SAHAJA YOGA

TURYA COURSE
SESSION SEVEN

Sahaja Yoga subtle ceremonies

Most people eventually come to a point in their practice of Sahaja Yoga where they begin to look for a clearer definition of the role of the Yoga in their lives. The most common question tends to be is this a religion, and if so does it have a place alongside my established faith or lack of belief?. The simple answer is that Sahaja Yoga is, of course, a form of religious practice, but in a profoundly Spiritual way and not as we may traditionally understand the concept of religion. Religion defined The Pocket Oxford Dictionary defines religion as a system of faith and worship, a somewhat dry explanation of a phenomenon which today has come to embody much of what we find distasteful in our world. The modern adherence to a joyless pursuit of ritual, in many cases tainted with inconceivable hypocricy has led many people to deride religion in any form or from any culture as tainted and unbelievable. The fact is, however, that if we scratch the surface of any modern traditional religion we will invariably discover a core of truth which, although delivered originally by a true prophet, has been subverted over time and ignorance into a pale facsimile of its original virtue. The word religion in fact derives from the Latin religare, meaning to yoke; a surprisingly similar meaning to that of union to join which is the translation of Yoga. The two practices have as their aim one object knowledge of God through union with the Divine force which pervades all. Whether wrapped in ritual, falsehood or truth, this is the only aim any true religion can have and in that respect Sahaja Yoga and the myriad of other manmade organisations share the same goal. Differences in the similarity. The key differences with Sahaja Yoga are that: a) We are not expected to take things on blind trust. b) We are actively expected to become our own Gurus, or teachers over time. c) We experience a real and tangible re-birth, with the awakening of the spiritual energy of the Kundalini.

The reality of the above is that, far from being bound in ritual or dogma, Sahaja Yoga is based on a refreshingly genuine level of personal freedom in practice, in direction and in individual expectation. Those who practice this form of Yoga are not expected to blindly follow rules or adopt mannerisms without questioning. On the contrary, as seekers of the truth we are expected to progress according to the guidance of our own innate experience through daily meditation we truly do have the opportunity to become our own master in every way! There is no Sahaja Yoga organisation as such, save for a loose grouping of volunteers stretched across the world. No full time employees, no offices, no centralised executive. Every activity that is organised, is done by volunteers who weave the administration into their own busy personal schedules. With this in mind, it is proper now to mention two forms of activity which have become over the years a staple part of the growth path of those who practice Sahaja Yoga the Puja and the Havan. Both of these ceremonies have their roots in ancient Spiritual lore, and both have been practiced in the East for almost as long as civilisation has been around. In Sahaja Yoga terms they are used to enhance the clearing of the Chakras and subtle system and to enable us to feel and enjoy our vibratory awareness to a greater degree. Puja Definition: Puja is the act of showing reverence to a God, or another aspect of the Divine through invocations, prayers and songs. A Sahaja Yoga Puja involves the same kind of ceremony as practised thousands of years ago in the East when mankind had a much closer relationship with God and Nature than we do now. The authentic format of the ceremony has changed very little over the years, except that in the case of Sahaja Yoga the whole focus of the program is to move closer to the Divine and experience a Spiritual communication which goes much further than simply singing a few songs. The vibrational impact of a Puja can be simply astonishing, and the effects have a

permanent and powerfully deep reach well beyond the few hours of the actual ceremony. In practical terms a Puja involves invoking the names of the relevant Deities we wish to focus our Attention on, to invite them to help us progress in our evolution and experience a more meditative and Spiritual state. In its most basic form, every meditation we do is a Puja to the subtle system, but with the more formalised and collective version, the effects can be felt much more powerfully during and after the event. The ceremony usually starts with the saying of Mantras to Shri Ganesha, and proceeds with the singing of devotional songs which invoke the qualities and aspects of the Deities. These songs are sung in a variety of languages including Sanskrit and English, but the real importance of the process comes not from the singing itself, but from the experience of the vibrations that arise from the notes and words. The effect can be like a constant stream of cool air flowing around the body. The Puja may take subtly different forms according to the Deity being worshipped, but each of the main stages will be roughly similar. In Sahaja Yoga the focus is usually on inviting our Guru, in the form of Shri Mataji, to preside as the channel of the vibrations and the source of the connection to the Divine universe we can only feel and not see. Puja cannot be performed in a ritual manner. The ceremony has to be done from the heart, and although initially the process may seem strange, over time the charm and grace of the various stages start to open our hearts and allow us to experience the kind of Joy which is beyond words or reason. The Puja ends with a song celebrating the arrival of the particular Deity and a request in song for the clearing of our Sahasrara Chakra to allow a fuller experience of our Yoga. The end of the ceremony has a distinctly family party atmosphere in every way. Shri Mataji explains Puja: Puja is an external offering, but you should understand how you get the reward of the blessings of the Puja and its Prasad. A Puja or prayer grows from your heart. Mantras are the words of your Kundalini, but if Puja is not performed from your heart or if Kundalini is not associated with recitation of Mantras then that Puja becomes a ritual. If you become thoughtless in Puja, know that your heart is also involved in it. Collect the Puja material and offer it sincerely. There should be no formality or binding in the offerings. It is correct to wash your hands, but is your Heart washed? When the Attention is on the heart it does not go to others. Although you remain quiet from outside, you are speaking from within

..You should say the Mantras in Puja but with great faith (Shraddha). There is no alternative to Shraddha. You should perform the Puja when Shraddha grows deep, so that the heart itself does all the perfomance of Puja. At that time waves of bliss start flowing because it is the Spirit that is saying, how can any thought come at that time? Puja is one of the things by which you can excite the forms into formless. Now your centres are centres of energy, but they also have a guiding Deity sitting on all of these Chakras. They are also the formless made into forms. And when you do the Puja, the forms melt into formless energies and these formless energies start flowing, and then blows the wind. And that is how these misidentifications, these superimpositions on the Spirit are removed. Now you cannot think about the Puja. These are things which happen in a realm which is beyond thinking. 18 June 83 Havan A Havan is again a very ancient ceremony which was first practised by the wise men thousands of years ago in the East. The original name for it was Yagnya, meaning sacrifice or purification by fire. In the same way as Puja, Havan can only be done from the heart, and while its origins are in the fighting of negativity it too embodies the same kind of devotional qualities as the Puja ceremony. Whilst Puja is a celebration of the left side, with its symbolic use of water to wash the feet of God, the Havan relies on another of the the primordial elements, fire the element of the right side - to burn away the negativity. Again in practical terms the procedure starts with a Mantra to Shri Ganesha, after which negativity is symbolically surrendered to a fire, whilst the name of the relevant Deity is invoked through the use of Mantras. During the process, the vibrations start flowing as the collective subtle system starts to clear out and the negativity which may have accumulated on our Chakras starts to disipate. This can give rise to the most profound and peacefully meditative state once the ceremony has run its course and the invokations have drawn to a close. The Havan again ends with a Mantra focussed on our Sahasrara Chakra, the seat of our Yoga. Shri Mataji on havan: The essence of fire is the glow, all that is wrong, all that is evil is burnt off and then the glow shows on the faces and on the bodies of the seekers. And also the atmosphere is charged with the beautiful vibrations when you have the Havan. 18 June 83

Agnya Chakra
Deity: Lord Jesus Christ (Mother Mary), Shri Buddha, Shri Mahavira. Physical counterpart: Optic Chiasma (pineal/pituitary) Looks after: Sight, hearing, thought, memories, I-ness. Qualities: Forgiveness, resurrection, humility. No of Petals: Two (2) Day: Sunday Colour: White Element: Light Gem: Diamond Symbol: The Cross
The Agnya Chakra is situated in the centre of the area of the brain. It acts as the gateway to the Sahasrara Chakra by stopping the rise of the Kundalini if there are any impurities in the mind. When the Kundalini does pass through this Chakra, however, our thought waves elongate so that the space between any two thoughts grows wider. This space is silence, and as the petals of the Chakra open, the silence spreads outwards, pushing our thoughts to the periphery of our awareness. This is where the state of Thoughtless Awareness originates. In this state we actually feel the profound peace, the stillness, which is at the heart of creation. Quality The primary quality of the Agnya Chakra is forgiveness, for without this forbearance we cannot progress beyond our Ego and become the Spirit. The Ego is a creature of action. It thrives on doing - on punishing for a wrong, on effecting a change, on obtaining a desire. By practising forbearance, we slow down the fuel of the Ego, we force the Ego to wait. By so doing our Spirit then has the time to shine through in our action, and the true course becomes manifest. Once we see that anger is selfdestructive, that it is we who suffer as a result of this emotion, then it becomes easy to forgive The Agnya also sits at the crucial fulcrum of our thinking engine, the mind. The mind is divided into Ego and SuperEgo, two aspects that ultimately isolate us from our Spirit. We dont have to destroy our ego in order to evolve it is very useful, for without it we would not be able to act at all but we need to bring it into a balanced relationship within the our subtle system, so that the Spirit can start to shine in our personality and the Kundalini can pass through into the Sahasrara Chakra and effect our Yoga, our union. We can never fight our ego fighting requires action, the action is ego, therefore ego fights ego! But we can bring it into balance by watching it, by using humour, by allowing the power of our heart to counterbalance its excesses. In similar ways our SuperEgo, the conditionings which come from our past relationships and environment, has to be brought into balance with the system otherwise we become suffocated by a judgmental and emotional turmoil within our minds. We can do this if we stop indulging in our past, and start to enjoy the joys of the present moment more. Mythology The presiding Deity (or role model) of the left Agnya Chakra is Shri Mahavira, of the right, Shri Buddha and the centre is Shri Jesus. All of these great Deities preached the fundamental truths of forgiveness, balanced gentle thought and the ultimate goal of us attaining the eternal Spirit over the complex illusions of the mind. The Spirit is beyond thought, beyond Karma, beyond sin. Gross Physical Aspect Amongst other things, the Agnya Chakra governs our sight. We should therefore respect the eyes as a gift with which the beauty of the Divine creation is revealed to us. We should not waste or abuse that gift. We should try and avoid squandering our vision and Attention on the grosser aspects of this material world and deliberately encourage ourselves to take time out to enjoy the natural beauty of things like the sky, trees or grass, or even look at a naked flame as a means of cleansing this centre. A weak Agnya may show up as : Headaches, shoulder pain or problems with the memory. Causes of problems with the Agnya Chakra Left Side: Self pity, living in the past, harm to self. Right Side: Worries, aggression, egoism, harm to others Centre: Roving eyes, inappropriate relationships To help clear any problems of this Chakra we can: Use the elements Look at a naked flame to clear the centre. In severe cases use camphor treatment on the back of the head for back/left Agnya. Look at Nature, smell flowers, bathe centre in sunlight. Right side problem: Realise that you are not the doer (say I am not the doer of anything). Raise the left side energy into the right side 108 times during meditation. Left Side problem: Raise the right side energy into the left. Affirmations Mother, I forgive everyone including myself. Mother You do everything I do nothing Mother, please forgive me for anything I may have done against my Spirit. General Advice For the left/back Agnya, do not dwell in the past. Stop indulging and start living for the moment. Front Agnya: Let go of futuristic and fanatical tendencies Stop all meditative activities specifically involving the Agnya i.e. visualisation, hypnosis, clairvoyance. In general forgive everyone without discrimination, from the heart and sincerely.

Chakra information
Chakra 7. Sahasrara 6. Agnya Cause of Obstruction Atheism, Doubt in God Unforgiving nature, Ego Clearing Technique Clear all other Chakras and massage head, moving scalp Say I forgive, look at candle flame. Can also look at green grass or sky.

5. Vishuddhi

Lack of respect, feeling guilty, arrogance

Talk sweetly. Say I am not guilty. Take care of teeth and gums.

4. Heart

Excessive physical activity, insecurity.

Take 3 deep breaths, also try and meditate with right hand on heart.

3. Nabhi

Family, household worries, drugs. Too much thinking, over creativity, false teachings. Lack of innocence and over indulgence

Footsoak, meditate with ice pack on liver Footsoak, ice pack on liver. Sitting on the earth.

2. Swadhishtan 1. Mooladhara

NB These are just a sample of the possible problems and methods of clearing the Chakras, more detailed information can be obtained from your Sahaja Yoga meeting or centre.