A Passage For October

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Here at the YA Blog Team, we are always so pleased to hear about your favorite passages, how the passages impact you, and how you memorize passages. We've loved hearing from our YA audience, and are also grateful for the not-so-Y-A's who've written in their thoughts – it's almost as if we were all able to be together in the same room!

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Though we've talked mostly about passages strictly in the context of passage meditation, this week we wanted to consider the passages as they apply to all of the eight points (passage meditation, repetition of a mantram, slowing down, one-pointed attention, training the senses, putting others first, spiritual fellowship, spiritual reading). In the midst of our busy YA lives, we need all the help we can get, so we've been thinking. . . how might we use a passage to support our practice of all of the eight points, not just meditation?

This month we invite you to study, memorize, and meditate on the passage "The Power of the Holy Name" by Meera, copied out below. We chose this passage because we've found it useful in building our use of the mantram (check out Easwaran's recommended mantrams, and Sarah's post about using the mantram). Even though the passage specifically references the mantram "Rama", we think meditating on this passage can build our relationship with our own mantram (even if it's not "Rama").

In the comments below we'd love to hear from all of you: 

  1. Which passages do you use when you're looking to strengthen your practice of one of the eight points?
  2. If you meditate on this passage, how might this support your use of the mantram? 

Finally, make sure you check out Derek's mantram art in his recent post, maybe it will inspire you to try some mantram art of your own!

 

The Power of the Holy Name - Meera

If you want to know the power of the holy name of Rama, spend your time with lovers of God. 

To repeat the name constantly may be hard and bitter at first, but don't stop until it becomes sweet like the luscious mango to the taste. 

When the time comes for the body to be shed, the name of Rama will take you safely through death's door. So keep singing Rama, Rama  in your mind, and the Lord of Love will take you safely from this shore of death to immortality.