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Mantra
Japa and Ajapa-Japa
by
Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati
SwamiJ.com
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Japa means repeating or remembering mantra,
and Ajapa-Japa
means constant awareness.
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Contents of this web
page:
Stabilizing the mind
Constant remembrance of mantra
Japa and Ajapa-Japa
Choice of mantras
See also these web
pages:
How to use a mantra
Mantra, brain, and word
Japa and Ajapa-japa
Soham mantra
OM and 7 levels of consciousness
7 methods of practicing OM
top
A key to stabilizing
the mind
Many students of meditation and spiritual life complain of
a noisy mind, out of control senses, and emotional challenges. One of
the most significant, single suggestions of the ancient sages is the use
of mantra japa, or sacred word to focus the mind. No amount of
intellectualizing will convince you of this. It must be practiced for
the benefits to be experienced.
top
Constant remembrance of
mantra
Regardless of what mantra you use, one of the most important
principles is the practice of constant remembrance. By
cultivating such a steady awareness many benefits come:
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One who practices
mantra japa in this way will find that the challenges and stressors of
daily life are not nearly as disturbing.
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The mantra gives a
place of refuge, an oasis in which the mind can rest.
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It is not escape,
denial, or repression, but a tranquil companion.
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The objects of the
senses begin to lose their control over actions.
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The incoming streams
of negative thoughts, emotions, and desires from the unconscious
mind attenuate, or become weaker.
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The mantra japa gradually
becomes a best friend of the mind.
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Mantra japa leads one in
the direction of deeper meditations, and subtler spiritual
experiences.
top
Japa and Ajapa-Japa
Japa means repeating or remembering the mantra, and Ajapa-Japa
means constant awareness. The letter A in front of the word Japa
means without. Thus, Ajapa-Japa is the practice of Japa without
the mental effort normally needed to repeat the mantra. In other words,
it has begun to come naturally, turning into a constant awareness. The practice of constant remembrance evolves
in stages:
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At first, you
intentionally repeat the syllables of the mantra internally,
as if you are talking to yourself in your mind. You allow the inner
sound to come at whatever speed feels comfortable to the mind.
Sometimes it is very slow, as if the mind were wading through a vat
of honey. At other times it is very fast, as if flying through the
sky without restraint.
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With practice, the
mantra japa is repeated automatically, like a song that you have heard
many times, which just comes on its own. (Some practitioners
consider this automatic repeating to be the meaning of Ajapa-Japa,
though there is a subtler meaning, as described below.)
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Gradually, you merely
remember the mantra with attention drawn to it. It is more like
noticing what is already happening, rather than causing it to
happen. It is somewhat like the attention stance of listening rather
than speaking, though you might not literally hear the sound.
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In time, the feeling
of the mantra is there, even when the sound or remembering of the
syllables is not there. For example, sometimes people will say,
"OM, Shanti, Shanti, Shanti," where the word Shanti
means peace or tranquility. During the remembering of
the word there may be two things--the word and the feeling of
peace or tranquility. When the syllables fade away, the feeling may
still be there; this is remembrance of the feeling of the
mantra.
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As the practice
evolves, there comes a pervasive awareness of the mantra, subtler
than both the syllables and any surface level meaning or definition.
This constant awareness is the meaning of Ajapa-Japa of the mantra.
top Choice of mantras
There are many mantras,
words, or compact prayers that can be used for Japa and
Ajapa-Japa. Virtually all of the meditation traditions, spiritual
lineages, and religions have mantra in one form or another.
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Some words have
specific meaning, while others are seed syllables having only
feeling, not literal, word-for-word definitions.
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Some have religious
significance, while others are completely non-sectarian.
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Some have very subtle
effects on energy, while others are more like positive affirmations
given to train the conscious mind.
Whatever mantra, word, or
syllables are used, useful benefits will come from the practice of Japa
and Ajapa-Japa. Here are three mantras described elsewhere in this
website:
For a greater
understanding of mantra use in general, see this article on the website:
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This site is devoted
to presenting the ancient Self-Realization path of the Tradition of
the Himalayan masters in simple, understandable and beneficial ways,
while not compromising quality or depth. The goal of our sadhana or
practices is the highest Joy that comes from the Realization in
direct experience of the center of consciousness, the Self, the
Atman or Purusha, which is one and the same with the Absolute
Reality. This Self-Realization comes through Yoga meditation of the
Yoga Sutras, the contemplative insight of Advaita Vedanta, and the
intense devotion of Samaya Sri Vidya Tantra, the three of which
complement one another like fingers on a hand. We employ the
classical approaches of Raja, Jnana, Karma, and Bhakti Yoga, as well
as Hatha, Kriya, Kundalini, Laya, Mantra, Nada, Siddha, and Tantra
Yoga. Meditation, contemplation, mantra and prayer finally converge
into a unified force directed towards the final stage, piercing the
pearl of wisdom called bindu, leading to the Absolute.
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