Durgadas (Alan Gosink)
USA
Question
Swamiji has written the following: "Make your affirmations rhythmic, in a rhythm commensurate with the nature of your resolution."
Can you shed some light on his words.
In Master
Durgadas
Answer
Durgadas: Hi! Hriman (Terry) McGilloway, here, up in Seattle.
My understanding of Swamiji’s comment might be understood by example:
If the affirmation you are doing draws on will power then the rhythm would be somewhat martial-like, as if marching. "I am STRONG in myself. I am COMPLETE in myself.” (Imagine yourself marching as you say this affirmation.)
If the affirmation is more devotional or of a feeling nature, the rhythm would be soft and flowing like a brook: "I feel myself in the flowing brooks, in the flight of birds, and in the dance of flowers in a breeze." (Imagine yourself swaying gently side to side as you say this affirmation.)
A mental affirmation, perhaps a mantra, even, would have the near monotone or perhaps rather the mono-syllabic rhthym that emphases the sounds rather than the words: OM NAMOH [slight pause] BHAGAVATE [pause] VASUDEVA. (This would be broken into syllables rather than words and spoken with a rhythm that would be relatively even, just as Sanskrit pronounces each syllable with approx equal emphasis. The only variation would be where the pauses are.)
Does that help?
Nayaswami Hriman
