Mantras, Murtis and Manis

Mantras

A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of creating spiritual transformation. Its use and type varies according to the school and philosophy associated with the mantra.

Mantras (Devanāgarī मन्त्र) originated in the Vedic tradition of India, later becoming an essential part of the Hindu tradition and a customary practice within Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism. The use of mantras is now widespread throughout various spiritual movements which are based on, or off-shoots of, the practices in the earlier Eastern traditions and religions.

The Gayatri Mantra

The Gayatri Mantra has been revered for thousands of years by both Hindus and Buddhists alike. It is called "The Mantra of Spiritual Light." It heals the body, feeds the Spirit and illumines the Intellect.This mantra is said to have a similar effect as Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra in healing the body and depression of the mind. As a higher Source of Indian Vedic Mantras, it is believed that one who chants this Gayatri Mantra will be free from all burden of the sins committed.

It is considered to be a supreme vehicle for gaining spiritual enlightenment. The longer form of the mantra activates all seven major Chakras and connects them to the seven great spiritual realms of existence.  By chanting this mantra, Divine spiritual light and power is infused in each of the seven chakras and connects a person to the Spiritual Realms. The last part infuses our minds, hearts and souls with the power of the spiritual light that created the Universe.

Recitation of the Gayatri Mantra is preceded by oṃ(ॐ) and the formula bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ (भूर् भुवः स्वः), known as the mahāvyāhṛti ("great utterance"). This prefixing of the mantra proper is described in the Taittiriya Aranyaka (2.11.1-8), which states that scriptural recitation was always to begin with the chanting of the syllable oṃ, followed by the three Vyahrtis and the Gayatri verse. Following the mahāvyāhṛti is then the mantra proper, the verse RV 3.62.10:

 In Devanagari:

    तत् सवितुर्वरेण्यं

    भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि

    धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात्

In Transliteration:

    tat savitur vareṇyaṃ

    bhargo devasya dhīmahi

    dhiyo yó naḥ pracodayāt

Translation

There are many interpretations of the mantra.  The Arya Samaj interpretation:

 "O God ! Giver of life, Remover of all pain and sorrows, Bestower of happiness, the Creator of the Universe, Thou art most luminous, adorable and destroyer of sins. We meditate upon thee. May thou inspire, enlighten and guide our intellect in the right direction."

Gayatri Mother Goddess

The Gayatri Goddess is often considered to be the embodiment of the energy and power of the Gayatri mantra. Gayatri is depicted seated on a lotus. She is depicted with five faces representing the pancha pranas /pancha vayus(five lives/winds): prana, apana,vyana, udana, samana, of the five principles/ elements (pancha tatwas) earth, water, air, fire, sky (prithvi, jala, vayu, teja, aakasha). She has 10 hands carrying the five ayudhas: shankha; chakra, kamala, varada, abhaya, kasha, ankusha, ujjwala utensil, rudrakshi mala.

Hindu Temples across the world perform Gayatri havan (homam) periodically to propitiate the Lord. Ghee (rectified butter) is applied during the homa by all the participants seated around the homa-kunda.

The depiction of Gayatri in this form shows us how the "murti" is associated with a mantra.  Mantras invoke divine energies through sound.  Murtis invoke divine energies through form.

   
Murtis

In Hinduism, a murti (Devanagari: मूर्ति), or murthi, or vigraha or pratima typically refers to an image which expresses a Divine Spirit (murta). Meaning literally "embodiment", a murti is a representation of a divinity, made usually of stone, wood, or metal, which serves as a means through which a divinity may be worshiped. Hindus consider a murti worthy of serving as a focus of divine worship only after the divine is invoked in it for the purpose of offering worship. The depiction of the divinity must reflect the gestures and proportions outlined in religious tradition. It is a means of communication with the god or Brahman in Hinduism

The Om Mani Padme Hum Mantra

Tibetan Buddhists believe that saying the mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum, out loud or silently to oneself, invokes the powerful benevolent attention and blessings of Chenrezig, the embodiment of compassion. Viewing the written form of the mantra is said to have the same effect -- it is often carved into stones, like the one pictured, and placed where people can see them.

Om Mani Padme Hum is the mantra of Chenrezig. In the words of Kalu Rinpoche, "Through mantra, we no longer cling to the reality of the speech and sound encountered in life, but experience it as essentially empty. Then confusion of the speech aspect of our being is transformed into enlightened awareness."

That enlightened awareness includes whatever we might need to understand in order to save any beings, including ourselves, from suffering. For that reason the entire Dharma, the entire truth about the nature of suffering and the many ways of removing it's causes, is said to be contained in these six syllables.

 

Chenrezig Murti

In  visualization practice we imagine ourselves to be a Buddha, in this case the Buddha of Compassion, Chenrezig. By replacing the thought of yourself as you with the thought of yourself as Chenrezig, you gradually reduce and eventually remove the fixation on your personal self, which expands your loving kindness and compassion, toward yourself and toward others, and your intelligence and wisdom becomes enhanced, allowing you to see clearly what someone really needs and to communicate with them clearly and accurately.

In most religious traditions one prays to the deities of the tradition in the hopes of receiving their blessing, which will benefit one in some way. In the vajrayana Buddhist tradition, however, the blessing and the power and the superlative qualities of the enlightened beings are not considered as coming from an outside source, but are believed to be innate, to be aspects of our own true nature. Chenrezig and his love and compassion are within us.

Manis

Spinning the written form of the mantra around in a Mani wheel (or prayer wheel) is also believed to give the same benefit as saying the mantra, and Mani wheels, small hand wheels and large wheels with millions of copies of the mantra inside, are found everywhere in the lands influenced by Tibetan Buddhism.

Divine Light Mantra

I am created by Divine Light

I am sustained by Divine Light

I am protected by Divine Light

I am surrounded by Divine Light

I am ever growing into Divine Light

by Swami Radha

Repeat the Divine Light mantra out loud at first and then allow it to silently repeat in your mind and heart.  You can be seated in a classical meditation pose, on a chair,  or you could be lying down or walking. You can visualize light while you are repeating it or you can simply clear your mind and allow whatever arises and falls away to come and go while you focus on the mantra.