Mantra & Japa Yoga
What is Mantra?
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A mantra is a sound vibration that frees the mind from its habitual and obsessive natures. It is these vrittis (obsessions), which cause us suffering. Mantra therefore is a sound vibration which, if taken and practiced with extensively, will free us from the state of suffering. It is indeed correct that extended practice with this vibration by itself will change the nature of the individual mind and free us from suffering.​​​
Q: Are mantras Sanskrit?​​
A: Actually mantras are the underlying vibration. They are not any particular language. They've been brought down from the primordial and transcendent highest realities of the universe and given to us by the saints and sages with the specific purpose of allowing us to free ourselves from suffering.
​What is Japa Yoga?
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Japa Yoga is the process of uniting the mind with the mantra. We accomplish this by repeating the mantra and through deep conscious awareness of both the practice and the sound vibration. In Japa Yoga the mantra can be repeated out loud, whispered, consciously repeated in the mind (such as with the breath), or written. In later stages of practice subconscious repetition will occur. The aspirant will find that through extended practice the mantra eventually comes to repeat itself by itself. Then, as the mind becomes more and more subtle, it opens us up to the highest realities, to absolute Peace, Bliss and Love.​​
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How to Select a Personal Mantra:
We can say that each of us has a personal mantra already, and the opportunity here is to discover it. The magic in selecting a particular mantra is in finding the perfect match for our particular personality. Our ideal mantra will fit our own current personality, which contains both the seeds of suffering and the seeds of freedom. What we want to do is select a mantra - a particular vibration - that nourishes the seeds of freedom while transforming the seeds of suffering.
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A good place to start is a reflection on your own relationship to spiritual tradition. If you already have a religion or spiritual tradition that resonates deeply with you, your best mantra will typically come from that tradition. For example, a devout Christian devotee would look to the Jesus prayer, Maranatha, etc. A devout Buddhist practitioner would look to the Buddha's mantras, such as Om Mane Padme Humm, and others. ​If you do not presently have a deep relationship with a particular spiritual tradition, the guidance will be towards traditional yoga mantras.
Click here for a list of yoga mantras, including introduction and chanting practice for each.
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To begin: take your list of mantras to a sacred space, perhaps by a river or forest or garden; some place where you are by yourself and as much as possible separated from your daily concerns. Read each of the mantras and pay careful attention to yourself and the mantra as you repeat them. Be aware of the sensations, the feelings; be aware of movement in the body; be aware of the sound of the vibration as you repeat the mantra. Don't worry too much about your pronunciation for this. Read it as you can, repeating each mantra both mentally and out loud. Pay close attention. Most likely you will find that some of mantras will resonate deeply and others not. Set aside those that do not resonate with you. What we mean by "resonating with you" is that by imbibing the mantra you will connect with a deep sense of peace or joy, or that you will feel movement within you having to do with purification, a cleansing that has to do with the body or mind. It may not be completely pleasant, but you're likely to see it as a beneficial movement. Most likely in this way you will find one or two, or perhaps three, mantras to focus on.
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Now it is time to practice. Listen to them. Learn how to chant them. Take some time with them. Get to know them. Get to know how they work with you. Take a week or a few weeks with them. Most likely one will emerge reasonably quickly as the most potent and resonant. That's the one. And please also be aware that Swami is a resource, and welcomes your inquiries, and will provide support in final selection of mantra, if you wish.​​​​​​
Q: Can't I just create my own mantra?​
A: We do not advise trying to create a mantra, rather the strong suggestion is to discovering your already existing mantra. As discussed above, these mantras are vibrations. They are not created, they are pre-existent and have been "brought down". So when we select a traditional mantra we're ahead of the game. It is already proven to work! This is really what we want.
Q: When should I consider changing my personal mantra?
A: Please forgive me for this answer, but the best answer is never. As we see below, practice with mantra is of cumulative effect. Changing our mantra starts us back at the beginning. If, in the first few weeks, you feel strongly that you should change, OK, then do it once only. Then the best advice is to keep it and go deep with it. Don't think about it, practice with it. Thinking about it does not give a benefit. Practicing with it gives great benefit.
Q: Should I practice with just one mantra or many?
A: It is great practicing with many mantras for different purposes, as offerings. For our personal sadhana, our personal spiritual practice, we should select one personal mantra and practice regularly with it.
How to Practice Japa Yoga
​​​​​​Once you have selected your mantra, it's time to make a commitment to yourself regarding practice. Most important is the relationship that you develop with the mantra. Recognize that repeating a mantra is a direct mental injection. It's like taking a booster shot, but this one will transform your life. The practice is not to think about the mantra. The practice is very simple, it is to repeat the mantra. It is to be deeply aware and deeply connected with the mantra. The story of the mantra is not the point. The practice with the mantra is the point. Imbibing the mantra, extricating ourselves from the web of suffering - this is the point.
There are several ways to practice. It should be understood that the goal of practice is to inject the mantra into the mind. This is what is most important. All of the methods to practice with mantra have this goal in sight. You can repeat the mantra out loud. You can whisper it. You can consciously repeat it in the mind. You can write it. You can use a mala. You can walk while repeating it. You can repeat it with the breath. Or, you can do all of these together. The more, the better.
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In starting your practice it's best to repeat three or four malas per day and pay as close attention as you possibly can to this process. This gives you a good basis from which to expand the practice. This is suggested for the first two or three weeks. See that you can focus on it, that you can remain aware of the mantra and the practice itself, and then expand the practice. As you develop your practice don't be afraid to inject this mantra into every aspect of your life. Try to repeat it all of the time, mentally, with the breath. You will find very few occasions when you cannot do it. You will find that this repetition of mantra will bring a clarity into all of your life's experiences. Even in talking with a friend you will find that if the mental repetition is going on you will listen better than you have previously. You will be present to them (not your own wants and such). You will feel what they feel, you will find yourself connected with them in ways that are very hard to describe or imagine. You will have to try it yourself.
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How to Select and Use a Mala​
Fruit of the Practice
As the practice develops, you will find that the mantra begins to repeat itself. You will begin to see that the subconscious, reactive natures, which may have been so troublesome in the past, have begun to change. You'll find more patience, more compassion, more willpower, more mental and physical strength, less disturbance. The practice becomes more one of being aware of the mantra repeating in the mind than needing to consciously repeat it all of the time.
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And now, don't stop.
It will, at the right time, stop on its own, naturally. This is called Ajapa. What you want of course is a quiet mind. Perhaps you've learned by now, however, that when you try to stop thinking it doesn't work. In fact you have likely seen that the mind becomes more animated by trying to force it to be quiet. Through Japa Yoga, the mind becomes trained, more balanced, equanimous. At some point, which you do not want to rush, a quiescence will come into the mind and through the mind. Peace. This is Ajapa. Japa to Ajapa.
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Further Resources & Support
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