Mantra Yoga
Mantra Yoga (IAST)Translation: "the Yoga of the Divine Word"
A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy
Sanskrit: मन्त्र योगTransliteration: Mantra Yoga
Translation: "the yoga of the Divine Word"
Definition: "The science of sound. The path to union through Mantra Yoga is based on repetition of a sacred Mantra and contemplating its meaning."
The Science of Yoga (I.K. Taimni)
"Mantra-Yoga is that branch of Yoga which seeks to bring about changes in matter and consciousness by the agency of ‘Sound’ the word Sound being used not in its modern scientific sense but in a special sense as we shall see just now. According to the doctrine upon which Mantra-Yoga is based the primary manifestation of the Ultimate Reality takes place through the agency of a peculiar and subtle vibration which is called Śabda and which means Sound or Word. The world is not only created but maintained by this Śabda which differentiates into innumerable forms of vibration which underlie the phenomenal world.
Not only is matter an expression of Energy but the perception of material phenomena depends upon vibrations of various kinds. Vibrations of different kinds striking the organs of sensation produce the five kinds of sensations and the familiar world of light, sound etc. is thus based on vibration.
These vibrations or expressions of energy not only constitute the material of the manifested world (using the word material in its widest sense) but by their actions and interactions produce all the phenomena of the different planes. This conclusion, though startling, is nothing as compared with the still more mysterious doctrine of Occult Science according to which all these infinitely complex vibrations of innumerable variety are the expressions of a Single Vibration and this Single Vibration is produced by the Will of the Mighty Being who is the Presiding Deity of the particular manifested world whether this world be a Solar system, Universe or the Cosmos. This tremendous, primary, and integrated vibration from which are derived all the vibrations in manifestation is called Śabda-Brahman, i.e. the Ultimate Reality in its aspect of ‘Sound’, the word ‘Sound’ being used in the most comprehensive and rather mysterious sense as pointed out before. This doctrine put in simple and general terms means that the Ultimate Reality carrying within Itself the Saṃskāra of previous manifestations differentiates on manifestation into two primary and complementary expressions—one a composite Integrated Vibration called Śabda-Brahman and the other an underlying integrated Consciousness called Brahma-Caitanya (i.e. the Reality in its aspect of Consciousness). These two expressions are complementary and mutually dependent since they are the dual expressions of the One Reality and appear or disappear simultaneously.
From this primary relationship of vibration and consciousness existing on the highest level of manifestation flows the relation of these two on all the planes of manifestation down to the physical. So that we find that wherever there is manifestation of consciousness there is vibration associated with it whether we are able to trace it or not. Not only are vibration and consciousness so intimately and indissolubly connected but there is a specific relationship existing between each kind of vibration and the particular aspect of consciousness which it can give expression to, so that each kind of vibration is matched, as it were, by a corresponding state of consciousness. This relation may be understood to a certain extent by considering its expression at the lowest level, namely, sensuous perception. Each particular vibration of light with a definite wavelength produces its corresponding color perception in consciousness. Each particular vibration of sound produces perception of the corresponding note in consciousness. Although Science has not yet been able to investigate the hidden mechanism of other kinds of sensations it will probably be found when such investigations have been made successfully that each sensation of taste, smell and touch is matched by a corresponding vibration of some kind. What is true on the lowest level is true on all levels of manifestation and therefore there is nothing inherently unreasonable in supposing that consciousness can be influenced or reached by means of vibration or to put it in other words, particular states of consciousness can be brought about by initiating particular kinds of vibrations. Not only can consciousness be affected by vibration, but consciousness by initiating particular vibrations can also influence matter and bring about changes in matter.
The broad and general principles pointed out above form the basis of Mantra-Śāstra, the science of using Mantras for bringing about certain tangible results, and also of Mantra-Yoga, the science of unification or unfoldment of consciousness by the help of Mantras. The essential idea underlying both is that by producing a particular kind of vibration through a vehicle it is possible to draw down a particular kind of force through the vehicle or to produce a particular state of consciousness in the vehicle. Such vibrations can be produced by means of Mantras each of which represents a particular combination of sounds for bringing about certain specific results.
Since a Mantra is a composite thing, a particular combination of sounds arranged in a particular way, it is interesting to inquire what are the basic sounds which are utilized in these combinations. Without going into the details of this question it may be simply stated that the letters of the Sanskrit alphabet are the elements from which all Mantras of Sanskrit origin are derived. Each letter is supposed to be the vehicle of a basic eternal power (that is why it is called Akṣara) and when introduced into a Mantra contributes its specific influence to the total effect which is the objective of the Mantra, much in the same way as the different chemical elements contribute their specific properties to the compounds which are derived from them. There are 52 letters of the Sanskrit alphabet and therefore there are 52 basic elemental powers which are available for producing all kinds of effects through the agency of Mantras in their different permutations and combinations. It does not mean, of course, that the Sanskrit alphabet has some favored place in the scheme of Nature and the sounds produced by its letters alone can be utilized in constructing Mantras. All that is meant is that the effects of sounds produced by letters in the Sanskrit alphabet have been investigated and evaluated and can thus be used in the construction of Mantras.
A Mantra is a sound combination and thus represents a physical vibration which is perceptible to the physical ear. But this physical vibration is its outermost expression and hidden behind the physical vibration and connected with it are subtler vibrations much in the same way as the dense physical body of man is his outermost expression and is connected with his subtler vehicles. These different aspects of Vak or ‘speech’ are called Vaikharī, Madhyama, Paśyantī and Para. Vaikharī is the audible sound which can lead through the intermediate stages to the subtlest form of Para Vak. It is really through the agency of these subtler forms of ‘sound’ that the unfoldment of consciousness takes place and the hidden potentialities become active powers. This release of powers takes a definite course according to the specific nature of the Mantra just as a seed grows into a tree, but into a particular kind of tree according to the nature of the seed.
The use of Mantras is an important and potent means of developing Siddhi and the Siddhi developed in this manner may be of the highest order for some of the Mantras, like Praṇava or Gāyatrī, bring about the unfoldment of consciousness, and there is no limit to such unfoldment. When the higher levels of consciousness are reached as a result of such practices, the powers which are inherent in those states of consciousness begin to appear naturally, though they may not be used by the devotee.
Besides the natural development of Siddhi in this manner, there are specific Mantras for the attainment of particular kinds of objectives and when used with knowledge in the right manner bring about the desired results with the certainty of a scientific experiment. The Tantras are full of such Mantras for obtaining very ordinary and sometimes highly objectionable results. The reason why the ordinary man cannot get the desired results by simply following the directions in the books lies in the fact that the exact conditions are deliberately not given and can be obtained only from those who have been regularly initiated and have developed the powers."
Reference:
- Grimes, John (1996). A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy: Sanskrit Terms Defined in English. Albany: State University of New York Press
- Taimni, I. K. (1975). The Science of Yoga: The Yoga-Sūtras of Patañjali in Sanskrit with Transliteration in Roman, Translation in English and Commentary: Theosophical Publishing House
