A random aphorism
12/28/2020
A structured meditation, which has been effective for me, follows:
The first eight are an elaborated ritual to bring seriousness of purpose and to orient attention. The middle four came separately as refinements or gifts at the culmination of each different day's meditation, one day at a time, when the previous was not enough and more was wanting. The last three are an optional sequence chosen based on how verbal is my mind (aiming for less verbal) and whether each word's referent is accessible or not, continued until the next is accessible, or stillness takes over.
By the way, don't trust my Sanskrit, despite my pedigree, these are a mere devotee's partial, no doubt ungrammatical gleanings. Yet I do still find the sanskrit more to the point.
Victory to the great, true, teacher. Sat guru naath mahaaraaj ki jaya I bow to the lord of obstacles. Om namo gaNeshaaya namaha I bow to the goddess of wisdom and learning. Om namo sarasvatyaaya namaha I bow to the great Self. Om namah shivaaya namaha. I bow to the seven directions including up, down, and inward.
Om namo dakshine namaha,
Om namo uttare namaha,
Om namo purve namaha,
Om namo pashchime namaha,
Om namo uchchaaye namaha,
Om namo niichaye namaha,
Om namo antare namaha.I bow to the five senses. Om namo indriyaaya namaha I bow to the mind. Om namo manave namaha I bow to the intellect. Om namo buddhyaaya namaha I bow to the pure intellect. Om namo shuddha buddhyaaya namaha I bow to the pervading purity. Om namo vyaapti shuddhyaaya namaha I bow to the pervading love. Om namo vyaapti premaaya namaha I bow to my inner self (as needed). Om namah shivaaya om I am That Ham sah Om as the word-form, vyaapti prema as its meaning. Om