“Mind your own Business” - the Mantra
Mind your own business: one of the greatest mantras can seem - to the uninitiated - cold and uncaring. But it can actually keep you aligned to your own goals and intentions when practiced mindfully and with loving-kindness.
I heard it told as a story at Ananda Ashram in Monroe, New York that when Guruji, the Teacher and Founder of the Ashram was asked for initiation through a mantra that he only gave one and it was in English.
Mind your own business.
He also taught a whole heck of a lot of Sanskrit and not just from Yogic texts but also through the study and interpretation of the Vedas, Upanishads and whole lot more. This kind of study opens up a multi-dimensional understanding of any mantra in any language.
Sanskrit is the language of the Gods and the Rishis. And this is not meant to be poetic - writing and studying Devanagari for pure joy and not for scholarly or any kind accolades simply as play - is extraordinary.
Mind your own business:
In English as an initiatory mantra takes you out of the pursuit of any of spiritual practice as anything even lofty or God-like or out of reach for many. It was always shocking to me that not everyone loved Biochemistry and Ecology but it was really my professors who made the subjects open up literal Universes.
Gurus and teachers are incredibly important. Sanskrit was a foreign language until I understood a little bit more of its substance and its history in my own Mother Tongue of Tagalog. I was already speaking Sanskrit but just didn’t know it.
Mind your own business.
As a teacher in a class full of students. As a friend who wishes to support others. As a parent who guides children. From the standpoint of partnership in business, in love, in family. As a member of a community. In an intimate relationship.
You can look at this mantra, this short phrase in a million different ways.
As a performer on stage. As an artist.
In this world where we seek to understand “feedback” - and while feedback is indeed a gift — it cannot be given nor received without permission. Giving feedback or receiving feedback without permission is invasive and unwanted and can wreak havoc on the untrained mind.
Mind your own business.
When you mind your own business, your business thrives, not just the business that brings you money, but truly your own business.
In the busy-ness of life - notice when you are too busy minding others’ business and not your own. In yoga this can mean projecting one’s self out of your own body so much so that you believe that what you see is who you are.
Yoga guides you back into not identifying with what is Seen - rather identify with the Seer.
This is your own true business.
Tada drashtuh svarupe avasthanam.
Then, like magic, the Seer stands as their own Self, in their own magnificent form.
Jaya Guruji.
Jaya yoga.
Om shantih,
Sumukhi