Last week we began our book study of The Mantram Handbook. Systematically reading a whole volume from Easwaran is a great habit, and we’re pleased to be practicing it together.
This week let’s read from page 18 to the top of page 22, where Easwaran illustrates the power of the mantram using his personal experience with it. He writes, “Many years ago, after I took to meditation, I started treasuring every moment that I could repeat the mantram.” What a desirable state of affairs!
He describes how his whole frame of reference changed, and all his worldly success ceased to satisfy. “The ground shifted under my feet, and I turned inward,” Easwaran relates. “It was then that I began to repeat the mantram in earnest, using it everywhere during the day and at night.”
Together, let’s take another step this week to follow our teacher’s vivid example and kindle this earnest desire to repeat the mantram so long and so often that it will become established in our consciousness.
Is there some tip from Easwaran in this reading that you tend to skim over because you have already heard it many times before? Try focusing on it this week.
We are taking this book study as an opportunity to deepen our practice of the mantram. This week have the goal to begin repeating the mantram as soon as you wake up in the morning. Devise a strategy for making this happen, and devise a way to check to see if this is happening.
If you don’t yet have the book The Mantram Handbook available, make sure you get it so you can join for the rest of the book study. You may want to order from an online retailer that offers expedited shipping. (If you’d like to buy a copy in our BMCM online store you can use the coupon code manymantrams to receive a 40% discount, however, shipping may take 2-3 weeks for delivery. Please note that the BMCM discount on books is not available from online retailers.)
For our spiritual bonus this week, here is Easwaran reading the passage “Cross the River Bravely” from the Dhammapada.