Choosing a Mantra

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Transcendental Meditation has become a cult, with all the dangers and severe restrictions of freedom that this implies. So, although we can recommend the method of tm, we cannot endorse its modern activities.

"Transcendental meditation" is by no means limited to one method, but includes all forms of meditation. For they are all aimed at "transcendental " goals. This means that their purpose is to lift us "above" the ordinary world, or being controlled by it, into the world of the interior and pure Mind.

As an example of the corruption of cults, tm people claim to give each student a "vibrationally compatible" mantra-- a phrase, often in Sanskrit, an ancient language. But each student is not given a unique mantra, as claimed. The leaders are lying. Interviews with former slaves of the tm cult have proved that hundreds of people actually share the same mantra.

There is no reason for a person to try to keep her mantra a "secret." This is just trying to behave "mysteriously," as if in possession of deep dark spiritual secrets. It is only a game played by the ego, and leaders of tm play it all the time.

A mantra can be any short phrase in any language. It often has better psychological (unconscious) effects if it is meaningful and understandable. It plants the seeds of transcendence and Love.

A mantra can have any reasonable number of syllables. We have had great success with four-syllable mantras, because they fall into such an easy rhythm. The most effective and useful practical mantras are in English for people who speak that language. A few sample mantras are: "I am at peace," "I am Love, and...," "God is Love, and...," "Does not matter" (for people too "stuck" to the world in Velcromind), "Amitabha" (Lord of limitless light), "Jesus Christ, and...," "Gentle Kwan Yin," "Brahman, Brahman," "I love all, and...," "I am Buddha," "I am the Christ," "loving Goddess," "Love's in control," and, "I am wisdom." Of course, you can choose any positive, uplifting, spiritual phrase in the world as your mantra.

Mantras are extremely powerful, but, at first, they seem very weak. It takes time for them to become stronger than ordinary thought. In time, they can overcome negative thoughts, by replacing them. But in order to maximize the strength of the mantra, it is recommended that you not "bounce around" too much: After carefully choosing your mantra, stay with the same one for at least a year, to empower it and yourself. Used for many years, a good mantra can begin to "run itself." It can wipe away all negative thoughts.

You should run your mantra as often as possible, all during the day and night, until it becomes automatic. This will, in time, help to erase the hang-ups and trivialities of the egomind, and will "clear your mind" for stillmind, crystalmind, which will allow the Mind of the great Spirit, deep within, to manifest Itself, as purest Love and bliss. This state of clarity, also called "Teflonmind," is highly therapeutic and healing.
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