Tag Archives: mantra

Daily Buddhism

Mini Topics: Past Lives, Mantras, Sutras, and Chants

Questions:

I am very new to Buddhism… I have started my journey into Zen Buddhism. I wanted to first tell you that the podcasts are phenomenal and has helped me in so many ways – Thank you. I had just a few quick questions…

1) What do you think about past soul regression therapies? Is it REALLY possible to remember our past lives?

2) What are the differences between Mantras, Sutras and Chants?

Answers:

1. Past life regression therapy. Personally, I don’t believe in it. The link between this life and the previous is just too small. For example, the Dalai Lama, who is, by definition, the reincarnation of previous Dalai Lamas (The current D.L. is the 14th), was tested as a child. He was able to identify a few items that were his in his previous incarnation from a selection on a table. That, to me, shows that there is some link between the current and past lives, but it’s such a limited test that I have a hard time believing people can dig deeply enough into their pasts to get any real detail. Buddhist rebirth just isn’t supposed to work like that; there is no soul that is reincarnated. In fact, reincarnation is not really the right word for it at all.

Still, regardless of what I may think, many do believe in it, and here are a few additional links;

Pro:
http://www.lifepositive.com/Mind/personal-growth/past-life-therapy/past-life-therapy.asp

Con:
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2008/9/7/lifefocus/1957870&sec=lifefocus

2) A Mantra is a word or sound that is repeated, usually while meditating. the sound itself is supposed to have some power. “Om Mani Padme Hum” is the most famous; people recite these all the time, as the sounds have a bit of power behind them. I covered mantras a little at this link; http://www.dailybuddhism.com/archives/192

A Sutra (also sometimes spelled Sutta) is a written text. Most of them contain sayings attributed to Buddha. The important thing is that they are in writing.

A Chant is the repetition of a phrase over and over. You can chant a mantra for example. You can also chant song lyrics, poetry, sutras, or anything else, although they are usually chanted in a way that sounds musical. Almost all forms of Buddhism do some style of chanting.

Daily Buddhism, Meditation

Meditation Part 6: Mantra Meditation

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Meditation Part 6: Mantra Meditation

Some people find it easier to meditate by focusing their awareness on a sound. When meditating, they recite or chant some kind of phrase or sound repeatedly, listening to the sound, being aware of how the sound is formed, and concentrating on the sound itself.

Some sects of Buddhism rely heavily on mantra meditation. If you are assigned a mantra by a teacher, the mantra may have some meaning in Pali or Sanskrit, or it may just be a sound without meaning. Sometimes, although rarely, a mantra can be an English phrase. You may have heard the phrase, ‚ÄúOm Mani Padme Hum.‚Äú This is a very common mantra. It’s meaning is complicated, but generally involves

‚Äúthe jewel in the lotus.‚Äù The precise meaning of this mantra isn’t so important right now, the sounds of the words themselves is supposed to be powerful in itself. Another common mantra to be repeated while meditating is ‚Äúshanti,‚Äù which means ‚Äúpeace.‚Äù

Years ago, I was taught to use one, ‚ÄúAh Re Hum.‚Äù I don’t even remember what it literally means, but I know I like the way the sounds come out as I breathe the words. I breathe in on the ‚ÄúAh,‚Äù pause a second on the ‚ÄúRe,‚Äù and breathe out with the ‚ÄúHum.‚Äù It sounds a little silly, but it works. It can be very relaxing. Also, if you are especially stressed out, focusing on the sound is sometimes easier than trying to clear the mind entirely. After a while, you don’t actually have to continue to vocalize the words once you have gotten into the mindset; keep the mantra rolling over in your mind as you sit silently.

There is a lot of mysticism and religious thought behind various mantras, some sounds are “holier” than others, some are used for purification, some are for tuning into your individual energy field or the universal energy field to produce practical results. Various sects of Buddhism treat mantras with differing levels of importance. There are also variations of this style of meditation that employ song, chanting, and rhythm to assist in focusing the mind.

Om Mani Padme Hum