Words Beginning With... Z

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zaiNt> zaiNt> zaiNt>

OM… ShaantiH-shaantiH-shaantiH

Aatman… peace, peace, peace

The three repetitions of peace are to be concentrated on separately as "may there be peace in our bodies/speech/mind as we reach for Aatman." The 'sh' here is one of three 'ess' sounds in Sanskrit, each a little harder than the other. This is the 'hardest' being pronounced with the tongue full on the back of the teeth and held a little flat. Think 'zebra'. That's the closest and is why this is appearing here.

This is chanted at the end of prayers, at the end of puja worship, as a prayer in its own right and as a blessing to others. It is a fitting close to the A-Z month.

The challenge held within these thirty days was, for me, to present a flow of deep and meaningfuls, a place to ponder in a more considered way. 

In this closing stage, I feel it important to impress upon the reader that, whilst there are rites and vigils and other such things associated with religious activity, Advaita itself is precisely what it purports to be and is not a religion per se. It is a tool for assessment and practice by which we can see our condition and do something to improve it. One of the great joys for me in taking it on to advanced levels is that it allowed me to return to Biblical scriptures with a fresh and critical eye and gain so much more than I ever believed possible. Advaita belongs to no institution and can be freely applied by all. There are advocates for Advaita Vedanta in the faiths of Judaism, Islam and Christianity. None lose by its study. There is only gain.

We all have within us the potential for a 'Damascan' experience. Whether we are ready for that or not depends upon our karma, our praarabdha and our guna. If we do have such an experience, it is almost impossible to convey the sense of the profound and Divine. As I commented on another lady's blog in response to her 'Damascan' reveal; "When we receive revelation, much of the world is too ready to be scared and condemn. We who are listening will always find the path to Him which suits us best. For some, that may be Catholicism, for others Methodism, or Mormonism; but equally those of Islam and Sanatana Dharma. What is important is to always be listening to that Higher which we call God. Problems arise when there are claims of “only” and “my”… All faiths practiced well are joyous and freeing to the spirit, and the participants condemn no other."

Thank you all for sharing this month of letters with me. Love and Blessings,