Where I was born and raised in Portugal the idea of altars was only present in my life in a church in a very conventional way. Setting up a cross, lighting candles and worshiping whatever that is, how ever that meant. And I would more often see it in chapels and churches, cemeteries even, in a very strict, structured and formal way. Almost like you had to have permission to set up an altar in that formal way. And I was raised in this society, although very open to other religions, it was mostly Catholic. I never practiced it. My parents never really did. The reason why they never baptized me was let me choose my belief systems or practice my own beliefs, in the way that I wanted. Later I saw myself seeking truth more than hollow beliefs. That led me to become more aware of life’s mysteries, life’s most obscure and mysterious vibes of nature, and within ourselves holding the power of the mind, or /and under the powers of the mind. In the phenomenons of nature and chemistry there is a lot we don’t know and it is to that unknown that I give the same strength of faith or belief that a god believer would give in his prayer. So it’s in that hole. It’s in that so vast and unknown space within our knowledge that I concede, to myself, that idea of god, as in the root and direction of our belief. So for me that idea of worshiping something that is unknown, is not just for the sake of being unknown. So I realized that everything else under our sense-scope is under our physical perception, but all these things are under the influence of something greater something that we can call the ‘unknown’. Many sciences have labeled, when coming to confront these facts in their research, as space or ether. 99.9% of an atom is space. And from that, we include all our physical life forms under this realization, all is atom based. Properties, elements, compounds, substances, and 99.9% of it is just space. And what are all these substances based on? So that’s where on a rational level I started to embrace the idea of god. Also throughout my readings and studies, I think I came to terms of naming the idea of god, the absolute, the supreme or the supreme-self… Which is great. I think it gives space for acceptance of different form of that which is formless. And slowly, gradually faded into and went through different forms of acknowledgement. I used to think more about it in a meditation. Taking it to the day-to-day life, used to talk to people and try to see what is between us in that space. See what is there beyond the words they speak, and the words I perceive. In an attempt to expand my senses to a broader spectrum. Later in life there is a practice of yoga, that I at the beginning, started to practice more consistently. It showed me different aspects of myself both in the physical and mental realms. I changed a little bit. Became more assertive, more concerned about myself and also more attuned with the changes I could go through on a regular basis, being daily, weekly, monthly, seasonly,… As time passed I saw myself becoming more devoted within the context of the practice and in touch with side of Ashtanga Yoga that is very devoted, and of a worshiping nature, towards something. Devoted to something that I could say is the Absolute, and in the yoga terminology called Ishvara, or in one syllable OM. And in my studies as well I came into terms with that, learn what does that this mean. It’s not alone Hindu, it is from the Vedic culture, is yoga knowledge, and a concept pretty much across many religions and practices in the east. This to say that when first started to practice my devotion was to body and the self, to me, to make myself healthy, and make myself function. And in my first trip to India in the shala of Ashtanga there is a big altar, there a big devotional part to it, towards depicted deities, you can see it. It is not practicing it in a way that is not imposing it to any one, but it is there. It took me awhile to know how to embrace that. It is, at the start, beginning and end, an individual path to anyone. An it would be good to everyone to go on that journey, and I’d be happy to assist anyone through it one day. There is this side of the practice that is spiritually devoted, and just going on the mat, for the body’s sake, for my own thing wasn’t enough most of the days. I would end up over exploiting myself, taking myself to points of exhaustion. You know there is a all circuit of energies around us and our body is within those circuits. Using our body, with our mind, we shouldn’t just cut loose from using those available circuits. We could integrate them inside these circuits, inside these cycles, and at have these paths open for us. And Ashtanga Yoga practice really those this, the practice really helps. I started to practice with this connection, as in the devotion to something beyond myself. One time remember to on the mat, this was in the Mysore Main Shala, and practice with the concept of Ishwara and OM and what they ended up meaning to me after the classes, studies and individual reflection. Focusing on this I noticed it was taking the attention way from me and into something that is me as well (and ‘me’ here I mean ego, personality, idea of individual self) but also everything else. And that’s how I became a bit more devoted and into practice of devotion on this journey. And it was the right way for me, of becoming devoted finding expansion beyond limited ideas of self, through practices of understanding, adoration and surrendering. This article is called ‘altars’ because at some point at this stage I started to set up little altars everywhere I stay. I’ve been traveling for a bit, moving around, and now I carry this self-made incense holder in which I drew some sacred geometry patterns and symbols, that I’ve also came to terms with as symbols of something meaningful, that serves as a base for my ambulant altar. On top of it I place a few items: totems, talismans, blessed items, sacred idols or symbols. In my case I do place among a few other items a japa mala that I use to meditate the 108x OM, but when I’m not using I leave it there; have a small yantra sculpture, they say is the three dimensional form of OM; and then I have a little sculpture of Ganesha, a more figurative form to worship, a symbol for me of the removal of obstacles. Items to remind you and support you to be connected and keep you in the right path. We can always do something like putting a picture of someone who has attained their center, someone who is a guide, a light in this foggy path, a monk, a teacher, a guru… “…in many forms you can represent the formless…”. Many have a statue of Buddha. Buddha is the representation of one that has attained enlightenment, so you can see serenity expressed in the statue. You can look at it and be transported into that state of mind for a little bit and try to settle it in you. It could be anyone, anything that transmits to you this integrity of life. In Ashtanga Yoga shalas, altars often show a respect to the lineage. Pictures of teachers, gurus, and their gurus, and the gurus gurus, until the one that is in charge of that space now. It recognizes steps of generational evolution awhile they are all seeking the same and passing on of that flame of knowledge. If you are a beginner to Ashtanga practice and you take a look at these altars, you think “ok, if I take this seriously I will be stepping into this circle, I wanna be respectful and be in it in the right way”. And students practice and just visualize that. There is also along with all the set up, the very active part of altars, (in Hindu tradition they really know how to take it seriously, abiding all scriptural rules), ritually lighting up incense and candles, bringing fresh flowers, scents and some offer fruits, spices or any food or treats. It’s interesting. You are kind of bringing all these things that so much like, symbolically, bridges from the material world to the immaterial world. From an incense stick comes the smoke and aroma; from the flower also emanation of pleasant aromas; from the candle, you can see is clearly something material, fuel burning, forming fire, it’s light and heat, and then disappearing); the chants, from the voice comes the vibrations. So it’s these bridges, of what seems to be, between two worlds that altars are suppose to be. Joining the world within and the world outside, micro and macro-cosmos. We all have this. So when I set up my altar, and from day to day I bring flower light up incenses and candles, and do my practice in from of it. It really reminds me of the center of life I want to be connected to, what I want to be and do, and to keep me reminded of the bigger picture. That there is always a finer scale to look to and a larger one to look from. All this is my journey. Anyone can have anything in their altar to create that space for awareness, bringing us back to a meaningful path, calm peaceful devoid of anxiety, that some times we forget. I reminded myself to write about this when one day I was in such a rush in my house, in my room, getting out to go to work. I rushed through my practice very fast, shortened it a bit as well. I was running around, forgetting stuff, ate too fast… when I was coming out of my room close to the door, my little altar sat there and I froze for a bit, and just looked at it and became humble to it, gave in my energy to it, took a deep breath and very fast I acknowledge what all that meant. It meant a leap from that stress to a higher self and calling. That higher calling we can call it OM. I normally think of it’s meaning before I chant it or meditate on it. OM – the seed of all knowledge; the guru of the very first gurus; unbound by time and space; omniscient and omnipresent; the self behind all beings; untouched by raga and dwesha (raga attractions; dwesha repulsion); the origin and end of all. These meanings come from studies of the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras. These meanings really try to englobe a description of a all pervasive self we can all connect to. And meditation on them come to be of truly great effect in ourselves, and may the altars or anything be there to remember. 20.02.2018 Sérgio Ramos
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