Mantra and The Modern Man

Mantra & The Modern Man is a Spontaneous flow of scholarship and human sensitivity towards cosmos as an organic-whole is written under the frame –work which emphasizes the devotion for God. The author has forcefully stated how the problems pertaining to human behaviour and eco-system, can be solved with the help of Mantra-Jap. Each and every chapter of the book shows her deep concern for peace and harmony in society .This book is an introduction to the most valuable psychological movement of modern age. I hope this book is read by every human beings so that one can realize how does one's total submission in the supreme being can solve most of the problems.

Prabha Duneja born - in India, spent her childhood in a small town of Punjab (India). Her devotion to Lord Krsna and her fascination for the study of Geeta started at the early age of eight. After High school, she graduated from the Sanskrit University of Kurukshetra as a teacher of English and Music. She got married in 1968 and continued her studies for Masters degree in English Literature. After coming to United States, she took a teaching assignment at Junior High. During her successful career as a teacher, she developed an increased interest in the study of comparative religion, philosophy, homeopathy, astrology and mysticism. In October 1990, she was blessed with the experiential knowledge of the Divine and felt initiated into the preaching of Bhagawad Geeta. Since then, she has given herself to the task of organizing religious workshops and discourses on Geeta & Vedic philosophy. She travels extensively and is indeed a featured speaker at temples schools, churches, religious conferences. She is also an active member of the Interfaith Tri-valley Fellowship, and participates very enthusiastically in their services. In addition, she is author of numerous religious articles as well as books including The Legacy of Yoga in Bhagawad Geeta and The Holy Geeta. She is also in the process of producing the recorded Geeta lectures for the benefit of the public.

A mantra is like an atom of uranium, pulsating with enormous latent energy. This energy can be released when the devotee who repeatedly recites the mantra, becomes one with its vibrations. In the beginning of the creation when there was neither day nor night and nothing existed, totally windless, by itself, the One breathed. Those vibrations condensed in finer, and gradually in grosser forms. The forms acquired names and the world of numerous names and forms came into being. mantrajap-the repeated recitation of a mnemonic phrase-this process is reversed. Concentrating upon the meaning of the mantra, rising above names and forms, penetrating through the grosser vibrations, the person reaches the subtler spiritual realms of the One without a second.

Mantra is the abode of God, and helps in realizing Him. It is a special type of energy capsuled in the primordial sound of certain words, or letters. The Vedas say that in the beginning was Prajapati, the Brahma, and the Word was verily the supreme Brahma. The Rgveda says that Vile, the Word, is Brahma, enveloping the entire creation. According to a meditation given in the Mundaka Upanisad vile viritasca Vedah-the Vedas are His speech. The same sentiment is repeated in the Mandukya Upanisad which brings about a harmony between ourselves and the world. From the point of view of the Upanisad there is no unbridgeable gulf between the individual and the cosmos, the Jiva and Ishvara, the microcosm and macrocosm, the Pinda and Brahmanda. Through a mantra one can bridge the gap between the two. It is a link between the Pinda and Brahmanda. The Bible says: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Mantrajap should be done by meditating upon the meaning of the mantra. Then the thoughts start taking the shape of the words and their meaning and help the intellect to flow into transcendental consciousness. In a state of superconsciousness, Indian philosophers have 'visualized' various cakras on the spinal cord, each having a specific shape, colour and letters.

By special mantrajap these cakras are stimulated, activated, and give supernatural powers to the person.

Prabha Duneja has immortalized herself by earlier writing a remarkable commentary on The Song Celestial-Srimad Bhagawad Geeta of Lord Krsna. In that elaborate dissertation-The Legacy of Yoga in Bhagawad Geeta-she has proved Rudyard Kipling wrong and brought the East and West together by freely drawing from the philosophical font of both. By relating oriental philosophy with the thoughts of some western thinkers she has shown that at the pinnacle of the spiritual pyramid there is no plateau but only a point where all views converge into universal unity. Her commentary has been well received in India, America and Europe.

The popularity of her Mantra & The Modern Man is evident from the fact that so soon after publication, the book is going into the second edition. A mantra, she explains, contains inspired words revealed to Indian rishis in a state of transcendental consciousness. The mantra therefore has a spiritual aura and is imbued with powerful vibrations. By concentrating on the meaning of the mantra an repeating It over and over again, the person is enveloped by those vibrations which elevate and enlighten him. A mantra is a stepping-stone on the path of spiritual attainments.

When a mantra, says the author, is passed on to an aspirant by a realized soul at the initiation ceremony, it acquires a spiritual force. That force is drawn from the long lineage of the guru. But it does not make it incumbent on the devotee to physically serve the guru and support his theology or mission. A genuine guru is only, interested in the spiritual advancement of his disciple and keeps in constant touch with him at the spiritual level.

Among ancient Vedic spiritual traditions, the most enriching, fulfilling, rewarding, and precious is the practice of Mantra lap. A tradition so rich in significance as that of Mantra lap, needs to be explained and understood by each new generation in relation to their contemporary life style. A Mantra is derived by Yaska from the word manana, which means "thinking" and by that the contemplation of God is attempted. It is a vehicle of spiritual illumination, in the form of self-realization and God-realization. Mantra lap is meant to uplift the life of an aspirant from the lower levels of ego-centric self to the loftier heights of Universal Self. It helps us to live in the light of pure awareness. It provides a new direction to our thoughts and channelizes them into more blissful and productive thinking. Mantra lap strengthens our unity with the Self. It is the most positive and beneficial instrument that can slowly bring all kinds of positive changes in our awareness. It helps in concentration and one-pointedness of our mind in meditation. It helps us to enjoy sahaja avastha which is our birthright as human beings. In the words of Swami Vishnudeva Nanda: "A mantra is a mystical energy encased in a sound structure. Its vibrations directly affect the cakras or the energy centres of the body. It steadies the mind and leads to the stillness of meditation. A Mantra generates the creative force and bestows eternal Bliss. A Mantra when constantly repeated awakens the consciousness."

When we are in tune with Mantra, the whole universe around us becomes peaceful and friendly. In the words of Ellison Banks, "Mantras formulated in the heart are true, not just because they capture the truth of some cosmological occurrence but because they themselves have participated, and continue to participate, in these same cosmological events."Mantrajap helps us to experience the essence of something which is real and yet waiting to be revealed to us; something so close to our heart yet which seems so far off. These words of Tagore also support the idea:

" ... Open the inner door of the shrine,

light the candle, and let us meet there,

in silence before our God ... "

This is how my Mantra came to me.

Ever since the day of initiation from my revered Guru, there has been a desire in me to share my experience of Mantra Rip with other people. My Mantra is not just a sound, a syllable, or a set of words. lt is a living reality for me. lt is my best friend and the most reliable guide. Ever since it has started penetrating in the chambers of my heart I have had the feeling of undergoing a transformation everyday. The impurities, the fears, the insecurities are fading, and I feel more integrated and confident than ever before.

Although we can start our spiritual quest according to our choice with verbal prayer, bhajan and yajna but slowly we need something short and concise, brief but comprehensive in expression, which can envelop our entire thinking faculty, and the Mantra recitation does it.

As far as the superiority of Mantra lap over prayer is concerned, I strongly believe that Mantra lap is definitely more effective in calming thoughts. In prayer there remains a gap between I the worshipper and God the worshipped, whereas the Mantra jap bridges that gap. Prayer is an elementary method of spiritual communion. Prayer definitely purifies the Antahkaran (thinking faculty), but the method of Mantra lap is a very unique way of establishing unity with the inner self. It leads one from the gross to the subtle and to the subtlemost Self.

It brings total self-unfoldment and also gives us the strength to deal with it, because with Mantra lap we actually work in co-partnership with God. A remarkable role which Mantra jap can play in changing one's whole personality is something that cannot be described in words. It can only be captured with one's personal experience. With Mantra lap life in general becomes natural and easy. An overall ease envelops our whole personality. We feel lighter than before-as if tons of weight has been lifted off our shoulders. It opens the doorway to a very relaxed life style. Love, friendship, trust, and respect for others come naturally and our relationship with others starts improving. It brings inner peace and tranquillity-an experience of being at ease-sahaja avastha, as described in our Sastras.