January 2024 Mantra

I asked people I knew if there was a preference for a mantra or even a theme for a mantra for January that was calling them. I had one friend say she wanted strength, or belief in her own strength. I knew pretty quickly where I wanted to end up.

In the Ramayana, there story of Ram and Sita, Hanuman is the monkey god and loyal servant to Ram. I highly recommend listening to Ram Dass reading of the Ramayana (it's available on audible) He does voices and everything. Hanuman literally means disfigured jaw because of his broken jaw that he received in younger escapades. Those aren't supper important... except for this. In those earlier escapades he is cursed after annoying some priests and can not remember his powers, his strength, agility and ability to jump enormous distances. (This jumping ability is why the pose for the splits, Hanumnasana is named after him).

Hanuman thought the beginning of the story is devoted to Ram and puts himself in the face of danger over and over again. All of his actions are to serve lord Rama (Ram and Rama are used interchangeably). It is right before Hanuman and the army are to invade Lanka to rescue Sita that the Bear King Jambavan gives a speech describing Hanuman's devotion to Ram and describes Hanuman's strength that Hanuman remembers his true powers, breaking the curse. He leaps across the sea to Lanka and leads the rescue of Sita.

Hanuman is allegory of human life, it is through our serving others and God that we can find our true strength. By living a life of devotion and in the service of others we find our true divine nature. We are all capable of more than we imagine when we are following our divine calling, but sometimes we need to be reminded.

Om Hanumate

We chant this 108 times. Or you can learn the Hanuman Challisa. I'm just learning but Krishna Das does a live kirtan every Thursday on Facebook and Instagram. Soon...