6

Japa Meditation: Theory

Mantra Yoga is an exact science. Mananat trayate iti Mantrah—‘By the constant thinking of Mantra, one is protected and released from the round of births and deaths.’ A Mantra is so called because it is achieved by the mental process. The root ‘man’ in the word Mantra comes from the first syllable of that word meaning ‘to think’ and ‘tra’ from ‘trai’ meaning ‘to protect or free’ from the bondage of the phenomenal world. A Mantra generates the creative force and bestows eternal Bliss. A Mantra when constantly repeated awakens the consciousness.

—Swami Sivananda
Japa Yoga

A Mantra is mystical energy encased in a sound structure. Every Mantra contains within its vibrations a certain power. Upon concentration and repetition of a given Mantra, its energy is elicited and takes form. Japa, or Mantra Yoga, is that practice by which the power contained within Mantras is applied for specific purposes.

Each Mantra is constructed from a combination of sounds derived from the fifty letters of the Sanskrit alphabet. Sanskrit is also known as Devanagari, or language of the gods. The ancient sages, who were attuned to higher levels of consciousness, were well aware of the inherent power contained in sound, and they utilised combinations of sounds to set up specific vibrations. These vibrations applied systematically could literally move mountains. In fact, one theory on the building of the pyramids suggests that it was the highly developed science of manipulating sound vibrations that enabled the early Egyptians to sculpt and move stones of such enormous proportions.

Whether such feats can be attributed to the control of sound is a question modern science has not yet covered. Yet there is no doubt that sound does have a definite and predictable effect on the human psyche and body. An obvious example is the difference between classical and rock music. The first tends to be relaxing while the other is inclined to excite the senses. On a more subtle level, various Mantras are applied for certain purposes. Most specifically, they turn the mind toward concentration on the Supreme and release spiritual energy in the chakras of the body.

There are different types of Mantras. Some, called bija or seed Mantras, are such that they have no exact meaning. They act directly on the nadis, or nerve tubes of the astral body. They vibrate in the chakras along the spine, acting as a subtle massage, releasing blockages and allowing the kundalini energy to flow more freely. In these the name and form of the sound are merged and cannot be separated. There are also Mantras that have meaning which can be translated. These nirguna or abstract Mantras also set up powerful vibrations in the body, but verbally assert union with unmanifest pure consciousness.

More common, however, is the Deity Mantra, in which a specific form with attributes is visualised along with the repetition of the sound. For example, a reclusive person bent on destroying his negative qualities would repeat a Siva Mantra. A family person, whose ideal was to be a loving and responsible husband or wife, might meditate on the name of Rama. An individual who sees God as infinite, all-loving, and even a little playful would build these qualities in himself by repeating a Krishna Mantra.

The Yoga of Physics

It is important to understand, however, that the visualisations of deities are only an aid to focussing the mind. Repeating Mantras which are the names of deities internalises the power of the vibrations that are contained in the name. When the name of Siva is repeated with concentration, the sound actually breaks down one’s lower qualities. Long ago, Siva was explained in a mythological way; now scientists explain that when energy breaks down, it forms patterns, it dances. This is the same as the dance of Siva. Fritjof Capra, author of The Tao of Physics, notes the similarity between the Hindu Lord Siva, the Power of Destruction, and the Quantum Theory, which states that matter is never quiet but is always in a state of motion. In the following excerpt entitled ‘The Yoga of Physics,’ Dr. Capra explains this relationship. It is taken from his keynote address at the Los Angeles Symposium on Physics and Metaphysics, on 29 October 1977.

‘What is the nature and origin of the universe? What is the nature of human existence? What is matter made of? What is the relation between spirit and matter? What is space? What is time? Throughout the ages men and women have been fascinated by these questions. Different approaches have been developed in different cultural contexts and at different times.

‘Artists, scientists, shamans, mystics—all have their own way of describing, both verbally and non-verbally, the world. We shall focus mainly on two approaches. We shall look at modern Western science, on the one hand, and Eastern mysticism—particularly the tradition of Yoga—on the other. We shall see that they lead to very similar views of the world.

‘My field is physics, a science which, in the 20th century, has led to a radical revision of many of our basic concepts of reality. For example, the concept of matter is very different in sub-atomic physics from the traditional idea of a material substance that was held in classical physics. The same is true of other concepts of reality such as space, time, objects or cause and effect. Out of these changes in our concepts of reality, a new world view is emerging. This view turns out to be closely related to the views of mystics of all ages and traditions, particularly the religious philosophies of the Far East–Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism.

‘In the Yoga tradition it is said that there are many paths, all leading to spiritual knowledge and Self-Realisation. I believe that modern physics, to some extent, can be such a path. Its view of the universe is in harmony with those of the great yogis and sages. In that sense, I’m going to talk of the Yoga of physics.

‘Classical Western physics has its roots in the philosophy of the fifth century Greek Atomists, a philosophical school which saw matter as made up of basic building blocks called atoms. These were believed to be hard, solid, basically passive chunks of matter. This inert matter was said to be moved by external forces of a totally different nature and category, which was identified with the spiritual realm. In this way, a dichotomy was created which became characteristic of Western thinking in subsequent centuries. It gave rise to the dualism between spirit and matter, between the mind and the body.

‘In contrast to the mechanistic view of classical Western science, the Eastern view could be called an organic, holistic, or ecological view. Things and phenomena are perceived as being different manifestations of the same reality. The division of the world into separate objects, though useful and practical on the everyday level, is seen as an illusion—Maya, as the Indians say. To Eastern mystics, objects have a fluid and ever-changing character. Change and transformation, flow and movement, play an essential role in their world view. The cosmos is seen as one inseparable reality, forever in motion. It is alive, organic, spiritual and material at the same time. A very similar view is now emerging from modern physics.

‘In the 20th century Western scientists began probing the atom. They discovered that atoms were not hard and solid, but consisted mainly of empty space. Each atom had a tiny nucleus made up of particles around which whirled other particles. At first, scientists decided that these sub-atomic particles must be the essential building blocks of matter. But they found that this was again wrong. This was shown in the 1920s when Quantum Theory, the theoretical framework of atomic physics, was worked out.

‘Quantum Theory showed that the sub-atomic particles have no meaning as isolated entities, but can only be understood as interconnections between various agencies of observation and measurement. Particles are not things but interconnections between things; and these things are interconnections between other things, and so on.

‘Quantum Theory thus reveals a basic oneness of the universe. It shows that we cannot decompose the world into independently existing smallest units. As we penetrate into matter, Nature does not show us any isolated basic building blocks, but rather appears as a complicated web of relations between the various parts of a unified whole.

‘This network of relations, furthermore, is intrinsically dynamic. According to Quantum Theory, matter is never quiescent, but always in a state of motion. Macroscopically, the materials around us may seem dead and inert. But if you magnify a piece of metal or stone, you realise that it is full of activity.

‘Modern physics pictures matter, not as passive and inert, but as continuously dancing and vibrating. This is very much like the Eastern mystics’ description of the world. Both emphasise that the universe has to be grasped dynamically. Its structures are not static, rigid ones, but should be seen in terms of dynamic equilibrium.

‘Physicists speak of the continuous dance of sub-atomic matter which goes on all the time. They have actually used the words “dance of creation and destruction” or “energy dance.” This naturally comes to mind when you see some of the pictures of particles taken by physicists in their bubble chambers.

‘Of course, physicists are not the only ones talking about this cosmic dance. Perhaps the most beautiful example of this metaphor exists in Hinduism—the idea of the dancing Lord Siva. Siva is the personification of the cosmic dance. According to Indian tradition, all life is a rhythmic interplay of death and birth, of creation and destruction.

‘Indian artists have created beautiful pictures and statues of dancing Lord Siva. These statues are visual images of the cosmic dance, and so are the bubble chamber tracks photographed by modern physicists. They are a modern version of the dance of Siva, obtained by using the most modern and advanced of our Western technological instruments. To me, the effect is as beautiful and as profound as the magnificent Hindu statues. In both cases, we are picturing an eternal dance of creation and destruction, which is the basis of all natural phenomena, the basis of all existence. Therefore, I have put the two together—here you have the “Dance of Siva” merging the 12th and 20th century versions. You can see that this image of the cosmic dance unifies, in a very beautiful way, ancient mythology, religious art, mystical insight and modern science.’

Sound: The Seed of All Matter

‘In the beginning was the Word, the Word was God and the Word was with God.’ The Word of the Bible is the Sabdabrahman of the Hindu Tantra. Word, sound and Mantra are integral parts of Indian cosmology, and cannot be separated from it. Taking cosmological principles out of the realm of theory, japa, or Mantra repetition, puts them to work in a pragmatic way. It is the path from microcosm to macrocosm; it is the vehicle that carries the individual back to the Source.

In the beginning, Shakti, the unmanifest Cosmos, floats like an egg in the silent, motionless Void. A mass of latent, undifferentiated energy, it contains the seed power of all the universes. It rests in the Void, alternately flowering as the manifest, evolved Cosmos, and then withdrawing itself in dissolution, pralaya. Throughout eternity, like day and night, the universe alternately expands into matter and recedes into primal energy.

During the period of dissolution, Shakti, also known as the Divine Power or Cosmic Energy, lies quiescent. Just as the tulip is latent within the bulb, so this universe of names and forms, as we know it, lies enfolded in Shakti. Within its heart rests the three qualities, sattwa (purity), rajas (activity), and tamas (inertia), whose kaleidoscopic shifting permeates all aspects of the universe. Cosmic evolution proceeds from the unconscious, unmoving, unknowable and unmanifest to the conscious, moving, knowable and manifest microcosm. On the other hand, human evolution is a return journey from the gross physical plane of the microcosm back to the Absolute. In one case the force is centrifugal, in the other, centripetal.

In the Tantric view, sound, as a vibration of undifferentiated Intelligence, is the catalyst that sets into motion the unfolding of the manifest cosmos. A primal shudder disturbs the slumbering equilibrium of Shakti and arouses rajas, the active principle, to carry out the creation of the manifold universes. The causal vibration, Sabdabrahman, is undifferentiated, soundless Sound. It is the wavelength experienced as God.

This great Cosmic Vibration splits Shakti into two fields of magnetic force, and projects it as two aspects, Nada and Bindu. As centrifugal, positive male force, Bindu is the ground from which Nada operates. As centripetal, negative female force, Nada unfolds the manifest universe. They are regarded as Father and Mother aspects of the Supreme Power. The bifurcation of Shakti is a duality in unity, not a separation. This duality of poles in the substratum of manifested Shakti actually provides the magnetic force holding together in a state of vibration of molecules of the physical world.

Through the medium of time-lapse photography, it is possible to watch a rosebud explode into full flower. Like a rosebud, the universe unfolds and expands. After the first differentiation containing the seed energies of the universe, the vibrating mass of energy continues differentiating and expanding as wavelengths. By the fifth differentiation, the energy is evolved on the gross plane, with the creation of fifty articulate sounds or varnas. Varna means colour, and all sounds have corresponding colour vibrations in the invisible world.

From the combinations and permutations of these root sounds, the universe of forms is created. Sounds, as physical vibrations, are able to produce predictable forms. Combinations of sounds produce complicated shapes. Experiments have demonstrated that notes produced by certain instruments can trace out on a bed of sand definite geometrical figures. In order to produce a particular form, a specific note at a particular pitch must be generated. Repetition of the exact note and pitch creates a duplication of the form.

Underlying all the forms of the physical world are the oscillating wavelengths of the fifty primeval sounds in varying combinations. Sound is thus potential form, and form is sound made manifest. Because of the oscillatory nature of matter and of mind as perceiver, the world of manifest forms can only be experienced in distortion as illusion.

Fragmented and fractured, the fifty basic sounds themselves have faded down the corridor of time, and are lost to human memory. The Sanskrit language, however, is directly derived from them, and of all languages it is the closest approximation. Mantras are sound powers evolved from the varnas and revealed in Sanskrit syllables to the ancient sages.

Sound as Energy

The sacred syllables used in meditation by spiritual aspirants are usually Sanskrit names of the Absolute. As divine power made manifest in sound, the Mantra itself is the subtle body of Deity. The theory of japa meditation, or Mantra repetition, holds that by repeating the syllables with accuracy and intense devotion, the form of the Mantra’s presiding deity will be evoked. Meditation on OM Namah Sivaya produces the form of Siva, while OM Namo Narayanaya produces that of Vishnu. The vibrations produced by the tones of a Mantra are all important, and pronunciation cannot be a haphazard matter. Through attunement with the wavelength of the Mantra, one is led from the gross plane of articulate sound back through the obscuring veil of the material universe to personalised Deity, and ultimately to the primal undifferentiated energy of the Supreme Power.

At this point it is necessary to consider the microcosm, which is the macrocosm in miniature. It is the vehicle by means of which the return trip from articulate sound to the Causal Power is made. Like the cosmos, the individual continually undergoes the flowering and dissolving of countless lifetimes, the periods of activity and rest. Centrifugal and centripetal forces manifest in him as breath and in the beating of the heart. In the human body, Nada, the vital power of the universe, takes form as kundalini, the psychic force lying coiled in astral slumber at the base of the spine. This energy pulsates with the wavelengths of the fifty basic sounds, which eventually reach gross articulation through the vocal chords.

In yogic theory, thought, form and sound are all the same, just as steam, water and ice are all the same substance. They are different aspects of a particular wavelength, or the same vibrational energy as passed through different levels of consciousness. Form manifests in the mind the moment the name is heard by the ears and transmitted to the consciousness.

Thought and sound manifest in four fundamental states, with sound at one end of the spectrum and thought at the other. Japa meditation leads one from the lowest to the highest of these states. Vaikhari, the spoken word, is dense, audible sound at its maximum differentiation. It is thought translated into the coded state called language. As the spoken word, it is the most concrete state of thought. In this first stage, thought implies both name and form. The name is the same as the thought wave, and they cannot be separated. When the word ‘cat’ is pronounced, a form is visualised. The reverse is also true. However, the more abstract the word, such as ‘God’, the more difficult is the conceptualisation.

The use of language calls for differentiation of thought into word. This process occurs during the second stage, madhyama. Through a mental prism clouded by preconceptions, impressions, emotions and other limitations, the speaker or writer selects his words. They are translated back into thought by the listener or reader, whose mind in turn is clouded by his own ideas. The transmission of thought into language inevitably leads to confusion.

Suppose for a moment that a computer is given the job of translating from English to Russian the sentence, ‘The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ In translating a second time, from Russian back to English, the result could very well be, ‘The ghost is wishing, but the meat is raw.’ The mechanism of language is extremely crude and inadequate.

Pashyanti, the third stage, is visible sound. It is the telepathic state, in which one can literally feel the form of the thought. It is the universal level on which all thought takes place, whether a person is English or Chinese. There is no differentiation of thought, name and form. An Indian, Eskimo, German, and Bantu can all look at the same flower and experience the thought of it at the same time and the same non-verbal language.

Para, the fourth and highest state, is transcendental. Formed into no particular wavelength, it is above all names and forms. It is the unchanging, primal substratum of all language and is pure energy, or Shakti. As undifferentiated potential sound, it corresponds to Sabdabrahman, the Divine Vibration that unites all.

Thought cannot be held at the first level of vocal or visual experience. Its vibrations are too rapid, even on the lowest plane. In the telepathic state, it can travel anywhere instantly. In the transcendental state everything merges together. This state of thought or vibration, which can be reached in meditation, is commonly called God.

Using Sound Vibrations for Meditation

Japa meditation is a method of channeling one’s consciousness from the lowest to the highest level of pure thought. Repeated verbally or mentally, a Mantra lifts one into the telepathic stage and beyond to the transcendental. ‘Rama,’ for instance, has a specific form that merges with the name in the telepathic state. On the fourth level, name, form, and one’s own Self as witness are indistinguishable. They unite and a state of bliss prevails. One does not enjoy bliss, but becomes Bliss itself. This is the true experience of meditation.

The power of sound is tremendous. In addition to image and form, it can generate ideas, emotions and experiences. By merely hearing words the mind can undergo pain or pleasure. If somebody shouts, ‘Snake! Snake!’ one immediately jumps with fright. Consciousness of the presence of something considered dangerous has been created. The mind reacts with terror, and the body jumps in fear. When such is the power of the name of an ordinary thing of this world, imagine what power resides in the name of the Lord.

Japa is one of the most direct ways of Self-Realisation, or Universal Consciousness. It removes the dirt of the mind, the anger, greed, lust and other impurities that hide the light within. Just as a dusty mirror acquires the power of reflection when cleaned, the mind from which impurities have been removed acquires the capacity to reflect higher spiritual truth. Even a little recitation with feeling and one-pointed concentration on the meaning destroys mental impurities. Japa meditation done with faith, devotion and purity augments the power of the aspirant, bestowing on him the virtues and powers of the Mantra’s presiding deity. Revealing God to his consciousness, it confers illumination and eternal bliss.

The Supreme is not an individual entity. God is an experience realised on a particular wavelength. Japa produces in the mind the form of the deity connected with the Mantra. Through constant practice, this form becomes the center of one’s consciousness and can be directly realised. The Mantra of the deity, therefore, is the same as the deity. Repetition with concentration on the meaning of the Mantra and on the attributes of the particular deity will bring God-Realisation quickly. However, through sheer vibratory power, japa with no knowledge of the meaning will also bring realisation, although it will take more time.

Initiation into a Mantra

If possible, before attempting japa seek out a guru and receive Mantra initiation. Mantra initiation is the spark that ignites the dormant spiritual energy residing in every human heart. Once lit, the fire is kept going by daily japa meditation.

Only those who are themselves pure can give initiation to others. Therefore it is important to find a qualified guru. For him to successfully implant the Mantra in the disciple’s heart, he must have broken its power himself. Breaking the power of a Mantra means that one has meditated and obtained the mystic experience of God through it, making its power one’s own. At the time of initiation, the guru arouses the Mantra’s Shakti, or power, in his consciousness and transmits it, along with his own energy, to the disciple. If the disciple is receptive, he receives the radiant mass of energy in his own heart and is immeasurably reinforced and strengthened. Guru, Mantra and disciple are bound together in Divine Power made manifest in consciousness.

There must be psychic affinity between teacher and student; the spiritual path is a lifetime involvement. The guru continues to guide and purify the aspirant, to prepare and strengthen him for God-Realisation, whether it be through japa meditation or other means. There are no shortcuts to the goal. Needless to say, the commercial peddlers of instant-mix mumbo-jumbo, which is sold as Mantras, should be assiduously avoided. They are opportunists preying on the spiritual instincts of those who are sincerely looking for Truth.

If no guru can be found, select any Mantra that seems appropriate. It should be repeated mentally with faith and devotion every day. This in itself has a purificatory effect, and the realisation of God-consciousness will eventually be attained.

Everything in the universe vibrates on specific wavelengths. These wavelengths can be manipulated. For example, when its pitch is increased high enough, a violin note can shatter glass. The various Mantras, although equally efficient, vibrate on different wavelengths. At the time of initiation, a Mantra is selected, either by the guru or by the initiate himself, in accordance with the latter’s mental type. The vibrations of the Mantra and those of the disciple’s mind must be mutually compatible. The mind must also be receptive to the deity whose form it will eventually assume. The process of attuning body and mind to the Mantra through japa meditation is prolonged. When attunement finally is achieved, meditation takes place.

In the state of meditation the flow of inner thought waves, which has been channeled by repetition of the Mantra, is greatly intensified. The deeper the meditation, the more marked the effect. The mind’s upward concentration sends a rush of force through the top of the head. Response comes in a fine rain of magnetism which bathes the body in a downward flow of soft electricity. Thus the power of japa meditation leads to the Divine Vibration. One experiences that eternal Silence which encompasses all sound.