Malas – Mayiyamala Meditation
Malas are stains and impurities over our hearts, minds and bodies that limit our lives to being defined by our feelings, thoughts and actions.
Anavamala is the stain over our heart that keeps us defined by “I am my feelings”
Mayiyamala – Connected to the Mind. “I know”, thoughts, mind. Like the saying “I think, therefore I am” however who are you when you’re not thinking? Do you exist? This stain or impurity over the mind distorts the perception of difference oneself and other, oneself and the Divine, oneself and Pure Consciousness. It is said to be knowledge that is impure or distorted through a stain of thoughts that lead to prejudice as there is a perception of separateness or inability to see unity. This encourages thought that draw us into compare and despair, perception of abandonment, being disconnected and alone as an individual being amongst others and source.
There is a lot of being conditioned to think by our families, culture and religion. Humans are programmed to be tribal to survive. This gives rise to racism, sexism, classism, ageism and other ways we perceive difference and feel threatened by it.
There is an analogy of a continent with many mountains, most of these mountains are under water, however a few pop out and above the water, the peaks are perceived as islands. If you never looked below the surface of the water you would never think they would be connected. Mayiyamala is a bit like this. We think everyone is different, unrelated or independent of each other. We point the finger and judge others, feeling envy, jealousy and anger. However, as the saying goes when you point a finger, there are always three fingers pointing back at you. This ability to take ones own inventory, to self-reflect and see themselves in other’s shoes, that we are no better or different under the circumstances. The saying that we are Spiritual Beings having a Human experience and that we are Human Beings having a Spiritual experience. Our practice is to analyse our thoughts, beliefs and judgements. Am I my thoughts? What am I? How do I define myself? Label myself? How is my investment in my own island keeping me separate from others? Do I think my island is better or less than the others that are around me? Can I see fundamentally all individual islands are the same, as you look at what everything is built on and underneath we all are interconnected. Who are you when you are not trying to be somebody?
When we practice, we connect to something vast, something beyond what we were culturally conditioned to value. There comes a time where your soul is done with the phase of contracting and reducing yourself to “I am my thoughts” and begins to turn inward towards your own expansion beyond your fleeting thoughts and mind stuff. We have an awakening, a clearing to see more into the reality of all things. Saktipata descent of Power or Grace that wakes us up from our bondage of feeling, thoughts and actions. A sudden awakening is said to be experience either as bathing in the light of compassionate love as waves of bliss surging in the body or of an energy shooting up to the spine and exploding in the head as unsurpassed joy. Purnata is a Sanskrit word for the state of all-encompassing fullness, oneness and wholeness of being. The lens becomes transparent and the awakening clears the path towards total integration with the Divine reality. This is not enlightenment, however the beginning of the journey. It is meant to inspire you to continue to practice, to allow your thoughts to arise however not misidentify them as you. By clearly seeing this truth of not just who you think you are, but to see what you truly are, what you have always been and what you will always be…consciousness embodied as you. This clear mind accompanies you to all your roles, duties and responsibilities KNOWING that you and others are connected to the Divine as an expression in human form.
The purpose of Sadhana, our practice, is to remove the stain of Mayiyamala this limited identity to our mind’s thoughts that obscure the light of your own being, soul, essence. As a result of your practice, your THOUGHTS clearly see the truth deep within you in which you can rely on and trust. You as a seeker see through a clear lens and KNOW a deeper purpose to your lived experience.
