November 24th, 2013
Welcome to all. Thank you for being here for this miniature sangha gathering. It makes me feel warm all over.
Surrender your seat to the Guru.
Count your breaths for 3 minutes. When counting your breaths and doing any breath awareness practice, observe with care that there is no pause between the breaths.There are many advanced teachers and mantra initiators here. Do take advantage of their presence and direct your questions to them. They are going to get bored by my very elementary course.
Purpose of the course: Many people remain confused about how to use such enormous materials we have available. Many are not even aware of what is available and how to use it. Swami Rama started teaching in USA in 1969; this is 44 years of teaching and publication. There is the need to sort out the materials and use them.
A kalyana mitra is who? I have intentionally not used the word TEACHER. Some people say: I am not interested in being a teacher. Others say, oh, I have already done my teacher training!! A brother is a kalyana mitra, a neighbor, parents, children, school teacher.
Anyone on the street who helps you in guidance or whom you help. Both for your benefit and for those for whom you are serving as kalyana mitra.
We need to create a worldwide kalyana mitra system. All kalyana mitras, are noble friends on the path.
Because in the teaching you are moved by compassion (karuna), you want to reduce the suffering of all living beings. So you offer yourself as kalyana mitra, a Noble Friend, to all:
- Help them to the extent that your knowledge reaches.
- Keep increasing your knowledge by way of
- sakshatkara, spiritual realization
- svadhyaya, self-study which is being guided.
We have announced the course as WHAT AFTER MANTRA, but many are not even aware as to WHAT BEFORE MANTRA. Many are receiving mantras without prior preparation. When you first want to introduce the path to someone, give him/her Swami Rama’s business card: the book Living with the Himalayan Masters. The company you are working for is the company of sages. This is the first book, it is a miracle book. I have heard of miracle stories about the book. Then go further to know about Swami Rama by reading:
- Walking with a Himalayan Master by Justin O’Brien. Let our bookstore advise you how to obtain it or look up YES Publishers.
- There are four volumes of At the Feet of a Himalayan Master, published by HIHT (our hospital). Here is the 4th volume [showing it to the people present].
Justin O’Brien’s book and the 4 volumes are optional. The business card is the most important.
I am busy working on two books:
- refining my first volume of the Yoga sutras
- writing the 3rd volume on Yoga sutras. The 3rd chapter of Yoga sutras is very complex. On Sutra 13 alone I have written 40 pages. The current sutra 17 will be 100 pages (on one sutra).
How many of you have read my Yoga sutra commentaries? Raise hands? 10-15 people. It cannot be understood without the mastery of Sankhya philosophy.
So, these are basic readings in preparation for mantra initiation:
- Living with the Himalayan Masters
- Superconscious Meditation – videos by Swami Rama, available from the Himalayan Institute in Honesdale, Pennsylvania.
- Superconscious Meditation – Swami Veda’s book
- Night Birds – Swami Veda’s book. If that is too much reading, there are small booklets Beginning Meditation, Himalayan Tradition of Yoga Meditation (most people have not studied it)
- Royal Path (used to be called Lectures on Yoga) – Swami Rama´s book. Some selections are important.
All teachers know the practicum preparations: relaxation (shavasana), diaphragmatic breathing (in makarasana, shavasana, sitting postures—and at all times, which most people neglect), nadi shodhana, breath awareness. Always encourage people to master these practices.
There are times when an initiator agrees to give a mantra initiation even without such a preparation. In that case, make sure that it is explained that immediately after receiving the initiation one will complete these readings and practicums. No mantra appointment without such a promise. For more information consult typescript on “what is initiation”.
Where should a person go from a place where there is no centre and no teacher of our tradition?
There are many options. I urge our lecturing teachers to explain these options.
Can you remember what happened at your mantra initiation? Many people ask what will happen at the initiation. So write out your own memory of it. Refresh it. And explain it.
Many people arrive for initiation and cannot sit properly. Make sure you make arrangements for them to learn to sit correctly. Many people, especially Indians, start reciting the mantra as soon as it is whispered into their ears. Please explain that mantra is for internal, inward, absorption only. It is not a chant that many Indians think and start chanting. Again, it is for inward absorption only: not using the mouth or tongue at all. These things should be explained by all kalyana mitras.
If there is time, some of the lecturers can go over as to what happens at initiation – what is the procedure?
FIRST, the initiator has been sitting for an hour meditation beforehand – many would-be initiates do not know that. Some start talking and asking questions. They have not been prepared.
Kalyana mitras are to facilitate the initiators’ tasks. At the time of initiation or soon after two recordings are given or sent as sound file or as CD.
- Recording of the initiation
- Guided meditation for mantra initiate that the initiate should follow as a regular procedure until such time that s/he no longer needs to listen to it.
Then, we always recommend a period of 24-36 hours of total silence and mantra-sadhana to start immediately upon initiation. If one has to go to a job or take care of children, then a period of such silence and intensive mantra-sadhana must be created even if later. Lecturers explain what the initiates do during these 24-36 hours of silence sadhana. We have a lot of audio material on SILENCE. The lecturers/initiators please select the minimum material the new initiate must have studied before coming for initiation. The more advanced material is for those who will do longer silence sadhana.
Please address your questions to the advanced teachers present here.
Take also the time to explain the daily practice to a beginner:
- Cleansing,
- Asanas,
- Relaxation,
- Establish diaphragmatic breathing,
- Nadi shodhana,
- Then TWO phases of meditation. One may spend whatever length of time at each phase:
- Mantra with breath awareness with nostril flow. Some mantras are two long for one breath – the syllables may be divided into several breaths (without pause, without break).
- Mantra in mind alone. No use of mouth or tongue. Close with breath awareness.
Editor’s Note
Swamiji said during this lecture: “There are many advanced teachers and mantra initiators here. Do take advantage of their presence and direct your questions to them.” This advice extends beyond this seminar.
Swamiji asked, “How many of you have read my Yoga sutra commentaries?” Those commentaries are:
- Yoga Sutras of Patañjali: With the Exposition of Vyāsa: A Translation and Commentary, Volume I, Samādhi Pāda by Pandit Usharbudh Arya
- Yoga Sutras of Patañjali: With the Exposition of Vyāsa: A Translation and Commentary, Volume II, Sādhana Pāda by Swāmī Veda Bhāratī
We invite you to watch and read (click on title):
In addition to Swami Veda, those designated to give mantra initiation within the AHYMSIN family include: Alexander Benjamin, Carolyn Hume, Helen Choe, Lalita Arya, Linda Billau, Michael Kissener, Nina Johnson, Pandit Hari Shankar Dabral, Rajah Indran, Raghavendra Adiga, Savitri Jugdeo, Shi Hong, Stephen (Stoma) Parker, Swami Ma Radha Bharati, Swami Nityamuktananda Saraswati, Swami Prashant Bharati, Swami Ritavan Bharati, Swami Tat Sat Bharati, Wolfgang Bischoff, and Yoong. We invite you to get to know them and let them get to know you.
