What is Tratak Sadhana? Part 2: The Benefits
Tratak is an advanced technique. Seek the help of a Guru before starting its practise.
This post continues from the prior article on Tratak – click here to read.
The benefits are many
The point of tratak is to ultimately still the mind and use the resulting concentration to access soul power within.
Aside from improved focus, mental acuity and memory, other notable benefits are:
- Precognition. One may experience such heightened levels of perception that your observation skills border on precognition. IE – you can almost read someone’s thoughts or know what they are about to say before they say it. This occurs because the mind is usually attempting to process more information from your 5 senses continuously than is usually possible. Most of the time it must ‘delete’ the majority of this information flowing in and just focus on the relevant details. With the practice of tratak, one starts to delete less and absorb more.
- Influence. Your powers of influence improve as you can no only ‘read’ people better, your added awareness and mental acuity give rise to greater levels of confidence. In combination these two factors allow you to improve your oration abilities, stick to the strength of your convictions and therefore much more easily influence others.
- Siddhis. The advanced practitioner of tratak can reach the stage where their cognitive abilities can access the subtle realms of existence and channel divine power to manifest siddhis (when used in conjunction with mantras); the easiest being clairvoyance, remote vision, psychic communication, etc.
How to Attract Women: Part 4 – Soundarya Lahari Mantra for Marriage
The Soundarya Lahari holds many powerful mantras. Find the mantra to attract a partner here.
This article is the continuation of the How to Attract Women series.
Authored by the hand of God…
The Soundarya Lahari, loosely translating to “Waves of Beauty” is a masterpiece in praise of the Divine Feminine. The piece is said to be authored by Shiva himself and transcribed by Ganesha, in praise of his consort, Parashakti – the Supreme Power.
These secrets were originally provided to Adi Shankaracharya. Through a twist of fate, the Shankaracharya himself contributed a section to the hymn. The lore as to why he wrote a portion is varied but suffice to say, a portion of the original text was lost, requiring him to complete it.
There are many further sources of information on the text, including on Speaking Tree:
…and the source of many powerful mantras
The Soundarya Lahari is an incredibly powerful script. Each verse and couplet is known to have tremendous mantra-shakti.
Interestingly, for a stotra of this size, there is no Phala-sruti – the part of the prayer which describes its attributes and benefits. Instead, one is to take it as an act of pure devotion. In fact, this is actually the key to unlocking its benefits. Once you worship the Divine Feminine in Supreme form, the more pointed questions are: what will you NOT receive and be unable to perform after accessing such a powerful force? The answer is of course: nothing!
The Mantra for Attracting a Partner
Here is the verse to hasten marriage; it allows you to attract a husband or wife.
Note: The translation and transliteration have been borrowed from the fantastic website: http://www.sankaracharya.org/soundarya_lahari.php.
Transliteration:
Verse 5:
“Haris tvam aradhya pranata-jana-saubhagya-jananim
Pura nari bhutva Pura-ripum api ksobham anayat;
Smaro’pi tvam natva rati-nayana-lehyena vapusha
Muninam apyantah prabhavati hi mohaya mahatam.“
(Semi-literal) meaning:
“You who grant all the good things,
To those who bow at your feet,
Was worshipped by the Lord Vishnu,
Who took the pretty lovable feminine form,
And could move the mind of he who burnt the cities,
And make him fall in love with him.
And the God of love , Manmatha,
Took the form which is like nectar,
Drunk by the eyes by Rathi his wife,
After venerating you,
Was able to create passion ,
Even in the mind of the great Sages.”
Important notes on Procedure
Whilst anyone can chant the Soundarya Lahari, they should approach it the appropriate degree of reverence.
There is a significant level of precision required in both pronunciation and procedure. Ideally one should proceed straight from the shower into the prayer room dressed in freshly washed clothes. Light a lamp, then begin chanting as per usual mantra japa.
Learn the pronunciation from one well versed in the mantra, or if that is not possible, listen to the mantra online to learn it. A link will soon be posted to the Listen to Mantras Here page of my blog, accessible by clicking here.
Thoughts on Mantra: Alternative Bija Mantras
Bijas are powerful seeds
Bijas are primordial sounds which channel the creative power of the Gods. They are in themselves siddhi and attraction mantras. Chanting them instantly starts a chain of events that result in the aspirant attracting what he/she wants.
The most two popular mantras within this group are Shreem (to create material abundance) and Kleem (gain the power of attraction – especially of female companionship). Click on each bija mantra to read prior articles on the subjects.
Not just Kleem and Shreem
Many people do not realise that other mantras are actually bijas hidden in plain sight! The most prominent examples are the Panchakshari mantra: Nama Shivaya, the Ashtakshari: Om Namo Narayanaya, and Rama.
These can also be chanted as bijas to gain immediate benefits. All of these particular mantras are powerful purifiers.
What does this mean? It means the clarification of:
- Mind (clarity without confusion, concentration, focus);
- Intellect (positivity, kind and auspicious thoughts);
- Body (a spiritual level cleanliness above physical cleanliness);
- Soul (removes bad karma).
Note that the mind and intellect are considered as two independent processes within the brain in both Freudian and Vedantic methodologies.
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Vashikaran Mantras and the Siddhi of Inception (Part 1)
Can Inception be Performed Using Mantras...?
“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.”, John Lennon
The Concept: Mindbending manipulation!
Most of us have seen the film INCEPTION – the ground-breaking sci-fi thriller. The incredible central concept of the film is that one can implant an idea into a persons mind through careful manipulation of their mental state.
The idea makes for a compelling Hollywood blockbuster, but could ever it be a reality? There are those who practice Tantra who claim that such powers (siddhis) are indeed real and it is possible to manipulate another’s mind if you know the right mantra.
The Science: We use 4% of our brains…
The human mind is a complex and powerful device. It is not even fully understood yet, but science knows that even the most exemplary people use only a small portion of its incredible potential. Estimates put this threshold at 4%.
…mantras maybe engaging the remaining 96%
In this respect, one possible explanation for how mantras work within us – especially in bestowing siddhis – is that reciting certain tones over and over cause new synaptic links to form within the brain, tapping into the other 96% of charted brain matter. This allows a person to function at a supernormal levels of consciousness and manifest siddhis.
The Reality: So can Inception be performed?
Hypnotherapy – the art of drawing a patient into a state of semi-consciousness in which they are highly suggestive – is well known and recognised as a proven method of psychotherapy. Whilst the vast majority of practitioners help those with mental ailments – such as amnesia or trying to overcome a past traumas – there is also a number who specialise in entertainment. They put on shows in which they hypnotise select volunteers within an audience to perform various humorous acts – and in doing so, exercise control over them.
Putting the two concepts together, it is plausible that some part of the brain may allow one to broadcast a powerful suggestive thought that could influence other minds.
But wait – the Twist!
There is of course a critical part of the equation that we have not considered so far – individuals’ free will.
It is well known that hypnotherapy does not always work – even on those patients who willingly submit themselves to undergo hypnosis. Why? Because their minds are strong and cannot be easily swayed by external influence.
The Finale: Siddhi is beyond most people…?
Combining individuals strong will with the idea that it takes real dedication to develop siddhi of ANY mantra – let alone those to allow control – means its highly unlikely that the amateur mantra practitioner could ever successfully perform Vashikaran over another. So I implore those who find so-called ‘mind-control’ mantras through the internet, forums, chatrooms and blogs to not waste their time.
However – let me leave you with a ‘spinning top’ – much like in the finale of the film: mind control may be out of reach, but personality transformation certainly is not. Mantras can certainly be used to improve one’s energy, charisma, magnetism, strength of will, physical appearance and even charm. If you want to be able to ‘make friends and influence people’ – shape your personality and let people make up their own minds about you!
Click here to read the second part of this series featuring mantras
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Get Ahead: Mantras for Investment Banking Professionals
A difficult time
Bankers face a difficult time at the moment. The global economy is under pressure and world is against them!
Banking, in the public’s eyes, has grown into a culture of distrustful, deceitful behaviour based around a never-ending thirst for greed and power. Yet it has also been the backbone of global trade and attracted the best and brightest individuals to strive to better themselves and test their limits. In short we need bankers! But not the negative associations.
This post is not intended to be party to playing the blame game, but will attempt to be part of the solution: to encourage the simultaneous development of character along with ability.
So how can we derive the positive benefits without the negatives?
The solution is surprisingly simple! Pray to Maha Lakshmi!
But isnt Lakshmi the Goddess of Wealth? Surely, bankers are all already rich!
The downturn has undoubtedly highlighted that a culture of excess is prevalent in banking. But wealth should not be equated to just money and greed. The abundance one attracts through the Divine is much greater than just the material kind: Lakshmi is also the Goddess of Virtue and wealth of Character!
More than Money
There are 16 kinds of wealth one can attract through praising the Divine. They are enumerated in a prior post (click here to see it), but they include: Courage and Strength, Morality and Ethics and Higher thinking.
The mantras
The wisdom locked in ancient mantras is relevant even in today’s complex world. Here are a set of mantras that may prove helpful to banking professionals at a time of great uncertainty and difficulty:
- Ganesha Gayatri – click here. For foresight to aid us in understanding the longer term repercussions of our actions than the short term effects.
- Lakshmi Gayatri – click here, or simply Shreem. Invoke Lakshmi to grant you the character required to acquire and sustain wealth.
- Narayana Gayatri, or simply: Rama. Why praise Vishnu as Narayana or Rama too? In the opening verses of the Vishnu Sahasranama, Vishnu is extolled as the King of Dharma (righteous conduct and behaviour). Such valour and knowledge of what’s right and wrong is a natural complement and pre-requisite to wealth accumulation. In his incarnation as Rama, he established a powerful precedent of how the ideal King (or any person of significant responsibility) should behave – in virtually every test. Understanding this by meditating on the name of Rama is therefore also an excellent method of character development.
Navaratri 2011: Fill yourself with Divine Inspiration!
Our lives are blocks of marble waiting to be sculpted into perfection...learn how from Saraswathi!
Navaratri Day 7/8
We are now into the final two/three days/nights of Navaratri, depending on one’s calendar, and our thoughts now turn to Saraswathi, the Goddess of Speech, the Arts and Literature.
It is funny that the most popular poojas and havans or yagnyas within Hindu communities are those to Ganesha (to remove obstacles toward an achievement, goal or event) and Lakshmi (for attracting wealth), yet little thought is given to Saraswathi Devi. Where does the inspiration come from for business? Who guides you through an interview to land that dream job? Where does creative inspiration come from? Nowhere but the great Saraswathi.
Society may have it all wrong…!
Michaelangelo: guided by the hand of God
There is a tremendously inspiring story of what happened at the unveiling of the statue of David, by Michaelangelo. For those who aren’t familiar with the statue of David, it is an 17 foot tall sculpture of a scene from the Christian Bible. David is the one who slew Goliath with nothing but his wits and his slingshot.
Michaelangelo carved the statue from a single piece of marble over a period of 4 years. When it was unveiled, the crowd was silent with wonder. Some cried tears of joy at such a profound vision.
They asked him: “How did you carve something so beautiful from just one piece of marble?”
The master sculpture replied: “David was already in there…I just chipped away the excess!”
Mastery of the Creative Spirit
It is difficult to believe something so incredible is the work of a mere man. Some believe Michaelangelo’s work was guided by the hand of God. This is the key to understanding the power of Goddess Saraswathi. Worship her to gain mastery over all studious pursuits, creative arts and skills.
An article with mantras to Saraswathi can be found on a prior post by clicking here.
Navaratri 2011: Make your Life Shine! Worship Surya through Gayatri
Illuminate your Life - pray to the Sun
Sun worship is not primitive
Sun worship is as old as time. From the very origins of mankind, people realised that the Sun is the controlling and sustaining principal on planet Earth.
Worshipping the Sun is by no means a primitive technology. The Sun emits a multitude of rays; some seen, but the majority of which lie well beyond the visual spectrum of humans – beyond infrared and ultraviolet.
More than light
Beyond these still are the spiritual rays of illumination emitted by the being powering the sun itself. Although this is a crude metaphor, the point is the Sun embodies the very spirit of the Paramatma (The Supreme Soul).
How so? To understand this, we must ask – what is Godliness? Giving and never taking back, unconditionally nourishing and lighting the path for all of us perhaps? Is that not exactly what the Sun does daily for us?
Let us give thanks
The deity behind the Solar disc has many levels of interaction with humans. We have already covered the physical attributes (warms our bodies and the earth plane, lights our path during the day, illuminates our night by reflection off the moon etc) and the highest level (Paramatma) , but there are many gradients in between.
In puranic lore, and indeed the Mahabharata, the Sun appears as one of the Devas. In the Ramayana interestingly, He is worshipped as so much more! One can search the term ‘Aditya Hrudayam’ to read about, hear and understand the prayer that Rishi Agastya initiated Rama into to help him bring the battle with Ravana to a gripping finalé. I would recommend this site: http://www.agasthiar.org/a/ah.htm (click here to access).
Drink in the attributes of the Sun!
The Gayatri Maha Mantra is the supreme salutation of the Sun. It is said that one who fully understands the 24 syllables of the Gayatri mantra is on par with the Brahmarishis (The highest classification of Rishi, or holy person, in Hindu cosmology).
One such attribute is the ability to shine. Not just in physical terms (although this is also possible as one of the siddhis of the Gayatri Maha Mantra is to control prana and cause a physical glow or tejas to appear around oneself), but also in terms of your speech, actions and thought.
Navaratri is the ideal time to start chanting the Gayatri
The essence, embodiment and energy or shakti (power) behind the Gayatri Maha Mantra is the Goddess Gayatri. Worshipping the Divine Feminine over Navaratri is conducive to multiples of mantra japa over any other part of the year.
Give yourself this gift and start chanting today!
Navaratri 2011: Take the Mantra Challenge!
Don't miss the Golden Opportunity that is Navaratri to chant mantras!
Night 5/6 of Navaratri
Navaratri is quickly progressing! Use this golden time to gain the grace of the Divine Feminine or Devi!
Laghu Anusthan is the preferable method
A popular sadhana (undertaking of religious practices for a fixed period) is to chant a number of malas (rosaries’) of a given mantra over the 9 days of Navaratri. 27 malas (or 108×27) over 9 days is considered a short form of sadhana (called a laghu anusthan – find out more by clicking here).
Whilst the time for the full 9 day sadhana has passed, the period of Navaratri is so powerful that the Devi will give you the partial benefit without observing such a strict regime.
The 40 day challenge awaits YOU!
Let’s go one step further – I challenge everyone reading this post who are interested to take part in a small challenge. This is particularly useful for those people that either felt that they have no time to embark on such a journey, those that feel that the conditions of sadhana are too strict, and those that just dont know how!
Step 1: Choose a mantra
Step 2: Estimate how much time/how many times you can chant this mantra DAILY – not once a week or a month. The routine must be daily and without break.
Step 3: HALVE the number that you decided above. Why? Let’s be realistic and avoid excuses!
Step 4: Begin IMMEDIATELY!
Fine print: OK, so there’s no such thing as a free lunch! Forgive me for inserting this clause into the ‘contract’ above, but please add this one thing to your sadhana: Pray for those that are struggling to even start, to find a way!
Act now!
Start chanting NOW to see dramatic and miraculous positive changes in your life! Life does not wait, does not inform you of what’s around the corner and does not consult you before changes are made. Neither should you.
What to chant?
Three key mantras were given in my prior post (click here to see it) – but again, lets not use this as an excuse to not start. Chant ANY mantra you choose, any number of times for significant and immediate benefits! Just be regular, sincere and focused in your prayer and the Devi will take care of the rest!
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The Power of Dreams: Part 1 – The Dream Drive
Where have your dreams gone?
What motivates us?
What motivates a person? Love/hate, pain/pleasure, future gains and past failures? Perhaps all of the above, but what has always struck me is the incredible power of a persons dreams in motivating change, often within ourselves, and bringing out the greatest personal achievements and deepest changes in society.
The Power of Dreams
Dreams are powerful constructs of the human mind. Psychologists say dreams manifest subconscious longings and desires, help resolve emotional traumas and defeat our internal demons.
No matter how creative the individual in their daily pastimes, untethered from the realities of day to day living, the human mind is capable of establishing incredible visions and fresh priorities well beyond the normal conception of a waking man or woman.
Beyond the mundane, great historical figures have often seen a brighter, more promising and better future. When such noble dreams are unleashed on the world, it steps back and must take notice – such as powerful speech of Dr Martin Luther King in presenting his universal views of equalities and peace between people of all races. In others, such as Mahatma Gandhi, it can enact great social change and sow the seeds toward toppling entire empires.
Returning our lives to the Dreamworld
Whatever the rhyme or reason for our dreams, they are undoubtedly powerful. It is every person’s right to attempt to live our their noble dreams. Oftentimes we struggle to gain traction in our efforts to move toward our dreams. We become stuck in daily routines and a slow grind to make ends meet.
How do we break out of such a rut and recapture the enthusiasm, dynamism and optimism of our youth? It is arguable that Will Power, Creativity, Leadership and Energy are the necessary pre-requisites. This article series will investigate all the above and the mantra yoga necessary to manifest such abilities within oneself.
But it all starts with a vision – a Dream.
The Dream Drive
A powerful method of visualisation that I have had personal success with in this modern, computer-led society is to use the Dream Drive, Dream Folder or Dream Drawer.
The method is simple, yet incredibly effective. In an environment where we spend most of our lives in from of a computer screen, this forms an ideal technique to break out of an unhealthy routine and refocus on what our core needs are.
There is only step: Create a new folder somewhere on your computer drive, desktop, inbox, or in your actual desk draw and fill it with your dreams! I’ll describe in more detail assuming you will be creating a folder on your computer desktop. In essence, you want to:
- Run through a list of every area of your life you want to change, are unsatisfied with, or have specific goals for
- and find a picture, a quote, a file, a newspaper clipping – anything that has deep personal meaning and resonates emotionally
- and place it in the drive.
- An example is: I have always wanted to drive a sports car. I will then find clippings of my favourite cars. Money should be no limitation when choosing your ideals! I’d rip out pages from magazines with adverts, print pictures from the net and take photos of cars that you spot on the street that match your specifications, then place them in the folder.
Why is this so important? Why not just make a list? The point is ultimately to bring your thoughts, your emotions and all of your senses in line with what you want. Choose objects that are important to you that bring out the feelings you’d feel when you think about having that car, or house, or anything else that you are aiming for.
Every day, look through your folder, examining each item in turn. Day by day you will feel a gradual transformation take place in your thought patterns –
- Your subconscious mind will begin to find ways to help you reach your goal
- You will become much more motivated toward reaching the goal
- You will move far beyond what you thought your capabilities were in your efforts to achieve this goal
More than Self Management: Divinise your Goals
Now the steps above should help you form a solid foundation to develop clarity and hunger to improving many aspects of your material life where you feel you are lacking.
What if this is taken to the next level? What if you set goals for the betterment of others, your own spiritual development or charity? You divinise your goal: your ego is sacrificed; your goals take a higher purpose and you attract divine aid. In streams of Vedanta, setting unselfish, higher goals are the milestones on the path to the divine.
In the next few articles we will address the mantras related to the other pre-requisites (Will Power, Creativity, Leadership and Energy) to help you toward achieving your dreams.
How to Detox with Mantra (3/3)
This is the third and final part of a multi-post article; click here for the first part. Click here for the second part.
Are you ready for Mantra Detox?
Mantra Detox! Part Trois.
In my prior posts on performing a spiritual detox with mantras, we established a theoretical framework as:
- Increase discipline and curb one’s desire for excess;
- Burn negative karma;
- Build character and Bhakti.
The first step was covered in the prior post as pursuing the blessings of Ganesha and Rama; the second was to pray to your chosen deity, or alternatively, use the Gayatri mantra to effect a karma burn.
Building character and Bhakti
What is Bhakti? Many have written excellent articles and deep theses on such a broad topic. For the purposes for simplicity, we can take it to mean spiritual devotion. How is this developed? One can say that Bhakti is the third step of spritual advancement; the prior two being intellectual introspection and study (Jnana), and physical preparation (the well known concept of Yoga).
One method I have previously highlighted is prayer to the ultimate Bhakta – Hanuman (click here). To flesh out the detail, however, a classical point of reference is the 11 point step-by-step method revealed by Sri Ramanuja, the well-known Rishi, outlined below:
- Abhyasa or practice of continuous thinking of God;
- Viveka or discrimination;
- Vimoka or freedom from everything else and longing for God;
- Satyam or truthfulness;
- Arjavam or straightforwardness;
- Kriya or doing good to others;
- Kalyana or wishing well-being to all;
- Daya or compassion;
- Ahimsa or non-injury;
- Dana or charity; and
- Anavasada or cheerfulness and optimism.
Each step is a vast ocean of explanation unto itself; for the purposes of brevity, I will leave the reader to pursue his/her own research.
Mantras for Effecting the Transformation of Character
Character is one again Hanuman’s strong point (click here for prior post). There are other options, however, for example through the grace of Lakshmi. Lakshmi is a goddess traditionally associated with material wealth. Yet wealth does not stop at materiality; it subtends far further into the wealth of knowledge, wisdom, ability and of course, wealth of character. For what is the worth of wealth without the wisdom to spend it?
In a prior post, the Shreem mantra was proposed as a powerful method of attracting abundance through the grace of Lakshmi. One further method is the Lakshmi Gayatri; see my post here for the details.
With these broad strokes one should be able to establish a firm foundation for development along the spiritual path once the poison of prior negative karmas and old useless thought patterns are shed.
Future posts will aim to elaborate on these points in more detail.
Comments and feedback are welcome. Follow me on Twitter @MantraYogi.
The Original Mantra: the Pranava - OM
Swami Mantra Yogi 