"Upasana helps one to grow spiritually and it also helps to understand that everything is Isvarah, the infinite intelligent cause of the whole universe.
Sit comfortably, yet alert. So let your trunk and neck be aligned, close your eyes gently and take a deep breath to get settled down…….. ……… ……….
Now make a
sankalpa to affirm your intention and commitment to meditate. Acknowledge the
fact that you have many unfulfilled responsibilities and issues that need to be
addressed. Since you don't want to be distracted by those things during this
meditation, you can give yourself permission to set all those concerns aside
just for the duration of this meditation. You can even imagine a box into which
you put all your concerns, close the box and place it at your altar or anywhere
else…. You can open the box and address your concerns after this meditation……….
With progressive
relaxation we relax the body.
Let’s start
by turning your attention to your feet. Become aware of sensations there.
Notice a sense of pressure as your feet press down….. …….
Now become
aware of any tension that might be held in the muscles of your feet and let go
of that tension……. Allow those muscles to relax completely…….If you find it
difficult to release the tension, just imagine you are breathing into them….
And they will relax….. ……
Next, turn
your attention to your ankles and calves. Notice if there is a sensation of pressure…. Notice the touch of your clothing …. Any warmth or coolness……Become aware of any
tension held in the muscles of your ankles and calves and let go of that
tension completely…… ……
Next, turn
to your knees and thighs…….Notice the weight of your hands or arms where they
rest on your thighs…… Notice any other sensations. ……Become aware of any
tension held in your knees and thighs and let go of that tension completely…..
Next, turn
to the trunk of your body. Feel the weight of your body pressing down on the
seat…….Feel the firmness of the seat beneath you……. Let go of any tension……..
Next, turn
to your lower back and stomach together…….. become aware of the sensations
there……… Let go of any tension. If you find it difficult to let go of the
tension, simply breathe into it gently….. imagine you are breathing into that
tension very gently………
Now turn to
your upper back and chest together……….
Become aware
of sensations and let go of any tensions that are there…. ……
Become aware
your neck muscles and shoulders. We tend to hold a lot of tension here. Become
aware of any tension here …. let go of it completely …. If you find it
difficult, breathe into it gently…….
Be aware of
your arms …. Let go of any tensions you may be feeling there……
Now become
aware of your face, the muscles around your eyes, at your temples and across
your forehead. …..Let go of any tension.
Now become
aware of your breath … just be aware … we are not regulating it. Relax and
simply listen to these words, without concentrating …. Just allow the meaning
of the words to take place.
………………………….
This
body-mind-sense complex that you are endowed with, is a manifestation of
Ishvara’s Grace …. It is sacred …. It is the home of Ishvara … it is a
devalaya.
Dehah
devaalayam proktah : deha is the body devalayam - is an abode of deva – who is
deva – the Infinite Lord. The body, all bodies are the temple of the infinite
Lord. The body is looked upon as a temple of the infinite Lord.
……………. ……….
…………. Take a deep breath and let it out very slowly…..
Jiva Deva
SanatanaH …. Since time immemorial Ishwara
dwells in this temple, that we call the
body…..
In this
meditation…. we try to understand this truth……
…….. ……..
……… ………
Our shastra
has this vision that Ishvara being the creator of this universe as well as the
created universe, every part of my body is sacred because it is pervaded by
Ishvara….. so a devata is associated with each and every part of the body. It
is only because of ignorance that we are not alive to this reality. So we now
consciously invoke their Grace by remembering them.. ….A devata is a
manifestation of Ishwara, governing a specific function in the universe. In the
Laghu Nyasa of Vedic Chant, the Rudram, reveals the devatas governing different
aspects of this body.
……..
I will be
saying a few chants from this portion of the Rudram, which points out the different devatas….
associated with the different parts…. of the body.
Through
these chants we invoke the Grace of the devatas and allow ourselves to recognize how sacred and
blessed this body is.
……..
प्रजनने
ब्रह्मा तिष्ठतु । Prajanan -In the genital
organs from where all creation begins - may the Grace of Brahma, be invoked. I see my
genital organs as sacred because the grace of Brahma is here…… Unto Brahma my
Salutations
पादयो-र्विष्णुस्तिष्ठतु । In my feet - may the grace of Vishnu be invoked. My feet are sacred. The grace of Vishnu is ever-present
here…… Unto Vishnu my salutations……
हस्तयो-र्हरस्तिष्ठतु
। In my hands and all
that I do with my hands … may the grace of Hara be invoked. Hara is a form of
Lord Shiva….. Unto Hara my salutations….
I see that the intelligence that pervades these parts of my
body is the intelligence of all the devatas, the cosmic intelligence that
pervades the Universe warp and woof, like the threads that make up a fabric.
बाह्वोरिन्द्रस्तिष्टतु
। In my arms, in the
strength,…. the power they are capable of…. May the Grace of Indra be invoked …
It is by Indra’s grace that these arms are endowed with their capacity, their
strength and power. …. Unto Indra my salutations.
जठरेऽअग्निस्तिष्ठतु
। In the jaathara
agini, the digestive fire that is present in the stomach …may the Grace of Agni be invoked. And because of
the grace of Agni, this body functions.
The body gets hungry and gets nourished because of the food that's digested in the stomach by Agni’s heat. I allow myself
to see this grace operating….. Unto Agni my salutations.
हृद॑ये
शिवस्तिष्ठतु । In my heart the Grace of
Shiva abides…. I invoke that Grace by my remembering…. Shiva is in my heart … ever present as the
sense of ‘I am’…. Shiva means all auspiciousness, all blessing…. and it is
that all-auspiciousness, all-blessing that is ever-present in my heart…. When I
can see that, it allows me to accept life and flow with it ……. Unto Shiva my
salutations……
…….
कण्ठे
वसवस्तिष्ठन्तु । May the Grace of eight
vasus or devatas of nature be invoke in my throat
… because of their Grace, I can swallow, speak, sing….express myself. … Unto
the Vasus, my salutations.
वक्त्रे
सरस्वती तिष्ठतु । May the Grace of Saraswati,
the Goddess of speech, of knowledge reside on my tongue…. With her Grace I
express myself appropriately, I receive
knowledge ….I allow myself to see this…… Unto Saraswati my salutations……
नासिकयो-र्वायुस्तिष्ठतु । In my nostrils, may the Grace of Vayu be invoked…. Whose Grace allows the air to be inhaled and exhaled. And
in this simple process with inhalation I am energized and with exhalation I
relax…. Because of the Grace of Vayu, life flows in me….. Unto Vayu my
salutations. …..
नयनयो-श्चन्द्रादित्यौ तिष्टेताम् । In my eyes may the Grace of the sun and the moon be invoked. They
are the luminaries that bless us with Light. It is because of the light that I see. I see this
Grace operating. …. Unto Chandra and Aditya
my salutations…..
कर्णयोरश्विनौ
तिष्टेताम् May the Grace of the twin Ashwini
Kumars be invoked in my ears – it is because of their Grace that these ears are
blessed with the capacity to listen, to hear, to absorb, to understand. The
twin Ashwini Kumars are the Vedic Gods symbolizing the rising and setting sun.
They are associated with bringing treasures and medicines to man. I see their
Grace because of which I am able to listen. ……Unto the Ashwini Kumaras my
salutations……
ललाटे
रुद्रास्तिष्ठन्तु । In my fore-head may the presence of the many Rudras, their Grace
be invoked….. Unto the Rudras my salutations …..
मूर्थ्न्यादित्यास्तिष्ठन्तु
। In the back of my forehead, may the blessings of the 12 Aditiyas, the solar
deities, be invoked. May they bless me. Unto the Adityas my salutations……
शिरसि
महादेवस्तिष्ठतु । In my head the Grace of Mahadeva be invoked…. Om Mahadevaya namah…..
शिखायां-वाँमदेवास्तिष्ठतु । In the back of my head,
the portion where the Shikha is, may i the presence of Vamadeva be invoked…. Om
Vaamadevaaya Namah….
पृष्ठे
पिनाकी तिष्ठतु । my entire back… is
presided… by Pinaki.. referring to Shiva holding his bow….. He holds power, He
holds and wills maya saktih . Unto Pinaki my salutations……
पुरतः
शूली तिष्ठतु । The entire front is
presided by Shuli, who is Lord Shiva
bearing the Trishula…. Unto Shuli my salutations……
पार्श्वयोः शिवाशङ्करौ
तिष्ठेताम् । My left side, my right side are presided over
by Shiva and Shankara. Unto Shiva and Shankara my Salutations……..
सर्वतो
वायुस्तिष्ठतु । May the Grace of
all-pervading Vayu be invoked in every cell of the body and outside the body.
May I see His all-pervading Grace at all times. Unto Vayu my Salutations …….
ततो
बहिः सर्वतोऽग्नि-र्ज्वालामाला-परिवृतस्तिष्ठतु । When I recognize how
Ishvara pervades both the outside and this entire body-mind-complex, it is like Ishvara as the fire of knowledge
pervading the entire creation in endless sacred circles of fire
……
सर्वेष्वङ्गेषु
सर्वा देवता यथास्थानं तिष्ठन्तु । May all the devatas abide
in their respective parts … so that I am
alive to their Grace in all my angas, in each and every part of my body.
माम्
रक्षन्तु । May all the devatas
protect me …. By gracing me with the capacity to recognize them and not take
them for granted. ….. Unto all the Devatas my salutations…..
सर्वान्
महान् जनान् रक्शन्तु may all the people mahan janaan the
protectors of Dharma may they all be protected,
to do fulfil their role in this great cosmic offering.
……
In this vision my body mind sense complex is scared. I can
accept this body-mind as it is…... This body is a Devalaya,…. it is a temple
presided over by all the devatas, filled with their Grace, pervaded with their
blessings……I can invoke their grace by choosing dharma in what I do……
With Shiva, all auspiciousness, ever-present in my heart,
this body is an ever-flowing manifestation of grace, of auspiciousness ….. ….. …… May I be alive
to this reality. May this body be a temple for me…. In whom all auspiciousness
resides… because Shiva is in my heart…... When this vision is there, there is
auspiciousness.
I try and see this vision again and again…. The very fact
that I try is also nothing but Ishvara’s Grace. …..
I see clearly that it is Ishvara’s intelligence, the cosmic
intelligence because of which this body-mind-sense complex functions…. …… …..
….. ….. ….. ….. ….. ….. ….. ….. ….. …… ….. …… …… …… ….. …… …….
Ishvara is in my heart and the body is a temple. … it is
sacred ….. it is all Ishvara …..I see this…. …. ….. ….
Om….. Om….. Om…..
Shri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram
Om Shantih Shantih Shantih