Power of Mantra
Daniel
Years... Early 80s.
He just flashes my mind as I read Tiruppur Krishnan's writing about Maha Periyava's emphasis on significance of Mantras.
Back to Daniel, Maha Guru.
A disciple of Maharsi Mahesh Yogi, Maha Guru who initiated the celebrities, pop stars, the western world into learning and benefiting from ancient India's gift to the world, 'dhyan', the Meditation. They call it Transcendental Meditation, the popular acronym, TM.
Daniel and couple of his other colleagues from USA were on their mission to carry back and enable us, the Indians to be aware of our own wisdom, rich treasure, the dhyan.
I was into college, may be fag end of 4th Semester. Though had a little familiarity to English, thanks to Prof AJ Mariadoss, my English Teacher and the mega Library at St. Joseph's vast campus, still speaking in English was a herculean task, almost literally nil, having studied from standard 1 to 11 in Tamil medium.
We were used to break for a cup of tea at a tea stall opposite to the college. Around the same time, Daniel and his team too were used to visit there for tea.
I was wondering what these foreign guys were doing here. Also, it was just wondering and it didn't occur to me to get to know.
Paul Coelho's magic worked one day.
He used to say when you have even the slightest tinge of desire, nature sees to it that everything falls into place to turn dream into reality. Even when you weren't desperate about or even aware of your desire. In fact desire would have been just at its conceptional stage.
One day, I felt someone tabbing on my shoulder. I turned to look at. It was Daniel.
He asked, "Can you speak some English?".
Very difficult to decipher his American accent.
Mustered myself and said, "yes, a very little."
Next he dropped a bombshell, "where do you have your haircut?"
Hare, gathered my guts to ask him, "could you repeat? "
He looked strangely at me and for my poor sake, he said it again.
How could I answer? First looked around for some saloon nearby. Found out one on the opposite side. I pointed the direction where the saloon was and told Daniel, "there".
This was how befriending happened between different desis. Language, accents need not be a deterrent to making friends.
Well slowly inched towards my exploring and taking my curiosity forward, I asked for their purpose of being in India.
Daniel, " to help you learn Transcendental meditation and benefit from it, your own wisdom. "
Meditation! It was a big word and not definitely not there in my vocabulary till then.
Transcendental... surely a bigger word.
Slowly progressed to pick up and catch up with a little English and a trial to conversate in English. Looking back at decades, though the peak and perfection are still miles away and eluding, it's awesome, "yeah, we have come across at least a few milestones."
Back to what Daniel taught and what we have learnt. ...about TM, Transcendental Meditation.
Yes.
He explained how easy, simple to learn and practice TM, how it helps us in leading a healthy, blissful, creative and productive life.
The gateway to this beautiful experience... Of learning and practicing TM is just a tiny tool, a mantra, not a complicated one, just a single syllable. Once you are on that, you are set on the whole journey of joy, bliss.
That's the Power of Mantra.
Remember reading in தெய்வத்தின் குரல், mantra, Veda is just a sabda, a sound and not even a letter. No scripts. Traditionally these Ved mantras have been taught orally from Maharishis' period.
These Mantras are energetic and powerful.
One devotee asked Maha Periyava, "what use is there in just chanting simple mantra syllables?"
To elucidate to this Bhaktha, Maha Periyava didn't draw from puranic evidence but cited a historic evidence from a recent century.
During World War, when oppressions were mounted on Britain, British Minister gave a single letter Mantra to British soldiers. That single syllable mantra is to chant the letter 'V'. V standing for Victory. Everywhere in Britain the letter V was written in a bigger and bold type. The Minister propagated the letter V in a massive scale all across the nation.
The Letter V caught the attention of people and energized their emotions and thoughts.
No need to say. They succeeded a big battle.
When you chant a mantra, you don't do it mechanically. It purifies and energizes your thoughts, emotions. Heart becomes peaceful and you succeed.
In Hindu sects, Vaishnavites chant, "Narayanaya" and Saivaites, "Namasivaya".
I remember listening to a soulful Sai Bhajan. The lyrics go like this, "sab Ka Malik Ek hai". Meaning God is one and He is the Supreme of all. So pick "Ra" from Narayanaya and "Ma" from Nanasivaya, combine them. You have "RaMa". This way you pray and be blessed by both Lords Narayana and Shiva.
Single shot solution to the devotee by Maha Periyava : chant "RaMa", "RaMa".
May God bless all.
