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Join us for a special meditation as we celebrate the return of light to the earth and invite it to illuminate our consciousness. We will chant the Gayatri Mantra 108 times followed by a short period of silent meditation. If you aren’t familiar with the mantra, don’t worry! We will chant with a recording of Swami Kriyananda and the words will be on the screen. Come any time and stay as long as you can!
Why The Gayatri Mantra?
The Gayatri Mantra has been chanted throughout India for millennia. It has its origin in the Rig Veda and is referred to in the Bhagavad Gita, so it is perhaps the most ancient mantra of all.
om bhūr bhuvaḥ svah
tat savitur vareṇyaṃ
bhargo devasya dhīmahi
dhiyo yo naḥ prachodayāt
The eternal, earth, air, heaven
That glory, that resplendence of the sun
May we contemplate the brilliance of that light
May the sun inspire our minds.
Why 108 times?
108 has long been considered an auspicious number. It is said that the number 108 units represent the distance between our body and the God within us. According to Ayurveda, we have 108 marma points (vital points of life forces) in our body. So, this is why mantras are often chanted 108 times because each chant represents a journey from our material self towards our highest spiritual self. Each chant is believed to bring you 1 unit closer to our god within.
In astrology, 108 can be noticed with the approximate relationships of the Sun, Earth, and Moon. The diameter of the Sun is 108 times the diameter of Earth. The average distance from the Sun to Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Sun. The average distance from the Earth to Moon is 108 times the diameter of the moon.
Why Sunrise?
According to yoga philosophy, time has three qualities: satva, rajas, and tamas. (Purity, passion and inaction). The time around sunrise has the satvic quality and satva is the best time to chant the Gayatri Mantra.
