How Do I Know What Mantra Is Right For Me?

[Milly]

First of all, I would like to state that I am not very familiar with Hindu customs and traditions so please forgive me if I say something wrong.

 

I am looking for a Mantra for meditation. I really like Krishna, Ganesha, and Buddha but for some reason I don't have the motivation to chant. I recently tried the Shiva Mantra (Om Namah Shivaya) and I kind of feel addicted to it right now. But I don't know much about Shiva. And I don't know the benefits of this Mantra but I like doing it.

 

So here is my question: How can I be sure that this is the right Mantra for me? I heard that a Guru should select a Mantra for you. Where do I find a Guru in London?

 

Any help would be appreciated .

[bija]

What kind of things would you hope to achieve from the practice you wish to undertake Milly?

[Milly]

 

What kind of things would you hope to achieve from the practice you wish to undertake Milly?

Hi Bija, thanks for your reply. I would like to achieve peace of mind, happiness and some self-confidence because I'm always very anxious around people. Most people think I'm a very shy and reserved person.

[bija]

Thx for sharing Milly.

 

In my opinion you are on the right path of investigation. Why I say this is because, for us who are more quiet in nature (which is a gift), the path of sanatana dharma (hinduism) can found the ego well.

 

In 'material' ego sense, of misunderstanding ourselves as the body and mind, there is always competition, insecurity, anxiety etc. But instead if our ego is founded in service to God, as spirit soul, we are then a part of divine beauty and consciousness.

 

Here is one analogy. A diamond is very beautiful. Lets say the spirit soul is this diamond. Its nature and quality is sublime. Now, imagine there is an exquisite gold ring, lets say handcrafted by a master craftsman - lets call this gold ring God.

 

When the diamond is set within that ring the diamond becomes opulent and more beautiful. The ring and the diamond enhance and compliment each other.

 

There is one very nice story in the sacred scripture Srimad Bhagavatam. The boy saint Prahlada was a devotee of the half man, half lion God - Lord Nrsingha.

 

Prahlada's father was a great demon king who caused great disturbance in this world. He was envious of Prahlada, because his son would not take to his instruction of material endeavour. He wanted to kill his saintly son.

 

Prahlada was a pure devotee with no material desires.

 

To cut a long story short, Lord Nrsingha vanquished the demon. Then the boy saint pleased Lord Nrisngha with beautiful prayers. The Lord wished to give the boy some boon. Prahlada's heart was so pure he desired no material things, he simply wanted devotional service to his Lord.

 

 

Here is one verse from this story:

 

http://causelessmercy.com/SB7.10.1.htmTEXT 11

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

 

 

naikāntino me mayi jātv ihāśiṣa

āśāsate ’mutra ca ye bhavad-vidhāḥ

tathāpi manvantaram etad atra

daityeśvarāṇām anubhuṅkṣva bhogān

 

 

SYNONYMS

śrī-bhagavān uvāca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; na—not; ekāntinaḥ—unalloyed, without desires except for the one desire for devotional service; me—from Me; mayi—unto Me; jātu—any time; iha—within this material world; āśiṣaḥ—benedictions; āśāsate—intent desire; amutra—in the next life; ca—and; ye—all such devotees who; bhavat-vidhāḥ—like you; tathāpi—still; manvantaram—the duration of time until the end of the life of one Manu; etat—this; atra—within this material world; daitya-īśvarāṇām—of the opulences of materialistic persons; anubhuṅkṣva—you can enjoy; bhogān—all material opulences.

 

 

 

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Prahlāda, a devotee like you never desires any kind of material opulences, either in this life or in the next. Nonetheless, I order you to enjoy the opulences of the demons in this material world, acting as their king until the end of the duration of time occupied by Manu.

 

 

PURPORT

One Manu lives for a duration of time calculated to be an aggregate of seventy-one yuga cycles, each of which equals 4,300,000 years. Although atheistic men like to enjoy material opulences and they endeavor with great energy to build big residences, roads, cities and factories, unfortunately they cannot live more than eighty, ninety or at the utmost one hundred years. Although the materialist exerts so much energy to create a kingdom of hallucinations, he is unable to enjoy it for more than a few years. However, because Prahlāda Mahārāja was a devotee, the Lord allowed him to enjoy material opulence as the king of the materialists. Prahlāda Mahārāja had taken birth in the family of Hiraṇyakaśipu, who was the topmost materialist, and since Prahlāda was the bona fide heir of his father, the Supreme Lord allowed him to enjoy the kingdom created by his father for so many years that no materialist could calculate them. A devotee does not have to desire material opulence, but if he is a pure devotee, there is ample opportunity for him to enjoy material happiness also, without personal endeavor. Therefore, everyone is advised to take to devotional service under all circumstances. If one desires material opulence, he can also become a pure devotee, and his desires will be fulfilled. It is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.3.10):

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā

mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ

tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena

yajeta puruṣaṁ param

 

 

“Whether one desires everything or nothing, or whether he desires to merge into the existence of the Lord, he is intelligent only if he worships Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by rendering transcendental loving service.”

 

This is an example of the tradition that I admire and practice within - and a hint of its goal, pure unmixed devotion.

 

Maybe some other hindus and practicioners can share their faith traditions with you also, that you may investigate and choose which is most suited for you.

 

Mantras will be in relation to each tradition.

 

your servant.

[Milly]

That is a very beautiful story. Thanks for sharing it and bringing it to my attention. In fact, I think this is a story which I have seen in a movie (I think it is called Bhakta Prahlad?) many years ago.

[bija]

Yes Bhakta Prahlad. Bhakti-yoga. Devotion.

[bija]

Here is a verse I just read from my daily reading (thought you may appreciate):

 

 

Sri Vedanta-Sutra - click here

....Let us analyze the following passage from Shvetashvatara Upanishad (4.6-7) in the light of these six criteria.

dva suparna sayuja sakhaya

samanam vriksham parishashvajate

tayor anyah pippalam svadv atty

anashnann anyo 'bhicakashiti

"The individual spirit-soul and the Supersoul, Personality of Godhead, are like two friendly birds sitting on the same tree. One of the birds (the individual atomic soul) is eating the fruit of the tree (the sense-gratification afforded to the material body), and the other bird (the Supersoul) is not trying to eat these fruits, but is simply watching His friend.

samane vrikshe purusho nimagno

'nishaya shocati muhyamanah

jushtam yada pashyati anyam isham

asya mahimanam iti vita-shokah

"Although the two birds are on the same tree, the eating bird is fully engrossed with anxiety and moroseness as the enjoyer of the fruits of the tree. But if in some way or other he turns his face to his friend who is the Lord and knows His glories, at once the suffering bird becomes free from all anxieties."

 

[thehat]

 

Hi Bija, thanks for your reply. I would like to achieve peace of mind, happiness and some self-confidence because I'm always very anxious around people. Most people think I'm a very shy and reserved person.

 

Hey Milly

 

Try chanting:

 

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna

Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama

Rama Rama

Hare Hare.

 

By chanting this mantra you will come to the stage of transcendental realization. And this particular stage encompasses states of peacefulness within the mind, happiness etc.

 

Give it a go!

[Radhe_Shyam]

Dear Milly,

I am sharing my experience in mantra yoga and initiation. I might be judged as mad by many. But I am still sharing this highly personal experience for the benefit of true seekers of mantra yoga.

I have been and am deeply in love with <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place>. I had a strong desire to see <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> physically. I went to ISKCON seeking guidance and got initiated ( by an authentic teacher of ISKON) in to the Mahamantra:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> Hare Hare;

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

I liked the mantra. I chanted it everyday with intense devotion and according to the prescribed rules for many years. But nothing happened out of the way. I dint see <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> for which I was doing the sadana. . A pious religious man told me that the mantra will become siddhi if it is repeated as many lakhs of times as there are letters in the mantra and followed by a homa of one tenth offering and a dharpana of one tenth of this. I became desperate and undertook the task of chanting the mantra for 32 lakhs of time (As many lakhs as there are letters in the mahamantra) and completed homa and Dharpana for the required amount. The last day of my completion of this procedure, <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> came in my dream and instructed me to seek a Siddha Guru to succeed in mantra yoga. <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> explained that a mantra can only have the effect that the guru has realized, and nothing more. If the guru has not seen the deity, the disciple will not see the deity. If the guru is not a mukta the disciple will not attain mukti. For success in mantra guru’s own success is a crucial factor. <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> instructed me to seek a Siddha guru who has attained what I seek. Otherwise even if I chant the mantra for trillions and trillions of times I will not succeed. When I woke up I was very disappointed, and sad. Even after doing so much of sadhana with full adherence to the procedure <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> is not satisfied. Where can I find a guru who has seen <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place>? How do I know who is such a guru? I prayed and prayed to show me a Sidha Guru. I did not chant the mantra any more and prayed to god with sincere heart in simple Marati which was my mother tongue.

A week later a saint came to my house and said that he came for Kumbamela at Godavari Triambakeswar , now on his way to his cave in <st1:place w:st="on">Himalaya</st1:place>, and looking for a place to stay a night. I readily offered him my house, and offered him food. Next day early morning around 4oclock he woke me up and said that he has to leave, but before that he wanted to give me something back for my service to him. He asked me to sit down and from his bag he took out a small <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place>’s idol made of five metal alloy. He told me that he is leaving his Krishna with me and from now on <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> is mine, and I need to take care of him. He initiated with a one letter bija mantra of Krishna and instructed how to chant it silently after giving abishek bath and food and performing pooja to Krishna (that is <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place>’s idol). Then he left.

After he is gone I took bath and gave abishek to the Krishna Idol and offered flowers and fruits, lighted a lamp and with closed eves meditated the one letter mantra of <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place>. With in a few minutes I passed in to a state of deep peace which I never experienced before. Then soon, in few more minutes, I entered in to a trance state. And Visions arose. In that state I saw <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> in my heart, very clearly and vividly. He was very handsome, with bewitching beauty. My mind died with out any other thought and feeling. Only <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> existed along with a divine sweetness and ecstasy. The internal <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> asked me to open my eyes and take care of him outside. Then he jumped out of my heart to the idol. When I opened my eyes I saw really <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> in front of me. I got jittered. He smiled at me with such a lovely charm and asked why I get scared of him when I all along wanted to see him? It took me some time to gather myself and asked whether he is real. He came and hugged me. I could feel his real firmness warmth. I could touch him. He was real. I looked around. The door was closed. There is no possibility of anybody entering my room when I was meditating with my eyes closed. The only possibility is that I was going mad.

I: “From where did you come?”

<st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place>: “From your heart”.

I: “Is it a trick of some sort?”

<st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place>: “Yes. Everything is trick. The whole world is a trick. I am a trickster”. He winked.

I: “I mean am I going mad? Or the saint did some black magic on me?”

<st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place>: “You were always mad ….. of me. If you weren’t you never would have had the chance of seeing me. The poor saint is not a black magician I am the one. I am doing the magic on you. I did the same magic on the saint too”.

I: Then why dint you come to me earlier in spite of my chanting your mantra for so much of times? I was chanting your mantra for such a long time”

<st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place>: “The mantra you were chanting is not mine. It has my name but it is not me. I could only respond to your bakti, which I did by way of my instruction in your dream, but I could not respond to your mantra, that is not me. The mantra you are chanting now is me myself, therefore I am here”.

Then <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> explained seriously, that in every heart he is there, that he heard my cries for him through the chanting and he came in my dream. He explained that the saint is a siddha guru and the mantra he initiated is a siddha mantra. The difference between a sidha mantra and other chants is that siddha mantra is god himself,while other chants are names or prayers of god. . Strictly specking they are not to be called mantras. At the best they could be prayers. Then I asked him if the mahamantra is mere prayer, why it is considered to be a mahamantra. And held in great reverence? <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> clarified that Mahamantra if realized by a siddha is God himself If not realized by a siddha it is a mere lingual entity. This holds good for any mantra. It is not in the letters of the chant that makes it a mantra or a linguistic entity. It is the realization of a siddha which makes it a mantra.

Then <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> advised me that I should cast aside all doubts and follow the Siddha Gurus instruction, that what is happening to me is a true spiritual development, and there is much more to come. Then he disappeared, with no sign, except his idol. Day by day When ever I sat for pooja and chant his mantra a few times he would promptly pop up in my heart and jump out to the idol, The idol would became real living Krishna, accept all that I offer in worship be with me doing his Leelas for a while and go. This continued for many months.

In due course I started seeing Krishna every where I saw Krishna in the hearts of every creatures and I saw <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> in every nonliving things too. <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> is everywhere not just in my heart or in my idol. I saw him in the lamb, flower and food that I offered to him as well as in the food I ate, in the sandal paste that I put on him as well as in the mud of earth, in the sky and in the water. In fact he is everywhere. With this Grand Seeing Krishna my Idol worship came to an end. When he is everywhere and in everything, how can I restrict him to an Idol? I no more worshiped him with special religious rituals whatever I did in the form of daily chores, cooking eating taking care of my children all became worship of <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place>.

Then one day monk with deep <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> bakti came to my house. He was searching for <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> everywhere, and I could deeply empathize with him. I gifted the <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> idol and mantra to him with the same instruction I received from my revered guru. The monk stayed in my house for a few days, doing pooja. I could see how he completely transformed. Sweetness dawned on him. He like mad man started running here and there apparently chasing some one shouting and screaming and pleading: “Krishna don’t go there, Krishna be careful there is a big pit there. Please eat your food, don’t play with mud, etc. Others thought he has gone mad. But I knew better. <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> is playing with him. He used to complain to me my <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> is very naughty and no consideration for his old age. I could not think any otherwise. After a few days he left with <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place>, to Matura.

Moral of the story: Guru is a very important factor in mantra yoga. If initiated by a sidha guru mantra bears fruit. If not it is totally useless as a mantra. This does not mean that nothing is gained. What works in that case is your bhakti. And if you have strong bhakti., any simple prayer in your mother tongue is equally effective. If god is pleased with your bhakti, he will send you a siddha guru with a true mantra suited for you.

Just do bhakti with any prayer of a god that you love Milly. God will send you the right guru and right mantra. This is my personal experience.

 

Love,

Radhe Shyam.

[Milly]

To Bija:

I had to read that verse a few times to understand it. I found an easier to understand explanation for it in Chapter 2, Text 22 of the Bhagavad Gita As It Is. I find Vedic philosophy very hard to understand sometimes because I come from a slightly different background, so it takes a lot of patience.

To thehat:

Thanks, I’ll give it another chance

 

To Radhe_Shyam

I really enjoyed reading about your experience. Thanks for sharing. Actually, I met my uncles friend a couple of weeks ago who happens to be a “psychic”. I’m not sure if he’s a Guru but he told me to chant “Om Namah Shivaya” before I go to bed. So maybe I have been sent the right Guru and Mantra already.

[primate]

Srila Prabhupada instructed everyone to chant the maha mantra (the great mantra). Don't you think he was a real Guru?

 

Regards.

[Milly]

 

Srimad Prabhupada instructed everyone to chant the maha mantra (the great mantra). Don't you think he was a real Guru?

 

Regards.

To be honest with you, I don't really know who he was. I read somewhere that it would be best for a guru to select a mantra for you, or you can choose one for yourself. I don't have anything against Krishna and his followers, but I just don't feel its the right path for me, just as another path might not feel right for you.

[primate]

 

To be honest with you, I don't really know who he was.

Srila Prabhupada: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami; the founder of ISKCON..

[bija]

Thx for sharing your story Radhey Shyam.

 

Where I live in Australia Krsna is not really known. No Krsna books, no Krsna pictures etc in shops.

 

I am a pensioner with very little money and am paid every fortnight. Each fortnight for two years without fail, I would go to the second hand junk shops in town looking for a second hand Krsna Deity (I felt in my heart to do that). After two years each fortnight I realized my attempts were futile. But I still hoped.

 

Then one saturday morning I felt a strong impression in my heart to go to a junk market in a local show grounds. I went there and there was one stall with junk metal and rusty statues...and amongst it all I saw this dancing Deity with a ball in its hand. I had never seen this type of Deity before. He was muddy and lonely!

 

I realized he was Baby Krsna with a butter ball in his hand. The lady did not know what it was, and sold Him to me for virtually nothing. He is over 100 years old and made in South India, and antique worth $800.

 

Ofcourse he is priceless to me. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Last night I was sitting in meditation and I heard Him say, 'I am baby Krsna, I came to you... I wish you to increase service to me'.

 

My mantra is the Holy Name of 'Gauranga', which is Sri Sri Radha-Krsna combined. I visualize now my Lord with butter ball, growing up with cowherd boys, taking lunch with his friends, killing demons, bewildering Lord Brahma...and eventually meeting Srimate Radharani.

 

You are so correct. If Guru is realized in the mantra, we then grow internally as we put faith in the sacred mantra.

 

Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krsna!

[thiruchitrambalam1982]

Hi,

India is 6,500 years old; birth of hinduism date is not known, read the stories the scriptures, then you will fall in love with a particular deity. Then you start chanting the name of that particular god, then you see the effect.

 

As far as peace of mind is concerned, do meditation. One of the best is pranayama,

 

Go to website saivismdotnet/etexts/yogamantrasiddhi dot asp

[bgita67]

 

First of all, I would like to state that I am not very familiar with Hindu customs and traditions so please forgive me if I say something wrong.

 

I am looking for a Mantra for meditation. I really like Krishna, Ganesha, and Buddha but for some reason I don't have the motivation to chant. I recently tried the Shiva Mantra (Om Namah Shivaya) and I kind of feel addicted to it right now. But I don't know much about Shiva. And I don't know the benefits of this Mantra but I like doing it.

 

So here is my question: How can I be sure that this is the right Mantra for me? I heard that a Guru should select a Mantra for you. Where do I find a Guru in London?

 

Any help would be appreciated .

 

Having a Guru come to me is my desire so that I can be given a mantra from someone with the siddhi. If you ever hear or read a mantra in a dream that you have, then you should take up japa of that mantra. This is called the Dream-Mantra, I think. In a couple of dreams I heard Namah Sivaya but it was pronounced wrongly... so I don't know what to think about that. The mantra that you have been chanting, Aum Namah Sivaya, is the central mantra of the Rig, Yajur, and Sama Vedas. At first I wasn't sure about this until I confirmed it for myself. Another mantra near it in the Vedic text, which I feel like typing up for some unknown reason, is Namas Taraya, which means "Homage to the Deliverer." You can also pray to Hindu saints who have disappeared from this world for a mantra or nama to chant or meditate upon. Some people claim to pray to Shri Anandamayi Ma and that she really does listen and make her presence known. These people, saints, gurus, and the spiritual giants, even though they have disappeared from this world, they are still living and they can be present in many places simultaneously.

[Ravindran Kesavan]

Dear Bgita,

I dont know whether I am addressing rightly Or B. Gita? is appropriate.

As to your dream initiation where Siva's mantra is spilled or pronounvced 'wrongly', there may not be any thing wrong in it as there are many mantras of siva that are formed by permutation of the individual letters in a varieties of ways. There are also many secret mantras that sound very different totally or partially from the traditional and familior panjakshara. Try with your dream mantra You might get some unexpected spiritual results.

 

Regards,

K.Ravindran