Cultivating A Core Mantra Practice

What better way to begin a new year than with fundamentals? At the heart of mantra practice, which for us in our Yogic Mystery School is quite sophisticated, is what we identify as our core mantra practice.

 In my book, The Yoga of Sound: Tapping The Hidden Power Of Music And Chant, I describe our core mantra as one that simultaneously, by its sound and its meaning, conveys to us a sense of the highest reality. 

This understanding is just the starting point of our process. The two significant forks on the road are: 

1. Do you have such a mantra?
2. Does it continue to serve its purpose?
3. Is this mantra sufficient for all your needs?

If you can answer yes to these questions, it is unlikely that you need mantras.  

On the other hand, most people will not answer no to at least one question. 

Each of these questions deserves its own process of discovery.  

Let's begin with the first.

1) Do you have a core mantra?

If you don't have one, here are two examples:

oṁ namaḥ śivāya |

oṁ namo nārāyaṇa |

For those who do not have such a mantra, the process will necessarily involve the discovery of such a mantra. I have used several methods with my students for such a process. Often, I have conducted this process while on pilgrimage in India because it is within a more extensive process and context that a mantra of such magnitude is best discovered. Now, I engage a process through private Zoom or Skype video conferencing.

Of course, having a core mantra is not enough. Does it serve the purpose it is meant to serve? What is that purpose accomplishing for you? How does it contribute to your inner life every day? What value are you deriving from it on a regular basis? Does it deliver all that you expect from it?

Now back to the other two questions presented in connection with a core mantra.

2) Does your core mantra (considering you have one) continue to serve its purpose?

With regard to the question of whether or not having such a mantra continues to serve its purpose, many people find that, over time, their core mantra loses the power it once offered the practitioner. There are many reasons for this, one of them being that it is natural for the power of mantras to atrophy. Another reason is that the practitioner has changed considerably. Yet another is that life circumstances have changed. And then, of course, the world has changed considerably.

There are various sadhanas (spiritual undertakings) to revive the power of one's core mantra. Often, this process involves other mantras and meditation techniques. It is analogous to a plant or a tree that has withered but still has some life in it that is revised. A mantra is a living thing. It is not just a sound. 

3) Is your core mantra sufficient for all your spiritual needs?

The third question is the most important. Often, people receive their core mantras from a teacher they met a while ago. There was a time when using that mantra felt powerful. However, people change. Circumstances change. Environments change. Society is changing. The world is constantly evolving. Most notably, our notion of God and Ultimate Reality is also changing. Hopefully, it is evolving. And, if we are growing, it makes perfect sense to outgrow our mantras. 

But wait! Aren't mantras eternal? Sure they are. What often happens is that the accompanying methods of our spiritual practice haven't kept up with all of the changes in our world, our environments, and our society. And there are other factors, too. For example, when many people learn a mantra, they pronounce it like English or whatever their native language or thinking language is. Right there, the mantra can lose some of its power as a result of poor pronunciation. Even if you know Sanskrit pronunciation, the power of mantras, like muscles, is atrophy unless you utilize them regularly. Still, proper pronunciation is by no means the only criterion for a spiritual experience with mantras; however, it is one of the main reasons that the spiritual power of mantras can atrophy because the muscles behind mantras are not being exercised.  

Finally, people's needs change, including spiritual needs. When we begin our spiritual journey, our needs are pretty simple. Anything and everything spiritual often satisfies us. We are oohing and aahing at every new thing that comes our way. We are constantly hitting highs and leveling lows with the practices we learn. However, as time goes by, it is much harder to be genuinely satisfied with what excited us years ago. Our sense of reason is so much stronger as we question our spiritual assumptions and probe our practices with a second layer of awareness that is not quick to ooh and ah at every little spark of spiritual bliss that arises in our consciousness. 

In my live workshops on mantras, I would often tell people that there was a time when life was simpler. If you were not well, the General Practitioner down the street could make you well. If you need something from the store, the General Store on Main Street would suffice. Today, life is a lot more complex, and our needs are more complicated. Moreover, life and society are structured very differently, with a lot more complexity and sophistication. It is naive to assume that one mantra will satisfy all your needs and interests.

As we mature in the spiritual life, our spiritual practices need to challenge us with growth and development. Spiritual practices that produce ho-hum effects are not the kind that we will engage in daily. In fact, as we mature in the spiritual life, we become more rebellious and resistant toward spiritual discipline. We are preoccupied with more significant issues to deal with and have bigger fish to fry. But what could be more important than God, or Ultimate Reality, or the Absolute Truth? Well, we've gotten a lot bigger than we were are spiritual children just starting out on the journey. And so the God or Ultimate Reality of our spiritual childhood is no longer a looming figure. Even worse, we might feel that God is like Santa Claus, that our parents and teachers have deceived us.

Of all the traditions of mantra, the astounding path of Sri Vidya has kept the students of our Yogic Mystery School engaged year-round for almost 20 consecutive years. Underneath all the many mantras we utilize, a core mantra continues to function as the cornerstone of whatever edifice we are constructing through our daily practice.

If you wish too begin your process
Cultivate A Core Mantra Practice
and other ways of daily practice.

Our core mantra is our most important spiritual tool to cultivate an intimate relationship with the highest, most potent reality. However, many of us lack application methods, particularly after using a mantra for many years. This program will help you develop a freshness with the essential mantra experience of your direct relationship with the Divine. If you don't have a core mantra, this program will help you discover one and the juiciness of how to use it effectively.