There are tales of devotees reciting various mantras millions of times in order to achieve some boon or result in their spiritual progress. The mantra, or the recitation of a name of God, is the sound-body of the form or deity and thus, the theory goes, continued repetition of that name or sound will lead to the embodiment of the named form within oneself. And it is of course possible that after some extended period of time, the vibratory pattern in fact impresses itself upon the being and the manifestation does indeed take place. However, the reliance on a purely mechanical action, without the active leverage provided by the mind’s attention or the heart’s devotion, can be a very time-consuming path with little chance of any immediate result. Attempting this method also requires abandonment of most, if not all, other activities in the world due to the time commitment involved. So, what is the secret to the use of mantra or japa, that can make it effective and beneficial for the practice of yoga?
The mind can be a powerful aid in directing the consciousness, focusing the attention and creating the receptivity needed to accept and embody the vibratory patterns of the mantra. Thus the active participation of the mind, not just the mechanical physical mind, but the higher mental powers of attention, understanding and the ability to align with the sense and meaning, is a powerful aid to the process of japa.
The emotions similarly can act to focus the attention of the being and create and maintain a connection with the object of the japa, and thus, the emotional being’s commitment and the direction of the emotional energy represents another powerful aid to the process.
Mantra japa may also have short-term practical uses, such as helping clear the mind of extraneous thoughts or calming the emotions so that the “mind stuff” (chitta) can be brought to a state of quiescence for meditation or to foster a state of receptivity. When the mind is occupied with distressing thoughts that will not be calmed, or when the emotions or vital energies are disturbed, when there is a feeling of fear or any other strong reaction, the use of mantra japa may also be of benefit to replace the disrupted thoughts or feelings with the calming influence and coherence that the mantra can bring into the being. Thus, putting aside for the moment the use of mantra japa to attain liberation, there is clearly a noticeable benefit for helping steer the individual through the ups and downs of living in the world and facing the issues and obstacles that arise.
Sri Aurobindo observes: “The japa is usually successful only on one of two conditions — if it is repeated with a sense of its significance, a dwelling of something in the mind on the nature, power, beauty, attraction of the Godhead it signifies and is to bring into the consciousness, — that is the mental way; or if it comes up from the heart or rings in it with a certain sense or feeling of bhakti making it alive, — that is the emotional way. Either the mind or the vital has to give it support or sustenance. But if it makes the mind dry and the vital restless, it must be missing that support and sustenance. There is, of course, a third way, the reliance on the power of the mantra or name in itself; but then one has to go on till that power has sufficient impressed its vibration on the inner being to make it at a given moment suddenly open to the Presence or the Touch. But if there is a struggling or insistence for the result, then this effect which needs a quiet receptivity in the mind is impeded. That is why I insisted so much on mental quietude and not on too much straining or effort, to give time to allow the psychic and the mind to develop the necessary condition of receptivity — a receptivity as natural as when one receives an inspiration for poetry and music. It is also why I do not want you to discontinue your poetry — it helps and does not hinder the preparation, because it is a means of developing the right position of receptivity and bringing out the bhakti which is there in the inner being. To spend all the energy in japa or meditation is a strain which even those who are accustomed to successful meditation find it difficult to maintain — unless in periods when there is an uninterrupted flow of experiences from above.” Sri Aurobindo, Integral Yoga: Sri Aurobindo’s Teaching and Method of Practice, Chapter 6, Sadhana Through Love and Devotion, Mantra and Japa, pp. 165-167
Santosh has been studying Sri Aurobindo's writings since 1971 and has a daily blog at http://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com and podcast at https://anchor.fm/santosh-krinsky He is author of 16 books and is editor-in-chief at Lotus Press. He is president of Institute for Wholistic Education, a non-profit focused on integrating spirituality into daily life.