Inner Journey

Japa[Chanting] and Dhyana [Meditation] are like two wings of an aircraft.....Both are essential for spiritual growth of a person....Japa  was erroneously considered as a slow, inefficient, pedestrian approach...This is not true.....Japa is not simply a preparatory step , as some acharyas/gurus contend....Japa may be a slow method, but  a sure technique.You will see quick results...Japa alone,without other means, can lead to great heights....A great advantage of japa is that it can be practized at any time,at any place without any ritualistic steps. Japa is THE METHOD for this dark age or kali yuga with low moral values all around....In the Bhagavad Gita,  the Lord says that among sacrifices[yagna] , He is Japa!
   Japa is linked to Bhakti Yoga while meditation as such  is Jnana / Raja yoga.Meditation came to the main stream after the rise of Buddhism in India.I have given guide lines for meditation in other pages....Proceed slowly with meditation.It is quite powerful.The body and mind must be slowly attuned to meditational practice.Some poorly informed gurus teach meditation in such a way that the sadhak or practitioner gets warped mind or even physical problems.....Go slow...that is the approach.
   It is well known that Maharshi Mahesh Yogi brought meditation [TM] into main stream----for daily practice in the West.While the Yogi has been criticised for many things ,especially fanciful, whimsical programs, he should be credited with the widespread application, along with study of physiological effects, of meditation. Zen buddhism had taught various kinds of meditation....quite powerful and brought peace to millions of people.[Zen or Chan  is derived from Hindu meditations only----in 7th century,spread to China,Japan and Tibet.Bodhi Dharma and Shanti-deva spread it abroad.]
  Japa is done with open eyes and with use of words/mantras.Meditation can be done with open or closed eyes,reducing the word symbols, though mantras are used in the beginning.
The effect of both Japa and meditation can persist for several hours or throughout the day....
     Both Japa and meditation can be practised in groups...But avoid talking and speeches during such sessions....Do not mix japa/meditation with lectures/sat sangs/gossip......Many practize silence for hours/days with meditation.
Note: Literally hundreds of books have appeared on meditation.Choose carefully.See my listing in the web-page on books in this site.You can, of course, read my short book: "The fruitful meditation" published by Pustak Mahal, New delhi.[see their website].It costs Rs 80 only --in India.

Charity is the means of linking oneself with the society and showing compassion towards all.Semitic religions [jewish,christian] have emphasized this , with the practize of tithing---giving one tenth [10%] of one's earnings for charity purposes or to church.
In the Hindu customs, charity has taken a secondary place,even though poor feeding [anna dhan],giving education to  poor students, have been practized by many---including mutts/ashrams.[Poor feeding at the end of religious festivals/functions [bandhara]  has been common..Many temples and ashrams maintain regular poor feeding and large kitchens---for example the Golden Temple of Sikhs at Amritsar..but no regular practice of charity has been organised...,the midday meals scheme of ISKCON for school students is commendable.]
   There are many reasons for this;one of the most common reasons is that money given for charitable purposes have been misused ---due to corrupt practices---in almost all types of institutions,including religious organisations, mutts and groups. People are weary of giving money for charities in India...this is slowly changing with increase in income levels and a growing economy, but the suspicion that corrupt practices prevail is hampering.Therefore, while many rich and middle class Hindus are willing to spend money for temple jewels or temple renovations, they shrink from charity activities.
Another reason is the callous, indifferent  attitude of Hindu middle class families to social problems--'not to get involved'---but focus only on their own  family.[ 'Charity begins at home'---is a common saying---but it should not end there!]
   It is the task of young,dedicated persons of modest means to build institutions of charity , besides the religious groups that are flushed with money..{Shirdi Sai groups are doing excellent social service activities.]
  I have always felt that if majority of Hindu families give just 2% of their income to charity---for worthy causes---much of poverty , disability problems and lack of education, particularly in rural areas, could be wiped out of India in a decade.This ,of course ,is my personal viewpoint.Such organizations are best run by middle aged or retired persons  with interest, physical stamina and idealism.....It is heartening to note that several women's groups have emerged in this direction.With organized activities, the problem of beggars could be totally removed.Legislations and preaching will not help.
  Such activities need not be always done in the name of religion..after  all, problems of  poverty is the same for all religious groups in India!   " Anna data Sukhino Bhavantu "[Giver of food, may he prosper!]

Gayatri Mantra, drawn from Rig Veda, repeated in Yajur and Sama vedas, also in some Upanishads, is the most powerful and ancient mantra to chant.The deity ,Gayatri Devi, who is considered the primary deity is supposed to have created Brahma,Vishnu and Siva.The legend has it that it was imparted to Visvamitra when he acquired the title of 'Brahmarishi' from Vashista.
 Gayatri is bestower of worldly goods, prosperity and personal healing and so on.But essentially it is a mantra for your intellect...Let the Light illumine our intellects...Our intellect or Buddhi is close to the soul or Atma...Therefore Gayatri leads  us into self-realization.
Daily chanting of Gayatri mantra is a great way for illumination.Countless millions of Hindus have followed this tradition...again practice is needed to experience this.Even buddhists use this mantra.
There was a wrong notion that only brahmins ,that too properly initiated, should chant this mantra.Swami Sivananda wrote:" It is wrong to conceive of the notion that Gayatri is solely meant for chosen orthodox brahmin class.---------Yet it is acceptable to all types of aspirants,for it is conceived as worship of devi,of Lord Hari, of Aditya, or the sun, and also as pure nirguna worship of Brahman.".The book "Gayatri-the highest meditation" by Sant Keshavdas [Pub: Motilal Banarsidas,Delhi] is highly recommended---a profound book.

Kirtan menas singing;San-kirtan is 'holy singing'.This is practised with the accompaniment of musical instruments or just with clapping of hands.Minstrels used a single-string instrument [eka-tara] along with sankirtan while going round in streets.We rarely find such singers in India...
Sankirtan is of two kinds;Nama-sankirtan--singing the name of the Lord;This is the easiest to do and this can lead to highest spiritual attainments in a short time!...The other is "Rasa-Kirtan" ---singing the glory of the Lord--his attributes ,often through various anecdotes in the lives of the Lord---usually from the Life or Rama,Krishna or Devi[Goddess] or from Puranas.
    Sankirtan as a Sadhana or spiritual practice was revived by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu,in Bengal and later in the city of Jagannatha Puri.We are told that when he went around singing,thousands of devotees used to follow him every day.Many left thier homes and became his troupe members...Jayadeva's songs became the rasa-sankirtan songs in the Bengal-Orissa coast.
 Later Maharashtrian saints and Karnataka Haridasas spread the sankirtan mode of Sadhana.According to them,sankirtan will do--nothing more is required...One need not be a musician for this---just keep singing with some rhythm...While japa or meditation are usually done in a quiet corner,sankirtan is done in temples,halls and in the streets.Nagara-sankirtan is going round the city in small groups especially in the early mornings,waking up sleeping souls.In my school days ,I used to watch this group going round, at around 5 AM in Chennai...such sankritan groups are very rae now inthe crowded,developed cities of India.
In South India, this sadhana led to Bhagavata groups, who were often accomplished musicians and composers as well.Saint Thyagaraja belongs to this category...They also put up street plays of religious themes,from Srimad Bhagavatam and other puranas...Only a few such groups are left now.

In all cultures and religious traditions, the practice of feeding animals and birds has been emphasized....In Hinduism, there is an injunction that one should feed crows,other birds,squirrels,deer, dogs and cattle,  before taking the noon lunch.This has reduced to  a few pious families and that too, on selected days. It is difficult to find crows and other birds in concrete jungles of our cities.We used to feed the sparrows and squirrels which were plenty in our small house in Chennai[Madras] as small children.Our parents encouraged that...all such practices have slowly disappeared from the urban folks.
   There is a tendency to neglect dogs in this respect---even if they need only water and some biscuits.Shirdi Sai Baba always preached that one should feed the animals.Feeding  the animal connects our minds with the consciousness present in them too...which we denigrate often.The least one can do is to provide water bowls for dogs in the streets,especially in the summer....There are legends that some Indian princes and yogis used to talk to birds in their language and communicate...We have lost that ability or skills!

Rx,
  --Chant Lord's name for at least 10 minutes every morning and night,
  ----Meditate for at least 10 minutes every morning and night,
  ---  Use the universal meditation given in another page twice a day for all humanity,
   ---- Give material goods to the poor ,however little ,and spiritual counsel for the rich,
  ----   Never criticize or comment on others;if required, make general comments without mentioning name;
  ----  Pray ,thank the Lord for all the good things---big and small everyday;
   -----  Observe Nature [trees,mountains,rivers,the Sun,the moon] for a few minutes and thank the Lord;
------Read the lives of saints/sages of all countries/religions.
   -----  Write a spiritual diary at the end of the day;
   ----- Listen to good, classical music or hymns for 20 minutes every day
   ----- Do some manual work everyday for 15 minutes,like scrubbing the floor,cleaning the kitchen,washing clothes with hand,ironing clothes,carrying garbage to the bin and so on.]

-------- N K Srinivasan