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Gayatri Mantra
OM BHUR BHUVAS SVAHA
OM TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM
BHARGO DEVASYA DHIMAHI
DHIYO YO NA PRACHODAYAT
I could tell you a million things about me, yet none of them are "TRUE"... They either once were or one day will be.. In a world of false perceptions, we create a tendency to reflect on our past and project on our future in search of ONE's identity. The word "identity" stems from the word "identical"... Meaning we create our egos in hopes to "indentify" ourselves as someone defined and constant at all times. This constant urge to grasp a permanant; unchanging "identity", in an impermanant world that is forever-changing is the cause for much suffering... Our true essence lies in what we are presently and unconditionally... and that is NOTHING more than a manifestation of the divine ("god"). In short...there is no difference between me and you...we are all the same... ONE..."SatNaam"..."SAT" (Truth) and "NAAM" (Name). Why do we say SatNaam, meaning God's Name Is "TRUTH"? Because everything else is temporary and unstable. Our friends and families will depart, our houses and prized possessions will crumble, and we will leave our bodies behind aswell. Everything around us is ever-changing, except for SatNaam. SatNaam is forever stable. In SatNaam lies the path back to the divine ("god"). Identify with SatNaam, for that is the only "TRUTH" you shall ever find.
Recently I was introduced to the life of Poi. Poi is a ball, made from plaited flax fibre ornamented with haliotis shell and stuffed with bulrush down. It was swung rhythmically around the body and tapped for percussive effect to the accompaniment of chant. It was used by the native Maori warriors of New Zealand in the form of Hakas. Hakas were active performance items composed intentionally to demonstrate the fitness, agility and ferocity of warriors, and to intimidate or confuse the enemy. They had a high ritual element, and invoked Tuma tauenga, the god of war, while informing the adversary of what awaited them. Although this was the origin of Poi, it has evolved today into a more spiritual form of art and meditation. When engaged in the dance one simply flows with ones energy allowing the poi to create a visual representation of this energy flow. It is quite a spiritual practice and enforces the path of no mind while providing several health benefits in the process. A spiritual practioner can gain access to this dance quite easily and can become fluint in poi in just a matter of days if you become absorbed in it like I did. It is really that great when you can spend the majority of your day practicing and not realize that several hours have gone by. If you are interested, and want to learn, check out homeofpoi . There you can find video and lessons on how to get started. Enjoy!.
