What is Mantra

Chapter 3 The Power of Mantra

Mantras derived from various Sanskrit letters (varnas) and words (Pada) which are all bits of sound vibrations (sabda). The letters of the Sanskrit language can be seen on and throughout the major chakra symbols that’s located along the spine. Each major chakra has a number of petals which are bits of sound vibrations described with Sanskrit letters. They are described as modes of motions that help to synchronize the cosmic energies (or pranas) within the etheric structures and human body. And within each of the major chakras along the spine there is a seed mantra (Bija) which is a one syllable mantra. These seed mantras (Bijas) help to govern the flow of prana (cosmic energies) that moves through and out the chakra system. These Sanskrit letters and words symbolize several things;

1. 
   It represents the embodied consciousness of the Soul and Spirit,
   
2. 
   It is the Sabda Bodies or the bodies of Consciousness that precedes the causal bodies, the etheric bodies, the astral bodies, and the physical.
   
3. 
   It is the life signatures contain within and behind all the bodies, subtle and gross,
   
4. 
   It defines the several levels of consciousness of man, unmanifested and manifested;
   
   1. 
      Supra-Conscious mind
      
   2. 
      Subconscious mind
      
   3. 
      Conscious mind
      
5. 
   It binds all the various bodies together creating a vortex window that allow man’s various levels of consciousness to exist and work on different realms of existence.
   
6. 
   It shows the evolutionary pathway that man uses to make his way back to God.
   
7. 
   It shows the pathway that kundalini takes on its journey to unite the Soul with the spirit or Shakti with Shiva,
   
8. 
   And much more.
   

Mantra is sound vibrations presented to the human race as sanskrit letters, words and combinations of words all expressing the will of God through its many names of God. All sounds came from the first spoken word, from the superior being the Absolute (God). The Sanskrit Alphabet is 50 bits of sound vibrations from the first spoken creative word. This Sanskrit language was reportedly used to design vehicles of expression for the Soul.

Figure 3-1
It is said that mantra is the language used by the Soul to bring the chakras components into manifestation. Mantra is embodied sound vibrations that falls or sinks deep into the vortex centers of power that brought forward subtle and gross manifestation of Shakti. The Bindu which is the Spiritual germ of Consciousness the “I am” and “the I” releases the Nada wave that’s pure soundless sound. This Nada wave moves forward and manifest the Shakti power out of the Shiva state of pure consciousness. This Nada wave that express itself as Sabda while manifesting the Shakti power into various forms and shapes, after the Shakti is manifested it falls into a samskara state of being that becomes imbedded impressions of Shakti power signatures (mantras and seed mantras) on the “Jiva” the Embodied Consciousness within the chakra. These Shakti signatures brought about by Sabda Shakti (sound power) are described as the sanskrit letters that expresses itself as Bijas, petals or seed mantras that’s imbedded in the Chakras. In short, mantra is the mental impressions (samskaras) of the Soul. When men intone these mantras or sound vibrations properly it as a natural magnetic pull on these embedded Shakti power signatures within the chakra system. This is where the great power of Mantra resides within man. Constant recitation of the mantra by man, moves the embedded mantras (embedded Shakti power signatures) out of a state of samskara consciousness into an active state of Shakti Power. Then the power of mantra begins to live in the practitioner and the Mantra Yogi acquires the power to shape and mold subtle and gross Shakti power at will through the expression of the mantra.
This Shakti power brought about by the Soul releasing a sound vibration moves to engross itself in order to build vehicles of expressions that the Soul consciousness can work through. This is done through sonic vibrations that produce synchronizing frequencies that organizes the mind substance and cosmic energies that move forward to manifest the human structure. This is performed by the synchronized Shakti power traveling down through sushumna as a united Shakti power. This Shakti power reaches the equilibrium point at the end of it’s descend through sushumna. This is where the Shakti power moves into a three and a half energy configuration that brings about a dormant state of Shakti power which is called Kundalini. This three and half coiled energy configuration block the doorway of sushumna creating a magnetic flux that forces Shakti to divide itself into a static Shakti force and a dynamic Shakti force. This is the point where the Shakti power moves from a whole state of being to a state where it becomes a not-whole state of consciousness. At this level the coiled Shakti is called Kundalini, it is here where it releases the Para–sound that manifests it self into three other aspect of sound that holds consciousness into manifestation.
The Sanskrit sound vibrations that was used to formulated the frequencies of cosmic energies and mind substance through the points of consciousness (Bindu) within the chakra systems moved forward and created the etheric structures, levels of consciousness, mental bodies, subtler bodies, astral bodies, and the physical body. Therefore all Sanskrit mantra represents the consciousness of man and has a unique ability to shape and mould mind substance, prana, and matter.
Kundalini¹ is a pure sound vibration which is an aspect of the conscious will of God being expressed as Shakti-consciousness. It also represents the true manifested consciousness of the Soul. Therefore kundalini shapes and moulds mind substance, and pure cosmic energies (Shakti).
Now let me say that mantra is a power source, a sacred power source too. Now what does this mean? Mantra is a sound vibration which is a manifested form of Shakti power invoked by consciousness and can be harness to be used for good or bad. Just as Kundalini is a form of consciousness manifested as sound and light which all three aspects of it is inseparable it is also one source of power. But it also is subject to be used for good or bad. Mantra is manifested by and through consciousness as sound. To understand this we must have some knowledge of the science and philosophy behind mantra. The Sanskrit letters represents unmanifested sound, potential sound or the potential desire to manifest sound. When the Sanskrit letters form a word (Pada²) it becomes an expressed conscious will and an aspect of manifested conscious will. When the Sanskrit words form a sentence (Vakya) it’s bringing into manifestation the conscious will on several planes of existence as a wave of conscious energies permeating the realms of existence as embodied consciousness in the form of solidified light.
Sabda (Mantra) is the initial power that brought the all pervasive Mind Substance and Cosmic Energies out of a static state of endless potential bring about creation as we know it. This mind substance and cosmic energies (or Shakti power) used the wave of sound vibrations to move into perpetuated motion that brought about a chain-reaction of modifications. This initial sound vibration creates the Sabda (Absolute Sound unmanifested and manifested) waves through the universe.
What is sabda or this absolute sound? In the ancient Tantric Shakti doctrines we can see that Akasha is noted to be etheric sound and is the carrying agent for all other Shakti tattvic forces. Akasha³ is the all pervading force of Shakti, and all manifested Shakti uses Akasha to form and shape all objects subtle and gross. This sabda is lettered sound and unlettered sound. Lettered sound is composed of words (Pada) and sentences (Vakya) such sound as this has deep meaning with tremendous power of shaping and molding mind substance and cosmic energies. This type of sabda manifesting as speech is eternal and springs out as the background power to all things. As John Woodroffe in his Book “The Serpent Power” stated; “It existed before, as it exists after, such manifestation, just as a jar in a dark room which is revealed by a flash of lightning is not then produced, nor does it cease to exist on its ceasing to be perceived through the disappearance of its manifester, the lightning”.⁴ This lettered sound as speech can only be considered eternal when it rings from and before its first initial spoken word or components of the initial spoken word that brought forth creation. The Shakti power was brought into active manifestation by sound and it makes modification to creation by sound as well. Unlettered sound is the instrument used to bring forth lettered sound conscious will or embodied consciousness (Jiva). The embodied consciousness is an involved life stream or an engrossed Soul that has positioned itself on the path of evolution to gain thousands of karmic experiences as it throws off it’s engrossed involved material from life to life. The Soul uses this wave of Sabda (sound) power to move to and through involution and evolution. Later on I will go deeper into this part of mantra sastra (knowledge).
In describing the nature of Sabda in its various forms of modification that occurs through the all pervading universal mind substance and the all pervasive cosmic energies (Shakti) we must examine the potential, of this power, the manifested state of this power, and the state of consciousness it leaves from every modification. This wave of Sabda is the supreme Conscious will of the Absolute (God). It’s this Para-Sound that stood as the Potential will of the Divine Architect. The unique ability of this initial Para-Sound (Sabda) is its power to shape and mould the power of universal mind and cosmic energies which are the main ingredients of creation.

The Four Aspects of Sound

Figure 3-2

The Para-Sound is a differentiation force, which is a united Shakti force of one consciousness, which moves forward into a Shakti force of many parts before actual manifestation. This is considered to be motionless causal sabda (absolute sound) which exist within the kundalini consciousness of man at the Muladhara Chakra (at the base of the spine) and within the Flame of the Logos of Earth from which all life streams of this Earth must pass through in order to enter the wheel of rebirth (Samsara) on the realms of Earth.
The aspect of this Para-sound that commences to move takes on a conscious power signature of Pasyanti Sound. This wave of dormant conscious sabda Shakti extends itself from the Muladhara chakra to the Manipura chakra (the naval center or Solar Plexus Center). This aspect of sound (Sabda) is the first movement of the “I” consciousness and the “This” consciousness or the Whole consciousness that became many aspects of consciousness. This Shakti-Sound is a motionless force that represents first movement; it brings universal mind and cosmic energies into active manifestation. This aspect of Sabda consciousness is often described as “Ishvara” a name given to a manifested state of modified consciousness that extends from the universal consciousness.
The third aspect of Sabda consciousness is called Madhyama Sound which is sabda power that demonstrates the cognitive aspect of mental movement. This initial power of sound consciousness continues its journey by modifying itself from the Pasyanti sound located at the Solar Plexus Center into the Heart Center (Anahata Chakra) giving inner meaning to its movement. It is here where the naming of this Sabda power occurs. It is here where this sound power manifests it ability to mould mind and cosmic energy into shapes by forming the subtle bodies of man. This wave of consciousness can be easily seen in the physical bodies of man, we can actually say that there is a network or matrix of sound that extents from the physical heart in a series of sound vibrations that pumps the oxygenated red blood cells throughout the body while pulling the depleted oxygenated blood cells into the lungs to be oxygenated again. Before this Madhyama sound appears there is no outer form or object. Then the Supreme conscious will in a manifested state of Pasyanti modifies itself as the inner Madhyama sound and is projected into the world as sensual experience which moves forward as the final sound aspect of consciousness, which is “Vaikhari Sound”.
The Vaikhari Sound is the fourth aspect of sound. This wave of Vaikhari sound represents the gross aspect of consciousness as gross speech and gross physical body. This Sabda-Shakti force is located in the Vishuddha Chakra (throat center). Vaikhari Sabda is the corresponding gross aspects of the subtler forms extending from the Madhyama mental configuration. We can see these powerful forces at play in a true analysis of gross spoken speech. Spoken speech is a physical vehicle for thought. Organized thought is a subtler form of sound that resides in the inner subtle realms of man’s mind. Coherent gross audible sound that expresses itself with words that make sentences to convey messages outside of the mental framework of your inner thoughts is the vehicles that subtle sound uses to project its subtle forms to the gross realms of existence. Sound represents organized movement. All movement has a point of origin and a destination point, before the start of this movement there had to be an Idea or concept which can be considered subtle motionless movement before thought formation of the manifestation of that Idea (Para-Sound or the Absolute potential of sound). This Idea or concept act as a point of consciousness a power source of all potential that energizes mind and pranic forces into a definite form or shape. These energetic mental forms muscles themselves through the wave of all pervasive mind substance and cosmic energies modifying these subtle particles into denser forms of matter all through the power of sound. Therefore sound is consciousness, and consciousness is subtle sound expressing itself as mental thought forms. These are mental thought forms which are subtle sounds that express itself as audible sound in the form of spoken language which can be described by words and sentences. Uttered speech is the manifestation of the inner naming of mental thought forms.

Six Parts of a Mantra Japa

Every mantra has six components to it. These six parts of mantra give it the balance of power that we all seek within mantra. The designers or may I say the discoverers of mantras have realized this consistence within the science of mantra knowledge. All mantra sound is taken from the 50 letters or petals on the chakras that lie within the etheric bodies on man. The yogi masters that are able to go into deep states of meditation like, Samadhi⁵ and Cosmic Consciousness have heard and been able to intone the sound bits (petals) on the chakras. With these sound bits which are called letters (varnas in sanskrit) and seed mantras (or Bijas in sanskrit terminology) on and within the chakras the masters of Samadhi arrange them in a configuration that act as keynotes of sound vibrations that synchronizes the vortex centers of power (chakras) within the etheric structures. This synchronization of the chakras and etheric structures sensitizes these vehicles of expression to be able to translate the higher frequencies mind substance and cosmic energies that normally flow through these centers undetected by the conscious mind. The Masters of Samadhi merges their conscious minds into their Supra-Conscious Minds bringing about a tremendous amount of awareness that opens the master to the direct pressures of the divine laws of karma. This allows him to operate as the “Avatars” do where he operates within and under the strict divine laws of karma. It is this state of mind that the Masters work from when they are formulating these mantras measuring every fraction of force that’s exerted within the sound quality of the mantra under the laws of karma.
Now let us go over the six components of mantra;

1. 
   The Rishi, Seer, Guru or Master that gives the mantra
   
2. 
   Mantra Meter – is a measure of the length of the mantra
   
3. 
   Mantra Devata – the presiding deity of the mantra or flow of mantra power.
   
4. 
   Mantra Bija – the seed of the mantra usually a one syllable mantra.
   
5. 
   Mantra Shakti – the cosmic energy or power of the mantra
   
6. 
   Mantra Kilaka – the pillar or pin that’s hidden in the mantra
   

The first component is the Master or Guru; this means that a master must give you a mantra that has lived within him. Or a mantra that he had formulated from his ability to raise the power of kundalini consciously through Sushmuna up to the Christ center (Ajna Chakra) into a deep state of Samadhi where the master work from a point strict karmic control. When the master gives a mantra he passes on a part of his consciousness to the student he gives the mantra too. This is the subtle power exchange that happens between Master and student.

Figure 3-3

The second component is the measurement and length of the mantra which governs the pitch, notes and tone of the voice. There are several ways to measure the mantra one of the most effective methods is what is called automatic counting. Where you use your hand to count the number of times you say the mantra. Each joint on the fingers is used as a point to count from with the thumb scanning as illustrated in figure-3-3. The automatic counting method is very effective way of keeping count without thinking of it so much. One round on the hand gives a sixteen count, 6.75 rounds on the hand gives us a 108 count which is said that a mantra chanted 108 times consequently places the mantra on all known 108 chakras within the human structure.


Figure 3-4

The second most effective mantra counting method and a very popular method is using the mala beads. The mala beads as a necklace like design with 108 beads on a sting that represent a mantra count that places the mantra on all 108 chakras as shown in figure 3-4. The mala beads are also design to be used without thinking about the process to much. The 108 bead mala allows the user to place the chanted mantra on each chakra with one round of the mala bead. It also sat the goal for the goal for the practitioner to reach on a daily basis to chant the mantra 21,600 times by going 200 rounds on the mala beads, which is stated that the Soul secretly chants a mantra 21,600 times a day to keep a segment of its consciousness, engross in etheric, mental, astral and physical substance.
Intonation pronunciation and invocation of the mantra set the level of power that one can tap into. The spoken mantra aloud invokes the power on the physical plane. The whispered mantra where only you who are whispering the mantra can hear the mantra invokes the power on the mental plane of existence. The mantra spoken with pure thought invokes the power on the psycho-spiritual planes of existence.
The third component of the mantra is the residing Devata of the mantra, which some ancient text called the presiding deity whether it’s a higher or lower power entity. The Devata is the mantra and the mantra is the Devata. When the mantra is recited with great devotion to the point where it lives in the man who is constantly reciting the mantra, the Devata of the mantra reveals itself to the devoted practitioner and then merges itself with its particular power into the auric structure of the practitioner expressing its full power. The yoga sutra describes the Ishta Devata as the spiritual forces that result from the constant recitation of the mantra. The devotees of this ancient science recognize these forces that’s called into play by the recitation of the mantra is backed by deity that’s strictly govern by the divine presence of the Divine laws of the Lords of Karma who make sure the divine laws of God prevail throughout all creation.
The Fourth component of the mantra is the Bija or seed mantra which is the significant word, or series of words which gives it a special power. This is the root sound harmonizing the mantra with a key-note power signature. Sometimes this seed mantra expresses the essence of the mantra. I must note here that in every major chakra along the spine a Bijas or seed mantra is describe. This Bijas is the presiding deity and the consciousness of that particular the chakra and expresses the mental level of existence that the Bijas works from. It is the true state of consciousness that man works from. The Soul of man works through the vortex centers (chakras) of the body it expressed bits of consciousness of the Soul. The Bijas is actually the first layer of the embodied consciousness (Jiva). The Bijas of Each chakra is the synchronizing Shakti-consciousness of the chakra; in fact it’s only a part of the Soul’s manifested consciousness. There are about 108 chakras within the body of man, between the major, minor and minute chakras. The chakra system can be called a conscious splitting instrument of the soul. The Soul uses it to involve itself into gross forms of manifested Shakti. Through the use of a series of calibrate sound vibrations the Soul forms the bodies of expression that it works through.
The fifth component of the mantra is the Mantra-Shakti which is the power of the mantra, the vibrational – forms set up by its sound. The Shakti power of the mantra is that force that carries man to the Devata that is worshiped. Mantra is a component of the Absolute’s Conscious will, the potential configuration behind all manifested Shakti (cosmic energies) and Mind Substance. Mantra – Shakti commands Mind substance and cosmic energies by creating various forms and shapes from its projected forces of sound vibrations. The magnetic power that mantra Shakti’s has over mind and prana is because of it’s composition of the opposite forces in a state of pure potential as subtle Shakti power.
The sixth component of mantra is the Mantra Kilaka which is the pillar or pin that supports and makes the mantra strong, or the pin which fastens the mantra together. This Kilaka is the plug for the Mantra-Chaitanya (consciousness) that’s hidden in the mantra. With constant prolong repetition of the mantra the plug is removed and the name of Devata is revealed. Then the practitioner / devotee enter a visionary state (darsana).

1 Kundalini – is the sacral power that lies dormant at the base of the spine, and represent the power that the Soul used to build the it vehicles of expression and the Shakti it will use to merge the Shakti power back with Shiva Power or to bathe in the light of the Spirit.

2 Pada – a Sanskrit that mean word

3 Akasha – One of the five Mahabhutas which means etheric sound.

4 The Serpent Power book chapter on Mantra page 86 end of the last paragraph.

5 Samadhi- a meditative state of consciousness brought about from the conscious raise of kundalini power from the base of the spine to at lease to the Ajna chakra (the Christ Center) activating and opening each major chakra along way.