859. Om kasthayai namah: I bow down to Amma who dwells in the highest state (beyond which there is nothing)
This is a long post from
Amma's amritapuri.org website on how Amma has revolutionised prayers. Worth a read:
Through the
Manasa Puja (mental worship), Amma has made
another revolution. She declared that God doesn’t need our lamp, incense
stick, flowers and food offerings. He is only interested in our
innocent heart. Amma told the devotees to sit with closed eyes,
wherever they are, and visualise the the Divine within – fully alive,
loving, smiling and showering blessings. All that was in Malayalam.
Lately Amma started leading the Manasa puja, instructing in Tamil,
Kannada, Telugu, Hindi and in English.
(Amma’s instructions for mental worship of one’s Beloved Deity during meditation.)
Sit in a comfortable asana (posture) and try to feel a deep peace
filling your being. Breathe slowly, deeply, consciously for 2-3 minutes.
Chant Aum three times with eyes closed. While chanting, imagine taking
Aum from the navel upwards to the Sahasrara; also imagine the bad mental
dispositions and bad thoughts within us flowing out.
Then while praying “Amma, Amma” with devotion, love, and tearful
longing, imagine that the Divine Mother is standing before you, smiling
and looking at you compassionately. For a minute enjoy Mother’s
exquisite beauty, visualizing every part of Her divine form. Prostrate
at Mother’s Lotus Feet, feeling the touch of your forehead on Her Holy
Feet. Pray to Her, “O Mother, I take refuge in You. You are the only
lasting Truth and support for me. You alone can give me real peace and
joy. Never forsake me, never leave me!”
Then visualize the resplendent form of Devi on the inside of your
palms. Rays of compassion from Devi’s eyes envelop you. Rub your face
and from face to downwards with the palms. Feel that a divine energy is
permeating you, and feel all misfortunes, all inauspiciousness being
driven away.
Throughout this puja, continuously repeat with your lips, but without
making any sound, “Amma, Amma, Amma, leave me not, forsake me not”.
Imagine now that you are bathing Mother. As you pour water on
Mother’s head, watch the water flow down over each part of Her form
until it reaches Her Lotus Feet. Then do ablutions with milk, ghee,
honey, sandal paste, rose water, etc. With each item enjoy the beauty of
Her form. Through offering these materials, you are offering your own
purified mind to Mother.
Next, do ablutions with vibhuti (sacred ash). Watch how it slowly
reaches Mother’s Feet. Then shower flowers on Mother’s head. Take a nice
towel and wipe Her face and body. Adorn Her with a beautiful sari, as
if you are dressing up your own child. Pray to Her, “O Mother, come sit
in my heart. Only if You sit in my heart, can I tread the right path.”
Apply perfume on Devi. Adorn Her with ornaments: earrings, necklace,
belt, anklets, etc. Apply kumkum on Her forehead. Place a crown bedecked
with jewels on Her head. Garland Mother. Enjoy watching Mother’s
peerless beauty, and let your glance pass from Her head down to Her feet
and from Her feet to Her head again.
Like a child, talk to Mother about all kinds of things. Pray to Her, “O
Mother, You are pure love. I am too impure to deserve Your Grace. I know
that my egoism and selfishness must be repelling to You. Still, bear
with me. Mother, please be with me. You are the holiest river. I am a
stagnant, filthy pond. You flow to me and purify me, overlooking my
shortcomings and forgiving my mistakes.”
With sandal paste, write “Om” on Mother’s feet. Offer flowers three times.
Now, after reciting the ‘Dhyana sloka’ in a meditative mood, begin to
chant the Sahasranamavali, beginning with the ‘Om Sri Matre Namah’ (if
chanting in a group, respond to each chant with ‘Om Parashaktyai
namah’). As you chant each Name, imagine that you are picking a flower
from your heart, and mentally offer the flower at Mother’s Lotus Feet.
(The flower represents your own pure thoughts.) When the thousand Names
have been chanted, sit erect silently for a few minutes, imagining that
divine vibrations are spreading throughout your being.
Now, offer sweet porridge as naivedya (sacred food offering) for the
Mother with your own hands and imagine that She relishes it. The real
naivedya is your pure love for the Mother.
If you can sing, sing then a song offering to the Mother. Imagine
that hearing the song, the Mother is dancing. Dance along with Her.
Suddenly in the midst of the dance, She leaves you and runs away. Run
after Her until you catch hold of Her. Cry out to Her: “O Mother, why
are You forsaking me? Why do You allow me to perish in this forest of
samsara? I am being burnt in the fire of worldliness. Come, lift me up
and save me.”
Mother now stops running and She calls you, holding out Her arms
towards you. Run to Her and embrace Her. Sit on Mother’s lap. Take
complete freedom with Mother, as a child would with its own mother,
caressing Her body and Lotus Feet, plaiting Her hair, etc. Ask Mother to
never tease you like this again. Tell Her all your grievances and your
anxieties. Tell Mother that you will never again allow Her to leave you.
Pray to Her: “O Mother, I am offering myself at Your Lotus Feet. Make
me an ideal instrument of Yours. I do not want anything of this world.
My only desire is to behold Your Divine form and to be in Your company.
Give me eyes that see nothing but Your beauty. Give me a mind that
revels in nothing but You. Let Your will be my will, let Your thoughts
be my thoughts, Your words my words. Whatever I do, even eating and
sleeping, let all my actions have only one aim—that of merging in You.
Let me become as selfless and loving as You.” Constantly talking and
praying like this, fix your mind on the Divine Mother’s form.
Wave lighted camphor before Mother, who stands before you smiling, Her
eyes full of compassion. Imagine that you are offering all your good and
your bad qualities, and the whole of yourself to Her.
Do pradakshina (circumambulation) and prostrate at Mother’s Lotus
Feet with the prayer in your heart: “O Mother of the Universe, You are
my only refuge. I surrender to You.”
Chant the peace invocations:
Om asatomā sadgamaya
tamasomā jyotirgamaya
mṛityormā amṛtamgamaya
om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ
Om, lead us from untruth to Truth,
from darkness to light,
from death to immortality.
Om peace, peace, peace
Pray for every one in this world
lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantū
lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantū
lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantū
om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ
Om, may all the beings in all the worlds be happy!
Om peace, peace, peace
After seeing Her there, while feeling peace and fullness of heart,
bow to Her and to the place where you sat. Conclude the puja. If
possible, meditate on Her form for some more time.
Om pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidam
pūrṇāt pūrṇamudacyate
pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya
pūrṇam-evā-vaśiśyate
om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ
Om, That is the whole, this is the whole,
from the whole the whole becomes manifest
taking away the whole from the whole,
the whole alone remains.
Om peace, peace, peace.
Om śrī gurubhyo namaḥ; harī om
Om, reverence to the auspicious gurus, Hari Om
