The Power of Mantra and the Mystery of Initiation

by Rajmani Tigunait

Book Overview

The use of sacred words for their transformative powers lies at the core of countless traditions, and transcends the barriers of geographic location and time. In this book, Pandit Tigunait draws from his comprehensive knowledge of ancient yogic scripture, and his personal experiences with great Himalayan sages, to make this esoteric science accessible to a 21st-century audience.

The wisdom Pandit Tigunait shares in this book explains:...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0893891762
• ISBN13: 9780893891763
• Release Date: February 2007
• Publisher: Himalayan Institute Press
• Length: 230 Pages
• Weight: 0.78 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

The power of mantra

I was so glad to have found this book when I was researching for a paper on mantra. There is a particularly good section on Mantra,Yantra and Deity. It puts mantra in its proper place which is one of respect for its hidden power. We are all practicing mantra although it may not be in sanskrit. Words like 'I can't" or "I am not worthy", are common ones but in this book we learn that words have vak or power. Mantra, like yoga is best learned in the oral tradition and not just from an intellectual standpoint, although this book will feed the intellectual mind very well. People who are finding meaning in practicing mantra may well find this book riveting...and want to deepen their practice. Camella Nair - author of "Aqua Kriya Yoga" and "Aum Hatha Sadhana - CD".

An Outstanding Contribution

The dictionary defines mantra as a sacred word or phrase that is repeated and used in some forms of meditation to deepen the meditative state. But that is only part of the story. The Buddhist scholar Edward Conze used to describe mantras as "spells," and others translate them as "instruments of thought." Pandit Tigunait describes mantra as "the word which protects just by the virtue of being repeated." The idea that words and sounds could have power is found in every culture. Many Hindu philosophers, like some of the early Greek writers and Kabbalists, thought that sound was a great deal more than a noise, but was a fundamental property of the Universe that had the potential to create physical forms. Mantra meditation became well known during the 1960s with the rise of Transcendental Meditation. Some of the literature on mantras is patchy, but this book is just outstanding. Pandit Tigunait's teacher was Swami Rama who was for two decades a close friend and confidante of one of my own teachers, so I probably knew a bit more of this material than average. I can also attest to the power of mantras. The author comes from a school of thought that believes that mantras should be passed directly from a teacher, and so this is not a book with details of how to use them. Instead it is a book that sets out to explain why it is that mantras produce the effects that they do. In this it succeeds extremely well. However, the book is not just theory: there are also two appendices detailing some excellent methods for preparing for mantra initiation by a teacher. I was first taught them as a teenager, and they can be very effective if done with passion and focus. You can use these exercises either on their own, or as preparation for working with a teacher. Highly recommended.

Valuable book on mantras

This book is valuable because it offers a lot of information which is not readily available in other books on mantras in the West. It presents the traditional way of working with mantras and the author suggests that unless you have a guru (teacher) your attempts of working with mantras on your own may be either unfruitful or dismal. Because the author believes that you should be guided through your exploration of mantras - by a guru (teacher), there are no mantras, except so'ham in this book. However, the process described for working with mantras is very good. You will learn about different kinds of mantras, and at the end of the book, the author offers few yantras, hatha yoga postures and breathing techniques. The book warns of different challenges and pitfalls one may encounter of the way. Some should be really common-sense - that is if you engage in doing anything mechanically, without putting your heart and soul into it, you will get bored with the process much sooner than you get any results. It is also unlikely that you will get results - whether you are meditating, doing mantras, or mastering any other skill in life, unless your heart is in it and the practice of learning of the skill is imbued with life. Devotion to any subject is what makes one's being most receptive to the mastery of the subject. To point out what kind of dismal consequences can happen to a person who decides to work with mantras without his guru's guidance - and blessing, if you like - the author gives an example of a person who found a mantra in book and started fervently repeating it. As he was nearing the end of required repetitions of the mantra, a gigantic woman materialized with a huge pot, and then a huge man who asked the woman if there's anything to eat - at which point the woman said there is nothing else other than she could cook this man, who was repeating the mantra. I would now like to mention that in ordinary life, among people who have neither interest or knowledge of esoteric stuff - it often happens that when individual embarks upon a journey of accomplishing some goal that is much bigger than he is - he encounters numerous challenges on the way. This is actually a universal experience and is sometimes referred to as a mythic journey of a hero. The challenges are there both in a way of tests - to test how genuine is the purpose of the hero and make the hero aware of any weaknesses he has to overcome within himself to successfully complete the journey. When a person's heart is set on attaining this great goal, when his heart is pure, his mind is so completely focused on the goal, that no obstacles exist on his way. The fire of his intention and love for the noble goal, burns the obstacles away. The person may be put in a situation where he has to demonstrate that he is willing even to give his life in order to accomplish his goal - the moment he is willing to give all of himself to have the desired goal - even his life if need be, the

Book about Mantra tradition

This is a very well written book about the ancient Indian Mantra tradition. The author imparts his wide experience of this tradition to the reader in a clear manner.However, the author firmly believes that mantras should be imparted from a qualified guru (teacher) and should be practiced under the guidance of this guru. This is the underlying message. The author who knows this subject well, might very well be correct on this. Therefore, no traditional mantras are stated in this work.I found this book to be a good introduction about the mantras, its powers, and its traditions.

The Best Book On Mantra in English

This is the best book on mantra in the English language (I've read just about all of them). It takes you inside the yoga tradition to give you the yogis' perspective on what a mantra actually is and what initiation really means. Much of the material here is from the oral tradition in India and isn't available in other books. Fascinating esoteric teaching is presented in terms Westerners can understand. If you're into meditation, this is one of the most inspiring books you'll ever read! After reading this, my spiritual practice was galvanized.