Seeking Comfort in Times of Sadness

By Susan Ni Rahilly

I was researching some of Indian philosopher J. Krishnamurti’s quotes on Meditation for a series of articles and in Pupul Jayakar’s biography on him, found this on “the loving Indian mothers”, a very poignant description of his own mother: “. . . the happiest memories of my childhood center round my dear mother, who gave us all the loving care for which Indian mothers are well-known.”

It pushed a button for me. I didn’t have an easy childhood or “normal” parenting. I still get sad about that.

I discovered 12 years ago, drinking lots of Yogi Women’s Tea whilst writing a book on women’s wellbeing, that Ayurveda is “the science of Yoga, Meditation and Astrology (besides the natural healing knowledge of life). It was news to me, but made sense of my love of Astrology and its part in the whole of my approach to life. This often explains Divine energies.

So, feeling sadness well up in my heart and my mind, I turned to my Karma Astrology and discovered the guidance to “love the mother inside”. Of course. Everything comes from within. And as a teacher and a writer, I have the emotional healing arts I need in times of sadness.

Personally, I love the concepts of the Bliss State, the stillness of the Ultimate Mind of the Divine which accepts us totally and knows that as human beings we need comfort. And this exists powerfully in 3 deeply feminine concepts from the Spiritual Heritage that India has gifted to the world, in the practice of seeking comfort in times of sadness: The Mother of the Breath, The Sea of Oms and The Regarder of the Cries of the World.

The Mother of the Breath which breathes all of us and breathes life force energy into us.  This mother caresses us with each breath, each breath breathing all of us. And each of these slow, rhythmic breaths bringing a relaxation and a sweetness to the body, mind and emotions: breath, sadness and joy co-existing in the space deep within. There is so much comfort there.

The Sea of Oms. The Sea of Oms is out there in the Universe, eternal and constantly vibrating, washing over us and soaking up our emotions. Within the continuous single sound of Om, the sound of the vibration of the Universe, is our connection with the heart of the Universe. It is our connection with our essence. It is the symbol of our Union. It is the empowering feeling of spirit flowing into our heart.

The Regarder of the Cries of the World. Humanity has a broken heart, a hunger and a yearning. In the myth of this name, our cries are always heard and our yearning to return to our Source is watched over with great compassion by the Goddess Avalokiteshvara . Practicing a short contemplation in “listening to the cries of the world” is a way of opening up to compassion with a pure and kind heart: acknowledging that we can all hear the hurt in the hearts of all human beings. You sit quietly and let the cries in.

So, when sadness wells up, this is my practice with deep, personal care to “love the mother inside”:

Wrap up warmly in a meditation blanket and practice So Ham breathing. At least ten minutes.

Allow your sadness to rise up and let the Sea of Oms wash over the emotion. Then chant. My own practice is:

 Om Namaha Shiva

Sit quietly in a receptive, contemplative attitude of mind, and allow The Regarder of the Cries of the World to sit with you.

Then you forgive. In the practice of forgiveness you learn self-acceptance, sometimes one of the hardest things for a human being: accepting your own self, accepting your own good . . . and that you are part of the co-creation process with the Universe, with your Source. We need to forgive ourselves and other people as resentment and bitterness clogs up our connections with our higher vibrations, our subtle bodies, and keeps us in the mundane mind and the pain body. With forgiveness you can recognize your own power in your Soul’s journey to your potential; to your potential divinity: accepting your power in the process of bringing heaven down to earth. To let go and move on, we forgive.

So, in my own practice, I forgive myself and go gently for a while just never really knowing when the sadness will come again, but always deeply grateful for what India has given me in my life: Deep comfort in times of sadness.

I write mainly about my holistic approach to life freedom, and of course freedom presupposes security.

There are deep, deep structures within the Spiritual Heritage of India; the Science of Life that is the whole of Yoga, concepts and mysticism of Vedanta, centuries-old philosophy: founded on an eternally powerful feminine principle which give me inner security for the freedom to live my life and I sincerely hope that India is proud and feels our appreciation and gratitude.

Susan’s note: J. Krishnamurti An Autobiography Pupul Jayakar: A Fresh Interpretation of the Renowned Philosopher J. Krishnamurti by One of India’s Leading Intellectuals. Harper and Row, 1985.

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Susan Ni Rahilly is founder of suzenyoga.com: Spirituality, Understanding, Zen, Energy and Nutrition through dedication to Yoga practice.