Mantras

Mantras are particular sounds or groups of sounds which are used for tuning and centering auditory perception in such a way that the precise intoning of the selected sounds can induce a definite state of consciousness. The mantra may be spoken aloud, repeated using the vocal chords but silently, or (the highest form) heard only in the mind. In more complex meditation, the sounds (and even the physical shape of the letters representing the sounds in Sanskrit characters) are used as anchoring devices for the movements of consciousness during meditative practice. The use of the mantra is based on the belief that the spiritual teacher is able to determine what particular vibratory pattern is most appropriate for the future development of the person to whom it is given. In Hindu tradition, on initiation to the spiritual path, the teacher gives the pupil - [cela]

- the name of a god or avatar on which to meditate. This mantra is a secret and is said to hold the essence of the guru's teaching. In Buddhism, particular the [vajrayana]

or diamond vehicle, repetition of the mantra (which may be the name of Buddha, an aspect of buddhas or representation of cosmic forces) is accompanied by specific postures and visualizations. Some Hindu teaching indicates that repetition of the mantra is only a first step, and that eventually it is overtaken by the silence of enlightenment. Concentration of awareness on the mantra causes the meditator's consciousness to be modulated and extended in the desired manner. Particular mantras become associated, during a course of training, with particular features and processes of the meditation experience, thus effectively playing a role in the mapping of consciousness for the person. Mantras represent one of the tantric tools of transformation and integration developed to transmute sensory experience from a binding to a liberating role.

Mantras are said to have originated in the practice of magic and their use, in addition to identification, where consciousness coincides with the reality denoted by the mantra, is cited in the warding off of evil spirits or illness (propitiation) and in the acquiring of magic powers (acquisition).

Although the mantra is extensively used, and occupies an important place, in the spiritual exercises of Hinduism and Buddhism, it is also known in the West, for example as the Prayer of Jesus used within the Eastern Orthodox Church (Hesychasm). It has also been suggested that many spiritually-minded Catholics, particularly in religious orders, make use of the rosary as a form of mantra, a means of keeping the mind in a state of recollection. In Islam, a related technique is that of the Sufi's repetition of God's name, or a holy word or formula, either audibly or inaudibly, to achieve a state of [dhikr]

(recollection).