(This is an excerpt from a University Of Metaphysical Sciences course at www.umsonline.org, please feel free to visit the school website)
Written by Christine Breese D.D., Ph.D. (Mantras)
and Joe Shermis (Mudras)
Introduction
Mantras are a phrase or word that is repeated over and over again during meditation. They are meant to assist the user in reaching a higher state of consciousness, especially as relates to the particular mantra being used. It is a very widely used technique, especially in Tibetan, Sufi, Hindu and Orthodox Christian traditions. Sogyal Rinpoche said in the book The Tibetan Book Of Living And Dying, “Mantra is the essence of sound and the embodiment of the truth in the form of sound. Each syllable is impregnated with spiritual power, condenses a spiritual truth and vibrates with the blessing of the speech of the buddhas… So when you chant a mantra you are charging your breath and energy with the energy of the mantra…”
The chanting of a mantra is believed to cleanse the negativity in the person chanting it. It is considered “yoga for the mind.” It also brings blessing to the chanter. It is also believed that sound waves travel from the person’s mouth and invoke powerful and particular cosmic forces, much the way a magic word like “abracadabra” did in fairy tales. The Sanskrit alphabet is believed to carry special properties in each of its fifty letters. In Tibetan Buddhism, certain sounds are believed to call particular deities to you. The word mantra comes from the Sanskrit “mantrana,” meaning advice or suggestion. A mantra suggests to the mind the meanings in the phrase and the mind responds to its interpretation of that meaning. Mantras that were used by followers of particular gurus were called mahamantras (great mantras) because it was believed that the mantra held an especially potent power to influence the mind of the user.
Mantras are used in almost all religious practices to some extent or another,
even though they may not be called by that word. For instance, the repeated
Hail Mary or Our Father prayers that are spoken in Catholic practices
are mantras, in a way. The repeated “Praise the Father” in
Christian traditions where the priest reads and the audience answers are
like mantras, focusing the minds of those present on that which is divine.
Some schools of thought believe that there is no inherent value or power
in the sound itself, but in the tendency of the mind to calm down because
of the repetition of the sound. Therefore, one could make any sound, use
any phrase, or use any word and still derive the benefits of a mantra
meditation. The most basic mantra is a single word or syllable repeated
over and over, like the word “Om.” Other mantras are in the
form of a prayer and can be quite lengthy.
A mantra could be used out loud or silently in the mind. The idea is to
give the mind something to do while the deeper consciousness begins to
operate on its own track in centeredness. Therefore, you are able to carry
two tracks of consciousness at once, the observer and the observed. At
first the consciousness may be focused on the mantra, but eventually the
mantra falls away and the consciousness is what is left, silent, steady,
and unwavering in its focus. The mind is repeating the mantra in an “automatic-pilot”
fashion, and the consciousness is free of the human mind. Eventually,
the human mind becomes so quiet that it does not even need to repeat the
mantra anymore in order to remain still. It simply “falls asleep”
and remains inert while the deepest consciousness comes to the surface.