Regular prayer to Sai is of great help to me in my current efforts of 'Divine Awareness' Japa-Dhyaana (chanting-meditation) sadhana

Last minor update on 9 Jun. 2023

I felt an urge to share how vital a role, prayer to Sai (Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and Bhagavan Sri Shirdi Sai Baba) is playing in my current (perhaps around 9 months to a year now) efforts of 'Divine Awareness' Japa-Dhyaana sadhana.

Actually I think I should refer to it as Praarthana (prayer), Japa (chanting) and Dhyaana (meditation) sadhana. For many years now, chanting Om Sai Ram and seeking Bhagavan Sai's help and support while doing such chanting (interspersing the chant with requests to Bhagavan Sai to help and support) has been a part of my life. This prayer and Sai Namasmarana has been a source of great support, solace and strength over so many years that I have been doing it. BTW I am far from a perfect Sai devotee. In fact, very often in my prayers I ask Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba to forgive me for my many human flaws.

Over the past 9 months to a year, I have spent much more time than earlier on what I think I can refer to as divine awareness meditation, and during which, at least in the initial stages of the meditation (but even later, many times), I chant meditation support statements like 'Go deep into the I (Awareness-I)' and 'Dissolve in the I (Awareness-I)'. So the chant during these meditation sessions is different from my usual Sai Namasmarana chant.

But even during these meditation sessions, I pray to Bhagavan Sai to guide me and help me.

What I have observed over this period is that sometimes when I am a little unsure and sometimes even a little discouraged about (what I perceive as) slow progress or lack of progress in the sadhana, prayer to Sai is of great help. I get some inner feelings/directions about how to go forward. I believe that my prayer to Sai has a big role in such feelings/inner directions I get. Prayer to Sai also has a big role in helping me to overcome any discouragement or doubts in this sadhana.

And then there is such a great uncertainty about life for all, but more for persons who have some significant health issues like me. It is prayer to Sai and surrender to Sai that lets me handle this uncertainty about life. I have to say that the 'divine awareness meditation' does not help me much, as of now at least, to deal with these uncertainties of life.

The 'divine awareness meditation' often gives me good results of great peace (shaanthi or prashaanthi) and contentment (thrupthi). But that is when I am not faced with these uncertainties of life challenges. To be more precise, at least for me in my current limited level stage, 'divine awareness meditation' does not help me much to handle challenges of any physical illness, physical injury combined with how the body starts deteriorating with old age, including thoughts about how absolutely vulnerable one is to such issues. [I think almost no one can claim to be free from such issues - it is part and parcel of the human condition.] For these issues, it is prayer to Bhagavan Sai that gives me the courage and confidence to face them and free the mind of such concerns at that time, after which I can get into 'divine awareness meditation'. Without prayer to Sai and getting the strength and courage from Sai at such times, I simply would not be able to get into 'divine awareness meditation'. That shows how vital, prayer to Sai is in my overall sadhana now.

To conclude, I think the combination of praarthana (prayer) to Sai & Sai Namasmarana, 'divine awareness' Japam (chanting) and 'divine awareness' Dhyaanam (meditation) works well for me, and I heartily recommend it to those interested in such 'divine awareness meditation' sadhana. 

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Given below are my comments (slightly edited) from my associated Facebook post:  https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid0xhvo1p7AExbW5qdHvU9RKUfNYu31kRbcYCZxxuT55hWzEYTTLTx2qMzLxVB2sgZjl :

Sairam brother,

Thanks for your thanks! I decided to share these personal sadhana matters as a small Seva offering to those interested in such matters. I am glad that you found my post to be interesting. This reinforces my thinking that I should continue to put up such posts when I feel I have something to share that may be of interest to some persons. So thanks again for your thanks.

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Oh! That must be some other person. I did not visit nor make a speech at Triplicane samithi. In fact, I only write on social media and am not a public speaker.

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No, I am not the son of Sri --. My father's name was V.M. Suryanarayanan. 

Ravi is a very common name and I think there are many in Sathya Sai devotee sangam with Ravi name.

Happy that you liked the experience.

BTW if you want to know more about my background, you may want to have a look at my part autobiography (free download): https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_dFuX_oNd9iUy7z7fqAXbuyMRtPJRr2U .

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Sairam brother,

Thanks for your thanks! I decided to share these personal sadhana matters as a small Seva offering to those interested in such matters. I am glad that you found my post to be interesting. This reinforces my thinking that I should continue to put up such posts when I feel I have something to share that may be of interest to some  persons. So thanks again for your thanks.

This blog post created in May 2019 and updated in March 2022 captures what I refer to as 'divine awareness meditation': Have become regular in divine awareness meditation; Meditation affirmation-and-helper statements that I use now in March 2022 and that I used in the past (May 2019): https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2019/05/hope-to-get-back-to-divine-awareness.html

But there have been some changes in my meditation practice since March 2022. I have tried to record those changes and related matters in blog posts. A partial (from 2022) list of such posts is available here: List of posts on my meditation practice in reverse chronological order (currently from Jan. 2022), https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/03/list-of-posts-on-my-meditation-practice.html .

If you do read some of these posts and have any comments or queries, please feel free to ask me or inform me about them.

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Thank you so much -- for the encouragement.

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I am very happy to that you found the post to be inspiring.

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OIC! Interesting! I was born in Malad but did not stay there for long as we moved to Dadar Railway quarters.

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Sairam brother --! Happy that you found it to be of interest.

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Wonderful message from Bhagavan about Sai Namasmarana! Thanks for sharing sir! Sairam!

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Yes sir. Sai namasmarana is very powerful and the above message of Swami has reinforced my deep faith in Sai namasmarana.

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Thanks for your valuable thoughts on this. Sairam

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