Incantations
Why do we recite mantras in a foreign language--Sanskrit--a language that we don't understand? And why don't the lamas usually tell us the meaning of the words in the mantra? I came across this interesting passage in a mystery novel:
I myself am a little bit interested in Sanskrit so sometimes I just happen to recognize the words in a mantra, or I might just look them up. Except for the mantra OM MANI PADME HUNG, I don't recall hearing the meaning of the words explained by my lamas very often. And in the case of OM MANI PADME HUNG, the words are symbolic anyway--the word for jewel representing method and the word for lotus representing wisdom--so it doesn't make a sentence in the normal sense.
Sometimes I mention the meaning of some of the words in the most frequently-used mantras, if I'm introducing them in a class or a practice session, but that just seems to make people expect to get the translation of every mantra. I have started to worry, "What have I got myself into? Now I have to translate every mantra?"
This passage from the novel makes an interesting point: the very fact that the words are unfamiliar is part of what allows us to imbue the mantra with magical power, with the power of our intention.
What do you think of that? Do you consciously think about the meaning of a mantra when you recite it? Or is it enough just to know that it's the mantra of Chenrezig or that it is a multiplying mantra, etc.?
"Magic is a kind of energy. It is given shape by human thoughts and emotions, by imagination. Thoughts define that shape--and words help to define those thoughts. That's why wizards usually use words to help them with their spells. Words provide a sort of insulation as the energy of magic burns through a spell caster's mind. If you use words that you're too familiar with, words that are so close to your thoughts that you have trouble separating thought from word, that insulation is very thin. So most wizards use words from ancient languages they don't know very well, or else they make up nonsense words and mentally attach their meanings to a particular effect. That way, a wizard's mind has an extra layer of protection against magical energies coursing through it."
Fool Moon: a novel of The Dresden Files, by Jim Butcher, 2001
Sometimes I mention the meaning of some of the words in the most frequently-used mantras, if I'm introducing them in a class or a practice session, but that just seems to make people expect to get the translation of every mantra. I have started to worry, "What have I got myself into? Now I have to translate every mantra?"
This passage from the novel makes an interesting point: the very fact that the words are unfamiliar is part of what allows us to imbue the mantra with magical power, with the power of our intention.
What do you think of that? Do you consciously think about the meaning of a mantra when you recite it? Or is it enough just to know that it's the mantra of Chenrezig or that it is a multiplying mantra, etc.?
Hi! Thanks for posting this.
ReplyDeleteRegarding your question about the power of mantra based on unfamiliarity - I would be curious to see whether people well versed in the native language of the mantra (i.e., Sanskrit or even Tibetan) experience decreased or increased efficacy based on their familiarity with the language.
In general, I'm led to think about the notion of power and how that manifests in the form of language and especially mantra. Some thoughts arise:
a) As Sanskrit and Tibetan have liturgical origins, the mantra's power seems due to the power of the mind and the circumstances regarding the establishment and dissemination of the language.
b) I also believe that the recipient's openness and belief systems would effect the mantra's power.
c) I have also started to think a lot about the notion of power as a function of rarity - mostly in worldly terms as I learn more about economics. It seems that monetary value is ascribed to objects or instances that are rare. For instance, a sculpture in good condition from 4th century Gandhara would be worth so much more than a mass-produced sculpture of the same material from a decade ago, due to its rarity ... at least on a conventional level. Therefore, there might be something to the relative rarity of an incantation (in a foreign language) that offers it more power.
d) Then again, perhaps in addition to rarity, there is the factor of malleability - as you suggest. It is perhaps "virgin" speech that may be imbued with the power of the mind, as a white canvas is imbued with the artist's visual conception, that makes it especially potent for transformation.
e) I am most curious about the Medicine Buddha mantra in these degenerate times. As Lama Zopa Rinpoche says, the power of the Medicine Buddha mantra increases in these degenerate times (whereas the power of other mantras decreases), due to the prayers of the Medicine Buddhas, who are portrayed as historic figures with volition and intention. Therefore, it seems that a major factor in the power of the mantra is due to the specific intention of the mind that created the mantra. (Naturally, I am curious to why the other mantras have lost efficacy in these times -- in case you happen to know.)
Hence, in summary, it appears that the power of mantra (i.e., the ability to produce the intended result of the utterance) may be due to various factors:
- Originator of the incantation and his/her intention and power
- Receptivity and background of the receiver
- Relative rarity of the utterance
- Ability of the utterance to be malleable
All very fascinating from the perspective of inquiry, and very utilitarian from the perspective of practice - as I have subjectively experienced much benefit from Buddhist mantras and am grateful for their existence. As a side note, I do enjoy the use of non-Buddhist, fictional works to shed spiritual insight. It seems that all serious study and practice of something requires structure and discipline, and structure offers much benefit. However, the downside is that intuitive insights that occur from another culture or from the realm of imagination (as manifested in fiction, art, etc.) may be very valuable but not recognized as valuable nor have the ability to be fully assimilated within the discipline. Sometimes it seems as if the structures that promote liberation are the ones that need to be overcome to find liberation ... quite a paradox in some ways. Anyway, I just find it great that other sources are being used to probe more deeply into the nature of reality.
Cheers and thank you!
- Jennifer