OM TAT SAT

Sunday, July 29, 2012

To Heaven by Heaven

Speaking about heavens in plural in religion, we do not refer to some place in the universe, we refer to something much bigger and more difficult to define with our limited human concepts.
Nevertheless, in christianity the highest level is the seventh heaven, in which God can be seen and where anything is possible. That there is a place in God for christians .

Antonio Campi Les Mystères de la Passion du Christ (detail)

In hinduism the seven upper lokas (worlds) are:
Bhurloka (earth), Bhwar-loka (space between earth and the sun, inhabited by semi-divine beings), Swar-loka (region between the sun and polar star, the heaven of the god Indra), Mahar-loka (the abode of great sages and saints), Jana-loka (abode of the sons of the god Brahma), Tapar-loka (abode of other deities), and Satya-loka or Brahma-loka (abode of Brahma, where souls are released from the necessity of rebirth).
Brahmaloka is the highest heaven, where fortunate souls repair after death and enjoy spiritual communion with the personal God, and at the end of the cycle attain liberation. Corresponding to every world here, there is a corresponding sheath of consciousness within every human being, reflecting the correspondence between the microcosm and the macrocosm.

Islamic texts refer to several levels of heaven: Firdaus or Paradise, 'Adn, Na'iim, Na'wa, Darussalaam, Daarul Muaqaamah, Al-Muqqamul, Amin & Khuldi. Each Heaven or “ss-samawat” consisting of seven levels, the first and lowest level of as Dunyah, which covers the known universe and all within it. The highest level is the seventh heaven, in which God can be seen and where anything is possible. The parable of the Garden which the righteous are promised!- beneath it flow rivers: perpetual is the enjoyment there of and the shade therein: such is the end of the Righteous; and the end of Unbelievers in the Fire.(Quran013.035)

But while we are on the earth any concepts about heavens remain only the concepts for us. And while we are here - heaven does not belong to the geography of space, but to the geography of the heart. God instead never passes and all of us exist because of his love. We exist because he loves us and God receives in his eternity what now, in our life, made up of suffering and love, of hope, of joy and sadness, grows and comes to be. All human life are "in his eyes".
And Katha Upanishad says: "When all the desires that dwell in the heart fall away, then the mortal becomes immortal and here attains Brahman."

Spiritual friendship

Angelos Akotantos The Embrace of the Apostles Peter and Paul

The friend in general can be defined as the other half of myself, indeed another "I". But the spiritual friendship is shined by eternal light of supreme Love and consequently I consider these relations as one of the higher displays of human spirit. When these relations are consecrated by identical aspiration to the higher, you become as two mirrors reflecting each other and these reflexions are lost in Infinity. The perfect meeting with the Infinite is eternally within ourselves. We listen the words of each other as revelation told to ourselves. It is like taste having a taste of itself. In such mirror we start to see real self. Certainly, if we do not start to deform the images and the rupture can occur then. When a rupture occurs, it as something is broken off in we wounding it with spiritual pain. In my case it has caused a deep dissonance with myself on all levels: physical , mental, psychological... And this rupture was more serious as it was a spiritual one. For some time we have lost contact with the divine vibration that drove us towards our deep spirituality. Certainly it has occurred because of our imperfections . Otherwise it could not happen. As wrote Michelangelo :

If there is a chaste love, a heavenly pity,
an equal fortune between two lovers,
a bitter fate shared by both,
and if a single spirit and one will governs two hearts;
if one soul in two bodies is made eternal,
raising both to heaven on the same wings;
if love with one blow and one golden arrow
can burn and pierce two hearts to the core;
if each loves the other rather than himself,
with a pleasure and delight so rewarding,
that to the same end they both strive;
if thousands upon thousands are not worth a hundredth
part of such a loving bond of such a faith;
then shall anger alone break and dissolve it?

But after you have let someone in open self it is impossible to stop it. And till now I place my friend in an inner sanctum of my heart. How it is possible to betray the force which united us?
Unless all of us are divided now? Really?

Jñânadev says: You and I are one, without name or form; we are identical to the one blissful Existence in whom the blessed merge.

Bodhisattva Vow

Ellora 2012

May I be a guard for those who are protectorless,
A guide for those who journey on the road;
For those who wish to go across the water,
May I be a boat, a raft, a bridge.

May I be an isle for those who yearn for landfall,
And a lamp for those who long for light;
For those who need a resting place, a bed,
For all who need a servant, may I be a slave.

May I be the wishing jewel, the vase of plenty,
A word of power, and the supreme remedy.
May I be the trees of miracles,
And for every being, the abundant cow.

Like the great earth and the other elements,
Enduring as the sky itself endures,
For the boundless multitude of living beings,
May I be the ground and vessel of their life.

Thus, for every single thing that lives,
In number like the boundless reaches of the sky,
May I be their sustenance and nourishment
Until they pass beyond the bounds of suffering

Shantideva, a great master, scholar, and bodhisattva

O night, o sweet

O night, O sweet though sombre span of time!—
All things find rest upon their journey's end—
Whoso had praised thee, well doth apprehend;
And whoso honours thee, had wisdom's prime.
Our cares thou canst to quietude sublime;
For dews and darkness are of peace the friend:
Often by thee in dreams upborne, I wend
From earth to heaven, where yet I hope to climb.
Thou shade of Death, through whom the soul at length
Shuns pain and sadness hostile to the heart,
Whom mourners find their last and sure relief!
Thou dost restore our suffering flesh to strength,
Driest our tears, assuagest every smart,
Purging the spirits of the pure from grief.

Michelangelo Buonarroti, sonnet Xliv, transl.by Symonds

Potuit Decuit Ergo Fecit

In frequent disputes there are different themes about that God could do something or not. It is certainly amusing - to argue on these themes. The omnipotence of God is not a subject to the human logic. During the later middle ages, Franciscans established a famed theological principle:

Potuit, decuit, ergo fecit

God could do it;
it was fitting that He should do it;
therefore He actually did it.

This latin phrase is only approach of human logic to divine. But this argument does not pretend to be a syllogism or even logically necessary. It is used since God is free and not required to do anything. Even if to the human mind it does not make sense but does to be the best way to do things.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Argala Stotra

This is Argala Stotra of Durga Saptasathi or Devi Sooktham, in which are contained great Mantras.
This Stotram has a beautiful refrain, a prayer to the Divine Mother: rUpaM dehi jayaM dehi yasho dehi dviSho jahi - Give us your form, give us victory, give us welfare, remove all hostility.
"Give us your form" means let us reflect the form, the appearance of the Divine Mother entirely in our every action, every thought.

atha argalAstotram.h

OM namashvaNDikAyai
mArkaNDeya uvAcha .
OM jaya tvaM devi chAmuNDe jaya bhUtApahAriNi .
jaya sarvagate devi kAlarAtri namo.astu te .. 1..
jayantI maN^galA kAlI bhadrakAlI kapAlinI .
durgA shivA kshamA dhAtrI svAhA svadhA namo.astu te .. 2..
madhukaiTabhavidhva.nsi vidhAtR^ivarade namaH .
rUpaM dehi jayaM dehi yasho dehi dviSho jahi .. 3..
mahiShAsuranirnAshi bhaktAnAM sukhade namaH .
rUpaM dehi jayaM dehi yasho dehi dviSho jahi .. 4..
dhUmranetravadhe devi dharmakAmArthadAyini .
rUpaM dehi jayaM dehi yasho dehi dviSho jahi .. 5..
raktabIjavadhe devi chaNDamuNDavinAshini .
rUpaM dehi jayaM dehi yasho dehi dviSho jahi .. 6..
nishumbhashumbhanirnAshi trilokyashubhade namaH .
rUpaM dehi jayaM dehi yasho dehi dviSho jahi .. 7..
vanditAN^ghriyuge devi sarvasaubhAgyadAyini .
rUpaM dehi jayaM dehi yasho dehi dviSho jahi .. 8..
achintyarUpacharite sarvashatruvinAshini .
rUpaM dehi jayaM dehi yasho dehi dviSho jahi .. 9..
natebhyaH sarvadA bhaktyA chAparNe duritApahe .
rUpaM dehi jayaM dehi yasho dehi dviSho jahi .. 10..
stuvadbhyo bhaktipUrvaM tvAM chaNDike vyAdhinAshini .
rUpaM dehi jayaM dehi yasho dehi dviSho jahi .. 11..
chaNDike satataM yuddhe jayanti pApanAshini .
rUpaM dehi jayaM dehi yasho dehi dviSho jahi .. 12..
dehi saubhAgyamArogyaM dehi devi paraM sukham.h .
rUpaM dehi jayaM dehi yasho dehi dviSho jahi .. 13..
vidhehi devi kalyANaM vidhehi vipulAM shriyam.h .
rUpaM dehi jayaM dehi yasho dehi dviSho jahi .. 14..
vidhehi dviShatAM nAshaM vidhehi balamuchchakaiH .
rUpaM dehi jayaM dehi yasho dehi dviSho jahi .. 15..
surAsurashiroratnanighR^iShTacharaNe.ambike .
rUpaM dehi jayaM dehi yasho dehi dviSho jahi .. 16..
vidyAvantaM yashasvantaM lakshmIvantaJNcha mAM kuru .
rUpaM dehi jayaM dehi yasho dehi dviSho jahi .. 17..
devi prachaNDadordaNDadaityadarpaniShUdini .
rUpaM dehi jayaM dehi yasho dehi dviSho jahi .. 18..
prachaNDadaityadarpaghne chaNDike praNatAya me .
rUpaM dehi jayaM dehi yasho dehi dviSho jahi .. 19..
chaturbhuje chaturvaktrasa.nsute parameshvari .
rUpaM dehi jayaM dehi yasho dehi dviSho jahi .. 20..
kR^iShNena sa.nstute devi shashvadbhaktyA sadAmbike .
rUpaM dehi jayaM dehi yasho dehi dviSho jahi .. 21..
himAchalasutAnAthasa.nstute parameshvari .
rUpaM dehi jayaM dehi yasho dehi dviSho jahi .. 22..
indrANIpatisadbhAvapUjite parameshvari .
rUpaM dehi jayaM dehi yasho dehi dviSho jahi .. 23..
devi bhaktajanoddAmadattAnandodaye.ambike .
rUpaM dehi jayaM dehi yasho dehi dviSho jahi .. 24..
bhAryAM manoramAM dehi manovR^ittAnusAriNIm.h .
rUpaM dehi jayaM dehi yasho dehi dviSho jahi .. 25..
tAriNi durgasa.nsArasAgarasyAchalodbhave .
rUpaM dehi jayaM dehi yasho dehi dviSho jahi .. 26..
idaM stotraM paThitvA tu mahAstotraM paThennaraH .
saptashatIM samArAdhya varamApnoti durlabham.h .. 27..
.. iti shrImArkaNDeyapurANe argalAstotraM samAptam.h ..

Friday, July 27, 2012

Mysticism and magic

Andrei Tarkovsky's Stalker

This complicated question about a parity of these concepts is actual now more than ever. In our time all can be using up everything. Why do some people always seem to take advantage of spiritual things?
In the west as in the east, people always tend to practical advantage. How it can be condemned? It is a private affair of everyone what interests it puts on the first place. But a problem in that that as a result the principles of mysticism and magic - it is constantly confused. I will not consider now a case when practical application of religion consider as magic. It's a big separate theme. And I will not tell about a tantra concept now which was confused strongly enough in west.
No, I speak about principles.
Mysticism and magic are not only different, but frequent opposed.
Mysticism is a spiritual force while magic is a natural force.
Mysticism is freedom, magic is power.
Mysticism is communion with God, magic is communion with cosmic forces generating power. Magic was the first technical means at man's disposal in his struggle against inimical forces, against spirits and demons but it is not pleasant to me when it turns out that it was a source of power over other people or even the higher forces.
Occultism is related to magic. Magical elements find their way into spiritual life, although magic is never spiritual. Mysticism is, however, always spiritual. Its distinguishing quality is freedom of spirit - a quality denied to magic, which remains, indeed, the servant of maya's duality.

Namavali

Namavali means names of God. Any religion that came up in the places where the local language has the facility of using adjectives as nouns has tis tradition. Any part of language that glorifies God comes under the similar category of Namavali. Some religions formulate a particular method for it, while other religions prescribe other means, but the point of it is to since the Namavali are equal to the Highest Mantras. I think here not so much rules but the main thing is sincere fidelity. In a some sense, when one is reciting the epithets of a particular devata in puja, one is also addressing them to oneself. The repetitioner and the name become one. The Lord’s Name is all-bliss, and when it is chanted, the mind merges in this bliss, it loses its individual identity: it becomes one with the bliss itself.

I did not try to do it specially to receive something but to as a result received such big pleasure and immersed in inexplicable joy. How sweet is God's Name! A finite, limited intellect surely cannot understand the nature of the infinite, of the limitless. And there is no limit to God's Name.

In this blog ( follow links):

Captivates my soul and my heart
The beauty of the Name of God
Quenches my spiritual thirst
The Majesty of the Name of God.

If you seek intimacy with the Real,
Be one of them who sit together in His Name
Look! Intimacy with God is
In the intimacy with the Name of God.

Between the Name and the Named
When there is no difference
Look you! Only in the self disclosure of the Names lies
The perfection of the Name of God.

---Hazrat Muinuddin, translated by Irshad Alam

Chinnamasta’s 108 names

Her name and images show her own severed head, which she holds in her hands, is drinking one stream of blood spurting from the arteries of her neck, and while at her side are two naked Shaktis each of whom drinks another stream of blood. Chinnamasta is been generally shown as if she is standing on the body of God of love. And it is inexpressibly delightful. This symbolism's treatment should be based on your experience and her stotra of 108 names is as follows:

Chinnamasta
Mahavidya (great knowledge goddess)
Mahabhima (great fierce one)
Mahodari (great bellied one)
Candesvari (fierce goddess)
Candamata (mother of fierce beings or the fierce mother)
Candamundaprabhanjini (killer of demons Canda and Munda)
Mahacanda (great fierce one)
Candarupa (fierce form)
Candika (fierce one)
Candakhandini (destroyer of Canda)
Krodhini (wrathful one)
Krodhajanani (creator of wrathful beings)
Krodharupa (wrathful form)
Kuhuh (new moon day)
Kala (skillful one)
Kopatura (afflicted with rage)
Kopayuta (filled with rage)
Kopasamharakarini (destroyer of rage)
Vajra
Vajravairocani (adamantine one)
Vajrakalpa (competent with a vajra)
Dakini
Dakinikarmanirata (involved with the work of dakinis)
Dakinikarmapujita (worshipped as the work of dakinis)
Dakinisanganirata (delighted in the company of dakinis)
Dakinipremapurita (filled with love of dakinis)
Khatavangadharini (holder of a khatvanga)
Kharva (mutilated one)
Khadgakharparadharini (holder of a scimitar and a skullcup)
Pretasana (feeder of pretas [hungry ghosts])
Pretayuta (united with pretas)
Pretasangaviharini (plays or dwells in the company of pretas)
Chinnamundadhara (holds a severed head)
Chinnacandavidya (fierce mantra of the one with the severed body)
Citrini (having variegated forms)
Ghorarupa (terrific form)
Ghoradrsta (terrific to behold)
Ghorarava (having a terrific roar)
Ghanodari (firm abdomen)
Yogini (practices yoga)
Yoganirata (practitioner of yoga)
Japayajnaparayana (absorbed in sacrifice and recitation)
Yonicakramayi (possessing yonicakra)
Yonih (embodying the yoni)
Yonicakrapravarttini (arising from the yonicakra)
Yonimudra (has the yonimudra)
Yonigamya (accessible to the yoni)
Yoniyantranivasini (abides in the yoniyantra)
Yantrarupa (has the yantra form)
Yantramayi (possesses the yantra)
Yantresi (goddess of the yantra)
Yantrapujita (worshipped with a yantra)
Kirtya (renowned one)
Kapardini (has matted hair)
Kali
Kankali (emaciated)
Kalavikarini (constantly transforming)
Arakta (being slightly red)
Raktanayana (having red eyes)
Raktapanaparayana (quaffing blood continuously)
Bhavani
Bhutida (gives prosperity)
Bhutih (prosperity)
Bhutidatri (bestows prosperity)
Bhairavi (formidable one)
Bhairavacaranirata (engaged in the practice of bhairavas)
Bhutabhairavasevita (served by fierce beings)
Bhima (formidable one)
Bhimesvaridevi (goddess who is lord of the formidable one)
Bhimanadaparayana (having continuous formidable sounds)
Bhavaradhya (praised by Sankara)
Bhavanuta (worshipped by all)
Bhavasagaratarini (crosses over the ocean of existence)
Bhadrakali (a form of Kali)
Bhadratanuh (having a beautiful body)
Bhadrarupa (beautiful form)
Bhadrika (goodness)
Bhadrarupa (embodies goodness)
Mahabhadra (magnanimous)
Subhadra (wonderful goodness)
Bhadrapalini (protectoress of goodness)
Subhavya (exceedingly beautiful)
Bhavyavadana (having beautiful face)
Sumukhi (good face or mouth)
Siddhasevita (served by siddhis)
Siddhida (gives siddhis)
Siddhanivaha (has the collection of siddhis)
Siddha (accomplished one)
Siddhanisevita (honoured by siddhas)
Subhada (gives auspiciousness)
Subhaga (elegant)
Suddha (pure)
Suddhasattva (has pure sattva)
Subhavaha (bearer of auspiciousness)
Srestha (excellent)
Drstamayi (embodies the right view)
Devi
Drstisamharakarini (capable of destroying by her gaze)
Sarvani (Siva’s wife)
Sarvaga (omnipresent)
Sarva (complete)
Sarvamangalakarini (creator of all auspiciousness)
Siva (pacifier)
Santa (peaceful)
Santirupa (embodiment of peacefulness)
Mrdani (gladdened)
Madanatura (indomitable by Kamadeva)

Yajnarupam yajnadatrim yajnagrahanakarirnim /
moksadam sarvasattvebhyaschinnamastam namamyaham//