What is Japa Meditation?
Mantric “muttering,” or Japa, has long been recognized as an inspiring ally on the yogic path since Vedic times. It consists of the repetition of the same mantra, which can be composed of a single syllable (e.g., om) or a string of mantric sounds (e.g., om namah shivaya).
Mantra Japa produces positive mental tracks, helping us to gradually transform our negative thought patterns. It is a powerful technique for focusing the mind and for harnessing the body/mind’s subtle energies to assist in the process of self-transformation. The work of self-transformation requires all our strength and energy. When we consider how much of our daily speech is wasted on irrelevant things, mindful recitation is most definitely an advisable practice.
In Japa meditation you can chant the mantra out loud, whisper it softly or simply repeat it in your mind. Listening to a mantra without chanting it is a good way to begin. With time you can focus on this mantra whenever you feel stressed to bring yourself back into balance.
“Every element of the Universe is in a constant state of vibration manifested to us as light, sound, and energy. The human senses perceive only a fraction of the infinite range of vibration, so it is difficult to comprehend that the Word mentioned in the Bible is actually the totality of vibration, which underlies and sustains all creation. A person can tune his or her own consciousness into the awareness of that totality with the use of a mantra. By vibrating in rhythm with the breath to a particular sound that is proportional to the creative sound, or sound current, one can expand one’s sensitivity to the entire spectrum of vibration. It is similar to striking a note on a stringed instrument. In other words, as you vibrate, the Universe vibrates with you.”
“What is a mantra? Mantra is two words: Man and tra. Man means mind. Tra means the heat of life. Ra means sun. So, mantra is a powerful combination of words, which, if recited, takes the vibratory effect of each of your molecules into the Infinity of the Cosmos. That is called ‘Mantra.’”
“Mantras are not small things, mantras have power. They are the mind vibration in relationship to the Cosmos. The science of mantra is based on the knowledge that sound is a form of energy having structure, power, and a definite predictable effect on the chakras and the human psyche.”
~ Yogi Bhajan
Japa Meditation ~ Mantras
1) Gayatri Mantras
The Gayatri mantra is one of the oldest and most powerful of Sanskrit Mantras and considered the essence of the Vedas. Veda means Knowledge and this Mantra raises our awareness opening our third eye. It is believed that by chanting the Gayatri mantra and firmly establishing it in the mind, if you carry on your life and do the work that is ordained for you, your life will be full of peace and happiness.
Om Bhur Bhuvaḥ Swaḥ
Tat-savitur Vareñyaṃ
Bhargo Devasya Dhīmahi
Dhiyo Yonaḥ Prachodayāt
OM ~ AUM
It is also called Pranav because its sound emanates from the Prana (vital vibration), which feels the Universe. When you pronounce AUM:
A – emerges from the throat, originating in the region of the navel
U – rolls over the tongue
M – ends on the lips
A – waking, U – dreaming, M – sleeping
It is the sum and substance of all the words that can emanate from the human throat. It is the primordial fundamental sound symbolic of the Universal Absolute.
Word meaning: Om: The primeval sound; Bhur: the physical body/physical realm; Bhuvah: the life force/the mental realm Suvah: the soul/spiritual realm; Tat: That ; Savitur: the Sun, Creator (source of all life); Vareñyam: adore; Bhargo: Illumination; Devasya: Divine Grace; Dhīmahi: meditate; Dhiyo: the intellect; Yo: May this light; Nah: our; Prachodayāt: inspire.
By repeating this Mantra we invite spiritual guidance and purification expanding our consciousness and raising our vibration.
We play the version from Lex Van Someren. Check it out HERE
2) Rudra Mantra
This powerful mantra helps us to rise above our fears, mainly the fear of death, and liberating one from Samsara – the cycle of death and rebirth, hence the name “Great Death-conquering Mantra”. Along with Gayatri mantra, it holds the highest place among the many Sanskrit Mantras used for meditation, contemplation, and healing. Whereas Gayatri Mantra is meant for spiritual guidance and purification, Rudra mantra is used for rejuvenation, healing, and nurturance.
Om Try-Ambakam Yajaamahe
Sugandhim Pusstti-Vardhanam
Urvaarukam-Iva Bandhanaan
MrityormuksheeyaMaamritaat
- Om – is the primeval ancient sound from which everything originated. This sacred syllable represents the entire manifested world and the unmanifest, and also that which lies beyond both the unmanifest and the manifest.
- Tryambakam – represents the three-eyed Lord Shiva who sees what we can see but who also sees what we can not see.
- Yajaamahe – we honor, worship, adore.
- Sugandhim – sweet smelling, fragrant.
- Pushthi – a well-nourished condition, prosperous, thriving, the fullness of life. Reality nourishes (sustains) everything.
- Vardhanam – one who strengthens, nourishes, causes to increase (in wealth, health, well-being, wisdom, knowledge). On the spiritual path, our understanding increases day by day.
- Urvaarukamiva – like the cucumber. Here it symbolizes each of us and our relationship to existence.
- Bandhanaan – from captivity.
- Mrityormuksheeya – free, liberate from death, attain moksha (a blissful state of existence of a soul, completely free from the karmic bondage).
- Maamritaat – may I never again be parted from the immortality.
We play the version from Lex Van Someren. Check it out HERE
3) Om Baghaven
Om Baghavan, Shri Baghavan,
Om Baghavan, Shri Baghavan,
Ananda Baghavan,
Satchitananda Baghavan
This Mantra is to connect inward remembering our connection to our divine self and transcend the duality and illusion!
Om ~ is the one eternal syllable of which all that exists is but the development. The past, the present, and the future are all included in this one sound, and all that exists beyond the three forms of time is also implied in it!
Baghavan ~ God within, Blessed one, fortunate one, divine one
Ananda , Satchinananda
The meaning of the individual words of sat-chit-ananda are as follows:
- Sat: truth, absolute being or existence– that which is enduring and unchanging
- Chit: consciousness, understanding and comprehension
- Ananda: bliss, a state of pure happiness, joy and sensual pleasure
A common translation of sat-chit-ananda is “truth-consciousness-bliss.” Sometimes sat-chit-ananda is considered to be a triple consciousness, where all three elements can be taken separately or considered as one because, in reality, each element is found in everything.
Some say that the experience of sat-chit-ananda is only accessible to a few advanced spiritual masters. Potentially, only 20 or 30 masters have ever been able to reach and remain in this state. It is easier for people to achieve an illuminated mind, but sat-chit-ananda is a higher state even than that.
In the philosophy of Vedanta, sat-chit-ananda is used as a synonym for the three qualities of Brahman. It is the supremely blissful experience of pure consciousness, unity and ultimate reality. Sri Aurobindo considers sat-chit-ananda to be the eternal and unified concept of the soul, which is beyond space, matter and time. It is said that sat-chit-ananda is the source of all consciousness and all perfection. This mantra is a remembrance of our true divine nature!
We play the version from Lex Van Someren. Check it out HERE
4) Mani Mantra
To really know our intentions and motivations behind any mantra practice we must know exactly what the mantra means. This makes our practice more meaningful and personal. Many people refer to this mantra simply as the Mani mantra as it’s the most beloved and widely used among followers of the Buddha.
According to the Dalai Lama, Om Mani Padme Hum has the power to “transform your impure body, speech and mind into the pure body, speech and mind of a Buddha.” Tibetan culture tells us that to deeply know this phrase — to bring it into the very depths of one’s being — is to attain enlightenment.
Whether said out loud or silently to oneself, this is one mantra you’ll want to practice to connect with your innately loving and compassionate nature.
Om ~ is the one eternal syllable of which all that exists is but the development. The past, the present, and the future are all included in this one sound, and all that exists beyond the three forms of time is also implied in it!
We play the version from Lex Van Someren. Check it out HERE
5) Guru Ram Das Mantra
Guru, Guru Wahe Guru
Guru Ram Das Guru
Guru – Guide into the light
Wahe – Amazing, Awesome
Ram Das – Servant of Creation. Helper, Assistant, Angel
This mantra calls upon the healing, protective and guiding energy of Creation. It is the Mantra of humility, relaxation, self-healing and emotional relief. It calls upon the spirit of humility and grace of Creation, with its spiritual guiding light and protective grace. It reconnects your experience of infinity to the infinite, and liberates you in the midst of trail and danger. The first part projects your mind to the source of knowledge and ecstasy. The second part projects your mind to Infinity, and gives a finite guiding relationship on a practical level. Hope for the hopeless and healing for the despaired. Wise, wise is the one who serves infinity!
- Translation:
Guru – teacher or guide that brings one from the darkness to the light.
Wahe – exclamation of ecstacy like ”WOW!”
Ram Das – literally translates as “God’s Servant”,
but also refers to Guru Ram Das, the Fourth Guru of the Sikhs
- More Information:
This mantra was given to Yogi Bhajan by Guru Ram Das in His astral self. As Guru Ram Das, the fourth Guru of the Sikhs, was known for humility and healing abilities this mantra is also known for its healing qualities and for imparting humility to the one who chants it. The mantra is comprised of two parts. The first part is a nirgun mantra (Guru Guru Wahe Guru). This projects the mind to the source of knowledge and ecstasy. The second part is a sirgun mantra (Guru Ram Das Guru). This means the wisdom that comes as a servant of the infinite. It is the mantra of humility. It reconnects the experience of the finite to infinity.
We play the version from Lex Van Someren. Check it out HERE
6) AstoMaa ~ Mantra for self-realization
Om Asato Maa Sad-Gamaya |
Tamaso Maa Jyotir-Gamaya |
Mrtyor-Maa Amrtam Gamaya |
Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih ||
Meaning:
1: Om, (O Lord) Keep me not in the Unreality (of the bondage of the Phenomenal World), but lead me towards the Reality (of the Eternal Self),
2: (O Lord) Keep me not in the Darkness (of Ignorance), but lead me towards the Light (of Spiritual Knowledge),
3: (O Lord) Keep me not in the (Fear of) Death (due to the bondage of the Mortal World), but lead me towards the Immortality (gained by the Knowledge of the Immortal Self beyond Death),
4: Om, (May there be) Peace, Peace, Peace (at the the three levels – Adidaivika, Adibhautika and Adhyatmika).
The universe and its things are in a constant state of change. The planets are in constant motion, their positions in relation to each other and the other astral bodies are in continuous flux. The seasons similarly are ever-shifting. Scientifically, we can easily understand that our bodies (and the cells within them) come into existence, are born and then go through periods of growth, sustenance, deterioration and death. In fact these six modifications are part-and-parcel of everything in creation. On the level of emotions, we move back and forth between happiness, sorrow and anger. Even our intellectual convictions rarely stay fixed for very long. So, according to Vedanta, we cannot call this world ultimately real. It is not ultimately true. Ultimately, it does not exist. It seems real etc. but it is not. Such a thing is called asat.
The seeker giving voice to this prayer has come to understand the finite nature of all the objects of the world, and he wants the Guru to guide him from the asat to the sat. He is fed up with depending on things that are not real. Why? Because just as the sandcastle is always washed away by the tide, dependence on the asat always ends in pain. Sat is our True Self—the blissful consciousness that ever was, is and ever will be. Being beyond time, this consciousness can never be washed away by the time’s tides. In fact, sat is there as the essential part of all of the asat objects. It is a matter of separating the wheat from the chaff, as it were.
The second line—tamaso ma jyotirgamaya—means “Lead me from darkness to light.” When the Vedas refer to darkness and light, they mean ignorance and knowledge, respectfully. This is so because ignorance, like darkness, obscures true understanding. And in the same way that the only remedy for darkness is light, the only remedy for ignorance is knowledge. The knowledge spoken of here is again the knowledge of one’s true nature.
The third line —mrtyorma amrtam gamaya—means: “Lead me from death to immortality.” This should not be taken as a prayer to live endless years in heaven or on earth. It is a prayer to the Guru for assistance in realizing the truth that “I was never born, nor can ever die, as I am not the body, mind and intellect, but the eternal, blissful consciousness that serves as the substratum of all creation.”
It is important to remember that, with all these mantras, the leading is not a physical leading. The Atma is not something far away that we have to make a pilgrimage to, nor is it something we need to transform ourselves into. Atma means “self.” We don’t need to transform our self into our self. Nor do we need to travel to it. We are it. The journey is a journey of knowledge. It is journey from what we misunderstand to be our self to what truly is our self. What the mantras really means is “Lead me to the understanding that I am not the limited body, mind and intellect, but am, was and always will be that eternal, absolute, blissful consciousness that serves as their substratum.”
We play the version from Lex Van Someren. Check it out HERE
7) Holy Praise & Purification
This is a fusion of an ancient mantra in Sanskrit and a hymn in Latin of different traditions
OM VAJRA SATTVA HUM///
OM VAJRA SATTVA, MAMA
VYADI VIBAND
ADI SARVA NISHEDAK PERBAVA
SHANTIM KURU SVAHA
This is a Tibeten Buddhist mantra for purification. This mantra helps us cleanse our mind of negative emotions such as aversion, desire, anger, jealousy, pride and has the power to remove all the negative karma that we have accumulated since the beginning of time. The quality of our actions depend on the quality of our thoughts. The quality of our thoughts depend on the quality of our mind. A good quality of mind is the foundation for future happiness and spiritual development.
SANCTUS, SANCTUS, SANCTUS
DOMINUS DEUS SABAOTH
This is a prayer of praise sung in the Christian church and has survived the Christian liturgy since early times. It is the song of the seraphim before the light of Source/God/Divine self, with the threefold ‘holy’ offering praise. This is a significant blend of chants sharing values across different belief systems expressing love and respect for the collective, in the spirit of oneness!
From the album Beyond ~ Buddhist & Christian prayers
We play the version from Lex Van Someren. Check it out HERE
8) Om Shanti Mantra
The origin of this peace mantra is believed to be one of the oldest scriptures of Hinduism – Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, though not in the present form. This mantra, like many of the other ancient Sanskrit mantras, sends healing vibrations to all who come into contact with it. When these types of mantras are chanted, obstacles and hindrances are believed to be pacified.
Sarvesham Svastir Bhavatu,
Sarvesham Santir Bhavatu.
Sarvesham Purnam Bhavatu,
Sarvesham Mangalam Bhavatu
Om Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah
Sarve Santu NirAamayaah
Sarve Bhadrani Pashyantu
Maa Kashcid Duhkha BhaagBhavet
Om Shantih Shantih Shantihi
Translation:
May there be well-being and happiness in all
May there be peace and tranquility in all
May there be completeness and happiness in all
May there be success and prosperity in all.
May all be prosperous and happy
May all be free from illness
May all see what is spiritually uplifting
May no one suffer
Om peace, peace, peace
We play the version from Lex Van Someren. Check it out HERE
9) Mere Gurudev
The word GURUDEV was derived from two Sanskrit words GURU meaning influential teacher or popular expert like sage, spiritual master, teacher, tutor, mentor, guiding light and DEV meaning Lord. But what does GURUDEV actually mean? An enlightened master who could show the path, who could have solutions to problems irrespective of their nature and magnitude, is GURUDEV
In this instance we chant this mantra to strengthen our connection to our inner guidance, our higher self, the part of us that is already enlightened and connected to source. By chanting these words we dedicate ourselves to our higher consciousness in order to remember our divine nature so that we do not feel separated anymore. When we experience separation from our divine nature we feel pain and suffering. By reminding ourselves of this connection reinforces our divine nature into our earthly existence. This is also a prayer of gratitude and offering of self to be transformed into our spiritual self.
1. Mere Gurudev, charanon par sumana shraddha ke arpita hai
Tere hee dena hai jo hai. Wahi tujha ko samarapita hai
My Guiding light, I offer these flowers of my faith at your feet
Whatever I have, you have given to me, and I dedicate it all to you.
2. Na priti hai pratiti hai, na hi puja ki shakti hai
Meraa yaha man, meraa yaha tan, meraa kan kan samarapita hai
I have no love, nor do I know you.
I don’t even have the strength to worship you,
My every atom is dedicated to you.
Tuma hee ho bhaava men mere, vicharon mein, pukaron mein.
Banaale yantra ab mujhko mere saravatra samarapita hai
You are the only one in my heart and my thoughts.
You are the one who I call out to.
Now Make me your instrument…all I am I offer to you
We play the version from Lex Van Someren. Check it out HERE
10) Mantra for Healing ~ Ra Ma Da Sa
Ra Ma Da Sa, Sa Say So Hungis the mantra for the sacred healing meditation. This healing meditation is used to pray for healing energy for our friends, family, and ourselves.
“For healing at a distance, this is the mantra. It cuts across time and space so you can send healing energy to someone thousands of miles away as easily as you can send it to someone across the room.”
-Shakti Parwha Kaur
The words to this mantra are:
Ra Ma Da Sa Sa Say So Hung
Ra means the sun and connecting with that frequency gives you energy.
Ma means the moon and it aligns you with receptivity.
Da is the energy of the Earth, grounding you in your roots.
Sa is Infinity and as you chant this, your energy rises upwards and outwards drawing in the healing the Universe.
When you chant Sa a second time, you pull the energy of Infinity into you.
Say is a way of honouring the all-encompassing Thou. It is personal, like a secret name for God.
So is a vibration of merger.
Hung is the Infinite, the vibrating real. It is the essence of creation. (So Hung together means, I am Thou.)
We play the version from Lex Van Someren. Check it out HERE
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