It is often assumed that those who follow these practices are invariably also those who repeat this thing, for many strange and unfamiliar, which is OM.
In practices for reaching Yoga state, OM is called as Mantra.
*** What is a Mantra?
The word Mantra is a Sanskrit word, consisting of the root "man" which means thinking and suffix "tra" which translates as means or instrument; the meaning of the whole is an "instrument of thought".
*** Why Mantra is considered an instrument of thought?
Because through its repetition the mind can create special and unusual conditions.
*** Which kind of special conditions could be created?
The basic Mantra were used to:
- quell the movement of thoughts (this is often translated as " free your mind " by the various thoughts that flow)
- quieting the passage of more or less desired thoughts, Mantra creates the condition permitting to channel mental activities
- the mind becomes more easily focusable in the desired direction, through the elimination of disturbances, usually arising from the fact that the mind tends to be rambling
- quieting thoughts and channeling the mind means that could be more easy to induce deep meditative states
- deep meditative states lead to greater clarity on what is the object of meditation; this clarity is the means to reach enlightenment
- when reached enlightment, intuitions are produced
- intuition is a way to acquire special achievements, that means to reach some most innovative and highest ideas and concepts, solutions to big questions about life, answers to personal difficulties and obstacles.
This is the process that the Mantra may trigger; so this is how the Mantra becomes an "instrument of thought" that allows to move towards acquisitions very useful in our life.
After this general idea, connected to the ancient origins of the inherent meaning of the word Mantra, let me turn now to some other concept about.
*** There are two major categories of Mantra:
1. Those called Bija (seed, from Sanskrit)
2. Others
1. The "seed" Mantra is composed of some syllable (it is called seed in relation to a plant that blooms and become fruitful)
2. Others are made up of words or phrases (usually Sanskrit)
1. The “seed” Mantra had originally meant to produce, when repeated by voice, smooth but perceptible vibrations inside the body, which are able to relax some kinds of barriers that do not allow the subtle energies to flow freely in the psycho-emotional-energetic centers, called Chakra
2. The “word " or "phrase" Mantra had originally been intended to produce specific emotional, psychological and mental states, through the induction of specific breathing rhythms or through the absorption of ideas or concepts; the first of these two conditions can be produced only repeating by voice, while the second can be produced either repeating by voice or repeating silently inside.
An example : the famous mantra OM is a "seed" Mantra, which, if repeated by voice properly, is able to cause stimulations in all Chakras, one behind the other, one by one. For this reason it is considered a fundamental and very important Mantra; it is possible to stimulate how to reach deep enlightments, so his sound ( it would be better to say the set of his sounds) corresponds to the cosmic balance and to the cosmic knowledge (one of the achievements possible from its use).
Probably just from the Indus valley where few Sages, the Rishi, formed the rudiments of this knowledge of the Mantra, this method, after centuries, was brought to other countries, where features were changed, losing the specific powerful effects.
In Christianity, the ancient hermits of the desert often used hesychast prayer (repetition of sacred words), from which came then current way of praying, transformed now mostly in a request of some benefits.
Muslims also used and use similar systems, such as in Sufi practices. Even the repetition of Allah, was initially a special way to breath and use sound for achieving, with long repetitions, an estatic condition; now is only associated to something superior to venerate.
In the next post I'll write about "Assessments on how Mantra is usually proposed"
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