1. What are mantras? How do they work?
"Mantra" means, "word of power". Wise phonetic combinations produce mantras. So, a mantra is a wise combination of letters of which the sounds determine spiritual, animic (pertaining to the soul) and physical effects. The vibrations, the multiple combinations of sound, awaken the latent powers of the human being. We must be aware that many mantras have these powers even if pronounced inwardly.
2. Why do they work?
Samael says that they are `sounds from the stars', by which he means, they come from the inner planes, the spiritual world. How did they acquire their spiritual power? Again, Samael:
"When the sacred fire reaches the creative larynx man can create with the power of the word. The initiate, in the inner worlds, can think in something and then create it with the word."
We have here the basis for the understanding we seek. A mantra is established in the inner planes, having a particular spiritual significance. The practitioners of meditative practices and the like use it, and this strengthens its hold on the spiritual world; it is a process of reinforcement and feedback. C. G. Jung would say that this mantra becomes archetypal, an archetype of the collective unconscious, another name for the inner planes.
Mantras are a special case of a symbol, or even a myth, and they talk to and awaken the Higher Centres.
Note that sometimes a symbol of a particular spiritual reality can be obtained with the help of the Being, by meditation and related practices.
3. When saying mantras, you should have:
Tenacity
Faith
Courage
4. Some important mantras.
AUM, the Universal Mantra.
HAM-SAH, to acquire Prana (energy).
GATE, GATE, PARAGATE, PARASAMGATE, BODHI, SUAA, JAA.
Pronounced as follows, it is used to quieten the mind.
GATEEEE, GATEEEE,PARAGATEEEE, PARASAMGATEEEE, BODHIII, SUAAAA, JAAAA
RUSTI, TAIRE-RE, FA-RA-ON, LA-RRA, to assist you in leaving your body.
The fundamental vowels studied in the lecture on Chakras, i-e-o-u-a-m-s. The way of acting of these mantras can be understood by means of a very simple experiment. Say "iiiii" and put a finger between your eyebrows. There will be a resonance that you can feel. The Ajna chakra will awaken in part because of this physical action - of course, it has also spiritual power, as explained above. And the same occurs to the other chakras, with their own vowel-mantras.
These vowels when combined with certain consonants form mantras, which will awake the chakras. For instance:
CHIS, CHES, CHOS, CHUS, CHAS
IN, EN, ON, UN, AN
INRI, ENRE, ONRO, UNRU, ANRA
PRACTICE
CONCENTRATION EXERCISE WITH MANTRA
2) Mantra IAO (3 min)
3) There is a lighted candle before you in the meditation room. Once you have reached a deep-relaxed state, you must fix your sights, hearing, taste, smell and touch on the flame of this candle. Watch the flames dancing, hear the sound it produces, feel the warmth it releases, the smell it gives off, etc. In our mind there must only be the flame of the candle; any thoughts appearing on the screen of our mind will be consumed by this flame, disappearing immediately. We must come to feel ourselves part of the flame.
Keep a watch for external thoughts, feelings, memories, emotions, worries and associations of ideas that occur and as they happen have them consumed by the flame, as indicated above. These are egos, trying to get into the picture!
4) Finally, try to scrutinize the flame until you see what animates it and gives live to its fire.
