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.
Vashikaran Mantras and the Siddhi of Inception (Part 2)
Magnetise your personality to attract friends and influence people through mantra
Ignore the hype, here’s the review
In the first part of the series, we looked at the potential for inception through mantra. You can read the first part by clicking here if you did not have a chance to do so already, or wish to refresh your memory on the debate.
The general conclusion of the post was that having a limited degree of mental control over someone is possible – as clearly demonstrated by the practice of hypnotherapy – but doing so through mantra is highly unlikely, even if you had a ‘genuine’ mantra and attained siddhi (perfected the technique) due to the presence of individuals’ free will.
The Sequel!
A more interesting and plausible idea is that anyone can influence those around them in a positive manner through a personality transformation.
What does this mean? The answer is simple and within everyone’s frame of reference. Haven’t we all met a person in our lives who was so charismatic, who held everyone’s attention perfectly, who spoke beautifully, articulately and intelligently to captivate an audience? I am sure we all know someone like this – be it our favourite school teacher, a great spiritual Master, or great political/military leader. Why can’t we be more like our role models?
A new story: change yourself to change the world
In this regard, the answer is: there is no reason why we cannot. The idea of ‘leading from the front’ – ie by example – is an age-old concept. If you can think of no other, one example is known to all – the great Mahatma Gandhi, who led India out of British Rule by setting a firm and clear example of non-violent protest through his own actions.
The methods of how we can change ourselves through mantra are outlined below.
Mantra transformation
One can affect a great transformation – spiritual and otherwise through the use of mantra. Chanting certain mantras can have a deep conscious and sub-conscious effect on our psyche to enact incremental positive changes which over time build up and transform us completely.
The transformations considered are: character, speech, mental strength and action. These four concepts are the cornerstones of great personalities.
Here are the mantras to gain such benefits:
- Character: Worship Hanuman and Rama to understand and become the ideal personality. Click here to read my prior articles on improving one’s character and another article on writing Rama nama.
- Speech: Worship Saraswathy to master the art of articulation – click hear to see a powerful mantra.
- Mental Strength: Worship Ganesha and Narasimha to improve mental control and increase determination to achieve anything. Click to see Ganesha’s gayatri mantra and here to see the Narasimha Gayatri.
- Action: Thoughts are meaningless within firm action to drive them into reality. Click here to read a post on worshipping Skanda.
Those who are serious and wish to undergo a full effective change in their personalities should attempt at least an anusthan of each mantra to see real differences.
Click here to read the first article in the series on Vashikaran mantras if you missed it.
Follow me on Twitter: @MantraYogi
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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Vishnu Gayatri Mantra
Command respect and authority by worshipping Narayana!
Transliteration:
“Om NArayanAya Vidhmahe,
VasudEvaya DhImahi
TannO VishnU PrachOdayAth.“
(Semi-literal) Translation:
“We know the Abode of Man,
We meditate on the Son of Vasudeva,
May The All-Pervading One enlighten us”
Purpose:
- Gain respect and authority; leadership and management abilities
- Character and wealth
- A strong sense of right conduct (Dharma) and diplomacy
Worship Vishnu to develop Leadership
Vishnu is the grand Manager of the Universe – the CEO if you will! Worshipping Vishnu through the Gayatri above will help one ‘lead from the front’. First, it will establish a strong intuition of strategy, the correct way of doing things and more fundamentally, a clear cut understanding of what is right and wrong. Second, the improvement of one’s character in this regard will shine for others to see and they will automatically fall in line to your leadership.
One should also worship Vishnu to regain control of one’s life, develop a strong sense of inner direction and improve your diplomacy in dealing with others in a fair and just manner.
Follow me on Twitter: @MantraYogi
Narasimha Gayatri Mantra
Eliminate the evil of others with prayers to Narasimha!
Transliteration:
“Om VajranakhAya vidmahe
TIksnadamstrAya dhimahi
Tanno Narasimhah PracodhayAt“
(Semi-literal) Translation:
“We know the one with diamond nails,
We meditate on the sharp-toothed,
May Narasimha enlighten us”
Purpose:
- Defeat enemies
- Protection from attack – this is a powerful counter in times of grave personal danger
- Increases your courage and bravery in the face of adversity
- Nullifies the effect of evil deeds by your enemies
A powerful force against the evil deeds of others
There comes a time in everyone’s life where others wish you harm or misfortune. The worship of Narasimha and invoking his grace at times of distress – particularly during physical attack can have great power against such people.
In more practical and sattvik terms, you can consider the mantra to nullify the ill wills of others and steadily remove their feelings of enmity toward you.
Follow me on Twitter @ MantraYogi.
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.
How to Detox with Mantra (2/3)
This is the second part of a multi-post article; click here for the first part.
Are you ready to Detox with Mantras?
Mantra Detox! Part Deux.
In my prior post 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.
Burning Karma – the root cause of pre-destiny
For the second step, we look into how to remove the burden of Karma. Karma is a well known concept in both the Eastern and Western schools of thought. In the east, its specified as the multi-birth repercussions of actions in your past lives. In the West, it can be simplified to: “what goes around, comes around”.
Why is this important? An enlightened master once told me that bad karma puts you on the downward slope toward difficulty and pain. Your positive actions and willpower can help you resist gravity and prevent yourself from rolling down the hill; but it takes twice as much effort to move up the hill. In essence, removing the burden of negative karma, puts you back on a level playing ground to allow you to freely move toward your personal goals.
So let’s deal with it! Broadly speaking, one may say any good deed helps you burn karma (this idea is loosely what is known as Karma Yoga). An equally effective technology is Japa Yoga – the practise of chanting mantra – which we will deal with here.
Mantras to burn Karma
The process in itself is simple: choose a mantra and burn that Karma! The grace of any deity will ultimately allow you to achieve this. But some mantras are more effective than others for the simple reason that some deities are more powerful than others and some mantras are more powerful than others.
In this context, why not aim for the best? The two most powerful mantras from the Veda are the Gayatri Maha Mantra and the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra. Their workings and meanings are complex, but suffice to say, they are well known to be the most universal and power means of destroying negative karma.
Reams have been written on both – a quick internet search will yield the methods, pronunciation and some beautiful commentaries. I will be summarising these soon in later posts.
Next article: Stage 3 – (Re)-building Character and Instilling Bhakti !
Until then, comments and feedback are welcome. Follow me on Twitter @MantraYogi.
The Original Mantra: the Pranava - OM
Swami Mantra Yogi 