Word Power

Word Power

Santoshan
From Tune in to your Spiritual Potential
Published by Foulsham/Quantum Books

Lead me from the visible to the Invisible.
Take me from the shadow into Light.
Teach me how to attune my life with Thine.

We should not underestimate the power of words in our development; as language is the most powerful gift that we have. Words have the capacity to express our innermost feelings, they can unite or divide nations, they can express pure unconditional love, or hatred and bitterness.

If someone were to speak harshly to another, the abused person might feel a sense of outrage at being treated unjustly, and his or her emotions would suddenly change—even if only one harsh word were spoken. So if just ‘one word’ can have such an adverse effect, and give rise to negative emotions, we must also consider what use words can have for positive use and growth.

It is no coincidence that the many spiritual traditions of the world have adopted various uses of prayer, chant, mantra and affirmation. Each can affect and help us in a different way, and each has its own value if used correctly. They are a way of clearing out all that denies the spirit which we are; so that we centre our awareness in the Truth of our being. As we pray or chant, we reflect on the Spirit, and eventually become absorbed in the Spirit’s presence.

The Psychology of Chants, Mantras and Affirmations
In the Far East, chants and mantras have long been recognised as important aids in spiritual development. In fact, every word we use and every thought we have is a kind of mantra. We are constantly feeding our unconscious with words and thoughts that produce different results: as our conscious mind affects the unconscious level of our being, and our unconscious mind affects the conscious level of our being.

We may pay little attention to something and have little attachment to it, and therefore it will have little hold over us. On the other hand, we may have an experience that we react quite strongly and negatively towards, and in this case it can have a lasting effect upon us. But as explained above, it is not just at the conscious level that we are affected, as every experience is recorded by the unconscious, which in turn influences the conscious mind. It is a never ending cycle, which if we are not careful, can become more and more negative and lead us further away from developing our spiritual consciousness.

The more negative experiences we feed in, the more negative our character can become, and the more negative our reactions can be. Yet if we keep the conscious mind actively focused upon the positive nature of Spirit, whilst praying, chanting or using an affirmation, we can transform our overall nature and draw creative strength from the infinite Source of all.

The Power of Chants, Mantras and Affirmationsrong>
Chants, mantras and affirmations give us a tool to creatively change our level of awareness. They help us stop the conscious mind behaving so erratically. They help us keep the mind focused upon an aspect of its True Nature and cease the flow of negative reactions; so that we become more positive and attract and develop attributes that are in harmony with that vibration. Thus we use the law of cause and effect to creatively enhance our spiritual potential.

Chants and mantras have meaning as well as purpose. They are not merely abstract sounds. The mantra So Ham (pronounced Sah-Hum) means ‘I Am That’. Om (pronounced O-aum) is said to be the first sound that God created, from which all else was made. So if you meditate on So Ham—which is practised by silently repeating So on the in-breath and Ham on the out-breath—you will be meditating on the God within. If you chant Om, you will be meditating on a sound that is said to have created all life and to resonate throughout the universe. Some mystics are said to have heard the sound of Om in certain states of meditation.

Most mantras are positive statements that either affirm or surrender to God’s presence. Others represent vital sounds that vibrate within us and the universe. If we wish to achieve benefit from these practices, we should be aware of their purpose, and be conscious of their particular sound and vibration resonating within ourselves as we use them.

Some may feel uncomfortable using a language or tradition different from their own, and may feel more at ease repeating the word God on the in- or out-breath, and through that focus their attention upon the Divine within. Others may find a phrase or sentence in their own language more helpful.

There are of course, many types of chants, mantras and affirmations, and each serves a different purpose. You may want to try one word that has a quality you wish to develop, or you may like to use an affirmation that is more descriptive, that helps you recognise the spirit that you are. All can be of benefit to you in your development.

Affirmations for use in Your Spiritual Journey
The following affirmations can be used in your meditation or during your normal day. But do not repeat them at times when you should be giving your full attention to something else, i.e. while driving a car or operating machinery:

I surrender to the spirit of the inner Self.

The spirit’s direction is my direction.

I honour the Spirit in all life.

Using Mantra
When you use a word or phrase in a repeated mantra form, create a rhythm between the word/s and your breath—repeating it once for every in- and out-breath. Breathe calmly and evenly, and repeat the word/s. First voice the mantra for a period of time, to get used to the way it sounds, and then after a while repeat it silently; taking the sound and rhythm of the mantra within yourself. If you use one of the traditional Yogic or Buddhist mantras, it is important to get the correct pronunciation and sound of the mantra, so that it resonates properly within you.

When choosing a specific mantra as your main one (others can be used and changed as secondary mantras), it is advised that it be used over a period of time—some say for life. Do not change it from week to week, but use the same one regularly in order to gain full benefit from it. Unlike some methods of meditation, where a word which has a passive quality about it, such as ‘peace’, can be reflected upon, it is better to use something more specific, that invokes the Universal Life Force within you.

Tried and tested mantras are recommended, but seek expert advice before plunging yourself into an unfamiliar practice. Although the sound and vibrations of certain words can affect and awaken spiritual energies within us, it is advisable to seek professional advice from a qualified and recommended practitioner before trying more complex mantras or chants; as we may awaken certain energies within ourselves before we are ready to handle them. It is for this reason that we have concentrated upon easy to use affirmations, instead of giving the reader something that may not be suitable for his or her development. If you wish to know more about mantras and how to use them, you will find four practical introductory books listed in the Recommended Reading at the end of this book.

The Power of Prayer
There are two kinds of spoken prayer: the affirmative, or the kind that asks God and spirit to perform a particular act. With affirmative prayer, we have to be careful that it does not lead to self-glorification, as nothing could be further from the true purpose of spiritual development, and we should be constantly on our guard against this happening.

What affirmative prayer should do, is bring about a recognition of the unlimited creative spirit within us and within all life around us, and help us to surrender ourselves to that power and influence.

The other kind of prayer is often misunderstood and is used with little result by many, who generally ask in a half-hearted and half-believing way for something to happen (usually to a power that is separate from themselves); while at the same time, attaching themselves to the problem that confronts them—dwelling upon it and giving it more strength and power over them. Needless to say, this is not the ideal way to use prayer.

(1) Before asking for the fulfilment of any worldly needs, we should first seek a wider perception of life. Otherwise, we may find that what we are praying for is of little help to our spiritual growth. We must first have practical knowledge of the nature of God and spirit. If we have limited ideas of our relationship to the spiritual laws that govern the universe, then our practices will have limiting results.

If we are to pray for anything, we should first ask for more spiritual understanding, in order to become more spiritually aware, and to realise that we are not separate from God or spirit, but are all connected in the one complete whole; that God’s power works through everything.

(2) There must be conviction in what we are doing. Why bother praying if we do not believe our prayers can have an effect? So cultivate a positive approach to prayer and know that it works, and is a means by which you can enhance your spiritual potential.

(3) Leave things in the hands of God and spirit to do their work. Realise that there is nothing that God and spirit cannot do. This does not mean that we should deny or suppress any problems that may confront us; as only by facing life, and understanding what is going on beneath our surface consciousness, can we make progress in our spiritual development. Any emotional blockages that we may be holding onto, will have to be healed through a process of acknowledging that these things are there, and letting them in—giving them some space, feeling into and understanding what they are about—and then accepting them. Only then can the final process of letting go and no longer identifying with them begin.

(4) Prayer has to be used to stimulate and enhance our development, and bring us to that point of recognising that we too are spirit, that we too are part of God, and give ourselves to that Power and allow it to manifest itself in us, as us. We do not deny the physical dimension of life, but instead affirm that it is spirit in essence: the body exists because of its spiritual nature functioning through it and giving it life.

(5) Strengthen your link with God and the spirit everyday, by making prayer a regular part of your development. Do not wait until trouble strikes before you decide to do this.

How Prayer Functions
The quality of our prayer will depend on our level of understanding and our ability to be in tune with the Infinite. The power of prayer is found in the way we say the words; whether mentally or verbally. If there is true feeling and compassion behind the words, as well as an attained level of awareness, our prayers will stimulate a deeper level of our being. The spirit in us, which is linked to the Spirit in all life, will recognise and respond to the meaning of our words and will bring about a corresponding result; using whatever channels are available to it—this is basically the same thing that happens in some forms of distant healing. Yet prayer and affirmation should be only the means to an end, and not the end in itself. It should lead us to that state of complete silence where we give ourselves to God and to spirit’s power and influence; so that it may work in and through us. Through prayer and affirmation, we can focus our attention more strongly upon God and spirit, and in turn strengthen our spiritual consciousness.

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A Personal Realisation
Be quiet and compose your thoughts. Make your link with the spirit and find peace and strength in that contact. Affirm your relationship to the spirit world. Affirm your relationship to the Divine Reality that exists in all things and repeat the following affirmation:

I recognise the Supreme Spirit within me, and acknowledge my oneness with all life. All is in harmony with my life, as I allow the Creative Power of the Spirit to freely-flow in me and through me.

Finish by disidentifying with anything that creates the appearance of separation from this Creative Power, and by affirming that all these things are now done.