
Mantra Initiation
"The first stage in guidance is an initiation into a specific mantra..." - Swami Rama
Initiation is a fundamental element within the Himalayan Tradition
Swami Veda Bharati invites people to prepare themselves for initiation and urges teachers to “prepare your students to become linked to the Guru lineage by way of initiation.”
“The first stage in guidance is an initiation into a specific mantra… The word mantra means that which liberates the mind from all griefs, sorrows and agonies. A mantra consists of one or more words chosen specifically for leading a particular aspirant to the final Truth. Not every word can be a mantra. Mantras are not composed by the initiator. They have been handed down to him through his tradition, having been revealed to great Yogis and Seers while they were in a superconscious state. The science of mantra is very exact, but very few people know or understand its significance. Once initiated the disciple repeats and meditates upon his mantra throughout his life. And gradually the mantra leads him to the stage of samadhi.” – Swami Rama, Lectures on Yoga.
Four Conditions for Mantra Initiation
- Keeping a fixed daily meditation time.
- Living a life conducive to meditation.
- One must renounce the use of all mind-altering substances. In some cases, the would-be initiate may be asked to wait a few months if he/she has been taking such substances.
- Completing a course of classes in breathing, sitting, and other preparations of Yoga Meditation with the teachers so to establish ability in the basic practices.
Preparations in Yoga Meditation consist of:
- Joints and glands exercises
- Training the legs
- Sitting correctly: with a straight spine
- Relaxation procedures
- Diaphragmatic breathing
- Breath awareness
- Breath awareness with so-ham
Recommended Readings prior to Initiation:
Booklets:
- “The Himalayan Tradition” by Swami Veda Bharati
- “Mantra What and Why” by Swami Veda Bharati
- “Mantra After Initiation” by Swami Veda Bharati
- “Special Mantras” by Swami Veda Bharati
Books:
- Meditation and Its Practice by Swami Rama, p. 4-6
- Path of Fire and Light, Vol. 1 by Swami Rama, p. 130-132
- Path of Fire and Light, Vol. 2, by Swami Rama, chapter 9,”The Science of Sound”
- Mantra and Meditation by Pandit Usharbudh Arya/Swami Veda Bharati, chapters 5, 10, 11 & 13
Recommended audio recordings:
- Superconscious Meditation series by Swami Veda Bharati
- Mantra: Its Use and Meaning by Swami Veda Bharati