I've taught a couple of mantra meditations recently. In it I've talked about various mantras including the Divine Light mantra: I am created by Divine Light, I am sustained by Divine Light, I am protected by Divine Light, I am surrounded by Divine Light, I am ever growing into Divine Light. I've also talked about the lore that if you repeat the Divine Light mantra 1,000 times a day for 45 days that you will reach enlightenment. My response has always been: !?!? Not the path for me.
Then I started wondering how many mantras I could fit in a day. Not by making extra time to sit and do mantras but by fitting it into my existing day. I could have just taken 1 day and done as many mantras as I could but that seemed a little too extreme. So I decided to start at a specific point (108 mantras) and then try and add 54 mantras each day until I reach a point where I'm doing all the mantras I think I can. Then I'll decide where to go from there.
On Day 1, I started with 1 mala (108 mantras), Day 2 was 162 mantras and Day 3 (today) is 216 mantras.
How is it going? Great. I will actually have more than 216 mantras by the time I get through my evening meditation. Today I recited mantras during my meditation, my shower, waiting for the bus, on the bus and walking to work.
How does it feel? I'm really enjoying it. I love it during meditation but I also love it during my everyday activities.
1 thousand a day for 45? Where is this lore?
ReplyDeleteI am glad you asked the question. I was saying that from something I had heard while at the Ashram. But I went searching in my mantra book (Words of Power by Swami Sivananda Radha) and found out that it is the Divine Mother Mantra, not the Divine Light Mantra that the reference is to. In the book it states that 45 days of repetition brings you knowledge of all scriptures. In this link (http://www.ascentmagazine.com/webExclusive.aspx?WEID=122&page=read&subpage=past&issueID=39) it talks about Atma-jnana or supreme knowledge.
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