Shree Maa has just blessed us with a new group sankalpa as part of the Shravan month (Aug 7 2013 to Sep 4 2013 ) to continue our efforts in praying for world peace. She lovingly chooses these powerful mantras in order to create a specific benefit in each of our lives.
The collective effort in chanting the sankalpa at the same time as hundreds of other devotees also creates special benefits for the whole universe. Please read further below on what the participants are saying on the value of a group sankalpa
This sankalpa involves the chanting of malas of a simple mantra and contributing to the group total. Read below for more details:
Dates of the Sankalpa
Start Date: August 12th, 2013
End Date: September 4th, 2013
Goal of the Sankalpa
Our group sankalpa is to complete 10,000 malas of the mantra during this time period. So, every mala counts! Whether you want to chant one mala or a hundred malas, all are welcome to participate in this prayer for World Peace.
The Sankalpa Mantra
Chant this mantra as many malas as you can (One mala = 108 repetitions of the mantra):
OM NAMAH SHIVAYA
The Audio Clip of the Mantra. Listen to Maa chant !
Interested in participating in the sankalpa?
This sankalpa is now complete.
What is the Value of a Group Sankalpa ?
Here is what some of our participants around the world are saying …
The Guru provides the blessings and the energy to the sankalpa.
Henny from the Netherlands, writes,” I am sure Shree Maa that infuses Her sankalpas with the inspiration to start and the power to complete, and with something extra which makes it very juicy, so the joy is not so much in the completion as in the participation. By taking the group sankalpas, I am strengthening my sankalpa muscles, learning more about what it means to take a sankalpa and how to make all my sankalpas juicy (just think of Maa!)”
The participants take inspiration from the Guru and from each other
Henny , writes, “It connects us to Maa and Swamiji and to the entire Devi Mandir Family. Even when alone in the house, I feel close to you, knowing that in Napa and in all parts of the world someone is doing the same thing.”
Morningsong from Santa Rosa, CA writes, “For me, the value of a group sankalpa is that it helps me to feel less isolated in my practice. Even though I’m not in the same physical location as the other participants, I feel as if I am still “with” them. “
Sami from France writes, ” With the help of a group, we can pass a threshold. The group has the possibility to amplify everything. Clearly the group to be efficient need to be in harmony and work together. If they all follow the direction of a Guru, aren’t we in full harmony ?” and “By working together toward Dharmic goals, we contribute to let the Kingdom come.”
Lori from Calgary, AB writes, “It feels to me like a greater purpose which I can be part of to achieve as a team. When I saw the cumulative totals on the website, plus doing the math of the overall goal of 2500 over 25 days, which is 100 malas for the whole group to accomplish daily, and I desire to do my part (in Calgary, Canada) to achieve this goal. ”
Nelson from WA writes, “when I know that I am doing certain sankalpa because the Guru recommends it, blesses the effort, and on top of that, there is a brotherhood of brothers and sisters coming together in the same effort, then it catapults me to a greater commitment. I may not know their faces, but I know that I am contributing towards their spiritual well-being and they to mine. ”
Alexandra from Quebec writes, “It helps to know you are not alone doing a meditation,…because there is also a trust commitment to others and to your goal. So if you want to be true to your words, and to the people you agreed to work with, you must keep a pace on the path you chose. That is one aspect of the power of a group. It helps to keep concentration and dedication and you know you’re not alone. “
The pure collective intention of the participants – to pray for world peace, ensures that their energies are channeled positively.
Lori writes,” As a group, it creates a positive harmonious vibration toward world peace and as it is generated together it is similar to enthusiasm, or during kirtan/bhajan with the singing and dancing. The music speeds us, people are inspired to get up and dance, and this inspires others to do so as well. By focusing on my value and goal of working with the Divine, it gives me a greater purpose beyond my individual ego, body, mind, and spirit. ”
The sankalpa practice invokes Divine presence and reinforces the feeling of connectedness with every being in the universe, and the participants of the sankalpa become instruments of peace.
Alexandra writes, “If you want peace to occur around you, you must first be at peace within yourself. This sankalpa is for me part of a personal and global healing process”
Sami writes, “When reciting a prayer, i thought of all those who recited it, from the Rishis who perceived it to all devotees who chanted it, and also all those who will recite it also in the future. By the intention i formed an image of all those person, like sphere of light, and set the intention to pray with all of them. I’m one among them. Let us be ONE voice. The recitation bring another energy then. We are not alone. We are connected, and we achieve better results.”
Henny writes, “The group sankalpas are taken for the benefit of the entire creation, I feel there is actually something I can do for world peace. I often feel powerless watching the news on tv, so I am glad this is something I can do. This last sankalpa is very beautiful, because it expresses the truth that we are all One, that everything is One. So when I recite, I think of all conflict in my own life and in the world, and watch it dissolve in the mantra. It is as if when you try to find a radio station and hear a lot of static, and then you find the right wavelength and can hear the music clearly. This mantra, to me, is the music broadcast by every station everywhere.”
Nelson and Sami both quote from the Gospel “When two or more join in my Name, I will be there“.
Sankalpa Counts Tracker
Goal – 24 days and 10,000 malas of the sankalpa mantra “Om Namah Shivaya”.
Status – As of the 4th Sept 2013, the FINAL day of the sankalpa, we have collectively chanted 19836 malas.
| S.No | Name | Number of Malas |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adaityananda | 145 |
| 2 | Alexandra | 108 |
| 3 | Ambika | 316 |
| 4 | Anjana | 71 |
| 5 | Ariana | 1 |
| 6 | Bea | 35 |
| 7 | Bharati | 10 |
| 8 | Bhavani | 12 |
| 9 | Bhuwan | 1250 |
| 10 | Bill B | 20 |
| 11 | Bill M | 66 |
| 12 | Brian | 312 |
| 13 | Chandana | 50 |
| 14 | Curt | 225 |
| 15 | Daniel | 73 |
| 16 | David | 1 |
| 17 | Divya | 170 |
| 18 | Deepa | 1 |
| 19 | Devananda | 108 |
| 20 | Devi | 3200 |
| 21 | Ekatmananda | 200 |
| 22 | Elise | 120 |
| 23 | Fred | 280 |
| 24 | Gaurav | 53 |
| 25 | Gurucharan | 1 |
| 26 | Henny | 258 |
| 27 | Jagadeesh | 50 |
| 28 | Jan | 108 |
| 29 | Janitri | 465 |
| 30 | Jolly | 240 |
| 31 | Joshua | 40 |
| 32 | Julia | 505 |
| 33 | Kalachandra | 45 |
| 34 | Kaliananda | 202 |
| 35 | Kamala | 160 |
| 36 | Kartikey | 1 |
| 37 | Kaushiki | 242 |
| 38 | Kip | 133 |
| 39 | Krista | 800 |
| 40 | Kurt | 80 |
| 41 | Kyle Williams | 147 |
| 42 | Kyle Walker | 2 |
| 43 | Lakshmi | 215 |
| 44 | Laura | 125 |
| 45 | Leela | 200 |
| 46 | Leslie | 11 |
| 47 | Linda | 42 |
| 48 | Lisa (Ma’latii) | 3 |
| 49 | Mandalji | 100 |
| 50 | Mausumi | 225 |
| 51 | Morningsong | 270 |
| 52 | Mrunmayee | 202 |
| 53 | Muktimaa | 380 |
| 54 | Nanda | 330 |
| 55 | Narendra | 230 |
| 56 | Neil | 931 |
| 57 | Nelson | 100 |
| 58 | Nirmala | 230 |
| 59 | Nityananda | 21 |
| 60 | Paddy | 1 |
| 61 | Papia | 65 |
| 62 | Paul | 372 |
| 63 | Prabuddh | 265 |
| 64 | Priyanka | 1 |
| 65 | Pushpa | 1 |
| 66 | Radhika | 12 |
| 67 | Ramya | 20 |
| 68 | Ratnaprava | 500 |
| 69 | Rebeca | 116 |
| 70 | Reema | 10 |
| 71 | Ron | 700 |
| 72 | Sadhana Shakti | 112 |
| 73 | Sally | 5 |
| 74 | Samantha | 147 |
| 75 | Sami | 150 |
| 76 | Sanatani | 81 |
| 77 | Sandeep | 2 |
| 78 | Sanjoy | 60 |
| 79 | Sarah | 3 |
| 80 | Saranya | 265 |
| 81 | Shalini | 240 |
| 82 | Shanta | 21 |
| 83 | Srini | 15 |
| 84 | Sue | 233 |
| 85 | Swarupananda | 20 |
| 86 | Sylvan | 80 |
| 87 | Tom | 6 |
| 88 | Terry | 2 |
| 89 | Uma S | 1 |
| 90 | Uma W | 1411 |
| 91 | Upendra | 31 |
| 92 | Usha | 445 |
| 93 | Vasantha | 30 |
| 94 | Victor | 2 |
| 95 | Vidyasagar | 20 |
| 96 | Vina | 10 |
| 97 | Vishweshwar | 150 |
| 98 | Yukiteru | 310 |
| TOTAL | 19836 |