Recently, at a workshop in Bangalore organised by Preksha International, where participants came all the way from Spain, Japan, Russia, Kurgan, Ukraine, Ireland. France, Indonesia and Nepal. I had the occasion to conduct a seven day course consisting of six classes every day on Mantra Meditation. The following is a gist of my talk on day one on why Mantra meditation:
Two moments are very important in life. One, when you are born and the second, when you discover why you were born. Asking “why” brings wisdom. Asking “why” gives meaning to what we are doing. Asking “why” improves our commitment to the cause… What is the necessity of mantra meditation? There are certain perspectives to it. As the author of a book, which is currently in the process of being edited, called “Mantra-the Future Medicine”, let me try and enlighten you.
The immediate problem facing mankind is healthcare. We have never seen a time of greater commitment for improving human health. By health I mean physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. So far, even physical issues continue to be unresolved. The last century has seen tremendous breakthroughs. Alexander Fleming, in September of 1928, discovered penicillin the first ‘antibiotic’. In 1953, Jonas Salk developed the first vaccine against the deadly poliomyelitis or ‘polio’. Technology to edit the human genome was discovered recently in 2012. Developing an immune system to fight cancer is yet to be perfected as are solutions to AIDS, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and numerous other deadly diseases.
Mental problems are also growing at a rapid pace. Research says that the biggest killer in the coming decades is not going to be cancer or AIDS, but depression. Suicides are on the rise… It is in this context that I will explain the relevance of Mantra. Science recognises the body as what we can see with our eyes — organs, tissues, fluids, blood, bio-chemicals and hormones.
Three bodies envelope our soul
What we do not know is something that was known to Jain mystics long ago! They claimed that there were three levels of bodies — the physical, then below that the bio-electric body or Taijas shareer, and below that the karmic body. The soul was covered by these three layers or bodies.
All major diseases originate from the karmic body. They manifest on the bio-electric body and from there on to the physical body. We have to reach the source to really cure any disease. The problem is that all major therapies and medical schools of thought, like allopathic, ayurvedic, homeopathic and acupuncture, are able to influence the body, but are unable to go deeper than the physical layer. So the source of the disease — in the karmic body — is not reached. How do we approach the karmic layer and reach the source of the disease? Therein lies the challenge.
There is a saying in China, “Prevention is better than cure”. A century ago, a superior physician in China would be one who could prevent the disease from manifesting itself in the body. A lesser physician would be one who cures the disease after it has taken hold! It was so believed that six months before it occurs in physical body, it shows in our aura. The challenge is to stop the disease before it gets into the body because once it gets into the body a number of them become incurable and is only managed. Even wide spread like blood pressure, diabetes, asthma…once they are in, their symptoms can only be suppressed; their ill-effects merely postponed. How do we reach into the karmic body and bio-electricity body and zap the disease at its source? What medicine can enter the bio-electric and the karmic body?
This is where the power of mantras come in. Mantras are words, whose combinations were invented by our mystics from their deep meditation based on the very advanced system of sonics or sound waves that create certain vibrations which have the power to penetrate deep into the bio-electric body and thence, into the karmic body and begin to cure or cleanse everything from there. Mantras have the ability to purify our aura and cleanse the entire system. They empower us to maintain complete health. It begins with spiritual health. If the latter is in order, it assists your emotional health — bringing immunity to your emotional system. When you are emotionally strong you emerge as a mentally strong person; mentally tranquil. This, in turn, provides resistance to various psychosomatic diseases — 92% of all our ailments. With mental stability comes greater physical productivity, saving you from the stress and conflicts of everyday life.
We can split our civilisation into four parts — stone-age, followed by the agricultural age, followed by the industrial age, followed by the age of technology. In this technology age we are increasingly dependent on the outer. This includes numerous gadgets. As a result, we have lost touch with the infinite power within — a phenomenally powerful gadget than any as yet.
Mantra is particularly effective for these times where, with our restless minds, our conflicts in life, and our paradoxical state we are unprepared for meditation. One of the most potent techniques for achieving spiritual awareness and awakening the inner power is the use of mantras. For thousands of years, in the continent of Asia and elsewhere, mantras have been chanted, sung and whispered by millions to unlock their inner, extraordinary powers.
Our long-term wish is to be happy. Happiness is directly connected to our behaviour and the latter is directly connected to our hormones and other bio-chemicals. The secretions of our endocrine glands can be affected by medicines. They can also be affected by mantras, without any side-effects. They work on the basis of sound waves, which have the ability to influence the shushumna in the spinal chord as discovered by yogis in ancient times. They open up the dormant power and help in making you calm and quiet and comprehend your true nature.
The first process of any mantra is to get connected and aligned to the shushumna, opening up the gateway to a kind of portal. Gradually, you will experience a unique transformation. Mantras improve our nervous system; they take us to levels where we become connected with our sub-conscious and unconscious minds. Mantras have the ability — more powerful than editing your DNA — to go deep into your bio-electric and karmic bodies …to influence your soul.
For thousands of years, yogis have been stressing the importance of chanting mantras. Modern neuroscience is beginning to discover the relationship between the way words are used and their impact on different identifiable parts of the brain. Human brain’s roughly 100 billion cells, each with about 1000 connections, interacting in real times can be impacted strongly with vibration and sensations created by Mantras. Brain disease and neuro issue are greatest mysteries in modern medical science. When we hear or think or chant of a mantra the frontal lobes of our brain lights up and the nerve endings fire up. There is increased flow of oxygen and blood. These frontal lobes are responsible for thoughts, perceptions, learning and emotions.
A Password Called M-A-N-T-R-A
Mantras change our mental and spiritual pattern. They are like a spiritual therapy. Ultrasound and supersonic sound exist, but our ears can pick up only up to 32,470 level of frequency. There are far more levels of sound than what we can hear! Mantras are like passwords given by our mystics. My guru HH Acharya Mahapragya, in his book ‘Mantra-Ek Chiktsa’ prescribed different mantra therapies for several disease. They are simple and unlock the wealth inside. Mantra is like a cushion, creating a certain sound pressure-wave around. That wave cleanses our aura and improves our spiritual abilities, our mental and emotional state and finally, our physical body.
After the age of technology I foresee the age of psychic power. I believe what we call incurable are in fact curable from within. Mantras have psychic powers engineered within them. The whole world — all of creation — is made up of vibrations. Mantras enable us to productively use these vibrations to our human advantage for our health… and happiness.