Meditation Techniques: Meditation through Mantras - Mantra Meditation

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Meditation Techniques: Meditation through Mantras - Mantra Meditation

Mantra meditation involves channeling one's consciousness from a low level to a high level of purer thought. "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and God was the word." Word, sound, and mantra, are all integral parts of the manifest cosmos. By constantly meditating on a chosen mantra, one is, in due course, released from the compulsory round of births and deaths.

The word 'mantra' is a mix of the root 'man' meaning 'to think' and 'tra' meaning 'to protect or free'. Repeated regularly, a mantra awakens and expands one's consciousness. Once we comprehend that everything in nature is energy, we realise that a mantra too is pure divine energy encased in the vacuum of sound structure.

As we concentrate on this sound structure more and more, we gradually cause its energy to be released and it then takes form. The one who has acquired influence over it can use the power vibrations that are released. At very subtle and extremely high levels of power, sages and saints can literally perform miracles. The effect of sound on one's consciousness on the modern mind and psyche can very easily be observed if we notice the difference between classical and hard core rock music.

The former has a tendency to calm the mind, while the latter is more inclined to excite the senses. Mantra meditation or chanting of the Holy Name is considered to be one of the easy and most popular ways of meditation in our turbulent and competitive times. While certain theorists proclaim that almost no formal initiation is necessary to start mantra chanting, it is always advisable to commence with a simpler technique at first and then as your longing for the Divine grows strong, to be led to a true Guru who will initiate you into the mantra appropriate to your consciousness. With the initiation will also come the knowledge of the 'hows and whys' of a modicum of observances to be followed.

The mantra is normally selected by the initiate himself, or by the Guru who bears in mind the former's mental characteristics. When a mantra has been received from a Guru, the power of the mantra is increased manifold after the initiation. The vibrations of the mantra must be compatible with those of the initiate. Needless to add, the mind of the devotee must be receptive to the form of the deity it will eventually assume. The process of the mind and the body becoming attuned to and mingling with the mantra takes time and only when attunement is finally achieved, does one enter the state of meditation.

(For a further understanding of Mantras, please see our sub-section entitled Devotion.) Relax and sit calmly in the desired posture with an upright spine. Breathe naturally. Know as you sit to meditate that you are going to be invoking the presence of the Divine in the form of and through the power of the mantra. As always, also start with an appropriate prayer for the purpose under consideration. Be receptive, alert, and awake. Above all, fill your heart and mind with the joy and love of one who is about to meet his beloved after a long separation. If you are used to chanting, do chant for a few minutes. Start with vocal chanting and then soften the decibel levels as you move to mental and then subsequently, to inner subconscious chanting. In time, with closed eyes as you let your attention go deeper and deeper, the chanting will enter the realms of the semi-superconscious.

Begin in the usual way by relaxing the body, mind, and calming the breath. Typically, the chanting involves use of a japa mala (rosary) of 108 beads with an additional bead, the meru, which is slightly larger than the others. The meru is the indicator that with one mantra recited for each bead, the japa has been done 108 times (or one full round of the rosary). The rosary is held in between the thumb and the third finger and rolled thereon. One keeps rolling with each recitation and when one arrives at the last bead (just before the meru) one reverses the rosary in the hand. The index finger is believed to be psychically negative and hence is never used. Ideally, one must never let the rosary droop below the navel, and should always wipe it clean and preserve it carefully when not in use.

As you turn your attention up and center your mind inward either on the Christ consciousness center (the third eye located in the astral body, represented on the physical as being placed in between and just above the eyebrows) or at the heart center, visualise (this helps manifold) the presiding deity (with an awareness of its various attributes) as either placed there, or then feel it having encompassed you and the whole cosmos with you nestling like a little child in Its heart center (The heart center is resplendent with love).

As you chant, it is important to use the correct pronunciation, since precise rules govern the interrelation and sequences of sound. In the absence of definite confidence about the right mode of intonation, it is always advisable to chant mentally. Anyway, even otherwise, one should progress from loud chanting to soft to whisper chanting and then on to mental chanting. As the recitation goes deeper and deeper, it penetrates the more subtle states of consciousness, arriving nearer and nearer to the threshold of the Divine. Typically, mantra recitation may be done for one or many more (depending upon the length of one's practice session) rotations of the rosary of 108 beads (plus the meru), or as advised (especially if the recitation is being done to invoke the blessings of another deity as a supplementary to acquiring certain attributes, for example, a mantra that specifically bestows intelligence). The beads help to foster concentration, act as a focus for the physical energy and aid in rhythmic recitation.

The recitation should be neither to fast or too slow. Whenever the mind tends to be distracted, as is natural, one may increase the speed to bring back the focus. If the mind tends to get tired of repetition, variety may be brought in by going back to loud chanting (but this should be done with discretion). As you recite, suffuse your whole being with feeling, love, and devotion. In the beginning this may require effort, but as you get more and more purified, it will come quite naturally. Particular care must be taken to maintain regularity especially during moments and days of dryness, which actually also serve as tests of your determination and dedication.

As in all meditative practices, you must allow yourself a sufficient period of time to get appreciable results (though in certain cases, results manifest really fast). You cannot become a saint over the weekend and working as you are with the laboratory of your mind, you must allow yourself patience and a fair trial. The beginner on the spiritual path is only like a baby and it even takes time for a leave to grow into a full-fledged tree and give its fruits. Try persevering with all your sessions for at least half an hour or more. We often tend to give up too soon, just as we arrive on the brink of conscious success. Maintain continuity, even while you may be ill or too busy with harmless pleasure and obligations of life.

When you recite a mantra you carry with you its power and force, and this is a blessing for all those who you meet. During meditation, the flow of inner thought waves, which has been channeled by repetition of the mantra, is greatly intensified. One experiences the state of 'conscious sleep', breaking away from all the shackles of outer bodily sensations and thoughts, inviting the Higher Self to manifest its Divine presence; this happens at intermingling depths and frequencies depending on the depths of your practice. The further you weave your way into the castle of meditation, the more notable will be the effect as the mind's upward concentration propel an energy force towards the upper centers of one's astral body. One experiences a rippling, pulsating, magnetic flow of electro-magnetic electricity suffusing the whole body.

Perseverance and loyalty to the mantra and the Guru alone will take the aspirant faster up the mountain of spirituality. It is better to adhere to one wisely chosen path than to keep dissipating your energies in attempting new and newer methods every now and then.

The deeper our prayer, the more intense will be the inner satisfaction felt, and it is this level of inner satisfaction that must benchmark the depth of our spiritual progress; not the attainment of spiritual powers. As stressed over and over again in these articles, one must sit quietly for a few minutes after the practice of the technique. Use these moments to contemplate on the Divine or to offer prayers of thanksgiving, and to heal those in need. Be kind and gentle in your thoughts as you are charged with higher wavelengths of energy just after your meditative sessions. Make your japa, an intrinsic feature in your daily life. Just as a beloved is thinking of her loved one even whilst at work, be submerged in your daily duties, but let your mind and heart silently intone your mantra. God consciousness will then permeate your entire life.

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