Saturday, January 28, 2017
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Mantra Chanting Experiment
People all over the world have used mantras from ancient times.
Mantras were popular in India and still are. Believers chant them for different benefits-health, wealth, and for other material goals. However, the highest purpose of mantra chanting is to purify the mind to make it fit for enlightenment. Still, without experiencing fulfilment of material desires, man doesn't start thinking about enlightenment.
The aim is to complete it sitting or standing, in one or two sessions. It has to be done in an alert state of mind, hence standing up may be necessary sometimes,
Mantras were popular in India and still are. Believers chant them for different benefits-health, wealth, and for other material goals. However, the highest purpose of mantra chanting is to purify the mind to make it fit for enlightenment. Still, without experiencing fulfilment of material desires, man doesn't start thinking about enlightenment.
A major concern of mankind is wealth. Many times our best efforts to procure wealth do not bear fruit. One reason is the negative karma from current and previous lifetimes. Mantras help us remove the effects of bad karma and attract the desired goal.
After reading this article, and this I wanted to test out the efficacy of mantra-chanting.
I am starting an experiment with the Mahalakshmi mantra for prosperity:
I am starting an experiment with the Mahalakshmi mantra for prosperity:
"Aum Gam Shreem Mahalakshmyai Swaha"
In Hinduism, Mahalakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and prosperity.
Shreem is the root syllable (bija mantra) for MahaLakshmi; Gam is the bija mantra for Lord Ganesha, who removes all obstacles.
The Plan
The plan of the experiment is to chant a minimum of 108 mantras or more (not more than 1080) everyday, for 41 days.
The aim is to complete it sitting or standing, in one or two sessions. It has to be done in an alert state of mind, hence standing up may be necessary sometimes,
I will share the results here with you.
Day 01 11/01/17
Competed today's quota of Mahalakshmi mantra and some more.
I do trading for a living. Today wasn't a good day trade wise - a bad day.
However, there are several positive changes I noticed.
I am feeling very energetic and upbeat. I wrote two blog posts today.
I am also feeling very confident. Previously I used to shy away from taking chances and exposing myself, for fear of what my circle of family and acquaintances will think...Now, I feel that it doesn't matter... trying is everything.
I am also training to be a freelance writer. I got a number of ideas today on how to improve my writing. If you're aspiring to be a writer, you may find them useful. They are here : Polishing up your writing.
Towards the evening, I observed something interesting in Crude Oil price around the time of a lunar ingress. Lunar ingress is the period where the Moon changes signs: It happens roughly every two and a half days. If the trading volume is large enough, the price tends to reverse around that time. You need stop loss, risk and money management, of course. No method is fool proof in trading.
So these are the results of the first day of chanting:
I do trading for a living. Today wasn't a good day trade wise - a bad day.
However, there are several positive changes I noticed.
I am feeling very energetic and upbeat. I wrote two blog posts today.
I am also feeling very confident. Previously I used to shy away from taking chances and exposing myself, for fear of what my circle of family and acquaintances will think...Now, I feel that it doesn't matter... trying is everything.
I am also training to be a freelance writer. I got a number of ideas today on how to improve my writing. If you're aspiring to be a writer, you may find them useful. They are here : Polishing up your writing.
Towards the evening, I observed something interesting in Crude Oil price around the time of a lunar ingress. Lunar ingress is the period where the Moon changes signs: It happens roughly every two and a half days. If the trading volume is large enough, the price tends to reverse around that time. You need stop loss, risk and money management, of course. No method is fool proof in trading.
So these are the results of the first day of chanting:
- High level of optimism, energy, and confidence.
- A stream of new ideas has opened up
Day 02 12/01/17
Completed today's quota of mantras.
Day 03 13/01/17
My trading temperament seems to be sobering up.
By evening, had a profitable trade in Crude.
By evening, had a profitable trade in Crude.
Day 04 14/01/17
Completed today's quota of mantras.
Keeping a log of planned activities online ensures that I'll complete the task. In that sense this weblog is useful.
I am experiencing higher energy levels after starting this experiment. More energy to complete tasks and makes them really enjoyable, too.
Note: When you are starting a discipline like this, sometimes you may experience emotional seesaws. Prepare yourself to tide over any such disturbances by dedicating a few minutes to breath observation everyday Watching the breath is an excellent way to heal emotional upheavals.
Keeping a log of planned activities online ensures that I'll complete the task. In that sense this weblog is useful.
I am experiencing higher energy levels after starting this experiment. More energy to complete tasks and makes them really enjoyable, too.
Note: When you are starting a discipline like this, sometimes you may experience emotional seesaws. Prepare yourself to tide over any such disturbances by dedicating a few minutes to breath observation everyday Watching the breath is an excellent way to heal emotional upheavals.
Day 05 15/01/17
I just completed today's quota of chanting mantras.
My mind was not focused during the entire session. Still, completed somehow. Felt rather strangely emotionally upset, too.
Breathing into it and remembering Karma seemed to have brought some calm.
My mind was not focused during the entire session. Still, completed somehow. Felt rather strangely emotionally upset, too.
Breathing into it and remembering Karma seemed to have brought some calm.
Day 06 16/01/17
Completed today's quota of mantras. Nothing worth mentioning except that some coincidences have been happening. Indications of some desired outcomes occurring without my taking any initiative. I will post them here once they completely manifest.
Day 07 17/01/17
I completed today's quota of mantras.
The incidents that manifested today were:
My car had been serviced last week. I'd told the service centre to check out the suspension, as it was a bit bumpy for a two year old car. Later I found out they hadn't checked it. When I complained, they neither denied it nor acknowledged their mistake. They just asked me to come around for a recheck, which I didn't want to do. It'd take another half day, and also they were bound to honor their commitment.
They called about three times, and the issue wasn't getting better.
After I started chanting the mantra, on the 6th day, they called and asked if I could bring the car. When I expressed my inability,they agreed to pick up and service the car. There was no need of persuasion. Today they came and did it.
So far, so good.
For the past two days, I've been experiencing some emotional ups and downs, and there were some arguments in the family. It passed off without escalating, thank fully.
Meanwhile, I came upon an interesting booklet "It works" by Byron Katie. It's very short, just about 14 pages, and hence the claim of the title " It works!" Good books do not have to be long, they do deliver the goods.
Some interesting excerpts from this book:
"...
You can download it for free here.
Completed 11 malas (11x108) today.
Changed the plan to increase chanting to a maximum of one extra mala (1080) everyday.
Three losing trades today.
The incidents that manifested today were:
My car had been serviced last week. I'd told the service centre to check out the suspension, as it was a bit bumpy for a two year old car. Later I found out they hadn't checked it. When I complained, they neither denied it nor acknowledged their mistake. They just asked me to come around for a recheck, which I didn't want to do. It'd take another half day, and also they were bound to honor their commitment.
They called about three times, and the issue wasn't getting better.
After I started chanting the mantra, on the 6th day, they called and asked if I could bring the car. When I expressed my inability,they agreed to pick up and service the car. There was no need of persuasion. Today they came and did it.
So far, so good.
For the past two days, I've been experiencing some emotional ups and downs, and there were some arguments in the family. It passed off without escalating, thank fully.
Meanwhile, I came upon an interesting booklet "It works" by Byron Katie. It's very short, just about 14 pages, and hence the claim of the title " It works!" Good books do not have to be long, they do deliver the goods.
Some interesting excerpts from this book:
"...
| I noticed that I wasn’t breathing—I was being breathed. Then I also noticed, to my amazement, that I wasn’t thinking—that I was actually being thought... ...Do you wake up in the morning and say to yourself, “ I think I won’t think today”? It’s too late: You’re already thinking!..... Thoughts just appear. They come out of nothing and go back to nothing, like clouds moving across the empty sky. They come to pass, not to stay. There is no harm in them until we attach to them as if they were true...." |
You can download it for free here.
Day 08 18/01/17
Completed today's quota of mantras.
Since the chanting started, there has been an improvement in my trading performance, though no windfall has occurred. I am using very small capital at the moment.
Since the chanting started, there has been an improvement in my trading performance, though no windfall has occurred. I am using very small capital at the moment.
Day 09 19/01/17 through Day 12 22/01/17
Completed daily quota of chanting mantra.
Day 13 23/01/17
Changed the plan to increase chanting to a maximum of one extra mala (1080) everyday.
Three losing trades today.
Day 14 24/01/17
Completed 12 x 108 mantras.
Today morning got a profitable trade in ICICIBANK.
Day 15 25/01/17
Completed 11x108 mantras.
Two profitable trades-Crude which I entered yesterday night, and ICICI, today.
Day 16 26/01/17
Completed 14x108 mantras.
Day 17 27/01/17
Completed 15x108 mantras.
Profitable trades in Crude and ICICI today. ICICI was to be delivery, but because results were very good, closed today itself.
Day 18 28/01/17 through Day 20 30/01/17
Completed the daily quota of mantras, increasing one mala a day.
Day 21 31/01/17
Completed 20x108. Had the second successful lunar ingress trade tonight,
Chanting has improved my trading in these ways:
- Guides me to read specific articles, that help my trading
- Helped me to formulate and stick to trading rules--trading once in eight hours, abiding by risk reward ratio, 5% vaR, sticking to one instrument and one strategy for one month
- Stabilised my emotional rollercoaster
Day 22 01/02/17
Completed 22x108.
One winning trade in Crude.
One winning trade, and one loss in ICICI. The swing trade entered on 30/1/17 turned out to be a win, night one loss in Crude.
One winning trade in Crude.
Day 23 02/02/17
Completed 23x108One winning trade, and one loss in ICICI. The swing trade entered on 30/1/17 turned out to be a win, night one loss in Crude.
Day 24 03/02/17
Completed 24x108.
Losing day, Broke trading rules. Entered too many trades. Lunar ingress seems unreliable when there is another ingress (today Venus ingressed into Aries).
Day 25 04/02/17 through Day 41 20/02/17
Completed 41.
Bad day in trading. Losses. I had grown accustomed to range trading so was caught off guard when it trended today.
As per plan, the experiment concluded today. However, as the results were encouraging, I'd like to continue the practice. For how long, I have no idea.
Bad day in trading. Losses. I had grown accustomed to range trading so was caught off guard when it trended today.
As per plan, the experiment concluded today. However, as the results were encouraging, I'd like to continue the practice. For how long, I have no idea.
Day 42 21/02/17
Completed 42.
Very bad day. Large losses. Crude oil trend continued strongly even though it was overbought.
Very bad day. Large losses. Crude oil trend continued strongly even though it was overbought.
Friday, January 06, 2017
How Jeannette Walls Spins Good Stories Out of Bad Memories
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/26/magazine/how-jeannette-walls-spins-good-stories-out-of-bad-memories.html
A very touching review by Alex Wichel:
A very touching review by Alex Wichel:
Wednesday, January 04, 2017
Monday, January 02, 2017
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