Published by “Mind by nature is very turbulent which can be brought under control through yogic practice” says Sri Krishna to Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita.
It is again and again stressed by great saints and incarnations that early hours of the day (dawn) are the best hours for meditation as the mind is fresh and atmosphere is serene, which is congenial for one to ponder and realize the truth. On one such occasion, when I was meditating, similarities between rising of consciousness during meditation and symbolic or latent meaning of daily ritual of lighting the lamp and waving of it in front of deity dawned in my mind. This ritual was a puzzle for me since many years as I used to view this from a physical plane and was convinced that this ritual is a “attenuated form of neurosis“. Now when I view the same ritual from a spiritual plane, I realized that this ritual is not an “attenuated form of neurosis” but another form of effective meditation. A desire arose in my mind of sharing this noble thought with the world hence this task was taken up. One wonders as to how these two can be related? Outwardly they look different but they are one when you look from the point of purpose they serve. This relation can be understood better by deciphering the symbolic meaning that exists in the ritual of lighting an oil lamp and waving it in front of God’s idol as a part of worship.
A lamp is lighted with two strands of cotton wick which is dipped in oil. Lamp is like our body, oil is the energy present in our body, and the wick is like our Ida, Pingala and Sushma nerves present in the spine. The kundalini energy which is present in the lowest centers (muladhara) ascends through the six centers during meditation and when it reaches the Saharsrara chakra in the Brain, enlightenment is achieved. Oil in the lamp also ascends over the two strands of cotton wick which are analogous to Ida and Pingala in our spine. Light at the end of the wick is similar to the knowledge that one gets when the kundalini reaches the Saharsrara chakra in the brain. As the light of the lamp reveals the God’s idol clearly, similarly kundalini in the brain opens up all the closed doors to knowledge and the truth is revealed. Another lamp is lit from the earlier one, and is waved in front of the God’s idol accompanied by cymbal in a circular fashion or in the shape of OM. This helps in realizing the God with form or without form viz. SatChitAnand.
Waving of lamp is similar to meditation though it looks like a mechanical event, is accompanied with intense concentration, one particular theme in the mind, loosing ones ego and a relaxed feeling. This ritual elevates the consciousness of an individual to higher level and results in the same goal that one achieves through meditation, reinforcing the saying that all roads lead to Rome.
Symbolism has become part of our life from the beginning especially in Religion. Symbol is a form of expression of abstract thought in an abridged way. Using cymbal (or any other musical rhythmic sound) is part of religious practices which enriches the surroundings and facilitates the consciousness to raise un awaringly. End result of these religious activities, fully charged with intense rhythmic soothing sound, is serenity. This path (with partial or no awareness but with a desire to attain mental peace) is different from meditation (where awareness is complete with desire to attain realization) but the end result is same. Is this understanding essential for our spiritual progress? Any work done with full of love and faith yields lasting good results in contrast to mechanical approach which may or may not yield lasting results. This understanding generates more faith instead of “blind faith” and dispels superstitious beliefs. The role of the lamp is equivalent to the role of a Guru who facilitates to connect the atman with the God. Reverence that we have with regard to one’s Guru, if it is shown to the lamp, then the mind will be full of satvic qualities which is just one step away from God.
Serenity can be achieved with understanding the latent meaning of symbols facilitated by cymbals reinforcing the truth that all the three are part of a continuum.
