The word ‘mantra’ is derived from two Sanskrit words: ‘manas’ meaning mind and ‘trai’ meaning free from. In the literal sense it means to be free from the mind. Chanting just one mantra diligently can do such tremendous things to your life. However, without the necessary awareness, chanting mantras will be just like an annoying repetitive sound bringing dullness to your mind. If done with proper awareness and exact understanding, chanting mantras could be very powerful and be an effective force in creating something.
So remember, chanting mantras is not something that you just utter for hours. This is also considered to be a subjective science and hence if imparted in the wrong way can cause lot of damage and create negative energy. Even chanting something as simple as the Gayatri mantra without proper understanding and knowledge can do you more harm than good.
There are different types of mantras and it is very important to approach them with proper awareness. You can decide to chant a mantra by thinking of how you conceive the divine and choose a mantra accordingly that will deepen your spiritual connection. Some common Buddhist mantras include: Om mani padme hum, Nam myoho renge kyo, Om taare tu taare ture svaha, Om muni muni maha muni svaha and many more mantras according to different traditions and religions.
Chanting mantras works in such a way that the vibrations created by the repeated sound stimulate and alter the chemical balance of the brain. It can create a mental or psychological response that is very deep and can only be experienced.Chanting enables a more relaxed and extended state of consciousness to take over us. This is the reason why in some Buddhist traditions it is emphasized to chant for hours. It may not sound thrilling or interesting but it does have remarkable effects and elevates the mind to an altered state of spiritual experience.
Chanting works at the level of consciousness and then alerts the sub conscious mind because mantras work like a secret. If we want to plant a tree, first it needs to be sown into the soil. If it is simply thrown around, there won’t be any foundation. Similarly you can read a lot about mantras and its benefits through various sources but will fail to translate them into a life changing experience.
Life is all about cause and effect and you can do nothing to escape them. By chanting mantras you can experience how the law of cause of effect operates in your life on a daily basis. People chant for peace, happiness, spirituality and there may be million other reasons. But everyone chants for one common goal that is to bring a change in their lives. In order to experience the change you need to believe in what your practice. Everyone is battling some kind of negativity every single moment and by chanting mantras, one can change this. It makes you calm and when you are in a peaceful state of mind, you take better decisions in life. Chanting mantras is a means to explore our inner selves and transform our lives with positive energy.