BATHING WITH THE MANTRAS

All of us are singing “Om Namaha Shivaya” and “Radhe Govinda” now. Many people cannot fathom the meaning of these chants, yet they are able to experience something. Isn’t it? When we sing, there is an effect because of it. Meaning is not primary. It is not important either. It is a small thing. Whereas the waves of the words, the vibrations are very big and universal. We sing and fill ourself with the sound. As the body is nourished by food, the mind is nourished by emotions and the soul is nourished by meditation. Sound merges in meditation and ends in silence. This is very excellent.

We have this belief in India that the creation was created from the Vedas. Isn’t it? What is the source of the creation? Veda. Veda means Sound, music. The creation was supposed to have originated from the sound, from music. Space element pervades throughout the creation. The nature of space element is sound. There is 98% of space element in your body. Therefore, we use sound to create vibrations in space. Purification (Shuddhi) happens because of sound (Shabda). The words Shabda and shuddhi are closely related in Sanskrit. Shuddhi means becoming Shuddha or pure. When you meditate, if you chant ‘Om’ first and then meditate, it brings you closer to the divine.

Whatever yagna or sacrificial ceremony done, it is done in a multitude. When everybody join together and celebrate, that is yagna. What is yagna? Honouring. Wherever you honour each other, wherever you worship good qualities, wherever the divine qualities are worshipped that is yagna. “Deva pooja sangateekarana daaneshu”.

Sangateekarana means everybody moving together. Everybody having only one good emotion, love.

Daana is what you give to others. Deva pooja, sangateekarana and daana whenever all these three are done, that becomes yagna. We are doing yagna here. Isn’t it? Did you all praise each other and yourself? Everybody’s praise reaches the divine. What happens when we praise ourselves? Whoever praises us, it reaches the divine. When we are unable to praise ourself, then we have this desire of getting praised from others. Praising is a divine quality.

Sound purifies. When you chant the Veda or hear them, the meaning of what you hear, listening to, is not important. Just that sound purifies and creates harmonious vibrations. Few minutes of that is enough. There is no need to constantly read or chant them. It is like having bath. You only bathe for a few minutes. Isn’t it? Then you feel fresh for the whole day. When you bathe again in the evening, you feel fresh again. Those moments when you listen to the mantras, those moments when you sing bhajans are like having a beautiful internal bath. It is a very good thing to do.

We say that mantrasnaan should be done. i.e., we should bathe with the mantra. Many people are under the mistaken notion that they should keep chanting mantras as they are bathing. It is not that way. As we are sitting and chanting the mantras, mantrasnaan is happening internally. It feels like as though you have had a good bath. The mind becomes fresh and clearer by mantras. This is known as bathing with the mantras.

What is the first sign of a sadhak? Not indulging in self-blame. “I am not useful. I am no good”, if this sort of self blame arises then it is an obstruction to sadhana. Therefore, what is the first sign of a sadhak? Not indulging self-blame. Once we offer ourself then everything belongs to the divine. When you say that you are not alright, then whom are you saying is not alright? Then you are blaming God and saying that God is not alright. Stop self-blaming. Only then your practices will progress. When we tell you to praise yourself, we do not mean that you go to the road and begin to praise yourself! No.
Whatever happened in the past, let go of it. Whatever wrong happened, something was not right the other day, something wrong happened on some other day, leave all these and shake them off from you and go forward. There is a great need to do this.