Dhārana - Gateway to Meditation

Of the several ways to realize the vibrational benefits of gemstones, wearing a gemstone is a important use, referred to as dhārana, meaning holding or wearing.

I'll get into the diversity of gemstone uses (including taking them internally), but dhārana is an especially interesting word, as it also refers to a very important element in the practice of yoga.  It is seated in the ashtanga (eight-fold path) just above āsana (postures), pranāyama (breath control) and pratyahāra (restraint of the senses). Considered the first stage of meditation, in this context dhārana means holding a particular thought or posture within the mind for a short period of time.  It is concentration on a godly idea or vision, or "fixation of attention."

Mastering dhārana opens the door to longer periods of unboken focus called dhyāna, or meditation proper. Practicing dhyana leads to truly sustained focus in a space beyond the mind, called samādhi, (yes that samadhi) which is the goal of all meditation and other yogic practices. Together these three durations of silent focus – dhārana, dhyāna and samādhi – are called samyama and form the basis of a very high practice of yoga, called rāja yoga.

In future posts, I'll offer specific dhāranas for us to work with.

Marketing the Sacred

A range of sacred materials has now entered a very tenuous place in their introduction into the US and other countries. They are being bought and sold strictly as commodities without proper respect for the power and history. Rudraksha seeds, for example, have long been revered within the Hindu tradition for their profound subtle abilities to still the mind, amplify the effects of mantra repetition and far more.

But as they become popular in Western culture and enter the mainstream, they are marketed as magical trinkets.

Especially to those who worship Shiva, they are the body of Lord Shiva, not symbols. They are sacred objects and deserve to be treated as such. In addition, each rudraksha, depending on how many ‘faces’ or divisions it has, will have specific properties that can benefit those who wear it. Smart seekers are starting to realize they have much to gain by wearing the right one (or ones) for their unique spiritual journey. However if these rudraksha ‘species’ are not described accurately, how can we find the right ones for each of us? Merchants who sell them online bear a real responsibility to convey authoritative information about these powerful organic ‘gems’.

Case in point : recently I found a new site offering malas and rudrakshas as glib, “sexy” style accessories. Photos of airbrushed teen models and shirtless men parade on the site pages sensuously draped with……..japa malas?

Sorry, but the pretty boy/girl models on the site don’t look like anyone I see wearing malas. I was waiting to find shots of mature, contemplative people rather than a bunch of mostly teenagers dressed up (or undressed) to portray simple vanity. The site calls malas “accessories” and rudrakshas “lucky charms.”

The culprit of course is greed and its vehicle, marketing. The symptom is shallowness. No distortion is too great for the person trying to make money. Mantras, yantras and rudraksha seeds are the new Wild West of energy self-enhancement, a late blooming extension to what once was the New Age.

I ask : Can we raise our sights a bit? These items are tools in a massively rich and complex language at the confluence of yoga, ayurveda, Hinduism and vedic astrology (all of which derive from the Sankhya philosophy embedded in Vedic culture, but that’s for another article). Taken together, these cultural elements form a true “science of enlightenment” when presented authentically. Injecting the motives of sex and vanity is both distracting disrespectful.

The fabio/barbie site is rich with examples of overzealous marketing. One is their description of the important 9-mukhi rudraksha……

…..It destroys bad habits and opens the heart to the power of the Divine. Suggested for spiritual seekers and devotees of Maa. Its power comes into play whenever negativity starts attacking, boosting the wearer's protection circles. It helps eliminate injustice and cruelty. Furthermore, it is said to protect those who are prone to fatal diseases of a mysterious nature…..

How wonderfully flowery – but what is the source of any of it? My answer : there is none, it’s fabrication. In reality, rudrakshas have been known for thousands of years as energy medicines with very specific effects. Compare with the actual scriptural basis of the same 9-mukhi seed…….

Paradoxically, it grants both bhoga (material gains) and moksha (spiritual liberation), unlike any other known sacred material, as described.

The 9-mukhi is considered to be the body of Goddess Durga (also called Shakti). All rudrakshas are the Eyes of Shiva, but worshippers of the feminine Shakti should wear this rudraksha. A sense of security arises, as if always being with the Mother. It increases self-discipline and fearlessness in the world, while also granting increased devotion and eventual salvation. Durga blesses the wearer with dynamism and energy focused on dharma, leading to success. In Vedic Astrology, only the 9-mukhi is said to appease the effects of all nine grahas (planets).

Ruling planet : Rahu (Dragon’s head)

Medicinal : intoxication, addictions, compulsive behavior, worries, fears, phobias, most psychological and psychiatric disorders

Mantras : Om Hreem Hum Namah and Nav Durgayai Namah

Setting : gold or silver

Day to begin wearing : Monday

That’s a lot of information, yes? Amazingly, there is much more to know about this one seed, just as there is about all the spiritually-potent materials described in the Vedic scriptures. These texts form a vast magical database of the energetic use of materials, with which we can relieve suffering, fulfill virtuous desires, and move all souls toward their final goal, which is liberation.

So I ask you, what more could we want? What higher objectives even exist to embrace? For those who learn and apply what lies in the Vedic treasure chest, the higher planes open. The material world loses its attraction in favor of an inner reality that is, ironically, far greater. There, the attraction to marketing hype just dies. Airbrushed teen models wearing “spiritual accessories,” for example, simply miss the point.

Amethyst : Fact, Myth & Magic

Has there ever been a more popular stone to wear than amethyst? Whether worn as jewelry or fashioned into magical tools or carvings, the purple quartz has literally become an icon for higher vibrations, crystal healing and New Age spirituality. But the times they always are a-changin’. In a decade when many people have shifted their wardrobe away from the lavendar/purple/violet range, wearing amethyst has now become seen by many as…….passé.

Well, I’m inviting an amethyst comeback. It’s simply an extraordinary stone of which, especially in this stressful time, we should make good use.

In a Medieval ephemeris, amethyst was observed to, “….disperse bad thoughts, bring good commonsense, and make one mild and gentle.” Almost universally, this gemstone is said to encourage constant spiritual wakefulness, and to open insights into the psychic and spiritual realms. It is associated only with the upper chakras (energy centers), the ajna (sixth) and the sahasrara (seventh). The Greeks called it amethustos (“non-inebriated”) and prized it for its sobering effects, the way it would clear the mind and engage the intellect. Hildegaard von Bingen, the great Christian mystic, wrote of its healing effect on skin diseases and ‘swellings.’

The Vedas, the earliest scriptures of India’s vast spiritual heritage, consider amethyst to be a secondary stone for appeasing Shani (Saturn). Blue sapphire is the primary stone, minimum 2 carats, but considering the expense and rarity of unheated blue sapphires, amethyst may be worn in its place, at a minimum of 5 carats in size. Either gem can moderate the effects of Saturn, the hard taskmaster of the astrological chart, ruler of discipline, renunciation and detachment from the world.

It’s the perfect role for a gemstone that helps its wearer keep their head above the clouds.

Very well, but wait – how do we know that amethyst actually carries these properties? That’s another story entirely……

The way folkloric mythologies form and are passed down is an organic process of agreement by which a culture slowly adopts the stories and philosophies that will represent it to the world and to future generations. For each individual, the act of passing on the conclusions of their own practical experience creates or continues a momentum. The next person adds his or her agreement and the lens of their own relevant experience, and the information gathers strength. Let’s say an experienced energy healer passes on what she has learned about amethyst, from years of working with this powerful stone. The person who hears the telling may build amethyst’s tale from their own experiences (if they have some), as they convey it onward. As more in the community hear and contribute, they add their own impressions to the collective story. The process is a form of empirical (experience-based) science, and is known to be how folkloric knowledge evolves.

For a gemstone like amethyst, what forms over time, like the gradual formation of the crystals themselves, is essentially a reputation, the cumulative impressions of a particular culture. Not surprisingly, since amethyst has a very consistent chemical composition wherever it is found, cultures separated by centuries and oceans have often assigned remarkably similar properties to it.

Any stone would welcome amethyst’s reputation. More historical low-down on the Stone of Spirituality : it has been used in the worship of deities as diverse as Bacchus, Dionysus and Diana. Also the “Stone of Contentment,” amethyst brings unconditional love and happiness, is very calming yet energizing, and sharpens wit and logic. Whew. As if those attributes were not sufficient, amethyst magnifies beauty, transmutes lower energies, balances all of one’s ‘bodies’, opens and activates the crown chakra (sahasrara), connects the earth element within us to other planes, clears/stabilizes/normalizes the aura, treats alcoholism, grants protection from thieves/danger/sickness or psychic attack, builds business prosperity, and for women can strengthen their bond with their lover.

What may have happened is that, among gemstones, amethyst became emblematic of new explorations in spirituality, the vaunted New Age which has now waned. Yet amethyst may just be a perfect ally for many of us in the emerging Age of Spirit.

The Care and Feeding of a Japa Mala

The 108-bead Hindu prayer strand, or japa mala, is considered inseparable from the deity it is used to invoke. As a result, respect accorded to the deity is traditionally accorded also to the mala. For example, care is made to never let the mala touch the floor or another person, after which it would need to be ritually cleansed.

When treated with care, over time it gathers particles of shakti (living spiritual energy) as it is chanted with devotion. It grows in spiritual potency by drawing energy not only from its owner, but some people believe also from the deity being worshipped.

There is a variety of opinion about whether, and how often, to wash malas, with some saying the shakti accumulates best when undisturbed. Others maintain that a mala’s subtle magnetism grows best when it is periodically cleaned or at least rinsed. However all agree that it must be energetically cleansed after any event that brings it into contact with coarse or negative energies, such as chanting while upset, extensive travel, casual handling without respect, etc.

Further, chanting prayers or mantras by turning a mala is also protected from the mundane world in various ways. Some Hindu sects suggest (or require) a devotee revolve their mala inside a special bag made specifically for japa (repetition). The purpose is to keep the action out of sight of others and thus it stays free of mental impressions.

Over time, a mala can become like a cherished friend on the path of spiritual awakening.

The Age of The Ring

By now it is fairly well-known that as far as the great ages of cosmic time explained in the Vedas (the earliest spiritual scriptures of India), we are now squarely in Kali Yuga, the vaunted Age of Darkness that comes once every 26,000 years. Kali is the demigod in the Hindu pantheon known best for her wrath and destruction, as she clears the way for spiritual progress. On the spiritual path, she crushes our ego attachments, and thus we have a lot to thank her for, even if we don't always look forward to the slashes of her mighty blade.

When the Vedas were written, our present yuga was described as a time of dullness, spiritual insensitivity, decreased vitality, along with rising violence and greed. Good thing we've managed to avoid all that in our current material-driven culture! Maybe Kali has been missing lately!

If only that were the case. No, as evidence of our current dark age rains down around us, it often triggers a simple question, "Why do I have to be here during this time of ignorance? Couldn't I have been born during another yuga?" Well, sure, except you weren't. (Hang on -- we have another 24,000 years left in Kali Yuga).

Of course, God is nothing if not merciful, and so there is one compensation for all the trouble and pain we may have to face. Kali Yuga, by its nature, has a built-in silver lining – compared to other ages, spiritual practices done during this yuga produce higher states and greater merit for the soul. In other words, if we can focus our attention inward even during this time of great distraction, greater progress on the path is granted.

It's a sweet deal, cosmically.

And there's one way in which it gets even better. The practices of the yogic path are known for their extreme longevity. People have been meditating and doing yoga postures since there was time. For example, there are temples in India where chants to the Hindu deities have been going on continuously for hundreds of years. Ironically, in the last 20 years or so, here in the US especially, we have seen wave after wave of innovation. Practice styles, kirtan, techniques of meditation – novelty is doing its best to catch up with longevity.

Now we may have another genuine innovation here, and it's a bit of a surprise. Japa, or repetition of prayers or mantras, is a practice shared by nearly all world's great spiritual paths. To repeat the Holy Names is to invoke the presence and experience of God. When engaged in a disciplined counting of japas, a beaded prayer strand is used, such as a Catholic rosary, a Muslim tasbih, or a mala for Buddhists and Hindus. But there are many times during the day when it is not convenient to pull out prayer beads, so a chance to call the Names of God is missed. For those times, now, a japa ring can be used.

A ring?

A ring with notches on it. The advantage to wearing a japa ring is that it gives you the ability to recite your mantra with awareness wherever you are. For most wearers, it quickly becomes a mindful habit to reach for it and turn it. Then the mantra (or prayer) begins on it own! It's a surprisingly easy practice to adopt, and to keep at for years.

A japa ring is usually worn on the index finger, middle finger or most typically the ring finger. Depending on what feels most natural, you can either turn the ring right where it is, or pull it out beyond the first knuckle and turn it there.

Use one to enter meditation, to calm down, to invoke patience, to enter stillness – to reconnect with the divine indwelling presence in just a few seconds. Over and over during the day, it provides a direct link from the outer world to the inner.

Japa rings are a truly innovative practice enhancement. We at Devi Jewels are very happy to have found the handcrafted rings we now carry.

It only makes sense that our new rings are beautiful as well as functional. After all, beauty is its own sacred energy.

Coral, Mars and CO2

Is there a direct connection between the warming of the earth's surface, the coral reefs in the oceans, gemstones, and the ancient 'science of light' revealed in the Vedas?There is.
It surprises no one, anymore, to conclude that the CO2 levels of the earth's atmosphere are rising. Of all the known consequences, global warming is certainly the best known, but there is another result, potentially just as destructive, and that is the rise in ocean levels of CO2.

These great masses of water continuously absorb CO2, and as they do they become increasingly acidic. And just like plants and animals on land, those living in the brine of the oceans survive in a surprisingly narrow range of growing conditions. One thing they don't tolerate well is acidity. A tiny drop in pH from 7.0 to 6.9, for example, is big news to coral organisms. To put it simply, the world's coral reefs are dying, and at an accelerating rate. As we poison our atmosphere, we poison the reefs' aquatic environment. Their sensitivity to change may show us some of the first catastrophic results of our polluting ways.
But to most, it is no surprise that our species' impacts on the global environment are already creating consequences to each of us personally.

Let's tie in another area of thought.

In Vedic astrology (jyotish, literally "science of light"), coral is moonga, one of the nine main gemstones said to gather and radiate the powers of the nine planets on earth. In fact, coral is indespensable to cure the very common Mars affliction. For many, the positions of the planets at the time and place of their birth shows an afflicted position of Mars, a generally temperamental and accident-causing planet. The "hot, red planet" can easily bring misfortune and disease into a person's life. But in this ancient science of destiny, wearing spiritually potentized red coral can harmonize a ferocious Mars and the life conditions it brings.The scriptures that underlie jyotish are merciful, offering us not only gemstones but several complementary remedies to soften or even redirect the force of an afflicted planet or strengthen a weak one. They include mantras, yoga and breathing, dietary changes, herbal formulas, and pujas or devotional ceremonies in the Hindu tradition and yantras or activated sacred diagrams..

Another remedy integral to the others is called sankalpa, which might be thought of as a cross between a prayer and a vow. It is a strong and sacred use of intention, but it is rarely spoken of because it is poorly understood. To set a sankalpa is essentially to ask the Divine for a blessing, and then to act as the Divine by aligning one's thoughts, words and actions behind the blessing. With it, the potency of all other remedies is magnified.

For those who have utilitized it, sankalpa is revealed to be true magic that can move any obstacle, when one follows up and acts in accordance with the intention set in motion. That two-part process is the real "Secret."

The oceans and the coral reefs are places for our sankalpas, individually and collectively. Within 30 years or even less, we could face systemic destruction of these critical aquatic ecosystems, and with them, a material sacred to what is possibly the world's oldest living spiritual tradition will also die.

For there to be no more moonga to cure malific influences of Mars, for those people who need it, would be similar to the extinction of a rainforest medicinal herb that is uniquely able to cure a disease impacting millions of people. If the day comes when there is no more of this herb and none had been preserved, we would ask, "Has our species no foresight?"

Not so fast. I believe we do have foresight, and choice.

Sometimes we get a sudden glimpse that our lives are literally a microcosm of what is happening to the earth. To say that this generation holds the fate of the earth in its hands may not be an exaggeration, given the speed of the changes now approaching, nor may it now be too much to say that how the earth is changing will strongly shape our individual destinies.

We are once again shown – ironically by our abuses – that our personal fates and that of the earth are one.

Mantras For Abundance In Tight Times, and Liberation

Fulfill, Or Free?
Let's just jump right in. While it's interesting to think that a given sequence of sounds or syllables can actually produce a difference in what shows up in your life, here's one thing I can guarantee : the mantra itself really means very little without a little elbow grease from you! That's right, it's the practice of repeating it that does the heavy lifting. Change is created when your extremely-powerful mind holds a new pattern of thought and vibration for a period of time – long enough to forceably shift the habitual patterns radiating from your belief system. This energy pattern is usually called "attitude," and I think everyone agrees that our attitude is constantly determining our outcomes – what comes back to us in every circle of time, from seconds to days to years to lifetimes. It's the mechanism of karma.

So how is a mantra a better "attitude shifter" than, say……a glass of wine? The answer is : sometimes it isn't! But it's a matter of what you want to accomplish. The wine might be a good prescripiton for simple relaxation right now, but the subtle and sustained shift required for attracting abundance is a bit greater. That's where the practice of mantra repetition comes in, and commitments to perform the practice for a minimum number of days. A common length is 40 days.

Now Let's Go A Level Deeper
A number of scriptural references give validity to fulfilling our desires so we will be free of them. Wait, that's a twist, isn't it? Normally, we desire what we don't have, and fulfilling them has the effect of making them grow and multiply – but there's another option. The scriptures do not anywhere say that these desires will necessarily be fulfilled by physical means. Hunh? That's right, there's the key : we have to be willing to let the hand of the Divine fulfill our desires by simply quenching them within us, if it so decides, rather than by an outward manifestion. We continue down the road, we pray or chant, we turn, we pause, and we notice the desire that had been dogging us is simply gone. It's the perfect calm in the storm. It demontrates that all outcomes are up to God, not you or me, but we are allowed to petition (ask) for what we want. The outcome may be granted (or something similar), or the desire may simply be swept away, which is another form of its fulfillment.

This can be the intent of prayers and mantras. For example, Om Aim Shrim Hrim Saraswatiyai Namaha is a classic Vedic mantra for attracting abundance, but in this light, what does it really accomplish? Understanding that the deeper purpose of any mantra repetition is A. the purification of the subtle body and B. the evolution of the soul toward its final liberation, we have to accept the Vedic conclusion that all our desires are splinters of the desire to be liberated. "No not really," you say. "I really do want to make more money. And I want to eat chocolate truffles without getting fat." As we move through this lifetime, we attach to certain things (or they attach to us) that give us tiny glimpses of the extraordinary bliss of liberation. That's why someone may like chocolate truffles. It's a radical understanding, granted, but it's also true.

Enter the Essence
OK. Mantras allow the mind to dip into the essence of its own source, and that source is the ground of being from which all manifestations emerge. A result of chanting authentic mantras is thereby to merge with the universe's creative force and in so doing, becomes a co-creator with the Divine. Of course, the purpose of having this ability is to free the mind from itself, but mantra can also be used to live a more gracious life while still here. Think of it as a vibrational power tool. In this regard, you will be in the good company of many high beings who used this power to make their own worldly journeys more bearable, and to help others along the way.

But do yourself one favor if you chant mantras for specific outcomes : spiritualize those desires before supercharging them using mantra. Get to the essence of the desire first. For example, those chocolate truffles. The question to ask is always "What do I want to feel when I (eat chocolate truffles)?" Deep pleasure? Satisfaction? Having cheated death (just joking)? Direct your mantras toward that goal, chant for it to be done, then release it. Let the Fates determine the outcome.

Being Here, The Purpose Of
Classic Hinduism lays out the purposes of human life perfectly for anyone who really wants to know. The four unchanging goals of a human ebodiment are Artha (wealth), Kama (pleasure), Dharma (duty/righteousness), and Moksha (liberation). Wealth comes first because it is said that without it, the other three cannot be attained (accepting an expansive meaning of 'wealth' of course). Liberation comes last because when it is at last achieved, the others are seen to have little value.

There are other levels of effect. The Vedic scriptures and their commentaries teach that we have seven main chakras or energy wheels that spin within us and that their condition determines our state of spiritual unfolding. Radiating out from them, the nadis are a massive, threadlike system of energy channels in the human subtle body (also interpenetrating the physical body). Chanting mantras purifies the chakras and nadis and 're-tunes' them to the frequencies of the mantras. Yes, this is an oversimplification

A good portal in which to deepen this body of knowledge is the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, which describes the subtle anatomy of the seeker and the exact practice requirements for spiritual unfoldment.

Wealth. Repeat.
But back to Artha, wealth. Another ancient abundance mantra is known as the Mantra of Kubera, the Celestial Guardian of Riches.

Ha Sa Ka La E I La Hrim
Ha Sa Ka La E I La Hrim

Composed entirely of smaller seed (bija) mantras, this one has no literal translation. To chant it re-creates a very ancient matrix of sound to which no words apply. Chanting Kubera's mantra is good for saving and safeguarding 'riches' in addition to acquiring them.

Next time I'll go into the proper way to repeat these mantras, at the different levels from fairly casual to deeply serious. I'll introduce the idea of an anusthan and discuss numbers : how many repetitions are recommended for what results. Yes, the scriptures talk about specific numbers, if you know where to look.

So, how cool is that? It's as close to a "guarantee" for spiritual results as life will yield up. Notice the quotes there.