हृदये शिवस्तिष्ठतु।
In the “heart” is established Śiva

Yogic word for Heart, as in Heart Chakra, is Hṛdaya.  Hŗ appears in a lot of seed (bija) mantras also, including those for the first six chakras – they are Hṛam (root), Hṛeem (sacral), Hṛum (navel), Hṛaim (heart), Hṛaum (throat) and Hṛaha (brow point).  From a practice standpoint, the udana vayu  is the  enabler.

The same seed mantras are also associated with Sun Salutations, but they are not associated with chakras in that series.  We can notice how a vocalized sound, feminine śakti bit, is attached the Ha sound, the masculine śiva bit.  Joining śiva and śakti is the ultimate purpose, and when that happens, we enter that neutral, unmanifest, potential state.  In the yogic method, sakti travels to the seventh chakra, and in some trantrik methods, siva travels to the root chakra for that mystical union.

Mantra is not just the vocalized part.  There’s is a huge silent, non-verbal component to it.  We, as individual entities, are continuously chanting our own mantras – we are just not aware of it.   Actually, you are a mantra in motion – trillions of vibrations strapped together.  By definition, Mantra and mind (and body by extension) are complementary entities – by that, our minds (man) are constantly chanting their own mantra/s, and in turn mantra chanting reconstructs the mind.   Mind in the psychological plane is body in the physical plane. We will come back to this in the near future.

If you ask an accomplished non-dualist tantrik, s/he would tell us that Heart holds the keys to the ultimate reality, and it also shows the path to that ultimate reality, through mantra.  Tantric texts tell us that all that is necessary for the attainment of liberation is the proper reception of a single seed-mantra (bīja mantra)!

How does one get such a seed-mantra, and what exactly the word “reception” mean in the last sentence?  Let’s briefly summarize this “reception” process before understanding the structure of mantras and how they may work.  According to these tāntrik-Einsteins, a mantra has to be “soteriologically effective” – meaning it has to open us up to deeper revelations of reality.  Until we find that resonance, we keep experimenting with different mantras.

The Mantra Reception – the traditional method

In the old guru-kula āśrama system, students used to go to a guru, and start doing regular chores including tending to school (āśrama) needs.  Guru used to study the student based on his/her actions, like how a doctor would study a patient; very little verbal communication since actions speak louder. Let’s remember that actions also reflect deepest inner desires.  Then a slow but steady transformation occurs in the student as s/he mingles with seniors – the inner mantra changes with this indirect method of just hanging out with other fellow and senior students.  This essentially is the yama and niyama practice.  When the commitment for inner development strengthened to a point, and the inner mantra of “I” has stabilized, the guru invites the student for a formal initiation process, and reveals that mantra to the student – the brahmōpadesa or initiation moment.

This is also defined as the second birth, and the student becomes born again!  Any student who goes through this is considered to be interested in seeking brahman, and becomes a brāhmin – they are also called dvija – or twice born.  Not a brāhmin until that point, and everyone is eligible for that practice.  The student from that point on starts meditating on that mantra, with the goal to see that mantra in his own heart, and eventually the entire heart itself – the true self, the true I, the inner vibration, through practice. Because of the natural resonance of that mantra with I, there is no forcing of practice.  It’s natural. But what guru taught is only the starting point. The student figures it out for himself/herself through that contemplation process.

In higher level initiation processes, the manta emanates from the hr̥daya of the teacher, which is received by the disciple directly.  They go through a regimen of rituals together to get to that point.  There the guru and the disciple are connected through the active energetic vibration – through long rituals.  Recall the Saraswati meditation description from before – 48 days long! This guru could be Siva himself, the inner self; after all, the final guru is within us!

Preparation

For effective chanting, the body should be properly prepared.  Recall the vedic yajna rituals from the Vāyu-blurbs from before.   Of particular importance for mantra chanting is the strength of the Udāna vāyu, which is directed upwards, and is anchored to viśuḍhi chakra or the throat-center.  Imagine if the downward facing apāna is the dominant vāyu current while chanting – easy to guess where the energy is going, right?  Again, it’s not that one vayu element is better than the other. It’s the control – we should be able to switch depending upon where we need the energy.  And, it’s the balance – it’s more of the right thing at the right time.  So the regular warm-up kriyas are followed by some inversion kriyas with awareness at the throat chakra and the diaphragm at that level, in order to activate and balance this upward current.  Then, Hr̥ chant…

Where did all these mantras and sounds come from, and their meaning?  We are on our way to ka ca ta ta pa and other such chants.   We will dig a little deeper next…

May we all be blessed with knowledge of our own heart_/\_/\_/\_