I recently got a copy of BALG’s latest book, The Left Hand Path of Tantra, by Keenan Arthur. It’s a great book and very well written. The author is clearly very knowledgeable on the subject and obviously devoted to the practice of Tantra and yoga.
That said, when it comes to mantra sadhana - the main practice of the book - there’s a problem that I can’t get my head around. I have several BALG books, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a misprint or a glaring mistake. As I said, the author definitely knows his stuff, and I’ve read this section several times, so I’m wondering if it’s just me. I’ll explain.
The example mantra given in the book for this practice is Om Namah Shivaya. The instruction is to do twelve malas (108 repetitions for each round of the mala) in twelve minutes, or for someone a bit more advanced, thirty-six malas in thirty minutes. This means - in the twelve mala version - doing 108 repetitions of the mantra in one minute.
To do thirty-six malas in thirty minutes means going even faster.
Do you see my problem, or is it just me? I challenge anyone to say, Om Namah Shivaya 108 times in one minute, and pronounce the words clearly. Then keep up that pace for twelve, or even thirty minutes. Maybe somebody here who has experience with Hindu mantres can enlighten me.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to disparage or insult the author in any way, but I’m at a loss.
Edit: I forgot to mention that the mantra is repeated mentally, but the point still stands. If the words are to be repeated so rapidly that they lose all meaning, then what’s the point?
It does sound like the maths is off, there. I would say you’re looking for whatever pace gets you into a trance state the best, and trancing out on the intention with the vibration happening is the object.
Each of us has differently calibrated energy systems, so it’s normal that things work easier one way for some and another for others, and there’s no hard and fast way to do anything. All these tools are based on models of reality, not actual reality, they are the hooks you can use to get your mind connect to the energy of the universe, so they can vary a lit and that’s fine as long as the job gets done.
So, if you want to go fast and mumblerap your way through it that probably works too If that isn’t helping you generate the right vibration then edit to work for your system. Your intuition should guide you - follow your instincts. Once you’ve chanted a few thousand times you might naturally speed up anyway.
That makes sense. The author describes it in terms of a build up of spiritual power. The more repetitions of the mantra in one session, the more power built up in your energy system.
The thing is, the mantra repetition is only half of the ritual and each sadhana is to be done daily for 28 days. So, as much as I hate to say it, it will come down to time-management, which is not ideal when dealing with spirits. I hate to rush an interaction.
Yes, the mantra method is very time consuming. But it’s then also very gentle and usually very safe and easy on the energy system, building it nice and slowly with no rush, no stress.
I don’t know about yoga, but in qigong there’s visualizations and breathing to draw in more energy from the cosmos and build qi faster - it’s called “cultivating qi”. I think you can use your breath and direction via your mind with the mantras in a similar way.
So you could say, while you’re doing the mantra breathe in and pull energy, then breathe out and see that energy retained and consolidated into your root wheel (chakra) or whichever wheel you’re wanting to develop more.
This would be adapted from techniques in posts like this one:
Thanks. I’ll see if I can combine the two. Since it’s 36 malas for 30 minutes, I’ll just go for 30 minutes irrespective of how many mantra repetitions I get done, and see how that goes.
I take it back. I found a video on Keenan Arthur’s YouTube channel (the name of the channel is his own name) demonstrating how he does mantra meditation with the Shiva mantra at such a speed. It’s possible, it just takes time to get there.
Right, so almost two weeks in, and I’m doing 12 malas in 12 minutes, which is 108 repetitions of the mantra each minute. It doesn’t take long to get there, I was worried about nothing.
First you become familiar with the repetition of the mantra, then the mantra becomes a vibration, or a reverberation of thought, and finally you mentally sit back and observe the mantra running by itself.
I was glad Keenan Arthur took the time to explain that the “third eye” is not a chakra. The Anja chakra is in the centre of the head, on top of the spinal cord, between the ears.
I’ve always winced when people refer to the third eye as a chakra, when all the Tantras and the older yoga texts say that the Anja chakra is in the centre of the head, and the spot between the eyebrows is that chakra’s trigger point (Kshetram, in Sanskrit).
You can open the Anja chakra by focusing on it’s trigger point between the eyebrows, but it takes longer than meditating on the chakra itself.
Interesting! That’s how running the microcosmic orbit in qigong works as well. You get it started and then after a while it runs automatically, and this is desirable.
The late Swami Satyanada Saraswati ran an ashram in Bihar, India where they teach an interesting version of kriya yoga. In all the other versions of kriya yoga I’ve seen, the breath and prana is directed up the spinal channel from the root chakra to anja chakra and back down again, but in the Bihar school, they use the spinal channel connected with a channel at the front of the body, like in the microcosmic orbit.
The only difference being that they bring the energy up the front channel and down the spinal channel.
My qigong teachers years ago taught me that that’s the “fire path” - up the front and down the back, and to use it in moderation as it would raise your yang or something (I don’t totally remember any more) . But you can switch it up and see how you feel I think. As long as you don’t get any unpleasant symptoms and keep it gentle, no harm would be done.
I remember reading in the qi gong literature a long time ago that some people are naturally wired to have their orbit run up the front and down the back and when they try to force it to run in the traditional circuit, they get sick. It like being left handed; 90% of the population run the traditional way without problems but 10% are the opposite.
I’m initiated into Sri Vidya parampara. And Lord Shiva is my Ishta. There’s no way you can meaningfully say one mala of the panchaKsara mantra in 1 minute. Plus, if you want to truly build power in Tantric manner you should worship Kala Bhairav. And start with Bhairav naam japa. So Om Bhairav namaha. And even before you worship Kala Bhairav, you have to worship Batuk Bhairav. Who is an incredibly potent, youthful form of Bhairav. If you want to learn authentic Kaula Tantra that includes Bhairav Sadhana, you should watch videos made by Ranjarshy Nandi. His WhatsApp group has done like millions of rounds of Bhairav mantra japa. Whoever wrote the book you’re referring to sounds like they have little to no experience with actual Vamacara Tantra.
If that isn’t helping you generate the right vibration then edit to work for your system. Your intuition should guide you - follow your instincts. Once you’ve chanted a few thousand times you might naturally speed up anyway.
