Mantra is a syllable or word or set of words. When the mantra is remembered consciously, it automatically is stored in the unconscious mind. At the time of parting, the mantra which is stored in the unconscious mind becomes one’s guide. This period of separation is painful to the ignorant. This is not the case with a spiritual person who has remembered the mantra faithfully. The mantra serves as a guide through this period of transition. Mantra is a spiritual guide that dispels the fear of death and leads one fearlessly to the other shore of life.

For yogis and sages death is a minor event. To them it is merely a habit of the body, a change like other changes that occur in the process of growth. If everyone realized this, there would be less misery as people grow old and approach death. Death and birth are two gates of the same mansion. Coming out from one gate is called birth and passing through another gate is called death. Fortunate few know the mystery of birth and death.

Editor’s note

This is an excerpt from Sacred Journey by Swami Rama, published by Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy, 1996, page 113.