Sticking to one Mantra, no matter what!

[WTyler]

I know there is a thread in the forum regarding sticking to one deity, well I have a similar question about mantra.

I feel that spiritually and philosophically, I am attracted to the teaching of Krishna and Ram. The Ramayana resonates with me tremendously and so does the divine love of Krishna and Radha. Just looking at their picture I can feel my heart swell. I open up the Gita to any page and it is pure poetry to my heart.

Though when I do Krishna mantra's..my tongue feels heavy and it's hard to maintain.

Likewise, I own a beautiful sandstone Ganesh murti that was given to me by my girlfriend.

I cherish it tremendously, I meditate in front of it and I find that Ganesha-ji's mantras flow so well with me. I can say them repeatedly and get caught up in them a lot easier than I can with the mantra's of Sri Krishna. It's astonishing, really.

Sometimes I do both of their mantra's but I always feel as if I am getting more from Ganesh japa, and I really would love to just find one mantra that will suit me.

Though, I don't want to not chant to my beautiful Krishna. I still need to honor him..but ah, Ganesh mantra vibes with me so well.

I know Ganesh is always worshipped first, maybe this is just how my spiritual evolution must work. Once I get established in Ganesh mantra, perhaps Krishna mantra will flow just as well?

[Onkara]

Namasté WTyler
One little suggestion would be that you could try to approach the mantra as syllables, concentrating slowly on each syllable and its meaning until you feel you can japa at a more natural speed.

One Krishna mantra which I find beautiful is the Ashtakshar Mantra:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1iCt99Epyg&feature=related


http://www.pushtikul.com/pushti_parimal/description_of_ashtakshar_mantra.htm

Keep feeling the love :)

[yajvan]

　
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté

the wise inform us , we only dig one well, this is how we strike water.
Now this applies to bīja mantram̐ we use to transcend vs. a general prayer or introduction or invocation.


We want the sound vibration to become established in us. In the ved, we invite agni to become established in us. We wish for the Divine to make its home within our awareness, our heart (hṛdaya = heart = code word for consciousness, the ~center~).

What is needed is the proper application and puraścaraṇa¹ for siddhi ( sidh = to turn out well i.e. success). This is the value of teacher-student ( guru-śiṣya ) relationship, as the guru brings the knowledge of the paramparā (tradition, lineage) to use in the proper mantra application.

There is a rule of thumb that suggests repetitions depend on the number of akṣara (syllables or phonemes) the mantra contains.
Pending the number, 1 lac (lakśa लक्ष; 1 lac =100,000) is counted for each akṣara and the total count = the total repetitions that bring siddhi (sidh= to attain or success).

That is why the proper mantra format is of great value. The correct akṣara is considered from the saṁskṛt akṣara format not an interpretation. This has nothing to do with meaning of the mantra but its saṁskṛt (some like to write sanscrit) akṣara count.

Now are there caveats and different approaches ? Absolutely. This then becomes advanced conversations that may only bring confusion or debate to the conversation. Yet for the advanced aspirant the discussion becomes one of suitability to the native that is doing the jāpa¹ (or ajāpa).

One approach called akathāḥ cakara, considers 4x4 ( or 4²) general categories and is considered a 'test' method for mantra suitability. Here are the 4 components:

siddha सिद्ध- accomplished , fulfilled , effected , gained , acquired
sadhya साध्य- to be subdued or mastered or won or managed , conquerable , amenable
susiddha सुसिद्ध- well cooked; very efficacious ; containing power
ari अरि- hostile, below ( less then desirable) There are several other methods. Now what supersedes all this testing? The competent instructor, guru, etc.

praṇām

words

puraścaraṇa = pura +ścara +ṇa - to come near, approach, the abode of ṇa. This ṇa is a name for śiva , a name for nirvṛti which is emancipation = nir-vāṇa.
jāpa - muttering, wispering; ajāpa this muttering is done internally, no veral movement of the lips; within the mind.

[WTyler]

So Yajvan,

Are you suggesting I find a teacher?

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté


So Yajvan,
Are you suggesting I find a teacher?

If this can be accomplished, yes.

praṇām

[WTyler]

Unfortunately it cannot. There are no temples or ashrams in Mississippi, there is only one, which is hours away.

Are you saying a guru/teacher is needed to bestow a mantra upon me? Or to just ensure I am getting the pronunciations correctly?

I still need to know how to choose which deity to chant towards during my meditations. Or are you implying I need to seek a guru to get that answer too?...

[Eastern Mind]

Unfortunately it cannot. There are no temples or ashrams in Mississippi, there is only one, which is hours away.


Vannakkam: Sorry for the hijack. Is this the temple just northeast of Jackson. I want to go there one day soon. Have you been?

Aum Namasivaya

[WTyler]

Ah yes EM! I am unfortunately located on the MS Gulf coast, I go to college though 2-3 hours away form Jackson.

It's beautiful! I have seen many pictures and videos online but have yet to go. I really would like to go there one day too, where are you located?

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté



Are you saying a guru/teacher is needed to bestow a mantra upon me? Or to just ensure I am getting the pronunciations correctly?

I still need to know how to choose which deity to chant towards during my meditations. Or are you implying I need to seek a guru to get that answer too?...

I am saying well begun is half-done. Let me offer you what my teacher's teacher said:

To get a human body is a rare thing, make use of it. There are 4 million kinds of lifes which a soul ( ātman) can gather. After that one gets a chance to be human, to get a human body. Therefore, one should not waste this chance.
Every second in human life is valuable. If you don’t value this, then you have nothing in hand and you will weep in the end. Because you are human, God has given you power to think and decide what is good and bad.

Therefore, you can do the best possible kind of action. You should never consider yourself weak or a fallen creature. Whatever may have happened up till now may be because you didn’t know, but now be careful... after getting a human body, if you don’t reach God, then you have sold a diamond at the price of spinach ...
Svāmī brahmānanda sarasvatī the Śaṅkarācārya of jyotirmath (held this position from 1941-1953)

Choose as you see fit.

praṇām

[WTyler]

Though that quote would be implying that I am not seeking to reach God, which I am. No?

What should one do with out the guidance of a guru? Also, I believe this is steering away from the topic at hand--should one venerate more than one deity? My heart is set with one figure but it seems as if I get more bliss from the mantra of another.

I agree that guidance is very important, though, I am working with I have now--a forum, books, a mala, and this laptop.

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté Wtyler


Though that quote would be implying that I am not seeking to reach God, which I am. No?

What should one do with out the guidance of a guru? Also, I believe this is steering away from the topic at hand--should one venerate more than one deity? My heart is set with one figure but it seems as if I get more bliss from the mantra of another.

I agree that guidance is very important, though, I am working with I have now--a forum, books, a mala, and this laptop.

Please be assured I am not implying or questioning your intent. I have also suggested we only dig one well ( this is in the post above). You may think, yajvan you are talking about bīja mantram̐ not about a deity... Dearest Wtyler, they are one and the same.

The direction from my teacher's teacher is this... If your path is of great import, of the highest concern, we find the time to drive, go, and pursue right knowledge. This is the pursuit over convenience.

Choose as you see fit, say the wise.

praṇām

[WTyler]

Blessings, Yajvan.

Thank you for your support along my path. You are a very helpful member of this forum, and I am talking for many, not only myself.

Brother, I just have it in my heart to worship, yet I have no master to bestow a mantra upon me. Though, I have already explained that.

Thank you again for your guidance,

Pranam.

[sunyata07]

Namaste everyone,

It's interesting to note that WTyler finds it easier to recite Ganesha's mantra. When I first began this path seriously, I found this to be the same - something about the metre and the sounds coming from the syllables that make up Ganesha's mantra seemed much easier to connect with. The Shiva mantra on the other hand took some time getting used to saying aloud.

I have a question related to what WTyler was asking. Would it be considered dangerous or harmful for someone to continue rigidly sticking to a mantra that did not sit right with them? This is assuming they don't have the guidance of a teacher.

Om namah Shivaya