To complete our study of The Mantram Handbook, this week we will read all of the final chapter, pages 179–190.
Systematically reading a whole volume from Easwaran is a great habit to practice together. As we complete our book study, we can appreciate our accomplishment and reflect on how we’ve grown. In this chapter Easwaran reminds us:
“From the very first day you begin to use the mantram, it begins to grow in your consciousness. It germinates like the tiny seed that will eventually grow into a magnificent tree, and as you repeat it often and enthusiastically, it sends its roots deeper and deeper. Over a period of many years, if you have been practicing all the other spiritual disciplines which strengthen your will and deepen your concentration, the taproot of the mantram will extend fathoms deep, where it works to unify your consciousness – resolving old conflicts, solving problems you may not even be aware of, and transforming negative emotions into spiritual energy.”
May we each make use of every opportunity to repeat the mantram!
What is one statement that speaks to your heart in this reading? How will you put it into action this week?
As we continue our mantram exercises, we are looking for ways to deepen them, for example by practicing more consistently or via a bit of extra effort or preparation. This week, let’s repeat the following experiment:
Sit comfortably in a chair. Resolve to repeat the mantram for three minutes without having any other thought at all. Then try it. After you succeed at doing this a few days in a row, try extending that practice to five minutes.
Next week, on November 25th, the eSatsang will begin studying Easwaran’s Climbing the Blue Mountain. To prepare, make sure you have the book available.
We offer a 20% discount on books sold through our distribution partner Indiepubs.com. Here is a link to Climbing the Blue Mountain on that site.
As a spiritual bonus this week, we are pleased to share a five-minute video talk by Easwaran. In this talk, he refers to one-pointed attention as “divine education” which “gives you the greatest secret of learning how to learn.”