How do Mantras Works

How do Mantras Works

Mantras are often misunderstood to be simply prayers, but this is not entirely accurate. Dr. S. Tilak, formerly of the Department of Religion at Concordia University in Montreal, describes mantras as “sacred sound”. And as Harold Coward described in his paper presented to the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion in 1981, “By concentrating one’s mind on a mantra, the devotee invokes the power inherent in divine intuition and so purifies his consciousness....”

The well-known Swami Sivananda, in his book Japa-Yoga: A Comprehensive Treatise on Mantra Shastra, writes that “Mantras transform the nature of the mind. The repetition of the mantra trains the mind to think only good thoughts, eradicating all negative thoughts and inclinations. New grooves are cut into the mind and brain.”

Both the theory and practice of mantra meditation originate from the Vedas, the oldest spiritual texts of India. As far back as 5,000 years ago, the ancient rishis, or wise men, who composed the mantra verses, understood the powerful effect of rhythmical sound vibration for achieving specific results both within oneself and in one’s environment. They recognized that sound is a primary cardinal element (in Sanskrit, mahabhuta), and that it represents a direct pathway to healing and spiritual health.

In fact, the rishis grasped intuitively what modern science has only confirmed in this century, namely that all creation is based on vibratory energy. Every atom and every molecule in solid matter - in fact everything that we tend to see as fixed and static - is actually in collective motion. Their movement and interaction create a subtle form of sound which reverberates throughout the rest of creation.

Mantras are composed in such a way that their subtle vibrations act upon our own molecules, resounding in the ether, the very fabric of creation.

The Power to Change Lives

When we repeat a mantra, consistently and with dedication, we are setting up a sympathetic vibration within and around us, which in turn initiates the desired results in our lives. A mantra works first and foremost by calming and purifying our own thought patterns, since it is our thoughts and our consequent behaviour that ultimately attract our life circumstances. We do create our reality, attracting challenges and opportunities according to our resistance or receptivity.

In effect, mantras go to the very heart of matter, and help us to literally vibrate with more joy, strength and conviction. Everything else in our lives can then fall into place accordingly. And with time and effort, we can approach that goal of spiritual awakening that has inspired every saint and sage from time immemorial.