Mantra Yoga and the Primal Sound: Secret of Seed (Bija) Mantras

by David Frawley

Traditional mantras connect us with the energy and aspiration of the many people that have used the mantras over time, putting us in touch with special currents and rivers of spiritual energy so generated.

However, such mantra teachers or therapists need to practice the mantras in order to be really able to pass them on to others, preferably having the siddhi or power of the mantra that arises from deep and long term practice. For example, if an astrologer recommends a traditional mantra for an afflicted Saturn in your chart, the mantra can help. But if the astrologer has practiced these Saturn mantras for years and has gained the grace of Saturn as a cosmic power, then the same mantras will be much more effective.

Mantra and Shakti For a mantra to be really effective, it must be electrified as it were. There must be prana in it, along with a power of deeper feeling and a concentration of mind and heart. Repeating such an energized mantra can be compared with the effect of saying the name of one’s beloved as opposed to saying the name of a person that one does not know. There is an inner Mantra Shakti that must be brought into function for a mantra to become really effective. This empowerment of the mantra can come through the guru, through tradition, through intense practice, deep devotion, or even by grace – or may require all of these. When the Mantra Shakti is awakened, the mantra will resonate with dynamic energy and repeat itself by its own power. It will connect you to the deity in a form or relationship that communicates to you. It will follow an internal light and sound vibration, stimulating a higher form of contemplation and meditation within you. Its inner meaning and broader associations will become clear as the mantra begins to speak to you and teach you. You will see the mantra vibrating in the world around you and resonating through your entire being.