As I mentioned during our lesson this afternoon, mantra and meditation are not the same as relaxation. Of course, a person should be completely @ ease before meditating. The repetition of any meaningless sound can induce a state of relaxation. We've all had moments where we've fired off a bunch of tra-la-la-la-la's in our lives, or some similar sound. It is fun and can feel fantastic, but this is not mantra. Nor is dogmatically repeating the same thing over and over. I'm certainly not advocating uttering meaningless sounds or mindless dogma in order to relax and meditate. Quite the contrary.
So, what is mantra? It is a genuine sound vibration that exists in the causal and astral realms (not just the physical realm). When properly given and utilized it leads to a state of stillness. It fixes the mind upon peace and higher states of consciousness are possible. This state can and will lead to meditation. And all meditation is indeed transcendental.
There are Four Basic types of mantra. These are,
1) Vedic mantras
2) Upanishadic mantras
3) Tantric mantras
4) Puranic mantras
Today, we practiced 3 mantras:
*AUM: The Basic Holy Mantra
*OM Shanti, Shanti, Shantih: the Mantra of Tranquility and Peace
*OM Namo Bhagavate Vasu Devaya: the Kriya Mantra
This is the mantra traditionally given to all kriya-jyothis (wisdom-seekers) and kriya-bans (devotion-seekers). This meaning is difficult to understand on a surface level, but it is understood to mean, "Oh, Infinite Lord, Indweller in the hearts of all beings, unto You do I turn my consciousness." It can also be directly translated as, "OM. Hail! Lord of the Breath!"
Any of these three mantras could be the subject of an entire hour or the practice or an entire lifetime. I chose these three for their distinct benefits to the beginning meditator. Chanting a mantra correctly and devoutly is of extreme importance. Mantra should not be practiced while participating in other activities, for instance washing dishes or taking out the garbage. The study of any given mantra on your being is to be done with the correct attitude. Given the complexity and variety of mantras that are available to the seeker, I can not go into enough depth in this blog to do the subject justice. What I would suggest instead is that you learn the correct pronunciation of each of these three mantras and then make the time to practice each one on your own. Choose a mantra that is meaningful to you and study it in depth. The temple of Kriya Yoga in Chicago has several books on mantra as well as audio recordings to practice with. But @ some point, to truly get the meaning of a mantra, you are going to have to practice on your own without a recording. You will learn to chant the mantra in your own way and feel the mantra deep within your being. There is no substitute for this experience. It is simply like nothing else you have ever tried or will ever do. Below, I have pasted the link to the temple of Kriya Yoga.
http://www.yogakriya.org/
Feel free to contact them to obtain books, CD's and other material on mantra.
Another source for listening to mantra is youtube. I've pasted links to recordings of three of the mantras we studied today below:
AUM
OM Shanti, Shanti, Shantih
OM Namo Bhagavate Vasu Devaya
The nice thing about youtube is that it is totally FREE. The problem is that there is a lot of advertising and, since anyone can post there, much misinformation. I could only find one post, for example, w/ the correct pronunciation of the OM Shanti mantra and it is a scant 20 seconds long. However, my purpose for presenting the links was simply to make it easy for you to hear how the sanskrit words are pronounced, then you can turn the computer off and practice on your own.
Of course, I would be delighted to give any of you a private lesson on mantra or any other subject pertaining to Kriya Yoga. We meet as a group every Tuesday and some Sundays. If those days and times are not convenient for you, I will make arrangements to meet with you privately @ a day and time that works better w/ your schedule. You can call, text or e-mail me 24/7 and I will get back to you as soon as possible to make arrangements to meet with you.
In the meantime, I leave you with these suggestions for practicing mantra. A quiet place of meditation is recommended. Find meaningful items to place in your meditation space to set the right vibration. Flowers or incense, are lovely. I do not recommend photos of human beings as these tend to be more of a distraction, from my experience. Before beginning any mantra, you may want to practice some pranayama to quiet the mind. Some teachers recommend reading from scriptures or other sources of inspiration. Poetry can be appropriate for some. Be certain to practice during a time when you are totally unrushed and don't have anything else planned. This is your time. Enjoy it. The whole purpose of practicing mantra is to find some degree of peace. Do not let yourself get hung-up on what the mantra literally means. It is the feeling that it brings to you that matters. Every mantric word does, of course, have a meaning, but it is the feeling that is evoked by you, through you, and by the repetition that is of greatest importance. And, after the chanting is finished, sitting with the feeling of it and letting go of everything else is where the true value is found. For this letting go, this state of bliss, is the meditative state.
Namaste,
S.