Facing Life

Yoga enables you to face the ups and downs of life.

- Swami Satyananda Saraswati

We all want an easy, pleasant life. We all want to avoid painful experiences and unpleasant situations. This is part of our nature. However, to expect life to always go along with our wishes is, well, wishful thinking.

Yoga is a system of practices grounded in a spiritual philosophy. It is comprised of two primary components: wisdom and devotion. Wisdom tells us that life involves both enjoyment and suffering. We don’t get one without the other. Life is a play of opposites: hot and cold, up and down, good and bad, life and death . . . Without these, things would be extremely monotonous!

Devotion helps us to surrender to a higher wisdom and higher love. Unity, or non-duality, doesn’t mean monotony. Instead it means that there is a unified field of Consciousness within all beings and that all beings are contained within this field. Through devotion and surrender we join our individual awareness with that field which we sometimes refer to as God. At the same time we each need to work out our karma as individual “selves.”

Wisdom and devotion give us a connection to an inner center of calm, blissful awareness from which we can better handle the inevitable crises that life brings. It helps us to “let go and let God.”

The individual ego suffers because it wants things its way. We want to be in control but we are only part of a much greater unfolding reality. Try putting your hand out to stop the waves coming in from the ocean. If you’re not careful you’ll get knocked down. Wisdom helps you to pick yourself up out of the sand. Surrender allows you to ride the surf. Fear, doubt, pride and greed cause us to wipe out.

We ourselves are but waves upon the vast ocean of Being. We imagine ourselves to be separate but we are never so. As the mystic poet Kabir wrote, “I have been thinking of the difference between water and the waves on it./Rising, water's still water, falling back, it is water./Will you give me a hint how to tell them apart?” Meditation connects us with that deeper, vaster Self. It helps us to detach from our suffering and find happiness within. Once we are established in that inner sanctum the outer onslaughts of life have a significantly diminished impact.

The Real Guru

Guru is not a person on whom you can dump all your rubbish.
Guru is a person who inspires you to lead your life in a creative,
efficient and effective way so that there is development of self-awareness
– what I can do, what I can't do, how I can be, how I
can't be, what is the right thing to do, what is the wrong thing to
do, how to understand other people's attitudes and concepts and
how not to impose our own egos and ambitions. This is the basis
of the guru's teaching.

- Swami Niranjan



The term “guru” has come to the West and has been typically mangled, manipulated and misunderstood as to its meaning. We talk about “fashion gurus,” “financial gurus,” etc. It seems to mean someone with suspect authority. The Guru within the Yoga tradition is something much more profound. The Guru is someone who guides us from spiritual darkness to inner illumination. The Guru is an “expert” and a teacher to some extent but, more importantly he or she is able to transmit spiritual energy, shakti, to catalyze the process of awakening within the disciple.

Because we lack an understanding of the tradition and because many of us are gullible in this department, there have been a slew of false or errant gurus who have become popular and notorious. Of course there are many more false and errant followers who misunderstand, misrepresent and misuse the teachings and the power of the Guru. We tend to fail to get that our spiritual progress is our own responsibility. The Guru can charge our batteries, give us inspiration and guidance but the choice and the difficult inner work is up to each of us. As one Swami put it, “The Guru is not a donkey. You can’t just jump on his back for a ride.”

The true Guru is a role model. He or she models nonattachment, emotional stability, inner joy, optimism, creativity and love. He or she is also a human being. Your Guru may make mistakes, be wrong about some things, be tempted by money, sex and power. There is a story of the great Yogi Goraknath and his Guru, Matsyendranath. In this story Matsyendranth sends Goraknath to visit a distant city. When Gorknath arrives he finds his Guru living there already. Not only that but his Guru has fallen for a local lady and has abandoned his spiritual life to become a married householder with seven children. Goraknath, of course, becomes dismayed and his faith in his Guru is shaken. He returns to the ashram to report the Guru's downfall to the others only to find that Matsyendranth is already there again and deep in meditation. The other disciples report that he never left the premises while Goraknath was away.

The story has dream-like inconsistencies of course. These point to the dream-like quality of life itself within which we are trying to awaken. To a large extent the Guru, like life, is a mirror of our projections. We project our inner divinity onto the Guru and also our shadow. In this case Goraknath had a hidden arrogance regarding his own spiritual status. He had certain assumptions and judgments which prevented him from recognizing the underlying reality behind appearances. True Being is disguised within every experience and is winking at us within every form. It is our ego-identification and attachment which keeps us from seeing clearly.

My experiences with my Guru seem to have been all too brief. I spent time with him on three occasions, once in the U.S., and twice in India. However his presence in my life has been precious gift. My faith has waivered considerably and I have not been the exemplary disciple by any means. Still when I sit for meditation I feel the shakti surge within me. My body shakes and I feel bliss arising no matter what crazy stress I may be going through in my life. Even though he has left his physical form I know that he has not abandoned me. Still it is up to me to maintain my practice, cultivate inspiration and continue to follow the path of awakening.

There is a saying in the Yoga tradition, “God, Guru and Self are one.” Once we really get this there is nothing more to realize. Then again perhaps our work has just begun. The Guru will challenge your ego in a number of ways and always catch you off-guard. Once while visiting Denver where I met him for the first time, Swamiji was riding in the car with me. He began to ask me about my glasses. This is a sensitive area for me. I have worn them since age seven and am severely near-sighted. He asked if they had bi-focal lenses. I replied no, that I was near-sighted. He asked if I could see close-up with them. I replied yes. Then he asked if I could see into the distance with them. Again yes. “So they must be bi-focal lenses,” he said. I found myself becoming irritated and defensive of my position. Why?

For some reason, just after meeting me, Swamiji agreed to initiate me into Sannyasa with the spiritual title Swami Turiyananda Saraswati. He asked me if I knew what the name meant and I explained that I had read the definition of the terms involved. He said, “It is a spiritual experience, not an intellectual one. You don’t have that experience yet but one day you will. That is my promise.” To “get” that experience is to step outside of the intellect, of definitions and symbols into the direct experience of Reality. Not the superficial reality of our mental projections but the reality of Being, Consciousness and Bliss. Then you step back into the world and go to work. Om Satyam!

For information regarding Swami Satyananda Saraswati and Satyananda Yoga please visit: http://www.yogavision.net/home.htm

Mother Kundalini

The Kundalini Yogi seeks to obtain both Bhukti and Mukti. He attains liberation in and through the world. Jnana Yoga is the path of asceticism and liberation. Kundalini Yoga is the path of enjoyment and liberation.

- Swami Sivananda


According to Swami Satyananda any form of spiritual discipline will bring about the awakening of kundalini. Kundalini is the latent energy within our bio-psychological beings, which, when activated can bring about a spiritual transformation. This energy, much like electricity, is known indirectly through the phenomenal process it evokes within psyche and soma. Although the term “kundalini” belongs to the Sanskrit Tantric tradition, the phenomenon has been known cross-culturally and world-wide. We can see its unfolding states and stages in Shamanic initiations and in the writings of Christian and Islamic mystics. The ultimate goal of this inner process is the union of the individual with the Universal Consciousness; jivatman with Paramatman. It is the summon bona of human existence as proclaimed by mystic saints throughout the ages, the union of the soul with God.

It seems that many of those who practice yoga asanas, or postures, are unaware that these were originally designed to open the flow of prana, or bio-electromagnetic energy through the channels of the subtle body in order to pave the way for the awakening of kundalini. In the process there is a release of psychological and emotional stress which enhances both physical and psychological health. With the awakening of kundalini, however, one’s consciousness transcends both body and mind. The kundalini experience involves ego death and rebirth. The process often involves intense ecstasy as well as physical and psychological suffering. The ecstasy hooks us into the process while the suffering purifies the physical and energetic bodies.

Sexual energy, experiences and desires are a prominent early stage of the process. The kundalini energy is comprised of libidinal, psychological and spiritual energy. It represents a continuum. All is One. This can be problematic for those who have compartmentalized spirituality as good and sexuality as bad. The process of kundalini awakening can be awakened both through intense sexual pleasure and prayer. It is also dissipated through excessive sensuality and over-intellectualization. The ego has a myriad of strategies for avoiding the point. Active, intentional and dedicated surrender to the Divine is crucial.

The chakras are energy centers within the subtle, or psychic, body through which kundalini passes as it opens. Each center represents a developmental level of consciousness. These levels are based in and rest upon an overall evolutionary process in the universe. Kundalini is the process of universal evolution happening in and through us right here and right now. With the development of human beings the universe begins to become aware of Itself. At this stage we are each responsible to join in and participate in the universal creative process. Meditation on the chakras is a method discovered by the Tantric Masters (Mahasiddhas) for entering into this process.

To reiterate the point that this phenomenon doesn’t belong strictly to the East, I would like to share a poem by Hildegard von Bingen which seems to describe kundalini very well:

Holy Spirit
giving life to all life,
moving all creatures,
root of all things,
washing them clean,
wiping out their mistakes,
healing their wounds,
you are our true life,
luminous, wonderful,
awakening the heart,
from its ancient sleep.


(from The Enlightened Heart: An Anthology of Sacred Poetry, edited by
Stephen Mitchell)

Some resources:
Kundalini Tantra/2009 Re-print
Kundalini Energy & Christian Spirituality: A Pathway to Growth & Healing
Theories of the Chakras: Bridge to Higher Consciousness
Kundalini : The Energy of the Depths : A Comprehensive Study Based on the Scriptures of Nondualistic Kasmir Saivism (Suny Series in the Shaiva Traditions of Kashmir)
http://satyamyoga.com/teachpro.htm
http://www.kundaliniawakeningsystems1.com/downloads/secret-of-yoga_gopi-krishna_(222pg).pdf
Kundalini Rising: Exploring the Energy of Awakening
The Kundalini Experience: Psychosis or Transcendence

Meditation: Key to Inner Freedom

There is nothing in the outer world, no person, no condition and no circumstance that can take away the freedom which is yours in spirit. Instead of wishing that you were free to live your life differently, accept the truth that right now you are free, free to change your thinking, free to change your outlook on life, free to be all that you long to be.
- Swami Satyananda

We generally think of oppression as something outside of ourselves. It is due to the government, our job, family, partner, lack of education, prejudice, etc. People all over the world are fighting for freedom and this is something wonderful, despite the suffering and bloodshed involved. Let’s envision a world in which every one of us has basic human rights, freedom to express ourselves and to determine our own destinies. Social and political freedom are meaningless though as long as we trapped in our own thoughts, beliefs and emotional patterns.

Yoga philosophy tells us that we are all conditioned by ignorance of our true identity. We are bound by ego-centric desire, hatred and fear. These are the root causes of our bondage. It is an insidious form of bondage of which we are often unaware. Overlaid on these are the layers of our personal and social conditioning. Due to our need to fit in and belong, to feel loved and admired, to establish our unique personal territory we have sacrificed our true nature, sabotaged our divine potential. When we judge ourselves and others, try to be in control of situations, seek approval, etc. we are adding bricks the prison wall. We hold onto our reductionist self-definitions out of fear that we might become lost in the expanse of our true being.

Meditation is a paradoxical discipline of letting go. Through the practice of deep relaxation, detached self-observation and focused awareness we can dismantle the cage of ego, deconstruct the narrative of fear, unworthiness and victimization. Meditation connects us to our inner power, grace and ease. It dissolves the barriers between ourselves and our divine source. It heals the narcissistic wounds from childhood and opens us to the presence of love.

The problem is that we can’t be free until we know who we are. Our true nature is freedom; freedom from all conditions, limitations, lack or disease. We are essentially beings of joy, light, love and boundless consciousness.

Everything else is a lie meant to enslave us.

Attuning to the Infinite

To chant a mantra at a deeper yogic level is to think with the entire universe and to access the wisdom and experience of all beings.

- Dr. David Frawley

When I conduct a yoga class I always start with the practice of Om chanting. To me it seems completely natural and even self-evident to do so. All the possible explanation of the benefits can be experienced simply by doing it. Still some students are put off. Perhaps they think I am indoctrinating them in a religion, or putting a spell on them. This is understandable. We are all a little resistant to encountering the unfamiliar. The practice of Om chanting requires lowering one’s guard to a certain extent. It is an effective way of promoting relaxation, lowering blood pressure, improving memory and concentration and going beyond the limits of our ordinary ego-centric minds.

In Mantra Yoga and the Primal Sound: Secrets of Seed (Bija) Mantras David Frawley suggests that “Perhaps the easiest way for us to understand mantra is as a kind of asana for the mind. Mantras provide focus, strength, plasticity and adaptability to the mind, just as asanas do for the body.” Mantras generally do not have a direct word to word translatability into English. Instead they challenge us to develop new meta-concepts; new ways of understanding ourselves and our relation to the universe. As Swami Satyananda has explained, mantras are used for their sound qualities not as a means of communicating intellectually. We have to experience the mantra to truly understand its meaning.

The mantra “Om” is central to the Yogic tradition. In the Yoga Sutras it is referred to as “Pranava,” meaning “that which pervades all life.” It is the universal hum of creation. Om is first mentioned in the Rig Veda which is estimated to have originated between 1700-1100 BC (some argue that it was much earlier than that). It is generally considered to be the outward form of the inner sound which experienced practitioners hear in deep meditation. By chanting Om aloud or silently within we attune to the underlying vibratory field of creation. Through attuning to Om we experience how the farthest reaches of space and our innermost self are intimately interconnected. Om is the fundamental sound of everyone and everything.

The Mandukya Upanishad offers an expanded understanding of the mantra Om as it relates to consciousness and its states. It gives us a sense of the transcendent aspect of consciousness as it is present in the conditioned states of waking, dreaming and dreamless sleep. Om represents both the immanent and transcendent aspects of consciousness. The first verse of this Upanishad dives deep into the significance of this mantra:

Om is the universal sound. Past, present and future are all contained within and that which is beyond the divisions of time is also present in Om.

Wow! If we pause to think about it for a moment this opening verse challenges us to go beyond our ordinary concepts and understanding. What is beyond past, present and future? We might be tempted to say “eternity,” but we usually envision this as an endless future. The Upanishad suggests that we should try to think beyond the linear notions of time. We might say that it is the “eternal now” and this might be closer to the point. Like a koan from the Zen tradition it pushes us to go beyond our conditioned mind.

Om, according to the Upanishad, represents the source or cosmic consciousness, Brahman. Brahman is sometimes translated as “God,” however most of us have been raised to understand God as some distant, authoritarian figure. Brahman is actually your innermost essential nature. It is the creative mind of the universe expressing itself in and through each of us. It is the universal flow of Loving Awareness.

This Universal Self is divided up within each of us as four states of consciousness: waking, dreaming, dreamless sleep and transcendent awareness. We are all familiar with the first three. We all go through cycles of waking, dream sleep and dreamless sleep. Sometimes, of course we have difficulty with the sleep part. The fourth state is not actually a separate state. Instead it is the witnessing awareness present in all states – even the “unconscious” state of deep sleep. Through meditation practice we can awaken to this inner witness and experience it more clearly.

The waking state is the one we are most familiar with. Many would refer to it as THE state of consciousness. From the Yogic viewpoint however it is a relative state of consciousness equivalent to dreaming. As Ramana Maharshi once stated, “The world does not exist in sleep and forms a projection of your mind in the waking state. It is therefore an idea and nothing else.” While scientific investigation seeks to know the external world of the senses, Yogic investigation inquires into the subjective aspect; the knower. Reality is basically experiential. We don’t know of any other reality. The world beyond conscious experience is purely hypothetical. We are usually so preoccupied with the seeming objective world of experience that we forget the “experiencer.”

When we experience through dreams, we encounter mind our imagination more directly. Often we dream of fragments of our waking experience. If we pay attention however dreams contain information beyond the limits of our ordinary consciousness. Dreams can be precognitive as well as about past events. Dreams can give us deeper information about our experiences in the waking state. They can be clairvoyant, transegoic and can actually bring about changes in the world of our waking experience. Dreams can bring us warnings and can give us visions of the course to take in life.

We tend to regard deep sleep as a waste of time. Of course it is valuable in restoring us both physically and psychologically. From the Yogic perspective, it has a deeper value. In the state of deep sleep we are free from all stress. We are free from desire, hatred and fear. We are actually connected with our infinite Being. The Mundakhya Upanishad refers to the deep sleep state as “prajna.” Prajna is generally understood as enlightened wisdom. “Prajna,” it states, “is the ultimate Being, the true knower, the creator and destroyer of all beings.” The problem however is that we are asleep!

Awakening in the spiritual sense means becoming aware of the true being buried within us; becoming aware of awareness itself. This is the fourth state of consciousness referred to as turiya. “Turiya is pure awareness,” according to the Upanishad, “neither subjective, nor objective nor in between.” Within turiya we experience peace, ecstatic joy and non-duality. We are at one with infinite being.

The mantra Om represents this awareness as it is present in all states of consciousness. In order to grasp this we must spell the mantra as AUM. A is the waking state, U is dreaming and M is deep sleep. The natural silence that we experience at the end is turiya. Om doesn’t just stand as a symbol representing this experience. Instead the practice of Om chanting both out loud and silently takes us into the actual experience. In fact, if we just try to understand Om intellectually we end up with endless “fascinating” discussions. The practice of meditation on Om takes us into silence, deep peace, joy and unity.

Resources:

Lao Tzu, Jesus and Patanjali

The Kingdom of Heaven is within.

- Jesus


There seem to be some basic themes running through the various religious traditions of the world; some spiritual principles which are universal and unanimous. Of course there also disparities between traditions but I suspect these are more superficial and can be overlooked as we seek to find a common spirituality which is actually central to human nature. If we look at such separate fields as anthropology, psychedelic research and Jungian Psychology, for example, we encounter common themes pointing to a common spiritual potential striving to awaken within human consciousness. Given the current research, we can even pull in the field of “contemplative neuroscience.”

Rather than attempt an exhaustive analysis, (please read Houston Smith for that) I want to explore some themes that I find common within the sayings of Lao Tzu, an ancient Chinese master, Jesus, weighing in from the Middle East and Patanjali, the author of the Yoga Sutras, an ancient Indian text on meditation. Each was an outstanding master within their separate cultural milieus. Lao Tzu is a seminal figure in the Chinese spiritual tradition of Taoism. Jesus, of course, emerged from the Judaic tradition and had an entirely new religion develop out of his teachings. Patanjali is credited with codifying the more ancient tradition of Meditative Yoga in a form which has survived and influenced the following centuries.

I grew up in the Catholic religion and was indoctrinated in that particular interpretation of Jesus’ teachings. From my childhood I heard the parables of Jesus without really understanding them. In fact, I don’t lay claim to a complete understanding of his teachings yet, by any means. One that particularly stuck with me was the story of the Prodigal Son. What did that parable mean? From the standpoint of my religious background it seems to indicate that it was a good idea to give up one’s evil ways, conform to religious rules and that one would be duly rewarded in the afterlife. But what about that assertion that “The Kingdom” is within us?

I don’t remember exactly when I discovered the Tao Te Ching (or Dao De Jing.) However, the wise words of Lao Tzu have resonated with me for many years. As I went on to study Yoga I found his poetic sayings to be even more meaningful. One theme that runs throughout the Tao Te Ching is the emphasis on “return.” He states in chapter 10:

Each separate being in the universe
returns to the common source.
Returning to the source is serenity.

The source is known as “Tao.” The text itself tells us that Tao cannot be defined. It is both the source and the hidden order of all things. Like in the Yoga tradition, this source is entered into by stilling thought and opening the heart. This source is what Jesus refers to as the “Kingdom of Heaven,” and what Patanjali refers to as Ishwara. It is the universal source of being; the non-dual Consciousness residing within.

I first became familiar with Patanjali’s teachings from my guru, Paramhamsa Satyananda Saraswati. I have continued to study them over the years, reading and comparing various translations and commentaries, but, more importantly practicing the methods as taught by him. I don’t think there is much point in studying comparative religion without entering into practice, whether prayer, contemplation or meditation; better still, all three. Scholars have argued for decades over what the Kingdom of Heaven, Tao or Samadhi might mean. The traditions require us to enter the spiritual path to find the meanings. Ultimately the spiritual “path” doesn’t lead anywhere else but to where you truly are (or where the true “you” is).

The Yoga tradition describes two apparent movements of consciousness. One is the outward movement known as pravritti. This is the movement whereby consciousness follows the mind and senses to engage in the world. It is actually a creative process, however, consciousness forgets itself in its own creation. We become individualized fragments of our original wholeness, or so we believe. The other movement of consciousness is called nivritti. This is where consciousness remembers itself. Actually consciousness never moves because it is not located anywhere. Pravritti means activity of mind and nivritti means cessation and return. Pravritti is the means by which we create and enter into our experience of the world, nivritti is the means by which we disengage and return to our source. As Patanjali states at the beginning of the Yoga Sutras: “Yoga (i.e. union) means bringing the patterns of consciousness (chitta vritti) into stillness. Then consciousness rests in its own essential nature.”

Patanjali rather succinctly understates the significance of resting in one’s essential nature. Often we think of Yoga in terms of stress reduction. The ultimate achievement of Yoga however takes one beyond any and all stress. It is the realization of oneself as a being of consciousness untouched by birth, death and suffering. It is a release into pure ecstasy, peace that passes understanding. If we compare this with Lao Tzu’s words we can see a definite similarity. He states:

If you don’ realize the source,
You stumble in confusion and sorrow.

Here he is describing pravritti and then goes on to describe nivritti:

When you realize where you come from,
you naturally become tolerant,
disinterested, amused,
kindhearted as a grandmother,
dignified as a king.
Immersed in the wonder of the Tao,
you can deal with whatever life brings you,
and when death comes, you are ready.
(Stephen Mitchell, “The Enlightened Heart”)

So perhaps the story of the Return of the Prodigal Son by Jesus has a similar meaning to the Yogic concept of nivritti and the Taoist sense of returning to the source. Let’s follow the parable. It begins with a certain man who has two sons. One decides to collect his inheritance and try his fortune in the world. He departs to a far country where he squanders it through “riotous living” and ends destitute and hungry. This represents the process of pravritti, it seems. The son represents the ego-self who takes his creative potential from the source and becomes lost and seemingly separate from it. The far country represents the world of the senses wherein our true nature is forgotten.

He ends up feeding pigs after having joined the citizenship of the spiritually blind. Remember Jesus was a Jew telling his stories to other Jews. That culture traditionally does not think highly of pigs. So there is a strong sense of debasement and humiliation involved. As Lao Tzu put it he was “stumbling in confusion and sorrow.” Often it is the recognition of our suffering that leads us to begin seeking a spiritual path. The prodigal son begins to remember his home, his source and seeks to return. As he is returning there is a strong sense of remorse and also unworthiness. He thinks of offering himself as a servant to his father. However, the Old Man holds no grudge and presents him with a lavish welcome home.

Here the sense of self-loathing and undeserving stands out. It seems to be an aspect of our Judeo-Christian inheritance that is missing in the East. It is what the Buddhist psychologist Tara Brach refers to as “the trance of unworthiness.” If we fall into this particular psychological pattern (vritti) it becomes an obstacle to our return. Note that Jesus indicates that there is no reciprocal sense of judgment coming from the source. All of the vrittis represent our creative power. We create and cling to our narratives of worthlessness and despair. It is pretty clear here that Jesus did not mean for us to wallow in our sense of being guilty sinners.

Then there is the other son, the “good one.” He represents another tendency of the ego. Instead of finding himself unworthy, he is judgmental and resentful. He lacks love, compassion and humility. Instead of welcoming his brother home, he gets pissed off about all the attention he’s getting. Humility is different than feelings of unworthiness. Instead it is an absence of judgment of our self or others. The father tells him “come on in. The door is always open.” Being self-righteous does not lead us back to our source. Instead as Jesus taught, we need to become innocent like little children.

Patanjali refers to Ishwara, or “God” in the Yoga Sutras as a “unique soul” who is untouched by the conditions of life. Ishwara “contains the seed of omniscience,” and by virtue of being timeless, he is also the first teacher. He is intimately connected with the mantra OM. Although we use the masculine pronoun here, Ishwara is completely impersonal. It is the consciousness beyond our ego-identifications, the essence of our own beings. The Tao, Ishwara and the Heavenly Father as presented by Jesus in the parable are all impersonal. There is no sense of judgment or need to control. There is simply unconditional love. There is a Divine Principle which operates through us and within us, a possibility and a promise.

As Echhardt Tole writes:

So really what it comes down to, it's God. Wherever you look, it's God appearing as this, that, that and what you really love and appreciate in each form is the divine formless out of which each form comes. But to be able to sense that you have to sense it in yourself first. And that is seeing the beauty in everything, that's really what it means.

Resources:

Mantra and Meaning

The mantra is a combination or assembly of powerful sound
waves. As such, the intellectual understanding of the mantra is not
at all necessary.
- Swami Satyananda Saraswati



Inevitably when I introduce mantra to a class someone asks, “What does it mean?” On one hand mantra is not just gibberish, on the other it doesn’t really correspond with our common notions of “meaning.” Ordinarily, we think of words as pointing to something, an object, idea or belief. Language as such is at the basis of dualistic thought. Mantra is non-dualistic language. It resonates within consciousness and has no object of reference.

Mantras are meant to takes us beyond the mind. While ordinary words point to either sensual or mental “objects,” mantras point inwardly to the Self. This makes it difficult to respond as to the “meaning” of a mantra. The mantra “Om Namah Shivaya,” for instance, is often “translated” as “I offer salutations to the Universal Consciousness.” As such it can give us somewhat of an intellectual crutch to use. The purpose of the mantra however goes way beyond the meaning. Dedicated practice of the mantra will open you to the experience of the Universal Consciousness within yourself.

Some mantras, such as the bija mantras for the chakras, have no meaning. They are simply sounds used to awaken experience of the psychic energy centers along the spine. Other longer mantras are actually understood as prayers, however, the resonant sound qualities of the mantras are just as important as the “words.” In this way the mantric prayers help harmonize the rational, analytic left brain and the holistic, aesthetic and emotional right brain. If we get hung up in interpreting the meaning we become unbalanced and simply intellectualize the mantra rather than allowing it to take us into a state of transcendent consciousness.

Om, sometimes spelled Aum, is regarded as the root of all mantras. It is referred to as the “pranava” meaning that it is the sound that pervades all life. Trying to unpack the various “meanings” of Om will take another post. However, Om chanting will help you to enter a state of calm presence, a sense of universal connection and deep inner peace. This is the real meaning of the mantra. In general we could say that the true meaning of a mantra is discovered through its practice rather than something given up front. We must enter into the experience of the mantra, give ourselves over to it and then its meaning will be revealed.

Some resources: