The power of Mantra By Acarya Pranakrsnananda Avadhuta  

There are billions of cells in the human body. Each cell has its own physical existence, psychic momentum and latent spiritual potentiality.

Each cell co-operates with other cells to facilitate the proper functioning of a particular organ. That organ also has its physical existence, psychic momentum and spiritual potentiality. All the organs in the body have a special relationship with each other for the human body to exist, function and be a proper receptacle for the

mind. Together with the surrounding organs the central nervous system forms controlling nuclei for the body's relationship with the mind. The mind too has its psychic momentum and spiritual potentiality. These controlling nuclei are called cakra (pronounced"chakra") in Yoga. Each cakra has a nucleus within the spinal cord and several surrounding glands that produce hormones as a result of the transmutation of lymph with the help of chlorophyll. Each of these glands vibrates with its own life force and psychic momentum. The glands have a vibration, an existence that results in a sound, a form and its own potential movement. The sounds of all the glands of the body make up the sounds that we use in communication, letters or alphabets, words and sentences. Mantra is a word. It is made of the sounds that already naturally exist within our human body and are therefore acoustic. Each acoustic sound is related physically and psychically to its concerning organ. The psychic effect of the mantra depends on how the sounds are put together.

For example, the acoustic sound "RA" has the hormonal effect of making a person energetic, dynamic. The acoustic sound "MA" stimulates the organ responsible for self-annihilation. If the sounds are put together with "RA" first and "MA" second, the word will be RAMA, dynamism overpowering self-annihilation. However if "MA" is placed first and "RA" second, then the result will be that

dynamism will surrender to self-annihilation. English words don't usually consider the hormonal result of their position. The sounds "GA", "DA" and "O" may be put together in two ways. GOD has the traditional meaning of Divinity in relation to creation personally and

collectively, but DOG has the meaning of an animal according its cultural context.

But mantra is not only sound. The way sounds are put together creates a sympathetic vibration in the mind resulting in concepts, beliefs, physical and psychic movement. Therefore the mantra is made considering the impact of sound on the mind in relation to the organs and hormones released by the body leading to physical and psychic movement. Mantra is sound which leads to psychic movement, meaning.

Meaning depends on two factors, rationality and sentimentality. The meaning usually associated with rationality can be found in the dictionary or encyclopedia. However the sentimental meaning of a word depends on the context in which a person has experienced it. The meaning of the word love can have thousands of meanings depending on who experienced it. I love my teddy bear, my mother, my father, my friends, the countryside, the city, and universe, my Divinity however I conceive it. In all these contexts LOVE has different sentimental meanings.

Baba Nam Kevalam is the mantra that I teach to people who would like to try doing meditation. Each of the letters of this mantra has its own acoustic result and is positioned to have the greatest impact on my body and mind. Baba means"nearest and dearest". Nam means"name or expression". Kevalam means "only or exclusive". This is the meaning based on the science of acoustics as experienced in the cakras. It has its rational existence, its dictionary meaning. Can I then just repeat the mantra in English or in my own language because my language has greater sentimental value to me than these words? There are two difficulties. The words "nearest and dearest" have different acoustic sounds than does the word "Baba". These acoustic sounds will have a different physical and psychic effect. Also the way the sounds are put together result in a different psychic momentum.

Second what does "nearest and dearest" mean to me? What is its inherent power, energy or dynamism? Towards which goal will these words lead me? The words nearest and dearest may refer to my love for my grandmother who was my nearest and dearest. Or it may relate to my mother or father or my wife or husband or even my own concept of Divinity. But then it is my own personal experience. It does have an inherent energy but it is the result of psychic force created by my own experience that may have been influenced culturally by my environment as well.

I have already made the English words "nearest and dearest" my own, part of me. I will be re-enforcing an old experience merely by repetition. If I repeat words that are already a part of me then actually I am meditating on my own mental force that I am now. My psychic momentum is not stretched toward limitlessness or selflessness. My psychic boundaries are

strengthened. So mantra is something more.

Mantra is sound and it is meaning but it is something more. Mantra is created by the person who has the knowledge of acoustic science and its psychic impact and who has merged his/her own mind bounded consciousness with Unbounded, Universal Consciousness. The creator of the mantra benevolently speaks what is in his/her mind and lives those words. The creator of the mantra is totally identified with the goal of meditation, gives the word and lives it. That person is called Guru.

The energy, power of Unbounded, Universal Consciousness is

inherent in the mantra because the realized person put it there. When I bring my mind to focus on my own feeling of being and associate my mind bounded consciousness with the Unbounded Consciousness with the help of the mantra, my mind expands and the energy tied to my past experiences is released and allowed to merge in Pure Consciousness. This power is the power of the mantra. It is the power of mantra that liberates.