Vedic Chanting - The perfect Oral tradition

Manju Jois at Rethymno/Crete on 2011

Manju Jois in his workshops  and teacher trainings,  introduces Pranayama and Vedic chanting. 

On August 2005, Manju gave an interview on a yoga magazine called “ yoga fit “ and here is one part that I find very interesting concerning the pranayama and chanting.

DK: What is the importance in your view of the asanas relative to the chanting and pranayama?

Manju:

You have to do all parts, also called jñana (knowledge) yoga. 

To get that knowledge, you have to practice all the steps, just like a ritual you do everyday. Your asana practice maintains physical health, then you have to do pranayama, and the chanting. When you do all these things, that completes the Ashtanga yoga, the eight steps. That’s really important; that’s how they used to teach, and that’s how my father taught us. We had to go through the whole thing everyday, and study the Upanishads, and the Sandhya-vandanam; a very important thing to do. If you just do asana, it’s not good. It would be a great help, but you’re not getting the complete Ashtanga yoga message you are supposed to get. That’s why, in my workshops, I start teaching these things. I want to bring the old traditions back, not just Asanas.

This post meant to focus on Vedic Chanting practice . I collected info and tried to put in short the vast heritage that lies in the recitation of the Vedas.

Hope you enjoy.

THE VEDAS & THE VEDIC CHANTING

The Vedas are a vast collection of hymns that were heard by ancient Indian sages when they were in a deep meditative state. Collectively they are the most authoritative source of Indian wisdom as they contain information on every conceivable subject.

Sanskrit, the classical Indian language, was the language of the Vedas and Vedic chanting is a perfect oral tradition. Over the years the vast information contained in the Vedas was preserved and transmitted from one generation of teachers and students to the next in an oral way. It is through this challenging relationship between teacher and student that until today, the Vedas are chanted exactly as they were several thousand years ago. 

In the process of learning the tradition of Vedic chanting, a student expected to listen to his/her teacher and then to chant exactly as the teacher did. This process called “adhyayanam.“ 

The complete benefit of Veda mantras could be achieved only when the following conditions are met:

•  Correct pronunciation of letters/words

•  Correct duration for utterance of letters/words

•  Correct intonation of letters

When the above conditions are mastered the Vedic chanting has multiple benefits such as:

- Productions of certain vibrations, and hence can enhance physical and mental health

- The method of “adhyayanam” involves listening closely to the teacher and reproducing the chant exactly. Hence, this requires attention. The practice of Vedic chanting is very useful in improving concentration and memory.

- Listening and practicing chanting can also calm the mind. In fact, chanting is considered to be one of the important forms of meditation.

- Vedic chants can be applied in different ways with different effects. Hence, Vedic chanting can be effectively used in healing and yoga therapy.

Rishis prescribed six ways of recitation that consider incorrect and there are : 

•  one who chants in a sing-song fashion

• one who chants fast 

• one who nods his head up and down without actually raising or
  lowering the pitch

• one who reads from a book

• one who chants without knowing the meaning

• one who chants in a feeble voice 

The rules of correct pronunciation and articulation of sounds are given in the Vedanga, known as Seeksha.

Seeksha deals with varNa (letters), svara: (pitch); [there are essentially three svaras, namely, anudatta (gravely accented or low pitched), udatta (high pitched or acutely accented), svarita (circumflexly accented)] maatraa (duration – a prosodial unit of time); balam (strength or force of articulation); saama (uniformity); and santaana: (continuity) during recitation.

In traditional times, Vedic chanting was practiced only by certain specific sections of people. During modern times, more people who were traditionally authorized to learn and propagate Vedic chanting began taking up other professions, there came a phase when it seemed dangerously that the ancient Indian tradition of Vedic chanting would be lost. It was T Krishnamacharya who opened the doors of Vedic chanting to everyone irrespective of race, gender, occupation or religious/political affiliations. It was his firm belief that anyone who wished to learn and teach Vedic chanting with a view to preserving this ancient tradition had the right and authority to do so.

First time in a Vedic chanting class .

I know that when someone for first time join a vedic chanting class, is totally strange experience. Is almost look like a continuation of asana practice with the tongue. Maybe some reactions of non understanding the meaning or the purpose of that practice . The way to go through this is just to listen to these chants. Don’t try to like or dislike them in terms of their musical quality or whatever, just listen to them. These sounds should become like your breath. After some time, without even listening you will be reverberating with the chant and that is the first step to experience within you the effect of the chant. To become the mantra is the key of understanding but of course likewise every other practice need patience and determination to make the lotus flower bloom.  

 

Yoga the science of transformation

This is an old guest post that i have made one year ago before i leave Greece, to Andronikis professional page in FB.
Androniki asked me to write a note on yoga and transformation . The post was in Greek language and thought to translate it into English. Hope it worth it ! 
I have to note that since i wrote this post , of course me i m not the same...! My understanding expand even more by touching and practicing in the ground of Tibetan Buddhism and Buddhist Tantra.     

At some point in our lives, we all fervently calling for a major change inside and outside of us.

From the famous "I have a dream" by Martin Luther King and  "Be the change you want to see in the world" by M. Gandhi, ultimately how many changes do we really attained ?

These visionaries of the past, that still are mentioned to our days, had taken the decision that nothing will be left untouched from the old self. That every little piece inside us wants to be changed and this is the sense of metamorphosis, that nothing remains the same. But how many of us have the power to do this? And how we can actually do it?

Fortunately in the dense and dark forest of our lives, there is a clear light and this is the path of Yoga, the science of transformation.

In this process we must bear in mind that nothing comes without practice. Even the greatest Yogis and Yoginis that finally attain the state of Samadhi and from that point could take a glimpse of the unborn nature of mind, they were ascetics who practice with great discipline, enthusiasm and high level of concentration.
Nowdays what people mostly look,  is 'the thorns of the rose  of existence' rather than caring how can "watering" it. Wasting a whole life to remove the "thorns".  This is what i call "pre-occupation" of our mind with unnecessary tasks and so, the mind and our body cannot be organized and stay focused to whatever we do, resulting to  the most familiar phrase : "I DON'T HAVE TIME".

If we can observe ourselves, for 24 hours we will see that there are moments full of un-necessary things that we do and say and occupy our lives day after day.

Is essential to try to find time for yoga, even if that means that in the beginning we have to get up at 5am. Slowly - slowly we will see, that things that used to take 8 hours , to be done in our daily routines will be reduced in the half of the time. Because our mind will be more focused and we will have much more clarity in our options. That's why, this time for our practice is so precious.

What looks like transcendent in the science of Yoga is nothing other than the acquisition of taming the body, the emotions and ultimately the mind. Nobody wants to live by luck, it brings stress in everyday life, so much anguish. But to learn how to use the full dynamic of ourselves is another thing and there lies the prosperity in one's life .

And we start with the body, because it is the most perceivable object and when we finally attain the enlightenment, again it will happen through this  body. 

In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is given :

 "TADA SVARUPE VASTHANAM DRASTUH" which means "Then (when you're able to control the fluctuations of the mind you) the self obey the true nature".

Through this body, life can be so ecstatic and every moment a living bliss.  The tools that are given to us from the science of yoga are:

• Asanas (positions we take in our body),
• Pranayama (breath control),
• Kriyas (techniques of purifying the  energy channels of the body),
• Meditation,
• Mantras (words, prayers or sounds with transcendent meaning)
• Ayurveda ( Vedic Natural Treatment Science).

So many tools we can use to develop our daily Shadana ( practice ) .

Building our own spiritual practice.

All we need is to apply a question to ourselves :  "I'm ready for a complete metamorphosis?" – the way and wisdom has been given, all we need is just a courageous heart! The rest are coming....

Sadhguru always has been a favorite of me

The Heart Sutra : Prajnaparamita Hridaya Sutra

Prajnaparamita-Hridaya-Sutra
The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra :

Tadyata Om Gate Gate Para Gate Parasam Gate Bodhi Svaha 

~*~

Prajna = Wisdom 

Paramita = Perfection

 ~*~

The Prajnaparamita sutra is the most important text of Mahayana Buddhism, which emphasizes the doctrines of emptiness and bodhicitta.

The text is often represented and personified by a female deity.

She is depicted with four arms and seated in the vajra posture/cross legged. Her first two hands are in the meditation mudra. In her second left hand is a text, specifically The Heart Sutra and in her right second hand is a vajra, which symbolizes the indestructibility or diamond - like nature buddha-mind or enlighten mind. 

With Rao visiting Bhaktapur in Nepal 

While my time in Kopan Monastery and my Buddhist studies , i had the luck to meet a doctor, a scholar in Sanskrit and a Buddhist practitioner Rao Mallampati. He is a south Indian man but half of his life spent it working as researcher in America. During his personal retreat in Kopan, he engage with much kindness with me and was really happy to help me with the text of the Heart Sutra. As i have chanted in the past in Korean language, i have read it in English and heard it many times from Tibetan monks , but yet my need to connect in more profound way was there...So we set our days and some times at noon , sometimes at late afternoon, we had our a class. These days where these kind of days from your life that you see them as a " bookmark ". It was an exchange from heart to heart and when the base is beyond " i give and you take ", then something is really moving there.

To do the whole text in Sanskrit, and discover the meaning of every single word , it was a very unique experience. Many questions arose from my side , and many many things that i was reading in my Buddhist books , these days took a place in my mind. He also tried to teach me the correct pronunciation , and me i spend many afternoon trying to memorize the text in Sanskrit while doing kowra at Kopan's stupas ( Circumambulation ). No mention how easy was to learn it in this way. So Here it is the 4 parts of the Heart Sutra in Sanskrit and all my notes on English translation. I hope this will be helpful for anyone who is interesting in the text in its originally writing, in Sanskrit.  

 

on the above video at 0:17:16 there is a full recitation of the heart sutra in Sanskrit from a Buddhist monk  

Four parts:

• Introduction
• Abhidharma
• Bodhisattva Path
• Sutra 

Introduction:

Om namo bhagavatyai arya-prajnaparamitayai

Om Salutation to the blessed and noble one ( who has reached the other shore of the most excellent transcendental wisdom )

Verse1 : 

Arya-avalokitesvaro bodhisattvo /
The Noble Avalokateswaro Bodhisattva

Verse 2 :
Gambhiram prajnaparamita caryam caramano /
While practicing the deep practice of prajnaparamita

Verse 3 :
Vyavalokayati sma panca-skandhas /
Look upon the five skandas ( the 5 aggregates that gives the sense of our being. These are form, sensation, perception, memory, consciousness )

Verse 4 :

Tamscha svabhava sunyam pasyati sma. /
and saw them to be of any self - existence

Verse 5 :
Iha sariputra /
Here Sariputra ( son of Sari, first disciple of Buddha )

Verse 6 :
Rupam sunyata, sunyataya rupam /
Form is Emptiness, Emptiness is Form

Verse 7 :
Rupam na prithik sunyata, sunyataya na prithik rupam /
Emptiness is not separate from Form , Form is not separate of emptiness

Verse 8 :
Yad rupam sa sunyata, Sunyataya tad rupam /
Whatever is Form is Emptiness , whatever is Emptiness is Form

Verse 9 :
Evam eva, vedana samjna, samskara vijnanam. /
The same holds good for sensation, perception, memory, consciousness.

Verse 10 :
Iha sariputra sarva dharmah, sunyata laksanah /
Here Sariputra, all dharmas defiened by emptiness

Verse 11 :
Anutpanna, Aniruddha, Amala, Aviamala, Anuna, Aparipurnah. /
No birth or destruction , purity or defilement , completeness or deficient.


~*~


Abhidharma:

Verse 12-13 :
Tasmac sariputra sunyatayam na rupam na vedana, na samjna, na samskarah na vijnanam. /
Therefore sariputra in Emptiness there is no Form, no sensation, no perception, no memory, no consciousness.

Verse 14 :
Na cakshuh-srotra, ghrana-jihva, kaya-manamsi. /
No eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind

Verse 15 :
Na rupa sabda gandha rasa sprashtvaya dharmah. /
No shape, no sound, no smell, no taste, no feeling, no thoughts.

Verse 16 :
Na cakshur-dhatur yavan, na manovijnana-dhatuh. /
No element of perception from eye to conceptual consciousness.

Verse 17-18 :
Na avidya, na avidya-ksayo, yavan na jaramaranam, na jaramarana-ksayo./
No ignorance, nor the end of ignorance, or no to old age and death nor end of old age and death.
( the 12 depending origination factors :

1. Ignorance
2. Memory
3. Consciousness 
4. Name and Form
5. The 6 senses
6. Contact 
7. Feeling
8. Desire
9. Grasping
10. Arising
11. Birth
12. Old age and death )

Verse 19 :
Na duhkha, samudaya, nirodha, marga.
No suffering, no cause, no relief, nor path. /
( 4 noble truths :

1. Truth of Suffering
2. The Cause of Suffering
3. The Truth of Cessation
4. The Truth of Path )

Verse 20 :
Na jnanam, na praptir, na-apraptih.
No knowledge, no attainment, and no non-attainment.


~*~


Bodhisattva Path:

Verse 21-22 :
Tasmac Sariputra Apraptivad
Bodhisattvo prajna-paramitam Astritya /
Therefore Sariputra, without attainment Bodhisattvas take refuge in prajnaparamita.

Verse 23 :
Veharanty acitta Avarnah. /
and live without the walls of the mind.

Verse 24 :
Citta Avarana nastitvad atrastro /
Without walls of the mind thus without fears.

Verse 25 :
Viparasya atrikranto nishta nirvanah. /
They see through delusions and finally come to Nirvana.

Verse 26-27 :
Tryadva vyavashitah, sarava buddhah prajna - paramitam Astritya /
All Buddhas from 3 ages ( past, present and future )
take refuge in prajnaparamita

Verse 28 :
Anuttaram samyak sambodhim Ambhisumbuddhanah. /
and realize unexcelled  perfect enlightement.

~*~

Sutra:

Verse 29 :
Tasmac jnatavyam prajna-paramitam maha mantro. /
Therefore you should know the Great Mantra of prajnaparamita.

Verse 30 :
Maha Vidya mantra. /
The mantra of great magic.

Verse 31 :
Anuttara mantro. /
The unexcelled mantra.

Verse 32 :
Asamasama mantrah. /
The mantra equal to the unequal.

Verse 33 :
Sarva dukha prasamanah, satyam Amityuavat. /
Which heals all suffering , it all true and not false.

Verse 34 :
Prajna-paramittam ukto mantrah, tadyata
The mantra of prajna-paramitam does spoken

Verse 35 :
Gate , Gate , Paragati,
Parasam gate  Bodhi svaha 
 

Dedicate this post to all sentient beings and to my dharma friend Lama Lopon Sonam who with much patience try to answer and discuss all of my questions about life and its reality...

Shaping the mind

Milarepa the Great Yogi of Tibet

I would like to share some thoughts from my today Asana practice.

Today i experienced a very comfort sensation within the body and the mind as well.

I remember when i first started practicing yoga in terms of Asana, i was moved originally by my physical and mental discomfort.

Asana practice is a process of " unappealing the onion " of this body and mind we are living in ..

and this process slowly slowly bears some fruits of small realizations that our body and mind are filled up with many things, some are useful to know about, some are unnecessary and some are completely useless.

During this process sometime we lose our track. Which was originally to be happy. There are  two types of happiness. The physical or sensual happiness and the mental happiness. Now i ask you to make the question which one you think is more important to have as an experience. My thinking is that mental happiness is far more important. You all have felt the difference when you wake up in a very "joyful mood" or the morning you wake up in "bad mood" .

When you have " good mood " you really can endure many things. You are more genuine in every way , and you are not easily get angry, disappoint, and you may even endure some physical pain ...but when you have the other morning , everything is just going wrong, your compassion is not there, your dissatisfaction is there and of course no mention in what level is your patience.

So , what i try to say is that you have to take care of the mind.

This is the one to be shaped and merely the body. And your work is to check always..when you finish a difficult posture, when you complete 1rst, 2nd, 3rd, 4rth , 5 , 6, 7 series in the end of the day ARE YOU REALLY HAPPY???

Shaping the mind comes ONLY through meditation and investigation of the nature of the mind. You don't need to be religious, you don't need to be perfect in Asana in order to taming the mind. You just need to sit couple of minutes and quite the mind just for 5 sec..in that stillness of the 5 seconds you start to experience the true nature of mind and from there you can grow up towards happiness.

By reasoning , by examination here and now. Time is running out, in fact from the moment the sperm find the egg your life span start to running out. Death is so close , is after single breath we take. 

Even sleeping tonight in good mind and heart but tomorrow is not sure is coming..But we are habitual minds and habitually postpone to get our piece of happiness in this very life. 

OM MANI PADME HUM

    

Ο λόφος του Kopan, οι 3 ιερές στούπες & η κενότητα των φαινομένων

Για την Ντίνα, τον Διονύση την Αγγελικούλα και την μικρή Μάιρα 

Katmandu Valley , view from Swayambhunath Stupa

Ένα ἠσυχο απόγευμα στο μοναστήρι του Lama Lobsang, ατένιζα από το παράθυρο την κοιλάδα του Katmandu και την έβλεπα να λούζεται με ένα γλυκό χρυσό φως. 

Είχα ακούσει το διάστημα που ήμουν εκεί οτι η περιοχή συνηθίζεται να πλήττεται από σεισμούς και για έναν περίεργο λόγο εκείνο το απόγευμα κάνω ερώτηση στον Lama :

" Lama La , νομίζεις ότι αυτό το μοναστήρι θα αντέξει σε εναν δυνατό σεισμό; "

Lama Lobsang: " Ωωω, μην ανησυχείς ο λόφος που είμαστε βρίσκεται σε πολύ ιερό σημείο. Έχουμε μεγάλη προστασία γιατί είμαστε ανάμεσα σε 3 ιερές στούπες! Μην ανησυχείς υπάρχει ευλογία..." 

Swayambhunath Stupa - Nepal

Namo Buddha Stupa - Nepal

Bouddhanath Stupa - Nepal

Για την ιστορία,

η βουδιστική στούπα όταν πρωτοεμφανίστηκε, ήταν αρχιτεκτονικό κατασκεύασμα που σκοπό είχε να στεγάσει τόσο τα γήινα υπολείμματα-λείψανα του ιστορικού Βούδα και άλλων υψηλών ενσαρκώσεων του βουδιστικού πάνθεου όσο και άλλων φωτισμένων Lama στην πορεία του βουδισμού. Με το πέρασμα των χρόνων στις στούπες άρχισαν να στεγάζονται και διάφορα ιερά αντικείμενα πραγματωμένων μοναχών και δασκάλων του Βουδισμού και επίσης πολλές χτίστηκαν για να θυμίζουν γεγονότα από τη ζωή του Βούδα ή των μαθητών του αλλά και ως αναθήματα, σημεία λατρείας και προσφοράς των πιστών που ενισχύουν τα πνευματικά οφέλη που λαμβάνουν οι πιστοί από τις ιερές στούπες.

Επιστρέφοντας στην αρχική ιστορία μου πρέπει να σας πώ ότι εκείνο το βράδυ έγινε σεισμός... Εκεί κάπου γύρω στα μεσάνυχτα με έντονη βοή και δυνατό τράνταγμα, συνέχιζα να βρίσκομαι στο κρεβάτι μου μέσα στο μοναστήρι  Kopan ενω σε κλάσματα του δευτερολέπτου περνούσαν όλες οι διδασκαλίες που είχα πάρει περί παροδοτικότητας και κενότητας όλων των φαινομένων..μια στιγμή έκλαμψης όπου πολύ γρήγορα την ακολούθησε ένα δυνατό χτυποκάρδι,  που σφοδρά με επανέφερε στην συμβατική πραγματικότητα.
Με ένα άλτο βρέθηκα έξω απο το μικρό μου δωμάτιο. Έτυχε το δωμάτιο μου να στεγάζεται στο πιο παλιό κτίριο του μοναστηριού οπότε όλοι όσοι μέναμε εκεί " την ακούσαμε στερεοφωνικά ".
Μετά από μισἠ ώρα βρισκόμουν και πάλι στο δωμάτιό μου θυμήθηκα για λίγο την απογευματινή συζήτηση που είχα με τον Lama μου και σκέφτηκα πώς όλα τελικά βρίσκονται σε απόλυτη σύνδεση. Συνέχισα με διαλογισμό πάνω  στον Θάνατο. Όταν πρωτοδιδάχτηκα αυτόν το διαλογισμό στο μοναστήρι δόθηκε μαζί με την οδηγία οτι πρέπει να είναι μέρος της καθημερινής μου πρακτικής. Η αλήθεια είναι όμως, ότι ποτέ δεν αισθάνθηκα τόσο συνδεδεμένη με αυτό τον διαλογισμό όσο εκείνη την  νύχτα του σεισμού.
Οι σκέψεις σιγά-σιγἀ βάραιναν,  και οι νοερές μορφές τους διαλύονταν σαν να μην υπήρξαν ποτέ.. ένας γλυκός ύπνος ήρθε και με πήρε κάνοντας την τελευταία σκέψη της ημέρας :
" μακάρι όταν αφήσω αυτόν τον κόσμο να φύγω τόσο γλυκά και ήρεμα και πάνω απ᾽όλα χωρίς κανέναν φόβο, όπως ακριβώς νιώθω τώρα".. και κάπως έτσι ...

έκλεισα τα μάτια και κοιμήθηκα χωρίς να φοβάμαι εάν αύριο δεν υπάρχω...
~*~

Old monk reciting Om Mani Padme Hum ,at Namo Buddha Stupa 

Renunciation

The first teaching of Buddha, 2.500 years ago, was the Forth Noble Truths.

. The truth of suffering
. The truth of origin of suffering
. The truth of cessation
. The truth of the path

And by reflecting on the four Noble Truth the 3 principles of the path towards enlightenment which are :

. Renunciation - that one wants to be free of the suffering of the cycle existence ( samsara ) -

. Generate bodhicitta mind - one cultivates pure altruistic intention to benefit all the other beings -

. Understanding the emptiness simply by cultivating the correct view on the depending arising and all things, which is an ego-free view.

Of course I'm not a dharma teacher to talk or write thoroughly about the Buddha's teachings but since currently I'm living in a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Nepal, I thought i can share some of my experiences in relation to my understanding on how can one look upon the life itself and especially when life seems that is collapsing.
From the teachings that I receive up to now and from my personal study I understand how precious is one to come to the understanding of the truth of suffering and the causes of suffering - the two first noble truths - .
The understanding natural leads to a strong determination that one wants to renounce the suffering from his life and bring vastness of happiness instead.

There are 3 kinds of sufferings that one can experience :

. The suffering of suffering which easily all beings can understand the pain of pain. Physical or mental and all at a certain point we renounce this pain , as we don't want to experience it.

. The suffering of change. Our "un-contentment" mind always seek temporary happiness through possessions , relationships , reputation etc. but of course all these , is the case that are constantly change and our ego-view mind cannot cope with the change and thus we experience suffering.

. The pervasive suffering. Is the suffering that comes from the way we perceive all phenomena and the Self. The aggregates of the mind ( the 5 Skandas in Sanskrit )
- form
- sensation
- perception
- memory
- consciousness
Are polluted through the Buddhist point of view by delusions and karma , therefore all the phenomena we perceive to exist through the contaminated aggregates are creating causes for self misery continually throughout our life span.

So that why is important to understand the truth of suffering and the cause of suffering so we can make our first step towards renunciation. This is the first step towards enlightenment.

Then naturally questions arisen. How do I get out of this continuous suffering ?
What is the nature of this freedom ?
What is the path to attain it ?

Well I really cannot answer for you into this , but I'm sure that with self study and self investigation one can certainly give some answers but the most important is that there are tools out there ready for use !
The dharma teachings, if you learn how to listen to them and if you start putting them into practice, is one of the most powerful tools that one can have in order to taming the mind and remove all obscurations from it, so its pure clear nature be finally revealed.
The Tibetan Buddhism tradition that I'm studying, presented the Lam - Rim discourse to the world about one millennium ago, which are the stages to enlightenment.
One who can listen , study , understand and contemplate on Lam - Rim , he can transform his behavior.

Through the Lam - Rim are taking place 3 kinds of high trainings:
1. Ethic training - one becomes an expression of non-violence and a pure heart -
2. Single point concentration training - one is able to abandon all meaningless distractions into his way -
3. Wisdom training - one is able to abandon delusions of all kinds -

Absolutely hard work but it works ! I'm studying less than 2 months here , total beginner but I'm so impressed how life looks thought my eyes now. And I had a good "test drive" while I am here. Couple of weeks ago I learn that all my "possessions" that i left in India are gone. When I left Greece I took with me all my precious possessions. My favorites clothes, presents from my best friends, and of course my laptop with my hard disc , with all my teaching yoga material an accumulation of studying of the last years , a booklet that I was writing on yoga , all my memories with thousands of photos now lost and of course my precious Ashtanga authorization paper from Manju P. Jois. Because of my coming to the kopan monastery I thought that it was better to leave my stuff in India and make my time here more focus on the studies and more simple in my needs and way of living. So when I learn that everything were stolen for first time in my life I didn't freak out ! My first thought was for the person who did it because knowing who he is, I know that what he did is out of his weakness of grasping material possessions despite of the wealth life that he has ...I really felt so sorry for him.
After that I was still breathing ..! No anxiety , no panic. Still breathing . I couldn't believe that this reaction was happening to me and seriously it was the first sign that the transformation is actually taking place! To decide not to be merely labeled by my possessions and absolutely let go of that past get me somehow more free. And being able to stay at Kopan all these weeks, is making me feel that maybe for first time, that I am to my real" home ".

I dedicate this post to Lama Zopa Riponche , that is my inspiration and the lamp that i hold when i walk to the darkness paths of my ignorance

Find what you love and let it kill you

the image taken from here

Sitting on my floor this morning looking at the rays of light coming through my window, and seeing settling them down softly and warm in my bare feet i let myself wandering in places and thoughts untouchables like these golden ray of lights on my feet..

Making questions that i couldn't answer.. 

about how can one do what he really wants to but somehow even that, is not enough and at the same  time how can the same love become a turmoil of one's life ?

Later in the day i came across with this quote of Bukowski, and then i understood it all.

To find what one's truly wants in his life, is the first step but the ability to adapt and to adjust into the vastness of this love you choose to become your vehicle in life is total other thing. A whole life process and this  is where the true Sadhana, the spiritual practice it self, lies.

 Meaning that you have to let this love kill you.

because

 The truth of your love needs to be understood.

The pain is helping to purify ourselves and there are so many types of pain, even THE pain of pain. If one remains with that, will remain in pain of course but to escape is painful and learning and understanding is also painful but all pain has results.

Everything that may comes in the form of 

Sadness

Insult

Ignorance

Anger

Fear

is a gift, is a way to practice and become strong by knowing your own weakness. And to accept and to embrace that state fully , is only then that the fruits of your practice can be seen. Let yourself to deconstruct  carefully in pieces and in that process study and understand these pieces , and when all put it back together you understand the difference between you and the situations that may occur in your life. Why after all we are in this life , in this form? If not to practice? Just being responsible toward the practice and do whatever it takes..because life is too short ..and excuse me that i may sound a bit arrogant but why not in this life take my piece of enlightenment?  I want it and i will try to take a bit in this life...Is out there anyone who wants to join me??? 

 Next post from the foothills of Himalayan 

Enjoy life and embrace pain like a mother does when she is giving birth to her child.

Dedicate the video with the blooming rose to everyone that i didn't find the way to say goodbye.

I love you all...

Photo reportage on World Yoga Day in Athens 2013

Fight Hunger! image taken from here

World Yoga Day 2013 become a day that marked the hearts of Athenian citizens & yoga practitioners.

A day beyond of yoga traditions, beyond of different concepts of minds, beyond of discrimination of any kind. Just be all together, and making happen this project, an inspiring soul behind Tina Zymarakis who motivate so many people to offer and made to  organize in so little time the fundraising event FIAN   on the World Yoga Day.

5 Teachers :

 Kristina Karitinos - Ireland ,

Surana Mojca Morya,

 Tina Zymarakis, 

Bouchelos Ioannis

Yota Tsotra

Where ? 

@ Art Factory Peiraos 178 str & Lamias 4 

1 hour 15 people use their hands, literally their feet 

and their imagination to bring this place into a clean and purified one, and ready to host the people who were waiting outside!

 the floor is shining !!! :)

well one more detail , our small altar ready to give us the opening bless made by Tina.

ok 3, 2, 1 doors open ! first mats on the floor, become more and more and finally all in one breath connected!!!

 

The welcome/info desk

 

 Sophia while waiting to take the confirmation and take off her yoga mat from the waiting list :) 

The event took its own way...

Gong bath @ savasana 

Detail from the flowers that were spread everywhere in the art factory

 

 Lokah Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu

Honoring the cycles of the moon part 1.

August Full moon at Acropolis

Full moon tomorrow and yogis and yoginis with regular practice should take the opportunity to take a rest on that day, to eat well and healthy, to breath with awareness and observe what is taking place within body, the mind & the heart. 

During a full Moon, the Sun is in opposition to the Moon and planet Earth is found in between them. As we are more of 70% of water is it very logical to be affected by this energy. 

The prana vayu that is dominant, governs the area of chest and head. That is why the feeling has an upward movement that make us more energetic but at the same time more sentimental and not so well "earthy" rooted - grounding - and thus we have over stimulated tendency  to be pertinacious and more stubborn. I guess this is more highly possibly to give us an injury - the mind tendency - rather by the fact that the fluids and the blood within our body are affected by the moon.

On the other hand the day of full moon is a great time for meditation and always a good way to open the door of perception towards the Truth and the Wisdom that lies in everybody's heart.

So just give yourself a nice nourish and even tomorrow is a week start, you can started with an inner softness! 

Tonight enjoy yourself with friends or a movie. If you haven't seen it already you can make yourself comfortable and watch "Sita Sings the Blues". Is a movie based on the Hindu epic "The Ramayana" by Nina Paley. Very clever way of narration of the story and love the "blues" parts. Enjoy ! ! !

The Surya God turned his face to Athens

Monastiraki-Thision  in the back you can see the Acropolis

After a" monsoon " Friday, today the Sun was up again and radiant to the Athenian faces..I couldn't resist of a walk downtown Athens, walking under the rock of Acropolis and seeing all these people that despite of the anxiety of a non secure future they are still smiling back to the sun. Me also among them.

The Sun always has been a great symbol throughout cultures and myths.

The Greek alphabet as it is recite is a cosmogony pray to the Sun! I didn't know it and i only discover this 2 years ago.  

  
ΑΛΦΑ - ΒΗΤΑ - ΓΑΜΑ - ΔΕΛΤΑ - ΕΨΙΛΟΝ - ΣΤΙΓΜΑ* - ΖΗΤΑ - ΗΤΑ - ΘΗΤΑ - ΙΩΤΑ - ΚΑΠΠΑ - ΛΑΜΒΔΑ - ΜΙ - ΝΙ - ΞΙ - ΟΜΙΚΡΟΝ - ΠΙ - ΡΟ - ΣΙΓΜΑ - ΤΑΥ - ΥΨΙΛΟΝ - ΦΙ - ΧΙ - ΨΙ - ΩΜΕΓΑ.

* is the sixth missing letter of the Greek alphabet , that we dont use it anymore.

the decode of the alphabet is giving this :

“ΑΛ ΦΑ, ΒΗ ΤΑ ΓΑ!

ΑΜΑ ΔΕ ΕΛ ΤΑ ΕΨ ΙΛΩΝ.

ΣΤΗ ΙΓΜΑ (ΙΝΑ) ΖΗ ΤΑ,

Η ΤΑ, ΘΗ ΤΑ ΙΩΤΑ

ΚΑΤΑ ΠΑΛΛΑΝ ΔΑ.

(ΙΝΑ) ΜΗ ΝΥΞ Η,

Ο ΜΙΚΡΟΝ (ΕΣΤΙ),

ΠΥΡΟΣ (ΔΕ) ΙΓΜΑ

ΤΑΦΗ ΕΨ ΙΛΩΝ,

ΦΥ(ΟΙ) ΨΥΧΗ,

Ο ΜΕΓΑ (ΕΣΤΙ)”.

a very quick free translation from ancient Greek  to English the above is

Al, the light come to Earth!

and you

El, shed your lights to the material that is burning.

May become an alloy ,

so all Self can live, be and stand to this throbbing Earth.

Don't let the night to conquer, that is the micron and endangering  this alloy to be lost into the turmoil of material, 

let the Soul to be developed that is the great and the most gracious of all! 

 

This is a pray in ancient Greek that creates in the same way like Sanskrit Vedic Mantras a tremendous  vibrant effect. It is like a mystic ringing of a bell right to the heart of our Souls...

Surya Namaskars from Apollon the God of light

Diagram from Astanga Yoga Greece school 

copyright yoga practice - London

 

www.yogapractice.net
 A wonderful video with a poem about the Sun, by a Greek poet GEORGE LATHYRIS - ASTRAPOSIGMA: A PRAYER with Thracian music by 100 guitars- Evangelos Boudounis.

The Vedic mantra known as Aditya Hridayam is a very powerful mantra associated with Aditya or Surya the Sun God.

The Aditya Hridayam begins with the war between Lord Rama and King Ravana. The Rishi Agastya teaches Lord Rama, who seems perplexed as well as worried at the time, how to recite this mysterious ancient Vedic mantra and describes the procedure of invoking the Cosmic strength of Suryanarayan Deva the illustrious Sun God in order to vanquish any forms of negative forces that may surround him in order to achieve victory over the enemies on the battlefield. Lord Rama was advised to chant this sacred mantra thrice and through the power and energy of this mantra, he was able to vanquish Ravana on the battlefield.

 1.Tato yuddha pari srantam samare cintayasthitam
Ravanam Cagrato drustva yuddhaya Samupasthitam

2.Daiva taisca Samagamya drastu mabhyaga toranam
Upagamyabra Veedrama magastyo Bhagavan Rshih

3.Rama Rama Mahabaho Srunu guhyam Sanatanam
Yeno Sarva nareenvatsai Samare Vijayisyasi

4.Aditya hrudam punyam Sarva Satru Vinasanam
Jaya vaham japetnityam Akshayam paramam Sivam

5.Sarva mangala mangalyam sarva papa pranasanam
Cintasoka prasamanam Ayurvardhana muttamam

6.Rasmi mantam Samudyantam Devasura namaskrutam
Pujayasva vivasvantam Bhaskaram Bhuvanesvaram

7.Sarva devatmako hyesa Tejasvi, rasmi bhavanah
Esa devasura ganan lokan pati gabhasthibhih

8.Esa Brahmaca Visnusca sivah skandah prajapatih
Mahendro dhanadah Kaloyamah somo pampatih

9.Pitaro vasavah sadhyahya svino maruto manuh
Vayurvahnih praja pranah rutukarta prabhakarah

10.Adityah savita Suryah khagah pusa gabhastiman
Suvarna Sadruso bhanuh hiranya reta divakarah

11. Haridasvah saha sracih saptasapti mareeciman
Timironmadhana Sambhusvasta martanda Amsuman

12.Hiranya garbhah sisirastapano bhaskaro Ravih
Agni garbho diteh putrah Sankha sisira na sanah

13.Vyomanatha stamo bhedi Rigyajuhsama paragah
Ghana vrusti rapam mitro Vindhya Vidhiplavangamah

14.Atapi mandali mrutyuh pingalah sarva tapanah
Kavirvisvo mahateja raktah sarva bhavodbhavah

15.Nakshatra grahatarana madhipo Visvabhavanah
Tejasamapi Tejasvi dvadasatman Namo stute

16.Namah poorvaya giraye pascimayaye namah
Jyotir gananam pataye dinadhipataye Namah

17.Jayaya Jaya bhadraya haryasvaya Namo Namah
Namo namah sahasramso Adityaya Namo Namah

18.Nama ugraya Viraya Sarangaya Namo Namah
Namah padma prabodhaya martandaya Namo Namah

19.Brahme sanacyute saya Suryayaditya Varcase
Bhasvate sarva bhakshaya roudraya Vapusenamah

20.Tamoghnaya himaghnaya satru ghnaya mitatmine
Krutaghna ghnaya devaya Jyotisam pataye Namah

21.Tapta Cami Kara bhaya vanaye Visva Karmane
Namastamo bhinighnaya rucaye Loka sakshine

22.Nasayatyesa Vai bhutam tadeva Srujati prabhuh
Payastyesa tapatyesa varsatyesa gabha stibhih

23.Esa Suptesu jagarti bhutesu parinistitah
Esa Evagni hotramca phalam caivagni hotrinam

24.Vedasca Kratavascaiva Kratunam phalamevaca
Yanikrutyani lokesu sarva Esa Ravih prabhuh

25.Ena mapatsu kruesehresu kantaresu bhayesu ca
Keertiyan purusah kascinna vaseedati Raghava

26.Pujayasaina mekagro deva devam jagatpatim
Etat gunitam Japatva yuddhesu vijayisyati

27.Asmin kshane maha baho Ravanam Tvam Vadhisyasi
Eva muktva tadagastyo Jagamaca yathagatam

28.Eta chrutva mahateja nastaso Ko bhavattada
Dharaya masa supreeto Raghavah prayatatmavan

29.Adityam prekshaya japtvatu param harsa mavapta van
Triracamya Sucirbhutva dhanuradaya Veeryavan

30.Ravanam prekshya hrustatma yuddhaya samupagamat
Sarva yatnena mahata Vadhetasya dhruto bhavet

31.Atha Ravi rava dannireekshya Ramam
Mudita manah paramam prahrusya manah
Nisicara pati Samkshayam Viditva
Suragana madhya gato vacastvareti

By the repetition of this holy Mantra daily, one attains imperishableness, the highest good, all blissfulness, the end of all sins, troubles and sorrows, and a long life.