The silence is between the words

05. Satsang Cafe - General Discussions on AYP
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Hi everyone,

I have used the third mantra enhancement for almost 10 years, since after the 2017 teacher training, and for a while now I didn’t think much about the mantra itself, I also achieved to refine the mantra over the years and that was really a surprise, I wasn’t sure I could do it. And since I have taken AYP I had great results in all aspects of my life. I am really grateful for that.

So recently I got hold of the audio book “Advanced Yoga Practice, The AYP Plus Lessons” that is 100 hours of Yogani reading all the lessons plus the additions, I downloaded it to my phone and listen to it while I go on walks. I was surprised to hear about the solar centering enhancement, somehow I missed it for all those years.

So I decided to give it a try, that would be the first change to my practice in years. I started a few days ago and very soon questions arised but not about the solar enhancement.

During DM I became aware of the words of the mantra, something that almost never happens, not the significance of the words but the separation of the words. Let me explain.

Where is the inner silence cultivated?

Is it between the mantra?

Sri Om, Sri Om, silence, I Am, I Am, silence, Namah, Namah, silence, repeat, or

Between the individual words?

Sri Om, silence, Sri Om, silence, I Am, silence, I Am, silence, Namah, silence, Namah, silence, repeat, or

Between the whole mantra?

Sri Om, Sri Om, I Am, I Am, Namah, Namah, silence, repeat.

I have the feeling that it can be a mix of all that, whenever the silence occurs that’s where it is!!

What is your experience with this? Is there a specific way to do this?

Thanks

alain

Note: I post this knowing full well that as usual the answer will come to me the moment I press the send button!!! :joy:

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Hi Alain,

I hope the answer came to you as soon as you pressed that button! :slightly_smiling_face:

When using the mantra, just start it off and then let it go as it will. There is no need to give it another thought. If you do find yourself wondering where the silence will come from, just notice you are off in thoughts and easily come back to the mantra, again letting it go as it will.

Silence is not necessarily silence without mantra, although it could be. But, it can also be silence with mantra. In fact it can be silence with mantra and thoughts. The mantra, and thoughts, are very small things in a very large mind. And the mind is 99% silent. It is just that we do not usually notice it. It is like the silence in a forest. We may be sitting in a forest and notice the sound of a bird singing, or the river running past, or the wind in the trees. We are naturally drawn towards the sounds because we are used to noticing these things. But actually the forest is 99% silent all the time. The mind is like this. We notice the mantra and thoughts when they arise, but we do not notice the 99% of the mind that is always silent.

When the mind begins to become settled, still, calm, and equanimous, that is when we start to notice the 99% of the mind that is always silent and never moving. And the really trippy part is that we then start to notice that the mantra, and all thoughts, arise from this ocean of silence, dissolve back into it, and are always it, even when they appear as a sound vibration. They are never truly separate from the ocean of silence in the mind, just as a wave is never truly separate from the ocean. A wave is just the ocean in motion. In the same way, a thought, including a mantra, is just silence moving.

There are many ways in which silence can come. But it usually comes when it is not expected, or desired. It usually comes when the mind is peaceful and free from attachments, and aversions.

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Thanks Tristan,

The answer that came to me was: I just added a new twist to my practice, so there is extra purification going on causing me to overthink a simple symptom, and I should hope that I didn’t waste people’s time with that question. But in fact you provided a really nice spiritual and practical response to my questions. It is unquestionable that all is filled with silence and missing that fact is what we do best. I’ll carry on with your advice and I’ll be looking forward to progress spiritually and refine the solar centering enhancement.

Thanks for taking the time to reply, it’s much appreciated.

I’m just a small wave in a big ocean.

Cheers mate!

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