Mantrayana
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The Mantra Way
A Mantra, an Aspect of the Supreme
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| A fit mantra? |
Some sound sets (mantras) tend to give confusion, others agitation, and a few ones are said to bring tall benefits that include "Great Bliss as the creative Brahman (God)" in Hindu terminology. [Kuo 62]
The white and supremely kind and blissful Kula-sundari (also called Sundari, Tripurasundari and Tripura) is said to be Beauty par excellence, makes all-knowing. She is one of several forms of the supreme power, according to the theory that says that secret impulses of God are the cause Creation itself. Very subtle impulses from the depths vibrate and become yonis (in their literal form: female organs) that are effulgent inner sources of manifestation. Some such Facets of God (Goddesses, raja mantras) are said to be auspicious, but others are said to be terrible. What about this?: "Beaty awakens love that binds the victims".
Sundari, Beauty Itself, is a "supremely kind one", but seated on blood. She has three eyes and four hands. She is a Mother (generatix) of Love. "Beauty easily evokes love," is a lesson found to lie implied in or even built into such artistic depictions and handed-over and more or less canonical descriptions.
Among the accessories in her hands is the noose of love. "Love serves to tie men," is another dear lesson. Love serves to bind a lot of willing victims.
In her quiver are the five arrows that represent sound, touch, form, relish, and flavour. Her crown is studded with gorgeous gems, and "on her beauteous breasts are clusters of red gems". Her prayer beads (as if she needs them) are made of gems, and she makes a gesture of explanation. She is surrounded by beings who sing her praises. The colour red sourrounds her [Tak 49-53, passim]
She ought to be meditated on for learning, wealth, and beauty, the teachings goes. If you seek wealth, see her as golden. Some make drawings of her from such descriptions like these, according to handed-over directions [Ibid].
As seen from the iconographic descriptions, woman is taken to represent the supreme power [Tak xviii]. On the other hand, a concrete woman is not needed, but can be superceded [Tak xix]. Not all are willing to do that.
Mantras are Sounds of Power and Should Be Fit for Progress
Sundari's mantra is held in very high esteem. Being full of cheer is a good sign, as Sundari is said to be the essence of good cheer too. Klim (Kling) is considered one of Her sound-bodies. A few other mantras are given too, but only "Kling" or "Klim" is studied here. It is known as yielding "a kind bliss", and as the "king of (lustful) love", kamaraja. It serves some during copulation - being united to a consort and growing full of cheer.Some words from a Norwegian hymn serve other ends: "Kling no klokka, kling og lokka, kling og lokka . . . (Chime now, bell, chime and allure, chime and allure . . .)" One may wonder what the repetition of these sounds do to a man if he gets obsessed with the first of them. He says "kling" to himself so often and very guarded that no one is to hear him doing it, and then is on the way to great love, hopefully. Can it be? Yes, according to Tantra. For Tantra teaches that the surface meanings of sounds give way to their "depth-influence", or the aye-aye of the deep instigations themselves in the long run. That is a part of the teachings.
In 'kling' the Sanskrit "ng" is the bindu sound. It can be said to be somewhere between 'ng' and 'm', and placed with a focus as high up in the nose as you can get. The sound is the last part of the OM (AUM) sound too [Ibid].
Speaking of mantras: They are syllables or sets of syllables. According to Tantra some sound are seed sounds. The sound suited to "a kind bliss", Klim (Kling), is among them. The initiate is made to know that there is an inward significance of the mantra. The sound - when pronounced all right - is the gladdening form (sva-rupa) of the force that is symbollically shown as a female through representative art with many symbolic items attached. Thus, the teaching is that different powers are accessed through specificed mantras, and that repeating a handed-over mantra brings attunement with that power, thatshakti.
The mantra may be represented by other means than sound too: In Sanskrit letters and the like, by mystical diagrams (yantras); and a deified, humanoid picture - often with extra arms and hands - is seen in some circles too [Tog, passim; Ebu "tantra"]
Attunement grows by steady repetition of the mantra, and brings on more at-one-ment each time you sit down to "take off". In the mantra way the "rune sound" (mantra) is said to be a form (rupa) of Brahman (The Lord of All) manifesting in sounds of the Sanskrit alphabet and other alphabets. Note that according to the injunctions the mantras are not to be said, not to be uttered, but are to be "placed in the heart" as you mentally repeat the carefully chosen set of letters (or syllables). They are not spoken but listened to - mentally repeated in carefully geared ways.
Such great gifts to many who are living in the world - also householders and housewives - may bring many benefits. Mentally intoning and repeating a mantra can be easily practised by a guileless, faithful heart after it has got "wed" to the most suitable mantra found. Maybe a hundred uninterrupted repetitions "brings the pot to boil" inside you, but it does not have to end there: the bliss may also swell - a Divine embrace. [Cot 32-42]
Now you can try it. Note and adhere to all the rules for attuning to and maybe attaining Great Happiness inside, so as not to get injured. All specifications are not shown here. If the mantra practice is not easy, something is the matter. It should be easy. Take such goings serious, as a must.
Phallos and Gems
The phallos (linga) is symbolic too. Sages (munis) may interpret it for you. There is a vast literature to get into right there.Nine gems are enumerated as valuable and fit more a lot more than adornment. They are cat's eye, sapphire, topaz, coral, pearl, emerald, diamond, and ruby [Tak 31]. These gems may enrich your life if you do not impoverish yourself to get all of them, especially emerald, diamond, and ruby, and they are all presently used in so-called Gem Therapy, by the way.
Some enumerated rites are told to be conductive to knowledge of past, present, and future [Tak 34]. A principle is that mastery may cause wealth, learning, long life, and what one desires, also beauty [Tak 509; Ebu "Tantra"]
Here we have been into glimpses of ancient Vedic teachings of Shabda-Brahman. As can be seen, some vital parts of the theory are in full use in Buddhist Tantra too, and in Tibetan Buddhism. [Gas 37-38]
Poses that Can Be Fit for Awakening
Tantra teaches, as Buddha, that man can be awakened to the Truth [Pakk 34].How to do it: Straighten the body and assume a comfortable sitting position, crossing the legs if you can do that. There are several cross-legged positions. The comfortable "tailor's pose" may serve you well enough, at least to begin with. Focus on repeating your well-chosen, guarded mantra. Place the hands level and equipoised below the navel. Maybe you should place the tongue upward against the roof of the mouth so that you get to a realization or three. Norman Paulsen did, and concluded it was not necessary! [MORE]
Satyananda says the tongue should not be placed against the roof of the mouth, but be turned upward so that the tip reaches the inner nostril openings and then plugs them (!). Such a practice is known as Kechari Mudra. It is claimed to cause a calm state, but not for a beginner. he is adviced not to use it by Satyananda. First the tongue has to be trained, and, in most cases, gradually lengthened by massaging and stretching it. Little by, over a period of months or years, progress that is not needed, is had. Norman succeeded in it.
In a posture fit for prolonged contemplation, keep the breast forward somehow, and the shoulders a bit backward. Choose closed or half-open eyes as you please. A sitting is to be with as little strain as can be. You may also gaze a bit upward with closed or half-closed eyes as part of the training. Do it as laxly as can be. It should be good and feel good. Direct the eyes as if you looked stadily and calmly on some spot or area about 1,1 m ahead of your face and 40-60 degrees above your eyes, for example.
Go on in outward silence if you can; get rid of disturbances and nuisances.
Do not seek to analyse or imagine things during the mantra repetition. " Do not imagine . . . do not analyse . . . do not reflect," says the Indian master Tilopa from centuries ago. The Kagyupa sect, the third largest sect of Tibetan Buddhism, traces its roots to him. [Ebu "Buddhism"]
If you regulate your living so that you incorporate suggestions like the ones above in reasonable, sensible ways that fit you, you are close to what Dogen means by saying "To practice Zazen [Zen sitting] is the whole of Buddhism, and Buddhism is just the practice of Zazen," according to Rev. Gudo Nishijima of Soto Zen. So it is - yet some fair and fit Vipassana Meditation [qv] could help powers of observation on and up too, and thereby enrich your life too. Vipassana aims at gaining clear insight, wisely developed, and in part dependent on skills. Let mental ease and great calmness assist your towering insights. Access to insight through contemplation is a good deal. [Ebu "Buddhism"; Somdet Phra Buddhaghosacariya, comp. Uposatha Sila. 2nd ed. 1993]
Also be aware of the "thing" called "gift-waves" of grace. Such elements go into Mahayana teachings of Yoga and lie at the bottom of many lines of transmission. Evens-Wentz writes the gift-waves are waves of psychic energy which stimulate spiritual development and greatly assist the aspirant seeking Nirvanic Enlightenment, the highest boon on earth. These 'gift-waves' are sent forth by Gurus, and some of them can be "in the superhuman realms." The granting of these 'gift-waves', otherwise known as the 'conferring of power', constitutes the true spiritual initiation. [Tiy 123, 123n]
The wisdom of knowing yourself full well through your own mind is indescribable. However, keep your mind intact and natural, and heed its symbols too. That is a very significant part of Tilopa's dear teachings. Great Bliss is from the Primordial Abode. [Tiy 150, 200]
One more far too overlooked teaching seems to be: "Regard not the Void as being Nothingness", for It is "Thatness, the Norm of Being, the Cause", says W. Y. Evans-Wentz. "The unenlightened alone regard It as being nothingness." Lesson: It should work best to drop misleading lingo from the onset. [Tiy 117-22, passim] [ONCE AGAIN]
Literature
Ap: Mieder, Wolfgang (main editor), Stewart A. Kingsbury, and Kelsie E. Harder: A Dictionary of American Proverbs. (Paperback) Oxford University, New York, 1996.
Bsa: Lie, Kaare A, tr. Buddhas samtaler: De lange tekstene. Digha Nikaya. Bind 2. Det store bindet: Mahavagga (Conversations of Buddha: The Long Texts. Digha Nikaya, Vol 2. The Large Volume: Mahavagga). Oslo: Solum Forlag, 2005.
Cot: Shankaranarayan, S. The Ten Great Cosmic Powers. 2nd ed. Pondicherri: Dipti, 1975.
Coti: Spate, Virginia. The Colour of Time: Claude Monet. London: Thames and Hudson, 1992.
Ebu: Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica 2007 Ultimate Reference Suite DVD. London: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2007.
Gas: Woodroffe, Sir John. Garland of Letters. 6th ed. Madras: Ganesh, 1974 (?).
Geta: Pandit, M. Gems from the Tantras. 2nd Series. Madras: Ganesh, 1970.
Kuo: Pandit, M. Kundalini Yoga. 5th ed. Madras: Ganesh, 1972.
Pakk: Pandit, M. Gems from the Tantras. Madras: Ganesh, 1969.
Tata: Woodroffe, Sir John. Tantraraja Tantra. 3rd ed. Madras: Ganesh, 1971.
Tiy: Evans-Wentz, Walter Yeeling, ed. Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines. 2nd ed. London: Oxford University Press, 1967.
Tog: Woodroffe, Sir John, tr. Tantra of the Great Liberation (Mahanirvana Tantra). New York: Dover, 1972.
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