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 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.
How to Learn the Divine Art of Speech
Powerful speech is the mark of a true leader
Tongue-tied? Speechless? Inarticulate? On the tip of your tongue?
How is it that some of us are excellent at expression through spoken word, writing, pictures, art, music, drama yet others struggle to string a sentence together?
Simplistically, these frustrating problems are symptomatic of two issues: (1) a lack of confidence; (2) a lack of skill in articulating oneself. Physical ailments may also be present – for which medical advice should be sought, but let’s deal with the former two points here.
Boosting Confidence
I have already covered confidence in a prior post (click here to see the article).
Divine Speech Therapy
If repetition is the mother of skill, it can be said that the Hindus believe the Mother of creative skill is The Goddess Saraswathi. Ancient references to Saraswathi begin in scripture, mostly of the Saraswathi river, which once flowed through the Indus Valley, but then increasingly to Saraswathi as Vaak Devi (The Goddess of Speech).
Oral tradition was the primary method of knowledge transfer and presentation for the Ancient Hindus; hence, before writing, there was speech. To gain proficiency in speech, and the Arts in general, one prayed to Saraswathi.
There are two straightforward mantras I would highlight; the first is below.
Transliteration
“Saraswathi Namasthubyam
Varade Kamaroopini
Vidya Aarambam Karishyami
Siddhir Bhavatume Sada”
Translation
I prostrate myself before Saraswathi,
Invite the form of everything I desire to bless me,
May I attain proficiency as I start my studies.
The second is the Gayatri Mantra – the most popular, powerful and sacred of all Vedic mantras. Chanting the Gayatri specifically gains the blessings of Saraswathi, amongst other deities.
The Gayatri Mantra is an ocean unto itself, and I will leave the reader to find other sources to learn more.
Please feel free to leave comments and feedback or follow me on Twitter @MantraYogi
How to Detox with Mantra (1/3)
Are you ready for Mantra Detox?
Material abundance is not a bad thing…but can easily be abused.
It is undoubted we live in a culture of excess. In the Western world, food, drink, drugs and material possessions are frequently consumed to the point of personal harm. Moreover, the exposure of youngsters and youth to such excess is increasing while role models are clearly lacking.
This is nothing new and I will save you the sermon! But the effect is clear. Consumption in excess causes our self-discipline to wane, selfishness to increase and ultimately causes us to wander from the spiritual path.
Mantra Detox!
For those who want to step back, regain some control over their lives and reduce the excess, I first propose a detox!
What is detox? It is the process of lowering the toxicity of one’s blood through: (1) preventing yourself from introducing more toxins into your system; (2) removing the remaining toxins; (3) introducing positive agents to nourish and strengthen you.
The spiritual aspirant can follow a similar path: (1) increase discipline and curb one’s desire for excess; (2) burn negative karma; (3) build character and Bhakti.
Stage 1 will be addressed in this article; stage 2 and 3 will follow in later posts.
Discipline is freedom
Discipline has many negative connotations in the West, such as tying oneself down to a routine, lacking creativity, and perhaps harsh judgement or treatment for those who cannot conform. However, for those that practise it, (borrowing heavily from Tony Robbins at this point…!) discipline is freedom: it means that when you tell yourself to do something, you have the focus and drive to get it done!
How to we improve our discipline? After millennia of contemplation, the Rishis (Seers, or more broadly, spiritual teachers) have instructed us that stilling our minds is the key first step.
Let’s keep this simple. Ganesha, the Lord of beginnings and the Mind addresses both requirements neatly. Why? Simplistically, Ganesha’s vahana (mount or vehicle) is a rodent. A rodent is fast, unruly, mischievous and difficult to catch – this is a strong metaphor for the human mind. Worship of Ganesha, who has mounted the rodent, is mastery of the mind. See other articles on the symbolism behind the worship of Ganesha and a mantra here. Once the mind is under control, your willpower increases and discipline improves.
What would Jesus do? What would Rama do?
Have you ever seen anyone wearing a bracelet which has the letters: “WWJD?” inscribed on it? I found out a while back that this means: “What Would Jesus Do?”. The point being, whenever one is unsure, seeing the words on your wrist lead you to look to the life of inspirational spiritual teacher for guidance. I am sure that this incredible technology can be used by everyone – not just those of the Christian faith.
So how would one apply such a concept to the Hindu faith? Rama and Hanuman present excellent choices. Whilst Rama is widely recognised by most Hindus to be the Avatar of Vishnu, more generally, he can also be appreciated as the perfect man who followed the idea of Dharma (right conduct) to the letter and embodied its spirit, judging by the way he dealt with ever more difficult decisions throughout the epic Ramayana. Hanuman, in being the greatest bhakta (devotee) of Rama, symbolises the spiritual aspirant in all of us, striving for such perfection. Praying to Hanuman helps us to have the courage to do what we known deep inside is the right thing, and the perfect complement to the worship of Ganesha to this degree. I have just posted a mantra for Hanuman here.
Next article: Stage 2 – Burning Karma!
Until then, comments and feedback are welcome. Follow me on Twitter @MantraYogi.
The Shreem Mantra
Transliteration:
“Shreem“
(Semi-literal) Translation:
None. Shreem is a Bija mantra.
Purpose:
- Attraction of wealth
- Attraction of abundance.
- Dr. Pillai, formerly Dattatreya Sivababa, has some excellent YouTube videos on the topic.
- You can take his video introductions as an effective upadesh (ie Guru initiation into the mantra).
The Kleem Mantra
Transliteration:
“Kleem“
(Semi-literal) Translation:
None. Kleem is a Bija mantra.
Purpose:
- Attraction of female company.
- That’s right, it brings girls to your door!
Say what now…?!
I believe some explanation is sorely needed on what is likely to prove a popular topic!
The Kleem mantra is a Bija mantra – ie a primal sound which taps into the very essence of the universe to function as a mantra all in itself. Each Bija mantra typically corresponds to a singular deity. Unsurprisingly, this mantra is the essence of the God of Love, Kamadeva (literal translation) and incidentally the great Avatar of Vishnu, Sri Krishna Himself.
How it works
The Kleem mantra basically aligns your energy/spirit/aura/prana with those of females that already like you. Initially, it will not be able to change the minds of others. However, once mantra siddhi is achieved, it is said that one can attract anything in the universe with the mantra.
How to use it
Just repeat the word. The usual target count is 10,008 – preferably in a single sitting. Given the brevity of the sound, it is not too tough to complete a set within a 2-3 hours.
The practice of tratak is a great complement to this mantra, for those of you in the know. It is an advanced technique explained here.
Need to know more? Read about the Kamadeva Mantra here >>
Footnotes:
- Dr. Pillai, formerly Dattatreya Sivababa, has some excellent YouTube videos on the topic.
- You can take his video introductions as an effective upadesh (ie Guru initiation into the mantra).
Why Worship Ganesha?
Ganesha - Always the first deity to be worshipped before any new endeavor
Ganesha is always first
Ganesha is the Elephant headed God in Hinduism. There are many explanations for the significance of his form. Such as here.
Ganesha is a very popular deity not least because he is the first to be worshipped when embarking on new ventures or journeys to ensure a smooth launch or passage.
In essence, the benefits to worshipping Ganesha are to remove obstacles. There are many times in life when we find ourselves with a seemingly insurmountable obstacle in our path. Other benefits are improved discipline, memory and greater foresight to name a few.
He is also the Lord of Siddhis. Intense worship of Ganesha places one on the path to achieving supernatural powers.
Examples of mantras are his Gayatri mantra and his bija mantra.
I would greatly recommend beginners focus their efforts on the following sloka instead of heafing straight into the mantra.
“Gajananam Bhoota Ganadi Sevitam,
Kapittha Jambo phalasara bhakshitam
Umasutam Shoka Vinasha karanam
Namami Vighneswara pada pangajam”
A meaning is provided here.
The sloka gains you the grace of Ganesha and once siddhi of the mantra is gained it reminds you of anything you have forgotten – like an instant memory tonic! It provides a fantastic taste of the things to come on the path to mantra mastery.
More to follow later.
Power Transfer Between Guru and Student
Why learn a mantra direct from a Guru?
There are two types of reasons – philosophical and practical. This post deals with one of the philosophical reasons – Power Transfer. This is a powerful technology that allowed the ancient Rishis to transfer the fruit of their labours in gaining mantra siddhi and developing their own yogic powers over to their students.
The best way to describe the nature of the Power Transfer technology is through a simple metaphor:
Two men walk into a bank one day. One is a rich oil baron and the other, a blue collar factory worker. They both wish to open accounts for their sons to begin to put aside some cash for their respective college tuition fees for when the time comes.
The rich man, who spent years perfecting his business methods and grew his empire over time puts in one million dollars as the opening balance. In all likelihood, his son will not only be able to afford tuition but also live comfortably while away at college. He hopes that his son may also invest some of the money in the stock market and grow it, or perhaps give some away to charitable causes.
The worker starts his sons account with a starting balance of one hundred dollars. He hopes that he will be able to add more as time goes by and with a bit of luck, the interest may help eventually grow the balance to allow his son to at least pay part of his way through college. Perhaps his son may have to get a job and save some money himself to make ends meet.
Now whose son do you think will have a better chance? It is obvious it is the rich man’s son. The large initial balance will have give his boy a clear head start.
The process of sadhana – the path to achieving success with a mantra – is very similar. If you learn a mantra from a guru, they transfer some of their power to you to give you a head start in your sadhana. While learning a mantra without a guru is still likely to be effective, you are unnecessarily disadvantaging yourself by ignoring the fast track to reach your destination!
How Do I Get Started with a Mantra?
There a series of very simple steps to get you started:
1. Choose a mantra. Usually selection stems from your specific needs (eg. If I needed more money I’d choose a money-attracting mantra), or through devotion (eg. I choose a mantra to worship my favourite deity, or one with the anthropomorphic attribute I wished to cultivate within myself).
2. Learn it…properly! Either direct from a guru or YouTube or a book – but make sure you get the exact correct pronunciation and intonation.
3. Pick an auspicious starting date..if you can. Depending on the goal and the target deity of the mantra, you can try and make your start as auspicious as possibly by beginning your chant on the right day – you can easily google which days are most auspicious for which practices and deities. Eprarthana.com maintains a free Panchang (Hindu Calendar) to help you work this out. Alternatively, download an App. If you don’t get what I’m talking about, then just start on the next convenient day. There is an old adage to prevent procrastination – “Today is always the Most Auspicious Day!”.
4. Start chanting! Pick a time and place to chant the mantra at least a few times. Aim to chant it a specific number of times. There are reasons for this, but 108x is the usual minimum if you want to see the effects quickly. If you’re a seasoned pro or a seriously enthusiastic beginner, go for 1,008x. Most beginners however will look to start with 3 to 21x per day. There are rules – which we will go into later, but dont let them discourage you. The modern era permits that many of them can be circumvented.
Good luck!
The Original Mantra: the Pranava - OM
Swami Mantra Yogi 
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