Notebooks of Paul Brunton > Category 4: Elementary Meditation > Chapter 6: Mantrams, ffirmations

Mantrams, ffirmations
Mantrams
!
"he pra#ti#e of mantram yoga is $ell kno$n throughout %ndia as a method of
suppressing the $andering tenden#ies of the mind& mantram, usually gi'en by a guru
or adapted by oneself from a book, is a $ord or a phrase or e'en a $hole senten#e
$hi#h the pra#titioner #hants to himself or $hispers or e'en mentally utters again and
again& (ome (anskrit mantrams are )uite meaningless sounds, $hereas others are full of
metaphysi#al or religious meaning& *hi#h one is used does not matter from the point of
'ie$ of a#)uiring #on#entration, but it does matter from the point of 'ie$ of de'eloping
any parti#ular )uality of #hara#ter or de'otional homage $hi#h the mantram
symboli+es& "his mental or 'o#al repetition is to be done periodi#ally and faithfully&,P-
.
"he use of mantrams is not pe#uliar to the /indu& %t is still found in the 0oman and
Eastern Chur#hes, in the (ufi #ir#les and the 1amaisti# prayers&
2
"he mantram is a statement in $ords or a symbol in pi#ture $hi#h de#lares some truth
of higher being, la$, attribute, and help, or reminds one of a moral )uality to be
pra#tised, or a#ts as a useful self3help self3suggestion& "he $ords #an be taken from any
inspired s#ripture, $riter, or poet or #an be )uotations from a philosopher of insight and
used as an in'o#ation or affirmation& "hey should be timely, fitted to the immediate
spiritual need of the person&
4
"he Meditation of Constant 0emembran#e:
fa#tor in the integral path, besides moral re3edu#ation, to $hi#h $e ha'e not gi'en
enough $eight in published $ritings33indeed ha'e hardly mentioned33is self3
re#olle#tion, the fre)uent remembran#e of the 4'erself at all times of the day and
amidst all kinds of situations& (u#h remembran#e, during the long inter'als bet$een
formal meditations, is an integral part of this )uest& brief sa#red formula e5pressed in
an in'o#ation or affirmation, #alled 6mantram,6 is most useful for this purpose and is
gi'en the dis#iple so that his remembran#e is automati#ally aroused $hen habit #auses
him to repeat its $ords #onstantly and mentally& "he mantram is a handy de'i#e for
attra#ting him to this remembran#e and making its a#hie'ement easier and sure&
#onstant te#hni)ue throughout the day is usually la#king in the kno$ledge and pra#ti#e
of *estern seekers, so they need to learn its effi#ien#y and use& "he long hours bet$een
meditation periods are $asted& s a sister e5er#ise to the ordinary meditations, it $ill be
useful to many students33$hilst as a means to repla#e them for those students $ho find
formal meditation too diffi#ult or too in#on'enient, it is most 'aluable& %t is e)ui'alent
to the 6right mindfulness6 of the Buddhist eightfold path, to the (ufi 67ikr,6 and to the
6#orre#t polari+ation6 in modern psy#hology&
%n #hoosing a suitable formula for his o$n use, the student should bear in mind that it is
not only remembran#e that is needed, but lo'ing remembran#e& "he mantram for su#h
repetition must not only remind him of the 4'erself but attra#t him to it& /en#e, it
should be one that inspires de'otion and uplifts #hara#ter& %t should embody
spirituali+ing thought and gather ennobling emotion around it& %t may #onsist of a
single3$ord name or attribute of 8od or of a #hosen spiritual guide, but it is preferable
and more po$erful to use a phrase of three to ten syllables& "his may be an in'o#ation
to 7i'inity, or to the guide, or be a benefi#ent auto3suggestion& %t is better, ho$e'er, to
re#ei'e su#h a $ord or phrase from a )ualified tea#her at a personal inter'ie$, for he
$ill not only #hoose one espe#ially suitable to the student9s spiritual need at the time
and therefore apt and for#eful but $ill also impart his o$n po$er into it&
"he formula must be repeated many times a day and e'ery day in the year& :et its $ords
should al$ays #arry 'i'id meaning and ne'er be allo$ed to be#ome mere parrot
utteran#es& "here is no fi5ed time and no parti#ular posture ne#essary for the pra#ti#e& %t
may be muttered half3aloud in the earlier stages, but should be#ome silent and mental in
the later stages&
"he purposes, benefits, and results of this pra#ti#e are se'eral:
l& %t has an intelle#tual effe#t by a#ting as a reminder or arouser in a busy material life&
"hus, the first effe#t is to arouse thought, the se#ond is to still it&
.& "he #onstant repetition has a mesmeri# effe#t: it lulls the senses and thoughts into
semi3ina#ti'ity and sets the attention free to pass in$ard to$ard the soul and e'entually
indu#es the #ontemplati'e mood&
2& %t de'elops an a#ute, gro$ing self3#ons#iousness of the right sort, a #onstant
obsessi'e suggestion that there is a higher self&
4& %t leads to the ne#essary #on#entration, $hi#h is a door to inner #ons#iousness&
;& %ts rhythmi# a#ti'ity aligns and then integrates the different parts of the personality& %t
also remo'es their restlessness&
6& %t gradually establishes sub#ons#ious orientation to$ards the higher self, $hi#h keeps
on breaking into the #ons#ious field to the detriment of the lo$er self< thus it gi'es
dire#tion to thought and purifi#ation to #hara#ter& %t enables the seeker, therefore, to go
on $ith e'eryday e5ternal li'ing, kno$ing that 8od is $orking in him internally&
=& %t be#omes a fo#us for #ontinuous #on#entration during a#ti'e life, e'en $hilst
engaged in $ork, pleasure, or $alking&
>orgetfulness of the )uest, or of the 4'erself, besets most aspirants& /ere is a 'aluable
remedy& %t brings the #hosen goal, or the re'ered ideal, #onstantly ba#k to their attention&
;
Pra#tising mantram #onsists of repeating a sele#ted $ord o'er and o'er, soaking oneself
in it& "here are three stages: ,a- #hanting the $ord out loud< ,b- $hispering it< ,#-
repeating it mentally& "hen, $hen repetition #eases, all thoughts #ease& "hrough this
#onstant #on#entration, the mantram be#omes a ba#kdrop to one9s daily life& ?ust as one
#an hum a tune $hile attending to other affairs, so the mantram be#omes an e'er present
a##ompaniment& *hen one turns full attention onto it and #on#entrates fully upon it and
then stops33all thoughts stop& "his is the purpose of the mantram& "his result may take
$eeks or months&,P-
6
"here are three types of mantrams:
,a- the musical (or bhakti) mantram ,for e5ample, 6?ai 0am6-& "he musi#al intonations
in repetition of a $ord ,or t$o $ords- #reate an almost hypnoti# effe#t as in a 8regorian
#hant or 0a'el9s Bolero&
,b- the meaningful mantram& 4ne sele#ts a $ord representing a )uality one desires and
#hants it slo$ly to absorb its meaning< one meditates on the $ord and the meaning of
the $ord& E'entually the meaning floods gradually into one and he identifies $ith it&
E5ample: 6% am Being&6
,#- the meaningless mantram& useful te#hni)ue for intelle#tuals $ho $ish to surmount
the barriers of the intelle#t is to #hoose a $ord $ithout apparent meaning336@rim6 or
6yin,6 for e5ample& "he $ord itself be#omes a symbol of "hat $hi#h is beyond
#omprehension& %t enables one to go beyond boundaries of the finite intelle#t to relate to
"hat $hi#h is infinite& good e5ample is 6um6 pronoun#ed 6ah33ooo33mmm&6 "he
first letter represents the $aking state, the se#ond the dream state, the third deep sleep,
$ith their $ide, then narro$, then #losed, sounds&
=
?apa is a mantram spe#ifi#ally restri#ted in meaning to a name of 8od& 1ike all
mantrams, it is #onstantly repeated& %t is not only one $ay of prayerful remembran#e of
8od but also a simple easy method of o'er#oming the mind9s tenden#y to $ander about
and to bring it into #on#entration& %t #an also be assisted by harmoni+ing its syllables
$ith the in#oming and outgoing breaths&
A
"he differen#e bet$een pra#ti#e of ?apa and pra#ti#e of mantra is that the former uses
only sa#red $ords or names but the latter may use non3sa#red, se#ular, or e'en
meaningless $ords&
B
"he repeated in'o#ation of a sa#red name, $ith trust in its sa'ing po$er, e'entually
keeps a$ay all other thoughts and thus fo#uses the mind in a kind of #onstant
meditation& %n the earlier stages it is the man himself $ho labours at this repetition, but
in the ad'an#ed stages it is the 4'erself9s gra#e $hi#h a#tuates it33his o$n part being
)uite passi'e and me#hani#al&
!C
mantra is a short dynami# saying to be repeated to oneself in#essantly& "he monotony
of this pro#edure does not, as might be e5pe#ted, produ#e a boring effe#t but rather a
lulling one $hi#h is pleasant&
!!
%t uses one thought in order to trans#end all thoughts, a single 'ibration of the mind in
order to attain a stillness ne'er ordinarily kno$n by the mind&
!.
By repeating the same $ords in the same rhythm fre)uently during the day, the $eek,
and the year, the mind9s resistan#e to the idea enshrined in those $ords is slo$ly $orn
do$n& time #omes $hen not only do the $ords repeat themsel'es $ithout #ons#ious
effort, but also their meaning impresses itself deeply&
!2
"his repetition3method may seem some$hat primiti'e and #rude to the sophisti#ated or
edu#ated modern mind, and )uite needlessly redundant& But it is based on sound
psy#hologi#al pra#ti#e& %t is an appeal to the sub#ons#ious, not to the logi#al mind& %ts
kindred is the lullaby $hi#h a mother sings and $ith $hi#h she soothes her #hild to
sleep&
!4
:ou may de'ise your o$n formula, affirmation, or a traditional mantram, if you $ish,
but the use of one spe#ially prepared by a Master possesses tested merit&
!;
fit subDe#t for the mantra yoga meditation e5er#ise is the series of $ords des#ripti'e
of the 4'erself9s attributes& 4ne $ord #ould be taken ea#h day&
!6
"he idea is that this rhythmi# in#antation $ill open an a'enue of #ommunion $ith the
4'erself&
!=
further 'alue of mantram yoga is that it keeps the pra#tiser from thinking about
himself& "he t$o things33a spe#ifi# mantram and a personal matter33#annot #oe5ist in his
#ons#iousness&
!A
%ndian and "ibetan yogis parti#ularly 'alue and use the Om mantram be#ause they are
taught, and belie'e, that its sound $as the first one in the $orld #reation and that its
repetition $ill bring the mind ba#k to the stillness $hi#h e5isted before that #reation&
!B
"he yogi# #laim is that this om3om3om3om sound is #osmi#< it is the keynote of the
spinning globes in spa#e< it is the humming 'ibration of all the $orlds&
.C
Ei'ekananda: 6*e #an no$ understand $hat is meant by repetition& %t is the greatest
stimulus that #an be gi'en to the spiritual samskaras Ftenden#iesG& 4ne moment of
#ompany $ith the holy builds a ship to #ross this o#ean of life33su#h is the po$er of
asso#iation& (o this repetition of Om and thinking of its meaning are the same as
keeping good #ompany in your o$n mind& (tudy and then meditate on $hat you ha'e
studied& "hus light $ill #ome to you< the (elf $ill be#ome manifest& But one must think
of Om and its meaning too&6
.!
"he first re'elation of the di'ine $orld is sound& Before beholding it, one hears it $ith
an inner ear& "he name of 8od has not only the po$er of easily $ashing a$ay all sin,
but #an e'en untie the knot of the heart and $aken lo'e of 8od& "o be se'ered from 8od
is the only real sin&,P-
..
mantram be#omes most $orth$hile $hen it is heard deep deep do$n in the pra#tiser9s
being& %t $ill then produ#e the effe#t of profound inner absorption&,P-
.2
*hen one $hose tman is #ompletely $akened sings the name of 8od, this has the
po$er of $aking a sleeping soul& *hat happens then is #alled initiation& By listening
de'otedly, $hile another sings the name, and by singing it oneself, one9s heart is led
ba#k to its real nature, $hi#h is lo'e&
.4
4M means 6% am part of ,or one $ith- the *orld3(oul&6
.;
Part of his endea'our should be to set up a rhythmi# relation bet$een the mantram and
his inner being& %f he faithfully attends to its pra#ti#e, the time $ill #ome $hen it $ill
'oi#e itself $ithin him at regular times, su#h as after $aking from sleep and before
entering into it&
.6
HM is #hanted on a 'ery lo$ note and e5tended on a single indra$n breath&
.=
"he mantra 6(hantam Param (ukham6 means 6(erenity is the highest happiness&6
.A
7o not keep all your attention fi5ed on the #hanging s#ene around you& /old some of it
ba#k for the *ord $hi#h, in your #ons#iousness, stands for the (upreme Po$er&
.B
"o #hant mantrams or to affirm de#larations, $ithout looking to the kind of life he li'es,
is not enough&
2C
"hey are kno$n in "ibet as dharanis, literally 6mysti#al senten#es,6 and in %ndia as
mantrams, literally 6sa#red syllables6 or 6sa#red #hants&6
2!
"hose mantrams like Hrim, Klim, and so forth, $hi#h ha'e no signifi#an#e at all may
still be meditated on until the meditator reali+es through them that the entire $orld3
appearan#e is itself $ithout signifi#an#e be#ause of the Eoidness $hi#h is its reality&
2.
"he earthly sound of the name of 8od is only a 'essel for the shado$ of the (piritual
(ound& E'en this shado$ helps to lead the heart to 8od&
22
"he #ontinual pra#ti#e of the mantram leads in time to the a$akening of his spiritual
for#es& "hey rise up spontaneously from their deeply hidden sour#e $ithin him and
begin to saturate his mind and o'er$helm his ego&
24
Both poet "ennyson and medi#o Cri#hton3Bro$ne passed into the state of illumination
by the same method33silently repeating their o$n name to themsel'es&
2;
ll mantrams #onstituted by meaningless or mysti#al $ords are intended to #reate a
mental 'a#uum&
26
"he $ord Om is not the only one $hose sound is used by 4rientals to )uieten the mind
in meditation and therefore #laimed as a holy $ord& "he Chinese ha'e used Ch'an, the
?apanese Zen, the /indus Soami, the rabs Sufi for the same purpose&
2=
"he effe#t of this #onstant d$elling on the mantram is to #ome to rest $ithin the mood
of mind or the state of heart $hi#h it symboli+es&
2A
%f a sage be one $ho e5ists #onstantly in the a$areness of the 4'erself, then mantram
#an be a (hort3Path te#hni)ue to emulate his a$areness& By putting the #art before the
horse and aiming at imitating the sage9s a$areness, $e #an #ome #loser to his state of
being&
2B
"he 'o#al #hanting of a mantram belongs to the elementary pra#ti#e of it& %n the more
ad'an#ed pra#ti#e, nothing is spoken aloud and the mantram is simply held in the
mind33#onstantly repeating itself as a thought but a thought to $hi#h $e kind of listen
and from $hi#h $e seem to stand apart so that it has its o$n inner 'itality& "his makes a
great differen#e from the spoken pra#ti#e, be#ause the latter keeps the mantram fi5ed
$hereas the former lea'es it fle5ible&
4C
%n the mantram 64m Mani Padme /um,6 inhale after the first $ord&
4!
6/um6 in the famous "ibetan mantram stands for the heart, $hereas the first $ord
64M6 stands for the inner reality, the unseen po$er behind all things&
4.
8andhi often pres#ribed the #ontinuous re#itation of 8od9s name& But he al$ays
emphasi+ed that it had to be more than mere lip mo'ement< it had to absorb the
pra#titioner9s entire being throughout the period of e5er#ise and e'en throughout life&
*hile repeating the $ord 68od,6 he had to #on#entrate intensely on godliness&
42
*hen the in#antatory $ords of a mantra by #onstant pra#ti#e be#ome fully a#ti'ated, the
mantra be#omes fully automati# and #ir#les round and round inside the head or the heart
Dust like a re'ol'ing $heel& t this deep stage, he is not #on#erned $ith its translated or
'erbal meaning but only $ith the kind of #ons#iousness it produ#es& >or no$ it is not a
matter of $hat he is doing but of $hat is being done to him& "he mantra has brought
him into a region of released for#es $hi#h are 'ery a#ti'e in him&
44
"he mantram must be #learly pronoun#ed& %ts meaning must be de'otedly, e'en
re'erently, felt&
4;
%n (anskrit magi# and mysti#ism, not only are #omplete $ords and phrases and e'en
senten#es used as mantrams, but also #ertain single letters and syllables are used& (u#h a
mantram is #alled a seed, and it #an be used either in $ritten form on paper or in
pronun#iation as a sound& "he letters also stand as symbols representing #ertain angeli#
or other higher beings $ho are in'oked&
46
MantramIAl3lah ,Al on inbreath, lah on outbreath-
4=
"hese mantrams are brought into rhythmi# harmony $ith the breathing of the lungs or
the beating of the heart or the #hanting of the phrase&
4A
0epeatedly sounding the 'o$el 646 stimulates the bony part of the 'oi#e bo5 in the
throat and mentally assists attention to #on#entrate& "he mantram Om, so $ell kno$n, is
a useful ending to all other mantrams& 4n the e5piring breath, 'ery slo$ly lengthened
out, it lea'es an effe#t $hi#h assists the fulfilment of the meditation33that is, a #alming
one&
4B
"he master of the mantram be#omes a symbol of help, to $hi#h the belie'ers #an turn in
thought at any time or at the spe#ial time set aside for it&
;C
Mantrami# denials and affirmations should be formulated in as impersonal a $ording as
possible& "his keeps the referen#e to a higher po$er and a$ay from the ego, $ith its
slender resour#es&
;!
%t is good pra#ti#e to use the mantram on the intake of breath, $hen doing rhythmi#
breathing& 7eep breathing for use in rhythmi# breathing should be $ith lateral
e5pansion of #hest&
;.
story is told of ?o$ett, a thinker and a man of 8od, the famous and brilliant 45ford
Hni'ersity translator of Plato9s 8reek, that e'en during #on'ersations $ith others he
$ould, $hile keeping silent and listening to them, mo'e his lips #ontinuously in prayer&
/e $as pra#tising a Christian form of mantram&
;2
%t has done its duty and ser'ed its purpose if the in'o#ation or affirmation #eases of
itself and in the ensuing silen#e a mysterious po$er rises and takes possession of him&
;4
Mantra in (anskrit means hymn, prayer, in'o#ation, formula for magi#, se#ret, #harm,
lines of prayer to a di'inity& %t is something that #reates lo'ing de'otion to 8od& "he
mantra uttered and the di'inity #alled upon are identi#al& /en#e the re'eren#e for it and
the importan#e of its being #orre#tly spoken, and the danger of its being misused for
selfish purpose& %t should not be spoken, but sung&
;;
mantram depends for its effe#t not only upon repetition ,$hi#h brings about
#on#entrated attention- but also on its sound ,$hi#h brings about a subtler mental
#onta#t-& "he latter may be lo$er psy#hi# or higher spiritual, a##ording to the $ord
used& his is im!ortant to remember for though any one of these effe#ts Dustifies #alling
the $ord or phrase a mantram, both in #ombination pro'ide it $ith the fullest po$er and
the #omplete fun#tion&
;6
Moro##an mantri# der'ish dan#e: #ouple of hundred men33young and old33$ere
arranged in a large #ir#le& *hen the leader, $ho $as s)uatting in the #entre, ga'e a
signal, they all leapt up and yelled, 6llahJ6 together, s$aying from side to side,
stamping their feet, and repeating the name of their 8od do+ens of times until they
be#ame delirious $ith Doy and absorbed into a half3tran#elike state&
;=
Ni#ephoros the (olitary $rote: 6*e kno$ from e5perien#e that if you keep on praying
in this manner, that if you pra#tise the KPrayer of ?esus9 $ith attention, the $hole host of
'irtues $ill #ome to you: lo'e, Doy, and pea#e&6
;A
Be#ause the muttering of these eDa#ulations and the #hanting of these in#antations ha'e
been per'erted into use as part of the te#hni)ues of professional $it#h3do#tors and
primiti'e medi#ine3men, is no reason $hy their proper use for higher purposes may not
be a#hie'ed&
;B
"he rabi# $ord for 8od33Allah33or the ramai# ,?esus9 spoken language- $ord33
Alaha33form e5#ellent mantri# material&
6C
"he endless repetition of the same $ord is a most important feature of the pra#ti#e, for
$hen it has passed through the mind a thousand times in less than a day, and this for
se'eral days, in the end it be#omes fi5ed as a part of the ba#kground of all his
#ons#iousness&
6!
*hether he uses the /indu one3syllabled Om for su#h repetition or the Muhammedan
t$o3syllabled Allah for the same purpose, the results $ill be the same&
6.
Muhammed: 6"here is no a#t $hi#h remo'es the punishment of llah farther from you
than the in'o#ation of llah9s name&6
62
"he mantram is a means of a$akening the po$er of #on#entration& But all mantrams
differ from one another and thus introdu#e a se#ondary effe#t or influen#e& "he
meditation is the primary $ork, the #on#entration being intended to de'elop po$er for
it: the form of the mantram is shaped by its obDe#t33#ommunion $ith 8od, #ulti'ation of
a 'irtue, and so on&
64
time #omes $hen there is no need to try to pra#tise the e5er#ise, for the mantram
$ells up of its o$n a##ord& %t then repeats itself automati#ally and silently in his mind
alone& 4'er and o'er again, like the #horus of a song, it #omes to the front or remains at
the ba#k of attention&
6;
Bhagat (ingh "hind: 6Negation has to be nullified, you #an not take sin into 8od, but
you #an take 8od into sin, and short $ork /e $ill make of it, if you do& %f you are in the
habit of doing something that you kno$ is foolish, and you #an not shake it off, take a
Christ into it, hold His "ame of ruth in the 'ery heart of it, dare to say the #ord of
1ife, e'en $hen you are doing the foolish thing& >or that is the 'ery time $hen you
most need it, that is the moment $hen you #an test its po$er& 4nly sti#k to it, repeating
it $ith your $hole heart and mind, hold fast to the Name of your 7i'ine (elf doggedly
through anything and e'erything, letting no old feeling of #ondemnation s$eep it out of
your mind, but hang on to it by your eyelids, if you are dro$ned up to that, and you $ill
find "ruth $ill set you free&6
66
"o some e5tent, its use has a purifying effe#t on the sub#ons#ious #hara#ter&
6=
"he #hosen phrase or sele#ted $ord should be d$elt upon again and again until it is
firmly implanted in the e'er3re#epti'e sub#ons#ious mind&
6A
"he siati# mysti#s aptly name them 6$ords of po$er&6 "hey belie'e that, if intoned
#orre#tly, they help to keep a$ay the baser influen#es and to stimulate the finer ones&
"he effe#t is temporary, of #ourse, but by #onstant repetition it may be#ome permanent&
6B
Mantram pra#ti#e $as gi'en to %ndians to help stop thought from $andering, Dust as
@oan pra#ti#e $as gi'en to ?apanese to help stop thought from dominating& "he @oan
method #rippled or e'en paralysed the intelle#t< but this $as only in its approa#h to the
spiritual goal, not in its $orldly business&
=C
"hose $ho are un$illing to engage themsel'es in the metaphysi#al studies and mysti#al
pra#ti#es may a'ail themsel'es of the de'otional attitudes and daily re'erential $orship
of religion, or repeat #onstantly the affirmations and de#larations of mantra yoga&
=!
single $ord like 68od6 or a simple phrase like 68od in me6 must be spoken $ith the
lips $ithout intermission, or repeated in the mind $ith intensi'e #on#entration&
=.
"he murmuring of su#h a phrase o'er and o'er again is a useful de'i#e to #on#entrate
the mental $a'es and to turn them into a spiritual dire#tion&
=2
8andhi: 6Perse'ere and #easelessly repeat $amanama during all your $aking hours&
Hltimately it $ill remain $ith you e'en during your sleep&6
=4
%t is the #ommon pra#ti#e in all the Bengali distri#ts of %ndia as $ell as in parts of the
Mahratta distri#ts for large groups of people, as $ell as solitary indi'iduals, to engage in
the protra#ted #hanting of 8od9s name or some phrase in#orporating it& "he mental le'el
on $hi#h it is done is like that of hymn singing in the *est&
=;
"he Master "ao3Ch9o: 6(ay, $ithout interruption and $ithout any other thought, the
Buddha9s name, and you $ill enter the presen#e of Buddha&6
=6
mantra is best and most #ommonly muttered, but beginners sing it aloud, $hile the
ad'an#ed repeat it mentally and automati#ally&
==
%t is like a refrain that keeps on singing in the heart&
=A
"he repetitious rhythm of a mantram #an, $ith assiduous pra#ti#e, be#ome almost
hallu#inating&
=B
/e may mutter the mantram to himself, mo'ing his lips in an almost unhearable
$hisper&
AC
/e must harness himself to the main thought again and again& /e must resolutely keep
the mantram a #hained #apti'e&
A!
"he mantra is mentally or 'o#ally #hanted so many times that the mind is brain3$ashed:
it #an resist no longer and from then on the phrase keeps re'ol'ing by itself o'er and
o'er again in #ons#iousness&
A.
%t is #laimed that ordinary methods in'ol'e #ons#ious deliberate thinking but the mantra
method of meditation does not& %t by3passes them all and dire#tly rea#hes thought3free
stillness&
A2
4nly e5perien#e and use #an sho$ its $orth in rhythmi#ally dire#ting a$areness to a
#ertain fi5ed point, and keeping it there& "he $ord, phrase, name, in'o#ation, senten#e,
or image pro'ides him $ith a #ertain po$er of #on#entration&
A4
"he $ords of the in'o#ation stabili+e attention and steady emotion& "hey hold the mind
in desired states&
A;
/e uses the mantri# repetition to $ork himself into the state of rapt #on#entration and
then to feel his $ay into the inner self9s presen#e&
A6
%t is useful to follo$ out the mantram system of meditation $hen the ordinary systems,
in'ol'ing set e5er#ises and formal periods, ha'e been tried and found profitless&
A=
Bhagat (ingh "hind: 6"he #onstant utteran#e of /oly Name $ithout the agen#y of lips
by (pirit3#urrent de'elops #on#entration& "he /oly Name that is taught has resemblan#e
to the (ound or #urrent emanating from the ner'e #entre $here the pra#ti#e is to be
performed& "his ner'e #entre is the fo#us of the 7eity& :our #onstant repetition $ill one
day result in #reating harmony $ith the 'ibrations inside and bring you into a #ondition
of #on#ord $ith the 7eity therein& :ou $ill then be able to parti#ipate in the essen#e of
/im, and that $ill prepare you for further progress&6
AA
/o$e'er, prayer must be mastered first& "his, in its purest form, is #omplete stillness of
spee#h, thought, and body& 4ne thought alone must repeat itself again and again, su#h
as, 68od is $ithin me,6 and it $ill dri'e a$ay all other thoughts& %n#identally, this is
Mantra%oga&
No tea#her is needed for Mantrayoga be#ause %ou ha'e to do it yourself& Nor is there
any danger& fter the .C34; minutes9 distra#tion, meditation may then #ome in a
moment&
AB
Bhagat (ingh "hind, (ikh "ea#her: 6*ith the eyes of Mind the dis#iple sees the image
of the guru, $ith the ears he listens to the /oly Names $ithin, and $ith the spee#h of
the mind inaudibly he repeats rhythmi#ally the /oly Mantrams gi'en to him by the
guru& By this #onstant daily pra#ti#e he mo'es to an ingathering of his $hole being
to$ards integration and unity&6
BC
"he time may #ome through pra#ti#e and effort $hen he $ill be able to meet a period of
trouble or an5iety more #almly by humming slo$ly and repeatedly the familiar formula&
B!
MantramI/oly *ord, the Mysti#al& ffirmationI(a#red %n'o#ation
B.
/e $ho suffers from in#essant mental a#ti'ity #ould harness it and turn it to profit by
Mantrayoga, $hi#h sol'es the problem: 6/o$ to transfer attention from foreground to
ba#kground of mind and yet attend to $orkL6
B2
"he 'enerable hea'ily bearded >ather ?oseph, of Mount thos, a tea#her of other
monks, #laims that the 6Prayer of ?esus6 be#omes $ith time an unstopping a#ti'ity,
produ#ti'e of enlightening re'elation, and purifying from passions& /is o$n dis#iples
spend se'eral hours e'ery day on the mental repetition of this short prayer&
B4
"he #onstant re#ital of the mantram is a simple effe#ti'e e5er#ise but it #annot, by itself,
$in the highest goal&
B;
"here are many $ays of meditation, and the pra#ti#e of mantram is one of them33indeed,
almost the most elementary one of them& :et it is useful on its le'el& But one should not
remain fore'er on that elementary le'el& :ou may go on repeating the $ord, the phrase,
but a time $ill #ome $hen it $ill lose its po$er to help you, $hen its effe#ts $ill 'anish
and its 'ery pra#ti#e $ill be#ome boring& Hse it as a step not as a stop&
B6
Many of the people using this method are as likely to a#hie'e spiritual illumination by
their babbling of mantrams as a donkey is by his braying of noises&
Affirmations
B=
*hat %ndians #all mantra is $hat Ne$ "hought #alls affirmations&
BA
*hen all other methods of meditation pro'e fruitless or too hard, let him try the
simplest of all methods33the (piritual 7e#laration33and bring $ords to his help& "hey
may be redu#ed to a single one33the name of his spiritual leader, or of a moral )uality
to$ards $hi#h he aspires, or of an inner state $hi#h he seeks to a#hie'e& 4f the first
kind, a spe#imen is the name 6?esus6< of the se#ond, 61o'e6< of the third, 6Pea#e&6 4r a
fe$ $ords may be #ombined into the phrasing of any helpful statement,
metaphysi#alMmysti#al affirmation, or de'otional prayer&
BB
"he 7e#laration is a $ord, statement, or 'erse, affirmation or in'o#ation, $hi#h is
#ommitted to memory and then often repeated& "he purpose is t$ofold: first, to a#hie'e
a state of #on#entration< se#ond, to dire#t the #on#entrati'e mind upon the idea to be
e5pressed, so #onstantly or #ontinuously that the idea begins to influen#e him deeply
and almost hypnoti#ally&
!CC
ffirmations are of t$o kinds: those for use in meditation and those for #onstant
repetition aloud, $hispered, or silently&
!C!
"hese di'ide themsel'es naturally into t$o main groups: those belonging to the 1ong
Path and those to the (hort Path& 4f the first kind, there is Co'e9s famous suggestion:
6E'ery day, in e'ery $ay, % am getting better and better&6 4f the se#ond kind there is
?esus9 figurati'e statement: 6% and my >ather are one&6
!C.
,a- Both affirmations and denials ha'e their pla#e and usefulness& Philosophy, being
integral, reDe#ts neither& "he first $ould seem illusory if they affirm $hat is true only on
a higher le'el of being $hile the person himself is unable to rise abo'e the lo$er one, as
in the statement, 6% am di'ine&6 But still, their #on#entrati'e and suggesti'e po$er may,
gi'en enough time, e'entually help him to do so& "he se#ond $ould seem nonsensi#al at
$orst in dismissing $hat stubbornly remains all the time, or nar#oti# at best in lulling it
into brief )uietude, yet the Buddha did not hesitate to re#ommend denials to his
dis#iples: 6"his is not mine< this am % not,6 $as one formula $hi#h he ga'e them& >or
e'en the theoreti#al separation thus brought about bet$een the man and the $eakness or
fault denied has some #onstru#ti'e 'alue and is the beginning of a mental3emotional3
physi#al series $hose intuition3guided total effort leads to a su##essful result&
,b- "he 7e#laration habitually repeated and faithfully applied #ontinually rene$s the
%deal for him&
,#- %t is a pra#ti#e useful for filling uno##upied moments&
!C2
"he affirmation is to be firmly held and un$a'eringly trusted& /e is not to #onsider it as
a statement of a far3off ideal but of a present a#tuality& /e is to identify himself $ith it
$ith all his being&
!C4
"he affirmation #an e'en be redu#ed to a single $ord& "his makes it easier to use, and
#on#entrated in effe#t& (u#h simpli#ity is more akin to the 4'erself than to the intelle#t<
therefore this type of affirmation should not be d$elt on analyti#ally, not e5amined and
probed $ith a logi#al s#alpel, but merely held #losely, repeated slo$ly and fre)uently
until the mind is saturated $ith it& %t may be used both inside and outside the spe#ial
meditation periods& %n the latter #ase, it is defensi'e against atta#k from lo$er thoughts&
!C;
"here is one human a#ti'ity $hi#h is #ontinuous, rhythmi#, natural, easy, and pleasant&
%t is breathing& *e may take ad'antage of its e5isten#e by #ombining it $ith a simple
e5er#ise to bring about a kind of meditation $hi#h $ill possess all these four mentioned
attributes& "he e5er#ise is merely to repeat one $ord silently on the inhalation and
another $ord on the e5halation& "he t$o $ords must be su#h that they Doin together to
make a suitable spiritual phrase or name& /ere is one useful e5ample: 6&od 's&6
!C6
6% am poised in the Cons#iousness of "ruth&6 0epeat it audibly, then #arry it into the
(ilen#e&
!C=
"he Buddha taught his monks to enter daily into the follo$ing meditation: 6s a mother
e'en at the risk of her o$n life prote#ts her only son, so let a man #ulti'ate good$ill
$ithout measure among all beings& 1et him suffuse the $hole $orld $ith thoughts of
lo'e, unmi5ed $ith any sense of differen#e or opposed interests&6
!CA
"he thought thus self3gi'en $ill be#ome transformed into an a#t&
!CB
"he de#laration should be audibly repeated if he is alone, silently if not, or audibly a
fe$ times follo$ed by silently for some minutes&
!!C
t a fi5ed time ea#h day repeat the de#laration for fi'e or ten minutes&
!!!
"he effe#ti'eness of a 7e#laration depends also upon its being repeated $ith a $hole
mind and an undi'ided heart, $ith #onfiden#e in its po$er, and sin#ere desire to rise up&
!!.
7e#larations:
!&6% am be#oming as free from undesirable traits in my e'eryday self as % already am in
the 4'erself&6
.&6%n my real being % am strong, happy, and serene&6
2&6% am the master of thought, feeling, and body&6
4&6%nfinite Po$er, sustain meJ %nfinite *isdom, enlighten me& %nfinite 1o'e, ennoble
me&6
;&6My *ords are truthful and po$erful e5pressions&6
6&6% see myself mo'ing to$ard the mastery of self&6
=&6May % #o3operate more and more $ith the 4'erself& May % do its $ill intelligently
and obediently&6
A&6% #o3operate Doyously $ith the higher purpose of my life&6
B&64J %nfinite strength $ithin me&6
!C&64J %nd$elling 1ight, guide me to the $ise solution of my problem&6
!!&6% am %nfinite Pea#eJ6
!.&6% am one $ith the undying 4'erself&6
!2&6E'ery part of my body is in perfe#t health< e'ery organ of it in perfe#t fun#tion&6
!4&6%n my real self life is eternal, $isdom is infinite, beauty is imperishable, and po$er
is ine5haustible& My form alone is human for my essen#e is di'ine&6
!;&6% am a #entre of life in the 7i'ine 1ife, of intelligen#e in the 7i'ine %ntelligen#e&6
!6&6%n e'ery situation % keep #alm and seek out the %ntuiti'e that it may lead me&6
!=&6% look beyond the troubles of the moment into the eternal repose of the 4'erself&6
!A&6My strength is in obedien#e to the 4'erself&6
!B&64 %nfinite and impersonal BlissJ6
.C&6% am happy in the 4'erself9s blissful #alm&6
.!&68od is e'er smiling on Me&6
..&68od is smiling on me&6
.2&6"he Pea#e of 8od&6
.4&6% d$ell in the 4'erself9s #alm&6
.;&6% smile $ith the 4'erself9s bliss&6
.6&6% d$ell in %nfinite pea#e&6
.=&6% am a radiant and re'i'ified being& % e5press in the $orld $hat % feel in my
being&6,P-
!!2
*hat is ne$er than a ne$ da$ning dayL *hat a #han#e it offers for the rene$ing of life
tooJ nd ho$ better to do this than to take a positi'e affirmati'e 7e#laration like, 6% m
%nfinite Pea#eJ6 as the first morning thought, and to hold it, and hold on to it, for those
first fe$ minutes $hi#h set the day9s keynoteL "hen, $hate'er matters there $ill be to
attend, or pressing $eighty duties to be fulfilled, $e shall #arry our pea#e into the midst
of them&,P-
!!4
friend told me some years ago of an interesting and useful method of using these
7e#larations $hi#h had been taught her by a #elebrated holy man and mysti# in her
#ountry, $hen he ga'e her the 6Prayer of ?esus&6 "his is a 7e#laration $hi#h $as $idely
used se'eral hundred years ago in the old By+antine monasteries and e'en no$ is used
to a lesser e5tent in Balkan and (la'oni# monasti# #ir#les in e5a#tly the same $ay as in
%ndia& "he method is to redu#e the number of $ords used until it is brought do$n to a
single one& "his redu#tion is a#hie'ed, of #ourse, )uite slo$ly and during a period
#o'ering se'eral months& %n this parti#ular instan#e, there are se'en $ords in the Prayer:
61ord ?esus Christ, ha'e mer#y on me&6 "hey are all used for the first fe$ $eeks, then
the $ord 6Christ6 is omitted for the ne5t fe$ $eeks& "he phrase is again shortened by
deta#hing from it, after a further period has elapsed, the $ord 61ord&6 "hen 6ha'e6 is
taken out and so on until only one $ord is left& "he 7e#laration as finally and
permanently used is 6?esus3?esus3?esus3?esus&6 "his method #an be applied to almost
any 7e#laration& "he sele#ted last $ord should be a name, if addressed to 8od or to a
(piritual 1eader, or, if that is not part of it, a desired )uality&,P-
!!;
"he use of short statements, often strangely $orded, made by a master to a dis#iple as a
means of getting the flash of enlightenment flourished in China during the "ang
dynasty& %t $as taken up later by the ?apanese, among $hom the method9s original name
6kong3an6 #hanged slightly to 6ko3an&6 7espite e5tra'agant #laims made for it, the
su##essful pra#tiser got a glimpse only, not a permanent and full result& %t is not the
same as, and not to be #onfused $ith, the method of meditating upon affirmations, pithy
#ondensed truth3statements ,#alled Maha(ak%as in %ndia- sin#e these openly possess a
meaning $hereas koans are often illogi#al and al$ays pu++ling&,P-
!!6
Philosophy uses these de#larations guardedly and does not appro'e of su#h potentially
dangerous ones as 6% am 8odJ6 or 6% am one $ith 8od&6 %nstead, it uses the more
guarded ones like 6% am in 8od6 or 68od is in me,6 and these only after a preparation
has elapsed $ith self3humbling phrases like 6% am nothing6 and 6"ake my ego, s$allo$
it up, 4 "hou 7i'inity&6 4ther$ise the truth is half3understood and misused, $hile the
relation bet$een the 4'erself and its shado$3self be#omes a sour#e of mis#hie'ous
illusion and intelle#tual #onfusion&
!!=
%t is better to #hoose a de#laration $hi#h pertains to his immediate need than one $hi#h
does not&
!!A
ny de#laration brings before the mind some spe#ifi# truth $hi#h it $ants to reali+e, but
the greatest one, and the most po$erful and #reati'e one, is that $hi#h affirms the
di'inity of its innermost nature, the presen#e of 8od inside its o$n being&
!!B
n affirmation $hi#h pro#laims a spiritual reality, may seem to be #ontradi#ted by outer
fa#ts&
!.C
7eep $ithin him there is an opening out to the infinite being& /o$ this opening is
a#tually effe#ted, no one really kno$s& 4ne moment he is here, the ne5t moment he is
there& %t is then that these spiritual de#larations be#ome perfe#tly true, #ompletely in
a##ord $ith fa#t&
!.!
/e must deliberately eDe#t ea#h negati'e thought as it arises& "he easier $ay to do this is
immediately to repla#e it by a 6(piritual 7e#laration6 of an affirmati'e nature& "his is
)ui#ker than and not so hard as trying to use $illpo$er alone to get rid of the negati'e
thought&
!..
"he best of all de#larations is the one $hi#h represents either the (upreme Po$er or else
the human leader $ho most inspires us to think of that Po$er& *e #annot go higher in
thought or #ome #loser in a$areness& *hate'er name $e habitually gi'e to this Hni)ue
Po$er, be it "ruth or 0eality, llah or ?eho'ah, that is the $ord to use as our
7e#laration33unless the leader9s name helps us more&
!.2
%f he habitually suffers from a #ertain mood, or if he may be the 'i#tim of it at the
moment, it $ill be useful to #hoose a 7e#laration $hi#h affirms the opposite mood& %n
desponden#y, for e5ample, he may find #heering and upholding senten#es for repetition
in one of the Psalms&
!.4
"he symbol or de#laration must be one to $hi#h he #an #ompletely gi'e himself, if all
its effe#ti'eness is to be reali+ed&
!.;
%t is useless to say to yourself $hat you #annot bring your mind to belie'e, to affirm in
your meditation $hat your heart #annot possibly a##ept& 7o not try to 'iolate la$s that
you trust by beliefs that are #ontrary to them& %nstead of profitable results, you $ill
generate inner #onfli#ts& %f your affirmation is not in harmony $ith the order of the
uni'erse, $ith the possibilities and prin#iples of human e5isten#e, you $ill not su##eed
in its use&
!.6
%f any de#laration seems unnatural and artifi#ial and impossible in relation to oneself, it
ought to be abandoned until it has been passed through a prolonged thinking3out
pro#ess&
!.=
%f no attempt is made to gain understanding of, as $ell as gi'e feeling to, these
utteran#es, repeating a de#laration may be#ome artifi#ial and making an affirmation
may be#ome me#hani#al&
!.A
/e should #lose his eyes, repeat the phrase slo$ly se'eral times, and try to penetrate
e'er deeper into its meaning $ith ea#h repetition&
!.B
"he pra#ti#e of these 7e#larations is a de'i#e to re#all to the memory of the man his
perfe#t and ideal state $hi#h he not only has to retain but $hi#h in his 4'erself he
already is& "his is a means of re#alling him from the periphery of life to his #entre&
!2C
Ea#h stirring of the old $eaknesses must be treated as a #ommand to ne$ efforts& But
these shall be to$ard re#olle#tion of, and identifi#ation $ith, the 4'erself33not
ne#essarily to$ard dire#t struggle $ith them& %n these efforts, let him reiterate a spiritual
de#laration33holding to the thought behind it $ith the deepest intensity& "he silent $ord
must be#ome this spiritual $arrior9s s$ord&
!2!
/e does not need to pra#tise the de#larations in a #onspi#uous manner, or dra$ the
attention of others to $hat he is doing& %nstead, $orking )uietly, he #an and should let it
remain a se#ret bet$een the 4'erself and himself&
!2.
single $ord naming some di'ine attribute or human ideal is another good fo#us for a
#on#entration e5er#ise& %t should be slo$ly but silently repeated to oneself at #ertain
inter'als $hilst its signifi#an#e should be held all the time in the mind& E'ery other idea
should be kept out& *ords $hi#h are suitable to perform this offi#e may be safely left to
the aspirant9s taste and mood of the moment& /ere are instan#es: reality, truth, lo'e,
being, illusion, goodness, pity, purity, and pea#e&
%n this e5er#ise, he repeats mentally and slo$ly o'er and o'er again a signifi#ant key
$ord like 60eality6 or a pithy formula like 6%n my higher being, % am beyond $eakness
and sin&6
%n#essant repetition of a brief mysti# formula, a short holy phrase, $ill keep out all other
thoughts and ultimately e'en lapse itself& "he mind $ill then fall into stillness, the heart
be inundated $ith )uiet&
!22
Before attending any inter'ie$ or group meeting, as $ell as during the attendan#e itself,
if a #lash of $ills is to be e5pe#ted or some trouble is to be feared or some fa'our is to
be re)uested, silently pra#tise mantri# affirmations su#h as: 6ll 8ood is $ith me,6 or
6"he %nfinite Po$er is my perfe#t supply,6 or 6Perfe#t /armony is in me&6
!24
"he $ay to use these affirmations differs from one to the other, a##ording to its nature
and purpose& >or e5ample, an affirmation of #almness and pea#e needs a different
approa#h mentally, emotionally, and e'en physi#ally from one of po$er and strength&
!2;
"he general rule for using these affirmations is first to sit #omfortably and rela5 the
body in e'ery $ay& "hen slo$ly repeat the sele#ted $ords for a fe$ minutes& 1ay hold
intensely on their meaning& "he pra#ti#e may be done again in the e'ening $ith another
or $ith the same affirmation&
!26
4f all affirmations, the student $ho has e'ol'ed to the higher stages of de'elopment
$ill sele#t those that #on#ern the impersonal rather than the personal self& "hese are the
ultimate truths, the #on#lusi'e formulae of philosophy su#h as: 6Mind is the 0eal,6 or
6"he Ego is illusory,6 $here the mind #almly rests on the final position to be attained&
!2=
"he student $ho takes one of these senten#es from a pie#e of inspired $riting is seeking
to reprodu#e in his o$n feelings and thoughts the inner #ondition $hi#h ga'e it birth& s
he ponders o'er the phrase, he should not only seek to distill e'ery bit of meaning from
it, but also let his inner being passi'ely re#ei'e that meaning by other than logi#al $ays&
"his $ider #on#entration upon it may gradually open up its #ontent& Ne'ertheless, if he
returns to it a long time later33perhaps after a year or t$o33he may penetrate abruptly
and une5pe#tedly to a still deeper layer of meaning and $ith that e5perien#e the Doy of
ne$ re'elation&
!2A
(ele#t any phrase, senten#e, or e'en single $ord $hi#h makes most appeal to you and
pertains to the goal, ideal, or )uality you $ish to de'elop& %t may be taken from a book
,if inspired- or you may #onstru#t it yourself& E5amples are: ' am infinite !eace)
harmon%*harmon%*harmon%& "his (piritual 67e#laration6 is to be repeated as often
during the entire day as you remember to do so33silently and mentally $hen out or $ith
others, $hispered to yourself $hen alone and in your o$n room& "his means that there
may be do+ens of repetitions in one day& %t is parti#ularly to be pra#tised $hen any
pro'o#ation or temptation arises& fter the first fe$ $eeks the habit should be#ome
automati#, $hen you may try to make it a silent one at all times&
:ou may, if you prefer, use as the theme for #on#entration the name of your (piritual
1eader: 6?esus3?esus3?esus,6 for e5ample& "his e5er#ise must be done 'ery slo$ly, the
phrase must be long dra$n out, and, in the early stages, the meaning pondered on&
!2B
Ea#h affirmation he de#ides to a##ept should be used regularly for a period of t$enty3
one days before #hanging to another one&
!4C
ffirm truth, and let others deny falsehood&
!4!
%t $ill double the effi#a#y of this e5er#ise if it is pra#tised at the same time as and united
$ith the regular #y#les of breathing a#ti'ity& *hen the t$o are as one, mu#h greater
po$er enters into the de#laration or in'o#ation&
!4.
"he 'alue of these de#larations and affirmations, these ideas held and repeated, is not a
total one& "he method they use is only a first step and an easy step& %t is not a self3
suffi#ient method&
!42
% #all it parado5i#al thinking as opposed to logi#al thinking& 6% am infinite being6 is a
de#laration $hi#h does not fit into the logi# of #on'entional e5perien#e&
!44
"o think only and #ompletely of this truth at the 'ery moment $hen the ego9s 'oi#e or
passion9s demand is loudest, is a ne#essary step for$ard&
!4;
%n the beginning of ea#h session it $ill assist the no'i#e to #on#entrate if he $ill say the
7e#laration se'eral times $ith his lips&
!46
*hen this deli#ate intuiti'e feeling is 'erbali+ed into an intelle#tual statement in the
form of a (piritual 7e#laration, the latter may help to a$aken an e#hoing feeling in the
heart of one $ho uses it&
!4=
"he $ords should be des#ripti'e of some attribute of the 4'erself or some )uality of its
nature& "hey should also separate the aspirant from his lo$er tenden#ies or ego and
identify him $ith the 4'erself&
!4A
"he pra#ti#al te#hni#al use of 7e#larations belongs only to the elementary or
intermediate stages of the path& *hen their purpose of reminding man of his true self is
fulfilled by e'ery e'ent, e'ery happening, e'ery situation in a man9s life, then he is said
to ha'e rea#hed the ad'an#ed stage of mantra3yoga& t this stage, there is nothing too
tri'ial to a#t as a reminder of the higher helpfulness to $hi#h the Nuest leads&
E'erything #an then be a##epted as presented symboli#ally to the tra'eller&
!4B
"he de#laration is also used in %ndia to purify a pla#e, to uplift the mind, to in'ite 8ra#e,
and to abate si#kness&
!;C
/e is to remind himself #onstantly of the greater truths, $hether he is at home in his
room or abroad in the publi# pla#es& 6Be still and kno$ that % am infinite po$er6 is one
su#h truth& 6Be still and kno$ that % am infinite Doy6 is another&
!;!
"hese truths are not mere metaphysi#al statements that raise the dust of argument, but
spiritual signposts $hi#h guide man into the true $ay of life&
!;.
%t is useful to prepare and keep a list of these silent de#larations and sele#t a different
one for use during a parti#ular period, $hether it be a single day or a $hole $eek& %t #an
be #hosen to fit the parti#ular needs of that period, and the e5perien#es $hi#h are
e5pe#ted or de'eloped then&
!;2
n affirmation should be some easily sei+ed, easily held phrase& %t is to be said o'er and
o'er again& %t is essential that the fullest faith should be gi'en to it by the person using
it&
!;4
6% $ill try to sho$ forth in my personal life, thought, and feeling the perfe#t harmony
$hi#h already belongs to the impersonal 4'erself $ithin me&6
!;;
1et the mind d$ell #onstantly on these great truths& 1et the hand $rite them do$n and
#arry the re#ord for study at odd moments&
!;6
7e#laration has #reati'e po$er only if the mind is firmly fi5ed on its meaning as it is
repeated&
!;=
6"he di'ine (elf in me manifests itself in #ontentment and strength&6
!;A
"he de#laration is a simple de'i#e for a#hie'ing three different obDe#ti'es at one and the
same time& %t fa#ilitates the #ontinuous remembran#e of the 4'erself& %t holds the ideal
and parades the obDe#ti'es of self3impro'ement e'er before us& %t inspires us as a form
of #on#entration, first by keeping us in tou#h $ith the 4'erself and then by getting us
ultimately absorbed in a$areness of it&
!;B
"he pra#ti#e keeps a$ay other thoughts if they are of a baser kind, yet it does not keep
a$ay those $hi#h are ne#essary to #arry on the ordinary affairs of e'eryday li'ing& "he
de#laration stays in the deep pla#es of the mind like a little island of immo'able ro#k,
$hile the agitated $a'es of personal a#ti'ities s$irl around it&
!6C
1et the affirmation rise into #entral #ons#iousness e'ery moment that the mind is free to
attend to it&
!6!
*hat affirmation shall he useL /e should analyse his #hara#ter impartially and #arefully
and let his de#ision rest on the re'elation of positi'e and negati'e )ualities this analysis
affords him&
!6.
"hey may also be the opposite of affirmations< that is, they may be denials& n e5ample
is: 6% $ill no longer e5press negati'es&6
!62
"hese de#larations #an be formulated in the first person336% am eternal633or $ithout
referen#e to any person at all3368od is infinite being&6
!64
1et him #reate his o$n de#larations or denials, to suit his spe#ial needs and indi'idual
aspirations&
!6;
By affirming a parti#ular 'irtue, he automati#ally repudiates its opposing e'il )uality&
!66
"hese affirmations are taut, #ompa#t statements of truths&
!6=
n affirmation takes a general thought, idea, ideal, and turns it into a pre#ise one& "his
helps those $ho #annot find their $ay among abstra#tions&
!6A
/ere are some of the more metaphysi#al de#larations for meditational use: ,a- 6:ou are
me and % am you6< ,b- 6% *ho m6< ,#- 6*hat % ha'e been, % shall be6< ,d- 6/e *ho %s&6
!6B
"he kind of thinking $hi#h makes up the #ontent of your mind, influen#es al$ays, and
#reates sometimes, the kind of fortune $hi#h makes up the #ourse of your life&
!=C
(ome of these de#larations are phrased as auto3suggestions, phrased so as to ha'e
e'o#ati'e or #reati'e 'alue&
!=!
(uggestion from others and e5pe#tan#y from himself33if strong enough33help to shape
inner e5perien#es, but his o$n $ork is essential&
!=.
/o$ many una#kno$ledged suggestions do they #arry about $ith them, as part of their
o$n nature no$ although first put into their heads long ago by othersL
!=2
4n#e he per#ei'es this truth, he goes his o$n $ay and does not allo$ others to make
him a 'i#tim of suggestion&
!=4
"he rea#tion of his en'ironment to his dominant thought is as #ertain as the operation of
a la$ in Nature&
!=;
"o the degree that a man pra#tises #onstru#ti'e thinking and harmonious feeling, to that
degree $ill he help to dra$ progressi'e e'ents and helpful #han#es to himself&
!=6
"hose $ho are s#epti#al of the higher origin of this phenomenon, $ho assert it to be the
$ork of auto3suggestion, that it is of a mind able to impress its o$n imaginings upon
itself to su#h an e5tent that it mistakes them for realities, are themsel'es guilty of auto3
suggestion, for they ha'e impressed their s#epti#al theories to su#h an e5tent upon their
o$n minds that there is no reason for anything else than these #omple5es&
!==
%f the dominant trends of his thought are bad, e'il, or negati'e, let him #ountera#t them
by repeatedly, persistently, and intensely d$elling on their opposites&
!=A
%n the early stage, $hen #on#entration is needed, he $ill su##eed best by gi'ing his
attention strong, for#ible #ommands, by dire#ting his mind to$ard the #hosen topi# $ith
positi'e phrases&
!=B
"he Chinese name for these muttered or #hanted in#antations is 'ery apt: 6"rue *ords&6
!AC
s soon as the light is put out and you prepare to sleep, gi'e a #ommand to the deeper
mind to $ork on the problem you present it $ith& :ou may state the problem aloud&
"hen, $hen you $ake up in the morning, look for the solution before you do anything
else&
!A!
Put into the affirmation all the intensity and all the fer'our at your #ommand&
!A.
"he #all to 6pray $ithout #easing6 $hi#h Paul made, the re#ommendation to 6think of
Buddha6 $hi#h the 1amas gi'e, and the remembran#es of the name of llah $hi#h
Muhammedan (ufis pra#tise, are de#larations&
!A2
?oyousness is enDoined in /indu Hpanishadi# te5ts& %t is to be pra#tised through self3
suggestions ,S(abhuti(ak%as-&
!A4
"he seeker $ill profit during his hours of distress or diffi#ulty, $hether in$ard or
out$ard, by pronoun#ing a mantri# affirmation and then making his prayer of petition in
a general $ay& parti#ular thing should not be in#luded in the prayer& >or e5ample, in
the #ase of an en'ironmental $ant, the affirmation #ould be: 6*ithin me there is all %
need&6 "his kind of petition is a far higher form of prayer and a far more su##essful one
than the #ommon begging for a spe#ifi# relief or obDe#t or #hange&
!A;
*ith e'ery inter'al of time that he is able to get, ho$e'er short it be33e'en a fe$
se#onds33he repeats a maDesti# $ord like 6Pea#e,6 or an e'o#ati'e senten#e like 6Cast
thy burden on my ba#k and % shall gi'e you pea#e&6
!A6
"he affirmation is used in three different $ays& %t is #hanted aloud, muttered or
$hispered, silently and mentally repeated&
!A=
*hen an affirmation is used only in and for meditation e5er#ises, it should be mentally
pronoun#ed as firmly and as positi'ely and as #onfidently as possible& %t should also be
repeated se'eral times& 7o not ponder o'er its meaning but rather be #ontent $ith letting
ea#h $ord sink into the sub#ons#ious mind&
!AA
"he instant 'igorous and #ontinued pra#ti#e of a de#laration may #hange the state of
mind in a fe$ minutes from a negati'e one that is agitated or depressed to a positi'e one
that is reposed or #heerful&
!AB
"here is another spe#ial 'alue of the de#laration, and that is found during the strains and
struggles of li'ing& %f established pre'iously by habit, it $ill be present and a'ailable,
ready to use at any moment of need or #risis&
!BC
"he po$er of the de#laration rises to its greatest degree $hen used in magi#al rites,
$hen it is solemnly #hanted by a suitably attired priest or $i+ard&
!B!
"he $hole of his #ons#iousness is to be $ithdra$n into the de#laration and to remain
$ithin it, if he is sitting in solitude at formal regular meditation at the spe#ial time, but
only a part of it if he is other$ise engaged&
!B.
"hese short, spe#ifi# statements, used persistently as auto3suggestions, are useful to all&
!B2
/e is to li'e $ith the name and )ualities of his ideal e'er before him, for the purpose of
dra$ing inspiration from it& /e is to repeat, silently or 'o#ally, at e'ery moment $hen
there is a break in $hate'er he happens to be doing, and e'en as often as he #an during
the a#t itself, a spiritual de#laration& (uitable phrases or senten#es #an be found in
hymns, bibles, pro'erbs, and poems, and in the great inspired $ritings of an#ient and
modern times&
!B4
"he de#laration may be intoned loud enough to be heard #learly by himself but by
others only as a murmur& "his is intended to indu#e a #on#entrated state&
!B;
"he yogi $ho spends years me#hani#ally mumbling the affirmation imparted to him by
his tea#her $ill not get so far as the *estern aspirant $ho sele#ts his o$n de#laration
and #ons#ientiously, intelligently, $orks $ith it&
!B6
"here is one #ondition: the de#laration must not be longer than a single senten#e, and
e'en that ought to be #onfined to less than ten $ords&
!B=
"he (piritual 7e#laration is to be#ome his magi# talisman, to be used in pro'o#ati'e
situations, irritating en'ironments, or unpleasant #onta#ts $ith unliked persons&
!BA
/e should make these affirmations firmly, intensely, and #onfidently&
!BB
"hese pre#ious $ords ought to be printed in #apital letters and doubly underlined& >or,
in a $orld of polite lies and preDudi#ed stupidities, they are the "0H"/&
.CC
"he more he #an put his lo'ing attention into the de#laration or behind the auto3
suggestion, the more are his #han#es of being helped by the 4'erself9s 8ra#e&
.C!
(panish friend, $ho put into his mysti#ism all the ardours of his people, #alled this
pra#ti#e 6inner $ork&6 "he monks of Mount thos, $ho use hundreds of times a day the
same de#laration $hi#h the 0umanian mysti#s used, #all it 6$ork&6
.C.
%n this lo'ing remembran#e, this turning of the mind through de'otion to its parental
sour#e, the Nuest finds one of its most effe#ti'e te#hni)ues&
.C2
Sufi +eclaration: 6% am the "ruthJ6
.C4
E)uipped $ith this kno$ledge and these e5er#ises, the aspirant $ill be able to use $ell
those idle minutes $hi#h $ould other$ise be $asted&
.C;
(imone *eil tells ho$ the highly #on#entrated re#itation, $ith all needed tender feeling,
of a de'otional3metaphysi#al poem by the se'enteenth3#entury Englishman, 8eorge
/erbert, turned her from an agnosti# into a mysti# as the Christ3#ons#iousness took
possession of her& "his result $as as unsought as it $as une5pe#ted&
.C6
"he sa#red de#larations are to be hummed in some #ases, #hanted in others, or spoken in
still others&
.C=
"hese inspired senten#es or phrases #an also be used as amulets against his o$n dark
moods as stronger hands to hold on to during depressed moments or $eak phases&
.CA
"he pra#ti#e seems to ha'e a hypnoti# effe#t on the mind and to dra$ him $ith a
magneti# spell to the idea behind the de#laration, as the latter is fre)uently and solemnly
repeated&
.CB
%t is from these de#larations that the idea $as deri'ed of magi#al in#antations $hi#h
$ere supposed to bring about e5traordinary results, for some men $ere able by their aid
to indu#e a tran#elike state $hi#h, like the hypnoti# state, temporarily released
paranormal po$ers of mind&
.!C
(tand in front of a mirror and pronoun#e the #onstru#ti'e auto3suggesti'e affirmations
$ith dramati#, intense feeling&
.!!
"he se#ret is simpli#ity itself& %t $as $ritten do$n by the (ufi poet (hams "abri+ in
eight little $ords: 6@eep 8od in remembran#e till self is forgotten&6 %f he keeps the
de#laration half3$hispered on the tip of his tongue and Doyously fondled in his mind, it
$ill ser'e him $ell&
.!.
n affirmation fi5es attention and ele'ates emotion: this is its primary purpose, but it
may also offer $ise #ounsel&
.!2
%n the finer homes of ?apan, the re#eption room $ill #ontain a silk or paper s#roll
hanging, upon $hi#h some master has dra$n, in #alligraphi# #hara#ters, a pithy and
$ise affirmation&
.!4
"hese e5er#ises #an usually be pra#tised $here'er a man happens to be and, often,
$hate'er he happens to be doing&
.!;
"he de#laration #omes up from the sub#ons#ious and gets itself uttered and repeated&
"he pro#ess of arti#ulation is a pleasant one, sometimes e'en an e#stati# one&
.!6
By learning to li'e $ith the de#laration, e'en if it seemed remote, fantasti#, and
impossible at first, it $ill #ome to e'oke a 'eritable e#stasy of a##eptan#e&
.!=
"he de#larations need to be pondered $ith faith and held in the mind $ith persisten#e if
their effe#ti'eness is to be demonstrated&
.!A
"he e5er#ise is a po$erful #ounter$eight to the restless nature of our thoughts& %t for#es
them to take an#horage in the de#laration&
.!B
"his pra#ti#e makes it possible for the other$ise restless mind to think of one thought
and li'e in one purpose #onstantly& %n this $ay it steadies the mind and keeps its
attention #on#entrated&
..C
"he pra#ti#e also has a purifying effe#t so far as it pre'ents the rising of $rong thoughts
and helps the eradi#ation of those $hi#h do appear&
..!
"he formula #an be sele#ted from an upholding Psalm, like the ninety3first, or from the
Book of Prayer&
...
4ne of the great Maha(ak%as is 6A%am Atma Brahma6336"his tman is Brahman&6
..2
*hen these de#larations are #hanted, 4rientals find them to help breath #ontrol, $hi#h
in turn helps meditation&
..4
book $hi#h is truly inspired $ill #ontain many a senten#e that #an be used
suggesti'ely in meditation& 1inger o'er some of them as long as you #an& %t is not
mo'ement $hi#h matters here but depth&
..;
"he effe#t of using affirmations and re#olle#tions is to tint his nature $ith di'iner
)ualities& "hese $ork upon and gradually transmute his lo$er ones&
..6
*hen he is pra#tised enough, he $ill find that meditation #harges him $ith an in$ard
glo$&
..=
*hat he meets $ith out$ardly as $ell as in$ardly on this )uest should be tested against
these affirmations and s#rutini+ed in the light of these truths&
..A
"his e5er#ise #an be used $ith su##ess only if there is the utmost attra#tion to the idea
phrased or the fullest lo'e for the 7i'ine Name or spiritual leader mentioned in it& %f the
feeling is $eak, the remembran#e $ill be fitful and unsteady, the pra#ti#e $ill only be
o##asional and hen#e insuffi#ient& %f the feeling is strong, the mind $ill be able to hold
the idea or the name more easily and unbrokenly, for then it is like the feeling $hi#h
e5ists bet$een a pair of separated young lo'ers& "hey are able to remember ea#h other9s
name #onstantly, to hold ea#h other9s mental pi#ture )uite spontaneously& "hey do not
need to make any deliberate effort at all&
..B
s he perse'eres $ith this pra#ti#e, the inter'als $hen he forgets to repeat the
7e#laration get fe$er and fe$er in number, shorter and shorter in time& %ts #onstant
utteran#e or remembran#e then be#omes more and more a reali+able aspiration&
.2C
"he moment any a#ti'ity is at an end, his attention $ill instantly return to the
de#laration and #ontinue the inner $ork $ith it&
.2!
*hen his last thought at night and first thought in the morning refers to the 4'erself, he
may appraise his progress as e5#ellent&,P-
he "otebooks are #opyright O !BA43!BAB, "he Paul Brunton Philosophi# >oundation&