Meditation in Action (Japa)
"Don't think the purpose of meditation is to go deep into consciousness, wrap a blanket around yourself, and say, 'How cozy! I’m going to curl up in here by myself; let the world burn.' Not at all. We go deep into meditation so that we can reach out farther and farther to the world outside.
"In meditation we are going deep into ourselves, into the utter solitude that is within. As a counterbalance to this, it is necessary to be with people: to laugh with them, to sing with them, and to enjoy the healthy activities of life. It is not a luxury on the spiritual path to have hard work, or to have the company of spiritually oriented people; these are necessary for our spiritual development.
"Meditation and selfless action go hand in hand. When we try to live more for others than for ourselves, this will deepen our meditation. When we deepen our meditation, more and more energy will be released with which we can love and help others."
– Eknath Easwaran, from "Words To Live By"
"In meditation we are going deep into ourselves, into the utter solitude that is within. As a counterbalance to this, it is necessary to be with people: to laugh with them, to sing with them, and to enjoy the healthy activities of life. It is not a luxury on the spiritual path to have hard work, or to have the company of spiritually oriented people; these are necessary for our spiritual development.
"Meditation and selfless action go hand in hand. When we try to live more for others than for ourselves, this will deepen our meditation. When we deepen our meditation, more and more energy will be released with which we can love and help others."
– Eknath Easwaran, from "Words To Live By"
Japa takes Sri Aurobindo’s, “All life is yoga” literally. During japa the person is “in action” with the mantra. “In action” can mean anything from walking to work, to the bus stop, through the mall, through the halls, waiting for the photo copier, making a cup of tea, doing the dishes, proctoring an exam. “With the mantra” means that while you perform these activities your awareness is on the vibratory qualities of your mantra. Ideally, your awareness would be 100% with the activity you are performing, but our bodies often act completely independent from the mind. Have you ever driven home without thinking about driving? You know you drove, but you weren't “aware” of your driving; it sort of just happened, then suddenly you were home. Your mind was on anything but the driving: the grocery list, the argument with the spouse that morning, what to make for dinner, if you had that ingredient in the cupboard, why did you forget to send that stupid e-mail, why did you send that stupid e-mail, how can you get to that one student, how are you going to pay for that bill, how much will the shimmy in the front right wheel cost, what will be the perfect hook in the next lesson? Similarly, we can often perform tasks while keeping the mind focused on the mantra, rather than letting it wander hither and tither.
When the mind is totally stilled, and total awareness is on the action at hand, this is presence. The body is harmonious in presence. There will be no resentment, no mental projections of where you should/could be, and as a result the task will be performed with joy, clarity, and creativity. Japa helps train the mind to abandon redundantly useless thought from stealing attention and causing dis-ease. The simple act of introducing the mantra into your awareness and as an undertone to your day is very powerful. You are at this point actively involved in determining where your attention goes. You are determining your destiny. It is as powerful as getting out of bed. Taking control of your own awareness is that first step in controlling the mind. Never underestimate the importance of these seemingly insignificant actions throughout the day. As Ram Lev says, “Every thought counts.”
When performing Japa just use your mantra in unison with the everyday “mundane” activities. Don’t rush the mantra; keep it slow and steady. Give your mind to the mantra, and let the body act. Melissa and I will go for mantra walks. These are typically faster paced walks designed to release bottled energy and tensions; the arms move freely, but the lips do not. There’s no talking, only awareness of the surroundings and the mantra. Done after meditation is wonderful, but of course not necessary. If done while laying in bed you might discover your mantra making a guest appearance in your sleep. You might also find your sleep to be quieter and more fulfilling.
Performing japa with the other practices helps us to become yogic. Yoga is no longer something we do; it is who and what we are. Meditation is no longer something you do, it is something you become; stillness. The ultimate goal of all of these practices is to simply create inner stillness. With this inner stillness our outer actions help create a harmonious environment.
When performing Japa just use your mantra in unison with the everyday “mundane” activities. Don’t rush the mantra; keep it slow and steady. Give your mind to the mantra, and let the body act. Melissa and I will go for mantra walks. These are typically faster paced walks designed to release bottled energy and tensions; the arms move freely, but the lips do not. There’s no talking, only awareness of the surroundings and the mantra. Done after meditation is wonderful, but of course not necessary. If done while laying in bed you might discover your mantra making a guest appearance in your sleep. You might also find your sleep to be quieter and more fulfilling.
Performing japa with the other practices helps us to become yogic. Yoga is no longer something we do; it is who and what we are. Meditation is no longer something you do, it is something you become; stillness. The ultimate goal of all of these practices is to simply create inner stillness. With this inner stillness our outer actions help create a harmonious environment.
Mantra beads can be used anytime.
Great opportunities for Japa include:
I'm sure you can think of other times where you could use a mantra/nature/stilling awareness for presence, and by combining your mantra with prayer/mala beads truly helps in profound ways. I'm almost never without my beads in my front left pocket. Rarely do I take them out, but there always there for my hand to thumb a bead while walking. With each touch of the bead I move my awareness to the center of the chest and hear the mantra coming from there. It's remarkably centering.
- Doing the dishes
- Exercising
- Gardening
- Dressing
- Showering
- Cleaning the house
- Folding clothes
- Driving
- Eating
I'm sure you can think of other times where you could use a mantra/nature/stilling awareness for presence, and by combining your mantra with prayer/mala beads truly helps in profound ways. I'm almost never without my beads in my front left pocket. Rarely do I take them out, but there always there for my hand to thumb a bead while walking. With each touch of the bead I move my awareness to the center of the chest and hear the mantra coming from there. It's remarkably centering.
