Mantra: The Divine Word

Following from last week's post on the role of sacred sound in various spiritual traditions, I'd like to delve deeper into the ancient yogic science of sound and mantra. Capturing the essence of mantra (without oversimplifying) is a worthy undertaking, given the volumes of scriptures and thousands of pages of commentary on this profound and nuanced ancient knowledge.

What is a Mantra?

Often thought of as a sacred word repeated in prayer, "mantra" actually translates from Sanskrit as "protecting the mind." The word mantra derives from two related words: 1) 'manana' or 'manas' which mean thinking or mind, and 2) 'trana' which means protection. A mantra protects the mind by infusing it with potent sacred energies and directing one's thoughts from the profane to the sublime.

In Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, he says, Yoga Citta Vittri Niroda. Yoga is stopping the modifications of the mind. Mantra is used to control the fluctuations of the mind by fixing it on a single object or energy. Rather than allowing the mind to generate anxiety, stress and fear, jump from thought to thought, or engage in senseless mind chatter, the mantra interrupts these patterns and injects the mind with a powerful sacred sound.

The energy in a mantra is like a mini atom bomb packing explosive power to redirect and elevate the mind. In fact, most mantras derive their power from the name of a god/goddess, archetype or higher state of consciousness. Jesus told his followers to do everything in his name. Jesus' name is a mantra. Similarly, the Quran reveals the 99 names of Allah - all of them are mantras.

Why Use a Mantra?

Those who have explored mantra understand there are many reasons to work with these magical sounds. While I can share a few reasons here, these cannot be fully understood through words. It is only by direct experience that one can truly discover their power.

First, mantra is a divine tool for manifesting our deepest desires. The creative power of the "Word" is an ancient notion. In Genesis, the scriptures say, "God said: let there be Light and there was Light." God speaks and things appear. In the Hebrew scriptures, the divine "Word" is also conceived as having creative powers. The entire manifest universe springs forth from the Word of God. From Unity flows the Many, from the first utterance of God the entire world process is initiated. Mantra is a sacred tool for empowering creation, both at the individual and cosmic level. Through the use of mantra, we can accelerate creation of our desires and consciously shape our reality.

Second, mantra can fundamentally restructure and elevate our consciousness. The mind is made up of sound - sound in the form of language and meaning. Each mind has a conscious and unconscious sound pattern. According to the ancient yogis, if you want to change your mind, change the sounds in your consciousness. You become as you think. By frequently thinking about the Divine, you become divine. By changing the sounds within the system, you can free yourself from limiting patterns of mind. Ultimately, mantra is a tool of one's own liberation.

How does Mantra work?

Whether using mantra for material creation or spiritual liberation, mantra works in a very special way. Mantra holds together mind and matter, word and object, cause and effect. Mantra collects the attentional energy of the mind, which is typically scattered across hundreds of disparate thoughts, and focuses it so intensely on the object at hand that all duality between subject and object dissolves.

In other words, mantras are like seeds. A seed holds the entire tree within it in potential form. If you sow the seed, it sprouts and matures into a full-grown tree on its own accord in due course. The seed and the tree are one and the same -- they exist as one packet of energy. Similarly with mantra, the word and the object exist as a single packet of energy. The mantra is both cause and effect. Why is that? The mantra interrupts the normal modifications of the mind, fixes it on a single target, and collapses the sense of duality (dissolves any distinction between word and object). The mantra is at once both the seed and the tree.

According to the yogis, to gain significant changes in your life, all you need to do is to rearrange the sound patterns of your own consciousness. This is what mantras do. To seek the direct experience of mantra, and to become attuned to the subtle vibration of these sacred sounds, is a profound exploration.

Comments

[wm1066]

Thanks for reminding me about mantras, I needed that. The idea that a mantrs can be a protective agent for the brain is something I hadn't thought about, but I see the wisdom in it. Also I have felt that the actual word has no meaning beyond what you think is the meaning, vowel sounds can work as well as sanskrit. When you pronounce a mantra your vocal cords vibrate and this can have a calming effect on the brain, think of a cat purring. It can displace nervous energies.

[rickth]

Having used mantra meditation since the early '70's, and experienced the dynamic way a mantra can alter you consciousness, thank you for such a well written article. Too bad for those who can't appreciate the topic, but.. such is life:) Mantras are not limited to " ancient and dead languages" as much as they have tended to originated back then, perhaps because they paid attention to the inner mechanics rather than to watch TV. Mantras can, and do, arise spontaneously within during deep meditation. These are the mantras to follow. Use the "known" ones to get you there. Today there are many studies demonstrating the shifts in brain functioning from mantra meditation, so if you don't believe what Stacy is saying, it might be worth a more open minded look, but maybe not:)

[DharamDev]

The photo associated with this article on the front page is Sri Nityananda on the left and Sri Krishna Caitanya. They are the Supreme Personality of Godhead in Deity form.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu primarily taught that one should constantly chant the Holy Names of Sri Krishna,:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

A few verses He spoke in this regard:

"Simply by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa one can obtain freedom from material existence. Indeed, simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra one will be able to see the lotus feet of the Lord."

"'For spiritual progress in this Age of Kali, there is no alternative, there is no alternative, there is no alternative to the holy name, the holy name, the holy name of the Lord."

"Perspiration, trembling, standing on end of one's bodily hairs, tears, faltering voice, fading complexion, madness, melancholy, patience, pride, joy and humility — these are various natural symptoms of ecstatic love of Godhead, which causes a devotee to dance and float in an ocean of transcendental bliss while chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra."

"'When a person is actually advanced and takes pleasure in chanting the holy name of the Lord, who is very dear to him, he is agitated and loudly chants the holy name. He also laughs, cries, becomes agitated and chants just like a madman, not caring for outsiders."
http://vedabase.net/cc/adi/7/en

[Riverwolf]

Looks like we have a few skeptics in residence, quite angry ones at that. Nothing I can say will change your mind, so I won't try. But you have to experience these things in order to understand what Stacey is saying. Sure, you can "explain" it any way you want--but you're missing the point. Meditation, yoga, mantras and similar practices don't exist to be explained away and discarded. They are practices that if undertaken with diligence and sincerity, can be quite beneficial. Explanations only tell us how something works, and just because you understand how something works doesn't mean it no longer offers any benefits. The key is, it works.

[Ajita]

Nobody here said it doesn't work or tried to "explain away" these concepts. In fact the opposite is true, we are trying to understand them in real terms rather than mystical terms. Modern science understands the value of many traditional thought systems. But we can apply these traditions better if we study them, use statistical analysis to figure out which ones are effective and how they work.
Your aversion to the scientific method is ill-founded. Let me give you an example. We understand a lot about how the body works and this enables us to treat disease with scientific treatments. Understanding how a disease affects the body is key to treating it. You would not dispute the explanation offered by science in such cases, would you? The same is true of meditation and other "mind" concepts. Science will help us figure out which methods work best, by first understanding the how they work. The key is to stop making mystical every concept that we do not understand and to start trying to objectively study these phenomenon.

[DharamDev]

Modern science has no idea at all of the value of bona fide spiritual knowledge.

The scientific method is indicated in mantra 9 of Isopanishad:

"Those who engage in the culture of nescient activities shall enter into the darkest region of ignorance. Worse still are those engaged in the culture of so-called knowledge."

It is the "so-called knowledge." The modern scientific method begins with false assumptions and continues to add one misconception after another, so that one becomes completely bewildered in the quest for absolute truth. So-called scientific knowledge is not only a waste of time; it is actually detrimental to real understanding. By sticking to the empirical method of observation, hypothesis, and testing, which rely upon severely faulty instruments - the mind and senses, one completely misses the rare opportunity for self-realization that human life offers.

Ultimately, the supreme absolute truth is the Personality of Godhead, and one cannot understand God without God's help. The proper understanding, not only of the conclusion but also the method and the way, are concisely stated by Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in Bhagavad-gita 10.8-11:

(to be continued)

[DharamDev]

"I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.

"The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and conversing about Me.

"To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.

"To show them special mercy, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance."

If you actually want to understand the this perspective, I would recommend reading Srila Jiva Gosvami's _Tattva Sandarbha_, which can be read online here:
http://saragrahi.org/Header%20Links/Tattva%20Sandarbha/Tattva%20Sandarbha%20Contents.htm
If you're actually interested in understanding the core of Vedic knowledge, you should definitely read this book. Section 9 specifically relates to your expressed interest.

The required font for properly displaying the diacriticals can be found many places on the web, including here: http://dipika.org/downloads/tamal.zip

[DharamDev]

The weird thing about modern science is that its own methods have revealed that our senses can perceive but a tiny percentage of the material phenomenon, and yet scientists disregard knowledge from beyond sensory perception, even up to the point of declaring that there is no God. There is practically no point in talking with such crazy people.

[True]

this is a nice wrap-up, but i'm surprised you didn't elaborate more on mantra's effectiveness in silencing mind-chatter in meditation. Using mantra is the first thing i recommend to people who say "I want to meditate but I can't concentrate...I get bored."

Secondly, there are ways you can make your own mantras as a way to focus your subconscious to a particular goal. Some people scramble the letters in a "statement of intent," deity, or spiritual principle they want to focus on and use that as a mantra. This route may be preferable for those who's bullshit detector goes off when they look at old-school mantras. Although I would agree a brand-new mantra may be a different "energy" than an old-school mantra...

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

Mutter, mutter, mutter. Am I there yet?

[LexLuthier]

An Indian Sikh I befriended in Atlanta many years ago told me this story (I'll try to condense): A farmer, while plowing, uncovered a bottle, He picked it up, brushed it off, and out popped a genie. The genie, out of gratitude, told the man that he would try to fulfill his every wish and desire for as long as he lived. At first this was a good thing, but after the farmer had fulfilled all of his basic needs, the demands of the genie to be given more and more tasks became problematic. He sought the advice of a man whose wisdom was renowned, and this was the sage's advice: Tell the genie to erect a pole. Then tell him to climb to the top of the pole. When he reaches the top of the pole instruct him to return to the bottom of the pole. Tell him to continue this until you need him for something else.

The genie is the thinking mind. It is a very powerful force capable of many wonderful things, but left to wander it can also become a very negative force. Mantra is to the mind what weightlifting is to the body.

[EspritDeVoltaire]

"The mantra is both cause and effect."? - LOL! As if the gullible don't have enough benighted ignorance to choose from being propagated already. What the world needs now is more systematized superstition.

I've a word for all the "spiritually enlightened" scammers to meditate on, Oink. You may draw your own conclusions after the contemplation of its meaning.

[Ajita]

Whats even more annoying is the use of scientific terms like "energy". What form of energy? How is this energy stored? They don't really mean energy because it is a physical term- what they are really doing is using the credibility that comes with a scientific term, to add to the power of their gooblegook.
The truth is that such mental effects can be analyzed and understood and even practiced in purely straightforward language, but this happens to be the kind of supernatural mumbo-jumbo talk that attracts the new-agey types. There is a real disconnect between the mainstream scientific ideas about the brain and its mental manifestations, and the spiritualists who have collected information over centuries about such manifestations but lack the naturalistic tools to understand them in rational terms.

[DharamDev]

Would you prefer the exclusive use of the Sanskrit words such as shakti or prakriti? How would that help people who don't speak Sanskrit to understand? I suspect that you would make the same objection if we used Sanskrit words instead. Anyway, I cannot speak for the impersonalist tradition that Stacey is into, but in the Vaishnava tradition to which I belong, we try to use words that can be understood by the persons to whom we are speaking. Often that means interchanging between languages as a way of introducing the authentic terminology.

Modern empirical science is like looking into a room from the outside, whereas engagement in spiritual practices is like entering the room and interacting with the other inhabitants. Do you really think that the outside observer, who never goes into the room, has a better conception of what is happening in there?

[ga4ry]

so why is it that these mantras all come from ancient and dead languages. Is it because the older the language the more in tune with the cosmic vibe it is? If this is true I think we should go back to the even older forms of speech, a good mantra would be "oog nog chumb" roughly translated it means "setting your child on fire is a bad thing" but when repeated ten thousand times it means "let nothing like thoughts bother me"
I can only assume that in thousands of years our language will be envoked as a mantra maker, what will it sound like; Owhatashitiam, hummm

[DharamDev]

What do you mean "dead languages?" There are two universities in India that teach in Sanskrit; the Vedic texts that form the basis for the religious life of hundreds of millions of people are in Sanskrit; and Sanskrit is integral to our very existence. That last fact you can learn about by studying the chakra sounds.

Sanskrit literally means "the language crafted to perfection," and if you study it you will see that it actually has the qualities of perfection. For example, it has a 1:1 relationship between sound and meaning. Also, the written form, called Devanagari (literally meaning "city of the gods"), has a 1:1 relationship between form and sound.

One of the teachings in kundalini yoga is that the proper chanting of mantras in their original language triggers specific states of consciousness by way of the different vibrations and actions of the tongue on the nerves of the mouth.

Personally, I keep a vow to chant daily 1,728 repetitions of the Hare Krishna mahantra, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare; with increasing delight the more I chant. That's 16 rounds on 108 beads, which takes about 2 hours per day, if chanted rapidly with good concentration. Traditionally, devotees have chanted this mantra 6,912 repetitions daily, and some great sages have honored vows chanting 20,736 repetitions, or about 22 hours per day. No one could do this unless it were to provide an incomparable, inconceivable taste of ecstasy.