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KRSNAmusic
24 January 2010, 03:05 PM
Hello, dear sadhakas!

Imagine you just woke up, and so...what is your first thought or act you usually do to start the day auspiciously?
I mean, its sometimes hard for me to get up from bed to start chanting, for example. Its kind of ascetism to get up early and perform spiritual duties for me...;)


I wonder if there are any general tips to overcome this kind of a dumb morning situation ? Any suggestions highly appreciated! Thanks!

yajvan
25 January 2010, 09:36 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté KRSNAmusic

My first thoughts upon arising is the mahā mṛtyuṃjaya mantraš, some call tryambakaṃ mantra.

praṇām

references
this post reivews this noble mantra in detail : http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?p=38238#post38238

Eastern Mind
25 January 2010, 09:43 PM
Vannakkam:

I use the sports reporter's breakfast: two smokes, 3 coffees, and a look around.
Just kidding.

Namasivaya is usually hiding around somewhere in this mind. Occasionally I am able to find it.

Aum Namasivaya

goodlife
26 January 2010, 04:25 AM
Hello, dear sadhakas!

Imagine you just woke up, and so...what is your first thought or act you usually do to start the day auspiciously?
I mean, its sometimes hard for me to get up from bed to start chanting, for example. Its kind of ascetism to get up early and perform spiritual duties for me...;)


I wonder if there are any general tips to overcome this kind of a dumb morning situation ? Any suggestions highly appreciated! Thanks!

Hii

The very first thing the moment i open my eyes is to flash a big huge smile and thank Lord for every kindness that he has bestowed on me and request him to make my day great and be with me the whole day.. Usually that is followed by a huge Har Har Mahadev chant.

Onkara
26 January 2010, 06:06 AM
Namaste
Some suggestions :)
I go to bed thinking good thoughts, sometimes I think of the form or words of God. Perhaps read a few paragraphs of the Bhagavad Gita. I find my thoughts return to these when I wake, during the night and in the morning.

I was listening to Gayatri Mantra last night and woke with the words in my mind.

If I can I sit for a few minutes before leaving the room and facing the day, it helps. Just remembering to do that is a reminder that there is more to life than meeting deadlines or achieving goals and enjoying breakfast.

Nice question and nice answers above :)

yajvan
26 January 2010, 11:57 AM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté Snip (et.al)




... when I wake, during the night and in the morning.
I was listening to Gayatri Mantra last night and woke with the words in my mind.
If I can I sit for a few minutes before leaving the room and facing the day, it helps.
This morning time is a very good time for going within... Here are the 4 junction points of the day , favorable to one's sādhana. The last one is usually by perscription of the teacher only, and used for specific mantra's and/or techniques.

Morning is brahma muhūrta sandhyā - the junction (sandhyā) time (muhūrta~ 48 minutes or 1/30th of the day) of night and morning were creation, (brahma) awakens
Noon for viṣṇu sandhyā ( I find 24 minutes; 12 to 15 min before noon and 12 to 15 min after the 12 noon hour)
Sunset is called maheśvara ( some just say mahesh) sandhyā - this is the muhūrta of 48 min. I use 24 min befire and after suun set, others may differ.
Midnight called kali or turīya sandhyā - turīya is the 4th , or 4th part; kali is 'last' ; kali is considered ther 15th as in tithi's of the moon; kālī is defined as black in color - the black of night. This kālī another name for saturn , śani. praṇām

sanjaya
26 January 2010, 12:16 PM
Unfortunately my first thought is about whether my lab notebook is full enough to satisfy my boss, or some other thing of that nature. Not the most Dharmic thought, I admit, and it's something that I'm working on.

Onkara
26 January 2010, 12:19 PM
Namasté Yajvan Ji
Thank you, that is useful! I will look to mediate at those times.

Edit: Sanjaya, you are not alone :) It is interesting to sit and watch how the mind wants to do everything and anything rather than to remain still in the morning. Perhaps this is indicative of the mind's nature.

Eastern Mind
26 January 2010, 12:51 PM
Vannakkam all: I think I may have told this story before. I can't remember, but I'll tell it again anyway. Its in regard to 'morning' as Yajvanji pointed out. "Morning' can easily be interpreted as dawn, and is, in some scriptures. Of course, it stays reasonably consistent in India.

Here in Canada its another matter. Here on the 54tth parallel N., Dawn ranges from about 3AM to 9AM. Further north it gets worse. In the land of the midnight sun it can stay dark or light for 24 hours, or 3 months straight.

I asked an Islamic colleague how they interpret this for Ramadan, and fasting. (Following the Koran by the book would mean certain death, I presume) He said they go to the times of the nearest metropolis due South.

But I explained it to a Hindu swami. His answer was, "No Hindu in their right mind would live up there anyway."
My apologies if I told this before.

Aum Namasivaya

Onkara
26 January 2010, 12:59 PM
Namaste Eastern Mind
I had to laugh at both your posts today thank you :)

On a more academic level you bring up an important point. Not only do we struggle with cold and heavy eyes in the mornings but dawn changes, as does dusk, and we may find our rutine changes a lot with our spiritual practices. I often admire and wonder at people who wake early, e.g. Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims a like. I wonder at the spirutal rewards which come from it and would be interested to hear personal accounts if any one wishes.

sunyata07
26 January 2010, 01:47 PM
Nice question, KRSNAmusic. I would like to say, I thank God for being alive, but unfortunately this often isn't the case. I tend to save that prayer for the evenings when I've seen another day through.

Sanjaya, you are not alone. My thoughts are usually along similar lines, often from the pressure of having to make sure I have awakened at the right time for me to catch my train to college, or already planning how the day will go in terms of getting work done. That, coupled with Eastern Mind's complaint of long winter evenings and cold, dark mornings. Waking up to the freezing chill is not very inducive for a devotional or meditative state of mind. It's something all of us living well above the equator line are going to have to get around eventually, unless we're happier to reflect in the evenings.

mukunda20
26 January 2010, 03:08 PM
Namaste KRSNAmusic,
In most of the traditional Indian(read hindu) houses, the first thing taught to children as soon as they wake up is to look at their palms held together(not folded like prayer, but kept wide open towards the face) and chant the following sloka.
Kara agre vasathe Lakshmi
Kara madhye Saraswathi
Kara moole sthithe Gowri
prabhathe kara darshanam
Kara means palm
agra means top\first(near fingertips)
madhya means middle
moola means base
prabhath means dawn
so the sloka means,
Lakshmi stays in the top of palm,
Saraswathi stays in the middle,
Gowri stays in the base,
thus the first thing to look(have darshan) is the Palm.
Best Regards,
mukunda