Arti
sat nam (True Identity)
Unexpected guest
Under the circumstances, the number of guests here at Lev Hamidbar ( Desert Heart) is very limited.
Yesterday, an unexpected guest dropped by.
Dayanand-Das is an old friend, who is a Maha Mandaleshyar in the Vishnu Swami lineage, his Guru is Jagd Guru Sai-Maa, the first woman who received this revered title in this lineage in the past 4500 years.
Dayananda came to the desert for one night to have some time away from the dense energy of the city, to recharge, and for doing a Yagna ceremony.
Yagna (IAST: yagñá) literally means "sacrifice, devotion, worship, offering", and refers in Hinduism to any ritual done in front of a sacred fire, often with mantras. Yagna has been a Vedic tradition, described in a layer of Vedic literature called Brahmanas, as well as Yajurveda. The tradition has evolved from offering oblations and libations into sacred fire to symbolic offerings in the presence of sacred fire (Agni).
It was a windy evening, so he thought he would let go of the ceremony.
However, the fire place outside of my dome is more protected than the main fire,
and my friend the wind… I knew she wouldn’t mind waiting…
It was a beautiful ceremony, including offerings of ghee and rice to the fire while chanting mantras and visualising the bij sounds moving up and down the chakras.
The truth is that after the intense night by the fire on the full moon night, I wanted to take a break from the strong presence of this element.
I understood why one of the rules of observing the Shabat forbids the use of fire.
On Friday night I didn’t light one, and stayed with the light of the moon.
By the time we started the ceremony the wind stood still,
and everything became quiet,
the dogs didn’t bark, nobody was around, and the distant road was also silent.
Arti
To complete the ceremony Dayananda preformed an Arti ceremony, an offering of light to his Guru, to Shakti:
WATER IN THE SEVENTH CHAKrA
Today we look into water in the 7th chakra.
Seems like all these rituals are relating to the Fire.
So where is the water ?
Firstly, of courses there was water involved for continues purification during the ceremony. Dayananda even told me that in the temples when they do the Yagna, usually they first call upon the divine energy to manifest in a vessel of water, and only then preform the fire ceremony.
It reminds me of the story of Guru Nanak, who participated in a Aarti ceremony, and saw the priests so involved with the details of the performance of the ritual; the objects, the order of things, the instructions etc., that there was no devotion in it.
Sadly, this is what happens in many spiritual traditions. The essence of the ritual, is forgotten, and the ritual becomes a procedure empty of its true meaning, and far from the original intention.
The story says that Guru Nanak then left the temple, and looking at the night sky he composed this poem:
Upon that cosmic plate of the sky, the sun and the moon are the lamps.
The stars and their orbs are the studded pearls
The fragrance of sandalwood in the air is the temple incense,
and the wind is the fan.
All the plants of the world are the altar flowers in offering to You, O Luminous Lord
What a beautiful Aartee, lamp-lit worship service this is!
O Destroyer of this cycle of mortal existence, this is Your Ceremony of Light
The Unstruck Sound-current of the Shabad is the vibration of the temple drums
You have thousands of eyes and yet You have no eyes.
You have thousands of forms, and yet You do not have even one
You have thousands of Lotus Feet, and yet You do not have even one foot.
You have no nose, but you have thousands of noses.
This Play of Yours entrances me
Amongst all is the Light-You are that Light
By this Illumination, that Light is radiant within all
Through the Guru's Teachings, the Light shines forth
That which is pleasing to Him is the lamp-lit worship service
My mind is enticed by the honey-sweet Lotus Feet of the Lord.
Day and night, I thirst for them
Bestow the Water of Your Mercy upon Nanak,
the thirsty song-bird, so that he may come to dwell in Your Name-Guru Nanak
על הלוח הקוסמי של השמים, השמש והירח הם המנורות
הכוכבים ומסלולם הם הפנינים המנוקדות
ניחוח הסנדלווד באוויר הוא הקטורת של המקדש, והרוח היא המאוורר
כל הכוכבים שבעולם הם פרחי המזבח שמוגשים לך, הו אל נוהר
איזו ארטי מופלאה, טקס דבקות מלא אור הוא זה
הו, הורס הפחד, זהו טקס האור שלך
גל-הקול הלא מנוגן של השאבד הוא הרטט של תופי המקדש
יש לך אלפי עיניים, ובכל-זאת, אין לך עיניים
יש לך אלפי צורות, ובכל זאת, לך אין אפילו צורה אחת
יש לך אלפי רגלי לוטוס, ובכל-זאת, לך אין אפילו רגל אחת
אין לך אף אחד, אבל יש לך אלפי אפים
המחזה הזה שלך מהפנט אותי
בתוך הכול יש אור- אתה האור הזה
אבל ההארה הזו, האור הזה זורח בתוך כולם
מתוך הדרכות הגורו האור זוהר קדימה
כל מה שמשמח אותו, הוא כמו טקס דבקות של אור
תודעתי מתפתה מרגלי הלוטוס המתוקות מדבש של האל
יום ולילה אני צמא להן
הענק את מי הרחמים לנאנאק, ציפור-השיר הצמאה
כדי שיוכל לבוא ולשרות בשמך
“Bestow the Water of Your Mercy upon Nanak,
the thirsty song-bird, so that he may come to dwell in Your Name”
Devotion
The Tattwas in the 7th chakra could all become ways of expressing devotion,
reminders of the wonder of the creative energy and its infinite manifestations.
There are many beautiful rituals in different traditions, using the tattwas as means for worship.
We can be inspired by them, participate in them,
and we can even create our own…
Breath and mantra as Arti
In the RaMaDaSa ReMeDy project, there are three meditations that are defined as ‘Arti’ - a devotional practice.
They both involve a devotional breath, and the Siri Gayatri mantra, the mantra of healing:
RaMaDaSaSaSaySoHung
Sun Moon Earth Infinity, all the is Infinity, I am that
Sitali Arti pranayam
Trikuti Arti Pranayam
Chou Pad Arti
MAKE YOUR BREATH A PRAYER
Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu
If you listen carefully, you will hear Dayanand-Das chanting this most beautiful mantra at the end of the Aarti.
It is a Sanskrit mantra which means:
“May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all.”
AMEN
Dayananda-Das will be a guest teacher at the retreat at Lev Hamidbar which is offered for Israelis after the completion of the 40 days journey.
A Long weekend retreat
For Israelis:
The opportunity for a small retreat here at Lev Hamidbar has come up.
You are invited for a long weekend on May 20-23 - Wednesday at 18:00 - Saturday at 16:00
Spaces are limited as we are still under the instructions regarding the corona, but please stay tuned as things are changing rapidly here…
IMAGINE
Sending Love,
Simrit- Sarit Maor
KUNDALINI PILGRIM
Consciously Moving
Moving Consciousness
If you would like to support Simrit on her journey, while also contributing to the further development of the 40 days in the desert project, you can make a contribution through this PayPal link. Any contribution (although legally considered a purchase) will be accepted with appreciation and gratitude.
THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF THIS JOURNEY
Tonight we will count the 31st day of Sfirat Haomer -Tiferet in Hod- תפארת שבהוד
- painting by MoreSun