Imagine you are standing on a river bank listening to the flow. Follow the river upstream, you will reach its origin where there is no sound. A mantra is like a river: it leads the mind to the silence within—the “soundless sound”. The seven sounds, or mantras, of the chakras, if magnified, create a form. Each mantra has a different form. Just chanting it to reach a high pitch is not going to help you. You have to go to the source within, from which that sound originates. Acquire knowledge of the sound which gives you knowledge of the silence from which all sounds emanate. Learn to reach the silence, physically and mentally.
The meaning of the words in itself does not give the mantra impact. The effect of the sound stills the mind with practice. The sound created at the root chakra is “lm”. Now, “lm” is a magnified sound. It arises from silence. When the latent energy of the silence is manifested at the root, it forms the bija mantra “lm”. From this silence flow all the rivers that create the nada—the ocean that makes a great sound and is in constant motion, one that keeps coming and going like a wave. Out of silence comes sound, and out of sound comes form.
A mantra has four bodies, or koshas. First, there is the meaning of the words. Then subtle feeling; yet more subtle is a deep, intense and constant awareness or presence, and the fourth or most subtle level of the mantra — is soundless sound. Many repeat mantras throughout life, but never attain the state of ajapa japa—the state of constant awareness without effort. The chanter’s awareness will grow, but his meditation does not reach subtle levels. The mantras used while meditating in silence are special sets of sounds that do not obstruct and disturb the flow of breath, but help regulate the breath and lead to sushumna or wakening, in which the breath flows through both nostrils equally. Then joy fills the mind which is voluntarily disconnected from the senses. Then, random thoughts and memories begin to rise from the unconscious. The mantra helps one transcend this and creates a groove into which it spontaneously flows. The concentration born of this points the mind inward, into the latent part of the unconscious. Sooner or later, a bright light will be seen. No mantra should be repeated without understanding its meaning. Before repeating the mantra, one should be fully convinced of its importance. It should be repeated with meaning and feeling. Repeating a mantra merely using a mala and the tongue is a very inferior practice. It won’t do merely to complete a given count. The purpose of japa, or repetition of the mantra is to lead the mind to the higher dimensions and rungs of meditation. Eventually, the mantra integrates itself into your life filling it with constant awareness, intertwining with every coming and going of breath, so that the aspirant is always conscious of it. So, interest in sadhana deepens. When japa is continued during worldly activities, it becomes ‘meditation in action’. Often, thoughts and feelings “pop up” in our minds. Focus on the mantra, and the mind will still itself. However, sometimes your awareness will shift to these other issues. Simply witness or observe the thoughts and associations, and gently bring your awareness back to the mantra. Do not be conflicted between thoughts and the effort to achieve stillness or become angry or judgmental about these mental distractions. Thoughts will continue to arise, but most will dissipate if you witness them in a neutral way, without creating an internal conflict. Welcome the questions. When they enter your mind, try to think of your mantra. Thereby you try to use your mantra to avoid and escape from certain situations. But then, after chanting for a while your mind again returns to the same worries. Do not be agitated. Simply watch.
The deepest of teachings is not communicated through books, speech or action, but through silence. The language of that silence is called sandhya bhava. Sandhya is the time when day meets night. A guru sometimes will ask his disciple, “Have you done your sandhya?”, which means, “Have you united all and attained a state of equilibrium and joy before you meditate? Have you studied the behaviour of your breath?” The mind does not want to go into silence since it has many desires to fulfill. When the mantra creates a new groove, the mind stops flowing into past grooves and goes into new ones, leading you to silence. Meditation takes you into silence where wisdom reigns with all its majesty. In that inward journey, the mind is greeted with millions of sounds. One moment of real silence is enough for one year. Swami Rama says of silence, “If someone offers me one year’s pleasures or one moment of absolute silence, I will take one moment of silence, and you can keep my year of pleasure. If you put yourself into absolute silence, you will understand whatever you want.” The final step of meditation is to remain in silence. And the mantra is the vehicle to reach that silence.
Adapted from a discourse