The story of Mount Soma reads like science fiction. Yet every word is true. The two most common questions visitors ask me are: “What motivated you to build Mt Soma?” and “What is this place?”. Here we touch upon many of the highlights—the challenges, the wonders, and the future. This is only the beginning! You are invited to be part of it!
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From politics to personal relationships, the winds of karma churn, twist and knot the tree of life. Yet an ancient technology can unravel the turmoil for the nation. At Mount Soma we are developing that technology. The challenges are great but we remain steadfast.
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The paradigm with which a person is identified is like a rubberband. With new insights, the paradigm can be stretched, and though the stretching may feel very good, the rubberband-like identity springs right back to where it was. Through the years it has astounded me to witness how adamant people are about their paradigm identities. So many times people have come up to me, after one of my lectures thrilled them, to say they have been looking for those teachings their whole life and that they would never miss another lecture or class. Then they walk out the lecture hall door, snap back into their old paradigm identity, never to be seen again!
Maharishi Patanjali said it so well: The Chit (storehouse of impressions) is as if etched in stone. The resultant paradigm is fixed and inflexible. Yet as one evolves, one becomes more flexible and can align with the paradigm that best serves the moment. To truly embrace the Ancient Secrets of the Masters is to become flexible—to easily embrace other paradigms.
Ancient paradigms involved the principle of mapping in very profound ways. Havans and pPujas are based upon the principle. Ancient technologies apply the principle. Mount Soma is built upon the mapping principle of how a city/community can be constructed in a manner to map onto the country. To heal the country is to build and operate that community.
It has been remarkable to experience how powerful that technology, the mapping, is. To build Mount Soma, we followed the ancient vastu guidelines and anyone at Mount Soma who follows the news can see how powerful that connection is. As Mount Soma flourishes, the country will flourish. This is what the ancients taught and it is what we are in the process of accomplishing.
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It is so very uplifting and beautiful when the temple is filled with people chanting. It permeates the temple and cultures the heart with an exquisite feeling of sublime spirituality and devotion to God. It is nice that some of the Mount Soma residents have been exploring and enjoying chanting. Like many things, whether or not one chooses to chant is certainly a personal choice, but if done wisely it can be beneficial. Like everything, it boils down to ‘healthy relationship with’. I recently discussed chanting with Pandit Prasad and we offer the following:
The healing benefits of chanting can be particularly enjoyed if there are psychological, energetic, or emotional blocks. Clearing such blocks through chanting can, of course, be highly beneficial and open the physiology and energy system with numerous benefits possible. Some find such benefits through other pathways… for example, dance, singing, various forms of yoga or healing, personal relationships, etc.
When people are meditating regularly for a long period of time, impurities can get stirred up as they clear out of the physiology. Things like chanting, exercise, etc. can help clear them and the resultant experiences can then be quite desirable, even dramatic. Of course, that is an individual matter. Some will take to and derive benefit from one thing. Others will take to another based upon physiological needs and personal affinities.
At times, the result of adding exercise, chanting, or diet change can be truly dramatic. We just need to keep them in the context of the nature and structure of life and existence, such as we have discussed in the school. In our enthusiasm, when we start a new practice, it is best to not go overboard. Of course, such enthusiasm is understandable, though it is always best when we come back into balance.
As with all new practices, there are certain guidelines we do well to note:
Chanting for some can result in excess emotional indulgence which can turn a person into what is often called a “bliss ninny.” Then they begin to judge another person’s level of enlightenment based upon “bliss ninny” standards. This is common in many religions and social groups. Those who behave in a certain manner are considered more ‘spiritually evolved.’ Of course, we know that another person’s level of consciousness cannot be judged based upon the surface or upon our own personal affinities.
When the heart is overly enlivened (as described in Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine), it can distort perception. When blocks are cleared and emotions are excessively indulged, people can blur emotions with enlightenment. That can become an obstacle to true spiritual growth. Getting emotional about union with God can be confused with deeper union which transcends emotions. In such a case, chanting (like other things) can become a distraction that pulls people away from a deeper spiritual path. Discernment can be compromised.
We also do well to remember the elevator analogy: when you have been meditating and evolving rapidly, it is like climbing high in an elevator. If you take a moment to look at the view from that height, it is spectacular. So the inclination can be to stay with that level, be distracted by it, and hesitate to go back to what got you to that level in the first place. As a result, you can cease to continue climbing in the elevator to even higher levels.
It is as if for many years we have been cultivating a beautiful garden with fruit trees, etc. Then, if we pick a fruit and enjoy it, we may think it is the fruit that gave the gift. Actually, of course, the real gift is the cultivation that bore the fruit, not the picking of the fruit. Years of meditation and study make many fruits available, and the physiology of meditators becomes like ripe fruit. Various practices you then employ can pick the wonderful fruits we have been cultivating.
Excess chanting can even create a hypnotic state of euphoria. For that reason, some temples in India do not allow certain groups of people following such a path to even enter the temple. As stated earlier, those hypnotic states can lead a person to believe they are getting enlightened, when actually they are being misled. After spending time in India, many people become acutely aware of all sorts of practices done in the name of spiritual growth, that are more truly forms of mind manipulation. They could be forms of chanting, healing, or various spiritual practices. That is why I like to recommend: “Safety first!”
Bottom line: Like everything else, it is a matter of ‘relationship with’. Better to have a good relationship with a bad thing (i.e., staying away from it), than a bad relationship with a good thing (for example, excessive indulgence in it or emphasis upon it).
Remember that the deepest level of Bhakti transcends emotions. Bhakti is rooted in the transcendental depth of your being. Personally, I most cherish the experience of Bhakti I enjoy in deep meditation. However, I also love listening to, and being swept away by, the feeling evoked when the visitors chant at temple gatherings. When Pandits gather and chant together, it is exquisite.
So, if you enjoy chanting, do so wisely and be sure the Mantras you use, and the amount and ways you use them is done properly. If you are at Mount Soma, it is wise to take advantage of the opportunityto have it monitored. Panditji and I are asking that you allow us to do so. If you would like to chant, please let us know what you would like to do, so Panditji and I can confer with one another and offer our assistance. Then, with our blessings, if you like chanting and feel you are getting benefit from it, ENJOY!
Here at Mount Soma, both planets Venus (Shukra) and Jupiter (Guru) were visible last night (Sunday night, Nov. 24, 2019). Please read the “Jupiter and Venus Opportunity” blog for the details. A number of people looked and made their personal wishes and wishes for Mount Soma, as did I.
Together we are all doing something truly great. Through the ancient Vedic technology of consciousness we employ the principle of mapping to heal the planet. As we sweep clean the house, we do not mind if some dust is stirred. We remain undaunted. We keep going forward, forward, always forward. Steady hand on the rudder!
Tonight, Monday night, there will be one last opportunity to see Jupiter and Venus in this rare configuration again. Weather permitting visibility, I will be again watching and making my wishes.
Aboard the plane returning home from California class, I sit with the fine feelings of love and kindness that filled me over the past several days. From the moment I arrived at the SF airport on Wednesday, and throughout my visit, the nurturing support fed my soul. As I look back upon the past 25 years of the school, the major theme of the classes seemed to be the exquisite knowledge we have been given. Though the knowledge was certainly there this class, for me the theme of this visit was the kindness and love we all shared, starting the day I arrived early to enjoy the city with some of you, extending throughout the days of class, and continuing with another visit to the city on Sunday. I am renewed by the waves of love and support you gave through your presence—now received again aboard the plane as I read your kind emails, texts, and cards.
The task of bringing forth the teachings I was able to offer all these years was certainly not without its challenges, heartache, struggles, and opposition. The unavoidable realities of the mechanics of the process were a good portion of the class topics this past weekend as we all sat together and allowed ourselves to be with whatever was… reflectiveness, knowledge, fatigue, communion, commitment, and love. This class was a deeply emotional experience for me and, I believe, for all who attended. The children there, as well, were such a precious part of my week.
Taking now a year to reflect will provide the space needed to continue moving our long term plans forward, forward, always forward. A most warm and heartfelt “thank you” to all who attended the class. Your loving support nourishes my soul and will never be forgotten.
Please note that our blog notification system has been down for a few weeks; thus the delay in this post.
During this autumn’s Nine Days of Mother Divine, we had the annual 6 hour Durga Havan. It is such a tremendous Havan. The power builds and builds. By the end, the Shakti is incredibly palpable. All the people are so wonderful. It is such a feeling of family, friendship, and community. I feel so honored to be a part of it. My humble gratitude to each and every one of you.
A few days before, I mentioned to Panditji that I would be buying a pumpkin because, as he has said, this is the time of year to put a pumpkin on the front porch as it will dispel any negative energies from the home and residents. He told me to bring it to the Havan so it would be blessed and become powerful. One thing led to the next and MB ended up donating 10 pumpkins to the Havan for others who would like to also have one. Panditji said that all the power of the Havan would be there in the pumpkins to protect the homes where they were placed. Based upon the wise response, one thing is for sure: next year, we are going to need more pumpkins!
Thanks to Mary for submitting the following link in response to the Toothpaste, Diatoms, and World Peace blog. Evidently, a bacterium that consumes plastics in the ocean is already in the works! Next will be mercury and air pollution. Rather ironic, isn’t it, that bacteria and viruses may go a long way in the healing of our planet.
The past number of years have been particularly challenging. When SK, our temple Sthapati from South India, recently visited Mount Soma, he came to my home. There, he saw that the Vastu fence was not correct. I am chalking the error up to lack of proper communication with another Vastu expert who designed the fence.
Generally, in private homes, the Vastu is not so critical and is rather forgiving. In fact, in most non-Vastu homes, there is just not much energy in the structure and therefore, not much influence. A Vastu home harnesses and enlivens the energy. Yet, in most Vastu homes, there is a good deal of flexibility because the energy is not extreme. However, Mount Soma harnesses the wholeness value of the entire community… Temple and all. As a result, the power of the Vastu is profound. That is why so many people comment on the tremendous uplifting feeling they experience when visiting Mount Soma.
Because I am the founder and head of the community, my home is the Guru Shala, and is positioned in the southwest corner of Mount Soma. For that reason, the Guru Shala home was designed with great precision. SK reviewed the design of my home after his recent visit and verified that it was correct.
The southwest corner is where negativity (the Rakshasa value) enters, and the Guru Shala is designed to protect the community from all that negativity. Mount Soma is powerful, and as I have said in the past, if you run off the road, it is better to do so in a child’s toy wagon rather than a speeding sports car. SK pointed out that because the fence around my home was not designed properly, all the Karma/negativity poured in upon me. He said that as it was, that karmic influence brought “endless tears.”
It was all baffling until SK explained the situation with the Vastu. The new fence should be completed soon and everything should get better. Our thanks to SK, and his wife Krithika, for their heartfelt commitment to Mount Soma and all the time they spent reviewing the design of not only my home, but all of Mount Soma.
