Mantra: its meaning and how it works

On the outside, the landscape of our life and the appearance of our body change over time. But it would be said that inside we all have a path that we are followingand whose circumstances change somewhat more slowly.

Each person shapes their inner world according to their concerns; there are no special secrets to change our internal life, more than the effort that we put on our part.

But the millennial mantras, spiritual formulas that are repeated mentally and in silence, have the ability to transform consciousness and They can give us a hand in that task.

What is a mantra: its meaning

Mantra is a word of Sanskrit origin formed by the roots man (“think”) and tra (“protect”, “release”).

Hence the oldest mantras have come to us through yoga and as part of the Hindu tradition. However, as we will see, mantras are also used in many religionssuch as Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

These disciplines involve both our physical and emotional and mental facets, and their goal is self-realization. And just as yoga postures are pleasant for the body, because they oxygenate the cells and relax and stretch the contracted muscles, Mantras have the power to exert a relaxing, focused and well-being effect on the mind.

Mantras are pleasant to listen to or to repeat mentally for any human being given the state of peace they generate. Recited carefully, better in silence, They produce a sensation of tranquility and harmonize internal energy.

A mantra can be of great help to keep the mind stable and equanimous, since it provides a foothold that stabilizes us.

How do the mantras work?

In India, the mind is often compared to the trunk of an elephant.: restless, curious and always on the move.

In the great festivities, the decorated elephants parade until they reach the temple. The streets are usually tortuous, with food stalls. The elephant moves forward with its trunk swinging from side to side.and in a sinuous movement he appropriates a bunch of bananas and swallows them at once.

He then picks up a coconut and then a loud crack is heard. No promise or threat can stop his greedy trunk. But the wise tamerif you know your elephant, gives him a small bamboo pole to hold with the trunk before leaving.

Then the animal walks proudly, head high, holding the reed like a drum with its drumstick. You will no longer be interested in bananas or coconuts because your trunk will have something to hold on to.

With the mind, more or less the same thing can happen. Most of the time you have nothing to hold on to, but if we provide her with a mantra, we can keep her away from all kinds of absurd situations.

If a person is angry, nervous, worried, offended or perhaps scared, they can repeat a mantra until the restlessness subsides.

The mantra allows to stabilize the mind. All those emotions are energy that flows against us and the mantra can help dominate it and redirect it in our favor.

How to use the mantra: better in silence

When a mantra is repeated regularly, mental disorder disappears. So there is no insecurity that reaches the heart.

The person can face any situation without being overwhelmed, including his own death. You will be able to do your best and you will feel at ease with yourself, whatever the circumstances.

the mantra it is most effective when repeated silently, with as much concentration as possible. Perhaps saying the mantra aloud a few times helps remind you, and it is so rhythmic that it can even be sung, as is done in many religious traditions.

However, it is often recommended mental recitation, with no emphasis on tone or rhythm.

Anything that distracts attention from the mantra itselfsuch as counting, worrying about intonation or relating it to psychological processes, does nothing more than weaken its effect. It’s like trying to swim the length of a pool with a float strapped to your waist.

That is why it is more practical not to depend on any external help.Not even the rosary used in many religious traditions, unless you already have experience with it. Counting or thinking about what your hands are doing keeps us at a more superficial level of awareness.

A mantra is more than just a word or phrase; it is a force and, so that this force can remove the partitions of consciousness and allow us access to our deepest resources must operate from the depths of our being. At first, of course, the mantra is repeated only at the superficial level of the mind but, if practiced regularly, it will take root in consciousness until it becomes as natural as breathing.

How to choose a mantra?

It is not convenient to change the mantra once chosensince it would be comparable to trying to dig a well changing its location at the slightest annoyance, or after planting a tree repeatedly without allowing it to develop good roots. It is therefore important not to rush.

Some very exotic mantras can be cloying after time.

Others conceived by oneself have the drawback of not having been put to the test over the years. It is preferable to choose a mantra that many men and women have already experimented with. the unity of life.

The roots of such a mantra run much deeper than of what is imagined before using it, and that is what makes it possible for it to grow in our consciousness.

A mantra contains a devotional aspect that can discourage some people, but therein lies part of its strength. In any case it is necessary to choose one about which one has no reservations.

Each religion somehow has its own mantras.

In it orthodox christianity the so-called Jesus prayer is incessantly repeated: “Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on us”, which is sometimes reduced to a “Lord Jesus Christ”. He kyrie eleison Greek and the Gospodi pomilui are their Greek and Russian equivalents (“Lord have mercy”). hindu tradition: Branch, Branch, Branch It is one of the simplest, most powerful and popular mantras. Derived from the Sanskrit root RAM (rejoice). Rama’s name means “who fills us with joy.” It is repeated to remember the source of permanent joy that we have in the depths of our being.Omnamah Shivaya it is a supplication to the Lord in his form of Shiva, who embodies the destructive aspect of divinity and teaches to make wise decisions in life, even if they imply some suffering.Krishna He is the god who protects and saves the universe and means “the one who drags us towards him”. I will do is the vocative of Hari: “the one who steals our hearts”.om mani padme hum is the great mantra of Tibetan Buddhism and alludes to the jewel of the lotus flower that dwells in our hearts. Therein lies the permanent treasure of joy and security, waiting to be discovered. jewish tradition is repeated Barukh ata Adonai (“Blessed be Lord”) to remember the source of all strength, courage, joy and love, or ribono shel olam (“Lord of the universe”) invoking his help.Bizmilla ir-rahman ir-rahim it is a beautiful mantra Muslim which means “In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate”, which Orthodox believers usually pronounce before speaking. In this sense, there is an Arab proverb according to which every word would have to pass three barriers to be said. In the first one, the goalkeeper asks “It’s true?“. In the second: “It is necessary?“. And in the third: “He is friendly?“.

Om: the primordial sound of the universe

There is a verse in the Hindu scriptures according to which “The sound that is produced inside us is known as anahata (not generated)“. It is said that the generated sound produces pleasure, but the ungenerated sound brings us closer to the supreme understanding of the universe.

The sounds produced by music, although fantastic and precious, are generated; They are created when two or more parts of an instrument vibrate or rub together.

However, the mantrathe cosmic sound that is heard in the depths of consciousnessIt’s a totally different sound. It is an uncreated, eternal sound.

Each being (be it the Sun or an atom) has its own rhythm. From the fusion of these nameless rhythms born a single and immense musical noise symbolized by the syllable Om.

Its three letters (AUM), pronounced in a single emission of voice, give a perfect chord.

He passage from the Gospel of Saint John: “In the beginning was the verb and the verb was in God and the verb was God” has a almost exact parallelism with he rig vedaone of the oldest hindu scriptureswhere the unmanifest divinity, called Brahman, is spoken of: “In the beginning it was Brahman, with whom was the word, and the word was really the supreme Brahman.”

That word, the cosmic sound, is not perceptible by the senses.. To pronounce the syllable Óm or Aum is a way of evoking the reality it represents.

When in the zen tradition wonder what the sound of clap with one hand it alludes precisely to that: to the sound that is not generated by contact.

It takes a great stillness of the mind and a full concentration in the heart to access those states. With them we become more adaptable and, like water, we fit into the various containers with which life tests us.

Consciousness becomes as subtle as the mist that penetrates every corner of a forest. When we go into peace and remain silent we are calm, “here and now”. We do not need anything, and the only thing we are aware of is our internal nature, which unites us with other beings, humans, animals, plants or minerals.

Then we can master the immense resources within us to unify our personality. and make a lasting contribution to life, knowing every day how much we are appreciated and needed by those around us.

When to use the mantras?

Meditation requires continued effort and will, while the mantra is effective by itself, and allows to put life in dead moments.

Joking, it can be said that it is like calling God collect. We tell him: “I have no money, don’t ask me to submit to any discipline“, and He, with his infinite patience, answers: “It doesn’t matter, I’ll pay the bill. It’s enough that you thought of me.”

while waiting. Waiting in line, the mantra makes the wait shorter and brings calm. Before an interview, an exam or a medical visit can reduce anxiety and even blood pressure.To walk, especially with a lively rhythm, the cadence of the steps, the mantra and the breathing are harmonized, and with this the body and mind calm down and gain strength. It is also compatible with swimming, running or cycling. In short breaks. When relaxing your eyes on the computer, before a meal or at any pause the mantra enhances the relaxing effect.when feeling bad. Part of the suffering of the disease is due to thinking too much about the symptoms. A mantra helps to accept the situation and mobilize healing forces.doing mechanical tasks that do not require full attention — brushing teeth, sweeping or…