Annual Meditation Service

In some parts of India, Onam festival is celebrated to acknowledge our union with Nature. 

The next day is the annual festival for replacing the Yagnopaveetham (holy thread or Poonal) with a new one. Yagnopaveetham or Brahma Sutra means a sacred cover on the body, that is required as accompaniment for the religious prayer services (Yagna). It consists of a thread wound in three loops held together by a knot. Thus we have on either side of the knot three strands. Could they be metaphorically seen as:
Our Connectors of Knowledge, Bias and Ignorance on one side of the knot and our “experience” reflecting our Tranquility, Turbulence and Inertial as a result.
On the other side of the knot are our three equipments of Body, Mind and Intellect through which we get connected to our K, B and I and through which we also endure our “experiences”.

Yagnopaveetham (holy thread or Poonal)

Yagnopaveetham (holy thread or Poonal) exists only as long as the “knot” exists. When the knot is untangled, there is no more knot, nor the loops in the thread it creates!

Through “Objectivity” and “non-attachment” we can untangle the knots in our life and hence the perturbations we go through because of our connectors and the experience they create! For details, please see: https://sipractce.com/2016/09/15/untying-a-knot/   Also see: Figure 4.16, Page 169

The day that follows is set aside for meditation through chanting of Gayatri Mantra.

Mantra or prayer song is chanted traditionally as part of any religious practice. But, “Mantra’ serves many purposes beyond mere recitation or chanting. The Sanskrit word “Mantra” means that which is reflected upon. It implies a deep and sustained introspection on the meaning of the prayer song recited!

Following is the Gayatri Mantra and its translation:

ॐ भूर्भुव॒ स्सुवः॑ तत्स॑ वि॒तुर्वरे᳚ण्यं॒ भर्गो॑ दे॒वस्य॑ धीमहि धियो॒ यो नः॑ प्रचो॒दया᳚त् ॥
oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ suvaḥ tat savitur vareṇyaṃ bhargo devasya dhīmahi dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt
– Rig Veda 3.62.10[13]

Om – Brahman (entire universe);
Bhur – Earth or physical;
Bhuvah – space;
Suvah – Celestial bodies – planets and the Cosmos;
Tat – Supreme Soul or Universal Consciousness;
Savitur – Lord or Sun god;
Varenyam – Fit to be worshiped;
Bhargo – Remover of ignorance;
Devasya – Glory;
Dheemahi – We meditate;
Dhiyo – Intellect;
Yo – Which;
Nah – Our;
Prachodayat: Enlighten / inspire.

We worship that Brahman, Universal Consciousness, enabler of all that is physical (earth), space and beyond (Cosmos). Let us meditate on the personification of that God / Goddess witnessed in the form of the ever glowing Sun. Let the glory of that enabler, remover of all ignorance inspire our intellect and enlighten us.

This prayer song capsulizes the summary of Vedic Philosophy. It also reflects the same meaning as understood from another prayer verse: 

The sun does not furnish the light there, the moon, the stars, or these flashes of lightning in the cloud. How can the light of this fire illuminate thy light? The SELF (Brahman) shines, and all else shines as a result. Everything in the universe reflects but That light. Kathopanishad 5.15. Spirituality in Practice Page 293

Table below lists some examples of the many dimensions we can relate to and the three components or aspects in each. Om or Brahman transcends all these.

Universe	Earth	Space	Cosmos
Time	Past (Before)	Present (Now)	Future
Human	Physical / Living	Subjective (Emotional) / Objective	Integral part of nature
Connectors	Knowledge	Ignorance	Bias
Experience	Tranquil	Inertial	Turbulent
Theological	Heaven	Earth	Hell
State of awareness	Awake	Asleep / Dreaming	Deep sleep
Knowledge	Truth	Lie	unsure

While chanting / repeating the above prayer song, one can meditate on any of the dimensions (rows) listed above. Om is a holistic symbol that takes us beyond any dimension and its components. Symbolism of OM, Page 138.

Reflection on each row in the table above could be a lifelong pursuit. The tradition for annual meditation service may be thought of merely as an initiation or periodic assessment of our true understanding on any of these dimensions and their three aspects?