Still the Mind
Page 8
MANTRA
In India we find the use of mantra — a mantra is what we would call a chant, where words and sounds are chanted not for their meaning but for their sound. Most mantras are not intended to be understood in a discursive and intellectual sense. Instead, you are asked only to go down into the sound, and the sound penetrates you. You are able to settle right to the bottom of it, because when you are listening to sound, and when you are letting sound hum through you, it is one of the most obvious manifestations of the energy of the universe.
It is commonly said in India that sound is Brahman, sound is God, and perhaps that is the original meaning of saying, “In the beginning was the Word.” It did not mean that in the beginning was the chatter, or in the beginning was the commandment or the orders. It meant the vibration, the sound of the word.
So concentrate purely on the sound, and you will find some mantras that play in your ears are so simple that you will be able to join in with them effortlessly, and please do so quite freely.
It is a pity that the Roman Catholic Church, which used to have a mantric service, is dropping it and putting the Mass in the vernacular, and not particularly good vernacular at that, as far as the English translation is concerned. It has begun to sound terribly intellectual, and often there is somebody standing by the altar with a microphone to explain what’s going on, so that it is no longer possible to practice contemplative prayer at Mass. Instead you are hammered with information, with exultation, with edification all the time, and the Catholic Church should realize that in giving up Latin it has lost its magic.
Although we associate mantras with religion, they are not supposed to be understood, because religion is that which is past understanding. Understanding may lead up to it, but to express religion intellectually is to try to use the intellect for something it cannot do. It is comparable to picking up the telephone and dialing W-H-A-T I-S G-O-D, and expecting to get a useful answer. Although the telephone is very useful otherwise, you cannot find out the mystery of the universe t h rough talk — only through awareness.
For that reason I have suggested that churches get rid of their pews, where everybody looks at the backs of each other’s necks, and that they spread their floors with rugs and cushions, so that instead of a sermon they have a ritual in which people can approach an ineffable spiritual experience rather than being forced into a particular pattern of thinking.
In this spirit I have only given the slightest suggestion of how one uses the mantra, or the silence, for meditation. You all have your own way of doing things like that, so do it your own way. This technique is a vehicle, or a support for contemplation, and I suggest you simply sit quietly, and when you feel settled proceed into contemplation.
STILL THE MIND
Sit quietly and be with your breath, your mind, and all your feelings.
It doesn’t matter whether you are sitting cross-legged or on your knees with your legs folded underneath you. The point is to settle into a posture that is stable and comfortable. You can cross your legs in front of you, or if you are limber you may wish to try the half-lotus or full-lotus position. You can sit on a cushion with your knees bent and legs on either side, or you can sit in a chair. The idea is to be comfortable and find a position that you can maintain effortlessly.
As you settle in, remember that although stillness is emphasized in meditation, this does not mean that you should hold still in a rigid way. Becoming still physically helps one to find stillness of mind, but if you need to move, get comfortable, so that you can settle even more deeply.
Keep your back upright and your head erect, but let your arms relax. Rest the left palm in the right palm, and put your thumbs together as if you were holding an egg. Your hands should be positioned at your belly with your thumbs just below the navel.
If you are sitting cross-legged you may wish to rock back and forth for a moment to find your natural center. If you are sitting in a chair, plant your feet on the ground so that you are grounded.
Your mouth should be closed, the eyes lowered slightly.
When you have found a stable posture, allow your awareness to sink into your breath and to find the bottom of your breath. You are not trying to cultivate a particular kind of breath; just gently pay attention to your breathing. Allow the breath to come and go as it may.
That’s all you need to do. Your body will become still, and your mind will naturally, at some point, become still as well.
That is the essential process of meditation.
If you wish, you can begin to hum when you feel comfortable with it. As your voice rises, begin to play with the sound.
The play of sound will eventually settle into a pattern, and a mantra will spontaneously form. Go with it, and in this moment you are experiencing ritual in its richest form.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A LAN WATTS WAS BORN in England in 1915. Beginning at age sixteen, when he wrote essays for the journal of the Buddhist Lodge in London, he developed a reputation over the next forty years as a foremost interpreter of Eastern philosophies for the West, eventually developing an audience of millions who were enriched through his books, tape recordings, radio and television appearances, and public lectures. He became widely recognized for his Zen writings and for The Book on the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are. In all, Watts wrote more than twenty-five books and recorded hundreds of lecture s and seminars, all building toward a personal philosophy he shared honestly and joyfully with readers and listeners throughout the world. His overall works have presented a model of individuality and self-expression that can be matched by few philosophers.
Watts came to the United States in 1938 and earned a master’s degree in theology from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary. He was Episcopal Chaplain at Northwestern University during World War II, and held fellowships from Harvard University and the Bollingen Foundation. He became professor and dean of the American Academy of Asian Studies in San Francisco and lectured and traveled widely.
He died in 1973 at his home in northern California, survived by his second wife and seven children.
For more information, and for access to a greater collection of his recorded material, call the Electronic University at (800) 969-2887, or see these websites:
www.alanwatts.com
www.audiowisdom.com
RECOMMENDED READING
If you enjoyed Still the Mind, we highly recommend the following books and cassettes from New World Library:
As You Think by James Allen is a quiet, powerful masterpiece that shows us the greatness we are capable of and gives us the tools to achieve it.
Body Mind Mastery: Creating Success in Sport and Life by Dan Millman offers a regimen that integrates physical training with psychological growth, transforming training into a path of personal growth and spiritual discovery.
Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain. This pioneering best-seller and perennial favorite teaches methods of meditation and visualization that have proven to have powerful effects on readers’ lives.
Living in the Light: A Guide to Personal and Planetary Transformation by Shakti Gawain emphasizes the importance of listening to our intuition and relying on it as a guiding force in our lives.
Meditation for Busy People by Dawn Groves is a concise, jargon-free guide to simple forms of meditation that anyone can practice.
Meditation: The Complete Guide by Patricia Monaghan and Eleanor G. Viereck gives us a clear explanation of more than fifty meditation practices, including the historical background, contemporary use, a description of the practice, and resource lists.
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra distills the essence of his teachings into simple yet powerful principles that can be easily applied in all areas of your life.
Simple Truths by Kent Nerburn gives us, in simple, moving prose, clear and gentle guidance on the big issues in life.
Stress Reduction and Creative Meditations by Marc Allen is a powerful and popular forty-five-minute audiocassette program. Side One guide
s us through a deep, complete physical relaxation; Side Two is filled with creative meditations for health, abundance, fulfilling relationships, and attainment of life’s purpose.
A Visionary Life: Conversations on Personal and Planetary Evolution by Marc Allen gives readers simple keys to first envision and then move toward realizing their deepest dreams and highest aspirations.
The Wonders of Solitude, edited by Dale Salwak, is a deeply touching volume of more than 300 inspiring and diverse quotations on the nature, importance, and power of solitude.
You Can Be Happy No Matter What by Richard Carlson is the book many consider the finest work to date by the best-selling author of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff The secret to happiness is deceptively simple, for happiness, inner peace, and contentment is our natural state, beyond the mental barriers we have created.
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