Use of Mantra

General discussion of issues related to Theravada Meditation, e.g. meditation postures, developing a regular sitting practice, skillfully relating to difficulties and hindrances, etc.
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JKPenumbra
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Use of Mantra

Post by JKPenumbra »

I've decided to make a commitment to meditate every day, for a minimum of 1 hour. I have done so for the past couple of days, and had been thinking of increasing the amount of time spent doing so. I will add walking meditation eventually, but for now I haven't. I do notice my mind has calmed, most noticeably so directly after, and it is easier in day to day life to stay present (though I do go off in thoughts a lot)

I realllly didn't want to meditate today, but I managed to go do it, as I'm going to stick to this resolution, and I did so for about an hour and a half.

I read something earlier today, and was wondering if it were true --
"Of course, we make use of words in order to convey the idea, but at the time of doing it, it is out of question to use words, neither verbally, nor mentally except for the fresh beginners whom it can help. Quickly, one must stop all this, and simply turn his attention to reality and know it as it is."

Is this how it should be?

and, ""When a sound does manifest, only know what is heard. When a sight does occur, only know what is seen. When there is a smell, only know what is smelt. When there is a taste, only know what is tasted. When there is a mental object, only know what is thought."

Does this mean, for instance that I would focus on what the object that I was smelling was? Or, that I was simply smelling, and let my mind only be consumed by the thought of the sensation of smelling? These small details still confuse me.. I suppose what I would do would be to just think smelling smelling while simultaneously focusing on the smell.. But that's not what this is suggesting..

Hope this isn't too vague..
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Virgo
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Re: Use of Mantra

Post by Virgo »

JKPenumbra wrote:I've decided to make a commitment to meditate every day, for a minimum of 1 hour. I have done so for the past couple of days, and had been thinking of increasing the amount of time spent doing so. I will add walking meditation eventually, but for now I haven't. I do notice my mind has calmed, most noticeably so directly after, and it is easier in day to day life to stay present (though I do go off in thoughts a lot)

I realllly didn't want to meditate today, but I managed to go do it, as I'm going to stick to this resolution, and I did so for about an hour and a half.

I read something earlier today, and was wondering if it were true --
"Of course, we make use of words in order to convey the idea, but at the time of doing it, it is out of question to use words, neither verbally, nor mentally except for the fresh beginners whom it can help. Quickly, one must stop all this, and simply turn his attention to reality and know it as it is."

Is this how it should be?

and, ""When a sound does manifest, only know what is heard. When a sight does occur, only know what is seen. When there is a smell, only know what is smelt. When there is a taste, only know what is tasted. When there is a mental object, only know what is thought."

Does this mean, for instance that I would focus on what the object that I was smelling was? Or, that I was simply smelling, and let my mind only be consumed by the thought of the sensation of smelling? These small details still confuse me.. I suppose what I would do would be to just think smelling smelling while simultaneously focusing on the smell.. But that's not what this is suggesting..

Hope this isn't too vague..
Hi JK (may I call you that?). Samatha meditation, as far as I understand, is about settling your mind on a conceptual object. You settle your mind onto it. Sometimes, a verbalization is used to help you focus on the object (as described in the Visuddhimagga), but I don't think mantras are used in Theravada. They originally come from the Vedas (Ancient Hindu religious and medical scriptures) and they then found there way into Mahayana Budddhism (and most notably Vajrayana Buddhism).

Kevin
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jcsuperstar
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Re: Use of Mantra

Post by jcsuperstar »

there is the object, and there is contact with the sense door, this is smelling, when you label it as the smell of rice or smoke etc that is thinking and you have moved away from "just smelling"
สัพเพ สัตตา สุขีตา โหนตุ

the mountain may be heavy in and of itself, but if you're not trying to carry it it's not heavy to you- Ajaan Suwat
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JKPenumbra
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Re: Use of Mantra

Post by JKPenumbra »

jcsuperstar wrote:there is the object, and there is contact with the sense door, this is smelling, when you label it as the smell of rice or smoke etc that is thinking and you have moved away from "just smelling"
So then I should only focus on smelling, the sensation itsself, not the object in which I am smelling?

And Theravada doesn't use Mantra's? Yuttadhammo had told me to use mantras such as rising and falling of the abdomen, thinking, thinking, smelling, thinking thinking
Etc.
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Re: Use of Mantra

Post by bodom »

JKPenumbra wrote:
jcsuperstar wrote:there is the object, and there is contact with the sense door, this is smelling, when you label it as the smell of rice or smoke etc that is thinking and you have moved away from "just smelling"
So then I should only focus on smelling, the sensation itsself, not the object in which I am smelling?

And Theravada doesn't use Mantra's? Yuttadhammo had told me to use mantras such as rising and falling of the abdomen, thinking, thinking, smelling, thinking thinking
Etc.
Not mantra per se but rather mental noting or labeling as Yuttadhammo practices and teaches Mahasi technique. Yuttadhammo refers to the label as a "clear thought" and this works the same way as a mantra.

:anjali:
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.

- BB
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jcsuperstar
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Re: Use of Mantra

Post by jcsuperstar »

JKPenumbra wrote:
jcsuperstar wrote:there is the object, and there is contact with the sense door, this is smelling, when you label it as the smell of rice or smoke etc that is thinking and you have moved away from "just smelling"
So then I should only focus on smelling, the sensation itsself, not the object in which I am smelling?

And Theravada doesn't use Mantra's? Yuttadhammo had told me to use mantras such as rising and falling of the abdomen, thinking, thinking, smelling, thinking thinking
Etc.
ajahn Yuttadhammo is a great guy.
these are not mantras per say as a mantra has some magic power embedded in the mantra itself, but you can use these labels as a sort of mantra, or int he way a mantra is used. does that make sense?

you should ask ajahn Yuttadhammo the same question you have asked here. i believe he is back in L.A. now so has Internet access.

but my feeling is the sooner you cut off the mental additions to smelling the better it is as an object of meditation. you have the object you have contact and that is smell, it is then either good, bad, or neutral and then you decide if you like it how you want it etc.. you just end up in thinking, craving and way off the real object of your meditation.
สัพเพ สัตตา สุขีตา โหนตุ

the mountain may be heavy in and of itself, but if you're not trying to carry it it's not heavy to you- Ajaan Suwat
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bodom
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Re: Use of Mantra

Post by bodom »

Heres his site. Highly recommended.

http://yuttadhammo.sirimangalo.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

:anjali:
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.

- BB
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JKPenumbra
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Re: Use of Mantra

Post by JKPenumbra »

jcsuperstar wrote:
JKPenumbra wrote:
jcsuperstar wrote:there is the object, and there is contact with the sense door, this is smelling, when you label it as the smell of rice or smoke etc that is thinking and you have moved away from "just smelling"
So then I should only focus on smelling, the sensation itsself, not the object in which I am smelling?

And Theravada doesn't use Mantra's? Yuttadhammo had told me to use mantras such as rising and falling of the abdomen, thinking, thinking, smelling, thinking thinking
Etc.
ajahn Yuttadhammo is a great guy.
these are not mantras per say as a mantra has some magic power embedded in the mantra itself, but you can use these labels as a sort of mantra, or int he way a mantra is used. does that make sense?

you should ask ajahn Yuttadhammo the same question you have asked here. i believe he is back in L.A. now so has Internet access.

but my feeling is the sooner you cut off the mental additions to smelling the better it is as an object of meditation. you have the object you have contact and that is smell, it is then either good, bad, or neutral and then you decide if you like it how you want it etc.. you just end up in thinking, craving and way off the real object of your meditation.
Before I posted in this forum, I did ask Ajhan Yuttadhammo
His reply was this

"Dear Jesse,

You have to see what works best for you.

Yuttadhammo
"
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retrofuturist
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Re: Use of Mantra

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings,

The closest thing to a mantra that I'm aware of in Theravada Buddhism is the use of the word "buddho".

Using Buddho to gain jhana
http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=3727" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It seems more popular in the Thai Forest tradition than elsewhere.

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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Re: Use of Mantra

Post by cooran »

Hello all,

Mantra is often used in Theravada practice. My favourite for Walking Meditation is:

Buddho ... Araham ... Bhagava
Bhagava ... Araham ... Buddho

Buddho ... Araham ... Bhagava
Bhagava ... Araham ... Buddho

The keeping of the term Araham in the centre is a mindfulness support. If you suddenly notice that you have Araham at the beginning or end of the line, you are alerted to the fact that mindfulness has slipped.

If this happens ~ "begin again".

This Manta is an echo of parts of the Recollection of the Three Treasures which was chanted everywhere at the Four Holy Places and other buddhist sites by all Theravada groups on my recent pilgrimage in India:

Iti pi so bhagava araham samma-sambuddho vijja-carana-sampanno sugato lokavidu anuttaro purisa-dhamma-sarathi sattha-deva-manussanam buddho bhagava'ti
Svakkhato bhagavata dhammo sanditthiko akaliko ehipassiko opanayiko paccattam veditabbo vinnuhi'ti

Supatipanno bhagavato savakasangho, ujupatipanno bhagavato savakasangho, ñayapatipanno bhagavato savakasangho, samicipatipanno bhagavato savakasangho yadidam cattari purisayugani attha purisapuggala, esa bhagavato savakasangho, ahuneyyo pahuneyyo dakkhineyyo añjalikaraniyo, anuttaram puññakkhettam lokassa'ti.

with metta
Chris
---The trouble is that you think you have time---
---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
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cooran
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Re: Use of Mantra

Post by cooran »

Hello all,

Sabbe satta sukhi hontu
Sabbe sattā sukhi hontu is a Pali phrase meaning “May all beings be well (or happy)”.
It’s not, properly speaking, a mantra, but is a chant that is used in exactly the same way as a mantra.
Unlike most mantras, it has a definite grammatical meaning.
Sabbe = all
Sattā (or sattaa) = beings
Sukhi = happy, well
Hontu = may they be

The chant has an attractive tune, and it’s lovely to chant this at the end of a period of the metta bhavana (development of lovingkindness) practice. It makes a beautiful group chant as well.
Outside of formal meditation, you can chant this mantra while walking, driving, or while engaged in any other such activity. It can help if you keep your attention centered on your heart, and also if you imagine that light is flowing from your heart and touching other people.

There are many other Pali chants that are similar and that are also closely related to the practice of lovingkindness, yet none seem to be as common as sabbe satta sukhi hontu, which really expresses the essence of lovingkindness.

Variants include:
sabbe satta avera hontu (may all beings be free from enmity and danger)
sabbe satta abyapajjha hontu (may all beings be free from mental suffering)
sabbe satta anigha hontu (may all beings be free from physical suffering)
sabbe satta dukkha muccantu (may all beings be free from suffering)
sabbe satta sukhi attanam pariharantu (may all beings protect themselves joyfully)

Click on link below to locate the chant in RealAudio
Or to listen to an MP3 version

Pronunciation notes:
a is pronounced as u in cut
ā (or aa) is pronounced as a in father
Sabbe satta sukhi hontu is the key of the development of lovingkindness and compassion. Although most religions teach us to love our neighbors and even our enemies, it’s often hard to know exactly how to do that. Buddhism, being a very practical tradition, offers a number of practices, including the development of lovingkindness (metta bhavana), and the development of compassion (karuna bhavana) meditations. Each of these practices helps us to develop a healthier and more loving relationship to oneself and others.

Metta is often translated as love as well as lovingkindness, and the essence of love in this sense is that we recognize that all beings, just like us, wish to experience happiness and do not wish to experience suffering. Metta is an empathetic sense of caring for others’ wellebing. It’s for that reason that sabbe satta sukhi hontu (“may all beings be happy”) is considered to express the heart of the lovingkindness practice.

In cultivating lovingkindness we commonly repeat phrases such as “May all beings be well; May all beings be happy; May all beings be free from suffering.” The accumulated effect of those words, when they are mindfully repeated, is to create a genuine sense of caring.
http://www.wildmind.org/mantras/figures/sabbesatta" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

with metta
Chris
---The trouble is that you think you have time---
---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
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JKPenumbra
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Re: Use of Mantra

Post by JKPenumbra »

Virgo wrote:
JKPenumbra wrote:I've decided to make a commitment to meditate every day, for a minimum of 1 hour. I have done so for the past couple of days, and had been thinking of increasing the amount of time spent doing so. I will add walking meditation eventually, but for now I haven't. I do notice my mind has calmed, most noticeably so directly after, and it is easier in day to day life to stay present (though I do go off in thoughts a lot)

I realllly didn't want to meditate today, but I managed to go do it, as I'm going to stick to this resolution, and I did so for about an hour and a half.

I read something earlier today, and was wondering if it were true --
"Of course, we make use of words in order to convey the idea, but at the time of doing it, it is out of question to use words, neither verbally, nor mentally except for the fresh beginners whom it can help. Quickly, one must stop all this, and simply turn his attention to reality and know it as it is."

Is this how it should be?

and, ""When a sound does manifest, only know what is heard. When a sight does occur, only know what is seen. When there is a smell, only know what is smelt. When there is a taste, only know what is tasted. When there is a mental object, only know what is thought."

Does this mean, for instance that I would focus on what the object that I was smelling was? Or, that I was simply smelling, and let my mind only be consumed by the thought of the sensation of smelling? These small details still confuse me.. I suppose what I would do would be to just think smelling smelling while simultaneously focusing on the smell.. But that's not what this is suggesting..

Hope this isn't too vague..
Hi JK (may I call you that?). Samatha meditation, as far as I understand, is about settling your mind on a conceptual object. You settle your mind onto it. Sometimes, a verbalization is used to help you focus on the object (as described in the Visuddhimagga), but I don't think mantras are used in Theravada. They originally come from the Vedas (Ancient Hindu religious and medical scriptures) and they then found there way into Mahayana Budddhism (and most notably Vajrayana Buddhism).

Kevin
Yes, you may call me JK, or Jesse if you remember it :)
But you're correct, my Buddhist vernacular isn't quite par yet.
Mantra probably wasn't the word I should've used
jcsuperstar wrote:there is the object, and there is contact with the sense door, this is smelling, when you label it as the smell of rice or smoke etc that is thinking and you have moved away from "just smelling"
After reading over this a second time, I have a better understanding...
So then, it's just that.. "smelling", or whatever sense, "itching"
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Re: Use of Mantra

Post by tiltbillings »

JKPenumbra wrote: But you're correct, my Buddhist vernacular isn't quite par yet.
Mantra probably wasn't the word I should've used
We have all been there. You learn by asking.
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
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Re: Use of Mantra

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings,
tiltbillings wrote:
JKPenumbra wrote: But you're correct, my Buddhist vernacular isn't quite par yet.
Mantra probably wasn't the word I should've used
We have all been there. You learn by asking.
Yep, that's my mantra.

:jumping:

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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Re: Use of Mantra

Post by catmoon »

retrofuturist wrote:Greetings,
tiltbillings wrote:
JKPenumbra wrote: But you're correct, my Buddhist vernacular isn't quite par yet.
Mantra probably wasn't the word I should've used
We have all been there. You learn by asking.
Yep, that's my mantra.

:jumping:

Metta,
Retro. :)
Editorial note: This represents a marked change of direction from Retro's old mantra, which for many years was, "Om mani pudding oops".
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