The lockdown has changed all of us, as we look at a shift in our priorities, what matters to us, our relationships, work, life and deep transformation.
As the heavy lockdown reduces its restrictions in Mumbai, I stepped out for an evening walk. As usual I was stunned by the beauty of this city, the sky, the roadside, the gentle opening up of things and the coming alive of spirit in every corner. The extreme, frenetic pace of Mumbai, seemed calmer, refreshed and happier. People even seemed to be walking slower. Not sure how long this will last, but still, it was refreshing to see, feel and touch earth.
The lockdown has changed all of us, as we look at a shift in our priorities, what matters to us, our relationships, work, life and deep transformation. I hope you enjoy some of the photographs from this evenings walk.
The vibrations of this chant purify the atmosphere and mind, fill your being with peace and vigor, bestow protection, and coupled with a pure intention, have the power to grant your wishes, including liberation.
I discovered Vedic chants while playing rock music in my college years [yes, it seems like an unlikely combination, but not really -:)]. I realised the meter, the feel and the vibration, went so well with some of the fusion work I was doing and it also took me deep into myself. It intrigued me so much, that over the years, I have put different tunes to different Vedic chants, for my own pleasure and happiness. In this video, Vidura Barrios a fellow sadhaka (someone on the spiritual path) chants the Shri Rudram with the text on the screen, for us to follow. The abhyasa (regular practice) of scared chanting, is a great discipline in the Indian tradition.
The Shri Rudram is an ancient Vedic text and part of the Krishna Yajurveda (look up more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yajurveda). It is a powerful hymn in praise of Rudra, or Shiva. In the mystical tradition, Shiva represents the consciousness within everything, the pure essence within all, referred to in the Hindu scriptures as Sat Chit Ananda: truth, consciousness and bliss. It is in Shri Rudram that the great five syllable mantra, Om Namah Shivaya is first mentioned. You might simply listen to the chant during meditation or you could chant along.
The vibrations of the chant purify the atmosphere and mind, fill your being with peace and vigor, bestow protection, and coupled with a pure intention, have the power to grant your wishes, including liberation.
Dr. Gabor Maté expounds eloquently on the four alienation’s in culture and provides a sentiment of hope to stay in touch with our true nature.
Our gut feeling tells us a lot. But how do we “hear” it and differentiate it from the ruminations of the mind? According to Dr. Gabor Maté we need to connect back in to ourself, and we are hard wired for love, compassion and more. He gives a beautiful speech on human nature and the implications culture has on our ability to maintain it. In this segment of the speech, he discusses four different categories of self-alienation, and provides a sentiment of hope to stay in touch with our true nature as we move forward through the challenging times of modern culture.
He quotes Karl Marx, and expounds eloquently on the four alienation’s in culture:
From the deepest place, there is no objective reality outside, You are the creator or non creator of it all. Thus do NOT be a slave to your circumstance.
Quite often we let outer circumstances, or what we see with our eyes, guide us. But this can be misleading, because what we see on the outside, comes from within, from our own perspective. From the deepest place, there is no objective reality outside, You are the creator or non creator of it all. Thus do NOT be a slave to your circumstance. Instead choose and “feel” your state of being, your preferred life and out picture it for yourself. What you feel right now (regardless of your outside circumstance) is what you will attract to yourself.
The video begins with the words “If your state of being, your state of consciousness is not your No.1 priority, then life will have its way with you.”. In essence the narrator asks us to make our state the priority and constantly plant new seeds and become a creator of what one passionately desires. Loosen the grasp on the physical and play with your imagination, just as a creator would, in order to create a so called “outer life” that we want.
Dennis Taraporewala 