Sutra 1.28: Aum is to be Repeated and Contemplated

Sutra 1.28: Taj Japas Tad Artha Bhavanam

By repeating and contemplating the AUM or OM sound, one can achieve Samadhi.

Sutra 1.28 continues to tell us about the meaning and importance of the Aum (Om) sound. This sutra states that the continuous repetition of the sound along with contemplation of its meaning is like the yellow brick road to Oz, and of course Oz is Samadhi.

I love this sutra because it is so simple, yet so profound, and is an all encompassing recipe for attaining anything meaningful. By repeating something we become increasingly more familiar with it; this familiarity provides us the canvas of which to observe more and more intricate details. When first learning to do Warrior II, all I could think about was getting my body into some semblance of the shape being shown to me, but now, with years of repetition, I have the ability to note what my outer right heel is doing. Not only can I notice this, I have the capacity to facilitate a change in the way that I am energizing and engaging my outer right heel. This has the power to change the way the entire posture feels for me. Holy Moly, this means that by attuning just one part of your mind, it will change the way you experience EVERYTHING.

But hold up, flash the lights and sound the sirens, there is also a danger presented in repetition, and that is complacency with some ignorance piled on top. When we think we already know, when we stop seeing the trees on our drive to work, or noticing the epic snow capped mountains or smelling the salty air, we might as well arrest ourselves and be confined to a small windowless jail cell because that is the drab and gray and numb that arrive when we stop truly engaging in our own lives.

This sutra is reminding us that every single Warrior II is an opportunity to be a Warrior in Spirit, because it is only you who can make your moments meaningful. This commitment to whole heartedly participate provides so much opportunity to transform what has become your robotic routine into radical, life changing, divine ritual.

Dear Readers,

Many traditions would council that mantra japa of Om is the most profound spiritual practice you can devote yourself to. This simply means repeating Om and aligning your frequency with that of source on the daily. Give yourself permission to play with different practices from all faiths. Unsubscribe from everything, so that you can align with YOUR thing, which is always subject to change and evolve. 

Blessings,

Andrea Dawn