by Michael Mamas | Thursday, September 13, 2012 | Clarifying Confusion |
What does it mean to always be thinking of God? In the highest sense, it is an aspect of a state of physiology. To force yourself to always be thinking of God would be a more superficial level. The state of physiology I am referring to here is the normal and natural state of a healthy physiology, cultivated over time through meditation and proper environment.
‘Always thinking of God’ is not based upon a mental state at all. It is rooted in something deeper, namely, wakefulness to what naturally lies within, i.e. your own being. It is Sat Chit Ananda… eternal bliss consciousness. To witness the cultivation of that state in others is most fulfilling. The following quote speaks beautifully of the cultivation of that state of consciousness:
“When your mind is mainly engaged in God you shall receive his grace,
God is all-powerful.
Even a little of His grace is capable of bestowing on the ego all that is good in its entirety.
The declaration of the Lord that is proved by the scriptures is this;
“Whosoever thinks of Me with one-pointed devotion, I shall conduct his necessary work also”.
The experience of the bhaktis also goes to prove the declaration of the Lord.
Accumulate wealth (artha), but in such a way that is not against transcendental wealth (param-artha).
That which hinders transcendental wealth and results in accumulation in sin is not wealth but a burden, a debt (anartha).”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~– Swami Brahmananda Saraswati
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Sunday, September 9, 2012 | Clarifying Confusion, Vedic Technology |
I was asked a rather intricate set of questions about mantras to which I respond:
The universe manifested in a mathematically precise manner creating a very precise underlying structure to creation. The building blocks of that structure are mantras, which have a corresponding sound. Those sounds each have a specific quality which, when chanted, enliven that value in the physiology and psyche. The science of using the right mantra at the right time in the right manner is subtle indeed, just as using the right medicine at only the right time and dose is of great importance.
On one level, a mantra is a sound. From another angle, a mantra is a word with a meaning. From another, it can be a name of a God… i.e. a name for one facet of the One. Some say a mantra should be done with reverence or it will not be effective. That is true and not true. If the mantra is repeated without reverence, it still has an effect. Slowly it will melt the ice. Slowly one will awaken to the warm sunshine of the depth of ones being from which the mantra emerges, for you are one with the Unified Field, the underlying basis of all that is. A mantra warms the soul, so to speak. As things thaw, life is felt more fully. The fine texture of Divine essence begins to be more fully felt from within. This naturally blossoms into reverence.
On the other hand, if reverence is there already, so much the better. BUT we must be careful here. There is mood-making and then there is genuine reverence. Emotional indulgence is not the true reverence of which I am speaking. Real reverence is an evolved state of physiology… not an attitude or mood. Remember, echoes of Truth perceived as Truth hold Truth at bay. The same is so for reverence.
Clinging to what one may think of as reverence when doing a mantra could interfere with the blossoming of genuine reverence, which emerges from the very depth of your being. For this to occur in an undistorted, balanced, and fully integrated manner is most delicate. Feeling deeply and feeling deeply with refined pure tone are two different things. Like radio receivers, the same music may be heard, but with varying degrees of clarity… distorted or distortion free. Clinging to the distortion that has infiltrated the physiology inhibits the evolution of the reception.
When the physiology is pure and free of stress or strain, the body thrills with the vibration of mantras naturally. Repeating the right mantras at the right time in the right manner over time creates that state of harmony within… harmony with nature…. harmony with the true Self. To evolve means to reawaken to the You that eternally dwells deep within each individual. Mantras facilitate the process when used properly. Mantras are born out of the depth and can be used to awaken you to the depth.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Saturday, September 8, 2012 | Clarifying Confusion, Spiritual Evolution |
“It isn’t what we don’t know that gives us trouble, it’s what we know that ain’t so.”
– Will Rogers
Identity with one reality ‘ain’t so.’ Yet it is the state of humanity that people strive to find the one reality that answers all questions and responds appropriately to all situations.
Life is a-maze-ing. Existence is a reality continuum – mandalas of realities, interconnected, yet unifying polar opposites. Anything you know ‘ain’t so.’
The dance of Lord Shiva that manifested this universe is far more illusive than unidimensional thinking can even begin to fathom. Yet humanity continues to seek the unidimensional reality that will answer all questions.
It just ‘ain’t so’.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Monday, August 6, 2012 | Clarifying Confusion, Spiritual Evolution |
Why do you meditate, go to the temple, and do acts of service? It is commonly done for spiritual growth, eradication of bad karma, or other forms of personal gain such as health, wealth, happiness, etc. That is understandable and a good thing. Some may even wonder why else anyone would possibly do such a thing.
However, that is not why I created Mount Soma. It is not why I meditate or go to the temple. It is not my motivation. To know your motivations is not as easy as you may think. You must look deeply into your heart to know your motivations. It is also natural to project your motivations onto others… to think what motivates you is what motivates them. Such projection is so instinctual, so spontaneous, so automatic, as to go unnoticed. Your projections are not something you usually think about, question, or are even aware of. They are so fundamental to how you function that they cannot be identified without a great deal of disarming introspection and self-honesty.
Beyond personal gain lies the motivation involving kindness, compassion, love, service to the world, to humanity, and to the universe. I am speaking here of a level that transcends even the good feelings you may experience through acts of kindness, etc. It is not about what you get in exchange for your actions. This is what nonattachment to the fruit of your actions is all about. Your actions come from being overtaken by the Divine flow underlying all of life. The flow then occurs through your persona, but transcends the persona. The motivation does not involve the persona. In that sense, you cease to exist. Only the Divine exists. The Divine overtakes the small persona. You realize that you are not the persona. You are one with God… the Divine Flow. The term used to encompass that level is called Krishna. Imagine using that term unencumbered by any current notions you may have regarding its meaning. This meaning and the word “Krishna” are inextricable from one another. They are inherently one, each defining the other, complete with the personified correlate. To really live life in that way is not an attitude or philosophy. It is a level of consciousness. However, it is of great value to reflect on this. Doing so will help clear the way for your future growth.
So the next time you meditate, go to the temple, or perform some form of service, take a moment to reflect upon your motivation… not as a self-judgement tool but as a means of inspiration and aspiration. Divine motivation is not an attitude, philosophy, or belief system… though religions of attitude, philosophy, and beliefs are built around it. Such things are qualities of the persona. Divine motivation lies beyond the persona.
What you long for lies beyond the persona. It is called liberation. It is called emancipation. It is called evolution. It is called enlightenment.
It is a state of physiology.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Thursday, August 2, 2012 | Clarifying Confusion |
“A love for tradition has never weakened a nation, indeed it has strengthened nations…” – Winston Churchill
This decade of American history will be remembered as a time of great loss of cultural tradition and integrity. Today there is a great deal of confusion concerning such things. Cultures must change with the in breath and out breath of time. Yet the fabric is delicate and must not be torn.
I am an American. Those traditions feed my soul. It is natural for me to feel most comfortable in that domain. I honor the fact that other traditions do the same for their corresponding cultures. The next great step in human history will include the honoring of cultural integrity… be it of our own or of other nations. Only when done, will nations rise to truly support one and other. Current attempts to do so often result in a blurring of cultures and thereby a dilution of integrity or in the tolerance of one and other. However, I am speaking here not of mere tolerance but of love… love for humanity must include love of cultural diversity.
Vedic tradition has come to us through the veil of the Hindu culture. My interest is not in making more Hindus. My interest is in make better Hindus, better Christians, better Jews, and so on. The fact that Vedic Knowledge comes to humanity through one culture is a gift… an opportunity to cultivate respect for one and other. Real respect is rooted in love.
Yet Vedic tradition transcends mere cultural affinity, just as the science of why a cell phone works transcends cultural bias. The depth and breadth of Vedic Science encompasses so much that it is not possible for the casual observer to discern where the science leaves off and the cultural orientation takes over. Yet once the individual sheds the need for mere tolerance and awakens to the state of love for humanity, the question is muted. Then we are afforded the grace of time to evolve ourselves and our world.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
