridangam (drum), nagaswaram (long pipe horn made from a black wood), the flute, violin and veena (stringed instrument traditionally associated with Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of the arts and learning).

Languages - Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu and Kannada are traditionally used in Bharatanatyam.

A classical dance posture of Bharatnatyam

BACK TO FUTURE

TELESCOPES:
Before 1957, we were limited to exploring space from Earth with telescope.
A telescope is a like a time machine. When you look through it into space, you not only get a close-up pictures of objects that ma be hundreds of millions of miles away-you
Also see deep into the past. That’s because light takes a long time to travel these huge distances-even though it’s whipping along at about 186,000 miles (300,00) per second! The sun light takes about eight minutes to make the 93 million mile (150 million km)
Trip to Earth. So you actually always see the Sun the way it looked eight minutes ago!
It works the same way with other stars-except now you’re talking years, not minutes.
Light from Proxima Centauri, the second closest star to us in our galaxy, takes four years to reach us.
Some of our telescopes are incredibly powerful. They see energy that was given off over 12 billion years ago! That’s when the universe was very young. Telescopes are helping us solve the mysteries of our universe-how it formed, if there are other life forms in it, and what’s going to happen to it-and to us-in the future.
Stonehenge:



Ancient peoples didn’t have telescopes, so they relied on their eyesight to study the sky.
They observed a lot this way. They picked out constellations among the stars and figured out the motion of the Sun and Moon. They also built stone structures that lined up with the different positions of the Sun, moon, and some times the stars. This is Stonehenge, built in England nearly 5,000 years ago.
Galileo Telescope



The Four biggest moons of Jupiter are called “Galilean” moons in honor of the first person to see them: The Italian scientist Galileo. Galileo spied these moons in 1610 using
A telescope he built himself. I t contained two lenses that focused light and made the things he looked at appear 32 times larger. It was called a refracting telescope. Galileo was also the first person to see the Moon’s mountains and craters.

Galileo’s discoveries made him famous, but they also got him into serious trouble.
Leaders of the catholic Church banned his books because they contradicted the church’s
teachings. The church taught that Earth revolves round the Sun. He was put under “house arrest” and had to stay inside his home until he died.

Newton’s Telescope:



Even though Galileo was not allowed to leave his house because of his ideas, he conducted to write. It’s a good thing he did, too. His books were read years later by the English mathematician Sir Isaac Newton and others. Newton is most famous for figuring out the law of gravity and what makes things move. In 1668, he invented a new kind of telescope, and it paved the way for the big reflecting telescope we use today.

Keck’s telescope:



Galileo and Newton would probably gasp at the size of our current telescopes, but these ‘scopes can probe very deep into space. The keck telescope and its twin, Keck II, are
gigantic. Each has a big mirror made up of 36 small mirrors and measures about 33 feet (10 meters) wide. They sit near each other a top an unlikely place: the volcano Mauna Kea in Hawaii. But the volcano is not active. An electronic link between the telescopes lets them function together as one giant telescope that sees light 14 billion years away.

Hard to believe, but there’s an even bigger telescope. It’s the Very Large Telescope (VTL) Chile. This humongous ‘scope includes four big telescopes and three smaller ones.
The mirror in each in one is 27 feet (8.2m) wide. In 2002, the telescopes will begin working together as one.

Telescopes in Space:



Big telescopes on Earth are great but they can see only so far. Their view is affected by Earth’s atmosphere , artificial light, and air pollution. To get really clear views of what’s out there, scientist are sending telescopes into space.
The most famous space telescope is the Hubble, which was launched from the space shuttle Discovery in 1990. It orbits Earth at a height of 370 miles (596) km. The Hubble has sent back amazing pictures – of Mars and other planets, exploding stars, nebulae, and
Galaxies as they appeared 10 to 12 billion years ago.

In July 1999, the Hubble was joined in space by the Chandra X-ray Observatory. This telescope “sees” x-rays given off by space objects that are billions of light years away. Photographic equipment and computers turn the x-rays into pictures for us. In fact, if your sight were as keen as Chandra’s, you could read a news paper headline just one-half-inch high from one-half mile away!!!!!!

Consciousness

Consciousness

--- The Inner Sense ---

Consciousness is a state of the nervous systems of humans and other animals that defies definition, but which may involve thoughts, sensations, perceptions, moods, emotions, dreams, and an awareness of self, although not necessarily all of these.

"Consciousness" derives from Latin conscientia which primarily means moral conscience. In the literal sense, "conscientia" (or "con scientia") means knowledge-with, that is, shared knowledge.

There are five main parts of our total psyche: Higher consciousness - that which is aware of being aware; Normal consciousness - awareness in the everyday world - being, perceiving, relating; and of the inner world - of thoughts, concepts, attitudes, decisions, images, memories emotions, sensations and feelings. And the domains which lie below normal consciousness: the Pre-conscious - an interface of the conscious mind which, when it is evoked by interest and emotional commitment, goes searching for relevant data in the sub-conscious; the Sub-conscious - contains the powerful drives of love and fear, and the programmes by which motives are decided and actions are carried out; and the Unconscious - the core Self which contains a record of everything one has felt and sensed since conception and of the evolutionary genetic-line before that. It also consists of genetic programming, which empowers the deepest drives for survival, attachment and expression common to mankind, which transmits the energy of emotions, which controls the stream of libido energies and the efforts involved in moving and perceiving with the physical body.
Higher consciousness is the essential self, the Higher Self. It is our personal centre of awareness, which is developed through self-knowledge. The Higher Self is the "awareness of awareness" of which the mental (ego) "I" is a pale reflection. There has been an acknowledgement throughout human history that a higher awareness, beyond the normal conscious experience, is possible for the individual, recognised through dreams, religious and psychic experience, insights and creativity of every kind. It is usually frustratingly brief and infrequent but it is clear that with appropriate efforts and study, people can change and grow in awareness, whereby the field of consciousness becomes more and more observed by the Higher Self who is no longer asleep; then behaviour is no longer determined only by conditioning. The Being is aware of the difference between his own motivation and that which is learned, acquired or installed in him, genetically or by conditioning; he knows what he is doing as he does it. The energy and attention tied up in the knots of unconsciousness becomes conscious and freely available, as truth is validated and the false discarded.
The second aspect of the psyche, Normal consciousness, is our everyday reality, internally and externally - the incessant flow of sensations, images, thoughts, feelings, desires and impulses which we can observe, analyse and judge. The less aware a person is, the smaller this field of awareness will be and the more automatic his functioning. The majority of people drift on the surface of this "mind stream" and identify themselves with its successive waves, with the changing contents of their consciousness. So consciousness is often unreflective, not consciously noticed, determined by the many personal and social forces which have formed us, the cultural programming that moulds us into a "consensus trance" of automatic, robotised behaviour. In this hypnotised, half-asleep state, possessed by the conditioning of our background, we seem almost entirely the product of our genetic heritage, our personal environment and the society we live in - in the grip of forces stronger than ourselves and which we don't understand, be they biological, psychological or social.
The conscious mind contains all that one knows that is readily accessible. This information is well organised and interconnected on a logical basis. The characteristics of this "analytical" mind are invaluable for learning, putting things in order and testing ideas. On the other hand the conscious mind tends to be inhibited by the very quality that makes it so powerfully useful: it seeks to be right.
This part of the personality, the subject of cognitive and behavioural psychology, could easily, without reflection, be regarded as the whole, but the development of depth-psychology and the rediscovery of transpersonal psychology in this century has made it clear that this level of consciousness is only a part of the whole.
The third part, the Pre-conscious, is the ante-room of consciousness, where our various experiences are assimilated, our mental and imaginative activities are elaborated and developed in a sort of psychological gestation and interaction, before their birth into the light of consciousness. If consciousness is likened to a spotlight, the pre-conscious is everything within its range, but not illuminated at this moment. It is real to the person and accessible. It includes material from the sub-conscious that has been restimulated (made active due to a similarity or relevance of present circumstances or thoughts). The pre-conscious mind is like a problem-oriented and independent file-clerk. It looks over the shoulder of the conscious mind: when a problem is being considered, it conducts a search into the sub-conscious mind for clues that it considers relevant.
Its criteria for relevance do not always seem logical to the conscious mind, and therefore the ego learns to censor certain kinds of information from the sub-conscious, preventing them from rising higher into full consciousness. This is the mechanism of repression and the "censor" then functions below consciousness; consequently you cannot open-up your mind to the sub-conscious simply by resolving not to block its signals; the defences have first to be recognised, the reasons for them discovered and the pre-conscious censor re-programmed, before this is possible. This requires a procedure of concentrated introspection.
Interest, emotional commitment and the desire to solve a problem, cause the pre-conscious to work with the contents of the sub-conscious (and also through the sub-conscious to the unconscious) and the results eventually filter back into consciousness, if they are not censored. Intuition is an early recognition, below the conscious level, that one is on the right track - this causes a felt signal or increase of arousal which causes the conscious mind to pay attention to its periphery of consciousness, to dig a little and pull out the information. Because of the energy of this signal, it may also be registered on biofeedback devices such as a held pendulum or skin resistance galvanometer, which can be used to help the person recognise his intuition.
The Sub-conscious is that part of his mind a person is unaware of, or which is out of his control -The subconscious functions include vital background psychological activities such as the integration of new data and re-programming where necessary - a function which dreaming reflects - and this co-ordinates the carrying out of set patterns of behaviour which can be safely left "on automatic" by the conscious mind, freeing it to concentrate on the task in hand.
The sub-conscious contains all of the emotional and cognitive experience of a lifetime, whether pleasurable, ordinary or traumatic. Its contents are drawn upon by the pre-conscious when they seem relevant. It is a reservoir of information so vast and rich that it seems quite incredible to the conscious mind. Its contents are nevertheless consciously reachable by methods of psychological analysis (especially with the aid of biofeedback devices) which serves to resolve the defensive censorship of the preconscious.
The "Shadow" aspect of the sub-conscious mind includes the roots of phobias, obsessions, compulsions and delusions and many complexes charged with intense emotion. These are developed in response to circumstances in the past and used in present time when re-stimulated by a similarity of circumstances; this occurs without conscious control, irrationally and without inspection - a "reactive" mental process. Memory of the original, often dramatic circumstance and the accompanying fears and decisions is normally repressed, as it is unconfrontable and too painful to re-examine.
The Unconscious contains the fundamental survival drives and primitive urges (including genetic and race memories) that empower the functioning of the mind as a whole. It contains the entire kinaesthetic recordings of the body (all of its feelings, sensations and pains) and is integrally linked with the body (which it co-ordinates and controls) - it is the "body-mind". It also contains the deepest level of Self: the fundamental (primal) experiences, imprints and decisions of this lifetime, from the womb onwards. These only normally surface consciously in symbolic form, in the context of dreams and behaviour patterns recognised in retrospect. The deepest forms of psycho-analytic work aim to uncover their content to the light of consciousness. Jung's work on dreams and mythological symbology was instrumental in opening up the incredible world of the unconscious, and the existence of "archetypes" - ways of being that are inherently programmed in the unconscious, making up the substance of the core Self - all the aspects of living that the individual works throughout his life to "actualise," or bring into existence at their fullest potential. His work also exposed the transpersonal dimension which lays beyond the racial stereotypes, but also the necessity of working through the primal and archetypal material, to differentiate and individuate the Higher Self - the spiritual, non-genetic, meta-self.
Both the primary-trauma of the unconscious and the secondary-trauma of the sub-conscious are connected with the "body-mind", whereby defensive "armour" in the form of chronic muscular tension, holds the bodily stress-reaction of "fight or flight", continually in place. This occurs when an experience becomes too painful to view or is too uncomfortably repeated and then awareness of it is repressed - thoughts, emotions and bodily tensions. Unviewed, it then festers and persists. Though the tension may once have been appropriate, it is now a hindrance, and its perpetual nature holds the original trauma in re-stimulation (though the feeling or awareness of it may be repressed).
And though the repressed cognitive and emotional reactions may have been rational in the past circumstance (in the effort to survive or overcome), if they are reactively dramatised in the present situation, and if they are not accompanied by a fresh appraisal of the current reality, they are the underlying cause of irrational or aberrated behaviour, negative emotion and illness, and therefore have been a primary target of psychotherapy.
Because the body-mind functions inter-actively, work in Transformational Psychology may sometimes require a range of techniques to handle the problems. Physical symptoms (high blood pressure, ulcers, lack of energy, etc.) arise from stress, muscular tension, restimulated trauma, over-work, anxiety about social competence, threat or insecurity at work, rigid attitudes of perfectionism and fears of failure - based on low self-esteem, due to not having been "good enough" for parents and other dominant figures. Such neurotic dependencies on others conflict with the drive for independency and self-fulfilment. Psycotherapeutic massage may be prescribed, to develop awareness of faulty attitudes and repressed feelings, and to help relax and de-traumatise the body.

Help directed at one level will affect the other levels of functioning - the powerful fears and drives of the sub-conscious affect physical health, feelings, beliefs and behaviours - an holistic approach is therefore most effective. The Transformational Psychology procedures take account of this structure; the techniques progressively cut deeper and deeper both through to the core Self and into the Transpersonal realm, that are the essence of Mankind.

OOM

OOMAH

The Sound of the Galaxy

The word Om (aum, ओम) derives from the Sanskrit. The Om is the primordial sound by which the earth was created. It symbolizes unfolding or expansion- when pronounced, it begins in the lungs, and ends on the lips through nose.
The symbol representing Om is called the omkar (ओमकार), and has four parts, representing the four states of human awareness:

The ordinary waking, or material state:

The state of deep sleep:

The dream state:

Absolute conscience, or the awakened state:

The origin of the syllable OM is lost in the misty past. Its not being specific to any one country or civilization is indicative of its being an universally perceptible sound for the human race. This reason for this universal perceptibility possibly lies in the fact that AAAH is the most natural sound that issues from the human larynx. This is evident when a man cries out naturally in extreme pain, anger or fear. When emotions reach an extreme pitch the articulate sounds evolved by man are not the ones that are heard, but the syllable natural to man which is AAAH.

As a we normally do not go into the meaning and interpretation of our many beliefs. It is sufficient for most of us to know that they are part of the heritage handed down to us by our ancestors and in deference to tradition it becomes our duty to scrupulously and meticulously adhere to them. But by doing things without knowing the meaning behind them do we not deprive ourselves of an insight into our heritage?
Culture can be well appreciated and adapted to changing times if the meaning behind its different constituents is well understood. To develop this understanding one has to look upon all human actions as having originated in human society. While answers to all questions cannot be obtained, the acceptance of this approach at least opens the door to inquiry into the circumstances which gave rise to our revered traditions.
An attempt to interpret our religious beliefs and symbols is a challenging task. Many of these issues defy analysis and call for a judicious combination of the study of the social environment, etymology, aesthetics and philosophy. As far as aesthetics and philosophy go there exists a good deal of subjectivism and value judgement. While talking about etymology and the social environment we are on relatively firmer ground. In this chapter we have taken a set of symbols, beliefs and rituals and have attempted to examine the possible meaning behind them and the reasons which could lie behind their origin. The first religious symbol we take up is that of Om or Omkar.
OM or Omkar (ओमकार)
The syllable OM is quite familiar to a Hindu. It occurs in every prayer. Invocation to most gods begin with this syllable. For instance we have Om Namaha Shivaya, Hari Om, Om Shanti etc. OM is also pronounced as AUM.
Is OM present in Christianity as 'Amen' and in Islam as 'Amin'?
This term occurs in various ancient and modern civilizations. It exists Hinduism, Christianity and Islam.
In Arabic the first alphabet is pronounced as aliph. In Greek it is alpha, in the Roman script it is A. Thus in many languages the first letter in the alphabet has the syllable A, with which the word AUM or OM begins. In the Greek alphabet the last letter is Omega which comes very close to OM. Thus the significance of the syllable OM as the beginning and end finds a parallel in many of the scripts associated with ancient languages.

The different ways in which Omkar is depicted. The syllable OM is not specific to Indian culture. It has religious significance in other religions also. The word Amen used among Christians at the end of a prayer is also said to be derived from the the syllable OM. Although OM is not given any specific definition and is considered to be a cosmic sound, a primordial sound, the totality of all sounds etc., Amen is said to mean 'May it be so'.

Omkar as described in our granthas

OM In Ancient Indian Text
According to the ancient Indian philosophical text i.e. BHAGAWAD GITA it is said that the AUM is the representation of the "Brahma" which is the origin and the energy source of the whole universe. In other words AUM represents God.
Another text called "Mandukya Upanishad" says that AUM is the Atma or Soul who is the owner and controller of each human being and residing in the heart .Further Mandukya Upanishad explains that the three components of OM viz. AUM are representing three states i.e. wakeful, (conscious), dream (subconscious) and dreamless sleep (unconscious).The fourth component as explained stands for "Turiya", a state which is beyond the above three states.
Many Upanishads had explained the detail procedure of meditating AUM, the immediate stages, the experiences and the ultimate spiritual benefits.
It is explained in Kathopanishad as follows.The upanishad claims that goal which all the Vedas equivocally proclaim, which all the austerities speak and write, for which people practice brahmacharya it is this "AUM". AUM is a root of all mantras."Mantras"(also read earlier postings in the blog related to Power of Mantra) is a typical combination of words which affects the surrounding and human being through the vibrations. These mantras are to be chanted for enormous number of times to get the results. The results are miraculous. AUM is a mantra with only one syllable but is the basic mantra. Each and every mantra starts with AUM and mostly ends with AUM.

OM In Yoga
Patanjali had designed and caste the Science Of Yoga about 2400 years ago (i.e. 400 year BC) in the form of Yoga Sutras, he had explained AUM in Sanskrit verses (sutras).
Patanjali had explained the definition of God and he explains in the sutra that "AUM represents God".He further explains that you can go nearer to God by repeatedly chanting it . The relation between the name and the form is a subject of research and is the subject of great discussions in philosophy and all its branches including spiritual, philosophical.
In yogic practices the relation is of immediate and practical value. Patanjali could see that the relation between a form and the name is closest in AUM and has made use of this quality in his method of meditation.

OM As Perceived By Science
Normally anatomy is studied first and then the physiology. So first we will study the structure of AUM and then its functions.
AUM is composed of 3 elements, 'a', 'u' and 'm'. The fusion of these 3 elements is AUM or OM. The 3 alphabets are pronounced in series.
The air is driven out from lungs through the vocal cords. The cords vibrate and vibrations in the form of airwaves reach to the mouth. The mouth acts as resonator and deepens the vibrations. These vibrations are shaped to form alphabets, which in turn form the words. These vibrations in the form of airwaves travel through air to the ears of listeners. These are converted to nerve impulses and carried to the brain cells. Brain understands the meaning at the end.
These sound waves have certain frequency. We can listen to sounds with the frequency range between 20 to 2000 Hz i.e. cycles per second. The sound below 20 Hz and sound above 2000 Hz is not audible to human ears.

OM As Object of Meditation (it's for u :pji)
We have 5 sense organs through which we get the knowledge. These sense organs need the presence of mind to acquire this knowledge.
The process of meditation requires the concentration of mind on a particular object. But the control of mind is very difficult. This difficulty can be solved if we select "AUM" as an object or target for the concentration in meditation.
AUM can be seen through the eyes, heard by the ears and chanted via tongue. It is somewhat simpler to concentrate on the above 3 sense organs, so it is easy to concentrate the mind directly on the object. This is achieved by fixing AUM as a target for meditation on which 3 sense organs are focused. In addition to this the chanting of AUM has tranquilizing effect on the mind, which helps concentrate easily.

TRAINING THE MIND FOR WISDOM

First Steps;
We are to take care of ourselves-that much we can do-and give up attending to others for a time. Let us perfect the means; the end will take care of itself. For the world can be good and pure. Only if our lives are good and pure. It is an effect, and we are the means. Therefore, let us purify ourselves. Let us make ourselves perfect. (2; 9)

Duty is seldom sweet. It is only when love greases its wheels that it runs smoothly; it is a continuous friction otherwise. (1:67)

He who wants to enter the realms of light must make a bundle of all “shop keeping” religion and cast it way before he can pass the gates. It is not that you do not get what you pray for; you get everything, but it is low, vulgar, a beggar’s religion. (7:83-84)

Believe, therefore, in yourselves, and if you want material wealth, work it out; it will come to you. If you want to be intellectual, work it out on the intellectual plane, and intellectual giants you shall be. And if you want to attain to freedom, work it out on the spiritual plane, and free you shall be. (3:427)

He, who always speculates as to what awaits him in the future, accomplishes nothing whatsoever. What you have understood as true and good, just do that at once. What’s the good of calculating what may or may not befall in the future? The span of life is so, so short – and computing results? God is the only dispenser of results; leave it to Him to do all that. What have you got to do with it? Don’t look that way, but go on working. (6; 455)

We must not be extremely attached to anything excepting God. See everything, do everything, but be not attached. As soon as extreme attachment comes, a man loses himself, he is no more master of himself, and he is a slave. If a woman is tremendously attached to man, she becomes a slave to that man. There is no use in being slave. There are higher things in this world than becoming a slave to a human being. Love and do well to everybody, but do not become a slave. In first place, attachment degenerates us individually, and in the second place, makes us extremely selfish. Owing to this failing, we want to injure others to do well to those we love. A good many of the wicked deeds done in this would are really done through attachment to certain persons. So all attachment excepting that for good works should be avoided; but love should be given to everyone. (4:6)

A man used to solitude, if brought in contact with the surging whirlpool of the world, will be crushed by it; just as the fish that lives in the deep sea water, as soon as it is brought to the surface, breaks into pieces, deprived of the weight of water on it that had kept it together. Can a man who has been used to the turmoil and the rush of life live at ease if he comes to a quiet place? He suffers and perchance may lose his mind. The ideal man is he who, in the midst of the greatest silence and solitude, finds the in tensest activity, and in the midst of the in tensest activity finds the silence and solitude of the desert. (1:34)

Always keep your mind joyful; if melancholy thoughts come, kick them out. (6:130)

[Will not the spirit break down at the thought of death and the heart be over powered by despondency?] Quite so. At first, the heart will break down, and despondency and gloomy thoughts will occupy your mind. But persist, let days pass like that-and then?
Then you will see that new strength has come into the heart, that the constant thought of death is giving you a new life and is making you more and more thoughtful. (5:239)

Isolation of the soul from all objects, mental and physical, is the goal; when that is attained, the soul will find that it was alone all the time, and it required no one make it happy. As long as we require someone else to make us happy, we are slaves. (5:239)

Do not pity anyone. Look upon all as your equal; cleanse yourself of the primal sin of inequality. We are all equal and must not think, “I am good and you are bad, and I am trying to reclaim you. “Equality is the sign of the free”. (8.18)

- Swami Vivekananda.

Mera too bus Giridhar Gopal

Mirabai

मेरे तो बस गिरिधर गोपाल दूसरो न कोई

Mirabai (मीराबाई) (1498-1547CE) (also known as Meera; Mira; Meera Bai) was a Hindu mystical poetess whose compositions are popular throughout India. Mirabai is held to have been a disciple of Ravidas. Mirabai composed between 200 to 1300 prayerful songs called bhajans. These bhajans are in the bhakti tradition, and most passionately praised Lord Krishna. The extant version of her poems are in a Rajasthani dialect of Hindi and in Gujarati.
Many of the details of Mirabai's life are pieced together from her poetry and the stories later recounted by members of her community. Whilst Mirabai's hagiography is held as truth by followers of the Bhakti tradition, the historical authenticity of most of her story is the subject of scholarly debate.
Mirabai was born at Merta in Nagaur District of Rajasthan in Rathore clan of Rajputs. When she was six years old, Mirabai was given a vigraha of Krishna by her mother to which she played, sang and talked. Her father's elder brother Viram Deo who succeeded to the throne arranged her marriage at the age of 16 with Prince Bhoj Raj, the eldest son of Rana Sanga of Chittor. This marriage raised Mirabai to a very high social status, as the ruler of Chittor was considered to be the leader of the Hindu princes of Rajputana. However, her great devotion to Lord Krishna did not always endear her to her husband and family. Her love of Krishna was so absorbing she neglected her social and regal responsibilities. She refused to offer worship to the family deity, Durga. She sang and danced in public temples and mingled with members of all castes. Because of this Mirabai suffered great hardship throughout her life. Her husband died a few years after her marriage and she refused to commit sati, a practice of widow self-immolation held in high regard in royal rajput families of the time. In 1527, the Rajputs opposed a Muslim invasion from Afghanistan.
Mirabai's father was killed in battle; her father-in-law was wounded in the same battle and died the next year. Mewar got a new child-ruler, who with his mother, made life at the court difficult for Mirabai. In Mirabai's poems she mentions that her family attempted to kill her twice but that she was miraculously saved both times. These physical hardships became intolerable and after praying to Krishna, she left the palace for good (possibly at the age of 30) and went to the pilgrimage of Mathura, Vrindavana and finally to Dwarka. Mirabai spent most of her time in prayer and worship of Krishna. She left behind a legacy of many soulful and prayerful songs, which are still sung in India today. Mirabai is widely regarded as a saint in the tradition of the Bhakti Movement. The 16th century Bhakti Movement showed the path to salvation by devotion. Other saints belonging to this culture were Tukaram, Kabir, Guru Nanak, Ramananda, Chaitanya, Ranabai.
Her love for Krishna is epitomized by the popular belief about her final disappearance in the temple of Krishna in Dwarka. She is believed to have entered the sanctum of the temple in a state of singing ecstasy or ananda. The sanctum doors are believed to have closed on their own and when later opened, the sari of Mirabai was seen enwrapped around the vigraha of Krishna, symbolizing the culmination of her union with her ishta-devata.

Mirabai bhajan : Mane Chakar Rakho Ji

This famous hymn has another version which was used in the 1947 Hindi film Meerabai. Mirabai operated in Rajasthan and her dialect of Hindi is more properly called a variety of Rajasthani. Because of Rajasthan's proximity to Gujarat, Rajasthani and Gujarati share many similar linguistic features, and Mirabai seemed equally at home in either language. However here is the more popular version, influenced by Gujarati.

माने चाकर राखो जी, गिरधारी लाल, चाकर राखो जी
चाकर रहसुं बाग लगासूं नित उठ दर्शन पासूंबृंदावन की कुंज-गलिन में गोविंद लीला गासूं
चाकरी में दरसन पाऊं सुमिरन पाऊं बरचीभाव भगति जागीरी पाऊं तीनों बाता सरसी
मोर मुकुट पीतम्बर सोहे गले वैजंती मालाबृंदावनमें धेनु चरावे मोहन मुरलीवाला
ऊँचे-ऊँचे महल बनाऊँ बिच बिच राखूँ बारीसाँवरिया के दरशन पाऊँ पहर कुसुम्बी सारी
जोगी आया जोग करनकूं तप करने संयासीहरि-भजन कूं साधू आये बृंदाबन के वासी
मीरा के प्रभू गहर गम्भीरा हृदे रहो जी धीराआधी रात प्रभू दर्सन दीन्हो जमुनाजी के तीरा

Translation:
Lord Girdhari (Krishna), make me your servant.
As your servant, I will plant a garden, and see you every day.
In the groves and lanes of Vrindavan, I will sing about you.

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Bhaj Govindam

The Techniques Of Meditation

An Introduction to the techniques of Meditation
Meditation is an experience that cannot be described, just as colors cannot be described to a blind man. All ordinary experience is limited by Time, Space and Causation. Our normal awareness and understanding do not transcend these bounds.

Finite experience, which is measured in terms of past, present and future, cannot be transcendental. Concepts of time are illusory, for they have no permanence. The present, immeasurably small and fleeting, cannot be grasped. Past and future are non-existent in the present. We live in illusion.

The meditative state transcends all such limitations. In it there is neither past nor future, but only the consciousness of "I am" in the eternal NOW. It is only possible when all mental modifications are stilled.
The closest analogous state that we can experience is deep sleep, in which there is neither time, nor space, nor causation. Meditation, however, differs from deep sleep, for it works profound changes in the psyche. By curbing and stilling the oscillations of the mind, meditation brings mental peace.

On the physical level, meditation helps to prolong the body's anabolic process of growth and repair, and to reduce the catabolic or decaying process. Ordinarily the anabolic process predominates until the age of 18. From 18 to 35 there is balance between the two, and after 35 the catabolic process dominates. Meditation can significantly reduce the catabolic decline. This is because of the innate receptivity of the body cells.
Each of our body cells is governed by the instinctive subconscious mind. They have both an individual and a collective conciousness. When the thoughts and desires pour into the body, the cells are activated; the body always obeys the group demand. It has been scientifically proven that positive thoughts bring positive result to cells. As meditation brings about a prolonged positive state of mind, it rejuvenates body cells and retards decay.

One cannot learn to meditate, anymore than one can learn to sleep. one falls into both states. There are certain points to remember regarding the techniques and stages of meditation.

The 14 Points of Meditation

1. Regularity of time, place and practice are important. Regularity conditions the mind to slow down its activities with a minimum of delay.
2. The most effective times are early dawn and dusk, when the atmosphere is charged with special spiritual force. If it is not feasible to sit for meditation at these times, choose an hour when you are not involved with daily activities, and a time when the mind is apt to be calm.
3. Try to have a separate room for meditation. As meditation is repeated, the powerful vibrations set up will be lodged in the area; an atmosphere of peace and purity will be felt.
4. When sitting, face North or East in order to take advantage of favorable magnetic vibrations. Sit in a steady, comfortable, cross-legged position with spine and neck erect but not tense.
5. Before beginning, command the mind to be quiet for a specific length of time. Forget the past, present and future.
6. Consciously regulate the breath. Begin with five minutes of deep abdominal breathing to bring oxygen to the brain. Then slow it down to an imperceptible rate.
7. Keep the breathing, rhythmic, inhale for three seconds and exhale for three seconds. Regulation of breath also regulates the flow of prana, the vital energy.
8. Allow the mind to wander at first. It will jump around, but will eventually become concentrated, along with the concentration of prana.
9. Don't force the mind to be still, as this will set in motion additional brain waves, hindering meditation.
10. Select a focal point on which the mind may rest. For people who are intellectual by nature, this may be the Ajna Chakra., the point between the eyebrows. For more emotional people, use the Anahata or Heart Chakra. Never change this focal point.
11. Focus on a neutral or uplifting object, holding the image in the place of concentration. If using a Mantra, repeat it mentally, and co-ordinate repetition with the breath. If you dont have a personalized Manta, use Om. Although mental repetition is stronger, the mantra may be repeted aloud if one becomes drowsy. Never change the Mantra.
12. Repetition will lead to pure thought, in which sound vibration merges with thought vibration, without awareness of meaning. Vocal repetition progresses through mental repetition to telepathic language, and from there to pure thought.
13. With practice, duality disappears and Samadhi, or the superconscious state, is reached. Do not become impatient, as this takes a long time.
14. In Samadhi one rests in the state of bliss in which the Knower, the Knowledge, and the Known become one. This is the superconcious state reached by mystics of all faiths and persuasions.
If you meditate for half an hour daily, you will be able to face life with peace and spiritual strength. Meditation is the most powerful mental and nerve tonic. Divine energy freely flows to the adept during meditation, and exerts a benign influence on the mind, nerves, sense organs and body. It opens the door to intuitive knowledge and realms of eternal bliss. The mind becomes calm and steady.

History of RAM SETU

History of RAM SETU

Ram Setu, or Rama Setu (meaning "Rama's Bridge"), is a chain of limestone shoals, between the islands of Mannar, near northwestern Sri Lanka, and Rameswaram, off the southeastern coast of India. It is generally believed, in the Indian sub-continent, that this structure is the bridge built by the Vanara Sena on instructions from Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu to rescue his consort Sita who was abducted to Lanka by Ravana, as mentioned in the Ramayana (read older posts on this topic). Geological evidence indicates that this bridge acted as a former land connection between India and Sri Lanka.
The bridge is 30 miles (48 km) long and separates the Gulf of Mannar (southwest) from the Palk Strait (northeast). Some of the sandbanks are dry and the sea in the area is very shallow, being only 3 ft to 30 ft (1 m to 10 m) deep in places, which hinders navigation. There are controversies about whether this structure is natural or man-made.
In 2001, the Government of India had approved a controversial multi-million dollar Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project that aims to create a navigational channel across the Palk Strait by dredging through a portion of this causeway. Various organizations have opposed the project based on religious, economic and environmental grounds and have sought the implementation of one of the alternative alignments considered during the earlier stages of the discussion.

Location

Adam bridge starts as chain of shoals from Dhanuskodi tip of Rameswaram Island of India and ends at Mannar Island of Sri Lanka. Rameswaram Island is connected to Indian mainland by 3 km long Pamban Bridge. Ramasetu and areas adjacent to it like Rameswaram Dhanushkodi, Devipattinam and Thirupullani which are mentioned in the context of various legends in Ramayana

STORY OF THE LEGENDARY RAM SETU

RAM KATA BARI ANUPAM KATA HAI ... Jai Shri RAM ...When Sri Ram was in the process of rescuing Sita mata from Lanka, the biggest barrier was the Samudra that was raising so high that it flooded the vanar seenas hopes of getting accross. But then Naal & Neel came up with a idea which was never ever thought before "Ram Setu"... a bridge in that era ... no one even can imagine that in dreams but they did it with the blessing & help of maha samudra, Sri Ram blessed the seena & by his wishes the seena build the first man made bridge, by his blessings stones started flooting on the samudra ... finally Rama killed Ravana with the help of his brother Laxmana & his Vanar Seena.

Satellite View of Ram setu

----- JAI SHREE RAM -----

The Power of Yantra

Yantra

Yantra is a geometric figure inscribed on a metallic plate or paper and is the confluence of the powers of the concerned God.

Yantra is a Sanskrit word that is derived from the root meaning "to restrain, curb, check". Meanings for the noun derived from this root include "that which restrains or fastens, any prop or support", "a fetter", "any instrument or machine", "an amulet, a mystical or astronomical diagram used as an amulet."
Some practitioners of Tantra employ yantra, mantra and other items in their sadhana, puja and yajna. (We had alreadt talked about Mantra & Tantra in the older posts)
Yantra, or other permutations and cognate phenomena such as mandala, rangoli, kolam, rangavalli and other sacred geometrical traditions, are endemic throughout Indian religions. There are numerous yantra. Shri Yantra is often furnished as an example. Yantra contain geometric items and archetypal shapes and patterns namely squares, triangles, circles and floral patterns; but may also include bija mantra and more complex and detailed symbols. Bindu is the central core. Though often rendered in two dimensions through art, yantra are conceived and conceptualised by practitioners as multi-dimensional sacred architecture and in this quality are identical with their correlate the mandala.
Mantras, the Sanskrit syllables inscribed on yantras, are essentially 'thought forms' representing divinities or cosmic powers, which exert their influence by means of sound-vibrations.

DETAILS OF SOME YANTRAS

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SIDDHI PRADAYAK TARA YANTRA
For Wealth and Prosperity in Life
Saadhakaanaam Sukham Katreem Sarva Lok Bhayankareem
i.e. Bhagwati Tara bestows prosperity to the Sadhaks. Even great Yogis like Vashishtth, Vishwamitra, Ravan, Gorakhnath have accepted the greatness of Tara Sadhana. It was due to Sadhana of Tara that Kuber could become the Lord of Wealth. Tara Sadhana is very easy to accomplish and hence it is a must for Sadhaks.
In the present age wealth is a measure of a person's worth. Even for good tasks one needs wealth. The above Yantra has been prepared in very special and auspicious moments. Just by keeping it in the house one can get miraculous results and attain to wealth and prosperity in life.

SIDDH CHEITANYA ROSARY
For Totality in life
The chief aim of human life is to attain to totality. And totality can be in any field material, spiritual, business, Sadhanas, victory over enemies, family life or the life of a hermit.
But the human body is very impure and divinity can descend only in a pure form. Oil cannot mix in water. Hence the body and the mind need to be made pure.
This rosary is like the divine grace of the Guru because it has been energised with divine Mantras and if worn with full devotion it can make the Kundalini to rise and give success in Sadhanas and life.
When you get the rosary the next morning have a bath and chant one round of Guru Mantra and wear it. After 45 days drop it in a river or pond.

BHAGYODAYA YANTRA
For Changing one's Luck
This Yantra is obtained when luck favours a person. It is seen that many times one is not able to attain to success in life, in business, in job, in studies and in Sadhanas in spite of the best of efforts. The reason could be te bad Karma of past lives. If the fortune favours a person then he can succeed even without making any efforts. This Yantra can make your fortune change for the better, for it has been prepared in Navratris and imbibed with divine energy. Any day place the Yantra early morning between 5 and 6 am in a plate. Then chant
Om Hreem Bhaagyodayam Hreem Om
108 times. Do this regularly for one month and then leave the Yantra in a temple.

NIKHILESHWARANAND CHEITANYA ROSARY
For Fulfilment of Wishes
Nikhileshwaranand Stavan is a powerful divine hymn whose each verse manifests wonderful results just like Mantras when it is chanted. One can gain divine powers, get rid of problems and fulfil wishes through this hymn. But sometimes due to impurity of mind, place and past bad Karmas the good results do not manifest. To counter this negative effect we present this divine rosary which if worshipped according to the procedure given in Nikhil Stavan and worn around the neck can produce amazing results. Just wear this rosary and then chant the hymn once daily for nine weeks. This rosary is a divine boon for the Sadhaks from revered Sadgurudev. Whenever engaged in Guru Sadhana do wear this rosary.

GURU SAAYUJYA YANTRA
For Spiritual Closeness to the Guru
About the Guru the ancient texts say
Guru Brahma Guru Vishnnu Guru Devo Maheshwarah Guru Saakshaat Par Brahma Tasmei Shree Gurave Namah
Totality in life is symbolised by the Guru element. All divine powers are present in the Guru. All holy places of pilgrimage are in his feet. Guru is omnipresent and omnipotent and he can banish the darkness of ignorance from the hearts of disciples and make their lives total.
It is the greatest fortune of life to fuse in the form of the Guru. Only thus can totality be gained. You too can achieve this fortune by placing this amazing Yantra in your worship place and worshipping it daily.

JAGDAMBA YANTRA
For Riddance from Fears of dangers and Accidents
Today everyone is surrounded by dangers in the form of enemies and fear of accidents and other problems. No matter how rich one is one cannot avoid all these dangers. In such cases only divine help can work. Accident means coming together of a place, time and person. If even one element is missing the same can be avoided. Planets tend to pull a person to the spot of accident at the desired moment. But Jagdamba Yantra is an amazing device which can neutralise the effect of evil planets. Just place this Yantra in your place of worship and light a ghee lamp or incense before it daily.

MAHAKAAL ROSARY
For Riddance from Obstacles and Fulfilment of wishes
Every person who cares to delve onto the ocean of true knowledge is able to experience the great power of Lord Mahakaal, another form of Shiva. In times of trouble a person loses all confidence. But those who do not depend solely on fate are able to make circumstances favourable through Sadhanas. Mahakaal rosary is a divine Sadhana object wearing which on the body removes all obstacles from one's life and enables one to make quick progress. Just wear it around your neck for 45 days and then drop it in the river. Daily pray to Lord Shiva.

VETAAL YANTRA
For Riddance from Enemies and Fulfilment of Wishes
This amazing Yantra is capable of defeating all one's enemies and fulfilling all one's wishes. It is indeed a wonderful divine article which is only to be kept in the place of worship and offered a lit incense daily for three months. After that it is to be dropped in a river or pond.

MANTRA SADHANA SIDDHI YANTRA
For Success in Sadhanas
When a person tries Sadhanas for the first time it is nothing surprising for him to fail, for inexperience can make him commit mistakes. But if an experienced Sadhak fails in the same it means he has no control over his mind. Place the Mantra Sadhana Siddhi Yantra in the worship place at home brings about a great change in one's thoughts and one is able to concentrate better. In the night of full moon (Poornnima) at 9 pm place the Yantra in the worship place and worship it with flowers, rice grains, incense and ghee lamp. After three months drop it in a river or pond.

TIBBATI DHAN PRADATA LAMA YANTRA
For Wealth and riches in life
Divine objects make their presence felt automatically. You don't have to tell, just the smell shall make others aware that you are wearing a perfume. For the best of Yantras there is no need to perform any Sadhana. Just placing these at home can bring about miraculous changes. Similar is this Yantra obtained from a secret Lama monastery which can banish poverty and make the Sadhak rich and prosperous. In the night of a Sunday wrap the Yantra in a red cloth and tie it with a Mouli (holy red thread) chanting
Om Mannipadame Dhanadaayei Hoom Phat
Then place it in your safe at home.

AROGYA ROSARY
For Health and Longevity in life
Just wearing this amazing rosary can free you of all ailments. Today there is no person who is not troubled by some health problem or the other. For all such people this rosary is a divine boon. Wearing it fills the mind, soul and body with a new energy and enthusiasm. Early in the morning after having had a bath place the rosary in your place of worship at home and offer incense, ghee lamp, vermilion and rice grains. Then chant one round of the Mantra -
Om Joom Hroum Joom Sah
After that wear the rosary day long. At night put it back in the worship place. Do this daily for 30 days. After that drop it in a river or pond.

TEEVRA PRABHAV AATMA YANTRA
For Confidence and Enthusiasm in life
All human actions are for achievement of success in life. But continuous failure can lead to frustration and a feeling of hopelessness. Once self confidence is lost success becomes very hard to attain. To remedy this problem we have prepared a very powerful Yantra during a lunar eclipse and that too in Pushya asterism that can fill you with confidence, joy, enthusiasm and a determination to succeed at all costs. Early in the morning place the Yantra in your place of worship at home and before it chant just five times -
Om Ayeim Brahmaand Tejase Namah
Do this daily for 30 days.

KANAKDHARA YANTRA
To Banish poverty from your life
Are you heavily in debt, is your business failing, are you facing a severe financial crisis? If yes, then this Yantra is the answer to all your problems. Place it on a Wednesday in your worship place and having offered flowers and rice grains, light incense. Then chant
Om Hreem Sahastravadane Kanakeshwari Sheeghram Avatar Aagachh Om Phat Swaahaa
only 21 times. Do this for 11 consecutive Wednesdays and then place the Yantra in your safe or where you keep your valuables or cash.

GRIH KLESH NIVRATTI YANTRA
For Riddance from tensions at home and for a happy married life
Any Tuesday morning bathe the Yantra with pure water and place it in your worship place at home. Then daily in the morning offer vermilion and rice grains on the Yantra and chant
Om Kleem Kleshnaashaay Kleem Phat
only five times. Do this regularly for three months. After that throw the Yantra in a river or pond.

MANOKAMANA POORTI YANTRA
To Fulfil some current wish
This Yantra is inscribed on copper and is energised with special powerful Mantras. You only need to place this Yantra at home and worship it daily in the morning with water, rice grains, incense, flowers and ghee lamp.

GANPATI YANTRA
For All round progress
Ganpati Yantra is a boon to the Sadhak. The divine power of Ganpati resides in Sadhak's home through this Yantra. Early in the morning, worship the Ganpati Yantra with incense, deepak etc. Then chant
Gam Ganpataye Namah
for ten minutes. Then , with folded hands, mentally request Ganpati to reside in Yantra form in your worship place. Then place the Ganpati Yantra in the worship place. You should daily pray to Ganpati and light deepak, incense etc.

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The Above all Mantra-Tantra-Yantra are subjected to emense practice & dedication, just by chanting them will never bear fruits. When they are done for the betterment of the culture , civilization & more over for the sake of Humanity then only it bears fruit.

Thanks

The Power of Tantra

TANTRA

Tantra is an eminent science having thousands of principles. In fact, it is the system of our life and a science of practice and practical knowledge. Through Tantra, we can attain superb powers by attracting and deriving the divine faculties pervading the entire cosmos. The aspirant of Tantra makes his internal capacity sharp and intensely forceful just like a magnet. This science is the process of activating the various dormant vital glands and Chakras(we had alredy disscussed this before) of the astral form, present inside the human body. It makes us aware of the truth that a person can get liberation from his own subjugation, can achieve immense power and even with the physical body present, can free himself from his body and expand his faculties infinitely.
Each and every element of the nature is associated with the other. Every action has a definite basis and for that action, there also exists an equal and opposite reaction. This uninterrupted succession of atomic process is going on in our atmosphere. Formation of water vapours, rain from the clouds due to attraction between positively and negatively charged atoms, storms, tempest and earthquakes, all are interrelated to each other.
Tantra is the process of intensification of our peculiar inner potentialities so that we can command this atomic arrangement which in other words is known as 'Siddhi'. The flow of energy is going on ceaselessly in the environment and when your own inner energy becomes capable of influencing the external ones, nothing will remain impossible for you and this is the science of Tantra in which the aspirant's wish is first and foremost.

Many people confuse Tantra with the practice of sacred sex. Tantra is a philosophy and practice for the realization of the unconditioned Self. Shakti and Shiva's devine love gave birth to a rich universe.

Fear of Tantra is baseless
The notions of an ordinary person about Tantra are not worthy to mention as this science of power has been misused very much. Those who are quite conversant with Tantra, by awakening their internal cosmic faculties, acquire knowledge to progress ahead and by activating the internal Chakras become ultimately successful in attaining Self realisation and thereby Supreme Bliss, whereas the imperfect Tantriks focus their attention towards the leftist part which hitherto has been utilised by such Tantriks in causing pain and harm to others and in achieving sensual enjoyment. Thus they involve themselves in a wrong direction. Although they can cause damage to the common men, yet eventually such Tantriks undergo severe sufferings and their lives get highly miserable.
This is human nature that every person focuses his attention first on the bad aspect of any subject and not on the virtuous one. This attitude proves harmful to them. As it is said earlier that Tantra is a process of activating internal cosmic faculties of the invisible world and making them favourable for oneself. During this process, that vigorous energy at first affects the person who is trying to overpower it and if at that time the aspirant does not get frightened, the divine energy itself behaves like a slave and then performs all the miraculous deeds at the will of the aspirant. To explain further for the illustration- If you go outside during winter without wearing woollen clothes, what will happen? The frozen particles of cold wave will fall violently upon you and you will fall sick. But in case you are totally prepared- you have a healthy physique covered with woollen clothes, cold cannot affect you in any way and you will proceed ahead without any fear. The same is the case with Tantra. If you are not afraid, have the required equipment and also a sound knowledge then Tantra is the easiest way for you to acquire the divine powers.To emerge successful in Tantra, fearlessness as well as elevation of inner consciousness are absolutely essential because in this Sadhana, the power is to be evolved from within.

The Real Benefits of Tantra
Tantra is basically the source of energy and if you master this science, you can easily conquer your materialistic obstacles, other persons can be influenced by you and their activities can be channelised according to your own will. The harmful effects of planets, influences of an evil eye and evil spirits can be removed. It is also helpful as a remedy of mental tension, unbearable pain and other physical and psychological ailments. The scope of Tantra is very wide including Vashikaran, Maran, Ucchattan, Hypnotism, Divine Vision etc., which in many ways are beneficial in modern life.
In fact, Tantra leads to the path of self surrender and it pertains to all the aspects of physical and parapsychological life. Life, a divine gift bestowed upon by the Almighty can be fully purposeful by regenerating one's inner creative faculties and giving 'Karma', a predominant role in our lives and this is the genesis of life's purposefulness and success.

The Power of Mantra

Mantra: The Original Power of the Spoken Word

The science of mantra is thousands of years old. And it is still practiced by millions of people from several of the world's Great Religions. Why? Because mantras work. Mantras are so powerful that it can even make or break a act. Just think out of our history, in those ancient days Sages use to carry blessings & curse in there mouths. One word could destroy or creat a entire world so much power it carries.

The Science of Sound: How ancient sages created sanskrit mantras out of primeval sounds that stimulate the chakras in the subtle body.
Our Karmic Predicament: The four types of karma and the means to reduce or transcend the effects of past karma.
Planetary Influences: Eastern and Western approaches to astrology; correspondences between planets and bodily organs; mantras for purifying the energies we receive from each planet; mantras for receiving power from the Sun.
Mantra Traditions: The Hindu and Buddhist approaches to mantra. The esoteric mantra practices of Tibet.
Mantras for Specific Conditions: The specific formulas for attaining health, wealth, protection, happy marriage, control of emotions, and more.
The Classical Method of Mantra Discipline: The use of malas or rosaries; 40-day sadhanas; Ganesha sadhana to remove obstacles.
Gurus and Teachers: The significance of teachers in mantra practice; mantras that are imparted "with power"; the nature of the Upaguru, or inner teacher in all of us.
Specialized Practices: The use of "seed" mantras; India's most celebrated mantra, the Gayatri; celebrations of the Buddha's birthday (Wesak).

What is MANTRA

Mantra is a divine combination of divine syllables or sounds which when chanted with devotion,faith and emotion gravitate the concerned God or Goddess or deity and secure their divine blessings. For divine help one must link with divine forces but majority of humans are unaware of these forces and have no link whatsoever. But when an individual starts chanting Mantra related to a particular deity regularly the gap between him and the concerned divine force steadily decreases. By regular use of Mantra a subtle link is formed and through this one could then obtain any desired boon within the power of the deity. One could obtain wealth, prosperity, fame, fearlessness, success and spiritual upliftment, but for each a different Mantra is chanted and a different deity propitiated.
A Mantra is a special set of words through only that particular deity could be summoned. If I write or speak in Chinese you won't be able to understand and my words will not produce any effect. But if I speak the language you know its effect shall be with doubt. Praying to these deities in one's language won't help much but if one uses the words that they can understand the result shall be instant.
These words are the Mantras evolved by Rishis and Yogis who actually prepared them and used them to prove their worth. Over the ages these have helped thousands of Sadhaks achieve even that which appeared impossible to them. Within doubt that whose chanting fulfils one's wish is a Mantra.

Jagannath

Jagannath

"The King of the Galaxy"

Jagannath (also spelled Jagganath) is considered amongst Vaishnavas to be a very merciful form of Krishna. The oldest and most famous Jagannath deity is in the city of Puri, in Orissa, India (the city is known to many as Jagannath Puri) where each year the famous Rath Yatra festival takes place. Jagannath is worshipped by Hindus all over India. The Jagannath Temple in Puri is regarded as one of the four most sacred Hindu pilgrimage places in India.

Traditional stories
There are two interesting stories associated with this deity. First is the story of how Krishna appeared to a great devotee of the lord, King Indradyumna and ordered him to carve a deity from a log he would find washed up on the sea shore. King Indradyumna found a mysterious old Brahmin carpenter to carve the deity, but the carpenter insisted that he not be disturbed while he was carving the deity. The king waited anxiously outside his room, but after some time, all sound stopped. The impatient Indradyumna worried what had happened and assuming the worst, opened the doors - only to find the deity half-finished and the carpenter gone! The mysterious carpenter was none other than Vishvakarma, the heavenly architect. The king was distraught as the deity had no arms and legs. Utterly repentant that he had interrupted the carving, the king was only pacified when the muni (sage) called Narada appeared and explained that the form the king now sees is a legitimate form of the supreme personality of godhead. The second story here was narrated to further explain and remove any doubts and confusion.
The second reason for Lord Jagannath's appearance is the story of how Krishna was eavesdropping on the gopis as they spoke amongst themselves of His pastimes, and how much they loved him. Sister Subhadra was instructed to keep watch and ensure Krishna wasn't nearby while the gopis spoke of Krishna. But after a while Subhadra was so overwhelmed by the gopis' devotion and their stories that she became completely engrossed in listening. She didn't see the brothers Krishna and Balarama approaching. As the brothers listened their hairs stood on end, their arms retracted, their eyes grew larger and larger, and they smiled broadly in ecstasy. That is why Jagannath, Balarama and Subhadra look like they do.
This form is worshiped by Vaishnavas as the abstract form of Krishna. The deities - Jagannath, Balabhadra (Balarama) and Subhadra (Krishna's sister) are usually worshipped in the temple, but once in every Asadha Masa (Rainy Season, usually June or July), they are brought out onto the main high street of Puri and travel to the Mausimaa Temple, allowing the public to have Darshan (holy view) of the deities as they pass. This festival is known as Ratha Yatra. The Rath carts themselves are huge wooden structures built new every year and are pulled by the millions of pilgrims who turn up for the event from all parts of the Globe. The festival commemorates Krishna's return to His home in Vrindavan after a long period of separation from the people there.

Jagannath Temple (Puri)

The Jagannath Temple in Puri is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath (Krishna) located in the coastal town of Puri in the state of Orissa, India. The name Jagannath (Lord of the Universe) is a combination of the Sanskrit words Jagat (Universe) and Nath (Lord of). The temple is an important pilgrimage destination for many Hindu traditions, particularly worshippers of Krishna and Vishnu. The temple is famous for its annual Rath Yatra, or chariot festival, in which the three main temple deities are hauled on huge and elaborately decorated chariots. Since medieval times, it is also associated with intense religious fervor.The temple is sacred to the Vaishnava traditions and saint Ramananda who was closely associated with the temple. It is also of particular significance to the followers of the Gaudiya Vaishnavism whose founder, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, was attracted to the deity, Jagannath, and lived in Puri for many years.

The Famous Rath Yatra

Ratha Yatra is a major Hindu festival associated with Lord Jagannath held at Puri in the state of Orissa, India during the months of June or July (Rainy Season). Most of the city's society is based around the worship of Jagannath (Krishna) with the ancient temple being the fulcrum of the area. The festival commemorates Krishna's return to His home in Vrindavan after a long period of separation from the people there.

The festival

Usually the deities - Jagannath (Krishna), Baladeva and Subhadra are worshipped within the temple, but on the day of the Rath festival they are taken through the streets so that everyone can have the fortune of seeing them. Three richly decorated chariots, resembling temple structures, are pulled through the streets of Puri. This commemorates the annual journey of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and their sister Subhadra to their aunt' s temple (Gundicha Mandir) which is situated at a distance of 2 km from their temple. New chariots are built every year. This is the only day when devotees who are not allowed in the temple premises such as non-Hindus and foreigners, can get their glimpse of the deities. During the festival, devotees from all over India go to Puri with an earnest desire to touch the rope of the chariot. They consider this a pious deed and risk their lives in the huge crowd. The huge processions accompanying the chariots play devotional songs with drums, tambourines, etc. Children line the streets through which the chariot will pass and add to the mass chorus. The Rath carts themselves are some approximately 45 feet high and are pulled by the thousands of pilgrims who turn up for the event. Millions of devotees congregate at Puri for this annual event from all over the country and abroad. It is also telecasted live on many Indian channels.

Moksha

The mOksh Provider

Moksha (Sanskrit: मोक्ष, liberation) or Mukti (Sanskrit: मुक्ति, release) refers in Indian religions to liberation from samsara, the cycle of death and rebirth(see previous postings for life cycle) and all of the suffering and limitation of worldly existence. In Hindu philosophy, it is seen as a transcendence of phenomenal being, a state of higher consciousness, in which matter, energy, time, space, causation (karma) and the other features of empirical reality are understood as maya. Liberation is to Indian religions as salvation is to Christianity. Rather than being a reward for good deeds that is achieved after death, however, liberation is experienced in this very life as a dissolution of the sense of self as an egoistic personality by which the underlying, eternal, pure spirit is uncovered. This desireless state concludes the yogic path through which conditioned mentality-materiality or nama-roopa (lit. name-form) has been dissolved uncovering one's eternal identity prior to the mind/spirit's identification with material form. Liberation is achieved by (and accompanied with) the complete stilling of all passions — a state of being known as Nirvana. Buddhist thought differs slightly from the Advaita Vedantist reading of liberation

Hinduism

Moksha is seen as a final release from one's worldly conception of self, the loosening of the shackle of experiential duality and a realization of one's own fundamental nature which is true being, pure consciousness and bliss (satcitananda) an experience which is ineffable and beyond sensation. According to the branch of Hinduism known as advaita vedanta, at liberation the individual soul or atman is realised to be one with the Ground of all being – the Source of all phenomenal existence known as Brahman. The self-as-individual is realised to have never existed. In other (dvaita) traditions it is held that the identification between the liberated human being and God is not total but there is always some distinction between the two. In Vaishnavism, one of the largest branch of Hinduism, Moksha involves forsaking everything material and establishing one's existence as a purely devoted servant of Vishnu (Bhagavan or God; also known by many other names such as Krishna, Rama, Narayana, etc.). Hindu scripture like the Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata, Ramayana and so on especially emphasize this personal, devotional conception of Moksha, which is achieved through the practice of Bhakti Yoga. On the other hand, works of the non-dualistic Hindu school, Advaita Vedanta or Brahmavada whose doctrinal position is derived from the Upanishads (see earlier posts on this head), say that the Self or Super-Soul is formless, beyond being and non-being, beyond any sense of tangibility and comprehension. These two Hindu concepts of Moksha - personal and impersonal - are seen differently depending on one's beliefs.
In Dvaita (dualist) and qualified advaitic schools of the personal Vaishnava traditions, Moksha is defined as the loving, eternal union with God (Ishvara) and considered the highest perfection of existence. The bhakta (devotee) attains the abode of his supreme Lord in a perfected state but maintains his or her individual identity, with a spiritual form, personality, tastes, pastimes, and so on.
In Advaita philosophy, the ultimate truth is not a singular Godhead, per se, but rather is oneness without form or being, something that essentially is without manifestation, personality, or activity. Moksha is union with this oneness. The concepts of impersonal Moksha and Buddhist Nirvana are comparable. Indeed, there is much overlap in their views of higher consciousness and attainment of enlightenment.
In Nastik religions such as Jainism and Buddhism, Moksha is a union with all that is, regardless of whether there is a God or not. After Nirvana, one obtains Moksha. The Nirvana of Hinduism is Brahma-Nirvana meaning that it will lead to God.
Means to achieve Moksha
In Hinduism, atma-jnana (self-realization) is the key to obtaining Moksha. The Hindu is one who practices karma and bhakti, knowing that god is unlimited and exists in many different forms, both personal and impersonal.
There are believed to be four yogas (disciplines) or margas (paths) for the attainment of Moksha. These are: working for the Supreme (Karma Yoga), realizing the Supreme (Jnana Yoga), meditating on the Supreme (Raja Yoga) and serving the Supreme in loving devotion (Bhakti Yoga). Different schools of Hinduism place varying emphasis on one path or other, some of the most famous being the tantric and yogic practices developed in Hinduism. Today, the two major schools of thought are Advaita Vedanta and Bhakti branches.
Bhakti sees God as the most worshippable object of love, for example, a personified monotheistic conception of Vishnu. Unlike in Abrahamic traditions, for example, Smarta Hinduism, this monotheism does not prevent a Hindu from worship of other aspects of God, as they are all seen as rays from a single source. However, it is worthy of note that the Bhagavad Gita discourages the worship of demigods, as it does not lead to Moksha. The concept is essentially of devotional service in love, since the ideal nature of being is seen as that of harmony, euphony, its manifest essence being love. By immersing oneself in the love of God, one's Karmas (good or bad, regardless) slough off, one's illusions about beings decay and 'truth' is soon known and lived. Both the worshiped and worshiper maintain their identities in a personal, divine loving relationship.
Vedanta finds itself split threefold, though the dualist and modified non-dualist schools are primarily associated with the foregoing thought of Bhakti. The most famous today is Advaita Vedanta, a non-dual (i.e. no separation between the individual and reality/God/etc.) perspective which often played the role of Hindu foil to contemporary Buddhist philosophy. In general, it focused on intense meditation and moral realignment, its bedrock being the Upanishads, Brahma Sutras and the teachings of its putative founder, Adi Shankara. Through discernment of the real and the unreal, as a peeling of the layers of an onion, the sadhak (practitioner) would unravel the maya (illusion) of being and the cosmos to find nothing within, a nothingness which was paradoxically being, and transcendentally beyond both such inadequate descriptions. This was Moksha, this was atman and Brahman realized as the substance and void of existential duality. The impersonalist schools of Hinduism also worship various deities, but with the idea that such worship is ultimately abandoned - both the worshiped and worshiper lose their individual identities.
Moksha in the sacred Hindu temple dance, as in the classical Indian dance too, is symbolized by Shiva raising his right leg, as if freeing himself from the gravitation of the material world.
One must achieve Moksha on his or her own under the guidance of a guru - one who has already achieved success in Moksha. An Arhant or a Siddha inspires but does not intervene.
Components of Moksha
Within Moksha or Mukti, there lies the ultimate peace (Shanti), the ultimate knowledge (Videh), the ultimate enlightenment (kaivalya) and the ultimate paradise (Swarga).