Comments on: Definition of Mantra Meditation

By: Where Shikantanza is bench pressing Mantras are pushups « Zen@330

Where Shikantanza is bench pressing Mantras are pushups « Zen@330 — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 01:14:06 +0000

[...] a full definition of Mantra Meditation check out http://www.wildmind.org/mantras/definition, if you want. If you care about how mantra meditation works check [...]

By: Bodhipaksa

Bodhipaksa — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:09:54 +0000

Hi Tracy.

The idea of “charging up” a mala in a mystical way that somehow alters the mala is nonsense. You can certainly feel a sense of connection with a mala, and practicing with it will help you achieve that. But you can do that over months or years. (A parallel is with the idea of crystals containing energy — do a double-blind trial and you find people can’t distinguish the energy of a “healing crystal” from, say, rat poison.)

I’m not aware of any guide to matching malas and deities. Generally you’d consider the color of the mala compared to the deity, and also the material. Any natural color will go with any Buddha or Bodhisattva, but you could choose a white mala for White Tara or Avalokiteshvara, for example, or a green mala for Green Tara. But as I said, a natural-colored (wooden) mala will do for any deity. With materials, you wouldn’t want to use bone with a peaceful deity. There’s nothing mystical about this — it’s just a question of the mind having associations between certain colors and materials, and whether those associations are appropriate for the kind of qualities you’re aiming to cultivate.

By: Tracy Moorhead

Tracy Moorhead — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 23:04:20 +0000

I read somewhere that you have to do like 250,000 mantras on a Mala, over 40 days, to charge the Mala up for this Mantra. Is there any truth to this?
Is there anywhere I can find which wood or stone Malas that go with the Mantras that I’m using!?

By: Bodhipaksa

Bodhipaksa — Wed, 18 May 2011 16:15:40 +0000

I’m afraid I don’t know anything about the TM mantras. I doubt that they’re in any way unsafe, but why not pick a mantra that you understand and feel some connection with?

By: PEGGY

PEGGY — Wed, 18 May 2011 15:51:45 +0000

I have looked everywhere for the meaning of the mantra Ayinga. Is it the same as Aing? It was given in 1972 by a TM instructor. Is it a good and safe mantra to use? I would like to know the meaning. Thank you.

By: mondo

mondo — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 02:12:23 +0000

Hi Bodhipaksa. In Franny And Zooey(sp) there is mention of a special book: THE WAY OF THE PILGRIM. In it the story is about a Russian young man who goes looking for a Special Mantra although this is not what it is called. It is called The Jesus Prayer, but it is utilized as we would a mantra. This ‘Pilgrim’ uses it and trying to find a special wise man to explain it begins a walk from his initial location to Kiev. There an Eastern Orthodox priest says he has to go to a distant place in eastern siberia to find the right priest. Repeating the prayer/mantra he miraculously makes his way to Irkust where he is informed by yet another priest to return to Kiev. So repeating the mantra off he goes and makes his way back to Kiev…walking. There he meets up with a priest who explains that he has been doing The Jesus Prayer and has been receiving the rewards but the key is initially or finally finding a priest who is as we would consider ‘a Master’. This priest ‘turns him on’ to the esoteric text of this Eastern Orthodox form of Christianity and sends him off to a special monastery where all the priests/monks practice what we again would call the mantra. I hope this helps about special mantras. Apparently the idea is to come up with your own personally meaningful little prayer to Jesus. It could be anything short and simple like: Jesus please help me to find your way, or Heavenly Father please guide my soul, or any heart felt direct request.
Again Bodhipaksa, AKSHOBYA. Stillness is vajra, yet vajra as in diamond…a diamond is just a piece of rock so seemingly still yet radiant with light…so stillness with illumination: the union of Samantabhadra and Samantabhadri. I really want to see you elaborate more fully on the Akshobya Mantra. It’s important.

By: Humming (Monday’s Minute of Meditation) « Martialing Art

Humming (Monday’s Minute of Meditation) « Martialing Art — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 11:46:14 +0000

[...] http://www.wildmind.org/mantras/definition [...]

By: Bodhipaksa

Bodhipaksa — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 13:44:16 +0000

Ah, well I’ll give that some thought, although I don’t have much time for writing at the moment. By the way, I think the following research is of relevance to affirmations: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-willpower-paradox. It points out that people who asked a question before undertaking a task (“Will I do this?”) performed much better than people who made a statement (“I will do this”). Possibly the questioning mind is more open and therefore more creative than the one that is narrow and focused.

By: Ricky Buchanan

Ricky Buchanan — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 10:12:39 +0000

I read that research and I agree that untrue affirmations are unhelpful.

The type I use are “in progress” type affirmations – eg “I am working on accepting myself” rather than “I accept myself” which is untrue and unhelpful, and also … things which are true and which I intellectually agree with but don’t emotionally believe yet, like “I’m allowed to make mistakes”. That’s a hard one!

I meant your thoughts on non-traditional mantras though, actually. Not ones which are affirmations, just on the power of coming up with one’s own mantra and on the way it’s different to using a traditional one.

By: Bodhipaksa

Bodhipaksa — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 02:15:17 +0000

And here’s a link to that research: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8132857.stm

And my thoughts about it: http://www.bodhipaksa.com/archives/affirmations-can-make-you-feel-worse