Excerpt from "Shiva Speaks"
by Rashmi Khilnani
Om Namah Shivaya
Chanting the “Om Namah Shivaya” within, or singing
it aloud, helps you to bring the mind to a place of crystal
clarity, where the mind becomes like a still pool and
all unconscious predispositions begin to reveal themselves
in this serene still water.
I know how sacred sound calls us to the divine within us, but for those
particularly in the West who often come from a mental understanding,
can you explain the significance of this Shiva mantra?
Babaji: The meaning of the Maha Mantra, “Om Namah Shivaya” is extremely deep and is understood, as usual, from a feeling point of view rather than just a mind understanding.
“Om Namah Shivaya” means:
I love myself.
I honor myself.
God/goddess dwells within me, as me.
Another meaning is: “I seek refuge at the feet of the god/goddess within me.”
Om is the primordial sound of the universe. It is the energy of the unity and oneness of the universe beyond separation.
Namah is the invocation of the Shiva principle in this case.
Shivaya is the female aspect of the Shiva energy, and Shiva is the male aspect of the Shiva principle. Shiva means the same shining pristine all-pervasive all-knowing self that resides at the core of all beings and within the entirety of creation everywhere. I would like to clarify for you that this Shiva principle exists within each and every one of
you, but it is not a separate energy in each individual or a different flavor in me and another flavor in you. At the deepest core, when I say that you and I are one, the Shiva in you and I are one. The difference is: I am in full conscious awareness of my I AM presence, within time and space, and beyond time and space, and YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN.
As you re-remember your Shiva self, as you re-remember the unity of all that is, as you make this unity an experiential momentto-moment awareness, you become Shiva fully realized. The whole universe opens itself up to you in joy, co-creation, and a letting go or destruction of that which no longer serves your higher good, moment to moment.
It is important to keep one’s attention and one’s heart centeredness during the repetition of this mantra. With practice a true aspirant becomes more and more single-pointed in the energy of the sacred sounds within and without. To just repeat “Om Namah Shivaya” like a mental robot will lead to a limited reaping of the fruits and gifts of this discipline. A time will come when the mantra becomes an intrinsic part of your inner makeup and is always present and affecting your mind, your body, and your intellect. When the mind becomes purified and simple and quiet through this powerful practice, it naturally marries itself to the energies of the heart, and the rose fragrance of your heart-centeredness will infuse all your energy bodies, your aura, and the universe. Patience and practice and determined sankalpa (intention) are of utmost importance, dear ones.
When you combine the practice of chanting the mantra silently within, while performing any so-called mundane work: for example, washing the dishes or doing the laundry, you exalt the entire process to a high vibrational frequency. Even the simplest tasks now become joyful prayerful sacred activities, in which the fruits, the bliss and the work are naturally and effortlessly offered up as service and praise and gratitude to the divine. To re-remind you: this divine principle is within you, not just in a picture of me or a murti (statue) of me or a transcendental experience of me or any other aspect of my celestial
energy.
I observe that many of you have the faulty understanding that you are superior to the rest of the human race because you are practicing my Way. To strut around like a spiritual peacock with great disdain for lesser so-called “ignorant” mortals IS NOT APPROPRIATE. To think that you are purer than those not practicing a conscious spiritual path is also a form of ego-based, spiritual prejudice.
Having said this, it is obviously all right for you to follow the quiet voice within you for when to move with the crowd and when to be alone and be quiet. Spiritual balance and being grounded are the keys.
It is better for you to repeat the mantra with heartfelt feeling and devotion than to allow the mind to think, worry, doubt, and indulge in deep analysis and in general chronic stress.
If you say to me that you want to cling to the habits of the mind and you are not willing to embark on a conscious, spiritual journey into the temple within, I say to you, “As you sow, so shall you reap.” It is your choice. It is time to wake up, as I keep telling you, and you have to take responsibility for the cause-and-effect triggers that occur from your choices moment to moment. This includes your unconscious choices. Chanting the “Om Namah Shivaya” within, or singing it aloud, helps you to bring the mind to a place of crystal clarity, where the mind becomes like a still pool and all unconscious predispositions begin to reveal themselves in this serene still water.
Keeping awake all night long on full-moon nights, as a form of sleep fasting, is potent Shiva practice especially when combined with my Maha Mantra.
Thank you, Babaji, for all this wondrous energy behind all your
celestial soul-empowering words. When we performed the fasting from
sleep practice, it changes our habitual patterns completely and helps to
align the energies of one’s beingness into a new and potentially more vital
and creative pattern.
I find that when I am in Haidakhan during Kirtan/Bhajan time
(chanting), and during Aarti, in your temple of accelerated intense spiritual
energy, that I go into instantaneous states of ecstatic bliss and divine
mirth.
OM NAMAH SHIVAYA
Rashmi Khilnani was born in Chandigarh, India and spent the first six years of her life in Cairo, Egypt. She went on to study and teach with world-renowned avatars, gurus and teachers and became a specialist in energy medicine. She is on the forefront in bringing the ancient Mystery School teachings of Egypt, India, Tibet and China, as well as the teachings of the Essenes, into current time and making these wisdoms simple and accessible to people at all levels of soul journeying.
Rashmi teaches and practices several healing modalities and has taught Reiki Masters, doctors, scientists and others from many walks of life the secrets of the Mystery School teachings. She is a global metaphysical teacher, urban shaman, international lecturer, artist, seminar leader and TV personality. Rashmi is the host of 2013 and Beyond with Jeremy McDonald heard monthly on Blogtalkradio.com.
Rashmi is the executive producer and one of the speakers in a new documentary film, IGod, which will feature spiritual authors, heads of various religious denominations and people at all levels of soul journeying. IGod is being produced by Robert Friedman and Neale Donald Walsh, and directed by Jonathan Friedman.
You can visit her website for more information at www.rashmikhilnani.com
Add Comment