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The Universal Mantra:
Ba’ba Na’m Keva’lam
August 31, 2005
| by True Alisandre |
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I
first was exposed to the universal mantra: Ba’ba Na’m Kevalam
back in my 20’s in the year 1970. The kirtan dance along with
chanting the Ba'ba Na'm Keva'lam mantra is what really awakened
my devotional sentiment!
It was at a time in my life when I was awakening socially, and
becoming very active in the burgeoning ecological movement. I
was living in an enviromental community which several friends
and I had formed to recycle materials, and educate the public
about the overdevelopment in South Dade County, Florida. We
called the organization which funded this center: Ecology Action
of Florida, and many people with lots of interests gathered
there from candle makers to vegetarians, and a few times a
couple LFT’s (Local Full Timers) with the yoga organization:
Ananda Marga Yoga Society, dropped by.
One day, Rama & Sita, as these two angelic beings were called,
told members of the community that a yogi was coming to the
University of Miami to give a lecture on meditation. Well, all
of us were very curious, and we piled into our vehicles, and off
we went to hear the yogi. His name was: Acarya Yatiishvarananda
Avaduta, and his accent at the time was so pronounced that I
understood only a few words, yet he was light-hearted & funny,
and this intrigued me; spirituality with humor – a novel idea.
It so happened that my best friend, and “drugging buddy” Chris
also went, and after the lecture, he and I along with 75 or so
others were standing in line waiting for ‘initiation into this
Tantric meditation system.’ Well, after 5 hours solid of
initiations, Dadajii (as the acaryas are affectionately called),
was worn out, and stated he would return, and that those
sincerely interested were to use the universal mantra in the
meantime.
He must’ve known I would be one of those needing and wanting
this meditation instruction, for Chris was more than willing to
coach me in the use of the mantra, and even did asanas (yoga
postures) with me for a month or more.
Almost immediately, my desire for a drug induced high just fell
away. I began meditating regularly twice a day on these
uplifting Sanskrit sounds and the underlying meaning.
Ba’ba means beloved, Love or Divine Father,
Na’m translates as name or vibration, and
Kevalam in English means only or everywhere.
Thus the complete translation is: the Beloved is
Everywhere, or Love’s vibration is all there is. Thus
the chanting or meditating on this spiritually charged mantra
can bring one’s Self to total liberation from the material
world.
You
might ask: “what does spiritually charged mean?” Well, I was
told is that when a guru gives a mantra for liberation, it has
been imbued with his energy or shakti; that is, the guru has
realized the essence of this phrase by meditating on it till his
consciousness has reached the crown chakra, the thousand petaled
lotus on top of the head. At this point, the mantra has the
infused “intentional power” to bring others to this supreme
realization as well. Ananda Marga Pracakara Sangha’s guru is
Shri Shri Anandamurti, and he left the Earth in 1990.
Whether one accepts this interpretation or not isn’t important,
just the focusing of ones mind on the harmonizing Sanskrit
sounds, and the expansive idea, will bring one to a complete
realization of Oneness, dissolution of duality and merge their
individual consciousness in the Supreme Consciousness or God.
After my initiation in Atlanta, Georgia in 1971, I was exposed
to group meditation or Dharmachakra during which kirtan is sung
and danced. Kirtan is a spiritual dance which precedes
meditation either individual or collective, and it serves to
center our mind, relax /uplift our body, and make it easier to
meditate. In the kirtan of Ananda Marga, the Ba’ba’ Na’m
Keva’lam mantra is chanted, and the dance done by steppinging
back and forth with the big toe touching behind the opposite
heel. Arms are extended overhead in a gesture of surrender to
the Beloved. When a group of spiritual aspirants are dancing
kirtan, and singing the mantra, it magnifies its effect, and one
can certainly feel the harmonious symphony that this human
family of ours creates when love prevails.
The Baba Nam Kevalam mantra has limitless expressions in its
melody and the chorus of singers chanting it evokes a joyful
remembrance of the Oneness of this One Mind of which we are all
a part. Baba Nam Kevalam communicates like no works of art can
the spiritual truth: “All is One,” “there is no separation from
the Love of God, our One Source and Creator. As the Transcental
Meditation meditators have proved; mantra chanting or meditating
in itself brings about a harmonious vibration on this sometimes
apparently torn and divided world.
I was so taken by this path, and this mantra meditation, that
after 4 years of meditating, teaching yoga asanas, and being
involved in several Ananda Marga jagriti’s (another name for
ashram) that I went to become an LFT myself like Rama and Sita.
The training center was in Philly, and it was a 4 ½ month
residential program of 4 daily group meditations, yoga classes,
spiritual philosophy & sutras, vegetarian meals, Aikido classes,
psychosynthesis, and much more. During the Dharmachakras
(translated means: circle of people whose goal is Self
realization,) the kirtans and Baba Nam Kevalam chanting
continued to work on my split mind, and more and more it calmed
and the brotherly love within it grew. Simultaneously, a well
spring of creativity began to blossom forth. My first assignment
aftergraduating from the training center was New Haven, CT, and
while there, I learned to play the guitar, and sing bhajans,
with the love deepening even more.
Twice a year, I went to Ananda Marga’s UKK retreats as they were
called at the time, and here a real treat took place: Akhanda
Kirtan, where Margiis would dance and chant kirtan for 3 hours
up to 24 hours, the latter being the way the 5 – 7 day retreats
would end.
The
waves of spiritual bliss at these large gatherings must have
resembled some of the Indian festivals so intoxicating were
they. After kirtan and chanting the mantra, group meditation was
always done to ground the vibration and help us unify our minds.
A sloka from the Rg Veda – Sumgachdvam’ meaning: Let us move
together, was sung just before the quiet meditation time.
In this years retreat, commemorating the organization’s 50 year
anniversary, held at Ananda Marga’s North American retreat
center in Willow Springs, MO., I was utterly ‘blown away,’ with
the honor of playing my djembe along with other musicians who
were coming up with the kirtan tunes, and leading the Baba Nam
Kevalam chanting. At many times during this musical experience,
I allowed myself to let go completely, and just let the Lord God
play the drum through me, thus releasing any tendency to perform
music.
I bought a Baba Nam Kevalam kirtans album which the many
musicians in Ananda Marga have recorded and they call themselves
the Kundalini Express. It is excellent background for chanting
my own kirtan, but also works excellently in the car, when I’m
driving somewhere, and want to keep my mind on God, and not get
into the hurry sometimes tempting us auto drivers these days.
Any curious, happy or serious minded souls that want to learn
more about Ananda Marga, Ba’ba’ Na’m Kevalam, kirtan,
meditation, yoga or whatever is invited to go to the web portal:
AnandaMarga.net, or call me at (870) 405-6464 if you’re in
Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, or Alabama. I’ll
put you in touch with the regional acarya (preceptor or
instructor), maybe acting in some small way like Chris did for
me some 35 years ago.
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Send email to True at
smoothyoga2004@yahoo.com
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