Practical Sri Vidya – In the light of Lalitha Sahasranam by Sri Dr.Niranjan(USA)

Practical Sri Vidya – In the light of Lalitha Sahasranam

by Sri Dr.Niranjan(USA) Chadur bahu samanvidha …

She who has four arms …

We are surrounded by divinity in one form or another in all four directions. Whichever way we turn, if we look long and hard, we will discover a path. Mother Divine’s four arms seem to suggest that. All four arms are attached to one body. Each of us may start our spiritual journey at different times and in different places. Space and time collide into one point when we reach our true inner self. The inner journey may begin and end with a single thought if we persist long enough with that thought. But for most people, the journey ends almost instantaneously as the focus of attention switches repeatedly from one thought to another. Only thoughts that stay long enough in our awareness have the hope of turning into actions and accomplishments.

In one sense, we are lucky that thoughts are not scarce. When we lose focus on one, the next one arrives instantaneously. Normally, this continuous stream of thoughts is a distraction and a source of restlessness, but this same process may be helpful in the early stages of a spiritual journey. Since our power of attention and concentration may not be sufficiently strong, losing focus on one thought is to be expected. When the focus on a particular thought disappears, especially if it is a thought related to a spiritual practice, all is not lost. We can transfer the contents of that thought onto the next one that arrives. The only skill to be developed is not getting influenced and distracted by what that next thought may bring, but in using that thought’s energy as a vehicle. The mistake we make is allowing thoughts to control the content. We have the power to control its content, but this power is rarely developed or exercised. Just as a credit card number is associated a bank account, our thoughts are linked with our unique individual awareness, which may be compared to an individual’s bank account. Let’s say we lose a credit card. All we must do is call the bank and ask for a replacement and put a freeze on the card that was lost. We don’t have to change banks. Similarly, when we lose focus on a particular thought, we can easily transfer its contents as long as we remember to call the “bank of awareness” and ask for a suitable “replacement” thought. How much we put in a bank determines how much we can take out. Similarly, greater the awareness, greater is the ability to transfer the contents of one thought to another.

As we grow in awareness, speed of transit of thoughts will also slow down. Imagine speeding in a car, driving well over the speed limit. There is always the danger of a collision and making turns may be extremely dangerous at those high speeds. Only when we slow down at an intersection can we safely turn in one direction or another. Also, it becomes easier to read road signs.

Similarly, as the stream of thoughts slow down, we can start to hold a particular thought for a longer duration. With a firmer grip, we can start to “drive” thoughts in the direction we want. When one first starts driving, it seems like a difficult task that takes all our effort and concentration. This concentrated effort makes the mind meditative in a way. But there is uncertainty and fear associated with the responsibility of ensuring the safety of a chunk of moving metal weighing

several thousand pounds. This fear takes away from the “meditative” quality of our one pointed attention while learning a skill such as driving. Similarly fear on a spiritual path takes away the meditative byproduct of our practices.

Once we learn how to drive and practice it repeatedly, the act of driving becomes second nature.

We can then do other tasks (which is not advisable) while driving such as speaking on the phone.

Similarly, once thoughts come under our control and we become good drivers within the mind, contemplation may be added in. Unlike speaking on a telephone while driving, this type of multitasking is advisable. We can move up the “value added chain” and impart higher quality content to the thoughts we hold with our attention. Then our real spiritual journey starts. Just as a car that starts up and slowly picks up speed from a stationary position, taking some time to reach its peak speed, one cannot expect instant results the moment we start our spiritual journey. The time taken to reach an optimal safe speed varies from individual to individual. Those who have thoroughly mastered driving in driver training classes are safe and dependable drivers the moment they hit the road on their own. Those who skip classes and don’t fully understand the rules of the road are unsafe drivers and probably would not be given a license to drive.

Similarly, any teaching that we follow, following the Guru’s instructions carefully is prudent to have a safe and peaceful spiritual journey. This is especially true of the teachings of Sri Vidya where the sonic power of one-syllable seed sounds is tremendous. If applied in the right manner as taught by the Guru, it produces results in the manner expected. Just as only someone who knows all the rules of the road and has adequate driving experience is capable of teaching someone else how to drive, the Guru is an expert and all we must do is learn those rules and practice them as prescribed. But as is often the case, we bend and twist those rules hoping for quicker results or we may be looking for a shortcut.

Mother nature has already given us full license to operate our mind as we desire. If we don’t operate the mind properly, it could be dangerous to us and others. Furthermore, the roads in the land of spirituality are unknown to us. The same rules that apply in the world may or may not apply there. The journey may seem long and arduous, but the road ahead can be very straight and easy if we make adequate preparations. Any course of study starts with the basics and then progresses to more advanced lessons. So is the case with the teachings of Sri Vidya. The safety of a tall building depends on the strength of its foundation. Similarly, we can safely scale great spiritual heights only if our foundations are strong. One cannot expect to gain proficiency in advanced techniques on day one. When the Guru feels we are ready, we are given the keys to the higher levels. In the worldly arena, any given field has a finite proven depth beyond which uncertainty exists. But in spirituality, the depth is infinite, it cannot be easily proven but certainty exists in those unfathomable depths. The proof of that is the bliss one experiences.

When driving on a straight and empty road, one can relax the grip on a steering wheel and there isn’t a need to grip it tightly as one might in busy city traffic. Patience can be thought of in terms of “relaxing the grip on the mind” without ceding control of it. If we don’t have to grip a steering wheel tightly all the time, it makes a long journey comfortable. Dealing with a restless mind is like gripping a steering wheel with unnecessary force. Just as a light breeze can effortless change the direction of a large cloud in the sky, the breeze of patience can seemingly without effort change the direction of thoughts in the mind. But if we enter a cloud with a lot of force just as an aeroplane does when flying through it, the cloud parts and swallows the plane. Similarly, if thoughts are forcibly put aside or suppressed, they readily part just like a cloud. When we enter

their midst, we run into the danger of losing sight of the “blue sky” of our inner self. Instead we go deeper into the mind and eventually our awareness is swallowed up completely by the mind.

If the weather is very cold, it may take some time to warm up a car’s engine before the accelerator can be safely applied. A cold engine when given an excessive load might wear out much quicker. Similarly, in the practice of Sri Vidya, our “engine” is devotion to Mother Divine and the Guru. Without “warming” the practice of the teachings with our devotion, no amount of effort will take us to the goal. Our patience with the path and the efforts needed will wear out quickly.

On any spiritual path, it is natural to have an expectation of results. Only a handful of people approach spirituality without expectations. Disillusionment sets in when expectations are not met and in that ignorance, one feels that a given technique does not work. When this happens, devotion quickly disappears and the bed of spirituality on which were sown seeds that could potentially be life transforming dries up. The mind is ever in search of new experiences and this facet of the mind takes us from one path to another. There is always that thought that something else may be better or easier. Only we can start and warm the “engine” of devotion. An external agent cannot force that process, it has to come from within. The Guru shows the way and gives us an initial push. How far that push takes us depends on the depth of our devotion. Devotion is not a finite entity. It can be very shallow or of infinite dimension. More the devotion, bigger is the capacity of the “fuel tank”, which is the capacity for inner growth.

Our devotion turns on the Guru’s Pointing System or GPS. With a global positioning system that we use while driving, one need not know every detail about which roads to turn on. All one needs to do is follow turn by turn directions and be watchful of the road immediately ahead. The ordinary mind is like a city center with narrow, crowded streets. In the beginning of the practice of Sri Vidya or any other spiritual endeavor, the Guru’s grace becomes our GPS. It shows the way ahead. With practice, as the mind becomes calmer and more one pointed, one can travel great distances on the spiritual path quickly and safely. On a long, straight and empty stretch of road, a global positioning system although useful in guiding us of any turns coming up, we can be reliant on our own eyesight to see those upcoming turns. The progress of a spiritual aspirant could be measured in the self-reliance in keeping one’s dedication and intensity on the practice. The GPS of a Guru is helps us measure our progress, provided we have faith. We place tremendous faith in an unknown voice on our phones which gives directions while we drive. When we have known, met and accepted a Guru, why should faith be lacking in the Guru’s instructions? If our intensity and dedication to the practice of Sri Vidya remains the same as it was on the day of initiation, the destination is predictable. But if one starts and stops the prescribed practices unpredictably, the only prediction that may be made is that one’s expectations of a result will not be fulfilled. The very fact that we are lost in the world of senses seems to indicate that we either don’t have or are not following the instructions of the spiritual GPS. However, every moment offers a new opportunity to turn it back on again.

Once the Guru initiates someone, power of that initiation stays forever. Initiation is not done in the past or the future, but done contemporaneously in the present. It is like a key that unlocks. Once that inner channel of communication is opened to us, it stays open. Only we have to make an effort to enter it. During initiation, the Guru walks a few steps with us and then points the direction in which to go and says, “I’ll meet you at the destination”. That “destination” isn’t a faraway place in the high heavens or in the distant future. It is in this very moment. It seems far away because we are not locked into the present moment. The mind constantly wavers from the past to the future. Whenever we are in the present, we can tap into the Guru’s power. When awareness is

dragged away from the present, we feel that the power of initiation has faded and we seek “reinitiation” from the Guru. But we can “re-initiate” ourselves by bringing our awareness back to the present, remembering and executing the teachings in the present moment. When it rains, we have a choice to seek shelter inside or go out in the rain. Unlike adults, children love playing in the rain. The rain of grace is always falling. If we choose to take shelter in our mind, we will never experience that divine grace. Being childlike is synonymous with being in the present. Children don’t take shelter in the mind (that is in the past or the future). With the Guru, if we take that attitude of being childlike, that is being in the present, we can play in the rain of grace for as long as we like.

The power of initiation cannot be underestimated. That power spreads in all four directions and whichever direction we approach it from, we are benefitted. Some are inclined towards work and its power may be felt there. Others may be predominantly intellectual and use this to discriminate between right and wrong. Many have a devotional preference. There may be some who have an inclination for all three. Work, devotion and intellect are the three main avenues which can take us to the land of spirituality. Initiation is like turning on the ignition switch of a car. Our mind may be compared to a car. It is a vehicle for our inner journey. Once a car’s engine is turned on, we don’t have to keep turning the ignition on again and again. By doing so, the engine is not going to run any faster or better. That switch is only turned off once the car reaches its destination and is safely parked. Similarly, till we reach our spiritual home and have the ability to park our total awareness in our innermost core or soul, the ignition switch of initiation stays on. This keeps the mind moving in the right direction. When a car’s engine is running, it burns fuel regardless of whether the car is stationary or moving. The distance that can be covered depends on the quantity of fuel left in the tank. Similarly, once an initiation is received, if we don’t pursue and practice the prescribed teachings given to us, time keeps burning our “fuel” which is the life span allotted to our body. Unlike a car where there is a gauge that lets us know how much fuel is remaining, we don’t don’t have any way of estimating our life span. In every moment, there is life and death, they are not once in a lifetime events. If we are doing something useful, that is life and if we are wasting our time, that is death. With every moment, there are only two things we can do.

Either we can do something useful with it or let that moment die unused. With each “momentary death”, a small portion of our lifespan is taken away and never returned to us.

A tendency to procrastinate is a common affliction. After this lifetime, there is no guarantee that there will be another similar life experience. A deep-seated expectation of many is that there is a “better life” in the afterlife. If expectation cannot die with our bodily death, what to speak of getting rid of expectations while we are still alive? Only when we understand the finality that comes when the curtain of death descends will we seize the urgency of every moment. Our conscious mind isn’t capable of penetrating that curtain. The senses are too weak to do that. If we cannot see through a simple brick wall, how can we hope to see the beyond? Just like we have developed tools to look where eyes cannot see, such as microscopes and telescopes, we can develop the sixth sense of intuition to experience what the senses cannot perceive. The seed syllables given in the teachings of Sri Vidya penetrate the inner void we have no access to. The power of intuition becomes our power to see where this sound originates from and to where it returns. Although our recitation may be internal or external, sound does not originate from the conscious mind, it only manifests there. A tree originates from a seed. When a tree is visible, the seed becomes invisible.

But every characteristic of that tree comes from its seed. Just as talking produces a sound, the movement of thought also produces a sound. Sound is the “seed”. As is the seed, so is the tree.

From a spiritual standpoint, what is verbalized externally is less important than what is verbalized internally. The intent behind and direction given to the mental “sound” or thoughts determines the pace and distance of our spiritual progression.

Nature relies on redundancy. This assures continuation of living species. A tree does not produce a handful of extra seeds, it produces tens and thousands. An enormous forest comes out of tiny seeds. The forest of spirituality which we are all in search of also starts from seeds emerging from Mother Divine’s and the Guru’s tree of grace. Just as each of the millions of seeds trees may produce have the same potential to grow into trees, every seed of spiritual grace has equal potential. A tree never places expectation on the seeds that it produces. Once they fall off the tree, they are set free and given all the protection needed to travel near or far. When suitable soil is found, the seed has the chance to grow into another tree. Similarly, we are “set free” and given the power of free will. Grace protects us in the form of life in the body. When the seeds of spirituality sown in the mind have encountered suitable soil, the tree of divinity within has a chance to sprout. To us it may seem like a waste of seeds for a tree to produce so much and scatter them in every direction. But for nature, even if one in a million take root and grow into a tree, it is worthwhile. The Guru’s patience is infinitely large and expectations infinitesimally small, and even if one in a million attain the realization of one’s own inner self that is enough in the eyes of the Guru.

No matter where we are in the world, wind currents connect us all. The basis of the movement of wind is a manifestation of electromagnetic energy. This electromagnetic energy is harnessed by an ordinary cell phone. A cell phone is a recent invention. The mind is an ancient creation. Only if the electronics are suitably arranged can a cell phone connect with another cell phone in the opposite corner of the world. Similarly, the “circuitry” of the mind may be reorganized to connect with the “greater” mind of the Guru, whose grace also travels to us through electromagnetic energy. We take for granted that we can easily connect with one another through the power of telecommunication. Why cannot the mind which is far more sophisticated connect with the Guru’s stream of consciousness? When we get the instrument, which is the seed of initiation this becomes possible. We are taught how to use this instrument but if we don’t use it properly, the fault lies with us and not the Guru or the teachings.

For a phone to work well, the battery must be well charged. This is also true with the mind. Sleep is a passive form of charging the mind. It is pleasant and relaxing but it does not have the power to transform us internally. A spiritual practice such as Sri Vidya is an active form of charging the mind. The transformation it brings is complete as it touches every cell by impacting the “invisible” single cell that is the basis of the body. It is true “stem cell” therapy. It “wirelessly” charges the mind, even if we are not in the Guru’s immediate presence. All that we need to do is recall the Guru in our mind with devotion and dedication along with the prescribed practice. A phone may be plugged into a wall, but without a source of electricity it cannot charge. Similarly, our individual spiritual practice is like plugging a phone into the wall. Merely practising is not adequate. The Guru’s spiritual electricity can only reach us if we turn the switch of our devotion on. When a phone charges, there is no external indication of it charging. But some indication of how much it is charged will appear on the screen. Similarly, on the screen of the mind, the amount of our spiritual charge will be evident in the form of bliss. Devotion and dedication to the Mother Divine and the Guru may not necessarily change our outward appearance which to a large part is determined by genetics and environmental conditions, but inner transformation will be apparent.

This inner growth may appear slow, but that is also true of a tree that starts off as a seed. If we

continuously watch a tree looking for signs of growth, we may not see any. But after a few weeks or months if we look again, the difference will be apparent. Similarly, one should not expect to see daily results with any spiritual practice. In that expectation, will be lost forever the fruits of the practice.

When the seed of spirituality is planted within us during initiation, the first drops “water” that nourish the seed are the power of Mother Divine and the Guru. That is enough to unlock our potential. But if we don’t tend to and water that seed, it will always remain a potential. Our efforts bring out its kinetic energy. When our practice is young and tender that kinetic energy must be protected from the “beasts” that roam within the mind in the form of anger, greed, jealousy, lust, torpor etc. Those “beasts” are far deadlier that even the most ferocious wild animals. Contrary to belief, wild animals do not attack unprovoked. They are generally shy creatures. But there is no shyness when it comes to humans exhibiting evil qualities that lurk in the mind. Just as animals may be tamed, the mind can also be tamed. After many generations of tame thoughts, the mind will not go back to its wild old ways. A train can be easily controlled if its wheels are running on the tracks that are made for it. If it veers off track, a runaway train is impossible to control and may cause great destruction.

The mind may be compared to a busy train station, and thoughts may be compared to transiting passengers. Just as people come and go from all four directions, thoughts come and go in many directions. If one has a ticket, one may board a train without fear. A ticket examiner only looks at the ticket we are holding and not whether we are happy or sad. If one has a ticket for the journey, there is freedom to travel. Similarly, thoughts cannot travel and enter our consciousness unless we give them the ticket to do so. The ticket we give thoughts is our identification with them. When we give them attention, emotion and awareness it turns into identification. When thoughts have a definite context, they easily transfer into our memory. From there that energy returns to the conscious mind in the form of another thought. This process is endless and we enable it every moment of our lives. Imagine the accumulated backlog in our memory bank waiting to burst forth and flood our limited human consciousness. There is an ever-present danger of this happening.

We have invented convenient distractions that keep our individual consciousness busy. Stored memories may be forgotten this way but they can never be erased.

The world can either be a distraction or an aid in the spiritual path. It becomes a distraction if we choose to experience it through the senses. If we decide to experience the world through awareness that is not identified with thoughts, it becomes a great aid. A ticket agent at a train station practices nonattached awareness without ever knowing it. They transact with hundreds of passengers every day and many thousands during their career. But every day they go home without a single passenger scratching the surface of their consciousness and leaving an indelible mark. We cannot detach ourselves from the mind overnight. It may take many years of hard effort. If we are regular to work, showing up on time and leaving after finishing the day’s work then after a set number of years we can stay at home and collect a pension. Similarly, if we regularly work on non-attached awareness while being in the mind, after some time we can stay away from the busy mind and are eligible to collect pension in the form of bliss. The practice of Sri Vidya is the practice of non-attached awareness.

The four limbs of divine mother are symbolic of the four things that are essential on a spiritual path. They are divine grace, a Guru, our mind and body. Divine grace is ever present. It is like the sun that shines continuously. We don’t see the sun all the time due to the earth’s rotation.

Similarly, we don’t feel the presence of divine grace because our mind is turned towards the

world and its attractions. If the mind turns inwards, there is inner light which is a manifestation of divine grace. The Guru is like a dam. Ordinarily, all our energies are flowing outwards. There are no good checks and balances. Sometimes there is a flood, as in a burst of emotion. Other times there is a drought, as in lack of interest in anything. A wild and unpredictable river may be tamed with the construction of dams. Instead of the water draining into the sea without being of much use along its course, a dam diverts water that can benefit many lives. Similarly, the Guru helps us create a dam within which stores our vital energy that can be used for higher purposes.

Mother divine and the Guru are intertwined and always aligned in one direction. The two missing pieces to complete the spiritual puzzle are our mind and body. Every day, we “fight” with our mind and body. Spiritualism then becomes an escape from the mind and body. We say to ourselves we want to leave the mind and body behind and enter divine consciousness. This sends a subconscious message that we dislike the mind and body. Naturally, they will start to “dislike” us in return. This manifests as a restless body while trying to concentrate and meditate and an uncooperative mind that wants to live in the world of the senses. In the Sri Vidya tradition, Mother divine is seen as being manifest in everything in creation. This includes our mind and body. When we befriend and love our mind and body from a higher soul consciousness perspective and not from the level of ordinary sensory consciousness, that friendship assumes a divine quality. The mind and body then become great aids. The center of divinity may then be approached from four directions. One, through the body, when work is done as a worship. Two, through the mind, when the capacity to discriminate what is real and unreal is fully developed. Three, through the Guru who guides and helps channel our devotion to the divine. Four, directly approaching divinity through complete surrender. All these approaches reach the same place.

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