The following extract is taken from the book “Meditations from
the Tantras”, by Swami Satyananda Saraswati.
Japa Yoga
Of all the systems of yoga used to induce Pratyahara and intended to
lead eventually to Samadhi, japa yoga is the easiest
and safest and can be practised by anyone at any time and under any
conditions. The word japa itself means to rotate.
Japa yoga means union of the self with the highest existence through
the rotation of consciousness.
A mantra is the first requirement for japa yoga. A mantra is a grouping
of sound vibrations which have an effect on the
mental and psychic consciousness of man. Tradition says it is best if
it is given by the guru or in a dream. An important
point is that the mind should be fully impressed by this mantra. When
the mantra is spoken verbally or mentally, the sound
vibrations create a certain form inside the human being. This is the
inner or psychic symbol and it has a physical manifestation.
A mala or rosary is the second requirement for most types of japa. A
mala is a string of small beads, usually 108 in number
and separated from each other by a special kind of knot which is known
as the brahmagranti or knot of creation. At one
point in the mala there is one extra bead, known as the sumeru or summit
of the mala, which is offset from the continuity of
the main loop of the mala. The significance of this sumeru bead is often
lost to modern day practitioners of japa, but its
importance cannot be overemphasized. The purpose of the sumeru is that
while practising japa the mind often tends to become
distracted from the mantra, either towards extraneous thoughts in the
case of beginners, or unconscious and psychic phenomena
in the case of more advanced practitioners. When this occurs, the rotation
of the mala becomes spontaneous or automatic,
continuing without awareness until the fingers reach the offset sumeru
bead, which brings the awareness back to the japa in
hand, so to speak.
In japa there is a continued rotation of consciousness centred on the
mantra and the mind becomes concentrated and relaxed,
which tends to bring all the physical and mental faculties of man to
their most efficient working state. It should be pointed
out, incidentally, that during the practice of japa the mind should not
be forced to concentrate on the repetition of the mantra.
The repetition of the mantra should seem to be a natural process emanating
from within, and the mind should only be an
unconcerned observer of this spontaneous process. When other thoughts
enter the mind during the practice of japa, and they
surely will, the awareness of the practitioner should watch these also
as they come and go, feeling himself to be an
unconcerned observer of them. He should not, however, let these thoughts
distract him from the practice in hand and should
continue his practice while watching these outside thoughts.
Types of japa
Japa is subdivided into four types, as follows:
1. Baikhari (audible): The beginner should practise his mantra in baikhari
or audible japa, and by producing sound
vibrations the brain will be gradually steadied and charged. After some
weeks of this practice, the mind becomes quiet. By the
practice of japa one can bring about a psychic condition in witch the
conceptualization of a psychic symbol becomes very easy.
If you want to meditate on a particular object but find it difficult,
practise baikhari or audible japa for about one hour and
then sit for meditation.
2. Upanshu (whispering): Here the mantra is whispered in such a way that
only the practitioner can hear it. There is a lip
movement but almost no sound. This stage is more subtle than baikhari
japa, and brings the mind to a point where it can go
onto manasik japa. Upanshu japa is usually done by people who want to
practise the mantra for eight or ten hours a day for
a specific purpose. According to mantra shastra, the science of mantra,
a mantra can be used for correcting the errors of destiny.
Whether this is true or not some people believe in it and there are certain
mantras which are repeated especially for physical
purposes.
3. Manasik (mental): Manasik japa should not be practised unless baikhari
and upanshu have been mastered. Those who
do not have a steady mind cannot make substantial progress without these
preliminary practices. Manasik japa is both the most
subtle and the most common form of japa. For persons who are ready for
it, it is also the most powerful form. It is said by the
sages and scriptures that the steady and devoted practice of manasik
japa is enough to lead to enlightenment.
4. Likhit (written): This is usually prescribed for the aspirant who
has successfully performed other practices of japa with a
degree of progress in concentration. The practice of likhit japa is writing
the mantra down in a note book hundreds of times in
red, blue or green ink. The letters should be as small as possible and
written with utmost care, concentration and a sense of
beauty and proportion. The smaller the letters, the more the concentration.
Likhit japa is always combined with manasik japa
because the writing of a mantra requires simultaneous mental repetition
of it.
If you have a mantra, a good way to practise it is to divide the practice
and three
parts in baikhari, two parts in upanshu and one part in manasik. The
Hindhu tradition says that once a person is initiated
into a mantra he should continue it throughout his life. Japa yoga is
a certain and sure path, though a long one. It enhances
all other types of sadhana and gives the sadhaka unshakable steadiness
in his progress in spiritual life.
Japa anusthana
Anusthana means performance, observance or accomplishment of an act,
the resolve to do a particular act with absolute
discipline. Anusthana can pertain to japa and then it is called japa
anusthana. Japa anusthana can be practised for two
purposes: either for purification of the self for spiritual progress
through physical, mental and psychic discipline, or for the
attainment of selfish purposes on the physical plane of consciousness.
Baikhari japa anusthanas are often practised in chorus by groups of
aspirants. In some places in India one mantra is sung
without a break for years together. In Rishikesh, since 1943, the maha
mantra Hare Rama, Hare Krishna has been sung
continuously for twenty-four hours daily, year after year. There have
been no breaks at all, not even for one minute. Mantra
chanting creates an atmosphere woven with powerful currents.
Japa anusthana are very popular in India and are the best type of anusthana
for people whose minds tend to wander.
Durning the month of Shravan, Hindhus all over the world follow a tradition
of plucking the leaves off the bilva tree for the
purpose of writing mantras on these leaves. Each leaf has three petals
and people usually write the mantra Om Namah
Shivaya on these leaves with red powder paste. Then the leaves are offered
to a deity. This kind of practice continues for a
month during which they write all day.
Manasik japa anusthanas using the guru mantra are the most popular type
of anusthana and this type is most effective for
use by the spiritual aspirant. Before commencing this practice the aspirant
should set a certain goal for himself, for example,
to practice 10,800 mantras a day for ten days. He should keep track of
the number of malas that he practises and not cease
until he has attained his goal.
Sumirani japa is a type of japa that is practised on a twenty-seven
bead mala, which is perfectly continuous and without a
sumeru bead. A very important practice, it must be done as anusthana
24 hours a day for a set period, during which the
mala should never leave the aspirant’s hand. The aim in this
type of anusthana is not to repeat the mantra. The mantra
must come up automatically from within with the rotation of the twenty-seven
bead mala. Even in sleep the mala should rotate.
Rules and suggestions for Japa
Select any mantra or name of God, preferably one given by your guru.
If you have no mantra, use om, which is the universal
mantra suitable for all. Repeat it from 108 to 1,080 times daily; that
is, practise one to ten malas.
Use the rudraksha or tulsi mala of 108 beads plus the sumeru for your
guru mantra. For tantric mantras, a crystal mala can
be used.
Use only the middle finger and thumb of the right hand for rolling the
beads; the index and little fingers should not touch
the beads.
Japa is best practised in a steady meditation asana such as padmasana
or siddhasana/siddha yoni asana. The right hand
with the mala can either rest on the right knee with the mala placed
on the floor in front of the knee, or else the right hand
can be held in front of the centre of the chest. In this case, the mala
can be supported by a cloth bag hung on a strap from
the shoulders and/or the right wrist can be supported by a cloth strap
hung around the neck.
The mala should not be visible to others. Keep it in a cloth or silk
bag when it is not in use. A japa mala should not be
worn.
Do not cross the sumeru terminal bead while rolling the beads. Turn
the mala around when you come to the sumeru.
Do mental japa for some time. If the mind wanders while practising manasik
japa, do baikhari for some time and then come
back to mental japa again as soon as possible.
Pronounce each letter of the mantra correctly and distinctly. Do not
repeat it too fast or too slow. Increase the speed only
when the mind starts to wander.
Do not wish for any worldly objects while doing japa. Feel that your
heart is being purified and the mind is becoming steady
by the power of the mantra.
Keep your guru mantra a secret; never disclose it to anyone.
Carry on the current of japa mentally all the time, whatever work you
may be engaged in.
If possible the aspirant should face to the north or to the east while
practising.
Japa is intended to bring the hidden, subconscious elements, fears and
desires of the mind to the surface in the form of images
and thoughts. When these come into your mind, watch them as an unaffected
spectator, but do not loose track of your japa.
Japa repetition brings about chitta shuddhi or mental purification in
which samskaras (past impressions) and vasanas (future
desires) are naturally eliminated. This chitta shuddhi is very important
in the preliminary stages of spiritual life because if the
samskaras and vasanas are not removed early, they will become great obstructions
later.
In yoga it is said that there are three great obstacles to meditation:
Impurity, ignorance and a distracted state of mind. These
three obstacles can most easily be removed through japa practice, by
constant and unbroken awareness of the mantra. In japa
there should be no strain or tense concentration. Only by continuous
and relaxed japa awareness does the mind detach itself
automatically from the externalized state.
Our real nature is not our normal state of anxiety, excitement and tension.
Our nature is samadhi, pure consciousness, calmness,
tranquillity, equanimity. We can use the comparison of a mirror that
is obscured by layers of grime and dust. Clean the mirror
and its natural quality will be revealed, which is to reflect all objects.
It is the restlessness of the mind which causes all
unhappiness and complexes, but these are only impositions. Calm and purify
the mind through your sadhana and experience
your true self.
In meditation we are not trying to force the mind; we try to avoid effort
at concentration. What we want is simply relaxed
awareness. Not concentration as such, but we must try just to be aware;
that is, we have one-pointed awareness though we do
not fight with or try to suppress our thoughts. We remain only an impartial
witness to them.
Sometimes the samskaras that come up will be so simple that you will
wonder why they came up at all. This only means that
your awareness of the mantra is superficial. When your mantra awareness
is so deep that it occupies all of your awareness,
then deeper more important thoughts will surface. These will usually
follow a few moments of thoughtlessness due to the
one-pointedness of your consciousness. So you must relax yourself into
japa and everything will happen automatically. Do not
worry yourself about distractions. Everything will come in time just
through japa and awareness of the mantra.
As with all yoga practices, it is best to receive instruction and guidance from an experienced teacher.
Visit www.yogamag.net/links.shtml for a list of Satyananda yoga centres worldwide, where it is possible to receive training.
