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The Mystic 7
Samadhi Retreat
and Meditation Center for Enlightenment
"Experience Your Own God Awareness"
SAMADHI RAJA YOGA
Samadhi Resin Ceremony | Pranayama | Yoga | Chanting
Tantra | Mantra | Yantra | Mudras | Koan Practice
"The benefit of practicing these ancient arts, is attaining the state of Samadhi or “Absolute Silence of the Mind.” By utilizing a single point of focus, the practitioner can become so consumed in awareness that it can lead to a pause in the mind chatter, and then the silence of Samadhi can reveal inner truths that are rarely accessible."
Samadhi Resin Ceremony
During the Samadhi Silent Retreat, we participate in a Puja that we call the Samadhi Resin Ceremony which has the elements of the traditional Hindu Puja.
Samadhi Resin Ceremony Tantric Practice
There are hundreds of techniques and practices used for meditation. Most of them take years before the practitioner gets even a glimpse into the silence of the mind. There are, however, a handful of practices that make quieting the mind effortless, allowing you to enter the deepest states of samadhi, a state where you can abide as the Source and see the true nature of the universe and yourself. The Samadhi Resin Ceremony is one
of these practices. This ceremony uses three tantric or sensory components with profound results.
Resins: The first and most important element of the Samadhi Resin Ceremony are the seven resins and woods. Since ancient times humans have used rare and exotic tree resins, that when heated, create an aroma that has allowed them to drop into a deep state of meditation. Due to their specific qualities, sages and oracles of many spiritual traditions have used the individual resins that are integrated into this ceremony. (Tantric sense: smelling)
Mantras: The second element of the ceremony is the chanting of ancient Sanskrit, known as mantras. These mantras are played during the ceremony and have also been chosen because of their unique and powerful qualities. Along with the sacred energy of each mantra, the physical vibrations help stimulate different biological and emotional energy centers of the body. (Tantric sense: hearing)
Pranayama: The third element is the breath. Before the ceremony, the participants are instructed on how to use a subtle pranayama breath technique during the practice. In conjunction with the resins and mantras, the breath is directly responsible for relaxing the body and quieting the mind. (Tantric sense: feeling).
Pujas: To Soothe The Mind
The word Puja or Pooja is Sanskrit for reverence, honor, homage, adoration, and worship. The Puja ceremony has been used by Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs. According to scholars, one of the earliest mentions of the Puja is in the Grihya Sutras, dated about 500 BC. In the ceremony, a fire may be lit in honor of a deity, with or without an idol or image present, an incense stick may be lit while a prayer is chanted or hymn is sung. Food, fruits, and sweets may be included as offerings to the deity, which, after the prayers, becomes prasad – blessed food shared by all present at the puja.
Pujas are rituals that help the aspirant focus on spiritual concepts. It is a path and process of transformation of consciousness, where the student and the spiritual significance of the deity are brought together or unified. This can be considered to be liberating, releasing, purifying, and a form of yoga of spirit and emotions.
Pranayama
Pranayama: To Settle The Mind
Pranayama is a Sanskrit compound word, vital breath + restrain. This very mindful practice, which has many variations and patterns, allows for intense inward immersion which can lead to Samadhi. Pranayamas are breathing exercises that are specific in length and duration.
The Pranayama usually has three parts:
Deliberatly inhaling with attention: pūrak (to take the breath inside),
Pausing to hold the breath in: kumbhak (to retain it),
Focusing on the exhale: rechak (to discharge it)
For example, a Pranayama breathing formula may be 1:4:2, using a base number of 4, this would indicate inhaling for a count of 4 (1x4), retaining for a count of 16 (4x4), exhaling for 8 (2x4).
One very popular Pranayama that we teach, which does not have a focus on the PAUSE in the middle, is very common to Yoga practitioners, the Ujjayi Pranayama - also known as victorious or conquering breath is breathing in and out while making the HA sound with closed lips. This sounds like that breath you make when you are faking being asleep. Two things are happening here, the slightly closed airway typically results in a parasympathetic response (lowered heart rate, lowered blood pressure, increased digestive activity, stimulation of the vagus nerve, etc...), and the air passing through the upper sinuses stimulate a relaxation response in the brain.
Another popular breathing technique uses the fingers to close off each nostril one at a time, called Alternate Nostril Breathing or Nadi Shodhan Pranayama. This technique helps clear out blocked energy channels in the body, which in turn calms the mind immediately.
We practice multiple Pranayama breathing exercises which use the will of the mind to consciously direct the breathing. By giving the mind something to focus on other than the worldly chatter, the focus dissolves and gives an opportunity for Samadhi silence to occur.
A Note About Pranayama
Prana means life-force, yama is the pause. In Samadhi Raja Yoga, we practice pranayama to stop the prana, which stops the mind, which stops the illusion. We do not practice it for life-enhancing benefits to the physical, mental, or emotional body. You are the Source; you do not even have a body to enhance. Until your mind releases the commitment to being a body and a human being, you cannot attain transcendence as Source-consciousness.
“When prana moves, chitta (mind/mental force) moves.
When prana is without movement,
chitta is without movement.”
-- Mahayoga Pradipika 2.0
Pranayama practice can lead to Samadhi and the pause of the lifeforce mental illusion which spins the wheel of birth and death, desire and aversion, and delusion and suffering. Restraining the life-force does not mean that your body will die; only your belief that you are the body dies. When you stop thinking, you stop the mind, which stops the prana life-force and you transcend the persistent [I am the] body delusion. This leads to the realization that you are the Source and you no longer associate as a body. This is the state of a fully-established yogi. This pause can be initiated by pranayama breathing exercises, yoga asana postures, mudra hand gestures, the contemplation of Jnana wisdom sutras, Bhakti devotion, and other Samadhi practices.
“The wise ones declare that the mind is caused by the movement
of prana; and hence by the restraint of the prana,
the mind becomes quiescent. When the mind abandons
the movement of thought, the appearance of the
world-illusion ceases.” – Vasistha’s Yoga
Yoga
Yoga: To Quiet The Mind
Yoga is so much more than postures!
The word Yoga means union which is the remembrance that we are the Source, the wholeness, the everythingness, and that there has never been anything separate to unite. We call this Samadhi Raja Yoga.
The origins of Yoga have been speculated to date back to pre-Vedic Indian traditions, but most likely developed around the sixth and fifth centuries BCE, in ancient India.
Whereas asanas or postures are the most familiar part of yoga to the western practitioner, they are by no means the entirety of the system. Below is a brief look at the four types of yoga.
Samadhi Raja Yoga integrates all four types of yoga at the Samadhi Silent Retreats, these are:
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Jnana Yoga: This is the yoga of WISDOM and self-inquiry. We practice this path of self-knowledge based on the Mystic 7 Source Principles. The Source Principles are presented through spiritual discourses and specific Koan contemplations. We also encourage self-inquiry using the Mystic 7 RED FLAG contradictions to actively dissolve the delusional paradigm of separation.
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Bhakti Yoga: This is the yoga of DEVOTION. Bhakti Yoga is traditionally expressed as devotion to God. We recognized that there is only the Source, nothing else exists. Therefore, there is only yourself to receive this perfect devotion that excludes nothing. We practice applying Source principles of revealed inner truth which naturally blossoms as condition-less acceptance, un-attached love, and pure truth. We recognize and celebrate our unity as the One Source which dissolves all external objects of devotion.
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Karma Yoga: This is the yoga of mindful ACTION. Karma Yoga is traditionally expressed as self-less service for others. However, when you realize that there is only the Source, with no separation; you see that there are no others to serve. You are everyone; the Source is everyone! We encourage the practice of Source-mindfulness in all the actions of walking, breathing, moving, and responding in divine awareness. When you recognize that you are the Source and they are the Source and remain immersed in that knowingness, all acts are egoless and Self-full; all acts are the actions of the self-realized God. Living in the full-time recognition of this truth is called Self-realization.
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Hatha Yoga: This is the yoga of DISCIPLINE in the practice of asana, pranayama, and meditation. We practice the Yoga asanas (postures), mudras, chanting, pranayamas (yogic breathing), yantra exercises, and mantra recitation, as well as, active and silent meditations, and the Samadhi Resin Ceremony pujas as methods of discipline for the mind. We effortlessly transcend thoughts by placing ourselves in an atmosphere conducive for the silence of Samadhi, throughout each of our practices. The intent of each of these disciplines is to pause the life-force or prana which is synonymous with the illusion and the delusional mind.
The true goal of Yoga is to remember Your Own God Awareness
Chanting
Chanting: To Still The Mind
Chanting is the rhythmic speaking or singing of words or sounds, it may be considered speech, music, or a heightened or stylized form of speech. Like prayer, chanting has been used as a spiritual practice throughout time as either a personal or group practice. Chanting can be the repetition of a sacred text, the name(s) of God, or a mantra.
Chanting has been used by indigenous cultures like African, Native Americans, Polynesians, Australian Aborigines; by monks and practitioners of many traditions, like Tibetan Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, Taoism, Gregorian, Eastern Orthodox, the Baha'i, Judaism, Islamic, and the Vedic chants of the Hindus. It is also used in Christian churches, for example, the liturgy of the Catholics, Lutherans, and Anglicans.
One of the Chants we recite at the Samadhi Retreat is:
Om Namaha Shivaya
The chant is beautiful and has deeply profound meanings, however, we are only interested in its ability to still the mind through repetition, allowing the space for Samadhi. Chants are always done out loud, whereas Mantras can be recited under the breath, or mentally.
Tantra
Tantra: To Calm The Mind
Tantra is an Asian tradition of beliefs, meditation and ritual practices that seeks to channel the divine energy of the macrocosm or godhead into the human microcosm, in order to attain psychic abilities and enlightenment. It has been primarily associated with sexual ritual in the Western culture, and while this is one application of its use, that is not our focus in Samadhi Retreats.
The secret rituals of Tantra arose in India no later than the 5th century CE, and had a strong influence on both Hinduism and Buddhism. Some typical examples of Tantra include noticing the body sensations as one kneels to pray, or while fasting, bathing, eating, sitting in meditation, during yoga asana, during sex, or breathing exercises.
Tantra, in the Samadhi Raja Yoga context, is the explicit emphasis on the sensory experience -- smelling, hearing, feeling, seeing, and tasting. The Tantric sensory perception can become all-consuming. Focusing mindfully on any sensation of the five senses and allowing the mind to be one with that awareness, without concepts, can allow Samadhi to overcome the thinking mind. Arriving in the state of Samadhi, the results are consistent with the origin of the tantric practice, the individual dissolves into the Oneness, absolving the definitions of macrocosm and microcosm.
In the Samadhi Resin Ceremony, we use three of the Tantric senses:
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Hearing: We place our attention on a poignant and evocative chant, used for centuries to evoke a sense of spiritual oneness.
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Smelling: We utilize a variety of ancient tree resins that have been exhaustively tested for their ability to create an aroma which allows participants to easily access a meditative state. These resins have been used for eons for this exact purpose within multiple religions.
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Feeling: We breathe deeply and consciously using a specific breathing exercise called a Pranayama, which pinpoints our awareness on this body sensation.
Alternating between these senses when the mind becomes too attached or distracted, becomes the practice which will allow the mind to become calm, peaceful, and eventually perfectly still.
Mantra
Mantra: To Relax The Mind
A Mantra is a sacred utterance or syllable, word, or group of words believed to have some spiritual impact. The earliest mantras were composed in Vedic times by Hindus in India, and those are at least 3000 years old.
The Sanskrit word Mantra is to think + instruments, the literal translation would be instrument of thought. Ironically, in our Silent Retreats, we deliberately use Mantras as a distraction to stop the thinking mind.
The Moola Mantra is one of the Mantras we chant at the Samadhi Silent Retreats
Om Satchitananda Parabrahma
Purushothama Paramatma
Sri Bhagavati Sametha
Sri Bhagavate Namaha
Hari om tat sat
While the translation of the Mantra is beautiful and inspiring, it is the repetition of words, especially in a foreign language, without stopping to mentally translate, that is useful for distracting the mind away from the usual chatter, and allowing the tranquility of repetition to take over. We use Mantras to relax the mind in order to become receptive to the state of Samadhi.
Yantra
Yantra: To Pause The Mind
Yantra is the Sanskrit word for a mystical diagram traditionally used to withdraw consciousness from the outer world to focus it on spiritual concepts, and for balancing the mind using pattern. In the Samadhi Silent Retreats, we encourage the participants to notice their own spontaneous visual Yantras that appear during closed eye guided meditations.
Typically a Yantra is a two-dimensional illustration filled with deliberate symbology and intention, however, we are most interested in the Yantra that the mind provides in the darkness behind the eyelids. Remaining focused on these personalized Yantras can pause the mind, allowing the space for Samadhi.
Mudras
Mudras: To Soften The Mind
A mudra is a symbolic or ritual gesture involving either the entire body or most commonly using just the hands and fingers. The word Mudra is a Sanskrit word meaning sign or token. The origin is unknown but was very old even when Buddha lived. Mudra is used in the Hindu and Buddhist art of India and described in the scriptures, such as Natyasastra, which lists 24 one-hand and 13 two-hand mudras. There are one hundred and eight mudras used in regular Tantric rituals. In yoga, mudras are used in conjunction with pranayama (yogic breathing exercises), to stimulate different parts of the body involved with breathing and to affect the flow of prana in the body.
There is a lot of science regarding the connections that can be made in the brain and in the meridians by using the hands to perform Mudras. While this is a wonderful benefit, we recognize that we are the Source and not the body, therefore, it is not our focus at the retreats. In Samadhi Silent Retreats we use Mudras to focus the mind on the sensation of the fingers that are making contact with each other. This focus can soften the hard concepts and rigid boxes of the mind and allow for the stillness of Samadhi.
Koan Practice
Koan Practice: To Unwind The Mind
The origin of the Japanese words Koan is the Chinese word gong'an, which is a compound word public + case. Gongans developed during the Tang dynasty (618–907) from the recorded sayings of Chan-masters, which quoted many stories of "a famous past Chan figure's encounter with disciples or others and then offering his own comment on it". Those stories and the accompanying comments were used to educate students, and broaden their insight into the Buddhist teachings. Koans have evolved into a story, dialogue, question, or statement, which is used in Zen practice to provoke the great doubt and test a student's progress in Zen practice. Eventually, the koan was aimed at balancing the insight developed by reflection on the teachings with developing calmness of mind, this development became in effect silent illumination. At the Samadhi Silent Retreats, we see that the goal is to experience this silent illumination by a shift in consciousness that the question or statement exposes.
A Koan is a question from the Source which is not answered with words, but a transformation of consciousness. A koan is not derived from an analytical process of the physical mind, but rather it comes directly from Source Consciousness. It usually arises from within a sage, master, mystic, or saint, and therefore should not be used by the analytical mind but only during moments of complete meditative silence. The koan practice becomes an unwinding of the mind as the progressive realizations flow past allowing deeper and deeper meanings to become sensed and experienced in the state of Samadhi.
