Meditating on mantras

Nini

Namaskar

I'm new here and this is my 3rd post.

Some of you may have remembered that I said that I came here to learn meditation to enhance my daily transcendental/spiritual practices (sorry if the terms that I use are not used here normally).

Do some of you meditate on mantras ? Can you recommend site or book or any reading materials to help me in the finer points of the method.

Thanks

fivebells

You may find this thread helpful.

jinzang

Here's a brief explanation of Chenrezig practice by Kalu Rinpoche. It's explained in more detail in Bokar Rinpoche's book, Chenrezig Lord of Love, but, unfortunately, that book is hard to get. Bokar Rinpoche was Kalu Rinpoche's foremost disciple.

AriettaDolente

The following is my favorite story about chanting mantras. It has been retold many times with varying details, but I find this version quite satisfying:

"The True Sound of Truth"
Parable of the Chanting Hermit
as published at http://www.dharma-haven.org

A devoted meditator, after years concentrating on a particular mantra, had attained enough insight to begin teaching. The student's humility was far from perfect, but the teachers at the monastery were not worried.

A few years of successful teaching left the meditator with no thoughts about learning from anyone; but upon hearing about a famous hermit living nearby, the opportunity was too exciting to be passed up.

The hermit lived alone on an island at the middle of a lake, so the meditator hired a man with a boat to row across to the island. The meditator was very respectful of the old hermit. As they shared some tea made with herbs the meditator asked him about his spiritual practice. The old man said he had no spiritual practice, except for a mantra which he repeated all the time to himself. The meditator was pleased: the hermit was using the same mantra he used himself -- but when the hermit spoke the mantra aloud, the meditator was horrified!

"What's wrong?" asked the hermit.

"I don't know what to say. I'm afraid you've wasted your whole life! You are pronouncing the mantra incorrectly!"

"Oh, Dear! That is terrible. How should I say it?"

The meditator gave the correct pronunciation, and the old hermit was very grateful, asking to be left alone so he could get started right away. On the way back across the lake the meditator, now confirmed as an accomplished teacher, was pondering the sad fate of the hermit.

"It's so fortunate that I came along. At least he will have a little time to practice correctly before he dies." Just then, the meditator noticed that the boatman was looking quite shocked, and turned to see the hermit standing respectfully on the water, next to the boat.

"Excuse me, please. I hate to bother you, but I've forgotten the correct pronunciation again. Would you please repeat it for me?"

"You obviously don't need it," stammered the meditator; but the old man persisted in his polite request until the meditator relented and told him again the way he thought the mantra should be pronounced.

The old hermit was saying the mantra very carefully, slowly, over and over, as he walked across the surface of the water back to the island.

Nini

Thank you all for your replies, they've been very helpful.

Jinzang, I had a look at the site and will explore it in more details in due course.

letsgodowntherabbith

Ok, so I'm learning right?
I would rather ask a stupid question one time, them be in the dark for a long period of time.

I don't understand what mantras are, how you can meditate on them, and what this does to end suffering in my life.

Please, teach me.

NamelessRiver

I don't understand what mantras are, how you can meditate on them, and what this does to end suffering in my life.

Please, teach me.

That makes two of us, but whenever someones speaks of mantras near me I imediately remember this one : madana mohana murari haribol haribo haribol "because you are more seductive than cupid, you stolen my heart". Hahaha! It is silly but it makes me happy, and it plays in my head all the time too :P (the "mantra" in the video starts a little after the first minute :P) It used to be the music of a soap-opera that was on TV when I was a kid (Brasil is very big on soap operas) and it was the theme of this new age girl who was in love with a dead guy (who had a ton of girlfriends and called each one by the name of a fruit) and had his spirit on a crystal or something x_X (but I digress):

<object width="425" height="344">


<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1_3mos6PdhY&hl=en_US&fs=1&&quot; type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></object>

fivebells

I don't understand it either, frankly.

AriettaDolente

Sound is powerful. Humans are only capable of hearing sound vibrations in the range of 20Hz to 20,000Hz. Everything in the universe, however, vibrates, from the tiniest particles to the largest stars. We cannot perceive it, but the universe is a symphony!

Mantras invoke words and sound to affect changes in our consciousness. Repetition is how our brains store information important to us. With mantras, we process and store information beneficial to us in very significant ways. A mantra can be as simple as, "I think I can." (Remember the Little Engine that Could?) It can also be conjoined with deeper concepts, such as "Om Mani Padme Hum." In the latter case, the mantra is a powerful tool for awakening compassion, no only in ourselves but in others.

Some believe the vibrations of certain mantras can affect change not only on a personal level, but on a universal level, as well. I think it's plausible. Sound is energy, and energy never dies. Often, we may know of the cause, but not the effect. Who's to say?

In any event, the power of words and sound make the mantra an amazingly useful tool, available to all.

~ AD

letsgodowntherabbith

(honest question I promise)
So ariettaDolente do I need to say it as "I think I can" or does it have to be said in the other language? If so, why?
I'm not saying I agree with you but it's something to try and experence for myself. could you link any online resources on this idea please?

Valtiel

I don't understand what mantras are, how you can meditate on them, and what this does to end suffering in my life.

If you understand the meaning behind a mantra, then it can become a powerful and useful object of focus in meditation. It doesn't have to be a Tibetan mantra or anything like that... it could even just be "love," "metta," "anatta," or whatever you want. Mantra repetition of something that has a significant meaning to you will help you embody that feeling and understand it more deeply.

In my opinion the true power of the mantra comes from your understanding of it. There are more esoteric beliefs regarding mantras within certain schools of Buddhism, where things like empowerments are required, or where the syllables of the mantras themselves inherently benefit anyone who hears them... if you're intersted in these sorts of things, http://www.wildmind.org/mantras/method is probably a decent place to start.

letsgodowntherabbith

Thanks mundus, your always there with a very well thought out answer. Where do you know of all of these websites?

Valtiel

Wildmind was one of the first websites I went to when I started reading up on Buddhism 7 years ago. I was very interested in the Tibetan traditions for a long time and found that site useful.

Nini

Pranaams

Brilliant replies. Thanks.

Im learning a lot here although as I have mentioned in my very first post in another thread that I dont know that I will go all the way the buddhist path, although Im very much interested in some aspects of buddhism.

Its like this: my friend suggested that I learn buddhist meditation techniques to enhance my sadhana.

I enjoy very much this forum. Thanks

Brigid

Hi, Nini.

I'm glad you're enjoying the forum. I hope it can be as useful to your spiritual practice as it has been to mine.

sukhita

In Metta Meditation (Practice of compassion) the meditator recites verses like this one:

May all beings be free from danger.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be healthy.
May all beings live with ease.

Is this also a mantra or is it something different?

fivebells

It's different, at least the way I was taught it. It seems that mantra is something you say repeatedly at relatively high frequency. These, you hold each line in attention for a while, and if it takes less than twenty minutes to go through an iteration, you may be going too fast.

sukhita

Thanks Fivebells. The two threads you provided (at #2 and #17 above) have been very useful. Also, what I didn't quiet understand before is the relationship between the Metta (Loving-kindness) Meditation and the Four Immeasurables.