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MANTRAS: HEALING THE PSYCHE

By Durgadas, Ved Kovid Durgadas
(c) www.nzayurveda.com

Words are composed of sounds. Sounds themselves can have special psychological effects upon the mind. 

Mantra the word itself means “Instrument of thought / mind” and also “Delivering the mind”, and are hence deep insightful ancient methods of healing the psyche.

The Sanskrit language of ancient India is described by Sir William Jones as:


"… more perfect than the Greek, more copious than the Latin, and more exquisitely refined than either, yet bearing to both of them a stronger affinity, both in the roots of verbs and the forms of grammar, than could possibly have been produced by accident.”


Forbes Magazine (July 1987) stated: 


“Sanskrit is the most convenient language for computer software programming.”


Sanskrit is a scientific language. It has the world’s oldest recorded study of Grammar through the Seer Panini (c.500bce) and Yaska (c.600bce).

It is the language of the Vedas, the world’s oldest religious text, and from which we also derive our numerals today which replace the cumbersome Roman Numerals. You will hence see that Indian or Sanskrit numbers resemble our own, simply as they derived from it.

This also shows the scientific heritage of the Sanskrit language.

The ancient Indians also studied the science of sounds (naada or shabda) and how they affected the mind also. 

Various syllables or aksharas (letters) of which words are composed from were given certain meanings, and also powers. They were turned into mantras, by adding the sacred nasal-sound or vowel " अं " (am) as in mantra OM, known as anuswara (after-sound).

As such, certain mantras were formed from the scientific study of sound and language, which later made their way into Ayurvedic Psychology in healing the mind, just as certain sounds of the veena or lute; the dholak or drums etc. affect the mind in various ways, as also do colours.

Just as the Indians gave us the background of Surgical techniques through the Seer Sushruat (c.800bce), so also the sciences of sound, colour and aroma therapies of which India is famed, and employs in it’s dances and dramas forms a part of healing also, just as important.

It is therefore not some ‘spiritual mumbo-jumbo’ but an actual science in itself! 
Just as various colours as red are stimulating to the mind and help awaken our deeper levels of perception, make us more energetic etc., so also sounds work in such manners, and hence certain beej or seed mantras have been created for such purposes, as a form of sound-therapy through language.

The mantra “AIM” (ऐं ) for example, is said to be helpful for memory, wisdom and all levels of the mind.

The mantra “HREEM” (ह्रीं ) helps calm our minds and also psychologically gives us warmth.

Similarly, the mantra “SHREEM” ( श्रीं  )is said to have a feminine and cooling energy that helps calm and cool the mind and is good for anger and rage and other fiery emotions.

Certain mantras such as the famous Hare Krishna mantra:


'Hari Krishn, Hari Krishn; Krishn Krishn Hari Hari. Hari Raam Hari Raam; Raam Raam Hari Hari!'


are also useful in many ways also, since they are names of ancient famous Saints or God-Men of India, said to be of pure qualities.

Of these, there is a deeper psychological meaning to the mantras and their sounds:

Krishna the great Seer was himself descended from the Moon-dynasty of ancient India, and symbolically also has a cooling, nurturing and feminine nature about him like the Moon.

Rama is the great King, the ideal man who signifies dharma (righteousness) in the world, and descendant of the ancient Solar-dynasty of ancient India – which also spread throughout the ancient world into Egypt, the Americas, and his story, the Ramayana is famous throughout asia and south-east asia, where it has become an ideal of lifestyle, devotion and also influenced the art, culture and drama of these nations also (including Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, China, Japan, Korea etc.)

Chanting such a mantra by thinking of these is hence invoking the qualities of these personalities through the subconscious mind or emotional mind (manas), which hence altars the unconscious mind or chitta, in positive ways.

It is said to be a Mahamantra, that is, a great-Mantra or sacred chant, and hence it’s benefits are not only spiritual but also parapsychological also. It subtly takes the mind beyond all problems, as the mantra itself has a soothing, calming and blissful effect – promoting a “happy state” and feeling within the mind.

Music and Dance itself are part of this mantra, for the tradition of bhakti-yoga or devotion in India dates back to the Natya-shastra or Gandharva-Veda, the traditional of dance and music in India, springing from the older Sama-Veda, a hymn of sacred songs and hymns from the Rig Veda text, but on the level of singing. It originated thousands of years ago with Narada Rishi, one of trhe famous devotional or bhakti saints in India.

Such performances – songs performed or mantras along with music and dance, produce themselves a state of ecstasy amongst their performers, and hence releasing their minds from the psychological woes and problems, through dissolution or mental Samadhi (absorption) in the performance of mantra or the moment producing bliss. It is certain that such practices can indeed take the mind beyond the realms of the norm – beyond the emotional mind itself, to the state described as “atmabhao” or self-state by Hindus, that is, one becomes so absorbed in the deity through such blissful performances, one literally becomes one with the deity as his own inner self – inheriting, psychologically, the traits, actions and persona of the deity itself.

Mantras are hence effective measures for healing the psychology and also have a scientific and rational basis, which is often over-spiritualised, which has caused some groups to dismiss it.

But, when we look as the history of the Sanskrit language, syllables and also the Sanskrit literature – the bulk of which also gave rise to many of our own western fairy-tales through the Panchatantra.

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References:


Durgadas (Rodney) Lingham: Aushadh Rahasya: The Secret of Ayurvedic Herbs and Disorders of the Mind: Lulu Publications, 2012

Durgadas (Rodney) Lingham: Traditional Yoga: Insights into the Original Yoga Tradition: Academy of Traditional Ayurveda, New Zealand, 2012