Mantras

The recitation of mantras forms a central theme of many meditations within the Vajrayana system. A mantra, which consists of words or sacred sounds of occult power is given from guru to disciple in the course of the spiritual training in order to open his/her mind to the experience of higher dimensions. This is also true in Matreiya Sangha Dharma Buddhist training, where mantras are also used as a weapon, a mechanism to overcome the major obstacles to enlightenment. The obstacles may involve the quelling of evil forces intent on harm or one’s own personal karma, hindering mental and emotional traits.

The aspiring yogin/i adapts a common form of mantra into a unique phraseology peculiar to his own requirements, oft accompanied by a symbol (yantra) which has specific power to him/her in the immediate battle or challenge that stands before him/her, or perhaps his dharma brothers/sisters or even humanity as a whole.

Often simplicity holds the most powerful key. For example, ‘I must Love’, recited repetitively, accompanied by the view of brilliant energy radiating out of the heart centre can be very combative against selfish, separative, aggressive or complacent tendencies. ‘I will sacrifice myself for the good of the whole’, can be another. ‘Humanity must learn the way of the Heart.’ ‘I must be humble.’ ‘I will not blame.’ These type of mantras which can be elaborated and adapted to the specific need, repeated (internally) continuously, at the appropriate moments offer a valuable key to the yogin/i aspiring toward mastery. As each challenge is surmounted a new mantra will be formed in relation to the next arising poison or problem that plagues him/herself or another.

If the practitioner is vigilant and bold enough to maintain the correct use of mantras in this way, he/she is then able to create an access whereby the energy of higher dimensions, will or love, can manifest in him/her and allow him/her and those he/she is attempting to help, walk one step closer into the heart of Buddhahood and one step further away from the suffering induced by ignorance and selfishness.

At some stage, when the aspiring yogin/i is nearing cleansing his/her emotional and mental karma relating to the lower three worlds (physical/mental and emotional) he will begin to utilise higher vibrations of magical incantation. These will be bestowed upon him from his guru, or from specific dakinis during meditation. The potent forms of energy, which these mantric sounds contain, must only be utilised with the aim of liberating and educating, and when done so will enable him to produce the seen miracles of healing and materialisation, such as transforming objects, alleviating disease and levitation. Such energies can only be utilised in one whose purity and luminosity is spotless and radiant.

Such powers should only ever be utilised to liberate and to heal and never be used as a tool of the ego, which by this stage, in the Vajrayogin/i, is all but dead.

The Mudra is the bodily gesture (especially of the hands) which accompanies the ritual act and the mantric word, as well as the inner attitude, which is emphasised and expressed by this gesture.

It is specifically the use of the Mantra and Yantra Yoga that play a part of considerable importance in the Vajrayana path, as seen also in the Matreiya Dharma Sangha Buddhist adaptation of this path.

Written by Ruth Fitzpatrick