Using Transcendental Meditation To Fight SAD

Why would anyone practice mantras?  Aren’t they just affirmations? The purpose of performing mantras are varied and specific to that individual’s purpose or goal. Usually, mantras are performed to change one’s vibration and share that vibration with the near surround.  Some practice mantrams for the benefit of health, wealth, and relationships. Are mantras translatable? A breakdown of mantras and their general generic meanings can be taught or found in books.  The meanings of mantras are never specific because a mantra is spiritualized sound.  Just as a word’s meaning can change through the inflection or syllable stressed.  This only means that even the general definitions of a mantra should be questioned and tested because ultimately it is a personal experience. Each individual’s experience will be different.  It is said unless a master or some such person who has real experience with that mantra or the power of sound is available to guide one in the application of that mantra, thatpractitioner of the mantra is left with only intent. Mantrams are said to work with energy and energy vibrates.  This should not be read that the intent and attitude of the practitioner is not important.  It is that the mantram, if properly said, goes beyond the intent of mind; it frees one from the mind. Mantrams have the power to work on the three levels of consciousness – physical, emotional and mental  – to compel or propel the practitioner to the 4th level, the spiritualized manifest.  The spiritualized manifest is the mental component of the mental, physical and emotional bodies combined.  It is the Word of that set. It is the aim of the mantrams to go beyond the mental into the spiritualized manifest into the realm, of what has been coined “The Watcher” and merge with all consciousness. This merging or union is what Yoga is defined by.   Yoga being defined as a pathway to the merging of consciousness. Two Categories of Mantrams: Nirguna and Saguna You can find out moreinformation on Nirguna and Saguna mantras here at Nirguna mantras are mantras without deities. They are without form. They are the mantras to the divine. There are no personal aspects or attributes of a deities in nirguna mantras. A good example of a nirguna mantra would be the Gayatri mantra taken from the Vedas, of which there are 4: Om Bhur Bhu-vas Su-vah-hah Tat Sa-vi-tur Va- ren-yam Bhar-go De-vas-ya Dhi-ma-hi Dhi-yo yo-nah Pra-cho-da-yat Translation: Salutations to that sacred sound present in the earth, the heavens, and that which is beyond. May the glorious splendor of that Divine life illuminate our meditation (taken from the book: Yoga of Sound, written by Russill Paul) The literal translation from the Gayatri from Wikipedia “May we attain that excellent glory of Savitar the god: So may he stimulate our prayers.” —The Hymns of the Rigveda (1896), Ralph T. H. Griffith[12] Saguna mantras are mantras with deities in them. Saguna mantras are mantras with form. They have specificnames to associate aspects of that deity with that mantra. In my opinion, these are not separate gods, but different aspects of the one Supreme Being or Consciousness. Much the way in Christianity there are the hierarchy of Archangels and Angels; and so there are Devas, Devis (feminine), Suras, and the like in the eastern pantheon.  One such mantra is: Om Namah Shivaye Om Shivaaya Namaha The book: The Ancient Power of Sanskrit Mantra and Ceremony: Volume I, by Thomas Ashley-Farrand defines Om Namah Shivaya  this way: “This mantra has no direct translation. The sounds relate directly to the principles which govern each of the first five chakras on the spine… Earth, water, fire, air, ether. Notice that this does not refer to the chakras themselves which have a different set of seed sounds, but rather, the principles which govern those chakras in their place. “Sometimes mantras to deities are about the principles, too. A very rough, non-literal translation could be something like, ‘Om andsalutations to that which I am capable of becoming. Shiva, the emblem of consciousness everywhere.’ “This mantra will start one out on the path of subtle development of spiritual attainments or mastery over the elements of creation. It is the beginning on the path of , or the Yoga of Perfection of the Divine Vehicle.” There are many ways to chant. Some schools will teach chanting combined with breathing or moving. Chanting practices may include the use of mudras (hand gestures), as utilized in Naam Yoga. The Gyoto Buddhist Monks can do some remarkable things with their voice during their chants.  (The writer attempted this method of chanting, and couldn’t speak for a week.)  Some have said that upon chanting they have felt a presence with them. If one can accept the idea of a multidimensional universe and the idea of vibration(s) as a part of the universal blueprint, one could possibly take the belief that beings from another dimension, or multidimensional matrix were being attractedby the celestial sounds of the chanter.  This isn’t the goal, it is just part of the journey.  As a chanter, like a traveler, one may encounter other beings on the path. In this case of chanting Sanskrit mantras, which in large part is the language these mantras were created by the seers of that particular mantra.  It would make sense that a person may feel the vibration resonate in use of mantra because Sanskrit is a sound based language.   Those mantras were said to be divinely inspired.  And the divine is not subject to neither time nor space.  A poor example, but nonetheless sufficient,  might be if you can bring to mind the memory of a piece of music that resonated and moved you emotionally.  Your feet might tap the floor to beat playing in your mind.  Your head may bob up and down, too.  A mantra can be an experiential experience in the spiritual context; which gives it another dimension or aspect. This brings us back full circle. Not knowing the mind of the masters, it does begthe question: does the seer of the mantra hear the mantra while in silence (watching with no thought, as in watching the watcher)? Or does the mantra override all thought, so that there is one thought? It is taught in Naam Yoga that when chanting a mantra, the practitioner should see the words across his or her forehead or projected onto a screen.  To find the right tone or key, the practitioner should initially chant up the scale (Do, me, re, fa .  . .) to find the current resonant key for the chanter.  The practitioner can choose to chant the mantra out loud, whisper, or silently.  Initially, it is recommended to chant aloud so as to feel the mantra vibrate in the body. It is hoped that, no matter the faith or religion, each and everyone person can find that Naam, that Divine Word, inside themselves to afford one the opportunity to build the bridge to unite Self to self, and Self to All, and All to the One. Everything Vibrates Everything and everyone in the physical world has avibration.  Sometimes the vibrations are pleasant and uplifting; sometimes they are unpleasant and depressing.  Sound is a powerful medium, second only to breath for the life of Man. Here is a bit of trivia about the power of mantra. In the latest series of, “Battlestar Galatica”,  did you know the theme song is the Gayatri Mantra?   Below is a variation of the opening theme song to the series performed by the BSG Orchestra. This is the chant in opening of every BSG episode. A full version that I got from the latest BSG movie “The Plan”. It is diferent from the opening in the series; but I like both versions. Hope you like it. Until next time Balance Love, Hope, and Faith Through Divine Spiritual Wisdom Related