Indian Religions

"The Mantra may be used in any life situation and even during our daily routine to relax and quieten the mind. It will bring clarity and the ability to think positively."

"Mantra protects us in every life situation. It fills us with a positive vibration whenever we think of the Mantra or speak it. In this way it purifies our inner Self."

"If you would like to find enlightenment outside and inside, then place on the threshold of your tongue the lustrous pearl of the Divine Name (Mantra)."

"What the initiate is learning to do is to make sounds consciously, and thus produce a studied and desired result; to utter words, and be fully [Page 425] aware of the consequence on all planes; and to create forms and direct energy through sacred sounds, and thus further the ends of evolution. p. 155"

"The aspirant has . . . to control his speech every minute of every day. This is a statement easily made, but most difficult to make practical. He who achieves it is rapidly nearing emancipation. This applies not to the reticence, the moroseness, the silence, and the voicelessness which often distinguishes natures but little evolved, and which are in reality an inarticulate condition. It refers to the controlled use of words to effect certain ends, and the retention of speech energy when not needed - a very different matter. It involves a realisation of cycles; of times and of seasons; it supposes a knowledge of the power of sound, and of the effects produced through the spoken word; it involves an apprehension of the building forces of nature and their due manipulation, and is based on an ability to wield mental matter, and to set it in motion, in order to produce results in physical matter, consonant with the clearly defined purpose of the inner God. It is the shining forth of the second aspect of the Self, the Vishnu, or form-building aspect, which is the prime characteristic of the Ego on its own plane. It would be well to ponder on this. p. 156/7"

"Every Word, differentiated or synthesised, affects the deva kingdoms, and hence the form-building aspects of manifestation. No sound is ever made without producing a corresponding response in deva substance, and driving multitudes of tiny lives to take specific forms . . . The majority of human beings as yet build unconsciously, and the form constructed is either of a beneficent or a maleficent agency, according to the underlying motive or purpose of the man. p. 159"

"A sound in the first place is an undulation in the air, and every musical sound has a number of overtones which it sets in motion as well. Four or five or more overtones are detected and recognized in music, but the oscillations extend a great deal further than the ear can follow. Corresponding waves are set up in higher and finer matter altogether, and therefore the chanting of a note or a series of notes produces effects upon the higher vehicles. p. 144"

"This matter of sound is one that penetrates very deeply. “By the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made” in the first place. The Logos or Word is the first Emanation from the Infinite, and that quite certainly is far more than a mere figure of speech.... I do not know that we can hope to have any understanding on this plane, in this world down here, of what is meant by that Creative Word. “He spake, and it was done.” God said: “Let there be Light, and there was Light.” This was the first Expression of the Deity; the Eternal Thought concealed in darkness comes forth as the Creative Word... Perhaps because of this great Truth, words sung or spoken down here invoke higher power—power out of all proportion to the level to which they themselves belong. I am sure that there is another side of this whole question of sound which our minds cannot reach at present; we can only faintly adumbrate it. But at least we can see that the power of sound is a very great and wonderful thing. p.146"

"All mantras that depend upon the power of sound are valuable only in the language in which they have been arranged. If we translate such an one into another language, we shall have another and quite different group of sounds. Broadly speaking, the good mantra which is intended to harmonize the body and to produce beneficent results consists largely of long open vowels. We find this in our own Sacred Word, and the same is true of the Amen of the Egyptians, which has been handed down into the Christian Church. It is, by the way, best sounded on two notes. The Church has its traditional way of taking it on two notes a semitone apart—usually F sharp and G. p. 146"

"The Christ is said to have warned his disciples not to use vain repetitions when they prayed, as did the heathen; and from that text the deduction has been made that all repetitions are useless. They assuredly would be so in an invocation addressed to the Deity, for they would imply that he had not heard the first request! They would be (or should be) unnecessary for disciples—for men who have already made some progress along the path of development; to formulate an [intention]] clearly and to express it once strongly should surely be sufficient for them. But the ordinary man of the world has by no means reached that stage; it often needs a long course of steady hammering to impress a new vibration upon him, and so for him repetition are far from useless, for they are deliberately intended to produce definite results. The constant impinging of these sounds (and of the various undulations which they set up) upon the different vehicles does tend steadily to bring those vehicles into harmony with a particular set of ideas. p. 147"

"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"

"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"

"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"

"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"

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

"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 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."

"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."

"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."

"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 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."

"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’."

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

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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."

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

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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 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."

"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."

"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."

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

"He who repeats Gayatri always attains Heavens"

"Gayatri is “Vedas” in a nutshell. It is out of Gayatri the Vedas have come and into Gayatri Vedas have converged. This sacred worse adorns all the vedas. It occurs in Rigveda III 62.10, in Yajur Veda III-35, XX-II-9, XXX-2, and XXXVI-3 and in Sama Veda XXX-6-3-10."

"...It is the supreme prayer, described the mother of the Vedas, named after its metre which means “the saviour of the singer”, revealed to sage Vishvamitra. Gayatri is the mantra of the real Guru, the Omniscient God. The writers of the scriptures call it the “Soul of the Vedas’."

"Vedic ritual practice honoured the sun with daily recital of Gayathri Mantra to Savitr and sacrifices to Surya."

"Mantra Upanishad: These teachings center on esoteric interpretations of specific sounds and syllables and place those interpretations into Yogic as well as Saiva, Vaishnava, and Durga theistic contexts. Typical of these works are Tarasara, Kalisantarana, and Narayana Upansihad."

"The Gayatri is a universal prayer enshrined in the Vedas. It is addressed to the Immanent and Transcendent Divine which has been given the name 'Savita,' meaning 'that from which all this is born.' The Gayatri may be considered as having three parts - (i) Adoration (ii) Meditation (iii) Prayer. First the Divine is praised, then It is meditated upon in reverence and finally an appeal is made to the Divine to awaken and strengthen the intellect, the discriminating faculty of man. The Gayatri is considered as the essence of the Vedas. Veda means knowledge, and this prayer fosters and sharpens the knowledge-yielding faculty. As a matter of fact the four core-declarations enshrined in the four Vedas are implied in this Gayatri mantra."

"Gayatri is the Mother of all scriptures (Vedas). She is present, wherever Her name is chanted. She is very powerful. The One who nourishes the individual being is Gayatri. She bestows pure thoughts on anyone who worships Her. She is the embodiment of all Goddesses. Our very breath is Gayatri, our faith in existence is Gayatri. Gayatri has five faces, they are the five life principles. She has nine descriptions, they are ‘Om, Bhur, Bhuvah, Swah, Tat, Savitur, Vareñyaṃ, Bhargo, Devasya’. Mother Gayatri nourishes and protects every being and she channelizes our senses in the proper direction. ‘Dhīmahi’ means meditation. We pray to her to inspire us with good intelligence. ‘Dhīyo Yonah Prachodayāt’ - We beseech her to bestow on us everything we need. Thus Gayatri is a complete prayer for protection, nourishment and finally, liberation."

"It will protect you from harm wherever you are --traveling, working, or at home. Westerners have investigated the vibrations produced by this mantra and have found that when it is recited with the correct accent as laid down in the Vedas, the atmosphere around becomes visibly illumined. So Brahma-prakāsha, the Divine Effulgence, will descend on you and illumine your intellect and light your path when this mantra is chanted. Also repeat shanti thrice at the end, for that repetition will give shanti or peace to three entities in you --body, mind, and soul."

"The Gayatri is perhaps the greatest and most beautiful of all the ancient mantras. It has been chanted all over India from time immemorial... in an antiquity so remote that the very memory of it has been forgotten, the altruistic use of such mantras was fully comprehended and practiced. It begins always with the sacred word Om, and with the enumeration of the planes upon which its action is desired—the three worlds in which man lives, the physical, the astral and the mental;"

"This wonderful mantra is an invocation to the Sun—of course really to the Solar Logos, who stands behind that grandest of all symbols; and the great shaft of light which immediately pours down upon and into the reciter comes as though from the physical Sun, in whatever direction that Sun may happen to be. This shaft of light is white tinged with gold, and shot with that electric blue which is so often seen in connection with any manifestation of the power of the first Ray; but when it has filled the very soul of the reciter it promptly shoots from him again in seven great rays or cones having the colours of the spectrum. It is as though the singer acts as a prism; yet the colour rays which dart forth are of a shape the reverse of what we usually find in such cases. Commonly when we send out rays of spiritual force they spring forth from a point in the body—the heart, the brain, or some other centre; and as they shoot out they steadily broaden fanwise, as do those shining from a lighthouse. But these rays start from a basis wider than the man himself—a basis which is the circumference of his aura; and instead of widening out they decrease to a point, just as do the rays of a conventional star except that they are of course cones of light instead of mere triangles."

"Actually, it doesn't matter – Krishna or Christ – the name is the same. The main point is to follow the injunctions of the Vedic scriptures that recommend chanting the name of God in this age."