Vageesh Express

 
 

 


October 2006 Edition
 
                                           Vedic Bytes

 

 

 


Mantras & Religion

 

Mantras Continued….

 

Mantras in Different Religions:

 

This month we continue with the Other Mantras in Buddhism and Mantras used in Sikhism.

Some other mantras used by Tibetan Buddhists

The following list of mantras is from Kailash - Journal of Himalayan Studies, Volume 1, Number 2, 1973. (pp. 168-169) (augmented by other contributors). It also includes renderings of Om mani padme hum.

Please note that the word swaha is sometimes shown as svaha, and is usually pronounced as 'so-ha' by Tibetans. Spellings tend to vary in the transliterations to English, for example, hum and hung are generally the same word. The mantras used in Tibetan Buddhist practice are in Sanskrit, to preserve the original mantras. Visualizations and other practices are usually done in the Tibetan language.

·        Om wangishwari hum This is the mantra of the Mahabodhisattva Manjusri, Tibetan: Jampelyang (Wylie"'jam dpal dbyangs")... The Buddha in his wisdom aspect.

·        Om mani padme hum The mantra of Chenrezig, Mahabodhisattva, the Buddha in his compassion aspect.

·        Om vajrapani hum The mantra of the Buddha as Protector of the Secret Teachings. ie: as the Mahabodhisattva Channa Dorje (Vajrapani).

·        Om vajrasattva hum The short mantra for Vajrasattva, there is also a full 100-syllable mantra for Vajrasattva.

·        Om ah hum vajra guru padma siddhi hum The mantra of the Vajraguru Guru Padma Sambhava who established Mahayana Buddhism and Tantra in Tibet.

Mantra in Sikhism

In the Sikh religion a "Mantar" or "Mantra" is a Shabad (Word or hymn) from Gurbani to concentrate the mind on God and the message of the Ten Gurus.

Mantras have two components of primary importance - Meaning and Sound. First is the actual meaning of the word or words and the second is the effective sound (vibration). For the mantra to be effective, great emphasis is put on correct pronunciation and the level of concentration of the mind on the meaning of the word or words that are recited.

Due to this emphasis, some care has to be taken regarding the place and surrounding in which the mantras are recited; the way in which these are delivered – i.e., aloud; quietly; in a group; with music; without music; etc. The purpose to mantras is to deliver the mind from illusion and material inclinations and to bring concentration and focus to the mind.

The main mantras of Sikhism are:

The Mul Mantra (Mūla Maṃtra, Mool Mantra) is the most important composition contained within the Guru Granth Sahib and is considered the basis of Sikhism. Its importance is emphasized by the fact that it is the first composition to appear in the Granth and that it appears before the commencement of most of the Raags within the Granth.

The Mul Mantra is said to be the first composition uttered by Guru Nanak upon enlightenment at the age of 30. Being the basis of Sikhism it encapsulates the entire theology of Sikhism, and as a result, it is also the most difficult composition to fully understand. The proceeding Japji Sahib and the rest of the Guru Granth Sahib totalling 1430 pages, are efforts to explain that which is contained within the Mul Mantra.

The Mantra

 

English: One God. Truth is His name. Creative Being Personified. Without Fear. Without Malice. Image Of The Eternal, Beyond Birth, Self-Existent. By Guru's Grace ~

The English translation uses 'He' when referring to God. Sikhism does not recognize God as being of either sex and the original Punjabi version reflects this by being without gender.

o       JapjiSahib.mp3 - Download 1.826M or Play 15.34 min

Mantra in other traditions or contexts

Transcendental Meditation, also known simply as 'TM', uses what the group refers to as 'simple mantras' - as a meditative focus. TM was founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. According to the TM website (http://www.tm.org/) the practice can result in a number of material benefits such as relaxation, reduced stress, better health, better self image; but it can also benefit the world by reducing violence and crime, and generally improve quality of life. The founder was well versed in Hindu tradition, but TM attempts to separate itself from that tradition these days. Simple two-syllable mantras are used.

Some forms of Jewish meditation use mantras, although they do not call them by that name. Hasidic Jews sing phrases from the Hebrew Bible over and over, in a form of rhythmic chant, often accompanied by drumming on the table. They also use wordless sacred meditation tunes called niggunim, which are revealed through the higher consciousness of the Rebbes (Hasidic leaders, similar to gurus).

The spiritual exercises of Surat Shabda Yoga include simran (repetition, particularly silent repetition of a mantra given at initiation), dhyan (concentration, viewing, or contemplation, particularly on the Inner Master), and bhajan (listening to the inner sounds of the Shabda or the Shabda Master).

In the Islamic Sufi tradition, chants of the 99 Names of Allah are popular invocations of attibutes as are the names of the Prophet.

In Christianity, repetitive prayer using prayer beads such as a rosary or chotki includes well known mantras such as the Jesus prayer and Hail Mary. A form of Christian meditation was taught by Dom John Main that involves the silent repetition of a mantra.

 

References:

1. http://www.orientalia.org/modules.php?name=Encyclopedia&file=search&query=Upanisads

2. Vedic Samhitas and Brahmanas  by  Vishal Agarwal

3. http://www.answers.com/topic/mantra?method=22

4. http://www.answers.com/topic/bani-1

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