Daily Express Subscriber
Sign in to your account.

SINCE ancient times, chanting mantras has been endorsed to bring peace, good health, prosperity and happiness.

Every individual should know the efficacy of mantras, as sound is the link between man and God. Mantras create waves and the more times a mantra is chanted, the more powerful the wave it generates. I was fortunate to be initiated into mantra therapy under a renowned Sanskrit scholar, Prof Dr R. Thiagarajan from Chennai, India. Learning the hymn under an expert is regarded as being blessed by divine forces. Dr Thiagarajan is the head of postgraduate and research studies in the Department of Sanskrit at Presidency College, Chennai and has produced over 140 mantra audio CDs. He was named Man of the Year in 1999 and 2000 by the American Biological Institute for his services to humanity.

Anyone who wants to harness spiritual power should chant the sacred Sanskrit recitals. This is because when a mantra is chanted, cosmic rhythm and order come into play and its vibrations bring tremendous benefits to the chanter. In Vasthu Sastra, chanting mantras in a house is highly recommended because it removes negative entities and energises in the enclosed space.  It is important to choose the correct chant so as to experience the desired benefits. How do mantras work?  

Mantras work directly upon our karma, the accumulated latencies and tendencies with which we are born. The vibrations of these ancient formulas work through the chakras to increase the flow of beneficial energy throughout the subtle body, where our past inclinations are stored. Mantra therapy starts by increasing the total amount of energy available for all of our activities. Certain mantras, used singly or in combination, can greatly accelerate the quality and quantity of energy used in the healing process. However, if the karmic inclination for a given condition is overwhelming, mantra therapy will not remove the difficulty any more than conventional therapy will. In such a case, mantra therapy can lessen the karmic baggage an individual takes into his future lives. The energy created through chanting mantras may lead a person to forms of therapy that are quite different from those used initially. Thus, some unexpected new form of treatment may appear as the fruit of mantra practice. 

 

Spiritual guru Amma

 

Results from dedicated mantra practice can take time to manifest. Minor difficulties might be cleared within two weeks, but more deeply rooted problems may take longer to solve. A guru or spiritual leader like Mata Amritanandamayi better known as the hugging saint Amma should initiate the mantra process for an individual and if he or she gives a particular mantra to the follower, the latter must not share it with others. Mantras should be chanted 108 times during each daily therapy session.  Have the practice every day for a minimum of two weeks and a maximum of 40 days. The full 40-day chanting process produces the best results. For tougher problems, a 120-day programme is recommended.  At the end of each session, the individual should stop daily chanting and take a break for at least one week. Mantra is an invocation or a mystical formula that helps the person release the self and attain bliss and ultimate fulfilment.  The sounds involved in a mantra are significant as they generate an unusual mystic power in the individual. Mantras produce vibrations in the surrounding atmosphere and their force depend on the attitude of the chanter as well as the intensity of his concentration. As mantras are performed through faith, their results cannot be analysed, measured, weighed, or seen. The force of a mantra can be only felt thus it should be performed with complete faith and according to all the rituals. The individual should know the meaning of the mantra he is reciting and follow the prescribed methods. He will then experience sensation and vibrations during or at the end of the mantra. How and when to chant mantras? 

It is highly recommended to chant or play mantra tunes at sunrise, mid-day and sunset. And it should be done daily, as part of one’s life. A person who chants aloud will see the effects faster than one who plays chants on an audio system. Observing a vegetarian diet is encouraged. Besides the three transaction periods sunrise, mid-day and sunset – the mantra can be sung anywhere in a house and at any hour of the day as long as the person feels he needs to connect to a higher energy level. Such activities are ideal in the prayer room located in the north-east of the house, so that divinity can be felt easily. And all mantras should be chanted with the holy sound of “Aum” (pronounced as Om). There are three ways to perform a mantra. The first is to do it very slowly so that nobody else can hear. There should only be lip movement. The second way is in the heart, without any sound or lip movement. And the final method is to recite the mantra in a low, medium or high tone. The king of all mantras is the Gayatri mantra, which focuses on polishing the chanter’s intellect. It can be chanted any time of the day. The science of mantra says that whatever sound comes out of the mouth is the outcome of the interaction of various organs such as the wind-pipe, tongue, teeth and lips. The different parts of the mouth are interconnected with various parts of the body and chanting specific mantras can help in healing any ailing organ.

- Dr T. Selva is a speaker and author of the bestseller book Vasthu Sastra Guide. To get a copy contact 012-3299713. He can be contacted at drtselvas@gmail.com Facebook: Vasthu Sastra and Website: www.vasthusastra.com