Reflecting On “All Is Perfect” With Shri ShantiMayi

In explaining “All is perfect” in her book In Our Hearts We Know, ShantiMayi shows us that the mantra Om Purnamadah is a powerful sadhana “… to apprehend the unspeakable, unknowable ‘Essence of Existence’ – the Universal Principle that weaves the dream-like quality into a viable experience.”

Here, we have given only the opening paragraphs, the introduction to the topic, but her explanation is contained in a whole chapter – which gives us the whole picture. Further on, after the paragraphs we quote, we learn, for example, that:

“This mantra is so profound. With clarity such as this, you go beyond the need to understand. This wisdom does not depend on the rational mind. It is realized through the core or your being. Its deeper implications are realized through spiritual wisdom and might take a lifetime to learn.”

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only the perfect remains

understanding and beyond

THE HIDDEN BEAUTY IN TRUTH IS... whatever is, is Truth. Whatever is not, is also Truth. There is no arrival, nor was there any departure. This is perfect as well as imperfect – both are true in essence.

Gosh!… Doesn’t that just turn your heart inside out ?

ALL IS PERFECT

How can I see the perfection in things that are all seemingly imperfect?

Understanding that “all is perfect” is not a small, personal, or dualistic view. It is a grand view attained through insight and realization. It is a cosmic view. We often feel that such an insight doesn’t apply to our daily lives, but it does. When your understanding encompasses the ways of the universe, useless fears, like the fear of death, disappear and drop away, and you are prepared for the challenges that life brings. The Upanishands (1) contain a mantra that is a very powerful sadhana – – a vehicle for reaching the incomprehensible (2) understanding. It is akin to Christ’s teaching about being in the world, but not of it…

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(All the footnotes are from the text.)

1 The Vedas are the ancient scriptures of the Hindus and the Upanishads are the philosophical books of the Vedas. Very complex very deep… yet when our eyes have been opened by wisdom, the teachings are available. In my view you get from the Upanishads what you are capable of understanding. The teachings and topics are somewhat veiled in their language and require a spiritual maturity to create the resonance needed to extract their deeper meaning. The Upanishands are the root of non-dualism. Non-dualism awakens the student of wisdom to go beyond their rational mind into an intuitive tacit clarity so that the experience of Totality is possible.

2 Incomprhensible means unlocking the logical penned-in mentality to apprehend the unspeakable, unknowable “Essence of Existence” – the Universal Principle that weaves the dream-like quality into a viable experience. Intuition and resonance, silence, devotion, willingness, wisdom, yielding, strength, courage and openness are entrances beyond the superficial and into the incomprehensible.

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Here is the mantra in the original Sanskrit…

Om Purnamadah Purnam idam Purnath

Purnam udachate Purnasya purnam udaya

Purnam evava sheshate

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

Purna means “full, complete, total, and perfect”… This perfection is as things are. It is accurate, and it is so, and does not hinge on the approval or disapproval, acceptace or non-acceptance, of anyone whatsoever. Whether you ever understand or not, this is so. If you begin to analyse this, even slightly, you will not receive its deeper meaning.

The English translation (3) for this mantra is:

This is perfect

That is perfect

From the perfect

Springs the perfect

Take the perfect

From the perfect

And only the perfect remains

OM… peace, peace, peace

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Footnote

3 This particular translation of the mantra is tantalizingly compelling because we have loads of ideas about perfection. Yet this mantra says all is perfect as it is. Here you cannot grapple with the notion of what you think perfection is; if you do, the real meaning slips away. With this mantra, you take a moment of silence and let it sink in. This particular translation is found in the Guru Gita from Swami Muktananda’s Siddha Foundation. Yet, I believe it to be a wildy used translation that may not have originated there. The mantra is found at the end of the Isha Upanishad.

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Since everything is perfect as it is, then why do we feel the need to pray for things to be different than they are?

Understand that the prayer and the one praying are also included in this perfection. Purna means total and not exclusive. The people who live life with a prayer in their heart for the benefit of all beings are as perfect as the perceived imperfection they are praying about – it’s a perfect circle.

To access this wisdom is one of the deepest, most difficult, and yet most freeing insights available to you: to simply allow the universe to be exactly as it is. […] (Pages 79 – 82)

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