Mantra, Tantra, Yantra and the Power of Thought

 Our scriptures have given us the ways and means of integrating our body, mind and soul with two major purpose:

   1.   Spiritual progress

2.   Material progress

For achieving this effortlessly, the scriptures have also given us the four pillars known as Purushartha:

1.   Dharma (righteousness)

2.   Artha (wealth, means)

3.   Kama (desire within the prescribed dharma and according to stage in one’s life.

4.   Moksha (liberation)

According to our scriptures, our worship includes mantra, tantra and yantra, in one or a combination of ways. In a way, they represent the three paths as given in Gita:

Mantra – the Jnana marga (path of knowledge),

Tantra - the Bhakti marga (path of devotion) 

Yantra - the Karma marga (path of detached action).

Mantra is usually chanted to awaken the desired energy through vibrations.

Tantra helps us use the body and mind as tools for self-realization. Ex. Yoga sutra, by Patanjali gives in detail the knowledge required for this.

Again we can even branch out into, how our actions are caused by desires, due to the play of the three gunas - Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.

 

I am amazed at how our ancestors incorporated simple tantra practices in our daily lives.  Ex. Padmasana, Surya namaskara, pranayama, fasting etc. We have simple vedic rituals and very powerful ones too.

Yantra is the use of objects (idols), symbols and movement in our worship.  Ex.Prayers offered in temples, built according to agama shastra, lighting of lamps, pradashina(circumbulation).

 

The power of thought

We also know that spoken words and thoughts produce vibrations around us.  Once created  these vibrations exist  and also have to ability to reproduce whenever there is a chance. Through the manomaya kosha (mental body) our body receives  these exactly the same way it was originally intended or sent. The higher the clarity and intensity, the higher is the impact too.  Altenative healing techniques like Reiki, helps heal people with channelizing the energy.

Because of the mantra, tantra & yantra siddhi, the words uttered by a Srividya(srichakra, meru etc) upasaka carries such power that they have to come true, because the person says it with such conviction. In a way, only a person who has control over his mind, ego and gunas should even be given the mantras.

Anybody and everybody chants  all these powerful bheej mantras because they have a lineage.  (Following in the footsteps of our parents or getting initated in a mass convention conducted by modern Swamijis, whether we have it in us or not is very dangerous).   It’s like prescribing antibiotics for an ant bite. So what we see around us is negative energy created in abundance by such unrestrained thoughts and utterances by individuals without a care in the world, for selfish gains. We see families and lives destroyed by their own thoughts, more than their doing.  When we are faced with the effects, we blame it all on God, whom we have created for this sole reason.

Powerful energy created  and remaining stagnant has to be released in a proper way to bring in inner peace of mind (Atma Shanti).  Do not will harm knowingly or unknowingly. We are the same consciousness operating in different names and forms.  Knowing this is freedom from ignorance. Knowing this truth is bliss.

Om Tat Sat.