Mystical Mantra Stage Two

a group experience

created foster an ever more

intimate relationship

with the Divine

through sacred sound

Meeting for Ten Weeks on Wednesdays, beginning 25 January

This course is a continuation of Mystical Mantra Stage One, the introduction to our Mantra Mentorship. If you have not yet completed Stage One, please visit that course first, then join us when you are ready.

'According to Tantric and Vedic sources, the world manifests from the Word, exists in the Word, and at the time of annihilation returns to the Word. They tell us that for those who are unaware of the power of the Word and its binding and releasing force, this world is the source of pain and misery. Yet, according to the Shiva Sutra, this same world is a wave of joy to those who have penetrated the mystery of the Word. Again: while giving final instruction to his chosen disciple, the siddha master Guru Gorakh Nath says, 'The Word is the lock and the Word is the key.' An awakened Word, received from an awakened master, is the only way to awaken the dormant Word in the heart of the sleeping disciple. Upon introducing the Word, the gross articulate word merges into the eternal Word' (Gorakhabani 21).

Unless we have at least a rudimentary understanding of the metaphysics of sound, its eternity (the power of speech), and its source (the vibrant energy of the tranquil truth), we cannot grasp the mystery of the divine names and the manner in which they form a bridge between the two worlds. This is the essence of mantra science. It can be understood only when we are able to distinguish between intellectual knowledge and intuitive wisdom. Crossing this bridge, with resolution born of utter conviction, is possible only when we understand how the Divine Word can lead individual consciousness to reunion with Supreme Consciousness. This understanding is rooted in an understanding of the difference between mundane and divine language and how the power of the Word flows from the Source and is received in varying degrees.

An invisible protective force lies in sacred words, thus, the yoga tradition calls such words mantra - literally, 'the word which protects just by the virtue of being repeated' (mananat trayate iti mantrah). In India, thinkers, philosophers, scientists, and spiritual teachers have devoted vast amounts of time and energy to discovering the dynamics of the Divine Word, which according to the scriptures is the force from which life manifests in all its diversity. Texts documenting the discoveries related to the sacred sound are called mantra shastra, and this particular branch of learning is called mantra vidya.

MANAS (the mind) + TRA (to protect + expand)

Through the millennia the sages delved into the minute details of this science, discovering the precise application of specific sounds, not only for spiritual unfoldment, but also for worldly success. Consequently mantra science pervaded such fields as medicine, astrology, numerology, dance, painting, and music. Its applications range from procuring a good harvest, attaining success in business, finding the right spouse, curing a snake bite, improving retentive power, and unfolding inner peace, all the way to attaining freedom from the cycle of birth and death. We read the texts of mantra shastra and the biographies of saints and yogis and are thrilled by the stories of the miraculous powers that accompany mantras. But very few of us witness such powers firsthand - and even if we do, we are puzzled by them.

So I set out to explain why mantras contain miraculous powers. Drawing from the scriptures and from the experiences of saints and yogis whom I have met in the course of my life, I offer an explanation of why in some cases mantras exhibit their powers, but hardly show any effect in others. I also explain how, from the power of mantra, the Absolute, which is all-mighty, all-pervasive, and infinite, becomes finite enough to be seen by us - in other words, how the impersonal becomes personal. This work demonstrates that the relationship between mantra and Absolute Reality and the materialization of a personified form of the Divine from the power of mantra is the ground on which various aspects of yoga, meditation, spirituality, and mysticism (such as kundalini, chakra, yantra, mandala, and Tantra) meet.'

~ excerpt from our primary text, The Power of Mantra & The Mystery of Initiation by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD

What will we explore?

Refining our Sanskrit Pronunciation

Sanskrit Alphabet as Mantra

A Practice for Embodying the Universe

Accessing the Chakras through Mantra

Bija Mantras

Śiva Saṅkalpa Sūkta

Verses from the Saundaryalahari

Introduction to Sakti Mantras : Proceed with Caution

Chanting and Internal Japa

The Ninth Mantra of the Sri Suktam

When will we meet?

Wednesdays...

• 25th January
• 1st February
• 8th February
• 15th February
• 22nd February
• 1st March
• 8th March
• 15th March *Time moves forward one hour according to time change in the United States
• 22nd March
• 29th March

At...

• 10:30am PST
• 1:30pm EST
• 2:30pm AST
• 6:30pm GMT
• 7:30pm CET
• 5:30am (Thursday) AEDT
• 7:30am (Thursday) NZDT

The time adjusts on March 15th, forward one hour, according to the time change in the United States.

The gatherings will last 90 minutes, and will be recorded.

I encourage you to join us live as much as possible for the fullest transmission, but for those of you who will be sound asleep during the live sessions, the recordings are a great alternative.