== IN THE BEGINNING OF SADHANA ==
Namaskar,
In this quinquelemental world, usually the life of spiritual aspirants
passes in so many mundane activities from dawn to dusk-- trying to meet
their worldly requirements and managing their responsibilities.
So when sadhakas try to do sadhana in a pointed way then often times all
those mundane plans and programs come again and again into their mental
plate during sadhana. This is the regular reality-- for all sadhakas, both
wts and margiis.
It is a natural phenomenon because the activities one engages in during the
day often cloud the mind during meditation. In that case it is very
difficult to start sadhana. That is why Baba has graciously given our Baba
Nam Kevlam kiirtan. Singing kiirtan helps tremendously in transitioning the
mind from one's mundane daily routine to spiritual sadhana.
However, even then on, some occasions when very positive or very negative
incidents happen during the day, then those thoughts strongly dominate the
mind. And in that circumstance is not easy to get rid of those thoughts--
they come again and again, barraging the mind during sadhana.
THE PERFECT REMEDY: GURU PUJA
In that condition, what recourse should be taken. By Baba's grace He has
given the perfect remedy: Guru Puja, a.k.a Varnarghyadan-- the offering of
colours. In systematic fashion Guru Puja cleanses the mind of unwanted
thoughts. It enables sadhakas to remove those burdens and start pointed
sadhana.
Unfortunately many people waste huge amounts of time "sitting in sadhana"
when in reality their mind is just flickering from one mundane thought to
another. So this is just a waste of time and-- and even worse-- it degrades
the mind.
Altogether, stray or dominating thoughts coming into the mind occurs in
everyone's life. I can openly admit that this has happened to me on
countless occasions and when I've spoken with others they have also
recognized this as a problem.
And the best remedy is Guru Puja, as that has the ability to remove or wash
away those impressions from the mind. Here follow are some techniques when
doing Guru Puja.
POINTS ABOUT GURU PUJA FROM SENIOR ACARYA DIARY
Of course we all know that in Caryacarya Baba has given many points about
Guru Puja. And in the Senior Acarya Diary Baba has given more highly
valuable guidelines regarding the proper technique of Guru Puja. And those
acaryas who are sincere in sadhana guide their diksa bhai in this way.
Some of the instructions I have also received and those aspects which are
common points for all-- and are not secret-- I have written below as I feel
it is my duty to share these things with my margii family.
SOME OF THE BASICS
1. Guru Puja can be done again and again-- round after round. It is not the
strict rule that it can only be done three times. Rather when one is facing
any problem then Guru Puja should be done until that problem has been
washed away and the mind is feeling light and free.
2. So when any problem is blocking the mind during sadhana such that one's
mantra is not coming then Guru Puja is the answer. The basic approach being
that one should surrender their problems again and again in order to free
and prepare the mind for sadhana.
3. In that way, Guru Puja can be done any time: At the beginning or in the
middle of sadhana, and then course always at the end of meditation.
4. As mentioned above, another name of Guru Puja is Varnarghyada'n. Varna
means colour, Arghyada'n means offering. So, Guru Puja means offering the
colours of the mind to Guru. So here colour means mental colour.
CLEANSING THE MIND DOING GURU PUJA
5. If during the whole day someone has to communicate with different people
about building a new jagrti and they have to convince others and get a
donation, and arrange the labour etc. Then in that case the whole day they
involved in thoughts about labour, money, bricks, and cement. All these
thoughts are racing through the mind during the day. So when starting
sadhana then that time off and on these thoughts related with the jagrti
construction may enter into one's mind in sadhana.
6. And if the mind is crowded with unwanted, crude, negative thoughts of
money, labour, bricks, cement, building supplies etc during meditation,
then ultimately sadhana will be destroyed. In that condition the best
option is to do Guru Puja first, and offer one's mental colours to Guru.
7. But doing Guru Puja superficially is not going to give any yield. Rather
the whole process of Guru Puja can be repeated again and again until the
mind is completely vibrated and ready to offer everything to Him. In that
process one can spend extra time doing Guru Puja.
8. Then after doing long Guru Puja, the heaviness of my mind will be
released and
all those negative thoughts of bricks and cement will be gong. Then one
will feel felt better and can start doing sadhana. But if one would have
started meditation right away, then in the beginning, in place of doing
sadhana, the mind would be cluttered with thoughts about the bricks &
cement as that was the main dominating thought in the mind.
SPECIAL TECHNIQUE: USE OF TANMATRAS
9. The question may come that how can this offering of colour theory can be
utilised? What is the most effective way to do it?
10. As we all know, in Guru Puja one has to offer a lotus flower. So after
sitting in the proper posture then close the eyes and with open palms, one
should form a mental lotus. And the colour of the lotus should be the
colour of that worldly object which was dominating or disturbing your
mental flow during sadhana. If the red bricks for the jagrti is disturbing
the mind then one will envision a red lotus.
11, Because each every material object has 5 tanmatras, or inferences. All
the tanmatras should be utilised in Guru Puja when offering your mental
lotus. And the five tanmatras are: Sound, Touch, Form, Taste, Smell.
12. Brick has its own sound when it falls from the truck during unloading
time. That is the first tanmatra and that sound should be ascribed to the
lotus flower during Guru Puja.
13. Then of course bricks have a special touch of roughness because it is
rock. So during Guru Puja one should picture a lotus that has the hard
scratchy surface of a rock.
14. The third inference is form. Here form means that red colour which has
already been mentioned.
15. Then 4th tanmatra is taste. And the taste of rock one may know. So then
one should imagine that in their hand a red coloured lotus that feel rough
like a rock and has a loud sound and that tastes like a rock.
16. Then the 5th and final inference is smell. That also we have to utilise
in Guru Puja. Imagine that the whole lotus being formed in one's palms
smells like bricks.
16A. So this process should be done with whatever thing is disturbing the
mind. For example let's say that one is thinking about sweets like
rasagolla during the time of sadhana. Then one will form a white lotus.
Because the colour of rasagolla is white. And the touch of that lotus will
be the exact touch of rasagolla: soft and spongy plus sticky & syrupy. And
the taste of the lotus will be the taste of rasagolla-- very sweet. And the
smell of the lotus will also be the exact smell of rasagolla. One should
perfectly make one mental lotus that is of white colour with a thick,
syrupy touch, and a very sweet taste, and aromatic smell. That mental lotus
will be as if it is made of rasagolla material.
17. So whatever one's dominant thought is, after creating this complete
ideation using these five inferences: sound, touch, form, taste, smell and
when all 5 qualities are present in that mental lotus, then one can start
chanting "Akhanda mandala karam..."
THE PRACTICAL PROCESS AND SEQUENCE
18. One must not prematurely begin the chanting of the Guru Puja mantra.
First all the tanmatras, step by step, should be incorporated and
accordingly one's mental lotus should be formed. Then and only then should
the chanting of the of Guru Puja mantra be started.
19. Then after completing the chanting of each round of our Guru Puja
mantra, "...Gurureva Parama Brahma, Tasmae Shrii Gurave Namah". Then we
are to offer that very mental lotus at the feet of Guru Shrii Shrii
Anandamurtiji Who is sitting in front of me. Baba guides us that this
should be our ideation.
20. So taking the ideation that Beloved Baba is sitting in front of you,
then with that bhava and using the Guru Puja mantra in proper way, slowly
with good ideation one should offer that very mental lotus to Baba. And
then one will see that this will solve their problem or attachment. Those
uninvited thoughts related with rasagolla or whatever which are disturbing
the mind during sadhana will be gone.
WHY NORMALLY DONE AFTER SADHANA
21. Some may wonder then why is it that normally Guru Puja is done just after
sadhana?
22. And the basic reply is that when anyone does sadhana then that time
mind is busy in ideation & involved in the chanting of one's personal
mantra. So that time it is very easy to find out the negative thoughts. And
in particular one can pointedly identify which thought is creating the most
disturbance.
23. In contrast, when one is busy in mundane work then they may not
understand or be able to identify their psychic disturbance, but when one
starts sadhana and closes the eyes, then immediately from nowhere so many
useless & distracting thoughts will come into the mind. That time one has
to gauge and see carefully which one is most disturbing and that very
thought one should utilise for Guru Puja. Using the process which is
outlined above described.
IF UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES, DO PUJA BEFORE SADHANA
24. On some special occasions when the mind is so much disturbed with
pre-occupied ideas, then before even starting sadhana one should try to do
Guru Puja to get rid the mind of those negative thoughts.
25. If for example someone left 5000 rupees on the bank counter and they
did not get that money back. Naturally then in their disturbed state of
mind, if they start doing sadhana it may be fruitless. In such a special
case better one should do Guru Puja multiple times before starting sadhana.
By this way the strong thoughts of losing money will be wiped away by His
grace.
26. Many of these points my acaryas told me, Baba has included in the
Senior Acarya Diary.
SPECIAL REMINDER
27. Special Reminder: If after doing Guru Puja once and still the problem
is not solved, then one should do Guru Puja multiple times. Then surely one
will see that the mind will become calm, quiet, and relaxed. All those
disturbing thoughts will go away. And mind will be pinnacled and ready for
sadhana.
A FEW OF BABA'S QUOTES ON GURU PUJA
28. About the importance of Guru Puja, Baba guides us in this following
way, which is written in Neo-Humanism:
Baba says, "'By surrendering all the colours of my mind to You, I want to
become colourless'. This surrender to the Supreme Consciousness propels human
beings towards Him...This very psycho-spiritual phenomenon is operating
behind the process of Varn'a'rghyada'n (Offering of Colours, Guru Puja):
'Oh Lord, make me colourless so that I may move towards You without any
hesitation'." (NH-LOI, '87, p.27)
In Ananda Vacanamrtam part 3, Baba further gives guideline how one devotee
should do the final offering in Guru Puja :
Baba says, "'Tava dravyam Jagatguro Tubhyameva Samarpaye', 'Everything of
mine, along with my mind, is offered at Your altar. Please oblige and
accept it'. "
(AV,3,p.21)
Sastaunga Pranam at His lotus feet,
Girish
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