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E-Book: Liberation with the Power of Mantra
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the transformative power of the mantra
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"Liberation with the Power of the Mantra".
Free
yourself from conditioning and selfish tendencies and emotions
with the Power of Mantra.
Ignite or empower your journey to inner peace and liberation
Here
are the Contents and a part of the book
CONTENTS
Gratitude – Dedications
Prayers for World Peace
Meditative Prayer of Oneness
Prologue
UNITY I
Our True Nature is Happiness
Our True Self (Consciousness)
The Ego and the Self
How the Ego Deludes us
The Tree of the Ego
Ego, our Illusory Identity
Desire and Freedom
UNITY II
Self-awareness
Developing Self-awareness
Activities to Develop Self-awareness
The Ability of Self-observation
Self-awareness and Self-observation
UNITY III
The Repetition of Mantra and God´s Name
The Repetition of the Mantra and Karma Yoga
Turning Actions into Spiritual Practice
Self-observation and the Dissolution of the
Ego
Developing Acceptance
The Dissolution of the Ego through Prayer and
the Mantra
Inquiry into a Tendency and its Dissolution
The Dissolution of Ego and Desires and
Liberation
The Nights of Spiritual Practice
Satsang (Union or Meeting for Truth)
Stay Firm in your Practice
Biography
Appendix
Prologue
Although
theoretical knowledge is important, my books are oriented to practice because
only through practice we can purify our mind and heart, realize our true Self (Consciousness,
Spirit, Being) and oneness with God.
Since
our true Self (the apparently individual Consciousness) is identical
with God (Absolute Consciousness), by realizing our true Self we know
God.
Realization of our true Self and establishment
in the Self is the purpose for which we were born into a human body. With the
complete dissolution of the ego (root and branch) and our establishment in our true
Self, we are free from pain and suffering and live in the freedom, fullness,
peace and bliss of God.
In
this book, I focus on Self-awareness, repetition of the mantra, inquiry and
elimination of selfish tendencies through a mantra of God's name and prayer.
What
prevents us from being transformed internally and attaining liberation (Self-realization,
enlightenment) is the lower rajasotamasic
ego. The lower ego keeps us identified and attached to the body, the mental and
emotional tendencies and habits, impulses, desires and programming and creates
a veil that hinders the realization of our immortal, unchanging, timeless,
indestructible, always peaceful and blissful Divine Self.
Therefore,
the central goal of spirituality and self-knowledge is the elimination of the
multifaceted ego through continuous systematic practice and a well-organised
sattvic lifestyle.
Essential
factors in the elimination of the ego and the awakening to our true nature are
the moment-to-moment vigilance, Self-awareness (awareness of the silent
space of Consciousness within), mindful self-observation, meditation,
Self-enquiry and the repetition of a mantra (Japa).
Repetition
of a mantra of God´s names is considered the most suitable and effective
practice for most aspirants. The constant repetition of a mantra throughout the
day is indeed one of the most effective ways to remain constantly alert, to
keep the attention and mind firmly focused on our true Self within
(Self-awareness), to purify the mind and heart and to eliminate egoic
tendencies.
I wish this book will inspire you and help you
to live aware of your true Self (Essence, Consciousness) and to free
yourself from selfish tendencies, desires, attachments and weaknesses.
I wish that your efforts are auspicious, that
they bring light, peace, love and harmony to your life and that you achieve
self-realization (liberation, God-realization) in this very life.
Comment
By
God, I do not mean an Entity outside and separate from us, but the intelligent
creative Consciousness that creates and sustains both us and the entire cosmos
and expresses itself in us as the seemingly individual Consciousness.
Repetition
of a mantra of God´s names is considered the most suitable and effective
practice for most aspirants. The constant repetition of a mantra throughout the
day is indeed one of the most effective ways to remain constantly alert, to
keep the attention and mind firmly focused on our true Self within (Self-awareness),
to purify the mind and heart and to eliminate egoic tendencies.
Gratitude - Dedications
This book is dedicated to life,
to the Divine Mother of the universe (Mahashakti,
the Supreme Divine creative energy)
who gives me strength, wisdom and
guidance to walk the path and frees me from the shackles of the mind,
to the Gnostic teaching of Samael Aun
Weor who taught me to pray to the Divine Mother and work for the dissolution of
egoic tendencies and the conversion of sexual energy,
to my beloved master, Hairakhan Bhole
Baba (Babaji)
who always resides in my heart and
guides me towards the light and the truth,
to the holy and peaceful Hairakhan
Vishva Mahadham
whose divine vibrations transformed my
mind and my heart,
to Swami Sivananda
who through his books and his energy
gave me light, love, courage,
knowledge and inspiration,
to Nisargadatta Maharaj
whose simplicity and clarity of his
words helped me realize my Self,
to the formless and timeless
Consciousness behind all phenomena,
and also, to Aïvanhov, Ramana
Maharshi, Shankaracharya, Sri Aurobindo, Bhagavad Gita,
and to everything and everyone that in
their own way contributed to my transformation and awakening
Finally, the book is dedicated to all
seekers of truth and freedom!
Peace, Love, Harmony, Health and
Prosperity,
to
all beings all over the world!
Atman Nityananda
UNITY I
1. Our True
Nature is Happiness
We are looking for freedom, eternal
life and happiness because we are already these here and now. Our essential or
divine nature (Consciousness, Self, Atman) is eternal Existence,
freedom, peace and bliss but we have to realize it. Our divine nature is veiled
by the Gunas
and the impure mind.
Rajas and tamas gunas along with the
ego and its innumerable desires and tendencies make us identify with the body
and mind and veil our divine Self whose nature is Eternal Existence, Pure
Consciousness, Infinite Peace and Bliss. Because of it we live as a body-mind
entity separate from life and God, we ignore our true Self which is identical
with God and we take the external world as the only reality.
To take
the world as real and one’s Self as unreal
is ignorance. Ignorance of oneself causes desire and desire perpetuates
ignorance.
~
Nisargadatta
Because of the ignorance,
identification and attachment to body, mind and sense objects we have very
little, if not at all, control over our mental and emotional processes.
Thoughts and emotions come and go like the clouds in the sky that are blown by
the wind, making us experience pleasure and pain and fleeting moments of
happiness, freedom and peace. Desire and attachment cause our attention to be
directed mainly to sensory objects and experiences; objects that seem very
solid and real to us.
Through the senses and the mind, we
enjoy the qualities of sense objects along with pleasure or pain, happiness or
sorrow depending on the nature of sensory experience and the conditioning of
our mind. Our ego likes certain objects and dislikes others due to past
experiences, conditioning, identification, projection and imagination. Identified
with the sensory mind, we try to obtain pleasurable objects and
experiences and avoid the unpleasant or painful ones. As a result, we are
trapped in the ignorant part of the mind, i.e., the external mind (Manas in
Sanskrit) which is the sensory-emotional mind that also includes
automatic-mechanical thinking.
Immersed in the world of sensory
experiences we have forgotten our origin, our true Self or Consciousness. Our
Divine Self is always present in us. In reality, our body, mind, sense objects,
the whole world, exist in the ocean of pure Consciousness. We cannot experience
any object without the presence of Consciousness. The light of Consciousness
enables us to experience good or evil thoughts, good or evil deeds.
Consciousness is our essential nature, our constant companion, the silent
witness of everything we know, do, express, perceive and experience.
Nevertheless, since we are so engrossed in the enjoyment of the illusory sense
objects and our intellect is clouded by ego, desire, attachment and selfish
tendencies we fail to recognise our ever-free, peaceful and blissful Divine
Self.
One’s own
reality, which shines within everyone as the heart, is itself the ocean of
unalloyed bliss.
The
bliss of the Self is always with you and you will find it for yourself if you
would seek it earnestly.
~ Sri Ramana Maharshi
Being ignorant of our true Self (Consciousness),
we try to find eternal peace, happiness and contentment in impermanent,
limited objects. But, is it possible to find unconditioned, limitless happiness
in conditioned, limited objects or situations? Did you ever see any human being
be truly happy because of wealth, money or sex? Instead, many sages having only
the necessary for living, have lived a life of fullness, peacefulness,
contentment and happiness because they have lived in union with their divine
essence within.
Because
of the lower rajasotamasic ego, we fail to experience the peace and bliss of
the Self (Consciousness, Atman) that is constantly present within us since the
ego obscures our intellect and its discriminative power. So, we wander around in the thick forest of
sense objects seeking for happiness in things that can only give us a little
pleasure and enjoyment and much pain and suffering. We try to make the
impossible happen, that is, to find immortal qualities in mortal, perishable,
limited things.
Ignorance draws a
veil over the pure bliss. Direct your attempts only towards removing the
ignorance.
~ Sri Ramana Maharshi
Remember always that sensual pleasures
can never, ever give you eternal peace and everlasting true happiness (bliss,
eudaimonia). They are finite and limited creations of the senses and the
sensory mind. Pleasure is created by the mind, nervous system and vital energy
when they are stimulated by sensory impressions or by remembering or imagining
the objects. When the body, senses or mind are tired or sick, then sense
objects cannot give us any pleasure at all.
2.14. The contacts of the senses with the
objects cause heat and cold, pleasure and pain, have a beginning and an end.
They are impermanent; endure them bravely, O Arjuna!
~
Bhagavad Gita Ch. II
Desire, lust and greed for pleasures (and
also for power and fame) are wombs of sin, pain and suffering. Desire in
the form of lust impels us to desperately seek the enjoyment of sense
pleasures, even if only for a while, which leads us to experience a fleeting
pleasure, satisfaction and joy accompanied by much pain and suffering.
After experiencing pleasure, joy or
happiness we realize once again that we did not find the lasting happiness we
thought we would find in those objects or situations we desired so much.
Moreover, after the experience of pleasure and happiness we will again
experience dissatisfaction, uneasiness, lack, incompleteness and an existential
void.
What happiness
can you get from things extraneous to yourself? When you get it, how long will
it last?
Perfect
peace is of the Self (Consciousness). Peace is your natural state.
~ Sri Ramana Maharshi
The most important thing to know is
that, the happiness and peace that we experience when we enjoy any object,
derives from within, from our true Self and not from the object we experience.
We believe that happiness comes from sensory experiences because of ignorance,
lack of clarity and lack of discrimination.
When we are in contact with the
desired object, desire subsides along with the emotions (anxiety, worries,
fear, impatience etc.) and the mental agitation which usually accompanies
the desire and the mind assumes its sattvic aspect; i.e., it becomes calm,
one-pointed and introverted. In this state of mind, we experience the happiness
of sattva guna and, to some degree, the peace and bliss of our divine Self (Consciousness).
Nevertheless, because of ignorance, lack of discernment and inadvertence, we
think that happiness derives from the enjoyment of the objects. Hence, we
become attached to experiences and objects and want to repeat them in order to
experience pleasure once again and, through it, happiness. However, we want to
experience sensual pleasures time and again due to the rajasic nature of the
mind, as the rajas quality by nature desires pleasures and is attached to them.
Peace and bliss are our innate nature,
the nature of our true Self (Consciousness, Soul, Atman) however, they
can only be experienced when our mind is calm, clear, steady, focused and
introverted. This can occur on two occasions: involuntary, partially and
temporarily when a desire is fulfilled and the mental-emotional agitation
subsides and intentionally when we, through meditation or Self-Inquiry, achieve
to calm, focus and stabilize the mind in our true inner Self (Consciousness).
As long as we do not know or do not
realize that happiness has nothing to do with the enjoyment of the objects and
given that our mind is attached to sense pleasures, we desire to repeat the
same experiences over and over again, considering that happiness comes from
them……
UNITY II
8.
Self-awareness or Self-remembrance
Self-awareness means ‘I am aware of myself’.
But when we say ‘myself,’ what do we mean? For most people, due to ignorance of their
inner Self (Consciousness), the word Self-
awareness refers to their apparent or illusory self
(consisting of the body, vital energy, mind, intellect and ego).
However, our Self or identity is the
silent space of Consciousness and not the ‘body-mind me’, so Self- awareness,
in its truest sense, refers to our true Self and identity, i.e., the light of
consciousness (Atman) that is experienced as a silent and peaceful
presence. In the spiritual teachings and in this book especially, the
term Self-awareness is used to denote the awareness of our true Self, the
silent presence of Consciousness.
However, the term self-awareness can
be used about our apparent self, i.e., about the body, thoughts, emotions and
all energetic and psychological forms and processes. I would also like to point
out that being aware of ourselves (as far as our apparent self is concerned)
refers not only to the awareness of our thoughts, emotions, etc. but also
to the awareness of the causes of our thoughts, emotions, decisions and
behaviours and the effects or consequences they may have on ourselves and
others.
Consciousness
is eternal, absolute Existence and when it is reflected on the sattvic mind it
is experienced as the sense 'I am’ or ‘I exist’. The 'I am' is a mixture of the
reflected Consciousness in the mind and the sattvic ego and is therefore
partially illusory and partially true; illusory because of the ego and true
because of Consciousness.
However,
because of ignorance and the rajasotamasic ego, we identify the ‘I am’ with the
body and mind. Because of this identification of the ‘I am’ with the body, we
are bound in the realm of material existence and are subjected to the perpetual
circle of pleasure and pain, births and deaths (Samsara). Instead, by
identifying the 'I am' with Consciousness, we become witnesses to the body,
psychological expressions and sensory experiences, and set ourselves on the
path of liberation. We stop identifying and being dominated by egoic tendencies
and programming, we experience inner peace and wholeness and awaken to our true
Self. In order to remain a detached witness of the mind (thoughts, emotions,
etc.), sensory experiences and body and experience the peace, plenitude and
freedom of our true Self, it is necessary to be as deep aware of the inner
silence as possible……
11. The Ability of Self-observation
Self-knowledge
is based on living moment to moment with mindfulness and Self-awareness. That
is, being centered in the present moment, maintaining conscious contact with
the sense of 'I am' and the peaceful silence within, being attentive and aware
of what is happening inside and outside, avoiding identification with mental
and emotional expressions and observing them objectively (avoiding
blaming, complaining and judging negatively).
By consciously keeping our attention
inwards, observing and inquiring about the psychological processes and
expressions, and discerning our egoic self from our true Self (Consciousness),
we begin to know ourselves and work for our inner transformation.
The ability to remember to be aware of
the silent space of Consciousness within (Self-awareness) and the
ability to observe consciously and purposely what is happening in our mind,
body and vital energy (self-observation) are gradually developed through
systematic, diligent practice; over time what is now a practice will become as
natural as our breathing…..
UNITY III
13. The
Repetition of Mantra and God´s Name
(Japa Mantra and Japa Nama)
Part I
According
to great spiritual masters, repetition of a mantra of God's name is the easiest
and most effective form of practice for the majority, in this age of unbridled
materialism (Kali Yuga). Swami Sivananda, Hairakhan Babaji and Amma
suggest the repetition of God's name as the most important and effective means
to purify our mind and heart, eliminate egoic tendencies and meditate.
The water to clean your heart is the Name of God. Of greatest
importance is that the Repetition of God's Name (Japa Nama) increase daily. In
this way, your heart and mind will be purified and only then will you find God
in yourself.
~ Hairakhan Babaji
The
repetition of the mantra, either mentally or verbally, purifies the mind and
heart, dissolves selfish tendencies, negative emotions, desires and
attachments, makes the mind calm, harmonious, stable and luminous, and
ultimately leads us to attain enlightenment or God-realization.
The mind,
by nature, can think only one thing at a time. It can either think of God or
the world. If we do not make the mind think of something higher, then the mind,
out of habit and programming, will think of sense objects, will cling to them,
and will repeat the same patterns of thought and emotion.
The
highest thought of all is the name of God and the constant repetition of a
mantra is the easiest way to remember God (Consciousness, silent presence within) and to purify
the mind and heart. By mentally repeating a mantra (we can also whisper or say it out loud) we keep
our mind centred on God.
It is
recommended to repeat the mantra that most resonates in our heart (for example,
'Om Nama Shivay', or 'Om
Namo Narayanaya'), or the name of a great divine incarnation
such as Krishna and Jesus Christ ('Hare Krishna Hare Rama', 'Om Sri Jesus Christ Namaha'). Those
inclined to the formless God may repeat some of the great sayings of the
Upanishads (Mahavakyas)
who refer to God (Brahman) in
its formless absolute aspect. These great sayings affirm the identification of
our true Self (Atman,
Consciousness) with the absolute Truth of the Universe (Brahman,
Absolute Consciousness, God). Two of these sayings are 'I am
Brahman’ (‘Aham Brahmasmi’ in Sanskrit) and ‘Atman is Brahman’ (‘Ayam
Atma Brahma’ in Sanskrit), i.e., the individual Consciousness (Atman) is
the Universal or Absolute Consciousness (Brahman).
The ultimate goal of the repetition of
the mantra is to become as spontaneous and natural as our breathing so that our
mind remains in constant contact with the silent presence of God. To achieve
this requires constant diligent practice of Japa mantra throughout the day as
well as morning and evening practice at home or at any other time we have
scheduled for practice….
20. The Dissolution of
Ego and Desires and Liberation
Egoic
tendencies and desires develop in us because of ignorance and the pursuit of
happiness in sensory pleasures, sensory experiences and mundane success. Ego
and desire, however, are not two different elements. Desire, or more precisely desiring,
is an expression of the ego. Furthermore, all attachments, selfish tendencies
and negative emotions, habits and addictions originate directly or indirectly
in desire. As I said before, greed, for example, is desiring more and more;
envy is desiring what others have; pride is desiring to feel great, superior
and to be recognized by others.
Desires, attachments, egoic
tendencies, negative emotions, habits and addictions cause our mind to be
dense, obscure, cloudy, inharmonious, passionate, restless, and therefore to
lose its clarity, calmness, serenity, stability, one-pointedness, clear perception
and discernment. And this, in turn, causes us to experience pain and suffering (to
a greater or lesser degree depending on the power of egoic tendencies, desires
and attachments and our state of consciousness) and, on the other hand, to
live unaware of our true Self and not experience peace, wholeness, freedom and
bliss.
Since ego and desires are the root of
our misery and suffering and also the impediments to fully experiencing our
true Self, their elimination leads to liberation (Self-realization,
Enlightenment).
Only with the complete dissolution of
the ego (of all egoic tendencies and desires) we can establish ourselves
in our divine Self (Atman, the apparent individual Consciousness) who is
identical with the Universal or absolute Consciousness (Brahman, God) and attain liberation.
In short, spirituality is a process
that prepares the inner organ, i.e., the fourfold mind (Antahkarana in Sanskrit), for meditation and Samadhi, through which the
complete dissolution of the ego (egoic tendencies and desires) and the
establishment in our divine Self can be achieved.
The main goals of this process are the
purification of the mind, the elimination of the egoistic tendencies and the
rajas and tamas gunas from the mind, the development of Self-awareness,
self-observation, detachment, discernment, dispassion and devotion, and all
other virtues and sattvic abilities of the mind. The ultimate goal is, of
course, liberation or Self-realization……
The Books of Atman
Nityananda
·
Η Τέχνη του να Ζεις Συνειδητά την
Στιγμή
·
Το Όνομα του Θεού και η Κάρμα Γιόγκα
·
Η Τέχνη του Διαλογισμού
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the
three Gunas:
Sattva, Rajas
and Tamas Gunas are the primary subtle forces of the universe. Read more about
them in the subtopic ‘The mind and the three Gunas’ of the topic ‘Ego, our Illusory Identity’.
the external mind: The mind has four aspects:
1. the External mind (Manas in Sanskrit), 2. the Intermediate mind or
Intellect (Buddhi in Sanskrit), 3. the Inner mind or Subconscious (Chitta
in Sanskrit) and 4. the Ego (Ahamkara in Sanskrit). The fourfold mind is
called the inner organ or instrument (Antahkarana in Sanskrit) in the Yoga and
Vedanta traditions.
the word Self- awareness: since we consider the body and mind to be
ourselves, we typically use the term self-awareness to denote that we are aware
of the body, bodily sensations, thoughts, imaginations, feelings, emotions,
etc. However, our self or identity is Consciousness, experienced as a silent
and unchanging presence. So, Self-Awareness-in the most authentic sense of the
term- signifies being aware of the ‘I am’ and the silent presence of
Consciousness.
liberation: liberation, enlightenment, Self-realization and
God-realization are synonymous terms and the one who has attained this state is respectively called liberated, enlightened,
Self-realized. The liberated one, in Sanskrit, is called 'Jivanmukta' and also
'Jnani' which means the knower of the Self (Atman) or God (Brahman, Absolute
Consciousness) and also ‘Yogi’ which means the united with their true Self (Atman, Consciousness) or God.
fourfold mind: The four aspects or parts of mind
are: 1. the External mind (Manas in Sanskrit), 2. the Intermediate mind or Intellect (Buddhi in Sanskrit), 3. the Inner mind or Subconscious (Chitta in Sanskrit) and 4. the Ego (Ahamkara in Sanskrit).
