WHAT’S IN THE SACRED NAME
(1)
Naam
is the Name of the Lord in Sikhism
Mindfulness of God, through
remembrance of the Divine Name, is a key practice in the Sikh religion.
Its spiritual significance is
articulated at the very beginning of the Guru
Granth Sahib, and reiterated again and again throughout this Sikh Holy Book:
“There is but one God, and truth is its name…”
And keeping God in mind at all
times, being ever-mindful of God through the Divine Name, is decreed as one of
the three duties (together with honest earning/living and giving/sharing/caring
for others) of a Sikh; also described as one of the three pillars of the Sikh
faith.
Sikhs believe that God is inside
every person.
Just as fragrance is in the
flower, and reflection is in the mirror, so is God within each human being.
To know God and to unite with
God, is to attain mukti (spiritual
liberation and enlightenment). Sikh spirituality is centred on this need to
understand and experience God, and eventually become one with God – through God’s
grace. (1)
The fundamental practice is
contemplation, meditation, and/or recital of the Divine Name. Through Nam Japna (reciting the Divine Name),
or Naam Simran (contemplation,
meditation, or recital of the Divine Name).
Although the verbal repetition of
the Name of God or a sacred syllable like Aum or Om is an established practice
in the religious traditions of India, the Sikh founder Guru Nanak (1469-1539)
emphasized inward, personal observance.
His ideal is the total exposure
of one’s being to the Divine Name and a complete conforming to the Dharma
(Righteousness) or the “Divine Order”.
Nanak described the result of the
disciplined application of nam simran
as a “growing towards and into God”, which would gradually evolve to culminate
in the final union of the individual spirit with God. (2)
Guru Ji says in the Guru Granth Sahib:
“….Meditating on the Naam, the Name of the
Lord, I cross over the terrifying
world-ocean…”
Hardith Singh comments: “Naam is
the sign, the symbol and song of God. It is the key to enter into the presence
and the heart of God…” (3)
To quote from the Khalsa
Consensus Translation of the Guru Granth
Sahib:
“Very
fortunate are those who meditate on the Lord’s Name; they alone are the
Lord’s
devotees. Whoever chants His Name is liberated; whoever listens to it is
saved, as is
anyone who seeks His Sanctuary. The treasure of the Naam, the Name
of the Lord,
is everything for me… (4)
To further quote:
“When you serve the Lord, Death cannot even see you. It comes and
falls at the feet of those who know the Lord.
“Those whom my Lord and Master protects – a balanced wisdom comes to
their ears. That mortal being is supreme among all people, who is
perfumed
by the fragrance of the Lord’s Name…” (5)
In Introduction, V. Jayaram
comments: “The true Guru is the Naam, the Name of God by remembering which
constantly one can achieve salvation…” (6)
God is also called the Waheguru
(the Supreme Being) …
(2)
The Dhikr
in Sufism: Remembering and Becoming One with the Name of God
The practice of dhikr (remembrance of God/God’s Name)
is a form of devotion in Islam, associated chiefly with Sufism, in which the
devotee is absorbed in the repetition of God’s Name or His divine attributes.
The following points are made by
a well-known contemporary Sufi master and philosopher Ahmed Hulusi of Istanbul,
Turkey, in his book THE POWER OF PRAYER
Channeling Brain Waves Through Dhikr:
The name Allah is an encompassing
name; it embodies both the Absolute Essence (dhat) and all His infinite
qualities and attributes… (7)
Real belief in Allah begins after
recognizing the Oneness of Allah and certainty (yakeen) takes place, for this
is the end of imitation and the beginning of the reality …
As for those who have reached the
reality, they are referred to as ‘mufarridoon’ or the ‘muqarriboon’; they are
those who have annihilated themselves not in the name Allah, but in the Oneness
of Allah; the meaning of ‘Allah is Baqi’ has become an experiential reality for
them… (8)
They are those who have reached
the secret of the Supreme Name; they live with the consciousness of the One who
says ‘HU’ with every breath… (9)
“The greatest good Allah (God)
gives a servant (human being) is the inspiration to do His dhikr (remembrance
of God),” the Rasul/Prophet-Messenger (saw) said. (10)
“Indeed, the dhikr (remembrance)
of Allah is Akbar (enables one to experience Akbariyyah – Absolute
Magnificence!)” – Quran 29:45 (11)
“O believers! Remember Allah
much!” – Quran 33:41 (12)
“The best of your possessions is
a tongue that engages in the dhikr of Allah, a heart that is thankful, and a
spouse who supports you in faith.” – Al-Tirmidhi
(13)
And to quote from Ahmed Hulusi
again:
Dhikr is the most beneficial
thing one can do in this world… (14)
To quote from Adh-Dhikr: The Meaning of Remembrance (15):
…When the student makes the dhikr,
he lives in the garden of the soul, in a high station. As he says the name, he
speaks with his God, soul to soul. It is necessary for him to be with God all
the time, not just when making adh-dhikr, but to be facing God at any time, at
any place, and to be in constant dhikr.
Everyone needs to be in
remembrance of the name continually, all his life, and to be with God always,
not just at a certain time. In this way he reaches God Who is his Master. Each
time he remembers, he remembers himself because he has returned to the source
(the world of al-azal, the world of pre-eternity before creation, of his
origin) and there is no difference between him and his God…
This remembering is important for
him to become complete. When he is complete, he remembers himself and no other.
Because he has become one with the name, when he remembers the name of God, he
also remembers himself. He is the mirror of God, for Him to see Himself
reflected. Each remembrance cleans his mirror to reflect only the qualities of
God…
All is one when he remembers the
name. This is the meaning of adh-dhikr, the remembrance. You are the
remembrance. There is no difference between you and Him. When a student reaches
(God) and is complete, there is no difference between him and his Lord – he is
His mirror…
When you remember the name of
God, you live in the garden. There are many gardens when you reach God, but He
wants you to live in the garden of the soul, now, not tomorrow! Not after you
die, but now…
In the Quran Sura 87 (Al-Ala), ayat 14-15: “Whoever purifies himself and
remembers the name of his Lord (God), and performs prayer, has achieved
success…”
In Sufism, spiritual success is
to reach the Divine Presence of God.
The seed of remembrance is
planted in the heart, and cultivated until the tree of dhikr bears its fruit…
(16)
03.02.2015 09:32
(3)
The Power
of the Name of God in Christian Faith
“ ‘The
Name of the Son of God is great and boundless, and upholds the entire
universe’. So it is affirmed in The
Shepherd of Hermas, nor shall we appreciate the role of the Jesus Prayer in
Orthodox spirituality unless we feel some sense of the power and virtue of the
divine Name. If the Jesus Prayer is more creative than other invocations, this
is because it contains the Name of God,” Bishop Kallistos Ware of Diokleia has
written in his brief classic THE POWER
OF THE NAME. (17)
“The
power and glory of God are present and active in his Name. The Name of God is numen
preasens, God with us, Emmanuel. Attentively and deliberately to invoke God’s
Names is to place oneself in his presence, to open oneself to his energy, to
offer oneself as an instrument and a living sacrifice in his hands. So keen was
the sense of the majesty of the divine Name in later Judaism that the
tetragrammaton was not pronounced aloud in the worship of the synagogue: the
Name of the Most High was considered too devastating to be spoken…”
Wholehearted invocation and prayer can lead to theosis, spiritual union
with God.
To
quote Bishop Kallistos Ware:
“Prayer of the heart, when and if it is granted, comes as the free gift
of God, which he bestows as he wills. It is not the inevitable effect of some
technique…
“The
context of the Jesus Prayer is first of all one of faith. The Invocation of the
Name presupposes that the one who says the Prayer believes in Jesus Christ as
Son of God and Saviour. Behind the repetition of a form of words there must
exist a living faith in the Lord Jesus – in who he is and in what he has done
for me personally…” (18)
In
prayer, Bishop Kallistos Ware quotes Bishop Theophan the Recluse (1815-94),
“the principal thing is to stand before God with the mind in the heart, and to
go on standing before Him unceasingly day and night, until the end of life…”
The
Catholic Church teaches:
“To
pray ‘Jesus’ is to invoke him and to call him within us. His name is the only
one that contains the presence it signifies. Jesus is the Risen One, and
whoever invokes the name of Jesus is welcoming the Son of God who loved him and
who gave himself up for him. This simple invocation of faith developed in the
tradition of prayer under many forms in East and West…
“The
invocation of the holy name of Jesus is the simplest way of praying always.
When the holy name is repeated often by a humbly attentive heart, the prayer is
not lost by heaping up empty phrases, but holds fast to the word and ‘brings
forth fruit with patience.’ This prayer is possible ‘at all times’ because it
is not one occupation among others but the only occupation: that of loving God,
which animates and transfigures every action in Christ Jesus…” (19)
03-04.02.2015 01:59
(4)
Japa
Yoga in Hindu Practice: Repetition of God’s Name
“…In its early stages the repetition of
the name of God is only an exercise in
concentration and meditation, but
with continued practice a stage is reached in which the repetition proceeds
effortlessly, automatically and continuously.
“This stage is not reached by
concentration alone but only by completely surrendering to the deity whose name
is being repeated: ‘To use the name of God one must call upon Him with yearning
and unreservedly surrender oneself to Him. Only
after such
surrender is the name of God constantly with the man’. ..
“This ultimate stage is only reached after the practice of Japa
(repetition of God’s Name) merges into the practice of self-attention. Sri
Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950) usually illustrated the necessity of this
transition by quoting from the words of Namdev, a fourteenth century
Maharashtra saint: ‘The all-pervading nature of the Name can only be understood
when one recognizes one’s own ‘I’. When one’s own name is not recognized, it is
impossible to get the all-pervading Name’”,
David Godman writes in Preamble to Japa
(Repetition of God’s name) by Sri Ramana Maharshi, a distinguished Hindu
guru of the 20th century. (20)
To
quote Sri Ramana Maharshi:
“…When the Japa becomes continuous, all other thoughts cease and one is
in one’s real nature, which is Japa or Dhyana (meditation or contemplation)…
“Japa or Dhyana will naturally and as a matter of course lead to it
(Self-awareness, one’s own “I”). What is now regarded as the means, Japa, will
then be found to be the goal. Name and God are not different. This is clearly
shown in the teachings of Namdev.
1. The
Name permeates densely the sky and the lowest regions and the entire universe.
Who can tell to what depths in the nether
regions and to what height in the heavens it extends. The ignorant undergo the
84 lakhs (8.4 million) of species of births, not knowing the essence of things.
Namdev says the Name is immortal. Forms are innumerable, but the Name is all
that.
2. The
Name itself is Form. There is no distinction between Name and Form. God became
manifest and assumed Name and Form. Hence the Name the Vedas (Hinduism’s as
well as the world’s earliest scriptures) established.
Those who say otherwise are ignorant.
Namdev says the Name is Keshava (God) Himself. This is known only to the loving
devotees of the Lord.
3. The
all-pervading nature of the Name can only be understood when one recognizes
one’s own ‘I’. When one’s own name (intrinsic identity) is not recognized, it
is impossible to get the all-pervading Name.
When one
knows oneself, then one finds the Name everywhere. To see the Name as
different
from the Named creates illusion. Namdev says, ‘Ask the Saints’…”
To further
quote Sri Ramana Maharshi:
“Since you
yourself are the form of the Japa, if you know your own nature by
enquiring
who you are, what a wonder it will be!
“The Japan
which was previously going on with effort will then continue untiringly
and
effortlessly in the Heart…”
Other
points of Dharma taught by Sri Ramana Maharshi:
Japa must
be done until it becomes natural.
It starts
with effort and is continued until it proceeds of itself.
When natural
it is called realisation.
Realisation
is our nature.
It is
nothing new to be gained. What is new cannot be eternal.
Therefore
there is no need for doubting whether one could lose or gain the Self.
Japa is our
real nature.
When we
realize the Self then japa goes on without effort.
What is the
means at one stage becomes the goal at another.
When
effortless constant japa goes on, it is realization.
The japa
becomes mental and finally reveals itself as the Self (absolute consciousness,
in
Self-realisation)! That is Samadhi…
The real
Self, the real “I” is all-inclusive awareness, always present, eternal,
one
indivisible reality…
To Sri
Ramana Maharshi, Self-realisation is permanent and continuous
Self-awareness…
2,957 words 04.02.2015 04:30
(5)
Amitabha,
Infinite Light and Infinite Life
In Pure Land Buddhism, Amitabha Buddha is the Buddha of
Infinite Light and Infinite Life.
“Infinite light extends through
space in all directions; infinite light extends through time and reaches past,
present, and future. The dimensions of space and time interpenetrating are the body
of the universe. This body as a whole is the body and land of Amitabha, and this body as a whole is
the Name of Amitabha,” Master Ou-i
(1599-1655) comments. (21)
“Thus, Amitabha is the inherently enlightened True
Nature (Buddha Nature) of sentient beings, and reciting the Name of Amitabha reveals this Enlightenment.
Inherent Enlightenment (Buddha
Nature) and the Enlightenment as it is revealed through cultivation and
realization are fundamentally not two different things, just as sentient beings
and Buddhas are not two different things. Thus, if we are in accord with our
inherently enlightened true nature for a moment, we are Buddhas for a moment,
and if we are in accord with our inherently enlightened true nature moment
after moment, we are Buddhas moment after moment…”
Master Ou-i then explains that Amitabha Buddha penetrates to the
infinite essence of the true nature of enlightened mind which is the infinite
light of awareness, always shining, and ever still; so His Light is Infinite,
so also is His Life-span Infinite.
Master Ou-i reminds us: “We must
realize that there is no Name of Amitabha apart from the mind of infinite light
and infinite life that is before us now at this moment, and there is no way for
us to penetrate to the mind of infinite light and infinite life
that is before us now at this
moment apart from the Name of Amitabha…” (22)
Infinite Light encompasses
Omniscient Wisdom, Infinite Life embodies Great Compassion. Thus, the Name of
Amitabha is the master key to the mind of infinite light and infinite life, the
essence of Buddhahood.
“In Pure Land practice, invoking
the Name of Amitabha is a means to get in touch
with the power of Amitabha Himself. Our own feeble powers
may be insufficient to bring us to the Other Shore
(Nirvana/Liberation/Enlightenment), but Amitabha has provided us an access
point through which we can reach His power and be protected by the power of all
the Buddhas,” American scholar and translator Dr. J. C. Cleary writes. (23)
“From a
far off point in time and space, Amitabha offers the invocation of His Name as
a doorway to the infinite, inviting us to come through and share in the
infinite life of the Buddhas…”
The
infinite life and blessings of the ultimate spiritual liberation and the
supreme, perfect enlightenment of Buddhahood.
“… One of
the simplest yet most subtle methods of cultivation is that of Buddha
Recitation (Buddha Remembrance/Reciting the Buddha’s Name),” Buddhist lecturer
Bhikshuni Heng-yin writes. (24)
“Singleminded concentration on the Buddha of Infinite Light (and
Infinite Life) can melt away karmic obstacles that would fill the entirety of
empty space and lead one directly back to the source of light within us…”
To the
compassionate and omniscient light of our inherently enlightened nature, Buddha
Nature; to the Infinite Light and Nirvana of Buddhahood.
On the
Saturday evening of 23 August 1975, the Venerable Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua
taught his American disciples and students at the Buddha Root Farm on the Smith
River near Reedsport, Oregon in the US:
“…Amitabha
Buddha is number one. This is because of the power of His vows.
“This
power is so great that when you recite “Na
Mwo E Mi Two Fwo (Namo Amitabha
Buddha, Homage to Amitabha Buddha)”,
you can very quickly realize Buddhahood.
“To become a Buddha, all you need to do is recite the Buddha’s Name…”
(25)
NAMO
AMITABHA BUDDHA
11 pages 3,699 words 05.02.2015 08:19
Mahasthama Mindfulness Center
25 Selasar Rokam 40
Taman Ipoh Jaya
31350 Ipoh Perak
Malaysia
Telephone: 05:3134941
Notes
1.
bbc.co.uk
sikhiwiki.org
Founded over
500 years ago, Sikhism practices and teaches devotion and remembrance of God at
all times, truthful living, equality of all humankind, social justice, and
living an exemplary and virtuous life so that one may be able to merge with
God.
There are
about 27 million Sikhs in the world, followers of the Sikh religion and way of
life. They are the followers of God who follow the teachings of the Ten Sikh
Gurus -- from its founder Guru Nanak (who was born in 1469 and founded the
faith in 1499) to Guru Gobind Singh (who breathed his last in 1708). Their
teachings ae enshrined in the Sri Guru
Granth Sahib, the Sikh Holy Book and Living Guru.
There is
only one God (Ik Onkar), as stated
at the beginning of the Sikh Holy Book, the same God for all people of all
religions. Sikhs.org 2011
Simran Jeet
Singh has written and posted 18 November 2014 (faithstreet.com): “Sikhs aim to recognize the divinity within
everyone and everything they encounter, and this daily practice helps the
individual cultivate and embody the qualities of (universal) oneness and love…”
2.
wikipedia.org
3.
sikhs.org
2011
4.
hinduwebsite.com 23 Raag Nat Naaraayan
5.
hinduwebsite.com 33 Raag Kalyaan
6.
hinduwebsite.com
716 words 02.02.2015 10:45
THE POWER OF PRAYER Channeling Brain
Waves Through Dhikar
By
AHMED HULUSI
Translated
by Aliya Atalay
Transliteration
by Kashad Ali
p.
204
Born
on 21 January 1945 in Istanbul, Turkey, Ahmed Hulusi has written about 30 books
since 1965, the last mentioned work in 2009 Decoding the Quran.
8.
THE POWER OF PRAYER, p. 204
9.
Ibid., p. 204
10.
Ibid., p. 41
11.
Ibid., p. 40
12.
Ibid., p. 39
13.
Ibid., p. 40
14.
Ibid., p. 38
15.
suficenter.org
1,411 words 03.02.2015 09:27
16.
awwal.org
basirat.ca
wikipedia.org
1,488 words03.02.2015 09:55
17.
orthodoxprayer.org
oodegr.co from
trinitylight.net/theology/name.htm
Article
published in English on 1 August 2005.
The Shepherd of Hermas is a Christian literary work of the 2nd
century, valued by many Christians, and considered canonical scripture by some
early Church fathers such as Irenaeus.
Born Timothy Ware on 11 September
1934 in Bath, Somerset, England, Kallistos was ordained Bishop
of Diokleia in 1982. Author of
numerous books and articles on Orthodox Christian faith, Bishop
Kallistos Ware is one of the
best-known contemporary Eastern Orthodox theologians. wikipedia.org
18.
Prayer of the
Heart or “Jesus Prayer” is a short, formulaic prayer esteemed and advocated
within the Eastern Orthodox & Oriental Orthodox Churches:
“Lord
Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner.”
St.
Theophan the Recluse (1815-94) regarded the Jesus Prayer stronger than all
other prayers by virtue of the Holy Name of Jesus.
19.
wikipedia.org
Jesus Prayer (Prayer of the Heart) last modified 30 December 2014 08:45
Part
Four of Catechism of the Catholic Church
paragraphs 2665-2669 on prayer to Jesus.
2,118 words 03-04.02.2015 01:02
20.
hinduism.co.za
David Godman
edited the highly insightful book by Sri Ramana Maharshi (30 December 1879- 14
April 1950), one of the outstanding Hindu gurus of modern times.
Born in
Tiruchuli, Tamil Nadu, South India, he awakened at the age of 16 on 17 July
1896 after experiencing and overcoming a sudden violent fear of death. “…Fear
of death vanished once and for all,” he narrated. “The ego was lost in the
flood of Self-awareness…”
The guru was
described and extolled as “one of the most loved and respected of all” (holy
men) in an article in the New York Times, 16 April 1950.
Namdev
(c.1270—c.1350) was an eminent poet-saint, specially significant to the Verkari
sect of Hinduism, and also venerated as a holy man (bhagat) by Sikhs. 2,961 words 04.02.2015 04:33
Samadhi is
single-minded/one-pointed concentration/mindfulness/contemplation, unified consciousness
and spiritual union with the
Self/Supreme Lord/God.
To Sri Ramana Maharshi, with its
mastery samadhi becomes effortless, natural, spontaneous and
continuous, culminating in the
extinction of the ego, liberation, Self-Realisation. wikipedia.org
Sri Muruganar has described his own experience of
sahaja samadhi, after receiving a glance from Sri
Ramana Maharshi, as merging “into
the Infinite Light of Divine Wisdom” – “the Light of the Self”…
albigen.com
3,042 words 05.02.2015 06:57
21.
Mind-Seal of THE BUDDHAS
Patriarch Ou-i’s Commentary on the AMITABHA SUTRA
Translated
with Introduction by Dr. J. C. Cleary
Published by
Sutra Translation Committee of the United States and Canada, New York, 1997
Third
Edition (1998) published for free distribution by AMIDA FELLOWSHIP, Taman
Billion, Jalan Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, p. 74
22.
Ibid., p. 77
23.
Ibid., p. 15
(Introduction)
24.
Buddha Root Farm
Dharma talks
by the Venerable Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua (1918-1995)
On the Pure
Land Practice of Reciting the Buddha’s Name, August 1975
Published by
the Sino-American Buddhist Association, Buddhist Text Translation Society,
San
Francisco, California, 94103, USA February, 1976
Translator’s
Introduction by Bhikshuni Heng-yin, pp. ii-iii
25.
Ibid., p. 56
11 pages 3,773 words 05.02.2015
08:33
3,799 words 05.02.2015 10:27
3,819 words 07.02.2015 05:57 06:10
WHAT’S IN THE SACRED
NAME
<![if !supportLists]>(1)
<![endif]>Naam is the Name of
the Lord in Sikhism
Mindfulness of God, through
remembrance of the Divine Name, is a key practice in the Sikh religion.
Its spiritual significance is
articulated at the very beginning of the Guru
Granth Sahib, and reiterated again and again
throughout this Sikh Holy Book: “There is but one God, and truth is its name…”
And keeping God in mind at all
times, being ever-mindful of God through the Divine Name, is decreed as one of
the three duties (together with honest earning/living and giving/sharing/caring
for others) of a Sikh; also described as one of the three pillars of the Sikh
faith.
Sikhs believe that God is inside
every person.
Just as fragrance is in the
flower, and reflection is in the mirror, so is God within each human being.
To know God and to unite with God, is to attain mukti (spiritual liberation and enlightenment). Sikh
spirituality is centred on this need to understand
and experience God, and eventually become one with God – through God’s grace.
(1)
The fundamental practice is
contemplation, meditation, and/or recital of the Divine Name. Through Nam Japna (reciting the Divine Name), or Naam Simran (contemplation,
meditation, or recital of the Divine Name).
Although the verbal repetition of
the Name of God or a sacred syllable like Aum or Om
is an established practice in the religious traditions of India, the Sikh
founder Guru Nanak (1469-1539) emphasized inward, personal observance.
His ideal is the total exposure
of one’s being to the Divine Name and a complete conforming to the Dharma
(Righteousness) or the “Divine Order”.
Nanak described the result of the
disciplined application of nam simran as a “growing towards and into God”, which would
gradually evolve to culminate in the final union of the individual spirit with
God. (2)
Guru Ji
says in the Guru Granth
Sahib:
“….Meditating on the Naam, the Name of the Lord, I cross over the terrifying
world-ocean…”
Hardith
Singh comments: “Naam is the sign, the symbol and
song of God. It is the key to enter into the presence and the heart of God…”
(3)
To quote from the Khalsa Consensus Translation of the Guru Granth Sahib:
“Very
fortunate are those who meditate on the Lord’s Name; they alone are the
Lord’s
devotees. Whoever chants His Name is liberated; whoever listens to it is
saved, as is anyone who seeks His Sanctuary. The treasure of
the Naam, the Name
of the Lord, is everything for me… (4)
To further quote:
“When you serve the Lord, Death
cannot even see you. It comes and
falls at
the feet of those who know the Lord.
“Those whom my Lord and Master protects – a balanced wisdom comes to
their ears.
That mortal being is supreme among all people, who is
perfumed
by the fragrance
of the Lord’s Name…” (5)
In Introduction, V. Jayaram comments: “The true Guru is the Naam,
the Name of God by remembering which constantly one can achieve salvation…” (6)
God is also called the Waheguru
(the Supreme Being) …
<![if !supportLists]>(2)
<![endif]>The Dhikr in Sufism: Remembering and Becoming One with the Name
of God
The practice of dhikr
(remembrance of God/God’s Name) is a form of devotion in Islam, associated
chiefly with Sufism, in which the devotee is absorbed in the repetition of
God’s Name or His divine attributes.
The following points are made by
a well-known contemporary Sufi master and philosopher Ahmed Hulusi
of Istanbul, Turkey, in his book THE POWER
OF PRAYER Channeling Brain Waves Through Dhikr:
The name Allah is an encompassing
name; it embodies both the Absolute Essence (dhat)
and all His infinite qualities and attributes… (7)
Real belief in Allah begins after
recognizing the Oneness of Allah and certainty (yakeen)
takes place, for this is the end of imitation and the beginning of the reality
…
As for those who have reached the
reality, they are referred to as ‘mufarridoon’ or the
‘muqarriboon’; they are those who have annihilated
themselves not in the name Allah, but in the Oneness of Allah; the meaning of
‘Allah is Baqi’ has become an experiential reality
for them… (8)
They are those who have reached
the secret of the Supreme Name; they live with the consciousness of the One who
says ‘HU’ with every breath… (9)
“The greatest good Allah (God)
gives a servant (human being) is the inspiration to do His dhikr
(remembrance of God),” the Rasul/Prophet-Messenger
(saw) said. (10)
“Indeed, the dhikr
(remembrance) of Allah is Akbar (enables one to experience Akbariyyah
– Absolute Magnificence!)” – Quran
29:45 (11)
“O believers! Remember Allah
much!” – Quran 33:41 (12)
“The best of your possessions is
a tongue that engages in the dhikr of Allah, a heart
that is thankful, and a spouse who supports you in faith.” – Al-Tirmidhi
(13)
And to quote from Ahmed Hulusi again:
Dhikr
is the most beneficial thing one can do in this world… (14)
To quote from Adh-Dhikr: The Meaning of Remembrance (15):
…When the student makes the dhikr, he lives in the garden of the soul, in a high
station. As he says the name, he speaks with his God, soul to soul. It is
necessary for him to be with God all the time, not just when making adh-dhikr, but to be facing God at any time, at any place,
and to be in constant dhikr.
Everyone needs to be in
remembrance of the name continually, all his life, and to be with God always,
not just at a certain time. In this way he reaches God Who is his Master. Each
time he remembers, he remembers himself because he has returned to the source
(the world of al-azal, the world of pre-eternity
before creation, of his origin) and there is no difference between him and his
God…
This remembering is important for
him to become complete. When he is complete, he remembers himself and no other.
Because he has become one with the name, when he remembers the name of God, he
also remembers himself. He is the mirror of God, for Him to see Himself
reflected. Each remembrance cleans his mirror to reflect only the qualities of
God…
All is one when he remembers the
name. This is the meaning of adh-dhikr, the
remembrance. You are the remembrance. There is no difference between you and
Him. When a student reaches (God) and is complete, there is no difference
between him and his Lord – he is His mirror…
When you remember the name of
God, you live in the garden. There are many gardens when you reach God, but He
wants you to live in the garden of the soul, now, not tomorrow! Not after you
die, but now…
In the Quran Sura 87 (Al-Ala),
ayat 14-15: “Whoever purifies himself and remembers
the name of his Lord (God), and performs prayer, has achieved success…”
In Sufism, spiritual success is
to reach the Divine Presence of God.
The seed of remembrance is
planted in the heart, and cultivated until the tree of dhikr
bears its fruit… (16)
03.02.2015 09:32
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<![endif]>The Power
of the Name of God in Christian Faith
“ ‘The Name of
the Son of God is great and boundless, and upholds the entire universe’. So it is affirmed in The
Shepherd of Hermas, nor shall we appreciate the
role of the Jesus Prayer in Orthodox spirituality unless we feel some sense of
the power and virtue of the divine Name. If the Jesus Prayer is more creative
than other invocations, this is because it contains the Name of God,” Bishop Kallistos Ware of Diokleia has
written in his brief classic THE POWER
OF THE NAME. (17)
“The power and glory of God are present and active in his Name. The Name
of God is numen preasens, God with us, Emmanuel.
Attentively and deliberately to invoke God’s Names is to place oneself in his
presence, to open oneself to his energy, to offer oneself as an instrument and
a living sacrifice in his hands. So keen was the sense of the majesty of the
divine Name in later Judaism that the tetragrammaton
was not pronounced aloud in the worship of the synagogue: the Name of the Most
High was considered too devastating to be spoken…”
Wholehearted invocation and prayer can lead to theosis,
spiritual union with God.
To quote Bishop Kallistos Ware:
“Prayer of the heart, when and if it is granted, comes as the free gift
of God, which he bestows as he wills. It is not the inevitable effect of some
technique…
“The context of the Jesus Prayer is first of all one of faith. The
Invocation of the Name presupposes that the one who says the Prayer believes in
Jesus Christ as Son of God and Saviour. Behind the
repetition of a form of words there must exist a
living faith in the Lord Jesus – in who he is and in what he has done for me
personally…” (18)
In prayer, Bishop Kallistos Ware quotes Bishop
Theophan the Recluse (1815-94), “the principal thing
is to stand before God with the mind in the heart, and
to go on standing before Him unceasingly day and night, until the end of life…”
The Catholic Church teaches:
“To pray ‘Jesus’ is to invoke him and to call him within us. His name is
the only one that contains the presence it signifies. Jesus is the Risen One,
and whoever invokes the name of Jesus is welcoming the Son of God who loved him
and who gave himself up for him. This simple invocation of faith developed in
the tradition of prayer under many forms in East and West…
“The invocation of the holy name of Jesus is the simplest way of praying
always. When the holy name is repeated often by a humbly attentive heart, the
prayer is not lost by heaping up empty phrases, but holds fast to the word and
‘brings forth fruit with patience.’ This prayer is possible ‘at all times’
because it is not one occupation among others but the only occupation: that of
loving God, which animates and transfigures every action in Christ Jesus…” (19)
03-04.02.2015
01:59
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<![endif]>Japa Yoga in Hindu
Practice: Repetition of God’s Name
“…In its early stages
the repetition of the name of God is only an exercise in
concentration
and meditation, but with continued practice a stage is reached in which the
repetition proceeds effortlessly, automatically and continuously.
“This stage is not
reached by concentration alone but only by completely surrendering to the deity
whose name is being repeated: ‘To use the name of God one must call upon Him
with yearning and unreservedly surrender oneself to Him. Only
after such surrender is the name of God
constantly with the man’. ..
“This ultimate stage is only reached after the practice of Japa (repetition of God’s Name) merges into the practice of
self-attention. Sri Ramana Maharshi
(1879-1950) usually illustrated the necessity of this transition by quoting
from the words of Namdev, a fourteenth century
Maharashtra saint: ‘The all-pervading nature of the Name can only be understood
when one recognizes one’s own ‘I’. When one’s own name is not recognized, it is
impossible to get the all-pervading Name’”, David Godman
writes in Preamble to Japa (Repetition of God’s name) by Sri Ramana Maharshi, a distinguished
Hindu guru of the 20th century. (20)
To quote Sri Ramana Maharshi:
“…When the Japa becomes continuous, all other
thoughts cease and one is in one’s real nature, which is Japa
or Dhyana (meditation or contemplation)…
“Japa or Dhyana will
naturally and as a matter of course lead to it (Self-awareness, one’s own “I”).
What is now regarded as the means, Japa, will then be
found to be the goal. Name and God are not different. This is clearly shown in
the teachings of Namdev.
<![if !supportLists]>1. <![endif]>The
Name permeates densely the sky and the lowest regions and the entire universe.
Who can tell to what depths in the nether
regions and to what height in the heavens it extends. The ignorant undergo the
84 lakhs (8.4 million) of species of births, not knowing the essence of things.
Namdev says the Name is immortal. Forms are
innumerable, but the Name is all that.
<![if !supportLists]>2. <![endif]>The
Name itself is Form. There is no distinction between Name and Form. God became
manifest and assumed Name and Form. Hence the Name the Vedas (Hinduism’s as
well as the world’s earliest scriptures) established.
Those who say otherwise are ignorant. Namdev says the Name is Keshava
(God) Himself. This is known only to the loving devotees of the Lord.
<![if !supportLists]>3. <![endif]>The
all-pervading nature of the Name can only be understood when one recognizes
one’s own ‘I’. When one’s own name (intrinsic identity) is not recognized, it
is impossible to get the all-pervading Name.
When one knows oneself, then one finds the Name
everywhere. To see the Name as
different from the Named creates illusion. Namdev says, ‘Ask the Saints’…”
To further quote Sri Ramana Maharshi:
“Since you yourself are the form of the Japa,
if you know your own nature by
enquiring who you are, what a wonder it will
be!
“The Japan which was previously going on with effort will then continue
untiringly
and effortlessly in the Heart…”
Other points of Dharma taught by Sri Ramana Maharshi:
Japa must be done until it becomes natural.
It starts with effort and is continued until it proceeds of itself.
When natural it is called realisation.
Realisation is our nature.
It is nothing new to be gained. What is new cannot be eternal.
Therefore there is no need for doubting whether one could lose or gain
the Self.
Japa is our real nature.
When we realize the Self then japa goes on
without effort.
What is the means at one stage becomes the goal at another.
When effortless constant japa goes on, it is
realization.
The japa becomes mental and finally reveals
itself as the Self (absolute consciousness,
in Self-realisation)!
That is Samadhi…
The real Self, the real “I” is all-inclusive awareness, always present,
eternal,
one indivisible reality…
To Sri Ramana Maharshi,
Self-realisation is permanent and continuous
Self-awareness…
2,957 words 04.02.2015 04:30
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<![endif]>Amitabha, Infinite
Light and Infinite Life
In Pure Land Buddhism, Amitabha Buddha is the Buddha of Infinite Light
and Infinite Life.
“Infinite light extends through
space in all directions; infinite light extends through time and reaches past,
present, and future. The dimensions of space and time interpenetrating are the body
of the universe. This body as a whole is the body and land of Amitabha, and
this body as a whole is the Name of Amitabha,” Master Ou-i
(1599-1655) comments. (21)
“Thus, Amitabha
is the inherently enlightened True
Nature (Buddha Nature) of sentient beings, and reciting the Name of Amitabha reveals
this Enlightenment.
Inherent Enlightenment (Buddha
Nature) and the Enlightenment as it is revealed through cultivation and
realization are fundamentally not two different things, just as sentient beings
and Buddhas are not two different things. Thus, if we
are in accord with our inherently enlightened true nature for a moment, we are Buddhas for a moment, and if we are in accord with our
inherently enlightened true nature moment after moment, we are Buddhas moment after moment…”
Master Ou-i
then explains that Amitabha Buddha penetrates to the infinite
essence of the true nature of enlightened mind which is the infinite light of
awareness, always shining, and ever still; so His Light is Infinite, so also is
His Life-span Infinite.
Master Ou-i
reminds us: “We must realize that there is no Name of Amitabha
apart from the mind of infinite light and infinite life that is before us now
at this moment, and there is no way for us to penetrate to the mind of infinite
light and infinite life
that is
before us now at this moment apart from the Name of Amitabha…”
(22)
Infinite Light encompasses
Omniscient Wisdom, Infinite Life embodies Great Compassion. Thus, the Name of Amitabha is the master key to the mind of infinite light
and infinite life, the essence of Buddhahood.
“In Pure Land practice, invoking
the Name of Amitabha is a means to get in touch
with the power of Amitabha Himself. Our own feeble powers may be insufficient
to bring us to the Other Shore (Nirvana/Liberation/Enlightenment), but Amitabha has provided us an access point through which we
can reach His power and be protected by the power of all the Buddhas,” American scholar and translator Dr. J. C. Cleary
writes. (23)
“From a far off point in time and space, Amitabha
offers the invocation of His Name as a doorway to the infinite, inviting us to
come through and share in the infinite life of the Buddhas…”
The infinite life and blessings of the ultimate
spiritual liberation and the supreme, perfect enlightenment of Buddhahood.
“… One of the simplest yet most subtle methods of cultivation is that of
Buddha Recitation (Buddha Remembrance/Reciting the Buddha’s Name),” Buddhist
lecturer Bhikshuni Heng-yin
writes. (24)
“Singleminded concentration on the Buddha of
Infinite Light (and Infinite Life) can melt away karmic obstacles that would
fill the entirety of empty space and lead one directly back to the source of
light within us…”
To the compassionate and omniscient light of our
inherently enlightened nature, Buddha Nature; to the Infinite Light and Nirvana
of Buddhahood.
On the Saturday evening of 23 August 1975, the Venerable Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua taught
his American disciples and students at the Buddha Root Farm on the Smith River
near Reedsport, Oregon in the US:
“…Amitabha Buddha is number one. This is because
of the power of His vows.
“This power is so great that when you recite “Na Mwo E Mi Two Fwo (Namo Amitabha Buddha, Homage
to Amitabha Buddha)”, you can very quickly
realize Buddhahood.
“To become a Buddha, all you need to do is
recite the Buddha’s Name…” (25)
NAMO AMITABHA BUDDHA
11 pages 3,699 words 05.02.2015 08:19
Mahasthama Mindfulness Center
25 Selasar Rokam 40
Taman Ipoh Jaya
31350 Ipoh Perak
Malaysia
Telephone: 05:3134941
Notes
<![if !supportLists]>1.
<![endif]>bbc.co.uk
sikhiwiki.org
Founded over
500 years ago, Sikhism practices and teaches devotion and remembrance of God at
all times, truthful living, equality of all humankind, social justice, and
living an exemplary and virtuous life so that one may be able to merge with
God.
There are
about 27 million Sikhs in the world, followers of the Sikh religion and way of
life. They are the followers of God who follow the teachings of the Ten Sikh
Gurus -- from its founder Guru Nanak (who was born in 1469 and founded the
faith in 1499) to Guru Gobind Singh (who breathed his
last in 1708). Their teachings ae enshrined in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Holy Book
and Living Guru.
There is
only one God (Ik Onkar), as
stated at the beginning of the Sikh Holy Book, the same God for all people of
all religions. Sikhs.org 2011
Simran Jeet
Singh has written and posted 18 November 2014 (faithstreet.com): “Sikhs aim to recognize the divinity within
everyone and everything they encounter, and this daily practice helps the
individual cultivate and embody the qualities of (universal) oneness and love…”
<![if !supportLists]>2.
<![endif]>wikipedia.org
<![if !supportLists]>3.
<![endif]>sikhs.org
2011
<![if !supportLists]>4.
<![endif]>hinduwebsite.com 23 Raag Nat Naaraayan
<![if !supportLists]>5.
<![endif]>hinduwebsite.com 33 Raag Kalyaan
<![if !supportLists]>6.
<![endif]>hinduwebsite.com
716 words 02.02.2015 10:45
THE POWER OF PRAYER Channeling Brain
Waves Through Dhikar
By
AHMED HULUSI
Translated
by Aliya Atalay
Transliteration
by Kashad Ali
p.
204
Born
on 21 January 1945 in Istanbul, Turkey, Ahmed Hulusi
has written about 30 books since 1965, the last mentioned work in 2009 Decoding the Quran.
<![if !supportLists]>8.
<![endif]>THE POWER OF PRAYER, p. 204
<![if !supportLists]>9.
<![endif]>Ibid., p. 204
<![if !supportLists]>10.
<![endif]>Ibid., p. 41
<![if !supportLists]>11.
<![endif]>Ibid., p. 40
<![if !supportLists]>12.
<![endif]>Ibid., p. 39
<![if !supportLists]>13.
<![endif]>Ibid., p. 40
<![if !supportLists]>14.
<![endif]>Ibid., p. 38
<![if !supportLists]>15.
<![endif]>suficenter.org
1,411 words 03.02.2015 09:27
<![if !supportLists]>16.
<![endif]>awwal.org
basirat.ca
wikipedia.org
1,488 words03.02.2015 09:55
<![if !supportLists]>17.
<![endif]>orthodoxprayer.org
oodegr.co from trinitylight.net/theology/name.htm
Article
published in English on 1 August 2005.
The Shepherd of Hermas is a Christian literary work of the 2nd
century, valued by many Christians, and considered canonical scripture by some
early Church fathers such as Irenaeus.
Born Timothy Ware on 11 September 1934 in Bath, Somerset, England, Kallistos was ordained Bishop
of Diokleia in 1982.
Author of numerous books and articles on Orthodox Christian faith, Bishop
Kallistos Ware is one of the best-known
contemporary Eastern Orthodox theologians. wikipedia.org
<![if !supportLists]>18.
<![endif]>Prayer of the
Heart or “Jesus Prayer” is a short, formulaic prayer esteemed and advocated
within the Eastern Orthodox & Oriental Orthodox Churches:
“Lord
Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner.”
St.
Theophan the Recluse (1815-94) regarded the Jesus
Prayer stronger than all other prayers by virtue of the Holy Name of Jesus.
<![if !supportLists]>19.
<![endif]>wikipedia.org
Jesus Prayer (Prayer of the Heart) last modified 30 December 2014 08:45
Part
Four of Catechism of the Catholic Church
paragraphs 2665-2669 on prayer to Jesus.
2,118 words 03-04.02.2015 01:02
<![if !supportLists]>20.
<![endif]>hinduism.co.za
David Godman edited the highly insightful book by Sri Ramana Maharshi (30 December
1879- 14 April 1950), one of the outstanding Hindu gurus of modern times.
Born in Tiruchuli, Tamil Nadu, South India, he awakened at the age
of 16 on 17 July 1896 after experiencing and overcoming a sudden violent fear
of death. “…Fear of death vanished once and for all,” he narrated. “The ego was
lost in the flood of Self-awareness…”
The guru was
described and extolled as “one of the most loved and respected of all” (holy
men) in an article in the New York Times, 16 April 1950.
Namdev (c.1270—c.1350) was
an eminent poet-saint, specially
significant to the Verkari sect of Hinduism, and also
venerated as a holy man (bhagat) by Sikhs.
2,961 words 04.02.2015 04:33
Samadhi is single-minded/one-pointed
concentration/mindfulness/contemplation, unified consciousness
and spiritual union with the Self/Supreme
Lord/God.
To Sri Ramana Maharshi,
with its mastery samadhi becomes effortless, natural,
spontaneous and
continuous, culminating in the extinction of
the ego, liberation, Self-Realisation. wikipedia.org
Sri Muruganar
has described his own experience of sahaja samadhi, after receiving a glance from Sri
Ramana Maharshi, as
merging “into the Infinite Light of Divine Wisdom” – “the Light of the Self”…
albigen.com
3,042 words 05.02.2015 06:57
<![if !supportLists]>21.
<![endif]>Mind-Seal of THE BUDDHAS
Patriarch Ou-i’s Commentary
on the AMITABHA SUTRA
Translated
with Introduction by Dr. J. C. Cleary
Published by
Sutra Translation Committee of the United States and Canada, New York, 1997
Third
Edition (1998) published for free distribution by AMIDA FELLOWSHIP, Taman
Billion, Jalan Cheras,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, p. 74
<![if !supportLists]>22.
<![endif]>Ibid., p. 77
<![if !supportLists]>23.
<![endif]>Ibid., p. 15
(Introduction)
<![if !supportLists]>24.
<![endif]>Buddha Root Farm
Dharma talks
by the Venerable Tripitaka Master Hsuan
Hua (1918-1995)
On the Pure
Land Practice of Reciting the Buddha’s Name, August 1975
Published by
the Sino-American Buddhist Association, Buddhist Text Translation Society,
San
Francisco, California, 94103, USA February, 1976
Translator’s
Introduction by Bhikshuni Heng-yin,
pp. ii-iii
<![if !supportLists]>25.
<![endif]>Ibid., p. 56
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08:33
3,799 words 05.02.2015 10:27
3,819 words 07.02.2015 05:57 06:10
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