Methods of Worshipping the Divine

In the Shiv Geeta, Shree Raam converses with Bhagavan Shiva on the knowledge related to ways of worshipping the Divine in the chapter on Gyaan Upaasanaa.

In spiritual practice there are four methods: prayer (speaking to God), meditation (clearing the mind), contemplation (reflect on the truths) and revelation (blessing of the Divine experience).  Everything that we do is preparation for that state of divine experience.

Bhagavan Shankar explains how a devotee should worship: “One should sit in a peaceful place, on a seat made of any soft cloth. One should keep the head, throat and back straight in one line.” The spine needs to be upright because we are clearing the highway for energy to flow upwards freely.

“Then one should apply the holy ash, vibhuti, on the body.” Vibhuti was prescribed in ancient times since it helps to control the senses and the ash represents that which is indestructible.

“By subduing the senses with firm devotion, one should salute the Guru in one’s heart.” This is an important step: to visualise the Guru and bow to him mentally.

“When one who doesn’t keep the mind under control, the senses also remain like the uncontrolled horses.” In the Upanishads, there is the metaphor of the chariot. The body is the chariot; the senses are the horses; the mind, the reins; and the Self travels as the passenger within.

“One should keep the heart free from Rajoguna. Keep the heart pure. Keep the vision of Paramatma residing inside, which is Me only.” Rajoguna is the quality of desire. We all have a list of material desires in our mind. However, desire is a cloud that blocks out our true essence. We have to at least put our desires aside at the time of worship.

“The one who is beyond the mind, who is beyond the task of creation, maintenance, destruction, who is always immersed in the bliss of wisdom, who has the form of half man, half woman, who wears a tigerskin as garments, who has His hand in the blessing posture, blue-necked, three-eyed, who holds various emblems, who smears ash on his body, such a picture of mind has to be meditated on by the yogi.” At the beginning, we should concentrate on the form of Bhagavan Shankar and hold it firmly in the mind.  We must avoid the dull mind, the raving mind, the distracted mind, and aim for a one-pointed mind before we could progress to a withdrawn mind.

Bhagavan Shankar said, when the yogi uses the atman, the individual soul, and the Omkaar, together, with spiritual knowledge, it gives him the flame of my vision. Om is the first vibratory sound that emanated as the seed of creation. Om is pranaava; it is a beej mantra for all other mantras. Om precedes all mantras. Om is not merely a chant, recitation or word. It exists by its own right and is usually called vastu tantra as distinguished from purusha tantra, that is, that which exists without reference to anything else.

We do not create Om by chanting it. When we chant Om we try to produce a vibration that is sympathetic with the ongoing Om of consciousness of that Supreme. There is an Om in vibration form that maintains creation. When we chant Om, we try to connect with that vibration. Om is both naam and rupa, name and form. The form of Om is the infinite, formless state. Chanting it properly takes one into a meditative mode. There are three states in Om – A, U and M but there is also a hidden, fourth state called amaatra, which is the silent pause. ‘A’ means the waking state, ‘U’, the dreaming state and ‘M’, the deep sleep or dreamless state. The amaatra is turiya, the fourth state of consciousness or atman. Om is the tool that, when chanted, creates the fire that takes the atman to the silent state. When we chant Om, we concentrate on the sounds, a, u and m together, but we must also listen to the sound as it trails off into silence, turiya.

By chanting out loud, the mind is trained so that the overt jaap, leads us to ajaap, which means the mind spontaneously and effortlessly churns out Om. Through practice, this Om will be chanted silently in the mind and we will always experience that state. When we chant Om, we should ensure that we concentrate fully. Bhagavan Shankar says that in doing so, with the understanding that it is the state which pervades all states of consciousness, we will realise the atman, the true self.

Bhagavan Shankar said, “Neither by learning Vedas nor reciting scriptures alone, can one obtain Me.” If we do not practise what we learn, then we will not have that spiritual experience.

“One who, with a cleansed heart, meditates or thinks of Me, I get pleased with such a pure devotee, and become trapped in his devotion. Having a splendour as bright as a billion suns, having coolness as cool as billions of moons, such is my face, having sun, moon and fire as the eyes. You should think of the all-pervading One residing in the hearts of all creatures. Such a formless Brahman is Me, who is the Witness of everything. One who meditates on Me, seeing Me in all creatures, such a yogi gets permanent rest called liberation. Others do not gain this. One who knows me as the ancient Being, who gave birth to everything, the Vedas, all the Gods, as it were, such a yogi doesn’t fall into the mouth of death. One who knows Me, in this manner that I have just mentioned, and has again subdued his senses, is peaceful. Such a one, merges in Me.”

Shivaji states to Shree Raam that, in worship, we should begin by controlling the senses, worship Him in the methods prescribed and, sure enough, we will have that vision of the Divine Being.

Pt. Dr. Umesh Persad, Spiritual Leader, Gyaan Deepak Kirtan Mandali (from a Sunday morning service)