The Multidimensional Vibration of Mantras

By Padma Press

The word Mantra is composed of the syllables man (which means mind) and tra (which means vehicle/delivery) in ancient Sanskrit. Sanskrit is an old and traditional language of India. Mantras originated from the Vedas; Indian sacred books first compiled in 3000 BC.

These scriptures are composed of 4,000 sutras, from which thousands of Mantras were extracted, attributing characteristics related to the gods, such as love, compassion, and kindness. As sound is a vibration, the Hindus consider pronouncing or listening to Mantras daily as a spiritual way to activate divine qualities, opening our minds and hearts to the superior planes.

"A Mantra is basically a prayer," explains swami Vagishananda, an American who has lived in India for over 20 years and is a master of Vedic chants.

A mantra, then, is a sophisticated instrument of thought. To practice Mantra, then, is not just chanting hymns or kirtans.

While repeating them constantly is the key to interrupting the natural process of intermittent thinking, mantras can take us from one idea to another with control. When we stop an uncontrolled mental flow, the body relaxes, and the mind quiets down and opens to subtle vibrations, which allow us to expand our perception of reality.

Calming Our Emotions

"Reciting the Mantras for this purpose lets us know what the next thought will be," says the swami. According to him, this is the first step in managing emotions, healthily expressing them, and eliminating mental resistance in recognizing what cannot be changed, such as past facts.

Some Hindu spiritual schools consider Mantras to be primordial sounds that have power. Others, such as Nishiren Shoshu Buddhism, which reveres the Buddha Nichiren, who lived in Japan in the 7th century, recommend that any contact with his teachings should be initiated by vocalizing the Mantra Miohô, or Sutra of the Lotus.

"Everyone has the divine qualities of the Buddha within him themselves. Those qualities only need to be awakened.

More Than Powerful Words

"The Mantras were born in India and were adopted by all the religions that spread throughout the world from there. Several Chinese, Tibetan, Japanese, and Korean Buddhist lineages and wisdom schools use these rhythmic phrases. However, the word entered the current language to designate the repeated sounds that lead to alternate states of consciousness or the state of meditation.

The tranquilizing effect can also be a result of devotions, even liturgical prayers such as the Hail Mary, the Our Father, and the Glory Be in the Catholic rosary. This is because they are the Christian correspondents of the Mantras. Greater similarity to Mantras is found in the Byzantine rosary, where the Hail Mary is replaced by a short phrase (such as "Jesus, heal me").

Haven Of Peace And Harmony

The masters recommend repeating the Mantras, sometimes for hours on end, but in the beginning, it doesn't have to be that long. For example, once a day, chanting one of the Mantras of the Hindu god Ganesha, related to the joy of living, can open doors of abundance and prosperity.

explains master Vagishananda. Some reflexes are much more immediate, however.

For example, scholars of the Miohô Mantra "Nam miohô renge kyo" relate each syllable to an area of the body that receives sound vibration benefits. Thus, nam corresponds to devotion, mio to the mind or head, ho to the mouth, ren to the chest, gue to the stomach, Kyo to the legs.

Taoism, a Chinese philosophical line, includes practices with gestures, breathing, songs, and meditation. Still, Mantras are considered fundamental for their praxis.

Benefits Of Mantra

All Mantras emit divine positive vibrations forming, around you, a sacred shield (Kavacha). This shield will save you from ailments and negative influences. Mantra can transform you, heal your inner ailments, rejuvenate you, and will help you to nullify severe circumstances. When repeating the Mantra, mentalize that the divinity is healing you, giving you longevity, harmony, and prosperity.

How To Practice The Mantras

A Mantra can be vibrated in several ways, such as:

Through Kirtans: devotional vocalizations in an extroverted way. It is a celebratory form of intonation that involves dancing.

Through Japa: continuous and uninterrupted repetition of a Mantra. In this case, no melody. Its purpose is to induce the stop of thought in an introspective way. This practice is done with a kind of rosary of 108 beads, known as Japa Mala.

Through Manas: The Mentalization of a Mantra. This means it is more efficient than vocalization, as it is not audible.

Experience Bliss

You can recite Mantras when you need to connect with the qualities they talk about relief, calm, joy, support, and cheer. But, of course, it doesn't hurt to try. After all, the least that practice can do is make you calmer and more focused.

The vocalization of the Mantra

Om Mani Padme Hum, one of the most popular, provides a deep and relaxing breath at the end (the H sounds like an R).