Swami Dharmananda
From The House of Wisdom
Published by O Books |
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Mantra Yoga utilises the power of sound as a method of inducing introspection and subtle mental changes, and to invoke mental and psychic manifestations.
– Swami Satyananda
If used correctly mantra is a sure way towards understanding and achieving knowledge of the spiritual Self. It is a tool that can focus our awareness with full protection and liberates us from chaotic thought-waves of the mind. Today many people in the West are more aware of mantra and its uses than ever before. The pioneering work of the English Benedictine monk John Main, who was introduced to Eastern meditation by Swami Sivananda, has led numerous Christians to use the ancient Aramaic prayer ‘Maranatha’ (Come Lord) as a form of mantra practice.
In the book Christian Yogic Meditation by Father Amaldas, he writes about using Om Nama Christaya (prostrations to the Lord Jesus Christ) as a mantra practice, and others that can be used, such as Yeshu Yeshu Yeshuve (Jesus, Jesus, Jesus) and Yeshu Yeshu Jai Jai Abba (Glory to Jesus, glory to the Father). The Eastern Christian practice of using the Jesus Prayer, where one verbally or mentally repeats ‘Lord Jesus Christ have mercy upon me’ with each breath, has also been adopted by Christian contemplatives in the West.
There are many types of mantras available on CD, and these are becoming popular for relaxation and stress release. In some cases this is leading to further enquiry about meditation practices and mantra for spiritual development. But perhaps a little more knowledge regarding mantra would not go amiss.
Mantra, Kirtan and Japa
Kirtan is the singing or chanting of the names of the Divine Lord – giving praise to God. This practice is usually performed at the end of other practices. It is said to release and liberate excess energy. Chanting in unison is slightly different and has a different effect and is usually practised in the morning or before meditation to focus the mind.
Japa is the repetition of a mantra. This can be a seed (bija) mantra, which I will describe later, or a deity mantra (a mantra chanted to a particular God, such as Shiva, Krishna or the Mother). Japa is considered to be one of the most direct ways to Self-realisation, as it is said to be able to remove the impurities that mask the spiritual light and truth within us.
Usually the mantra used would be a meditative mantra, which is often used to help dispel the darkness of ignorance. Swami Sivananda says in his book The Practice of Yoga that, “The efficiency of the Japa is accentuated according to the degree of concentration. The mind should be fixed on the source. Then only will you realise the maximum benefits of a Mantra”.
For those who wish to practise japa and do not have a mantra, the use of So-ham is advised (mentally repeat So on the inhalation and ham on the exhalation). This mantra, known as the breath mantra, is suitable for all students and means ‘I am That’, which can be interpreted as ‘I am a spark of the Divine that is both within and beyond all existence’.
It is said that with every breath we take the So-ham mantra is manifest, so this is obviously a very practical mantra to use. If you are not already practising japa, this can be a good one to start with. If you are prepared to experiment, you will eventually find a form of mantra practice that will be suitable for you.
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The Role of Mantra
Mantra is an important part of yoga. It plays a large part in the practice of bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion. Chanting or singing hymns of devotion – no matter what religion – helps to bring about a deeper awareness of our relationship with the sacred and with the Divine that permeates all.
In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, mantra is part of his system for enlightenment. Sutra 17 of chapter 3 states, “By making samyama on the sound of the Word (Om), one’s perception of its meaning, and one’s reaction to it, one obtains understanding of all sounds uttered by beings”. The word samyama refers to a combination of concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana) and meditative absorption (samadhi), through which one attains freedom from conditioned worldly existence (samsara).
‘In the beginning was the Word.’
Mantra is a creative instrument that can help us in our development. It is a force, as is all sound, which is a vibration and gives rise to definite forms. St. John’s Gospel reminds us of this in the opening passage: “In the beginning was the Word …”
As sound mantra can be constructive/creative or destructive. What caused the walls of Jericho to fall? Therefore, remember that mantra should be used with the right attitude of mind.
The effect of sound is such that certain mantras and devotional songs (ragas) are only performed at particular times of the day, as it is accepted that different times, such as sunrise and sunset, have different vibrations and energies. It is said that the Vedic teachings – which includes the Upanishads – have ‘inner meaning’ and should be verbally quoted. This indicates that the intonation and metre of certain words can be used as a method for discovering the inner wisdom of these teachings. This is something that is often overlooked, and reminds us that just silently reading the Vedas can neglect an important facet of their power.
Seed Mantras
Bija mantras means ‘seed mantras’ in English. Swami Radha poetically wrote about them in the following passage:
Each Mantra has a bija or seed. This is the essence of the Mantra and it gives the Mantra its special power – its self-generating power. Just as within a seed is hidden a tree, so the energy in the Mantra is the seed from which all will grow a beautiful spiritual being.
Not only do the chakras have associated seed mantras, but also each has a particular note/sound making a musical scale. The different pitch (swara) and form (varma) of each note will have different effects on the nervous system and consciousness. Some seed mantras have subtle meanings which are not conveyed openly. In connection with the chakras, we have the ‘five great elements’ (mahabhutas), of which each have their own seed mantra:
| Seed Mantra |
Description |
| Lam |
Prithivi (earth) |
| Vam |
Apa (water) |
| Ram |
Agni (fire) |
| Yam |
Vayu (air) |
| Ham |
Akasha (ether) |
The great elements mantras are said to activate the various elements existing within man and woman, according to the method of repetition given by the guru.
The elements and every deity have their own seed letter (bija-akshara). Strictly speaking a seed mantra consists of a single letter. For example, the letter R (ra sound) in the yogic tradition represents one of the five great elements, namely fire. But the seed mantra is pronounced as ‘Ram’, as a consonant cannot be pronounced without a vowel. Hence the ‘ra’ sound as mentioned above, but with an added ‘m’.
The ‘m’ is known as the termination of the vowel. It is sounded with a particular form of nasal breathing done in yoga (termed candra-bindu), which has links with the Absolute manifestation of sound (nada) within us and the universe.
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Practices of Mantra
Mantra repetition can be performed in several ways, such as verbal repetition (vaikhari japa), whispered repetition (upamshu japa) or mental repetition (manasika japa).
Even writing with mental repetition (likhita japa) is a form of mantra practice, as the words are still being repeated in one’s mind. Organic note-taking during a lecture or talk on mantra can also be viewed as a form of practice. Done with the right frame of mind it can prove to be just as effective as any other form of mantra practice.
Swami Sivananda described mantra practice as, “A sacred word or syllable, or set of words, through the repetition and reflection of which one attains perfection or realisation of the Self”. We can only know this through experience, so we can only know by practising some form of mantra.
The Healing Power of Mantra
The therapeutic value of mantra is in bringing the four elements – earth, water, fire, air and ether – into equipoise. It is generally considered in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine that when the four elements within us are working in harmony with one another, our health and body’s energies will be synchronised and balanced.
The rhythmical vibrations of the mantra are seen to regulate unsteady vibrations of the various sheaths (koshas) connected to the individual. They also help to clear any blockages in our energy flow.
Although seed mantras have no literal meaning in themselves, they can have significant inner, subtle implications. When used, spiritual awareness can be heightened, which aids the holistic healing process of harmonising our bodies, minds, feelings and Spirit. If we consider the power of Om – the Word of Creation – then why should we doubt the power of sound and mantra to have healing properties? In Swami Sivananda’s excellent Science of Yoga series he states:
Chronic disease can be cured by Mantra. Chanting of Mantras generates potent spiritual waves, or divine vibrations. Mantras remove the root cause of suffering. They fill the cells with pure Sattva, or divine energy. They destroy the microbes and vivify the cells and tissues.
As mentioned, sounds are vibrations. Amazingly they also create different shapes. Scientific studies have shown how notes produced by the voice and certain instruments can be traced-out on a tray of sand and produce distinctive geometrical shapes, such as waves or circular patterns.
I have seen a similar experiment using equipment such as an oscilloscope. Various patterns were created by using varied notes and note combinations. The mantra Om, when chanted with the correct vibration, produced a perfect circle. Therefore, support can be given to the yogic belief that sounds create shapes. If sound can do this, then it would appear that sound may also have the power to change the shape of molecules and should, therefore, have the potential to bring about changes in health.
Further support for sound in healing is given by the use of ultrasonic and infrasonic treatment by medical practitioners in clinics and hospitals and by many physiotherapists treating sports injuries. Music is being used in many cases, including the treatment of cancer in order to bring about a state of relaxation that can aid the healing process.
Recent research into music therapy has dramatically helped some children with Asperger’s syndrome (a mild autistic disorder that is more common in boys) to connect and relate more with and understand others, and express themselves and communicate in an increased natural way. The therapist plays a piano and sings in various ways that highlight – through changing keys, volume and rhythm – the child’s moods, which helps him or her to get more in touch with and understand his or her emotions and how to interact with others. The results in some cases have been quite remarkable.
The chanting of certain mantras can be used to bring about a feeling of inner peace and well being. It can bring calmness to an over active or a troubled mind, or an unbalanced physical body. This in itself is an important element of healing.
There are some mantras, when repeated in certain ways, are credited with healing powers for specific diseases. Some of the vowels are said to stimulate areas of the body. The Maha-mritunjaya mantra (Om trayambakam yajamahe sugandhim pushtivardhanam, urvarukamiva bandhanaan, mrityor muskshiya maamritaat) is considered an extremely powerful healing and protective mantra and translates as the following:
We worship the three-eyed Lord (Shiva) of excellent fragrance, the increaser of welfare. Just as the cucumber from its binding/vine may be released from death, not from immortality.
However, we must always remember that mantra needs to be used with care, or adverse conditions can be created, as it may awaken energies that we are not ready to handle. We are, after all, using a powerful tool that can bring about great changes in spiritual development. So we must proceed gently and wisely in mantra practice.
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The Sacred Sound of Om
The subtle energies of the body spread like spokes from a hub,
And where they meet, there is found the all-supporting Brahman.
Realise the Self as Om. Thus may you safely cross the waters of
darkness and reach the farther shore of light.
– Mundaka Upanishad
The greatest of all seed mantras is the Pranava: the Om mantra. It is the most powerful of all mantras, the symbol – or sound – of Creation and Brahman, the Supreme Absolute/God. Om contains and is considered as the seed of all the other bija mantras. It is the sound from which all other sounds emanate. The Mandukya Upanishad reminds us that, “Om the imperishable Sound, is the Seed of all that exists”.
According to the ancient teachings of the Vedas and the Upanishads, Om is the primordial sound from which the whole universe was created, is sustained by and into which it will eventually dissolve.
The sound of Om is seen as the basis of all sound, consisting of three components: A, U and M. Together these encompass all sound vibrations. Swami Vivekananda reminds about this:
The first letter A, is the root sound, the key, pronounced without touching any part of the tongue or palate; M represents the last sound in the series, being produced with closed lips, and the U rolls from the very root to the end of the sounding-board of the mouth. Thus, Om represents the whole phenomena of sound-producing.
Significance of the Three Sounds of Om
The three sounds of Om represent different trinities. For example:
Three aspects of time – past, present and future.
Three aspects of existence – birth, life and death.
Three aspects of being – body, mind and spirit.
Three aspects of Divinity – creation, preservation and destruction.
The three aspects of Divinity are sometimes assigned individually to Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preservation and Shiva the destroyer. Collectively termed the ‘Trimurti’. However, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva can individually be accredited with having all three aspects. The three sounds of Om also have associations with the three gunas: purity and light (sattva guns), action and energy (ragas guna) and inertia and darkness (tamas guna).
The actual symbolic representation of Om is seen to represent three ordinary states of consciousness: (1) dreamless sleep, (2) wakefulness and (3) dreaming. The crescent moon and dot (4) represents the Supreme Reality and liberation from conditioned worldly existence.
A Symbol for the Ultimate
As stated, Om signifies God who/which transcends the limitations of time, existence, being, the three aspects of divinity, the gunas and three states of consciousness. It also represents a fourth state – pure consciousness – where individual, universal and transcendent levels of consciousness merge into One. It is a level of consciousness that leads to an awakening and a realisation of the Divine in Its omnipresent and absolute form.
The chanting of Om sets up powerful vibrations which can be felt throughout our entire being, which can affect our body, our mind and our psyche. Chanting Om calms and concentrates the mind and helps to make it one-pointed and focused. It is energising, stabilising, exhilarating, strengthening, inspiring and cheering – let us not forget that yoga is also about being joyful!
At the physical level, chanting Om helps in the control of the breath. It regulates the out-breath, lengthening it so that exhalation is fuller and the maximum amount of stale air is expelled. It stimulates the lung cells, giving a better exchange of gases, improves the circulation and stimulates the ductless glands.
The vibrations created by sounding Om also affect the chakras, the centres of energy in the subtle body. Om can be likened to “the Word” mentioned in St. John’s Gospel. There is an almost identical passage to it in the Rig Veda, composed many centuries earlier: “In the beginning was Brahman; second to Him was the Word which was with Him, the Word is Brahman.”
The Bhagavad Gita, the Srimad Bhagavatam and Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra all contain passages on the significance of Om. The Upanishads also teaches about its importance and various sections reflect upon its meaning. Indeed, every Upanishad begins with Om:
Om stands for the Supreme Reality.
It is a symbol for what was,
what is, and what shall be.
Om represents also what lies beyond past,
present and future.
– Mandukya Upanishad
Hari Om Tat Sat
Om is frequently used at the beginning of a mantra, such as the popular Tibetan Om mani padme hum mantra, which roughly translates as ‘Homage to the jewel in the lotus’.
I was once asked to explain the expression Hari Om Tat Sat. Each one of these words is a name of the Divine Lord. So every time we repeat one of these words, we are chanting a name for God.
Traditionally a session of yoga practice begins and ends with Om or Hari Om. This reminds us of the true meaning and aim of yoga – to unite the whole of our being with the Divine. This is why many yoga students use Om, or Hari Om, at the beginning and end of any spiritual work or exercises.
The word Tat is used to renounce any reward, and Sat is the end of the work and practices that have been done. Sat is derived from the word Satya, which means ‘truth’. Therefore, if it is God’s work we are doing and it is offered to God – Tat – it is done in truth. Study the Bhagavad Gita, chapter 14, verses 23-28 and you will find it there. Some translations have quite a long commentary on this.
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