Sacred Space

Chanting Sanskrit Mantras

 

The following information about mantra is by no means exhaustive.  The study of mantra as a spiritual path and discipline is so extensive that it could never be completely addressed in this forum.  The basic information below is meant to give you a start with your mantra practice.

 

The circumstances that we experience in our lives are not caused by external conditions.  This is called Maya, or an illusion.  All that we experience, we create ourselves on some level.

 

We all contain great potential internal power and can have an immediate effect within ourselves and our environment through our personal will.  There are many ways to access this power, one of them being the chanting of Sanskrit Mantra, which is powerful sound vibration.  By chanting mantra we can tap into the Universal energy and work with that energy to manifest the kind of life we want. By combining mantra with our focused intent we can use this practice to change the many conditions that we face in this life.  But remember, the ultimate goal of mantra practice is spiritual freedom also known as liberation (Moksha or Mukti).

 

Mantras are spiritual formulas created from an energetic language that work in very specific ways to reduce karma, and to attune our bodies, emotions, minds and spirits to the various invisible energies that exist in the universe.

 

 

Four Types of Mantra Discipline

 

1.  The 40 day discipline

 

In the 40 day discipline one chants a certain number of mantras for 40 consecutive days.  Typically it is a minimum of one mala (108 repetitions) of the chosen mantra.  

 

Ideally the chanting should occur at Sandhya or the twilight of the day and night, dusk or dawn, which is considered a time of concentrated spiritual power. However, we all have differing schedules and lead busy lives so the most important thing is to practice your discipline with dedication and regularity when it is most convenient for you.  Practicing in the same spot each time will increase the vibrations and power in that spot over time.  If you change your mind and decide to stop a discipline early, say a short prayer of gratitude for the insight, rethink what it is your really want to practice, wait 4 or 5 days to begin again.

 

 

2. Continuous Chanting

 

Chant a mantra continuously throughout the day without concern for counting the number of times it is chanted.

 

 

3. Mantra Siddhi

 

Mantra Siddhi means that one has developed a certain facility with the mantra that unwraps a certain portion of the power pertaining to the mantra.  To attain mantra siddhi, one should chant the mantra a minimum of  125,000 repetitions.  This is the lowest level of mantra siddhi (going in 125,000 increments).

 

 

4. Purascharana

 

Purascharana is chanting a mantra 100,000 times for each syllable in the mantra.

 

 

Japa  

 

Japa is the practice of chanting mantras for a long period of time.  This loosely translates into “that which reduces karma”.  The three main types of japa are:

 

1. Vachika or Vaikhari Japa.  Chanting out loud.

 

2. Upamshu Japa.  Whispering by moving the lips and tongue, yet no one can hear you.

 

3. Manasika Japa.  Silent mental chanting with no motion of the mouth.  When one has chanted silently for a long enough period of time, he/she will experience what is called Ajapa Japa, where the mantra will seem to chant by itself.  This indicates that the mantra is seated within the chanter.

 

4. Likhita Japa.  Written repetition of mantra.

 

Each type of chanting carries with is a different level of vibration.  Manasika Japa is the highest vibration, best for daily practice.  Vashika or Vaikhari Japa is better for manifestation and healing.

 

 

The Mala

 

The mala (Hindu or Buddhist rosary) is used for keeping count of the number of

repetitions.  A standard mala is 108 beads with a MERU (“mountain”) bead standing out from the rest.  Sometimes the mala will have 54 beads and is considered a half-mala.  The Meru stores all of the power of the mantra repetitions.  Use one bead for each time the mantra is chanted.  Do not chant on or cross over the Meru.  When you have completed one full mala, pull the beads back in the other direction to chant another 108 times.

 

 

Hindu Deities

 

Each of the gods and goddesses in Hinduism represent some specific principle of a monotheistic deity.  Some believe that these beings actually exist while others feel these deities are principles, exemplified through “persons”, so that we may more easily understand the concepts that they embody.  It does not matter which philosophy one leans toward, as the energy represented by these deities can be tapped into through the repetitions of mantra.

 

In the Hindu religion, as in many religions, there is a sacred trinity representing the aspects of the One Divine or God.  The masculine forms of this trinity are Brahma (creation), Vishnu (preservation), and Shiva (destruction), the cycles of the existence of life. 

 

Consciousness is considered to be masculine and remains unmanifest without the power behind it to put things into action.  Power is considered feminine, therefore each of the masculine trinity has a consort or spouse (also known as Shakti). Brahma has Saraswati, Vishnu has Lakshmi and Shiva has Parvati.