Indian Religions

"Our tragic age demands poetry of courage and not whimpers about the inevitable end of all maya. People still extract pain of each other even after Buddha, Nanak and Gandhi have been preaching peace."

"Wherever the word Maya occurs [In Rigveda] it is used only to signify the might or the power."

"To love only members of the Bramho Samaj or of one's own family is maya; to love one's own countrymen is maya. But to love the people of all countries, to love the members of all religions, is daya. Such love comes from love of God, from daya (compassion)."

"How can Brahman be differentiated or desecrated? The guru had one more lesson, the greatest of his life, to learn. He would never condescend to admit of Maya or Shakti. Brahman only exists—this was his refrain."

"If we look more deeply into humanity’s ancient religions and spiritual traditions, we will find that underneath the many surface differences there are two core insights that most of them agree on. The words they use to describe those insights differ, yet they all point to a twofold fundamental truth. The first part of this truth is the realization that the “normal” state of mind of most human beings contains a strong element of what we might call dysfunction or even madness. Certain teachings at the heart of Hinduism perhaps come closest to seeing this dysfunction as a form of collective mental illness. They call it maya, the veil of delusion. Ramana Maharshi, one of the greatest Indian sages, bluntly states: “The mind is maya.” Buddhism uses different terms. According to the Buddha, the human mind in its normal state generates dukkha, which can be translated as suffering, unsatisfactoriness, or just plain misery. He sees it as a characteristic of the human condition. Wherever you go, whatever you do, says the Buddha, you will encounter dukkha, and it will manifest in every situation sooner or later. According to Christian teachings, the normal collective state of humanity is one of “original sin.” Sin is a word that has been greatly misunderstood and misinterpreted... It means to live unskillfully, blindly, and thus to suffer and cause suffering. Again, the term, stripped of its cultural baggage and misinterpretations, points to the dysfunction inherent in the human condition."

"The word Maya in the Rigveda (RV) generally denotes “occult power” applicable in good sense to gods and in bad sense to demons, and may be be rendered by the English word “craft” having a similar double application. But is used in the sense of “illusion” or “show”, thus forestalling later Vedanta philosophy."

"Om Mani Padme Hum, the sunrise comes! The Dewdrop Slips Into The Shining Sea!"

"That word which all the Vedas record, which all penances proclaim, which men desire when they live as religious disciples, that word I tell thee briefly, it is OM."

"There is no higher mantra than Gayatri, there is no higher deity than one’s mother."

"Silence is the language of Om. We need silence to be able to reach our Self. Both internal and external silence is very important to feel the presence of that supreme Love."

"Texts may prescribe that the lines of the yantra be traced with a specific colour, for example, with turmeric or blood, but the space inside is never filled with colours….images are generally not found in yantras."

"Brunner defines Yantra as a linear representation on a specific surface, such as birch-bark… yantras almost inevitably have letters, seed (beeja) syllables or mantras inscribed in them….yantras have inscribed mantras."

"Chanting and meditation of Om is the way to reach and abide in that ever blissful nature underlying our surface personality. This is bliss for no reason at all. It is unconditional bliss, a bliss that is everlasting, un-decaying, pure and stainless. Om is our blissful Self."

"Om:Om is not just a sound or vibration. It is not just a symbol. It is the entire cosmos, whatever we can see, touch, hear and feel. Moreover, it is all that is within our perception and all that is beyond our perception. It is the core of our very existence. If you think of Om only as a sound, a technique or a symbol of the Divine, you will miss it altogether."

"A yantra symbolically represents the human body and psyche. Most are circles enclosed in a square outer form with four gates. The square represents the ego consciousness, while the circle represents the unconscious. Whenever something unconscious becomes conscious, it is symbolized by a circle or a round shape, becoming a square or a cube. The square outer layer of a yantra represents the act of entering the circle, or the unconscious entering the consciousness."

"Om is the mysterious cosmic energy that is the substratum of all the things and all the beings of the entire universe. It is an eternal song of the Divine. It is continuously resounding in silence on the background of everything that exists."

"When Sanskrit is called the ‘universal language’ or ‘the language of the gods’, it is no mere exaggeration...Truly learning Sanskrit is not just conventional language but of learning the language of mantra. It is not a mere academic study or a means of improving communication, but an inner practice to create the foundation for Mantra Yoga."

"This [Kundalini] manifests when we develop higher powers of speech through mantra and the practice of silent communion during meditation. Kundalini speech is energized mantra. In this regard, we must remember that Kundalini wears the garland of the mantras of the Sanskrit alphabet and ultimately the garland of all mantras. Mantra is the main yogic method used to arouse the Kundalini, particularly mantra repeated along with pranayama, meditation and deep devotion."

"Through mantra, we can awaken the Divine light within us and expand beyond the limitations of space, direction and manifestation. Through mantra, one can learn to ride the waves of cosmic light and sound, going back to the Divine Word at the heart of the world. This is the cosmic form of Mantra Yoga known known only to Yogis who have gone beyond the body and mind."

"By regularly meditating on a specific yantra, you can tune in to the corresponding archtype to focus its healing energies in your psyche and foster personal growth."

"Om is the Brahman, the indestructible Life force. Om is this universe. It is nameless, the Divine. It is the totality of you, I, and the whole creation. It is the totality of past, present and future of this existence."

"Perfect prayer does not consist in many words, silent remembering and pure intention raises the heart to that supreme Power."

"Through mantra we can gain mastery of all the forces of time and karma."

"Gayatri, the greatest and the most beautiful of all the ancient mantras, universally hailed as the Mother of the Vedas that has been chanted from time immemorial, has acquired such an enormous mystical power and transcendental importance that it continues to remain even now as the mantra which has been universally accepted as capable of unfolding our spiritual faculties in the most remarkable manner."

"The higher word or mantra consists of both sound and light. It is the word of light. Sound is the vibratory quality of space, which itself is the field of light....Mantra brings light into our awareness, but also allows us to carry and sustain that light as knowledge."

"He who repeats Gayatri always attains Heavens"

"Yantra is an instrument of fastening."

"Mantra is a vehicle to bring our minds, hearts and prana to the level of both primal sound and primal meaning , in which we can return to the original state of unity with all. This requires that we use mantras with an intention, focus and aspiration to reach the supreme."

"Prana, [we could say], is the spirit of mantra. Mantra in turn is the expression of prana. Whatever most engages our prana or vital energy becomes the main subject of our speech."

"...when the Goddess is invited to take her place, before the moment of worship, the yoni mudra is made since the yoni, the female organ is her pitha or yantra. The yoni can never be regarded by Tantric adept otherwise than an altar."

"...yantras, like some mandalas are used for worship in desire-oriented (kamya rites), but their main purpose is magical."

"Samput are specified words used in Mantra. These can be used at the beginning, middle and or the end of a mantra. The samput has a great value in Mantra shakthi or in other mantras and must be used carefully."

"Mantra which contain up to nine Nine words are called Bejj Mantra, ten to twenty words form Mantraand beyond are Mole Mantras."

"It was said that the first primordial sound produced at the time of creation was the syllable ‘OM’ and this became the first Mantra. This consists of three letters AUM. The sound ‘A’ starts from the throat and comes as far as the lips and as such is the longest and fullest vowel. The Letter ‘M’is the sound produced when the lips are closed and thus is the last sound. In between is ‘U’."

"A seed when sown grows into a fruit bearing tree.In the same way the Beej Mantra is full of Shakthi. There are various Beej Mantras each with its own power. When mixed with other mantras additional power accrues to that Mantra."

"In Hindu devotional tradition, “yantra” is the general term for instruments of worship, namely, idols, pictures, or geometrical diagrams. A yantra may serve as a (1) representation of some personification or aspect of the divine, (2) a model for the worship of a divinity immediately within the heart after the paraphernalia of outward devotion (idols, perfumes, offerings, audibly uttered formulae) have been discarded by the advance initiate, (3) a kind of chart or schedule for the gradual evolution of a vision, while identifying the Self with its slowly varying contents that is to say, with divinity in all its phases of transformation. In this case the yantra contains dynamic elements."

"The most effective way to use this mantram is to say or think the words with focused will, the attention at the ajna center between the eyebrows. When the mind grasps the meaning of the concept and, simultaneously, the will is brought to bear, then those concepts will be activated and the mantram will work. If it is said seriously every day, there will grow inside you a realization of your true Self."

"A Prayer for the New Age, given by Maitreya... [It] is a great mantram or affirmation with an invocative effect. Using this prayer will enable one to recognize that man and God are one, that there is no separation. The 'I' is the Divine Principle behind all creation. The Self emanates from, and is identical to, the Divine Principle."

"Yantra is an instrument designed to curb the psychic powers by concentrating them on pattern, and in such a way that this pattern becomes reproduced by the worshipper’s visualizing powers."

"I am the creator of the universe. I am the father and mother of the universe. Everything comes from me. Everything shall return to me. Mind, spirit and body are my temples, for the self to realize in them My supreme being and becoming."

"The mediator must be capable of being at one with these in consciousness, and not merely as mental constructs clothed in words He can effectively use this mantra to realize supreme communion instead of being caught in the net of words and sensuous experiences."

"Mul Mantar is the name of these twelve words. A mantar (mantra) is an empowering formula for repetition; mul {pronounced to rhyme with English ‘pool’) means a root (it is etymologically akin to the muli, or white radish). It is as if the whole of the Guru’s teaching (and of Sikh spirituality) grows from and draws sustenance from this statement. His longer compositions develop this theme, and provide the basis for Sikh theology."

"In the w:UpanishadTarasara Upanishad, Yagnyavalkya teaches Bharadwaja the right use of a certain mantra – aum -namo –narayanaaya- which consists of eight syllables. Each separate syllable symbolizes aspects of Transcendence (Brahma, Vishnu, etc) or archetypal MIND energies."

"The Yogatattwa Upanishad warns against the misuse of mantra."

"Yantras can be two-or three dimensional. Two dimensional yantras are designs on paper, textiles and other materials. They are dimensional yantras raised structures usually made of metal. The well known sri yantra or sri chakra are classified differently, depending on the author’s use of terminology."

"An oft-repeated mantra (that is a phrase or a word of power which, on occasion may be used as a spell) is known as japa. It can be used to produce a calming effect"

"Madame Blavatsky... gave a caution that no one should attempt to use a mantra which is too high for him. None such will be given to us by our teachers; but I would say this, as a caution to neophytes, that if the reciting even of the Sacred Word (Om) in any particular way should produce headache or a feeling of nausea or faintness, it should be stopped at once. We should go on working at the development of our characters, and try it again in a few months. In using the Word, we are invoking great forces, and if we are not yet quite up to their level they may not be harmonious, and the result may be not invariably good. p. 149"

"The Adi Granth opens with the Mul Mantra, the basic statement of belief: “There is one Supreme Being, the Eternal Reality. [This Supreme Being] is the Creator, without fear and devoid of enmity, immortal, never incarnated, self-existent, known by grace through the Guru."

"Another point with regard to mantras which is stressed in the Indian books is that students are forbidden to use them in the presence of coarse or evil-minded people, because the power of a mantra will often intensity evil as well as good. If there were a person present who could not answer to the vibrations in their higher form, he might well received a lower octave, which would be quite likely to strengthen the evil in him. We should never use a mantra where there are people who are likely to be injured by it. p. 149"

"One may often see a Roman Catholic reciting his “Aves” and “Paternosters” many times over. Generally he just mutters them, and so they are of little use to him, except for the thoughts that they may suggest to him. In India mantras are always chanted, and the chanted mantra does produce an effect. That is one reason why the older languages are better in this respect than modern tongues. Modern languages are generally spoken quickly and abruptly, and only the Italian, Spanish and Greek peasants seem to speak in the old way in long, musical cadences. p. 148"